#288: My Dinner Party

Since moving into our home four years ago, I have always wanted to throw a dinner party. I tend to be the kind of person who has big ideas but rarely executes them (I’ve been talking up a Harry Potter themed party for I don’t know…ten years, maybe?), but this past summer I resolved that I would throw a dinner party for my friends for one of my favorite holidays: Halloween. Kegan, recognizing my excitement for the event the day I conceptualized it, gave me his blessing, agreeing to handle the food preparation (because I’m not into cooking) and told me I could “go all out.” And “go all out” I did.

Throughout the dinner party preparation I took cues from my ‘muses’ Gretchen Rubin and Laura Vanderkam. From their philosophies I was reminded that money spent on experiences that one knows will bring oneself and others happiness is money well-spent, and that the time invested in the anticipation and build up to an event is often where the most happiness is cultivated. This allowed me to thoroughly enjoy the entire process; I loved shopping for decorations, creating my tablescape, ordering and addressing invitations, planning the menu…it was genuinely a wonderful time throughout. The day of was admittedly stressful for both Kegan and I: day of preparations somehow took nearly 10 hours, we had to delay our guests‘ arrival by 30 minutes and some of the small details slipped through the cracks. That being said, I was able to sit at the end of my dining room table and bask in the glow of candles and flickering orange and white lights, proud of myself for the party we were throwing and thrilled to be surrounded by 12 good friends.

At the end of the night I was unsure I would ever be able to pull off an event quite like that again…and to my surprise it was Kegan who encouraged me to consider it—maybe not next year, but again in the future. He pointed out just how happy the event made me, how successful it had been, and most importantly how it had gathered important people in our lives together under one roof for a fun and festive evening. It made me think how grateful I am for a husband who is truly a partner, supportive friends, the energy and means to pull off a party—one that the memories of will bring me happiness for a lifetime.