Ultimate Blog Party 2009 - Dress Code, Comfortable!!!

It's that time of year again!! It's the Ultimate Blog Party!!! I love this party, it's so much fun! I enjoy meeting new blogs and making 'friends'. The door prizes aren't too bad either. Go here and check it out....then sign up and do some party hopping!



So welcome to my humble little blog, my own corner of blog-land. I love having friends over to visit, but I'm not very adept at branching out making small talk. In fact, I usually have a difficult time making new friends. I'm just not that confident. And when I do finally step out it can bite me in the end.......like the time when my husband and I had moved to Portland and I was on my way to making some new girl friends......

We had been in Portland for a few months and had already visited many churches and finally found one to call home, and even a weekly couples bible study to be a part of too. The ladies of the church were having a Christmas evening one night and the other ladies of the bible study group invited me to join them at their table. I was thrilled! I thought about what I was going to wear and was all set to go.

I went to a new friends house and stood at her door step waiting for her to answer the door. As I stood there I mentally congratulated myself that I had made it this far and I looked forward to getting to know these ladies even more. Then she opened the door and I saw what she was wearing.....a nice skirt, sweater and (gasp) pantyhose! Me? What was I wearing??? I'm still embarrassed to say. I had mentally made the mistake of mixing up this gathering with another social event (a candle/bead party) and wore something waaaaaay too casual.

There I was, standing at the door looking at my new friend in her nice church-wear, as I donned a pair of off-white jeans, a soft gray mock turtle neck paired with a newish pair of white tennis shoes with reflective silver stripes on the side. Can you say AWKWARD??!! I just about died right there! How could I have been so stupid to think that an evening at a ladies Christmas event would be this casual??! I just wanted to melt into her porch right there. It's ok, just leave me behind and go on without me, really, it's ok!

It got worse. The other ladies arrived at the house as we were to carpool over to the church. They were all dressed nicely, some in dresses fit for the occasion. Then we headed over to the event. At least in the parking lot it was dark and no one would see my underdressedness. But as we crossed through the parking lot all I could think about was how my shoes were probably lighting up with every passing car! And my horror continued when we got inside. Of course all the other ladies were appropriately dressed in pretty Christmas dresses (picture lots of pantyhose and heels!). We set up the table with China plates and Christmas decorations. Then. Then! We began the evening with perusing different booths of vendors and craft tables. All I wanted to do was get to the part where we sit down, eat pretty deserts and listen to the speaker. It was my thought that once we were all seated that I wouldn't stick out too much, for I looked ok from the waist up. It took awhile, but we finally made it to the sit-down part. And from there I felt better. At the end I was more than ready to bolt for the door and get home, where I could privately die of embarrassment and never be heard (or seen) of again.

So, all that to say....I get nervous when meeting new people and trying to fit in. I'd like to make a good impression, but maybe that's why blogging is more my speed. I can express myself without having to think about how I look or if I'm having a good hair day!

So here you find yourself at my party. Please make yourself comfortable. We can swap embarrassing moments (or in my case, evenings!) or recipes (Southwestern White Chili and Lasagna Florentine, Chinese Chicken Salad), or whatever. My dress code for today....jeans and a t-shirt are absolutely acceptable. Reflective shoes, optional.

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if I were to win any door prizes, I'd sure like either of the $50 gift cards for Target (19, 21, 22), or the $100 gift card for Home Goods,or the pedometer looks like fun too!