Party!!

Brandi Cotton moved to Missouri with us from Kentucky. Last year she was really excited to throw a Kentucky Derby party and I was not. I was never ever really excited to attend any Derby parties even while we were in Kentucky let alone throw one. Well this year we met a new friend and she loves the derby, she loves horses, and was even training to be a jockey.

So the three of us (me, Brandi Cotton, and Christina Johnson) are throwing a Derby Party this year at my house. Three Party Players not Party Planners, ugh. I wasn't excited to be the one throwing the party because I hate planning parties. Brandi was consumed with the baby shower she was pre committed to and Christina Johnson is newly pregnant and feeling disgusting. Brandi's idea was to just invite people, have some food, and watch it. That is the basic idea so with three weeks before the race we divided up at the responsibilities as best as we could despite our lack of party planning.

I've always wondered how Heidi and Natalie plan such wonderful parties.  Well now I know.  With three weeks to think about how to decorate my basement has actually turned out to be a lot of fun!  I've really enjoyed coordinating, decorating, and creating the ambiance.  I can do parties! I just choose not to devote my nights dreaming about them and that's what it takes. 

My Derby Hat!

Brandi and Alan Cotton

Christina and Matt Johnson

Amy and Brian

I love this man :)

Brandi, Christina, Amy, Maggie, Sarah, friend, Kilee

Our party room. 

I found wrapping paper that fit the look I was going for so I wrapped an existing picture.  It wasn't big enough so I used my scrape booking experience to fill in the top.  

My friend Natalie, who has a fun party business, came and helped me arrange my items.  She was able to walk through my house and pull things to use.  I just saw these red squares as shelves, she saw decoration.  Love it!

Although Miss Brilee did almost this whole display.  Natalie and I didn't know what to do with these items and we ran out of time.  One morning our early bird Brilee came down and arranged it for me.  I added the paper in the back and the hanging circle.  Brilee has a nature sense for color and balance; a for sure trait form Mimi.

And all these little horses were from my horse collection as a kid.  One of our neighbors on Bryan Ave had a garage sale and she had two paper sacks full of Bayer horses left over.  She totally gave them to me!  I was about 10 ish.  I had the on shelves in my room for years and continued to expand the collection.  I let the kids use them as toys and they slowly started losing tales and legs.  I have a few survivors left.

and I had ALL this stuff around my house!  It's taken a year and a half to finally make this hole look good.