Weekend Review: The Suprise Party Edition

I know, I know. It's almost the weekend again and I'm JUSTNOW getting to the review of the previous weekend. I suck, etc.

Honestly, though, this week has been completely cray-cray in the highest level of cray-cray. (crazy, for all ya'll who, like my sister, have no idea what cray-cray means. haha) Meetings, interviews, working lunches, presentations (attending--not giving, thank the good Lord above.) I thought after Mama's party craziness ended that life would calm down and be chill for a while. Work had other ideas. Yay! for gainful employment! ;-)

So anyhoodles (yes, i'm being obnoxious and no, I don't care) Mama's party happened and nobody died. That isn't to say that I didn't get stabby at least a half dozen times. I thought for sure I'd have to kill Sis2 before it was all over. And I know! She's the favored sister! And I wanted to kill her! But she is also a worrywart and had a half dozen meltdowns that all resulted in her calling me to calm her down and talk her off the ledges. Not that her ledges are all that high (hello, one story  house FTW) but still. She bummed me out so bad with all her stress. As if I didn't have my own crappy to deal with. The whole point of splitting the list of responsibilities is so that no one person got overburdened. And yet I got to deal with and handle EVERYBODY'S crap.

But no worries. It didn't kill me. Maybe made me wish for a swift debilitating blow to the head to take the pain focus from my knees and feet but it didn't kill me. And in the end Mama had a fabulous party and felt very loved and appreciated. And that, my friends, is all that matters, really.

Now. Pictures! (Or, Pitchures! as my Maw-Maw spells it. Bless her heart.)

I made the banner using scrapbook paper, die-cut letters I found at Dollar Tree, ribbon and the roses/owls from W-mart. And hot glue. Oh, and poster tape. Lots and lots of poster tape. Also I had to go back Saturday morning and add the "h" to "Birthday" because I can't spell and omitted it the first time. (That was a Friday night panic call from Sis2 while I was elbow deep into making sausage balls and cake batter truffles.)

On the corner dessert table: Brownie bites, cake batter truffles, mini cheesecake tarts and Danish Wedding cookies.

I gathered up the photos from Mama's albums the previous Saturday when I had to take Milo out for them while they were gone to the Tupelo fleamarket. Sneaky, sneaky. Then Sis2 and I spent a couple hours debating (mostly her) and putting it together using a large piece of white foam core, purple ribbon (hotglued), photo corners (thank goodness for scrapbooking supplies) and two wooden owls we got from W-Mart. (Mama's into Owls right now, in case you couldn't tell.)

On the buffet: olives and cheese, turkey roll-ups, sausage balls, strawberries, spinach dip with pita chips and tortilla chips, bbq cocktail smokies, and potato chips/dip.

I made the cake and ended up decorating it. Sis2 was supposed to decorate it but that was the first Saturday morning melt-down call while I was grocery shopping in W-mart. Her frosting melted right off and made a mess. So I bought some pre-made decorator's frosting and saved the day because that's (apparently) what I do. The flowers are the sugared packaged kind from W-mart because none of us know how to make frosting flowers. haha My mad piping skills are a complete fluke, though.

Oh, and it's a scratch made carrot cake with Duncan Hines cream cheese frosting. (I'm a Semi-Homemade queen, ya'll. Don't tell Sandra Lee.) 

We did end up having to stick it in the fridge, though, because it was too humid in the house to support any sort of frosting.

The Guests began arriving around 1:30.  We probably had around 15 peeps there, not counting the usual suspects/hostesses.

 She was only sorta surprised because a) Sis1's FIL let it slip a little the day before when he said, "Enjoy your party tomorrow," as she was leaving their yard sale and b) She recognized her BFF's car parked on the road. So we suck at complete surprises but it's the thought that counts, right?

Since it was Sis1's idea, we let her take some of the credit. haha 

But we don't love each other at all. ;-)

 And nobody had any fun whatsoever. Obviously. haha

The flowers were sent from the Aunt CO who couldn't be there. And Lyssa insisted on loaning Nana a tiara since she was "Princess for a day."

Lyssa had to help her blow the candles out, of course. Mostly because she was ready for cake.

Aunt L fixed her up with a neat "historical facts" book about everything that happened in 1953 and some other neat trivia surrounding Mama's birthday. But then she had to help her read it because Mama didn't have her glasses. She's 60, afterall. 

It was an exhausting venture but well worth it to celebrate the life of the woman who gave ME life.

BUT, as if pulling off a surprise birthday party for the most important woman in my life wasn't enough I had to turn around Sunday and cook a Father's Day lunch for the most important MAN in my life. I don't have any photos of it, though, because I am lame and I was tired. By Sunday night I could hardly walk. But, I managed it. Mostly because it was a repeat of the lunch I cooked for Mama on Mother's Day and had the preparation plan down to a science. haha

After everyone left Sunday night Libs and I vegged on the couch and watched the season finale of The Client List and said a lengthy prayer of thanks to God in Heaven for His Grace in a stressfully happy time and His sustaining mercy. God is certainly good all the time and I'm so thankful to Him for the wonderful family he created and placed me in.

Now. I've got another meeting to rush to. See ya'll later!