Grateful For Panties

Here’s a daring way for the fabulous host and hostess (rockin’ a chic above-the-knee JCrew shift dress) to amuse their guests at an afternoon cocktail party: While dancing a peppy “spotlight dance” (as in, no one else is dancing so all eyes are on you) in front of the live band… throw caution to the wind… kick up your heels, in true Swing dance style, and do a Hip Jump Spin step! *risqué*

Hubby and I raised the roof at our Gratitude Party on Saturday when we nailed said dance move… thus revealing a flash of my pink-panty-clad buns! *blushing* I’m grateful that my lingerie choice du jour wasn’t too bootylicious (Victoria Secret spandex boy shorts – instead of a lace thong, thank you very much!) This maneuver was a totally impromptu part of the party… in fact we weren’t even planning on dancing during this most exuberant bash (had envisioned ourselves performing hosting duties more, messing around less) but our friendly entertainers extraordinaire, Brock And Abrams, are too good to resist… spontaneous dancing happens sometimes! *boogie-woogie*

You know that a party is a bona fide success when the guests AND hosts are having a blast… I totally appreciate the huge amount of service provided by our caterers… our day went perfectly well because of them – thank you Pad Thai Restaurant! *bravo* And I’m grateful for the party food leftovers too… a delicious hostess bonus prize indeed (it’s like having a personal chef at home!) I can hardly wait until our next party… which by the way, is nowhere on the radar! *just sayin’* Actually, one of the most asked questions from our guests was, “When will you do this again?” That and some variation of, “Why hadn’t they, as guests, arrived promptly at the designated start time (instead of fashionably late)… in order to relish the fete in its entirety?” *rhetorical* In fact, so many guests had signed up to see Pawel (Gross, LMT) for their ten minutes of chair massage, that he couldn’t get to everyone on the list by the time the party ended. But honestly, some of the names were repeats – you know who you are! *giggles* Thanks a million, Pawel. From one massage therapist to another… I can certainly identify with the high level of commitment, professionalism, and energetic focus it takes to remain fully present to provide three consecutive hours of seated chair massages on new clients… and it was your birthday, to boot! *much obliged*

Now at the risk of having this blog post sound like an award acceptance speech… I need to say thank you to Gina and Deborah (wonderful daughters) for helping out at the party too… scads of guests have commented on how incredible you are… as if we don’t already know! *so proud* I believe that like attracts like in this world and I’m grateful to the max for my brilliant family, and all of the positive energy and good will that surrounds us… the more I say thank you, the more I have to be thankful for! *truism*

Have a fabulous week! I’ll be back here Monday (or Tuesday) ☺

~peace~

Without A Hitch

A bar of deodorant soap may not be the best shampoo product… but it works in a pinch! *quick fix* And when mistakenly packing two conditioners (but no shampoo) is the only snag in a jam-packed weekend of long interstate car rides, college graduation ceremonies, a reception, a luncheon, a dessert after-party, having dinner with the grandkids at their family’s new house (in another state) and getting back home safely through drizzly weather by 11 p.m. Sunday night… then all in all it was a breeze! *breath*

It’s so cool whenever all the travel plans pan out exactly as planned… especially with connecting flights to catch (eldest son from NYC) and highway road construction thrown into the mix (son driving from IN to IL arrived in town exactly on time!) *hunky-dory* You know how the best stories involve some sort of conflict or suspense? Well, sorry. None of that here today… everything is good! *splendiferous* So I have an idea… instead of me writing a boring buzz… why don’t we all go over to my Facebook profile and take a look at the photos there… Graduation Weekend 2010 goes down in the book of my life as a bona fide rendezvous of my nearest and dearest. In spite of the gray weather, a sunny disposition prevails among our family… and good vibrations are happening! *cloud nine*

Have a fabulous week! I’ll be back here Monday (or Tuesday) ☺

~peace~

Party Planner Extraordinaire

P minus 12 days and counting… now is when all the details start to congeal…"To Do" lists rock! *giddy* The very first inkling of hubby’s intention to throw a Gratitude Party, and invite our most esteemed friends and associates, began to spark six months ago… while we were enjoying a night out clubbing… dancing to our fave rock stars at a local venue! *woohoo* We always have so much fun jiving to their wide-ranging song list (and they’re decent guys, to boot!) The proverbial idea light bulb went on… or was it the glow of two chocolate martinis on an empty stomach? *quizzical* Anyway, it was clear that Brock And Abrams can totally get a party started – and we’ve got them booked! *yes*

