News and photos

Issue No 22:
16 December 2003

The silly season!

Welcome to our twenty-second Party Chit Chat. Just to let you know our news first:

• We have added a new larger version of Who Killed Santa? for up to 100 guests.
• We have been inundated with so many orders for Xmas and New Year's parties that we haven't had time to make many other changes to the kits, but we have big plans for next year when we plan to take on additional writing staff.

• Our photo competition winners
• Special decorator's prize.

Our photo competition winners

This month we received some wonderful fun-filled photos. Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter. The three winners are:

• Patty Tomley (USA) for a photo from her The Balmy Bahamas Cruise party
• Dan Bannerman (USA) for a photo from his Celebrity Celebrations party
• Brenda Reynolds (USA) for a photo from her Love Letter party.

We are commencing a new competition with a closing date of 1 February 2004 (see photos.htm for details).

Here is a group photo from Patty's "The Balmy Bahamas Cruise" party (click to see it larger):

Patty sent in this feedback about her party:

"Dear Murder Mysteries;

I bought the Balmy Bahamas Cruise for our supper club. I made the invitations look like cruise tickets and our name tags were designed to look like the Spend and Splurge cards you get on Carnival Cruises. My lanai looked like a cruise deck and Karl Virgil was floating helplessly overboard in my pool. Dinner was secondary to the fun we had. Everyone dressed to the hilt.

We took lots of pictures, but I've included the one with the whole gang. Please include it in your photo contest. Thanks for such a great time.

Sincerely,
Patty Tomley"

Here is a group photo from Dan's "Celebrity Celebrations" party (click to see it larger):

Brenda sent in this feedback about her party:

"I hosted the Love Letter Mystery party for my daughter's 11th birthday. It turned out fabulous! In fact, we are going to have another mystery this winter. Here is a picture from the event! All the girls had a great time and all came dressed to character."

Special decorators prize

Here is photo Marina Harvey from Australia sent of the victim (Lydia) from her Storm Survivors party (click to see it larger). We decided it deserved a special decorator's prize for the best prop we have seen this year.

Marina sent in this feedback about her party:

"For my daughter's 14th birthday last Friday, we used the "Storm Survivor" kit as part of her CSI:Croydon (the suburb in which we live) party.

All party guests (23 mainly 14 year olds) made an effort with their costumes and props. Many laughs were had.

Some were wonderful and Wolfgang's and Buster Keating's muscles were HUGE. I am unable to send photos of all the kids as they have not signed photo consent forms for the media (and this is law in NSW).

We started by training the characters in real forensic science techniques and had a laboratory set up for this on the site of Lydia's murder (had a scientist bring in the equipment and run this section). Then we entered into the "Storm Survivor" scene. I wore a lab coat and ID and we also had a small amplifier and mike which made acting out of some scenes and sharing of the clues much easier (and audible). Nearly every character was happy to get up to and share their clues and all "mingled" as well.

(The second) death was most dramatic. We also had a sealed voting box.

All characters received a booklet with their clues (Act 1) on arrival as well as their official ID tag and a printed voting card with all the suspects listed. Towards the end of the night after the forensic report was read out - they all voted, with 2 party-goers guessing the murderer and winning prizes!!

It was fun, particularly the matching up of the honeymoon couple!

Cheers,
Marina"