decorations

The great thing about masquerade balls is that you can plan them for any season. They can be wild, casual, or formal. The only requirement is that you and your guests wear masks! For the sake of this conversation, let's make it formal, elegant, and romantic, like Phantom of the Opera! If you don't know it, this is a very famous musical that has a masquerade ball scene.

For this theme, think Venice in the 19th century. First, pick the colors purple, green, and gold, or any related shades, like burgundy, royal blue, and mustard. On your invitation, ask everyone to wear dressy outfits in those colors. (The guys can wear black slacks with a shirt or tie in any of those colors.) Challenge the guests to bring a unique mask. Give a prize for the best decorated one! So everyone can get in the spirit, be sure to provide fun accessories like masks, hats, feathers, feather boas, gloves, capes, and canes. You can pick these up from a party store.

You want to have bright lights at the entrance of your party, maybe even a spotlight to feature some of the outfits. Inside lights should be dim. Decorate the area with masks, white holiday lights, and candles everywhere. Put candelabra on the tables and thick drapes on the windows.

The presentation dances can be classical songs from Phantom of the Opera (click READ MORE to see a suggested playlist). The party can be divided in two parts. The first half of the night can be formal. Play mellow music for the first couple of hours during the dinner, like instrumentals on a cello, harp, or violin. The second half can be lively, more casual, and fun.

If you have a photo of yourself at a masquerade ball, send it to me! I may post it on my blog.

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If you are planning your quinceañera on a budget, cut costs by making your own decorations. With these simple and inexpensive ideas, you can start by making your own centerpieces for the tables. You'll find the needed supplies at most dollars stores across the country.

For the first four arrangements, buy glass bowls in various shapes and sizes from the dollar store.

Arrangement #1

Fill the bowls halfway with clear water and add floating tea light candles, also from the dollar store. You can color the water with artificial coloring to match your theme.

Arrangement #2

Fill the bowls halfway with clear water and add roses, carnations, or daisies to float in them.

Arrangement #3

Fill the bowls halfway with sand and place tea lights on the sand. Add other accessories to highlight a theme, like seashells or river stones.

Arrangement #4

If you have a lemon or orange tree in your backyard, USE IT, GIRL! Fill the bowls with lemons or oranges and work the theme around that, especially if you're having a summer quinceañera.

I have three more ideas using different supplies. Keep reading!

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¡Viva México! What a great country. Even though I’m Dominican, I love everything about Mexico: the people, the food, the beaches, the traditions, and especially the quinceañeras.

If you're looking for a colorful, budget-friendly theme, consider hosting an outdoor party themed around a particular Hispanic culture, whether it's your own or just a Latin country you love.

When you’re done reading my ideas, tell me yours! How you would organize a party themed around your Hispanic roots?

MEXICAN “FIESTA”

Find a public park in your area, preferably one with fountains, arches, and beautiful statues. Go to the city's department of parks and recreation and get a permit to have your party there. There will probably be a small fee, but it’s much cheaper than renting a banquet hall.

Make your cake in the shape of one of Mexico’s ancient pyramids, which are among the largest in the world! Serve a variety of food, "the whole enchilada," as the saying goes: tacos, tamales, arroz, frijoles, chips and salsa. Make the "adult" drinks — margaritas, sangria, and mojitos — without alcohol for you, your friends, and kids in the familia. Add loads of color with streamers, balloons, plates, napkins, and tablecloths.

Do I even have to mention the music? It goes without saying! You can perform a couple of cultural dances, or baile folklórico, and the guys can wear mariachi outfits. (Did you know actress Shelbie Bruce had a mariachi band at her quince? Check out her photo album here.) HOW FUN!

DOMINICAN “PERICO RIPIAO”

Again, find a park and get a permit from the city. Use the colors of la bandera dominicana, which is the same as the U.S. flag colors: red, white, and blue. You can wear a white dress, the cake can be white with red roses, and you can choose royal blue napkins tied with white ribbon. Decorate with red, white, and blue balloons.

For food, serve traditional rice and beans. Make fabulous hors d’oeuvres with plantains. You can serve “virgin” or alcohol-free versions of mojitos, sangria, and Cuba libre (cola with lime). Don’t forget the popular Dominican beverage morir sonañdo, the sweet orange juice-milk beverage whose name literally means “to die in a dream” — it’s that good!

The first dance can be a meringue like “Si tú no bailas conmigo” by Juan Luis Guerra. “Quinceañera” by Caña Brava can be your group presentation.

