Inspiration and a Dinner Party

This is not my photo, but I love it. I think it's from here http://atimeforeverythingjournal.blogspot.com/ I love to entertain. I love to cook and prepare. I love the company and the fellowship. When Lambert and I first married he could not understand this love. He hated the prep work (mad cleaning frenzy coupled with many breakdowns and usually followed by tears from exhaustion). However, we have both changed a lot over the years. I don't panic near as much as I used to. This comes from experience. People don't care if your house has a little dust or if every project hasn't been crossed off your to-do list. My kitchen has been a work in progress for almost 6 years now. We finally got around to removing all the wallpaper and painting, but it still needs work. I have learned that friends just like to be invited to come and eat and laugh. When we purchased this home I knew it was the perfect house for entertaining. It needed some TLC, but it's a great house for friends. We don't have a pool (so so sad) or fancy furniture, nor a big screen tv!!(sorry Lambert) but most of our friends comment that we have a very warm house that just feels comfortable. I think that's the best compliment a host can receive. So my good friend Kim... recently hosted a dinner party for a few friends. It's been a while since we had invited more than just a couple or two over so I decided it was time. I started thinking about the guest list and what I would cook and before I knew it, I had a full blown dinner party planned. In typical Shirley fashion... I haven't started preparing... it's tomorrow evening. My house looks like a train crashed right through the kitchen, down the hall to the bedrooms pulling every stitch of dirty laundry onto the floors... I haven't gone grocery shopping (now Houston is having torrential down pours and flash flooding warnings that should last through Sunday!) Good thing Lambert has a truck!! Luckily (not lucky that she is sick) we were supposed to have dinner with Nana tonight but she isn't feeling well so we will be dragging our littles to the grocery,flower,home improvement, discount stores this evening. Lambert is such a good sport. i'm certain he will have two crowns in heaven... i'm so looking forward to shopping with him tonight. he knows shrimp and I haven't a clue. I would end up with frozen cocktail shrimp if it were up to me. the party is sure to be a success. I have a plan and a fun game. I'm making a fabulous dish and home made pralines... how could anything go wrong