Saddling Up for Her Next Adventure: A Horse-Themed Going-Away Party.
Some parties are just fun to throw. And some mean a little more.
This one definitely meant more.
My best friend and I have been friends for 18 years, and somehow we managed to have our daughters, Ella and Olivia, on the exact same day. I have literally watched Olivia grow up from the first day of her life.
So when we found out she would be leaving home to attend an equestrian boarding school in California, there was absolutely no way we were letting her leave without a proper send-off.
And considering where she was headed, there really was only one theme:
Olivia is saddling up for her next adventure!
The Party Plan
We hosted about 18–20 people at our home—mostly longtime family friends along with a few of Olivia's school friends.
Since it was August in Texas, this needed to be a pool party. Swimming was really the only activity necessary for the kids, which also meant I could concentrate on the details that I love most.
We held the party from 2–5 p.m., intentionally ending before dinnertime. This is one of my favorite hosting tricks when you don't want to serve an entire meal: choose a time that clearly says snacks, not dinner.
And snacks we had!
Keep the Food Easy
For this party, I didn't try to make the food fancy. I wanted things teenagers would actually eat, along with plenty for the adults to snack on.
We served crudités, pretzels, spinach dip, hummus with pita chips, tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole, Ruffles potato chips and Olivia’s mom’s ridiculously easy homemade black bean dip.
I also put together a very kid-friendly snack tray with chocolate rice cakes, watermelon, fruit snacks, potato chips and pretzels.
For drinks, we had sparkling water, regular water, Dr Pepper and Sprite, plus beer and champagne for the adults.
My philosophy with party food is pretty simple: if the rest of the party has personality, the food doesn't have to perform. Serve things people genuinely like to eat and let everyone enjoy themselves.
The World's Easiest Black Bean Dip
This hardly qualifies as a recipe, which is exactly why I love it.
You'll need:
2 cans cooked black beans, drained
1 jar of your favorite salsa
Put both into a blender or Vitamix and blend until you've reached your preferred consistency.
That's it.
Serve it warm or cold with tortilla chips.
My DIY Balloon Arch
I need a moment for this one because I made my own balloon arch!
And it was much easier than I expected.
I bought a set of 60 balloons from Amazon in soft blush, cream and white tones. My daughters blew them all up and tied them together into groups of four.
I also bought invisible hanging wire from Amazon. My husband screwed three hooks above our garage door, and using those three hooks and the invisible wire, I was able to arrange and hang the balloon clusters across the top.
That was it.
Underneath the balloons, I hung a gold horseshoe garland from Amazon.
The wooden garage doors ended up providing the perfect backdrop, and suddenly we had an inexpensive DIY balloon installation that looked like an actual party backdrop.
Party tip: Don't assume you need to hire someone to create a balloon installation. If you have a good backdrop and a few anchor points, balloons are surprisingly forgiving.
Carrying the Horse Theme Through the Party
I didn't want everything covered in horses. Instead, I repeated a few equestrian details throughout the space.
At the entrance gates, I hung more of the Amazon horseshoe garland and topped it with simple greenery, also from Amazon.
I added cute bow napkins I found at Target, and of course, because this was a pool party, we needed an inflatable horse pool float from Amazon.
Little touches were enough to carry the theme without making the party feel like a children's horse-themed birthday party.
Turning the Invitation Into a Keepsake
This might be one of my favorite party tricks from this celebration.
I had created an invitation around the phrase “Olivia is saddling up for her next adventure.”
Instead of letting that design disappear after the invitation was sent, I took an edited version and had it made into a sign through Zazzle.
We used the sign for photos throughout the party.
But here's the part I really loved: on the back, I had the complete original invitation printed.
So after the party, Olivia didn't just have a photo prop. She had an actual keepsake from her going-away celebration that she could take with her.
A Horseshoe Full of Messages From Home
I knew I wanted Olivia to have something she could take with her to boarding school, so I ordered a custom pink horseshoe door hanger from Etsy with an “O” incorporated into the design.
It was cute enough to hang in her new room—but the back is what made it special.
We had every guest write Olivia a message on it before she left.
By the end of the party, the entire back was covered with notes from the people who love her.
So when she hangs that horseshoe in her room in California, all she has to do is flip it over to see a little piece of home.
This is one of those party ideas I will absolutely use again. If you're throwing a going-away party, find something that relates to the guest of honor or their destination and turn the guest book into something they can actually use or display.
The Gift I Couldn't Believe I Found
Sometimes the universe practically hands you the perfect gift.
Two days before the party, I walked into Altar'd State and saw a hoodie with a giant horseshoe on the back.
Inside it were the words:
“You've Got This.”
And underneath:
“There are great things coming your way.”
I could not believe it.
It couldn't have been more perfect if I had designed it specifically for Olivia and this moment.
When I gave it to her, she couldn't believe it either.
We both cried.
Sometimes the best party details aren't planned months in advance. They're the things you happen upon that somehow say exactly what you were trying to say.
And Of Course, There Had to Be a Photo Spot
If you follow my parties for very long, you're going to learn something about me:
There will almost always be a photo spot.
It may actually be my favorite part of throwing a party.
For this one, the balloon arch, horseshoe garland and wooden garage doors became our backdrop. We took photos of Olivia with individual guests, her friends, her family and finally everyone who came to celebrate her.
And that's why I think creating a designated photo area is worth the effort every single time.
The party lasts three hours.
The pictures don't.
We can print some of these and send them with Olivia to California so the people who showed up to celebrate her can go right along with her.
A Send-Off That Felt Like Her
This wasn't the biggest party I've ever thrown.
It wasn't the most elaborate.
But it may be one of the most meaningful.
There were kids in the pool, easy snacks covering the kitchen island, champagne for the grown-ups, horseshoes everywhere and people who have watched Olivia grow up gathered together to tell her how much they love her.
And underneath all the decorations and food and balloons, that's really what this party was about.
A girl we love is doing something incredibly brave.
She's leaving home, heading to California and beginning an entirely new adventure centered around something she loves.
So we sent her off with photographs, handwritten messages, a few horseshoes and one very important reminder:
You've got this, Olivia.
Now go saddle up for your next adventure. ♥️