Just Have a Party, Part II
A few weeks ago, I wrote an essay about just having a party--forgetting about the sales parties and inviting people over to buy things, and just having a party. Drinks. Food. Celebrating being alive.
My friend Maggie decided to take me up on this idea. She had been planning a Scentsy party, and instead of holding it, she cancelled the sales party and turned it into a party for her friends. Thus was born the Homemade Pizza Party with Colin Firth movies.
I volunteered to make the pizza dough, because I am good at it. Maggie bought sauce and cheese. Maggie's friend Penny volunteered to bring toppings. Maggie invited 19 people, 9 responded "yes" and, this is huge, all 9 people who responded "yes" arrived at the party. People brought gifts for the hostess, and drinks to share. Maggie spent about $25 on the party in total.
I arrived early with my bread maker, flour, yeast, corn meal, and pizza stone. Maggie donated sugar, salt, and olive oil, as well as her breadmaker, to the cause. We started up 2 lbs of dough in each of the bread makers, and by the time the party was about to start, the dough in the first bread maker was ready. Throughout the night we made a total of four pizzas, and fed everyone including Maggie's kids (who were watching movies in the basement away from the grownups).
Friends brought alcohol and mixers, and drinks were had by all. Conversation was wonderful. And when everyone had eaten something, we moved to the living room (from the kitchen/dining room naturally) to watch Bridget Jones's Diary. We made good use of the remote control, stopping to talk, share stories, and get to know each other a little better.
And in the end, no one dropped any money on candles, or makeup, or kitchen supplies, or stamps, or scrapbooking supplies. The only money people spent was for pizza fixings, or drinks, or gifts for the hostess, and believe me, not a single person resented that kind of spending. No one feels pressured to eat pizza or to watch a movie or to have conversation. And people thanked Maggie profusely for inviting them.
And we're pretty sure we're going to make it a trend.
My friend Maggie decided to take me up on this idea. She had been planning a Scentsy party, and instead of holding it, she cancelled the sales party and turned it into a party for her friends. Thus was born the Homemade Pizza Party with Colin Firth movies.
I volunteered to make the pizza dough, because I am good at it. Maggie bought sauce and cheese. Maggie's friend Penny volunteered to bring toppings. Maggie invited 19 people, 9 responded "yes" and, this is huge, all 9 people who responded "yes" arrived at the party. People brought gifts for the hostess, and drinks to share. Maggie spent about $25 on the party in total.
I arrived early with my bread maker, flour, yeast, corn meal, and pizza stone. Maggie donated sugar, salt, and olive oil, as well as her breadmaker, to the cause. We started up 2 lbs of dough in each of the bread makers, and by the time the party was about to start, the dough in the first bread maker was ready. Throughout the night we made a total of four pizzas, and fed everyone including Maggie's kids (who were watching movies in the basement away from the grownups).
Friends brought alcohol and mixers, and drinks were had by all. Conversation was wonderful. And when everyone had eaten something, we moved to the living room (from the kitchen/dining room naturally) to watch Bridget Jones's Diary. We made good use of the remote control, stopping to talk, share stories, and get to know each other a little better.
And in the end, no one dropped any money on candles, or makeup, or kitchen supplies, or stamps, or scrapbooking supplies. The only money people spent was for pizza fixings, or drinks, or gifts for the hostess, and believe me, not a single person resented that kind of spending. No one feels pressured to eat pizza or to watch a movie or to have conversation. And people thanked Maggie profusely for inviting them.
And we're pretty sure we're going to make it a trend.