I was out grabbing a much needed bag of peanut butter M&M's (lunch) and baby wipes. In front of me in line was a woman on her pink-bejewlled-iPhone chatting about her 2 hour Pilate's session. She and her 5 carat (not kidding!) wedding ring unloaded the most unGodly amount of toys, junk food, and back to school supplies I have ever seen while her nanny tried to corral her 2 kids. Her balance was well over $1000 and as the checker rung everything up the woman continued to patter on with her awful grammar ignoring everything but her conversation.
I judged this mom.
Then I went home and wrote a check for $7,330.87 for party supplies.
You see, I throw a wicked party.
No really I do- it is what I do for a living. And it is my role in the Junior League. I even throw a great house party complete with themes, decor, signature cocktails, and occasionally beer pong.
I am a party animal.
Do you know what it takes to throw a party? Like a really really good party? It takes an amazing amount of organizational skills, people skills, and the ability to embody "grace under pressure". It takes a crazy mind that is willing to try anything and some big prayers that my ideas work.
I throw the kind of parties that cost at least $7,330.87 in rentals. And we don't serve dinner.
At least once a year I transform this:
Into this (well this plus 450 people):
This event had 15 restaurants serving appetizers (on compostable dinnerware), 5 wineries represented, 1 beer sponsor, a high end liquor sponsor, 70 designers, 4 lounges, 2 bear skinned rugs (faux of course!), a candy bar and a glowing ice sculpture.
So are you judging my opulence right now? I would be. Kinda like I judged Miss Big Spender at Target.
But you see that judgement of my event would be wrong. Unless of course you thought that I throw a wicked party- that is in fact correct.
For work I not only throw parties but my parties are expected to raise a boat load of money. So not only do I have to work with vendors- I have to convince them to sponsor my event and work for free (or at least close to free). Think fabulous wedding where the goals is to get people drunk and make money instead of just get people drunk.
The most important part about this event is what we do two days later. After this night of debauchery, we clean up that same drabby space and re-decorate it like a children's winter wonderland. We have two story gingerbread houses for decorating that make the room exude Holiday Cheer. Santa sits on an amazing throne surrounded by gifts and meets with each child who attends to take family photos. There is a full (organic) holiday meal served in the back two rooms and we have special cupcakes for dessert. Four stations of crafts allow the children to make picture frames for those Snaps with Santa, beaded necklaces and lacy angels. Finally we have these funky costumed characters to hang out with the families, and make balloon animals galore.
It is holiday chaos. I bet you want your kids to go!
The thing is- the kids who go are homeless. The charity I run provides some amazing opportunities for kids who grow up living in shelters with their families.
So my $7330.87 check for party stuff ends up raising enough money to throw these kids the only holiday party they will have.
That glowing ice sculpture helps pay for their college tuition, gymnastics lessons, math tutoring and sometimes it even pays for prom tickets.
People judge me, and my parties, all the time. I go from a Gucci dress (rented Gucci dress) on Friday to jeans on Saturday. If I were you I might judge that Gucci too!
While I was probably not wrong about that woman at Target I may have been. Getting home and doing my work bills reminded me to be a bit more gentile with strangers I see in the real world.
And the second thing she reminded me is that I need to find the time to bedazzle my iPhone
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