Alright… I am over my pity moment. All things considered, I just need to bite my tongue.
er. Finger…
So. I need your help. Help away… And PLEASE consider seeking advice from your readers on this, because I need LOTS of help:
– favorite romantic black and white films?
– favorite (easy, elegant and affordable) appetizer recipe?
– favorite reception music?
ok…
ok. Not literally. Not entirely anyway…
Saturday was awesome on many, many levels.
First, with anything that requires intricate planning, one has to expect (or, in my case- lose sleep at night) that it won’t go flawlessly and the entire ordeal will be ruined. I am happy to report, however, that it did go flawlessly. In fact, it went so perfectly that they (most of them anyway) actually believed it!
There are lots of pictures. So much to tell.
I had a few people asking how I did it so cheaply, and a few others asking if they could resource what we did. So, I decided to address those two issues first.
For invitations I bought packages or mini notebooks, scrapped the front and used the pages inside as a coded message. Cost: $4.00
I bought party plates because they said “happy birthday”. I had decided NOT to do a banner because I didn’t have time to make one and didn’t like the ones I saw for sale. The plates were my compromise (Target. $1.88 for 10) They had matching (adorable) napkins so to add a sense of decor along with practicality, We stuffed them design side out, in our sundae cups.
A note about the sundae cups: we had received four of these (the colored ones) as a gift. I love them! But we only had four, so we began scouring thrift shops where we did manage to find three more. 35 cents a piece! You can’t beat that!
(Also, because I adore my china, and all of my other service ware matches my dishes, which didn’t match the party them, I bought a plastic SWELL pink Toile design service set at the thrift store for $1.35. For Dinner and breakfast the following morning, our food was served on these.)
{$9.51 total, so far}
I am not a cake maker… Not at all. I have a friend who makes beautiful and wonderful cakes, but she was already making one for someone else, and she is doing our cake for our re commitment ceremony so I couldn’t ask her.
Doing a party on a minimal budget, I also had to ask myself if I wanted to focus $25 on having a gross, store made cake. What would the girls rather have?
So, again, I put my ideals aside and baked a cake. {traditional white cake, with sliced strawberries and whip cream icing between the layers, frosted in a pale pink buttercream and sprinkled with cocount. Nothing special.} Cost: $1.70… plus the candles and balloon at $3.00
{$14.21 so far}
For dinner we secretly asked Gen what she wanted, (as she knew nothing about the party) and she requested grilled hot dogs. So, we went to Costco where we got her favorite fruits (strawberries, pears, plums, red grapes) and veggies (carrots and sugar snap peas), made a veggie dip and grilled up hot dogs. To drink there were her three favorite drinks (Strawberry Crush, Root Beer and Cream Soda, all served in glass bottles.) Cost: $17.50
With the cake we had ice cream sundae’s. Vanilla ice cream and toppings of chocolate, caramel and strawberry, with whipped cream and cherries to top. Cost: $6
Aside from gas on our scavenger hunt- the only that that cost any money was our buying the girls coins at the local arcade and that was $25.
After the mystery the girls munched on snacks they brought, layed in the living room and watching classic and new nancy drew movies projected on to the ceiling. For breakfast the pancake maker extraordinaire made a gazillian pancakes which they decorated with butters and peanut butters, sliced fruits, fruit syrups and lots of whipped cream. (we used leftover fruit and whipped cream so the total cost of this breakfast was only $1.80)
After pancakes and while waiting for parents, Balloon Wars happened beneath the sky of Camp Rock…
For Party favors we had to stray from our original plan. We ended up making little tic tac toe game boards out of scrabble tiles, Nancy Drew images and wooden boards.
We put them in these bags, filled with candy. The bags came from the $1 spot at Michaels. Totalling $7 for 6 girls.
TOTAL COST: $74.51
CHW’S Face at all of the girly drama that ensued: PRICELESS…
His Quote of the weekend: “I so need guy time!”
The letter was from Alice Drew, Nancy’s aunt. She was in grave danger. There were jewel theives after her and she was in hiding. They believed she was in possesion of an ancient necklace called The Green Eyed Goddess. She had, in fact, once had the necklace. Due to the jealous it’s presence invoked, her family (generations ago) had been forced to protect it. When she realized, however, that she was aging and would be forced to pass this burden on to Nancy- she knew she couldn’t. Too many people had depended on Nancy… So, she found this “underground” museum in Paris that secretly housed millions of priceless artifacts. Last december she donated it to them, however the theives refused to believe she didn’t have it.
The girls LOVED it, but there were MANY tears, many proclaimations of fear and my daughter shouting about now “hating mysteries” and vowing to “never read Nancy Drew again!” she was so scared…
And to think, we thought the girls would just think it was lame…
Genny adores the Doll People books by Ann. M. Martin. Just last night she was found screaming at the top of her lungs in a local independent book store because they had the third one in stock…
No. We did not buy it.
Yes. She was, in fact, disappointed.
Between you and I, however, I happen to know she is getting the entire series for her birthday. Shhh…
At any rate, anyone who hasn’t read these stories (or had the very beautiful privilege of listening to them on audio book) will have no clue what the title of this post is derived from. It is, in fact, taken from a game that Nora (which, incidentally, happens to be my mother’s name) plays with the dolls, in the bath tub. (That game, though, is not called Wagner Vow A Go-Go. What it is called is Miami Beach A Go-G0, but that’s altogether irrelevant isn’t it?)
