a thrifty cocktail party

During this great recession, what better way to cheer up than cocktails with friends in thrifty wardrobes?

Valentine’s weekend was the perfect time to concoct a few gelatin dishes, mix a rum punch, break out the lipstick red pumps and pile coats on the bed.

From head to toe, CB2 creatives dug deep into their closets for powder blue prom dresses, ruffled tuxedo shirts, and rhinestone costume jewelry—guilt-free of buying new bling.

How to make it modern? Loud plaid pants, candy cigarettes and stemless martini glasses. These stackable glasses take up a tenth of the space of stemmed versions and each is at the ready for a martini, cosmopolitan, or scotch and soda—topped off with re-usable tipsy toes ice cubes.