Fun!!

For the women, it depends on what they like. I just received a present in a gift bag with bright, big colorful flowers on it. It's not my usual taste at all, but I love how unrestrained it is and how unapologetically bright the flowers are. If the ladies on that side of the family like flowers at all, you can go over the top blowsy on them, depending on what's in bloom (I'm no help for that--our seasons are way different and I don't really know anyway). I'm thinking, however, of big hydrangeas, hibiscus, irises, etc. Do you have a wholesale flower market you can get into there? The key to this is that more is more, up to your budget. Add some cheap ribbons or streamers to bump it up even more. Add some sugared flowers to the comestibles as well. :)

Supper club on the cheap is a bit harder, but you can be clever. Like buy a bunch of flat sheets to drape the room with. Thrift shops and garage sales, as well as bargain bins, are good sources. A few king sized sheets should do. You can run twine and wire through the top welt for hanging. If you can't find a supper club appropriate color, a little Rit dye can transform them. It doesn't have to last so long as it looks good. While you're shopping, you might also luck into a dinner service appropriate for the occasion. You can also sometimes get one of those complete service in a box things in white porcelain with gold trim for well under $100.

But maybe you don't even have $100 to spend on it. If not, canvas all your friends for huge vases and (clean) paint buckets. Wrap them in brown paper (or paper bags inside out). Call some tree trimmers and arborists and find out if you can come get some of their cast offs the day before the party. Get light branches, 3'-5' tall (depending on what they have and what you can stand) and fill your vases and buckets (after you've rinsed them with a hose). Add water when they're in place to weigh them down, or fill with sand or gravel if you have them. Line the table with twigs and leaves. Add fruit like lemons and apples if you like, small ones peeking out of the foliage, or big noticeable ones. Use your judgment on candles. If they're fresh, the twigs shouldn't burn easily, unless they're lacy or the leaves are dry.

The thing about setting a mood is go big and theatrical.

You can also just do simple tables and make it lovely, but I don't think that's what you were asking about.

Hats. Big, flamboyant hats. For either one. As for the supper club, a 1940's theme. Very cool clothes in that decade. (say Hi to Nancy Drew for me)

Supper club...how many people and what's your budget? How does your club work? Do you do all the food or just the main?

I belonged to a supper club for a lot of years...hosted every 5 months....was not cheap because of the booze involved for the host....but.
Have enough....of whatever. Have favors at each place.....these varied from home made nut cups with seasonal candies to joke gifts from the $ store to a clever place card holder. Inexpensive meals I have done...oven fried chicken pieces,,,,crumb coated.....a filled meat loaf ( ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs finely chopped onion or other seasonings, filled with a frozen spinach, sauteed mushroom, cheese filling and rolled and baked and sliced) stuffed pork roast, loin
I have also made a rolled souffle for a brunch. made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped in foil and warmed in the oven....again I stuff with a chopped spinach mixture.
Set a lovely table.....pull out all your pretties....

Oh, food themes. Duh. By theme, I thought you meant decor to transform the meal.

Food themes for the ladies: Do they like salads? You can do a simple Japanese-ish turkey salad (recipe provided on request) which feeds and fills many and is pretty budget friendly. It's iceberg, turkey breast roasted low and pulled in strings, toasted black sesame seeds, flash fried rice noodles and an easy, sweet and sharp dressing. I've done it a lot for crowded showers, and it goes over really well even though it's so simple.

If they like something heartier, how about quiche? Eggs are cheap. :)

For that matter, soufflés are wonderfully impressive and should be great for a supper club. I've never had an issue with a soufflé not rising correctly. I think it's mostly having a steady oven and not opening the door. Also, put a quarter tsp of the salt in the eggwhites while you're beating. It makes the fluff stronger.

You can do a lot to set a mood on the plate with decorative plating. That's anything from old fashioned garnishes that look like flowers, to real flowers, to nice color combinations. Years ago I was served a salad of strawberries, kiwi and persimmon. Ordinary fruit but the colors were very striking. Also, consider how you can make "normal" things extraordinary. For instance, substitute rutabagas for potatoes, or make salt baked potatoes in a big pan, and give the guests sand shovels to find and dig them out with.

Which makes me think, you could do a 1930's archeology theme for the dinner. Have the ladies wear cocktail hats, and the gents wear French cuffs and links, or dinner jackets or something along those lines. Decorate with copy paper photos of potshards and fossils. Use digging tools (dollar store) for serving utensils. Serve a tagine, which should be inexpensive to make, and North African style sides, and baklava or other nut and honey dessert. Or go Italian for the meal and a chocolate volcano (think Pompeii) for dessert. But I think "foreign" foods and spices would be more interesting for the club, and do more to set the theme.

I love the contributions, but yes, food themes. I should've been clearer.

supper club, I'm responsible for the party theme and the main dish which follows the theme. First one was Mardi Gras and the host had three different kinds of gumbo, for instance. It was a relaxed atmosphere and nice enough. I am trying to get my juices flowing and send out the invitation. The save the date has been sent, but not the invite.

I misunderstood too Plllog. Sorry Rob!

My first thought was a "stone soup" theme. :)

Here's a calendar for food-related days in June... maybe the date you plan hits on the perfect item to use as your theme.

eta: I meant for the Supper Club, of course.

