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Party Time

The First Thanksgiving

September 4, 2017 by Darcy 2 Comments

I’ll be hosting my first Thanksgiving this November, and already, as you might imagine, I’ve been reviewing my immense Pinterest board on the subject.  Of course, I want to make a Norman Rockwell style turkey.  I want side dishes worthy of Instagram.  I’m dreaming up a wreath of feathers, paper flowers and eucalyptus.  In short, my mind is a Martha Stewart marathon.  alison-marras-323022

Until last year, my parents had hosted Thanksgiving at their home, and the years shimmer and merge for me-a cousin’s new boyfriend, a baby standing on her own, my grandfather’s card tricks.  I was in my twenties before I missed a single one, and I spent it trying to track down a can of sweet potatoes in Costa Rica.

It’s hard for me to believe I’m old enough to start a tradition, to be as old as my parents were in my first memories of them. I try to think about the tone I want to set, what will be different, what will remain the same.

So far, the only thing I’m sure of is that there will be turkey.  Do I buy the newest version of Trivial Pursuit, make my grandma’s mincemeat cookies, try and replicate my mother-in-law’s corn dish?  Will my dad bring my great-grandfather’s carving knife and who will put olives on their fingers with my sister and me?

I know it’s the way of life, to shed the old to make room for the new, but I can’t help but be nostalgic for a past I’ll never be able to recreate for my boys, for people I’ll fail to bring to life for them.  Still, I’m very conscious of the fact that we are making our own memories and traditions and that someday I’ll be the footnote in someone else’s Thanksgiving feast.

I’m also a bit sad to be giving up a more childlike role in which others create something for me to delight in.  I loved waking to the smells of my mom’s cooking, and selfishly was relieved to be tasked only with decorating the table.  There was a magic to the way the meal was assembled behind the scenes only to come together in such harmony.

Now that I’ve peeked behind the curtain, I see the sweat, the forced smiles, the forgotten grocery items, the failed recipes, the burnt fingers, the imperfect edges.  Still, I am making someone else’s magic now, and that’s my motivation.

In that same light though, I don’t want it to be all braided pie crusts and mercury glass candle holders.  Even though they never had a ton to give, my family has a history of being there for their neighbors and doing good deeds in humble ways.  How do I make that part of the boys’ lives as well?  Is Thanksgiving the time to do it?

While we may be good neighbors, we are not a religious family, so there were a lot of years where we might not have said grace.  I never really thought about what we had or didn’t have, let alone express gratitude for it.  I know I definitely did not have a realistic vision of the historical Thanksgiving feast.  However, there was my aunt’s meringue mushrooms, the epic games, my cousin’s annual nap.  There were the voices that are the soundtrack of my life.  It’s as though I spent decades “celebrating” gratitude and it’s only now that I can look back clearly and give thanks for the Thanksgivings we had and the family we were.

I know that come my first Thanksgiving as hostess, I may be cussing about a forgotten timer and yelling at my husband to get more chairs, but I hope that all my boys will see (and smell) are the seeds of a holiday they will anticipate and cherish and that will be worth every toil.

annie-spratt-160768

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Filed Under: Momma Stuff, Party Time Tagged With: creating memories, family, family values, holiday, holiday food, holiday traditions, hostessing, love, making magic for kids, Thanksgiving, traditions

Theme Parties on Budgeted Time and Money

August 13, 2017 by Darcy 1 Comment

Create an Inspiration Board

As soon as I get an idea for a party, I start a Pinterest board devoted to related decorations, food, drinks, etc.

Definitely over pin. You never know what will be useful and sometimes one idea can lead to another.

Invitations

Save money by sending out a text message. I use the app Pic-Collage to create quick, themed invites, often times using screen shots from the Internet as images (possibly not legally). Once I save the collage I create to my photo library, I can just send out my little invite in a group text.

Use What You Have

A lot of times, I can put what I already have to use, rather than buying decorations. Consider repurposing objects, such as using books or toys in displays.
For example, using my son’s books and toys saved me from Amazon’s siren song of construction decor.

Utilize Sensory Decorations

Music is huge for creating a mood around a party. Pandora is a great app for making stations to support a theme or you can ask Alexa to play related music, if your home is as tech saturated as mine. Choose a movie or series that matches your theme as well. Hulu, Amazon Prime and YouTube might offer you the perfect option.

Be a Decoration

Find how-tos online as to make-up and hair. Mine thrift stores, the Internet and your own closet. Remember that all fashion is cyclical, so even if you don’t have a diamond necklace from the ’30s, you might have a statement necklace from Target that you got in the DiCaprio driven Gatsby revival.

Here I am killing it (no pun intended) as Bonnie Parker for a 1930s birthday.

Tips for Success:

Make lists. To do, grocery, guests, you name it. I use the notes app on my phone so they are always with me and easy to modify.

Try to do as much as you can before hand. Just tackle a little at a time when you have the time.

Focus on what will offer the most juice for the squeeze. If no one will notice the difference between homemade lemonade and frozen concentrate, throw some fresh lemon slices in a pitcher of prepared lemonade and call it a day.

Allow enough time for you to comfortably get ready. Try to be presentable an hour prior to when you can expect your first guests. You can go back to work when you’re done, but at least you’ll be ready to receive guests. Believe the voice of experience on this one!

Get inspired by what’s out there, but make it yourself. Again, it seems like a time suck, but if you start early, you can get a lot done in ten minute increments.
Deviled eggs for my ’60s party. I made them in ten minute intervals over several weeks. Just kidding.

So, there you have it. I love to throw parties, but kids definitely present a challenge to living up to my old celebration standards. What tricks do you have for making a party happen when time and or money is tight??

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Filed Under: Party Time, Uncategorized Tagged With: party planning, tips

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