New Years Day Open House!

New Years Day morning--up by 9:15 (Ellie let me sleep in a little, she sensed I needed it!) After letting her out, I observed flowers thrown in the sink that needed to be cut, a buffet area that needed to be setup, cobwebs in windows and floors that needed mopping! Having company at 3:00, I quickly made a huge pot of coffee and went to work!

9:35 - Started furiously cleaning man cave (Decorating a Man Cave)! Thought about yanking old French Louis mirror down to put in dinning room (see Hosting The Thanksgiving Feast). Did not want to upset the chef (Hubby) who was still sleeping. He had hard time hanging it in the first place!

10:30 - Chef finally rises! Grabs his coffee & seems uninterested in starting the ham, black eyed peas, collard greens, scalloped potatoes, shrimp, & sun dried tomato dip.
11:30 - After watching some football, Chef discovered the ham I brought was uncooked! He goes to work!

11:31 - Chef starts asking me questions -Like I have all recipes stored in my brain! Chef found recipe for scalloped potatoes...fingers crossed!
12:00 - I start cutting flowers to get them out of Chef's way. Note to self : One day have my own flower cutting room!

12:30 - The chef informs me that his parents are bringing crawfish soup that they recently discovered in New Orleans. I panicked because I now needed to come up with 14 soup serving vessels. Why didn't chef inform me while I was at Crate & Barrell the day before!
1:00 - Mopped floors, Windexed windows, de-cobweb, swept porch, made bed, vacuumed upstairs. Had gut feeling Mother-in-law would want to see new mattress that she bought us! (See I Need a Bedskirt)
1:45 - Rolled sliver, stacked plates.
2:00 -Decided should shower before guests arrived.
2:45 - Put on lipstick & headed downstairs to check on chef. Started setting up bar. Note to self: Find tray for old butler stands! Or better yet, purchase rolling cocktail cart (see Drinks? Shake, Stir and Roll!
3:00 - Ellie senses company!

3:01 - Sylvia & her hubby arrive! Sylvia armed with pretty flowers.
3:05 - In-laws arrived next loaded with a big crock pot of soup!

3:10 - Sylvia in kitchen cutting flowers. I start pouring drinks & wonder why I ever gave my champagne flutes to bohemian brother-in-law. Ellie barking furiously!


3:15 - Other guests arrive - all at once!
4:00 - Discovered I need more serving bowls. Collard greens in trifle dish - Eeek!
6:30 - Made Hubby cut Sylvia's cake that's missing main ingredient! A little dry I speculated but Hubby gets an A from Ms. Sylvia for the effort!
7:45 - Try to convince Helen another glass of wine. No, has to go feed cat!
7:50 - Everyone starts filing out. I pass out party favors (small bottle of champagne with chocolate coins). Note to self: Good thing I was prepared - found small champagne bottles Wednesday evening! Sylvia inquires where I found them!
8:00 - Have glass of wine with in-laws. Get scoop on brother-in-law.
9:01 - Snoozing!

New Years resolution - Get organized, read more cookbooks and have family and friends over more often, one of the reasons why we moved back to Atlanta in the first place! I'm sensing a wintry cheese fondue party next!