Ugly Sweater-White Elephant Dinner Party 10

Those who have known me more than a few years (or have been close to me in the last few) probably know I love a good dinner party. I normally swear by the rule Meg Ryan mentions in Sleepless in Seattle: 8 is too few, 12 is too many.

I broke that rule this year.

Instead, a few girlfriends and I invited approximately 35 guests (28 ended up coming) for a dinner party, with the request that they wear an ugly sweater and bring a white elephant gift.

A quick note about throwing this type of party: NEVER do the cooking. We delegated ALL of the dinner to dinner guests. This is important if you are inviting singles, who are often prone to bailing last minute. Give them an assignment, and it (mostly) guarantees their attendance. Also, when delegating, only ask people who know how to cook well to bring a main course. When I throw the smaller dinner parties, I've always done the most notable part of the dinner--the meat or other big course item. After the first year, I learned to delegate, and people are more than happy. I've even sent them specific recipes that I want them to make. This helps since I believe that at a dinner party, it should be no less than a four-course meal. Five is even better.

Second, always decorate and make a table look nice. This was more challenging with five tables to set. I found fabric at a thrift store the day of, and cut it to cover the tables. I hated that I didn't have a table setting in the middle of all of them, but I just didn't have the time. Table setting or any decoration definitely influence the mood of a party. Sometimes the smallest effort can make a huge difference.

Finally, (unrelated to throwing parties), I should simply note what a blessing it is to have wonderful friends. AND, tall girls make some of the best friends. I love the picture below because we're all just standing. I'm not kneeling, and they aren't on tippy-toes. This is just the way my life is. (It also explains why I'm a little paranoid about making the part of my hair look decent: for many, this is one of the first things they see.)


A few pictures of ugly sweater favorites. Some really aren't ugly, which is the risk you run in throwing a party like this. Some people actually like the sweater you are wearing.

I loved Brian's effort at an ugly sweater. And I want that ugly sweater!

J's sweater made me want to do an 80's workout.

Too bad you can't see the shoulder pads very well in the picture.

And, a few of the great gifts that came out of the evening:

Mark's 4th (?) pick of the night. "I Love You" Lotion. We suggested that he could give it to a home teachee...

but then concluded it would be an awkward gift that might suggest an unintended message.

Bumpits, and a demonstration of their amazingness below. (By the way, did you know you can "double bumpit"? This is accomplished by stacking the medium sized bumpit on top of the large one, and putting both in your hair.)

A very creepy mask. And kudos to B for finding a Bill Cosby-esque sweater.

C got her gift and decided to "kiss dating good-bye".

Not pictured is the popular beta fish, which came with a bowl, bowl decorations, and fish food. It was a highly prized gift that was finally won with a little stratagem. Namely, L coerced someone into picking it for her and then swapping gifts with him afterwards. We're so glad she didn't shake the package when it was opened, and I'm so glad that I didn't accidentally tip over the bag when moving it to another room.