Party Prep

So I just realized a couple days ago that Brianne's birthday is in 2 WEEKS!! AHHHH!!! I really have to kick butt and get everything ready. Brianne's birthday is always a huge production. I am talking there is 40-45 people there (and 90% of that is family)! I am trying to get a head start on this because this year I am 20 weeks pregnant and tired.

Hubby is being a little pissy, the usual when he thinks I am being "crazy" with preping and spending money. He asks "we have 2 weeks why do we have to start now?" and I reply with "well our weeks somehow get lost and we only have 2 Saturdays to get a lot of stuff done". He like most men is a wonderful husband, but doesn't not understand the work that is involved with being a mom. Yes he knows there is work involved, he helps put up the canopy, blow up the pool and decorate on the day of the party, but he really has no idea who much prep work is involved before the big day. It is amazing how there know there are new party decorations, food ordered, party bags etc. but for some reason they have no comprehension of how all of those items came to be in our possession. Like they appeared by magic.

He complains that I over-think my parties. He, like most people, doesn't understand....throwing a party is an art form. I know that sounds corny, let me try to explain. Most people when they throw a party, have a little food, maybe some decorations, people come over and there is often some "blank spots" in the fun. Now let me walk you through what goes on in my mind when I am planning a party. The first thing you have to do is, decide on a theme. Once I have the theme I decide on a color scheme for things. Since I am a graphic designer, the next item is to design a theme based invitation. The big trick to making a party seem together is link everything back to the theme. After the invitations are done, I can focus on the theme. When I buy supplies and decorations everything in linked to the theme/color scheme. After the decorations are taken care of, the next step is activities. I make sure that there is something for everyone to do if they want to. Especially if there are children. Children often get tired of things quickly and if you don't give them something else to do, the whining or mischief begins. Every detail of a party is thought of and the minor, small details are not overlooked. When you come to one of my parties there is a reason to everything you see, hear or encounter. Most people never really realize the thought/details put into it, all they know is that there was something different that made the party special. Making a party special is all about creating an ambiance for the party-goers.

But enough rambling....