This is like, so tubular
Dude, our Live 80’s Glow Party was gnarly to the max! Ready for a behind the scenes peek? We’ve got all the details for you including links to many of the items we used to prep for the show. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect the price you pay in any way. It’s a win win!
We can’t wait to show and tell what went into the prep for this fun event. From makeup to dinner, to the gear to made us “glow”, we invite you into the CruiseTipsTV home for a behind the scenes glimpse at the hours leading up to the show.
Our live event was planned for 7pm Pacific, much later than usual, so we could wait for the sun to go down. Normally, darkness outside wouldn’t be a consideration, but because we were planning a Glow Party, we needed the room to be as dark as possible so our black light and mini disco ball strobe light could do their magic!
Why a Glow Party?
Duh! We loved the 80’s, (who didn’t) for it’s music, movies, high-bangs & high-waist fashion. So we thought it would be fun to bring the 80’s back to life, with a few of our closest pals of course. Over 1000 of our cruise-loving friends joined us live to bring their A-game to some 80’s trivia, 80’s fashion and 80’s inspired cocktails.
These virtual events have been keeping our spirits up all month, as we work, educate, and spend a LOT of time at home, so we thought we’d try another themed event, inspired by the decade that introduced us all to Die Hard, The Cure, and Magnum, P.I..
And let’s be honest, Mr. CruiseTipsTV really wanted to buy a black light and mini disco strobe. IMO, every household needs this party-fun combination at a time like this!
Behind the Scenes in our Kitchen
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about livestreams, it’s that we never allow enough time to get ready for them. Thankfully, we had a tasty Blue Apron meal on hand with a quick, 20 minute prep time, so we whipped up curried chicken with poblano & figs and still had a wee bit of time to put the finishing touches on makeup!
Get Ready with Me
The great thing about amazon is you can find inexpensive, ready to wear 80’s gear pretty easily. Mr. CTTV hooked me up with this shirt and accessory combo and I didn’t have to give my outfit a lot of thought after that! It came with an off the shoulder “I love the 80’s” top, earrings, a madonna-esque headband, fishnet wrist gloves, necklaces and bracelets. What a deal!
I finished off my look with an amateur face-paint attempt that looked pretty cool on camera. But it wasn’t because I knew what I was doing (have I mentioned I’m not good at makeup and crafty stuff?), it’s just that neon paint looks great on camera, no matter how bad you are at applying it. This kit made it really easy, and the colors were totally tubular.
Behind the Scenes in our “Set”
Dinner, check! Make-up, done! Now it’s time to take a look behind the scenes of our set. Mr. CTTV and Junior really went to down prepping the studio for our 80’s glow party. It was a great opportunity for the boy to have some fun with lighting techniques, and strategies.
We made several modifications to tonight’s livestream. First, we started the stream in total darkness, and fired up the black light and mini disco strobe so Junior and I could do a little neon dance entrance.
Next, we set up our mini-bar on one of the side tables, complete with all 5 liquors needed to make a Long Island Iced Tea, the 70’s & 80’s favorite that had us all confused about why this boozy concoction tasted SO good, without a hint of alcohol taste.
I still don’t know how it tastes SO benign, but here’s the recipe for two Long Island Iced Teas if you’re feeling brave! Grab a cocktail shaker set, AND friend to share, cuz this one packs a wollop!
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce white rum
- 1 ounce white tequila
- 1/2 ounce Triple Sec (we used Cointreau)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used lime)
- 1/2 cup cola, or to taste
- 2 lemon wedges
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Triple Sec, and lemon juice into the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously to combine and chill. Pour the mixture, ice and all, into 2 glasses or beer mugs and top off with the cola. Garnish with lemon or lime wedges. Serves two!
Feeling nostalgic?
It’s been three years since we’ve made a behind the scenes video, and I’ll bet you’ve never seen this one, where we captured the (nervous) moments leading up to our first livestream EVER in February of 2017. Check out Mr. CTTV’s tour of our original live “set”, and let us know what you think!
