Every year on the last day of school, my friend, ~F~, hosts a cocktail party. At the beginning of the school year, my other friend, Mama V, hosts a First Day of School Tea. Cocktail Party friend ~F~ suggested once that I host a mid-summer night's party in my backyard sometime before Back2School season begins ~ because I have a sweet pad.
No, seriously, she did.
Last week, I read this inspired post by The Nester.
We all like to have people over right? I mean, in EVERY. SINGLE. episode of HGTV’s House Hunters every couple on there talks about how they love to entertain. I think we all love the idea of entertaining but, once again, perfection rears it’s perfectly daunting and shaming head and tells us that we have to wait until we have it all together until we can invite people into our life and home.I realized some things. First, I've never hosted an adult party with just my own friends. Dare me to plan an Olympic Extravaganza. Got it. Summer Bucket list include Friends on Fridays all summer-long? (For the kids.) Not a problem. Deciding not to move and wanna throw a party? Did it. (For the kids.) But with the over-30 crowd? I sweat. I wring my hands. I'm not sure. Should I stay? Should I go? Will they like me? (Oh wait. That was high school.) Second, if I didn't plan a party immediately, the opportunity to enjoy my backyard with girlfriends in the midst of their summer tans and plans would pass into the very crimson and gold colors of fall that tempt us with their football and cooler nights. Third, it truly just doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful ~ The Nester, again. If I didn't dust, it wouldn't matter. If there's no door on the armoire because we busted it off bringing it back upstairs, who cares? No decorations on the wall in the kitchen cuz I just don't know what to do with that monstrosity even after all these years? So be it. This is me. (cue Camp Rock soundtrack...)
Literally two days ago, I decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak. If every single couple on HGTV's House Hunters says they love to entertain (per The Nester) and it simply doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful ~ it's the art of gathering not the art on the walls ~ The Nester sprinkled with a li'l me, then why am I not doing so for my own generation in my own backyard?
I sent out a bunch of emails. With lots of LOLs and F2Fs and stuff like that, cuz I am so 2008. (I'm so kidding.) And, lucky for me, a gaggle of the sweetest ladies agreed to show up. After two days' notice. (Cuz they are awesome like that.)
And do you know what's funny? No one mentioned the dust on the mantle. Or the broken armoire. Or the lack of kitchen decor. I had so stinkin' much fun laughing out loud and sharing face to face that I didn't even snap a single picture. Not a one. Until the very end after everyone had left.
To the Girls of Summer 2010 ~ Thank you for letting me do this. So many times it's easier to decline or to give in to the busyness of everyday life. Thank you for taking the time out to sit and chat and smile and breathe. That's what I did, anyway. I hope you all did, too. It was a blessing to me to have you here. Thank you!
{{And to anyone who missed OES Mid-Summer Moms Night Out 2010 ~ here's to Summer 2011! And to maybe a slightly less humid night...?!}}
By the way, a big thank you to God for staving off the rain until after 10:00 as I'd requested. You rock.
