This is partially because, I realized, I introduced all of them and partially because I am “the glue” as Jiffinner puts it. Can you believe that? It’s MY CRAZY that brings them all together. Woot!
So, I decided at the end of December, in a haze of spiked eggnog, feelings of utter relief that my obligatory family visiting had come to an end and abnormally cold weather that I, your loving blog authoress, would start cooking dinner for all of my girlfriends once a month. And before I snapped back to my senses, I sent out the first invitation with the PROMISE that this would be monthly. Ladies, I will be doing this EVERY MONTH, I PROMISE.
Thus signing my own contract.
And it was a loop-hole-less contract my friends.
I made sure.
Initially, I thought we would mix it up... have a movie night, a board game night, cocktail night, other things that end with ‘night’... but it turned out that dinner, dessert and copious amounts of alcohol and conversation really were the best way to go.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
Our first dinner was the last Saturday of January. I’m not sure who all I invited BUT in attendance, we had Jiffiner, The Cake Lady and Fairy. I almost had a heart attack. Thankfully, Jiffinner came early to help. I was in full freak out mode by the time she arrived and she couldn’t pour wine into me fast enough.
I can’t help it, I am a worrier.
I worry about not having enough time, having too much time, burning the food, undercooking the food, whether people will have anything to talk about, if my house is clean enough, if anyone will show up, if too many people will show up, if it will be boring, if I have enough booze... If it can even cross my mind, I assure you, I have freaked out about it.
That’s why they make anti-anxiety pills and prescribe them to me.
Of course, with all of the freaking out that I was doing about this inaugural dinner event, I had done something else that I do too much of – I had overbooked myself. You see, dear reader, I have this idea in my head that I can accomplish anything. And I think it is correct. Assuming I could figure out a way to make more hours in the day. It is the whole not enough time thing that always kicks my ass.
So, as if FREAKING OUT about the dinner wasn’t enough, I had also divvied my children up to various friend’s houses to get them out of the way and then, I had made plans for after the dinner since, well you know, I wasn’t going to have any kids.
It’s truly amazing I didn’t have a heart attack.
But the short version is that I was pretty disappointed in the way the first dinner turned out. And it was all my fault. I tried to do way too much. I tried to make food that took too long and was too hard and untested, I made it to where I had to do too much running around that day so I was crunched for time and I made stupid boy plans for afterwards that had me super preoccupied and unable to just enjoy myself. And, the girls (at least the older two), didn’t want to leave... they are homebodies and it made me feel guilty that I had sent them away for the night. I decided I wasn’t doing it that way again.
I don’t think I could have handled the stress of doing it that way again.
So, the following month, I scratched boys off of my list and told Amanda and Emilee that they could stay home but had to hang out in their rooms. My girl Mary cooked and I made dessert and it was SO nice. So much more mellow and enjoyable and for the most part the girls stayed out of my hair.
March was the month I went from three guests to four and started inviting a few more friends. It was also the first Horror Movie Night for the girls. Each girl invited a guest and had pizza and brownies and scary movies. March was the month where I felt like I had figured it out. March was the first month where I really thought to myself, this is GREAT.
This past Saturday was the fourth consecutive dinner party at my house. And I can honestly say that this last dinner party was the first one where I was totally calm (or as totally calm as I am capable of being). I didn’t stress (too much) about who was going to show up, I didn’t stress about the food (which DIDN’T turn out right), I didn’t stress about the kids or the conversation. I just had a great time.
I plan on living in Texas for approximately another six years and I can say right now that I fully anticipate having dinner at my house the last Saturday night of every month from now until then because it is truly such a wonderful evening of food and friendship and it reminds me, every month, of exactly how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life.
Labels: Being a Chic, cooking, soul sisters, stuff I like
