"Cookie Cookie Cookie Starts With C"

You know how people say there are three things to keep in mind when you are buying real estate? Location, location, location. Well, there are three things to keep in mind when throwing a party. Food, food and, strangely enough, food. There ARE other things that are important. Funny, happy, lovely friends who care about you enough to make cookies (or go to the bakery - both are equally difficult with our busy lives) and come to your house to spend a few hours. Decorations. A fairly clean house. The ability to plan and organize a party and then actually enjoy yourself at said party.

The Valentine Party Cookie Exchange on Saturday was a smashing success. Everyone had fun, there was enough to eat, we didn't run out of ice and, best of all. Best of all. My guests all left me with enough cookies and candy to ruin my diet for the next week. Or longer, if I don't share them. And I may not. Because they look pretty darn good.

After some cleaning, I began my decorating. Fresh flowers are an absolute necessity for a party at my house and now that they are so incredibly cheap at the grocery store, I have fresh flowers around virtually all the time. Here's the arrangement I made for the dining room table which is where everyone put their cookies.

Remember the little Valentine tins I got for my part of the cookie exchange?

I made chocolate and peanut butter fudge, put it in little baggies and tied them up with a valentine ribbon.

Here is how it turned out. Pretty cute.

And here they are, all ready for my guests.

Here's my coffee table in the family room. The lace is just an old tablecloth I cut up, the bowls are from Target and the candles are vanilla scented ones I found for a dollar at the grocery. And you know how I feel about dollar items.

I have learned in the past that it is best if I don't try to prepare ALL the food for a party myself. That leaves me a sweaty, exhausted nervous wreck as my guests arrive - not really the way you want your hostess to look. So, now I prepare some food and purchase some. I got potato salad at a local deli and purchased most of the sandwich fillings, then got fresh bread at a local bakery. I made dip and the fudge for the exchange and that sounded like a perfect menu for a light supper. I also got this fabulous chocolate strawberry roll for dessert at a local bakery. The cookies and candy for the cookie exchange are to be taken home, not eaten, so OF COURSE we had to have a marvelous dessert.

I had a lot of fun making several kinds of heart-shaped sandwiches.

Here's all the food, ready for my friends to dig in!

Drinks are all iced down.

And here's the cookies and candies everyone brought.

Everything was delicious, everyone was laughing and talking and I'm pretty sure they had a good time. I know I did. Now I'm going to go to work on those two plates of cookies I got to keep. It's not often you have a party and people bring YOU food!