To 30 Years of Mythmaking
November 2024 – An Immersive Golden Birthday Celebration
Early on in life, I learned of a concept that intrigued little me: the golden birthday. With childlike certainty, I decided then and there that an extravagant 30th birthday party would one day be mine. As a kid, I was known for my creativity, ambition, and adaptability… but never my patience. And unfortunately, when I claimed this dream, I still had more than two decades of waiting ahead of me. I promised myself it would be worth it.
In the late summer of 2024, I re-encountered the word ambrosia while doing some recreational 1950s food research. Although I wasn’t particularly interested in making dessert salad, I had spotted the first signs of life for my party’s universe: ambrosia… sustenance for the gods.
Immediately, I knew Greek mythology would give me room to play. Sure, it checked my usual boxes: historical, mystical, excessive. But beyond the obvious, it set the stage for a few sly nods to the stories collected from my last 30 years. I wanted to poke fun at myself, my polished and unruly eras alike, and most of all? My tendency to operate as though I have nine lives.
I developed the celebration’s concept from the inside out: an evening designed to lure the gods away from Mount Olympus and transport their pristine abundance into a new setting… a posh yet grungy city loft party. This would be a night for living new mythologies. If heavy Fernet pours and a stacked DJ lineup couldn’t make the deities see it my way, nothing would.
To materialize my vision, I identified a fitting venue, commissioned a cake from a local baker, arranged the catering delivery, curated an elevated self-serve bar, hired a party photographer, arranged door and guest list management, sourced audio equipment, and booked a rather formidable lineup of three Chicago DJs. I offered wardrobe guidance to guests who requested some direction in interpreting the theme, and arrived at each of my own beauty appointments with diligently chosen references (collaged into individual mood boards with detailed annotations, mind you).
Prior to the event, I toured a local prop warehouse to hand-select some very necessary decor… those life-size classical statues and oversized candelabras spilling over with fruit were pivotal for transforming the space. I also designed the event’s thematic signage, temporary tattoos of my name, and custom matchbooks. On the day itself, I oversaw the event’s many moving pieces with on-site styling and production assistance from those mentioned below.
Concept Development, Prop Sourcing, Graphic Design, and Event Styling & Production: Jessica Packard
Event Photography: Leah Wendzinski
Event Production Assistance: Amma Appiagyei-Dankah
Charcuterie & Event Styling Assistance: Monica Cable of @afreckledchef
Cake: Maggie of @cakesux
Makeup: Paige Puccio
Hair: Elix Bane
Custom Gel X nails: Anastasia of @stassisnails
DJ Line Up: Tigermilk, AYEEYO, Perodise
