My ABBA party!



Yep, here we are, hubby and me having a little pre-drinks party in Nautilus cottage (see here) before we joined the revellers in our local pub for my ABBA party. We moved into this holiday cottage for the weekend as part of my 60th birthday celebrations and invited some of the family around to get us in the mood for the night ahead. 








One or two fuzzy shots are inevitable as the booze was flowing freely!



My niece Zoe (far right here) owns and runs the grocery store on the neighbouring island of Bryher and in addition to looking after her young son, also has a thriving cake making business. My dietary issues mean I can't eat cake and I was worried that I'd miss out on that particular birthday treat, but Zoe delivered this wonderful chocolate cake for everyone else to enjoy.




Zoe copied my pink patent brogues to perfection. They look too good to eat, don't they? Follow the link here to see more of Zoe's incredible cakes as well as seeing her adorable son Emilio. 



And this is Jamie downloading ABBA music at the last minute as plan A had gone awry. He did a fabulous job with only 30 minutes notice, helping with the playlist and putting the sound system in place at the pub in time for the party to start. 


Oh, just one last tweak!



So here they are, all the party goers in their various and splendid outfits -


Ready!




All the shiny, happy people.


All that hair!


All those teeth!








Pucker up!



Ben was a previous gallery assistant of mine, but didn't look half as sexy then!



Have you lost something, Steve?


As the evening progressed, the boys became girls and...


... the girls became boys!




The family photos seemed to be lacking my favourite daughter every time!




Boys in green satin, boys in blue satin - it's not often you see that in our local pub!


  



My poor feet were aching after four hours of dancing in these heels.




Catching up with Polly... 




... and Heather.




And my other gallery helper, Max on the left. What an amazing wig!




Diggin' that man-love!




The smoke machine was working overtime, but that didn't stop them boogying. 




I'm so grateful to everyone who made my evening the success it was. I think about half of the adult island population came and weren't the outfits just fantastic! I'm already thinking that I need another birthday party like this next year - it's the perfect antidote to that post-Christmas slump. Another year, another theme... Any ideas?

I had lots of lovely gifts for my birthday and want to share them in another post. I also managed to fit in a couple of photo shoots while I was in Nautilus, so will feature some of that in my next post later on this week. I gave myself a few days away from work and the usual domestic routines as well as social media, but now I'm back home I need to get back on track. So to my fellow bloggers - I'll be round to see you soon. And to all my readers - thanks for your patience and I hope you thought my ABBA post was worth waiting for.

See you soon!
Anna x

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34 comments

  1. What a fantastic theme for your party! Everyone looks amazing!

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  2. Anna, you look amazing. Wowzers, what a party!
    And as for those platforms...
    Enjoy the next decade. Hugs, x.

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    1. Thanks so much Mary. What a party, indeed. I can't believe I managed to dance all night long in these boots, but I did! Here's to being a Super Sixty!

      Anna x

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  3. You are the dancing queen! Happy Birthday again, dear Anna! What a wonderful party - I feel like I was there (here's my outfit: https://sheilaephemera.blogspot.ca/2013/10/omg-its-70s-party-oh-and-there-were.html).

    I love seeing people get into a theme party! L and I used to have them all the time, but have gotten out of the habit somewhat. Good on you for doing exactly what you wanted. Love it!

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    1. Oh my goodness, I truly was the dancing queen Sheila! Not one to be a wall flower at the best of times, I think I peaked at my most show-offy ever. It was my moment and I certainly didn't hold back - and all of that without a drop of booze passing my lips. We all had a wonderful time and I can't wait for next year's do!

      Anna x

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  4. wowww, You Rock your parties, dear lady!, your attire is utterly fabulous, you look like a Mamma Mía character (even better!!!)
    Everybody looks like having lots of fun wearing all the shiny fabric, sequins and wigs!, so fab party!!
    besos

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    1. So kind of you Monica. Oh my goodness, we had such fun! I think everyone loves the the excuse to dress up - well at least on this tiny island, anyway.

      Anna x

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  5. Happy Birthday Anna ,you looked sensational and what a great start to your 60s, you really know how to party.

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    1. Thanks so much Jill. I've had this in my mind for a long time to have an Abba party and it really did live up to my expectations. Yes, these are my super 60's!

      Anna x

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  6. What a scream! I would have loved to have partied with you all!

    Your outfit was AMAZING! Where on earth did you manage to find it? Especially that shoulder/cape thing. Well done.

    Kudos to you for even being able to walk in those heels let alone dance. Must have been your party high that kept you going.

    Theme parties are always such a blast. When people get dressed up they act differently, more carefree.

    I'm so happy it turned out so well and everyone made an effort. That makes a huge difference.

    Suzanne

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    1. Thanks Suzanne! You're so right about dressing up making a difference as to how people act. We all see each other every day, and yet we were just so happy to be together in our crazy outfits, dancing to ABBA on a loop.
      The heels were high, but so was the platform, but yes, I was on a party high all night and nothing seemed to matter.
      The catsuit was from eBay I think, and the sequinned cape was brand new from River Island (again from eBay) and the boots were also brand new (Office shoes) but only £7.99 from eBay too - result! I started looking for things a couple of months ago and bought them as and when they appeared.
      It was an amazing evening, and the whole weekend was a wonderful experience too. Happy days!

