Games & Grub

I'm constantly looking for an excuse to have people over. For the past ten months, I've had some reason or another to not invite a bunch of neighbors, well-loved by us, into our home. It was just a few months ago that we finally got furniture in the living room and had more than an area rug in the space. It was difficult to have a house full of fun peeps without giving them the option to sit down.

Now that we're all furnished, I've been dying to have a party!

My last shindig was Easter Dinner with my family over two months ago, so this party has been a long time coming.

I made calls on Tuesday when we decided Saturday would work. Everyone was available! So I made paper invites and delivered them that evening. Then I got to work designing the menu. We wanted to do finger foods while playing games.

Games & Grub Menu

Alton Brown's Spinach Artichoke Dip with Artisan Baguettes (hands-down the BEST ever)

My Baking Addiction's Rolo Brownies (please try these...we all died they were so good)

Multi-Grain Crackers with Cream Cheese Spread and Raspberry Chipotle Drizzle

Homemade Chips and Salsa

Fruit Skewers with Vanilla Yogurt Dip

Gummy Bears

Bite-Size Candy Bars

Lemonade in Mason Jars

Bottled Coke

I spent Friday and Saturday preparing for this party, not including all week that I couldn't stop thinking about it. I could hardly contain my excitement. For me, the anticipation of an event is almost as much fun as the event! People started showing up exactly at six, so I didn't take any good pictures of the food table before we devoured it. But let me just say, I think we all got our fill and had a blast. And it looked purdy, too.

We've had a running list of people we love who need to be invited over. On the top of the list are Ted and Ann, Tom and Hope, and Chris and Karen. Our neighbors are hilarious people who we knew would make the evening magical, and they certainly didn't fall short in the entertaining category. We played Say Anything, a little bit of Battle of the Sexes (until we realized that none of us could answer anything), and Catchphrase. I am pretty sure the girls won in everything. And Hubby kept score, of course.

Pandora quietly played the Bread station in the background, which was perfect music for the evening.

I'm already craving another shindig. Is that an addiction? One of the main reasons I was so tickled to get our own house was so we could have parties galore. I am hoping this was the party to kick-off our entertaining careers!

The only dissapointment was that I had to run away to work on Sunday, leaving Hubby with a mess to clean in the kitchen. It was spotless when I got home, without a single word of complaint from my wonderful man. I'm so glad he likes these parties as much as I do and enjoys having people over!

And that he knows how to do dishes like a pro.