Thoughts on being a guest at a house party

I love to be a host, always have. Being a guest is sometimes more stressful.
 
The invitation comes by way of email, Evite, phone call or even snail mail and my very first thought goes to, “What will I wear?”
 
The invite is usually not much help unless it says “black tie.” I’ve got that down. There are varying degrees of “casual” and I have found when a host designates that, they do not typically mean what I think of as casual. Adding another adjective like “chic” to casual makes it even more confusing. Do I add pearls to one of my ripped, million-year-old university T-shirts? Or wear strappy sandals with my “lulu” workout pants?
 
Next, a gift for the host.
 
My mind always goes straight to something chocolate, like a beautiful box of truffles, but so many people in our age group are off sugar lately. (I know, right?) 
 
A candle? I am so picky about scents that I can’t even fathom deciding what someone else would like, although pure lavender is hard to beat.
 
I love those black and white, 100% cotton kitchen towels with ironic sayings like: “the dog did it,” or my all-time favorite: “I’m just a girl sitting in front of a salad asking it to be a cupcake.” But again, not everyone’s thing.  
 
I usually know exactly what to bring to my closest friends, but the rest of the party-giver’s gifts remain a mystery. I just assume that whatever I bring will probably be re-gifted. I may even see it again sometime soon. I can’t re-gift. I just can’t give someone a present that I don’t like. I think it’s genetic (another story for another day).
 
The menu: That kind of stresses me out a bit. I am going to use the word “selective” to describe my eating style for the most part. I choose a diet that eliminates almost all foods that come from animals. I choose not to eat goat cheese because the smell makes me gag. I am allergic to shellfish, so no choice there.  
 
When I go to a party, I usually resign myself to the fact that there will be nothing for me to eat. I put all of my hopes and dreams on dessert (I am not off sugar — at least not yet) and pray that it will be something like luscious chocolate cake and not something like poached pears.
 
I have noticed that there are quite a few people who don’t eat much at parties, especially the cocktail types, so I can just mingle with the masses. 
 
But, a small, sit-down dinner is more difficult. Sometimes I just slide my food on to my husband’s plate when we can sit next to one another. There are those hosts who use place cards and like to mix up the couples. I usually hold off putting food on my table neighbor’s plate, but if that person takes a trip to the restroom, anything goes (and has). After a few drinks, no one remembers what was on their plate, anyway.
 
When there are games or dancing at a party, I can be a fun and amazing guest. 
 
But, no matter. Once anyone who knows me reads this, especially when they are in the throes of making a guest list, I will become an outcast — and that comes with a whole new set of problems.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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