      Anna x

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  7. You make a fabulous Anna-Frid Anna, the red wig really suits you. How you managed to last four hours in those insane heels is anyone's guess.
    Your guests really pushed the boat out with their outfits especially Zoe and Max (Bjorn)who look amazing...as does your birthday cake....incredible!
    I can feel the happiness exuding from this post Anna, it looks like a stupendous birthday. You've given me ideas for my 60th now!
    Off to check out Zoe's website. xx

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    1. What lovely feedback Fiona, thank you! I had big hair like that 40 years ago, so it was lovely to see that look all over again.
      I didn't even think about my feet until the end of the evening and then, man did they throb!
      It was such a happy evening for us all and you couldn't ask for anything better that.

      Anna x

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  8. Fantastic! You look just like Annafrid! And is that a cake???? Wow! But what a fabulous party this must have been! Looks amazing!

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    1. Hooray - I was hoping I could do the Anna Frid look justice! The party was wonderful, as was the cake. Thanks Nancy x

      Anna

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  9. What a wonderful party! It looks like such fun. The outfits are amazing and people really got into it in a big way.

    The cake is gorgeous and you look absolutely stunning.

    Welcome to the 60s club...
    xxx

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    1. I loved how everyone totally embraced the theme. We all seemed to have great fun, without tipping over the edge, if you get what I mean!

      The wig and catsuit certainly helped me find my alter ego, Vronni, and she was a mega show-off if the truth be known, hahaha!

      60 is looking fab so far!

      Anna x

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  10. Oh congratulations and looks like a fun and memorable night! Definitely do one next year b/c this time of year needs a fun thing to look forward to. Perhaps another band? Can't wait to see what you come up with!

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    1. Thanks very much Julia. Everyone agrees with you about needing something to look forward to at this time of year. It was an evening full of laughs, dancing and high spirits - the best way ever to start my 60's!

      Anna x

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  11. The sparkle of your perfect disco era outfit is only matched by the sparkle in your eyes Anna! Clearly, despite the platform heels, you're hitting a dancin' stride in this new decade. You're also setting a new bar for curvy and svelte 60 year olds in that outfit my dear! You are obviously a valued friend who was honored well with love and laughter!
    The pink brogue cakes (OMG!!) are so very professional and amazing. Your niece is a talented gal.
    Happy 60th year Anna!

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    1. How very kind of you Marilee! As a fellow 60's gal, you'll understand (hopefully) when I say that this new decade seems to feel limitless, without expectations or boundaries and therefore thoroughly liberating. Stepping outside of the arena where there's the element of competition to look this way or that in your 40's and 50's, this feels like I've been set free. Do you know what I mean?

      I'm delighted to be in my super 60's!

      Anna x

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    2. I absolutely know what you mean Anna.
      Let our sartorial freedom ring!!




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  12. Fancy dress is always a winner, and everyone loves Abba don't they! You night looks amazing, everyone looks like that had a superb time. Wow your shoe cake is pretty awesome! Happy birthday again Anna. xx Jacqui
    www.mummabstylish.com

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    1. You're right Jacqui. Everyone loves a bit of fancy dress. I was so pleased to see how many embraced the Abba theme - all those wigs, sequins and platform boots - it was brilliant!

      Many thanks x
      Anna

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  13. Oh Anna, what an absolute riot! I LOVE it. You look like you had a total ball and everyone was so game and brilliant with their costumes! I've been meaning to send you a card for the last week or so, keep forgetting! Will try to remember!!

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    1. Dearest Kezzie, yours and a couple of other comments seemed to get lost in the flurry of the celebrations that weekend - sorry! Thanks so much for dropping by. It was a brilliant night as was the whole weekend too!

      Anna x

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  14. Truly a night to remember! Such fun! That cake looks amazing Anna as do you and your guests. Happy birthday lovely lady
    Laurie xx

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    1. Thank you so much Laurie. I'm just tidying up my inbox and found these last few comments - sorry I missed this at the time. We had such fun that evening - one I'll never forget. The cake was rather fab wasn't it?

      Anna x

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  15. Absolutely fantastic. Man, what a party!! Terrific. And you look soooo good in that outfit. You have such a terrific sexy body. No wonder your husband held you so close all the time 😂.
    I am flabbergasted that you could walk on those heels. For an entire evening and dancing as well.
    Greetje

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    1. When I look back on this I'm so impressed at all the effort the guests made with their outfits too. We had an absolute ball! Thanks for your lovely compliments Greetje. And yes, I'm quite impressed at how long I managed to boogie on down in those heels!

      Anna x

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  16. Absolutely freaking fantastic!!! WOW!! More exclamation points!!!! Hahaha. You guys! You are the best. What an incredible thing to have everyone pull together like this in the spirit of the evening. Yes, guards go down when costumes go on. Your shoes?! Hahaha!!! I hope you can style them for everyday wear too. Good luck with that. I'm only 4 months late commenting, but so glad you directed this to my attention. Thank you!!

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