Apologies for not posting last Tuesday! I was mired in “real world†ilk.
The week before last, I basked in the joy of a successful shin-dig. This week, it’s time for some constructive criticism. Well, first I’m going to pat us on the back. Then, I promise, I will critique.
Booyah! (aka What We Did Right)
- Super House looked great! Jax and TheScott spruced up the old gal (the house) and she was ready for her date(s). And the decorations were lovely (if I do say so myself).
- The menu was delicious! Jax and TheScott served up…
<a moment please, my cat is playing with the cursor>
…a hot mess of southernness that Mark Twain would have died for.
- The service was commendable. It really helped to have two people serve while one person dished out the grub in the kitchen. Note to selves: always choose a theme where the hostesses can wear shorts! It made the evening so easy.
- Our guests were awesome. Not that we were responsible for this particular success, but it bears mentioning.
- Ancestor chair was a wonderful experience. See Jax’s post on this topic!
Boo! (aka What We Didn’t Do Right)
- We didn’t take pictures. Holy crud. I cannot believe we spent weeks planning and crafting, and then on the night were completely unprepared to collect photographic evidence of our work. Complete fail. Thank the gods for a few thoughtful friends who did take some photos for us (especially k!, who took photos of the settings and decor.)
- I messed up the gift count. I am not sure how I managed to do this. I bought enough supplies to make 4 extra thaumatropes (a total of 20), but as I laid out the gifts that evening, I realized I had just enough for those attending (a total of 13). We had 3 guests cancel just before the dinner (all are well now. yay!). Crickey. Did I really burn supplies on 7 trial thaumatropes?
- The invitation was late. Again…weeks of planning and blogging, but we still sent the invitation later than we had planned. This really needs to be corrected next year. Folks with kiddos need plenty of time to make sitting arrangements. Which reminds me of something. I know we said we would have a kids’ table in the future, but I’m having second thoughts. Don’t get me wrong. I love me some kiddos! But it’s really nice to have raucous adult time (wink wink, nod nod).
Yah? (aka What Should We Have Done?)
- The decor was lovely, but was it Southern Goth? I really did search for southern gothic inspiration. Did I cop out by settling on an antebellum / Victorian look? Maybe I should have gone with a Louisiana swamp look. Blah. Just thinking about the logistics of that design make my head hurt.
- Was southern goth a good theme choice? It seemed to confuse some folks at first. So much so that we decided to send an email to guests before the party where we explained the theme and offered costume ideas. Everyone “manned up†with their costumes, though. I especially like the Jedi from the southern part of the galaxy. The force be with y’all!
What do you think? How bad were our Boos!?
7 comments
Chris says:
Nov 16, 2010
Okay, I’ll concur that you didn’t take pictures and I agree you get a frowny face for that one 😉 Overall though I think it was a fabulous evening and everything seemed so well organized. And, I am still dreaming of that pumpkin soup! If I didn’t know you were having so many discussions/anxieties/angst over decorations, costumes and themes I would have never thought there were any hiccups or regrets from the party. As a guest, I had a really lovely time, got to spend time with friends (old and new) and truly enjoyed the evening. So, I think that ultimately is the only measure of an evening’s success. So cheers and well done!
T.K. says:
Nov 17, 2010
Have you ever had a critique that didn’t point out a few things that might have been done better? And when you critique your own stuff you tend to be even more critical.
I just had a vision of couples driving home from the party commenting, “Great party but I’ll never go back. She said it was going to be Southern Gothic. Ha! More like antebellum/Victorian. Geez!â€
NOT!
Jax says:
Nov 17, 2010
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
bekki says:
Nov 17, 2010
It was a really lovely party. Great food, great conversations with awesomely interesting people; how can you go wrong? 🙂
Huzzuah, I say! Huzzah!
bekki says:
Nov 17, 2010
Although, the critique you’re really looking for is:
Yes, the party was very well-thought-out, and well-executed. Your good planning paid off, and your execution was admirable. Bravo to the whole team!
k! says:
Nov 19, 2010
Okay, well, I’m me, I’ll be mean if that’s what you’re looking for. I am an accommodating girl. But only after I tell you that the best measure of a party is the atmosphere and the quality of the time with friends, and on that score it was wonderful. Remember. That’s the only score that really matters.
On the boos…
1) I am terrible about taking pics at my events too, and I don’t really think that’s a “boo” in any context except that you don’t have much to show your readers. That’s a blogger “boo,” not a hostess one.
2) Supply count can always be variable. Just make sure you count the finished items before the day of the party, so you can correct if you need to. This one is easily avoided.
3) Yes, earlier is always better for holiday invitations, especially if you want an adults-only event. By that I mean any weekend that falls near a major holiday/feast day, such as Halloween/Samhain, Christmas/Yule, or New Year’s/Random day in midwinter. I throw a massive cocktail party every December, and I have tried to book a babysitter SIX WEEKS in advance before to find them already booked up for the month. This year I’m going to try a young “mother’s helper” in the neighborhood to come watch the kiddos for those of us who cant’ get sitters. Hopefully that will work out better for everyone.
On the yahs…
1) The decor, while festive and fun, was not Southern Gothic for me. I loved the hominess and warmth of the Victorian look you guys did, but that was the antithesis of what I was expecting. For me, Southern Gothic is characterized by faded wealth and decadence, a lack of scruples and morals on the part of the manipulative characters, hopelessness, and hints of the occult.
I actually just saw a pic of a Thanksgiving table setting in Southern Living (warning for those at work — the video talks) that presented a color palette that I think would have translated well to Southern Gothic. And I envision using Spanish Moss accents in the floral settings, to get that swampy southern feel. For me, the theme isn’t about being literal. It’s all about invoking mood.
2) Once you guys explained the theme I think everyone got on board, so I don’t feel it was a poor choice. Next time you choose a theme, and encourage guests to dress accordingly, maybe send out some sample links (what’s Southern Gothic?, costume ideas, etc) with the invite. Most of the standard invitation sites, including evite and pingg, will let you do that.
But AGAIN… a fabulous time was had, the setting did look festive, and the food was fantastic — isn’t that all that really matters?
k! says:
Nov 19, 2010
Here is another link for that table setting, with just photos and sources for the materials the designer used.
Dramatic Purple Thanksgiving Table