03 February, 2013

Keeping a secret

So, Ger's party.  Her husband asked me weeks ago if I'd help with the organisation of Ger's surprise 40th.  I said 'yeah, sure it will be no bother'.  Jesus, but was I wrong.  Ever try to keep a secret from someone who knows something is afoot and keeps ringing and trying to catch you on the hop?  Hard.  Especially for me.  You know what I'm like after all.
Anyway, I booked the venue, organised the food, emailed an awful lot of people and then sat down and set Arthur and Oscar (Harry refuses to be budged on his "crafting is bollox" stance - I'm with him on that by the way, well, on forced crafting.  Which this kind've was.  In  a good way GER!)...... Sorry, so I set Oz and Arthur down to making paper chains and tissue paper pom poms and Happy Days, right?  No, wrong.  Cost me more (game time and sweets) to get them to make the stuff than it would for me to make them myself.  Still, everything was made on time and printed and boxed up and then I begged and borrowed more pretty stuff and sent Julian (her hubby) to the flower market at the crack of dawn (cackle) to buy flowers.  
We had two hours to turn a very 'meh' space into something lovely and we did it.  'We' being the lovely Karen B and Caroline.  Could not have done it without them.  We also all agreed that high heels look great when you're eyeing yourself up in the mirror with your frock on but are a pain in the arse to have fun in.  
So the room is lovely and full of guests and I rang Julian to say 'ready'.  Actually I rang a couple of Buddies first to say 'where the fuck are you???'  They had the cake you see.  I digress (as usual).  Rang Julian and said ring me when you are here and I'll have everyone ready to shout 'SURPRISE'.  
We sat down, all of the cakers and zumba-ers amd friends and family, and started to chat and relax when Dawn (a caker) suddenly said "There's Ger . . . Fooook, there's Ger!!!!!"  AAAAAAAAAaaaagh, Surprise!!!!!!!!!!
It was really funny actually as she thought she was coming to the engagement party of a friend of ours and so, walked into the room, expecting to see a lot of cakers and young people.  In stead she stood in the doorway, trying to work out where we, the cakers, were sitting and . . . hmmm? . . . slowly noticed other people around her who shouldn't have been there.  You know?  Like her ma and brothers and the zumba-ers.  That's when Dawn noticed her and we all jumped up and screamed SURPRISE at her.  
She was.  Surprised.
It was a brilliant night.  She had a ball.  She loved what myself and the other two had done to the room and she loved the many tubes of hand cream I had told everyone to give her as her present.  I believe she got quote a lot of hand cream last night.  HA!
Everyone danced and laughed and ate and were happy.  It was a brilliant party, I loved every minute of it but  oh, god I hate the photos.  I really have to do something about the state of myself.
It was fantastic.  Fun and friends, what more can you ask for?  Oh, friends who help you pack everything into your car at the end of the night.  Even friends like Karen who started to unwrap the pretty fabric off the pillars thinking it was mine.  She also tried to pack up a lot of the restaurants roses as she thought I'd supplied them too.  As if?!  Red rose buds are not shabby chic - shabby chic being my brief on decorating the room.  Brilliant watching her on the windowsill unravelling yards of fabric only to have the owners shout 'NO!!  That's mine, put it back".  He kept quite a close eye on her after that.
Oh, looking at the photos online, the photo props went down a bomb.  My favourite piece of the night.  Shall have to make more for Dawn, teeth.  She loved the teeth.  
p.s. Breda was dragged around the dance floor.  Again.


2 comments:

  1. Hahahahaaaa oh such a brilliant night! The room looked absolutely stunning and I really want to apologise to your poor kids for the child labour shenanigans ;) Thanks again Niamh... I will love you forever for doing that xxx

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  2. Ah thanks Ger. It was my pleasure.

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