A two part post

TarHeels&Rebels

Part One

The couple I wanted to throw the e-party brunch for just got me their dates today (Sep 4).  The groom is supposedly only free Sep 22 or Sep 29.  I'm busy Sep 29, and Sep 22 is just 18 days away. 

Am I wrong for being cranky about being given just 18 days' notice?  Sure, I could finalize the menu I've been brainstorming, but I cannot do printed invites today to give guests enough notice.  I could do evites, but e-parties are special and deserve paper.  (Or are evites the punishment for not giving your hostess more notice?) 

I'm about to write back to the bride and tell her I'll throw her a girls only party when she's free and not worry about the only two weekends the groom supposedly has free this fall.  (I say supposedly because he's a "I'm so busy" drama llama, where if he'd shut up and do the work instead of complaining about it, he'd have all the spare time in the world.)  /vent

Part Two

DH's family was here for the weekend.  I tried to think how to do a review, but I'll just give you the great recipes and the bad recipes.

Great recipes - ask me if you want me to type these out

Marinade for beef kebabs

Tomato pie

Chewy oatmeal raisin cookies

Jefferson Davis pie (The first one listed - it tastes like Christmas and makes the house smell divine.  Absolutely one of the best pies I've ever had.  Everyone has declared this to be the pie I have to bring to family gatherings from now on.  PS - no, southerners do not spend their time talking about the Civil War lol - no one this weekend had ever heard of this pie.)

Bad recipes - avoid these!

The mashed potato souffle out of the back of last month's Country Living - a shocking waste of ingredients

Wolfgang Puck's carrot loaf - hours of work and just tastes like regular cooked carrots

6fsn

I would talk to the bride.  Tell her that you are not available on the 29th and the 22nd is cutting things close.  Let her know that you really want to make it special for her, but with that timing you'll need to go the evite route.  At the same time offer to do a girly thing at a different time.  You are very diplomatic so I'm sure you'll know how to say the right things.  She can decide between the two.

That pie looks awesome!  8 eggs in a potato dish?  That's when you say screw it and put the bacon in the whipped potatoes.

wejustwant2:)

Hi!  Re: Part 1 - What to do?  People simply don't understand that to do a really nice event you have to plan in advance...  I would talk to the bride like 6 suggested.  I don't think doing an "evite" would be the end of the world either - but I know your style and personally I prefer paper for something like this too. 

I wouldn't cut the groom out though - even if he is a "drama llama" LOL.  Just find the nicest evite you can and let it go if they can't come up with another date.  You seem like a very good friend and evites are hardly "punishment" - maybe save yourself the money and do something nice with it for yourself save it for holiday giving or something.  They're free aren't they?  You'll have to let us know what you choose... and show us the options.

Re: Part 2 -  That Jefferson Davis pie does look amazing..  wish you could come up here and cater my girls' next birthday party

MrsCG

I might be too late, but you could do online invitations from Paperless Post.  I consider them a fancy evite!

TarHeels&Rebels

MrsCG:

I might be too late, but you could do online invitations from Paperless Post.  I consider them a fancy evite!

Not too late, since the bride hasn't yet given me the guest list.  I love Paperless Post.  If I can scrounge up email addresses for all these people, I'd love to that, since you're right that they're so much nicer than regular evites.  Unfortunately, at the rate the couple is giving me information, I'll be lucky to create a FB event invite more than a week out