Paella party, for supper club.

For the women's gathering, a memory theme. Everyone should bring a family recipe and maybe a way to make a quickie take home collection at the end. Serve gran's favorites with a table set with antiques. Everyone bring a photo and story to share, figure out how to capture that too, for future reference. I'm sure there's an app . . . lol!

Supper club posible "themes"....Mad Men...50's food, think salad molds and clam dip, and hambergurger stroganoff, cocktails, guests wear the appropriate clothing.
Carnival theme....borrow a picnic table with benches....serve hot dogs, corn dogs....and make funnel cakes for dessert.....hire a monkey to entertain ( just kidding!)
Summer solstice theme....faeries everywhere....perhaps an egg standing contest.....serve may wine and bread with dandelion jelly.....serve spring lamb....but likely that will be expensive....or how about al all Vegitarian meal....salads with violets and pansys added for color....light cheeses.....and I have a recipe for a killer bean salad....with garbonzos, and cannelini beans cucumber, red onion....and I forget what else....shout if you want it.

For the ladies I think a " high tea " would be perfect. Tea sandwiches, scones, sweets, I did this for Meredith's bridal shower and it was a huge hit.

PS We probably had more wine than tea..

For the supper club. Not sure if this would work with your group but I did it once and it was a huge success. I held a "cook your own" Chinese food night ( could be any cuisine) I divided the group up into 4 teams and gave them each a recipe to prepare...along with the ingredients. It was so much fun. Takes a bit of thinking and planning.......but everyone loved it!

For the supper club what about Italian or Mexican -- both foods are super cheap to make. A big vat of spaghetti and meat balls or two or three baked pasta dishes (but not lasagna -- that's probably overdone). For the Mexican, a taco and fajita bar. I assume guests bring the rest?

No apology necessary. It was me being dim.

I still think Tangiers would be a good theme. You could do a lamb (or chicken or both) tagine and a vegetarian one.

How elegant is your supper club? If it is pretty laid back, June might be perfect for farmer’s market veggie plates, 3 or 4 of whatever is in season, hot bread (being southern, I’d make cornbread), and a fruit cobbler of whatever fruit is in season. If you serve cocktails, the “special” for the evening could be a riff on iced tea - a John Daly - 1/2 tea, 1/2 lemonade, and a shot of vodka (it’s an Arnold Palmer with vodka )

If I were on a budget, but wanted to be a standout, I'd do a carnival themed meal, as Linda suggested. I'd also use tips from professional party planners like this one:

http://www.party-ideas-by-a-pro.com/carnival-theme-party.html

He has what seems to me very good tips on everything - how to do the invitations, a signature drink, and more, complete with photos. Good luck! I guess there are more sites with tips on the Internet in addition to the one I posted.

What time of day is the lady's-only shindig? I can see an English tea if a luncheon or an afternoon get together. Toss in a quiche for heartier appetites (depending on how many people will be attending).

I think the Spanish food theme could be great - have two or three types of paella - say one vegetarian, one with chicken, sausage or whatever, and one with some shrimp (look for sales now and freeze in advance) and perhaps sausage.

Do other people bring sides? If not, there are some inexpensive tapas ideas available.

The Moroccan idea would also be great, a vegetarian tangine and a chicken (or if you find some inexpensively, lamb) tangine. Find a small tangine pot just to set at the center of the table or sideboard for pretty, and use regular cookware to cook for the numbers you probably will have.

Mexican - last year for Cinco de Mayo I made a big pot of vegetarian chili, had toppings by it, and I had a taco bar with a variety of choices. Worked out really well, especially considering all the food restrictions among various guests (vegetarian, bean allergy, lactose intolerant, gluten-free...)

Tapas and paella is fun. There's a restaurant nearby that has great tapas and paella. We love going there. Sangria is a cheap drink to add, and can make without wine as a punch for tee totalers. (Sorry I don't know how to spell teetotlar or whatever but I'm not looking it up!) Put some Spanish flamenco music on Spotify. Hmmm, I think I need to throw a party! All the others sound fun too!!

Lpink, you were right. Commonly teetotaler, but also tee-totaler or T-totaler. The most common explanation is that people used to "take the pledge" against any use of alcohol, sign their names and put a T by them. Or it could just be a sign of importance such as with D-Day or H-Hour.

I also agree that tapas could be great fun, especially if you have a helper who can keep the dishes coming.

plllog, I watched a very interesting documentary about Prohibition. They claimed that the term T-totaller/Tee-totaller (and various other accepted spellings) was used because the 'T' was meant to stand for Total abstinence.

I've been out of town, so I am just now getting back over here. Thank you! for all of your thoughts and suggestions.

Italian went over well. Step mom kept saying, we need to do this for your father's birthday (it's in July, he'll be 80). I think we're all tired of potluck, and I just had three different pre-made pasta dishes. I really hope to put actual effort into the real party. This one was just a touch base and dry run for June.

I can't add a theme, and I seldom have any parties other than family any more, but Happy Birthday to your Dad. I'm trying to decide whether to have a birthday party for Mother this year, she'll be 84, but having too many people around makes her really cranky so I don't know if she'd even enjoy it. (sigh)

Whatever you decide to do, have fun!

Annie