For my husband's 40th birthday I surprised him with a hawaiian luau! I had been collecting items on clearance tables, searching for recipes, and planning details for a couple years. I made the invititaions with a pale green card stock, hula dancer paper, and a silk hawaiian flower all found at the local scrapbook store.  I printed the information on velum, tore around the sides, and attatched it to the card with a small piece of twine.  I had each guest bring a tropical dish (to help defray costs)and informed them that their would be a best dressed award. I bought grass table liners (off of an online website) amd friends and I attatched them to the dining room table. We placed large leaves on the top of the table to make the mood more tropical. A large tropical flower arrangement was set in the middle, along with whole pineapples.  The guests set their dishes on the table later and it completed the look. I bought chicken nuggets from a local fast food restuarant and served them with polynesian sauce. The cake was cupcakes frosted with white icing and dipped in brown sugar to represent sand. I made white chocolate shells to place on top of each cupcake. The drinks were set up in a breakfast nook off of the kitchen. The nook has an arched ceiling to enter it, so we blocked off the entry way with a narrow table and placed the grass skirting around the table as well as around the arch above the door. This made the impression of a hut. In the room a table was set up with a table, two blenders, coolers, and frozen drink supplies.  I had found mulicolored plastic tiki cups and straws with pineapples or hawaian flowers hanging from the sides on clearance. I hired teens to make mock pina coladas, mock strawberry daqardis, and a frozen banana cooler (recipes I had found on the internet).  They immediately got into the theme by wearing grass skirts, flowers in their hair, and leis. I bought (online) hawaiin CDs to add more atmosphere to the event.  Leis were presented to every guest when they arrived.  My husband thought he was dropping of our daughter for a get-together at a friends house. When he arrived he found 50 of his friends. He was beyond surprised! We went into the other room to change into our hawaiian attire and have a wonderful evening.  We had a limbo contest and best dressed for the best male and female costume. The prizes were jars of macadamia nuts.  It was a fantastic party!