Boat Stuff and Party Stuff

We spent most of yesterday driving around to different stores, looking for things my husband needed for the sailboat. Just little things, like tie-downs for the mast when it's on the trailer, and extra wheels for the trailer (just in case), and (most important) life-vests. I tried on one of the life-vests in the store, figuring that if it fit me, it would be good for young Miss C. My husband laughed and said he wished he had a camera. I told him to take a good look, because he wouldn't be seeing me in a life-vest ever again.

We went from Academy (a sporting goods store) to Wal-Mart, with lunch at a Chinese restaurant inbetween. While we were in Academy, I browsed through the shoe department and found a pair of leopard-print flats. I thought they only had sports-type shoes in that store. Of course I had to buy them... they're good for around the house and around the neighborhood, but I don't think I'd go out with them. I'm too used to wearing heels when I dress up.

While we were in Wal-Mart, I found a bunch of stuff for Easter..... place card embellishments and little bunnies for individual candy baskets (small ones for each place setting). We're thinking of having Easter Sunday dinner here, with the same friends that we invited last year. Our friends K and B used to have an Easter Egg Hunt at their house every year, but they had to suspend that...... work is still being done on their house (it's being changed from a one-story to a two-story). For that reason, any sort of large party is just out of the question till everything there is finished.

We also had to stop at Hobby Lobby, and I found some pretty invitations there.... each card looks like a little flower-pot, complete with colorful flowers growing out of the pot. Cute for Easter, or for any Springtime lunch. I don't know when I'll use them, but they've been added to my stash of pretty invitations.

Seems like we're planning a bunch of get-togethers....... a Chili Cook-Off party, an Ice Cream Sundae lunch, the Harry Potter lunch, and I've been wanting to do a Tiara Tea Party since last year so I'm hoping to do that sometime after the Easter holiday.

I've already got everything I need for the Tiara Tea, and everything we'd need for the Ice Cream Sundae lunch, and I'm just now getting together party gifts and table settings for the Harry Potter lunch.... that one won't be till August or so, when we've all read the last book in the Potter series. I found a bunch of stuff on eBay, at cheap prices because the Harry Potter fuss hasn't begun yet. Just wait till the last book comes out.... all the merchandise will be much more expensive than it is now, which is why I've been buying that stuff now instead of later on in the summer.

I found all the things we need for the Ice Cream Sundae lunch..... that idea all began because I found vintage invitation cards with an "old fashioned" ice cream parlour on them. Then I found books on ice cream (one for each couple), and vintage ice cream glasses, and even blown-glass ice cream cone ornaments, all at ridiculously low prices. I thought it would be fun to have an ice cream sundae lunch (just ice cream and desserts) with each couple bringing their favorite ice cream toppings and a dessert. We'd get all the ice cream flavors, plus some gelato and frozen yogurt as well. On one of my trips to the Hallmark store, I found ice cream-themed napkins. (It's all in the details.)

I need to find Chili Cookbooks for the chili party....... I thought the books would make nice party-gifts for each couple. The Texas Store must have those....... I've already looked in Half-Price books for them. Barnes & Noble may have some, so I'll have to check there as well. The local college will be having their Chili Cook-Off in early April, I think, so we may coordinate our chili party with theirs.

All I can say is, I'm glad this house has so many walk-in closets and built-in cabinets. It's easy to keep everything organized for all of these get-togethers, and nothing gets "lost" along the way.