Y'all Hush: Party Planning

Sunday, October 9, 2016

Party Planning

Hey, y'all -

My 40th birthday is coming up at the end of the month, and my friends keep asking what I want to do. The real answer is nothing. BECAUSE WHEN YOU ARE OLD, YOU ARE TIRED ALL THE TIME. Also, I really enjoy throwing parties and I have control issues and when other people try to throw me a party, it stresses me out because they're not typically obsessed with details like I am. We all have our own particular brand of crazy, and this is mine.

I asked Hagen what I should do, but I will not be doing any of these things:

I do not like Team Umizoomi, and I do not like everyone. I do like cake, though, so he's got me there.

Last year, I threw myself maybe my favorite party of my entire lifetime here at the house.

I called it Brooke's Daytime Slumber Party, because if you asked me what my idea of heaven was, it would include sitting around in my pajama pants, eating potato chips and watching a movie that's not animated. I invited all of my mom friends who immediately understood what I was going for. The party was 21+, no boys allowed. Pajamas encouraged.

I rented four grown-up girl movies on iTunes, and your dad moved three couches into our living room to make a screening room with blanket fort.

I filled a huge wash tub with champagne and orange juice and other assorted goodies.

The day before the party, I arranged for food from local restaurants to be delivered every few hours during the party and went ahead and paid and tipped so I could enjoy as much champagne as I wanted and then be pleasantly surprised when hot wings showed up at 11am, and deluxe nachos showed up at 2pm. In the meantime, I'd purchased four flavors of potato chips.

I bought a bunch of fun lipstick and perfume samples on ebay and set up a little lighted mirror in case anybody wanted to play beauty parlor. A student at the local beauty college came by at noon and braided everyone's hair.

I think my invitation e-mail ended with something like:

...So that's what I'm doing, whether y'all are here or not. Come for part of it. Come for all of it. Stop by for 6 minutes or 6 hours. I'll be here. In my pajamas. With award show hair. And a plate of wings. Bring your favorite pillow.