When it comes to party food, our first choice caterer is the local Pad Thai Restaurant (any excuse to partake of their yummy comestibles!) And they provide a certified mixologist too… along with high-top tables (fresh floral centerpieces and linen napkins included) chairs, stools… you name it, they’re on it. It’s a pleasure doing business with such friendly and earnest people! *gleeful* Nothing but the best for our party… and we’re definitely 24-7 grateful that we have the means to do this. *golden*

Speaking of the best… chair massages for our guests will be given by: Pawel Gross, LMT – Wheaton’s best male massage therapist (best female LMT – moi, of course!) But I’ll be off work that day… well, except for the job as supreme hostess of the best bash in town! *giggles* Everything is set for us all to have a bona fide gala of the most appreciative kind! *pun* Doesn’t it sound like a fabulous party plan? Absolutely! And I know that it will turn out as such… because that’s what Dean and I do… together we manifest our dreams into reality (hence my pen name: Laurie Dean!)

And guess what, as if being in the throes of final party preparations isn’t enough to leave zero time for thumb twiddling… we’ll be away this weekend to attend two graduations at University of Illinois (which is a 2 ½ hour drive each way, thank you very much!) On Saturday, son number one is slated as the keynote convocation speaker for his alma mater college (graduated a decade ago – he’s old! *snicker*) so we'll be there to hear his speech… followed up by the commencement ceremony of daughter number one on Sunday afternoon (Agricultural Engineering, with high honors)... thus leaving us with a U of I graduation lull 'til 2012 (for daughter number two!) *breather* Oh wait, there’s more… in between the time slots of these two functions, we’ll all pile into hubby’s van (that will be cozy) and take a road trip (2 hours each way) over to Indiana for a whirlwind visit with son number two (USAF Staff Sergeant) and his family (hello cute grandsons) to see their new house for the first time! *whew* We do know how to keep things rolling along… going with the flow here.

Have a fabulous week! I’ll be back here Monday (or Tuesday) ☺

~peace~

See-through Nights

Now I can add insomnia to my list of hobbies! *sigh* Hey, I may as well spin it in a positive light, right? Right! (If you’ll forgive the pun.) Sleep used to be my friend. What happened? Was it something I said? Aside: I do say stuff, so that is a possibility! *giggles* Just because all the other grrrls my age are doing it, doesn’t mean my body has to follow suit (quite the punster today!) *grins* Now I’m picturing myself admonishing my self (wagging a petite finger)… “If they all jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?” Well actually, after 18 months of sleep deprivation (lots of time to count things during the night) I just might join the party-in-the-offing (can you stand another pun?) But seriously, how’s a modern lady supposed to stay fabulous when her hormonal self keeps her awake most nights? *lamenting* And no, don’t bother offering me sleeping pills or HRT… I’m the naturopathic sort… in search of an organic magic bullet (wish me luck!) It’s totally cool with me if you want to share a fav time-honored panacea… to help out the sisterhood, as it were… just post your comment below.

Meanwhile, I keep my mind amused in the wee hours while hubby catches some Zs (it is a comfort just knowing that it still is humanly possible for a body to have a good night’s sleep – even if it’s not my own!) Out of habit – and laziness (hey, it’s the middle of the night, after all) – I stay in our bed, rather than trundle off to another room. So here I am, lying in the dark pretending not to care about all of the so-called relevant issues (real or imagined) that my brain submits for consideration as a possible subject of neurosis. *ruminating* And it’s really kinda fascinating to stare at darkness for a while… for one thing, that’s when eyeball floaters are invisible (yes!)… another phenomenon to note: at certain angles some objects seem to disappear (one of the blades on our wooden ceiling fan, for example!) One other mesmerizing visual is the appearance of colors within the darkness – joking aside – it’s hypnotic, and dare I say… a bona fide sleep-inducer.

Have a fabulous week! I’ll be back here Monday (or Tuesday) ☺

~peace~