OTHER HISPANIC CULTURES

You can create a theme around any Latin culture. For example, if you go Venezuelan, dance salsa and serve arepas, the corn-based bread. One girl told me that in Venezuela some padrinos give the quinceañera 15 gold coins, to symbolize prosperity and good fortune. The coins are known as arras and it’s a tradition borrowed from weddings.

In Puerto Rico, where the folk music is “bomba y plena,” it is customary for the last doll to be placed at the head of the main table. Her dress is pinned with little charms called capias. The charms are given to the guests as keepsakes at the end of the party.

There's never a shortage of ideas for quince themes. Don’t forget to share yours with me!

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1. Western or patriotic theme

Time of the year:
Summer or around July 4th
Your dress:
Red, white, or royal blue
Your court:
Girls — Cropped jean skirts and plaid shirttails tied into a front knot, cowboy boots, and pigtails.
Guys — Blue jeans, plaid shirts, cowboy hats, and bolo ties.
Decoration:
Red, white, and blue all the way!
Food:
Everything barbecue, including chips and salsa.
Music:
Rock-and-roll, country, and all-American, like 80s one-hit wonders and country party music.

2. Luau, tropical, or beach theme

Time of the year:
Summer, unless you live in a coastal city. You can go to the beach or an indoor or outdoor swimming pool.
Your dress:
White, yellow, turquoise, or lime green
Your court:
Girls — Short, flowing white dresses, hula skirts or pareos/sarongs, bright flowers in their hair, and bare feet.
Guys — Rolled-up jeans, Hawaiian shirts or guayaberas, and bare feet
Decoration:
Tropical flowers, fern, and fake or real palm trees. Seashells, pineapples, coconuts, and banana leaves; floral-print tablecloths.
Food:
Finger foods, fresh tropical fruits, veggies, sushi, BBQ ribs, fried chicken, egg rolls, chicken or beef teriyaki, macaroni and potato salads, white rice.
Music:
Latin, reggae, Hawaiian music, surf

3. Hollywood or American star theme

Time of the year:
Anytime! Especially great for during awards season, like in January for the Oscars, June for the ALMA Awards, September for the Emmys and the VMAs, or November for the Latin Grammys.
Your dress:
White, gold, silver — with sparkles!
Your court:
Girls — Sequin dresses with feather boas.
Guys — Tuxes with slicked-back hair and dark glasses. Vests should match the damas’ color.
Decoration:
Stars like the glow-in-the-dark kind you stick to the wall, disco ball, spotlights, movie cameras and reels, red carpet, directors chairs, and your picture everywhere!
Food:
Hollywood is as international as it gets. Anything goes. You can set it up with pictures of your favorite stars, with award statues in between plates.
Music:
Big band, swing, jazz, and all your karaoke favorites

4. Masquerade or Mardi Gras party

Time of the year:
Autumn, winter, Christmas, or February for Mardi Gras
Your dress:
White, purple, orange, red, brown, gold, or copper
Your court:
Girls — Long gowns in different but complementary colors, jazzed up with lace, pearls, gloves, fans, hair feathers, and masks.
Guys — Tuxes with tails, hair slicked back, masks, capes, and canes.
Decoration:
Lots of candles or candelabras, masks, pearls, and feathers on the tables. Fabric draped everywhere, over doorways and at different points in the room, balloons in the metallic/autumn color scheme.
Food:
Hors d'oeuvres, finger foods — these are better for this occasion because they’re easier to handle when you are wearing a costume.
Music:
New Orleans/Cajun, waltz, carnival-like music

5. Hippie or 60s theme

Time of the year:
Spring or summer
Your dress:
Cream or pastel colors
Your court:
Girls — Miniskirts with colorful leggings, big hair, round glasses, boots, bandannas, and daisies.
Guys — Afros, bell bottoms, and peace-sign necklaces
Decoration:
Love beads, peace signs, flower garlands, yellow smiley faces, lava lamps, strobe lights — anything psychedelic!
Food:
Foods that will be easy to serve: Chili; chips with guacamole and salsa; cocktail wieners, either plain or wrapped in a puff pastry; stuffed mushrooms; cherry tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad.
Music:
Go-go, British Invasion, Motown

Tell us what twist you would give these party themes at your own quinceañera! Comment below.

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What are you going to do the day after your quinceañera, just after your family has officially recognized you as a grown-up? Here’s a project for you: Start planning your room makeover! This is a new stage of your life. It’s time to pack away your old childhood toys and give your room a new look!

