Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Since the holidays are coming up, I thought it would be a good time to scratch at least one more off my list. I've always wanted to have a big fabulous party with friends to celebrate Christmas. It's my second favorite holiday; not that you would ever guess because I go all out every year. Last year I made like five dozen red velvet cupcakes and a batch of peanut butter brownie cakes. In years before that, I've done the sugar cookies so sweet they would rot your teeth in one bite. And I do the decorating and tree and must save the presents until Christmas morning (no peeking) as well. Really why I wanted to do this glamorous holiday party is because when I was little my parents always went to several holiday parties. They were the kind you think about in Christmas movies; big, shiny, lit up house with platters of food and drink inside for all the dressed up party goers. And every year, Santa always came, in person and handed out one curly-ribbon wrapped gift to each of the well behaved children in attendance. In my mind, based on these memories, I thought that recreating these lovely parties would be a cinch. Yes, I realized there would be a lot of baking and decorating involved, but since I love that, that was never a problem, really more of a bonus. What I failed to account for was the drama that always, always, always goes along with parties.

By now, I really should be aware of this. After all, this definitely isn't my first time at the rodeo. In college, my sorority and I threw a different theme party every month for a year. In more recent memory, I threw a New Year Eve's party with my best friend as co-host. It turned out to be the most epic disaster of a party because it was a mix of several different social circles with different dynamics and too much alcohol. The highlight reel of the party is that: (1) one of the party-goers slept with the quasi-girlfriend (i.e. they were off again/on again and were on that day) of one of his friends; (2) some drunkie spilled Cosmo all over my dad's pool table toasting at midnight; (3) one of the female guests spent an hour crying in her car before leaving because the guy she liked was snuggled up with a different girl (coincidentally, not the same girl he had been messing around with for weeks, who was also there); (4) another female guest twisted her ankle leaving the party in a hurry because she was annoyed that they guy she was interested in wouldn't make out with her, but the girl he brought was way too interested; and finally (5) the guy who slept with his friend's girlfriend wound up getting his stomach pumped because he tried to singlehandedly find the bottom on a handle of Skyy vodka. Makes for a hilarious, if a tad bit unbelievable story, but at the time I was ready to tear my hair out.

What this really means is that I'm an idiot for holding a party with mixed social groups and frenemies. Well, a more accurate term for frenemies in this case is ex-fiances. Yes, I was stupid enough to think that two people who are both my friends would be able to put aside their differences for one evening. Sadly, it's subsequent events and not even their break-up that makes them incapable of being in the room together, but silly me, I thought that since it wasn't subsequent events between the ex-fiances that things would be fine for one holiday-spirit filled evening.

I'm sure anyone reading about this debacle from the outside thinks I'm pie-in-the-sky optimistic for ever thinking this would work out and they'd be right. I know they're right. Eleven months out of the year, I'd even agree with them, but it's the holidays and that makes all the difference in my attitude. Usually I'd describe myself as any number of things: realist, pessimist, or even bitter. But, around the holidays, I put my bitterness and lack of faith in humanity aside and am usually pleasantly surprised by how thoughtful people can be. Which is why, when my own friends didn't pleasantly surprise me it was surprisingly hurtful. Getting back in tough with my bitter side, I blame my Christmas spirit and this is exactly why optimists bother me the other eleven months of the year.


Anyway, I'm not calling off the party over this because, well, that would be ludicrous. So, to get this shindig on the road, I still need to bake a metric ton of holiday goodies and decorate. I'm thinking red velvet cupcakes again since they were such a hit last year, some brownie cakes, and possibly fudge or sugar cookies. Pictures of the goodies and decorations to come soon (hopefully).