Truth be told, the title of this post was merely a nod at my book loving daughter. Ironically, due to birthday gift spoilers, she can’t really read this post.
Ahhh… fancy wording and riddles to tell you this: we’ve found a location! And it’s perfect… PERFECT. (perfect, assuming the weather co-operates… Please, oh please oh please pray. Please additionally keep your fingers and toes crossed. I realize that these things can be of some discomfort, but most good things require sacrifice and so it must be.)
Food is on it’s way to being taken care of. A Cake is taken care of. A place is taken care of. A photographer is taken care of. Key things, wonderful things, are falling into place. Chw and I spent a chunk of time going over my glorious decoration ideas. (yes, he was as thrilled as one woman can imagine the average man being of such things.) Chw has spoken to the people he wants to stand up for him/with him/beside him, etc. He has his suit and all is right in his world.
Then there is mine.
I have no dress. I have a black dress, but it hardly seems fitting. (fitting… bad play on words. forgive me.) I don’t want a gown, that’s just silly. But classically elegant would be nice. With my birthday being just before, I’ve told him (and anyone who has asked) that I simply want money for a dress. We’ll see…
Too, I want the something borrowed and blue stuff. It’s silly, I know. And I’m not much of a romantic, really. I never had that though, and it seems so novel. Secretly I’m wishing… Call me dumb, I can take it.
We aren’t calling them “best men” or “bridesmaids”. Attendents. That’s what they are. This isn’t a wedding, but they are still a key part in the whole thing. As for my attendents? I don’t know who they will be. I know EXACTLY who my heart of hearts want… It’s just a matter of waiting to hear if they can come. If not, I have back up options. Does that sound cruel? I don’t mean it to be. All but one of the people I’d ask, would understand.
So… Cross those fingers and toes and give me any outdoor dusk ideas you’ve got people. :)
Don’t get me started on the frustrations I’m feeling, church wise right now. All I’ll say, at this moment, is that operation vow renewal has hit a big bump. A bump known as hundreds of dollars. For what, you ask?
Our church.
The church I was proposed to in.
The church that we were married in.
The church we were members in, for years.
The church where our marriage fell apart.
The very church that we returned to, and placed membership in, more out of devotion than actual desire…
$100 to book it. $80 for the first hour, $40 each additional hour and this includes the time it takes to set up. I very kindly responded, and was pretty much told “if things turn around for you financially- give us a call.”
The more Chw and I’ve thought about it today, the more we’ve decided not to do that. Even if things somehow “turned around financially.”
So… Creatively we now need a place, too. We have a couple of beautiful options- assuming the weather holds out. I’d imagined this classic little cocktail party-like reception that isn’t likely to blossom into fruition now, and that’s ok. We remain upbeat (except this headache) and optimistic. We need to find a place, asap… And pretty much reformat every idea we’d already had. But we’re excited…
Tonight, at this meeting, my wonderful friend stood up to speak to a room full of women about priorities. Priorities, as a woman, to God. Priorities to her husband, to her children. And really, to herself because without the other stuff lining up as it should- aren’t we each ultimately paying the most?
The meeting was great. I was able to pick the brains of homeschooling moms who are far more capable of educating their children than I am. I was able to challenge my own way of doing things, and even map the progress that Gen and I have made recently.
I was able to come home and have an argument with my husband. Partly because of him, and partly due to me.
Here’s the truth of it: Life Sucks…
It does. There isn’t anyway to sugar coat that reality. Right now I just feel like my life is sailing quickly, downstream, straight for the crapper. It’s all that I can do, most days, to catch my breath and focus on that very moment. Honestly, I am scared to death. And I’m sad. And, let’s be honest, a little pissed off. The thing I hate most about life today is that I’m used to, in the down times, being able to optimistically perceive a better time ahead. Right now I just don’t see that.
I’m not wallowing in self pity, (though I am filling my nights with Six Feet Under marathons). And it’s ironic because Genny and i are probably in THE BEST homeschooling groove we’ve ever had. I rearranged my office to be all feng shui, which is totally amazing… This term at the co-op is fantastic, and this class Chw and I are taking is a true Godsend. It’s not all bad, at all. I guess it’s just that the overwhelming parts which ARE bad, are goulish.
And I’m not blogging.
I don’t know what to say. I want to be whitty and funny, clever and yet raw. I want people to read my blog and like it, and feel touched some how- in some way. I want to devote hours to writing, where quality work is produced. I want each day to be filled with steps forward.
I hate feeling stagnant.
But I don’t know how. I don’t know how to be more, today, than what I am. And what I am feels like nothing. I want a hug and a shoulder to cry on, but then again I won’t cry so does it matter? I want a retreat with my best friend, and a vacation away from it all- even if it’s just for a day or two. I want a facial and an overpriced Starbucks latte. I want the tips of my toes to sink into a high tide kissed plot of sand. I want peaceful reassurance and better days.
Apparently everything I want is pretty much out of reach right now. Except this: I want to blog. I want to write and I want to read. To love and to be loved…
I just don’t remember how…
rainydayinmay.com 