i’m stupid extra. seriously extra. especially when it comes to parties and my boys and social stuff. it all started with their first birthdays. i’ve been over-the-top for more than 16 years. and i have no apologies for it because i absolutely love doing these celebrations + they inspire me.

while birthday parties have started to wind down, they have been replaced by other celebrations: homecoming + the boys’ annual friendsmas. when my oldest started high school, i offered to host a nice homecoming dinner at our house for the kids to enjoy before the dance. we started three years ago + this year, we have homecoming dinner on the books for these amazing high schoolers again!

how do we make this come together? my first step is always to figure out the kind of vibe i think would be nice for the kids to enjoy. while i am fully aware that these kids love their culver’s and chipotle and raising cane’s, i do think there’s something nice about giving these teens something on the mildly fancy side. they’re all dressed up. for many, this is their first formal school event, so why not go a little fancy with it? in my opinion, these kids deserve it!

since it’s fall, i usually go with a vibe that’s kind of modern: lighter color palette, natural textures like burlap, minimal florals, and sometimes some plants thrown in. for 2025, i’m going with a modern fall theme {my son + i have coined in “elegant homecoming”} with pumpkins, wheat, balloons, and some modern, simple looking florals.

after the vibe + look is figured out, i turn to food and drinks! my biggest tip: think about what you’re serving, the fact that everyone who’s going to be eating is going to be dressed up, and spills happen. while one of the easiest things to feed a group of teens might be pasta, red sauce + formal dresses don’t typically mix. some ideas of what i’ve served in the past: grilled chicken breast, pasta with alfredo sauce, salad, breadsticks, and small sweets for dessert, like cupcakes. {pro tip: if you’re hosting a group of kids, always make sure to ask about vegetarians in the group or food allergies!}

once i’ve figured out these two biggest elements of the celebration, i am always on board with doing some adorable DIYs for the decor! {obvi…i mean, come on, it’s *me*.} for this year’s homecoming, i’ve got two main DIYs in my plans: my fuzzy sock pumpkins + an adorable pumpkin centerpiece, inspired by this idea shared by martha stewart.

that’s part one! follow along with me as i keep sharing how i’m planning this year’s elegant homecoming for the greatest group of kids (and how i’m totally in my maker happy place to help this come together!)