Hello my name is Hattie and I have an addiction.

I have an addiction.  I am addicted to event planning.  I am addicted to the rush I get, the happiness I feel, and the undeniable and inevitable stress that planning an event (big or small) brings.  I have embraced the fact that I have this addiction and I have even asked for help at times from my friends and family to curtail my blood lust for planning events.  Any time I get wind that there is a birthday coming up, a promotion at work, a pets birthday, or a day ending in "y" I get this overwhelming sensation that we should do something to celebrate!  I immediately get visions of sparkling wine glasses, overflowing trays of appetizers, and friends and family gathered around laughing and joking.  Very Hallmark.  The problem with this addiction comes in many shapes and forms.  First off, despite our world being taken over by every kind of gadget, social networking site, email, text, skype, whatever it may be, I find it difficult if not impossible at times to get any kind of response from people whom I want to invite.  No matter how many text messages, emails, facebook chats I send people there are times when I can not coax a response from someone any easier then asking a fat kid to give up a cupcake.  Not.gunna.happen.  I have to say that sometimes I get offended by these non-responses because I always think clearly it is me and not this most fabulous event I am planning that is turning people away because who wouldn't just love to sit around and gossip whilst sipping wine and eating yummy food?  I mean really?  How hard is it to send a text back?  An email?  An effing smoke signal.  No.  Yes.  Be there!  Bells on!  Something that indicates to me in some sort of communicable language that you are interested in this event or that you would rather be swimming in a bathtub filled with piranhas.  I get it.

Secondly it is the whole issue of food and drink.  I love me a party, but my checkbook don't love it so much.  Parties are expensive.  No matter how amazing your friends are (and my friends are some of the most amazing) the hostest does take on an added charge because of that fear of running out of cheese dip or hearing the dreaded "are we out of wine?" only an hour into the party **cringe**.  I take this risk of danger to a whole new level though (hence the obsessive addiction) and I often spend boatloads of money on every possible item that could be, might be, or should be needed at any given event.  A casual night around the fire-pit turns into a few hundred dollar expenditure because wine-gods forbid what if we run out of pitted olives faster then non-pitted olives?  Martha Stewart would not be proud! 

Third it is the clean up pre, during, and post that is an undertaking.  Again if you have those folks that show up-destroy your humble abode-and then bounce the second someone mentions that the dishes are piling up this can be a huge issue.  Once again my friends are every party planners hope and dream and I am often offered with help to set up, clean up, and my trash is never full.  However it is still that material toll that your house undergoes every time you host a party.  Glasses get broken, food you didn't intend to serve gets eaten, bottles of wine you were saving for a "special occasion" are opened with gusto after one too many glasses of wine consumed by the hostess....ohhh the burn!  Stuff happens! 

However despite all of these hurdles and costly items that come with event planning like an addict I can not let go.  I can not NOT think of planning something every time someone mentions some sort of minuscule turn of events that naturally (right?) should be turned into a party.  "Everyone to my house!" is not something that I can keep out of my vocabulary, it just aint happening.  So now as we enter into my favorite time of year when on top of all of the calendared events that crowd the next 3 months I am sure I will plan a few "days that end in y" parties despite any issues my checkbook has with it, my calendar has with it, or my sanity has with it.  I am a lady who loves a party!  So keep your eyes peeled for my next text message, facebook invite, or keep your eyes to the sky for a smoke signal cause its coming!!  And I better get a response........juuuust sayin ;)