cloth napkins. sounds like a simple thing but lo and behold, i don't own any. at my house it's paper napkins or a folded-up paper towel when we actually all sit down together and have a meal. i don't have any real napkins, nor do i think about needing to buy them, but when i discovered this fact the day before my party, i discovered they were EIGHT DOLLARS for two white napkins at wal-mart. forget that. my friend tara suggested making my own (we'll get to that) so i bought two yards of fabric from the salvage shop here in town and waited for my mother to pull into town so i could give her a project.
which brings me to the next thing i don't own: an iron. or ironing board. my mother came and agreed to tackle this project. she asked for my iron and i was not able to produce one!! she insisted on purchasing me one at walmart so i am now the proud owner of both items. i have never needed to iron and it's a ton easier for me to pay 99 cents for dry cleaning (or, in an emergency, throw a wrinkly shirt in the dryer with a damp towel) than spend an evening standing over an ironing board, burning holes into clothes and probably my hands too. do people really do that anymore? people with a full-time job and two kids and a dog and a dinner club to host????
i also don't own any tablecloths. i have a beautiful table that kevin stained black for me last year. why in the world would i want to cover it up with a tablecloth? i was reminded by more than one person that i am clueless when it comes to entertaining. clearly, i am. so i had to buy a tablecloth but i still say my table would be just as attractive without it!
chairs!!!!!!!!! i've been putting off buying them because there have been more important projects to take care of...like, new tires on BOTH cars, a toilet that rocks uncontrollably because as the house settles, it pushes the pipe up from under the house!!.....and all the little things that come up every month. i have two chairs for grown-ups and two painted restaurant high chairs for the kids. so i have to borrow a neighbor's dining room chairs to make room for ten.
the list is endless, really, but i put it all together at the last minute (of course) and it turned out okay. napkins got made, a few plates from target were purchased, and i was in business. my 'giada' recipe really wasn't and noone noticed. it was italian but i refused to try out a new recipe on 9 innocent victims. thank you mom for the recipe (really good baked ziti!) and for staying up half the night sewing napkins WITHOUT A SEWING MACHINE (i am going to use fusion tape on EVERYTHING from now on...).
the bottom line is that NOBODY REALLY CARES. you get all worried but, in the end, it's no big deal. here's a picture of the final product because i want it on record that i actually have these necessities now!
