In April, two of my favorite people retired from work. They made my transition to an ICU setting as a new nurse a simplified as it could be. They gave me important advice over the years, taught me skills one would never have dreamed of in nursing school and they were constant providers of encouragement. I don't think I would be the nurse I am today without these two, cool cats. I also don't think I would own a house or have an appreciation for as much different music without them. Can you tell I cherish their friendship?
A week ago I had a little retirement soiree for them at the house. One of the best parts of owning a house is having people over! You can stay up late, play your music loud and not have to worry about the people living above you or below you. We had a wine and cheese, which is always fun and I sort of over shot it just a bit. I had about six liters of wine left over (Gasp! Not to worry...I will drink it sooner than later) and far too much cheese (my co-workers must think I have a cheese fetish cause I keep bringing in a different kind each shift!). It is better to be over prepared than under prepared right?! So here are my tips for throwing a shin-dig of sorts and a tutorial on the perfect cheese board!
"Perfect" cheese board 101
Cheese boards can be pricey and it's always nice to have one big enough to serve a variety of cheeses. If you are a DIY kind or person and you love a deal like me then drive, bus or walk yourself to home depot and bomb straight to the tile isle. Look for a dark ceramic or if you want to get fancy, a slate tile (I picked ceramic that looks like slate..best of both worlds). Grab a couple then walk, drive or bus yourself to a local dollar store...get some chalk and furniture pads. For $8 TOTAL(!!) I made three of these bad boys (see pic below!).
Party Throwing Tips
1) Make sure people know about it a while in advance
2) Try to get an idea of numbers...so you don't have six liter of wine left...or worse not have enough!
3) Make simple apps and prepare as much as you can the day before. Less stress is good stress!
4) Don`t go overboard with decor, people came for the social aspect and to have a good time, less is more!
5) Try to buy local...all of the wine I provided was made in Nova Scotia (blah blah..I know it can be hard to find decent local wine but I have a couple of ringers up my sleeve).
6) If you have furry friends and it is April and they are shedding, ship 'em off a day or two before so you can dust and sweep and suck up all of their little tumble weeds. This way your guests won't find fur in the apps...mine went to my sisters for the week!
7) RENT wine glasses....cheap as hell and easy peasy!
8) Get creative and have fun!
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