First off, your bedroom color scheme should express who you are. What is your style? For example, are you modern? Then try primary colors like red, yellow, and blue. Are you tropical? Bright colors are for you. Are you girlie? Go for soft pinks and purples. If you are unsure what your style is, shop around until you find something that catches your eye. Pottery Barn Teen gives me lots of ideas. Find a focal point, like a bedspread, and then match your other décor to it. The "Arabian Nights" bedding above is from Seventeen magazine's collection, which you can find here or on jcpenney.com.

Next, think about repainting the walls and getting a new carpet. Or, if the carpet is still in good shape, just rent a carpet-cleaning machine. Since this work is pretty intensive, why not host a room makeover party and invite friends and family to help you? By making it a team effort, you’ll save money and you’ll have some extra dinero to treat everybody to hamburgers or pizza.

Finally, focus on furniture. Make sure yours is still in good shape. You may have to do repainting or reupholstering. This is going to be the main project in your bedroom makeover. Remember, you should have a desk or a hard-surface space to do homework and study. If you have the space and budget, think about adding a makeup vanity or a comfortable beanbag chair, where you can relax when reading a book or chatting on the phone.

I love the idea of using your quinceañera keepsakes — your dress, tiara, cake topper, etc. — to re-create your quince in a corner of your room. Hang your favorite pictures in pretty colorful frames. That’s a great way to make memories from your special day last for years.

If you love your bedroom, or have your own quince corner, send us a photo!

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THE CAKE

• Here’s a dessert setup that allows for a large number of padrinos: Order a small but well-decorated cake that will stand out as a centerpiece on the dessert table. Place it on a cake stand for extra attention. Then, ask your friends and relatives to bake five to 10 smaller cakes in different shapes and flavors. Maybe the cakes will have sentimental value. For me, those special desserts would have been tres leches cake or the unforgettable flan that my tía Aida makes. When the time comes to cut and serve, each padrino can explain his or her choice of cake.
• Cupcakes are always fun. See my photo for inspiration!
• Also, check out this easy cake recipe on Mis Quince, from the new Pink Princess Cookbook.

THE FOOD

In my opinion, hors d'oeuvres are less expensive than a full meal or a sit-down dinner, especially if served buffet style. You save money because there is no need for a waiter. Also, people tend to eat more when the food is brought to them, so by going buffet-style, you won’t have to order as much.

DECORATIONS

• Decorate with flowers that are in season at the time of your party — they’ll be cheaper. For example, on the southwest coast of the U.S., calla lilies — a flower made famous in Mexican paintings — are always in season, so they’re pretty affordable. But on the East Coast, this gorgeous flower doesn’t grow naturally and can be very expensive.
• If you don’t like the live flowers available, opt for silk flowers. I love them mixed in with fresh greens — such as fern, ivy, or baby’s breath — and tied together with ribbon. It’s hard to tell they’re not real.
• Decorate with balloons. They are even cheaper than flowers. You can add color to tables by tying balloons to the back of chairs. You can also tie balloon bouquets to colorful shopping bags filled with tissue paper, and use them as centerpieces. Add a surprise gift inside the bag arrangements, and you can turn it into a prize for your guests.
• If you don’t use flowers or balloons, another option is chair covers, which are easy to make with color fabrics and a glue gun. Use giant bows made out of chiffon, tulle, wide ribbon, or a combination of these. Save extra and avoid overdoing it by putting chair decorations on every other chair.

Which other moneysaving tricks have you seen at quinceañeras? I’m always looking for new ideas to share on my blog. Comment below!

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Don't be discouraged by the supersized birthday parties you see on TV. A quinceañera doesn't have to cost a fortune to be a blast. There are many money-saving tips you can use. I'll share my favorites, and then I want to hear yours!

1. Open a registry and ask padrinos and madrinas to sponsor certain things, like the dress, shoes, accessories, cake, limo, flowers, sound system - anything! The padrinos and madrinas can be relatives or family friends. They are usually flattered and proud to participate. Write personal notes that say "I would be honored if you would be my padrino and madrina..."

2. Hold the party at home or in a public place, such as at a beach, park, or historical site, which usually can be rented for a minimal fee.

3. Play your own music. Start making a list of your favorite songs now (check out Mis Quince's playlist here) and burn CDs closer to your big day. Rent some speakers and equipment, if needed. At the party, hit the play button and get dancing!

4. Favors might not seem expensive, but when you add them all up, they can be. Here's an idea: Since you've already made a special CD, why not burn copies and give them to your court? Make custom labels and cases with your name and quince date. If you're feeling crafty, get your relatives together to make your own favors. (I love to be crafty for quinces! See me with my glue gun decorating a guest book? We used ribbon and silk flowers that matched the party theme.)

What money-saving tips do you have?

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