The gang's all here: (left to right) Mom, Brother, Cousin, Aunt, Norma, Todd, Julie, Aunt Chef, Jamie & Uncle.

Today's Joy: Celebrating.
Happy Tuesday, Reader. Today was a special milestone birthday for Aunt. As one does not reveal a lady's age, we'll just say it was important that we 'do it up right'. She requested a gathering of friends and family at Cabana Charley's in Sycamore, a crazy-fun tiki bar crossed with a sports bar and Caribbean cheeseburger joint. It's the sort of place Kenny Chesney & Jimmy Buffett might open, if they ever went into the restaurant business together.

What a great evening! We all had a wonderful time laughing and relaxing. Mom, Brother & Uncle all tried fried alligator tail for the first time and liked it! Tastes like chicken, Uncle said.

While I don't often have a drink, I did succumb to the charms of the $6 bucket (see the Shipwreck pictured below) and something wonderful called a Swing Wam Cherry Bomb (also below). Both were fruity deliciousness. I love these evenings when we get the usual cast of characters together and all try something new. You never quite know what will happen, but whatever it is, it'll be darn funny.

After we had our fill, the waitress presented Aunt with a decadent birthday dessert which was quickly passed around the table. All agreed it was a most enjoyable birthday. Here, for your enjoyment, Reader, are some favorite highlights:


Having a ball!


Swing Wam Cherry Bomb

Birthday Girl

Crawfish Etouffee

Somebody's fabulous!

Umbrella Girl

Shipwreck

What's inside?

Freshly Showered

Birthday Dessert

Fried Grouper Sandwich

Mmmm, oranges...

Cousin & I at the beautiful St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville, IL, May 2010.

Today's Joy: Going to a Fancy Party.
(My apologies, Reader, for the late arrival of this post. Have gotten a little behind on my daily entries with it being Memorial Day weekend!)

Was so ecstatic to be invited along tonight to the gorgeous St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville, IL for a swanky reception! It's been a long time since I've had an occasion to break out my favorite white dress, high heels & fancy-party handbags. I even curled my hair! Yup, this girl felt fancy.

The reception was organized by the St. James Farm Conservation Committee as a thank you to the exhibitors who will be showing their horses and demonstrating various types of riding at this weekend's upcoming Homecoming Celebration. St. James Farm, once the retreat of the McCormick family, founders of International Harvester, is now part of the Forest Preserve District of Dupage County and after several years of renovations, will now be open to the public.


Invited to Exhibit at the St. James Farm Homecoming Celebration,
My Family Attends the Appreciation Reception.

Reader, if you're familiar with my blog, you know that my family members are avid horse enthusiasts who often drive and show their horses and ponies. They've also been blessed, through their equestrian contacts, to receive one of the original four St. James Farm Lipizzans. So, they were honored when asked to exhibit at the Homecoming Celebration & attend the Exhibitors' Reception. As their resident photographer, I was also invited to attend and photograph all related events. Woo-hoo!


One of the Buffet Tables at the St. James Farm Reception.

The reception was fabulous! Held under a cluster of pavilions centered around a large water fountain with three dolphin sculptures, we were beautifully situated to view the grounds and the property's unique octagonal show barn. The hors d'oeuvres were delish and laid out in a lavish buffet that meandered through the pavilions. We ate and laughed and oggled the amazing facilities while a trio of flutists played in the background.


The Divine Ms. "M" & Little Man.

It was so much fun to see everybody all gussied up and having a good time! They even got a chance to scout out the grounds a bit--and I got a chance to get a few fun, candid shots of them enjoying this beautiful place.


Cousin Gives Little Man a Piggyback Ride.

Aunt Chef & Uncle Looking Fabulous.

Having a Ball!

You Invited Who?

Autumn in Maine
Originally uploaded by talekinker

Eat, drink and be scary. ~Author Unknown

This week, prep for the Halloween costume soiree begins in earnest. So far, Himself and I have been dancing around a guest list. We both see the wisdom in keeping the ghoulish compliment to 20 or 25--a manageable number for a horrifying Hors d'oeuvre buffet; and only slightly ambitious given the size of our spooky space and the likelihood at least one of our wacky contingent will come dressed in something gianormous. Still, we are procrastinating on the final draft. This won't do at all. We must decide on invitations and they must be mailed out this week! I, for one, will be a frowny Frankenstein if our favorite fiends cannot attend due to a tardy invite. Let's be honest, with Halloween more popular than ever, every little skeleton will have a full dance card early.

'Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title.' ~From Scooby-Doo

Which leads me to the next devilish dilemma: the invite itself. True, any kitschy pack of Halloween party invites will technically do. And we are on a banshee's budget. But the invite sets the tone for your goblin gathering and economical should be enhanced by the cute factor.

The best way to do that is scope out your options. I'm all for fashioning a killer invite from scratch if you have the time. And the patience. And can cut in a straight line. But if not, let's do quick and dirty. We need to consult Resourcenista (Resource-in-ee-stuh) (a.k.a. me). Resourcenista's favorite invite haunts: Hobby Lobby; Michaels; JoAnn Fabrics; Home Goods; TJ Maxx and Target. They will always have something unique and interesting--check their scrapbooking & everyday party sections too--you might find something flashy or interesting (and cheap!) that works better with your theme.

Resourcenista always checks out Hallmark too. There are two types of Hallmark stores: the corporate store that carries a clever (if homogenized) holiday selection and the independent store. I am a big fan of corporate Hallmark's printable invitation section. If comparable in value to what I like at other stores, I will opt for these super-personalized gems. But if they're too pricey, I head for an independent store. Independent Hallmarks carry some of the corporate theme each season but also buy from outside distributors and will often have something unique to offer.

As a last resort, I'll check out those Halloween superstores that pop up like thistles in vacant department stores around the 1st of October. Be warned, though. They are rarely cheap.

This year, I am leaning toward the scarily-affordable Halloween photo card options available through walgreens.com and ritzpix.com. Many cute designs to pick from and you can upload your own photo (could even print out your party details, photograph that and upload it to use in place of a traditional pic). Worst case scenario, hand write the party details on the back of each photo card in black, silver or purple marker and pop them in the mail.

Bottom line on the All Hallow's Eve invite: make it cheap and gorgeous and tantalizing. Slipping in a piece of candy corn never hurt either.