Friday, September 24, 2010

First World Insomnia

"What can you do about it right now?"

Those words echoed in my head last night as I flipped about trying to find the perfect skin-to-covers ratio to keep me somewhere between volcanic and popsicle so I could fall asleep.  And my head was too achy tired to even finish a sudoku puzzle, so I knew...there was nothing I could do about anything right then.

Reunion.  Decorations.  trivial first world problem and not even the most important business I need to take care of today.  but it's the only thing I can control and I was having a moment.  My vision for this reunion party, the vision I've been rolling around in my head for almost two years now...it's not like anything else I've seen.  At least if Google image search is to be believed.  Because when I say Beach Party or Deck Party or Oyster Roast or 20 Year Reunion or all of the above, there's a whole random smattering of crap that comes up and none of it looks like it does behind my eyes.

Last night I lay awake flipping through my mental rolodex, searching for reassurance that just because what I want doesn't seem to exist, it a doesn't mean it's a bad idea and I don't have to succumb to any kind of standardized version of anything if I can find a better way.  And I found it.  My interview at Studio Thirty Plus from a couple months go.  TJ asked what advice I would have given to my 13 year old self or something close to that.  I said:  Trust your instincts.  Just because your ideas are different than anyone else's doesn't mean they're bad.

Ah, foresight.  Wait...hindsight?  whatever.  Sometimes I'm smarter than I think I am.


But here's the thing, I may be pissing someone off a little by trusting my instincts because my vision of Beach/Deck/Oyster Roast/Reunion Party doesn't exactly match what the party supply catalogs have to offer up for a beach  theme and some people aren't what you'd call out-of-the-box thinkers ...but just trust me...it's going to be beautiful.  Lots of twinkle lights, seashells, candles, school colors of course ...and if you heard me describe it then you might think the scheme sounds a little formal for a Deck Party Oyster Roast thing.  But that's only when it's compared to the wacky plastic sunglasses and whimsical *cough* multicolored inflatable flip flops someone picked out and if this were a Lordy, Lordy!  This Ol' Parrot Head's Turnin' Forty! kind of a party then I might be more inclined to stick with those choices.  because I have a teeny tiny sadistic streak. 

But it's NOT that kind of event we're having and when I said I wanted a relaxed and groovy vibe, the key word was "relaxed."  Cases of multicolored, assorted, plastic novelty items do not make me think "relaxed."  They make me think, "At least there's beer."  But I don't know if I managed to communicate that in a diplomatic way when I said, "I think we're going in a different direction here.  (Detailed description of centerpieces, etc.)  Let me know if I'm missing something." because someone never emailed me back.  And this thing is three weeks away and, um, fuck.  So, I'll be trying to guiltlessly order the various and sundry items floating around in my head today so I don't lie awake half the night spinning my wheels about this again.

Because I have the final stage of operation Get Back on the Road today AND the garage remodel has begun and I know I'll be too exhausted to pull an all-nighter surfing Oriental Trading's most tasteful selections or cruising ebay for the best deal on twinkle lights.

3 comments:

Jason said...

I dug the hell out of this post.

SHAbang said...

visit etsy & plug in some search terms like relaxed, beachy, decor

buy some small round glass bowls, fill 1/2 way with sand & pop some shells in there for centerpieces. Or fill the bowls 1/2 way with water & some coral.

SHAbang said...

Can't edit my comment so;
http://mixmingleglow.com/blog/?p=1180
(scroll down for decor pics kinda blurry but not bad)

this site is pretty cool; and this link has a cute centerpiece ideas
http://www.hostessblog.com/2008/08/labor-day-patriotic-beach-house/

maybe even check the knot.com or plumparty.com too