Thank you all for your wonderful words! Even though I couldn't find the chargers I wanted and didn't have the energy to shop for material to make tableclothes, I was pleased with how it turned out. Everyone loved the dinnerware and the centerpiedces. The wine cooler was a hit too! I rent tables and chairs and last year I did one large table that took up almost the whole room so this year I decided I would try two to give a little more elbow room. It was much better. Feel free to use the idea. :) It was a great shindig filled with lots of good food, laughter and love and that is what matters. Plus I did much better than last year with timing. This year I was finished with all the food, had the appetizers set up and was dressed and ready when the guest arrived. As you all said I have all year now to shop around and find exactly what I want for next year. Thanks again everyone! Karen Its not pathetic. I'm single have been for years and I am well asleep before midnight too. LOL Somehow though I always seem to wake up a minute or so before midnight. I turn on the telly and watch the ball drop and all the people yell Happy New Year in Times Square then click it off and go back to sleep. I must have somekind of subconcious New Years clock. LOL

Good for you, mrs tlc! I bet next time you will be able to enjoy your party as much as your lucky guests obviously did. jkom52 wrote, "Why would you want to be Martha Stewart?" Excellent point -- but it made me think of something else, too. Martha Stewart's parties probably have plenty of little glitches, too. EVERYONE'S do. What makes people great hosts is their attitude, not their flawlessness. The "Marthas" we all know don't have only guests who clean their plates, robotic pets that never need to "go," or perpetual propane tanks. What they DO have is a gracious "oh-so-what" attitude when little things go awry, so that nothing short of having to call an ambulance or the cops ruins their parties. Anything smaller just bounces like a rubber dart off of their giant-size hospitality. We have all heard the stories of Julia Child and the uncarvable pig and Jackie Kennedy (or Mrs. Astor, or anyone else who turns up as the star in this urban legend) unflappably asking the maid to bring in "the other turkey." I cheerfully confess that there have MANY "disasters," sometimes at our very best parties and holidays, many of which our guests never realized. And you don't have to be born that way -- indeed, no one is. Ask your local "Marthas" -- I bet they will tell you that they were complete wrecks the first few times they entertained. Anyone can become a great host. Here are some of the things the regulars on this forum have shared as the way to do it: 1) Keep the focus on your guests, not on yourself. (This should probably be numbers 1- 10, as all the others seem to flow from it.) Lindac is the expert at expressing this one. You are not being graded. Your guests are not there either to critique your imperfections or to applaud your skills; they are there to have a nice time. What will help them do that? 2) Don't bite off more than you can chew. Some people try to serve 75 people ten untried complicated recipes without any help preparing or cleaning up. How could things NOT go wrong? But even worse, it makes the hosts frazzled and distracted and therefore unable to follow rule #1. A burnt dish or a broken glass never ruined a party. A stressed out host always will. 3) BE NICE. Even if a guest brings an uninvited guest of her own, your spouse forgot to pick up the dessert, or no one eats your specialty, LET IT GO (you can deal with your spouse later!). Do not embarrass your other guests or throw cold water on your own party by chastising or arguing. Even if you are 100% right, hospitality comes first. 4) I suppose this is also a natural corollary of all the others, too -- roll with the punches. When something doesn't go as you'd planned or hoped -- and something always will -- keep smiling and don't let it throw you or take over the event. Your guests are going to take their cue from you to behave as if it is a big deal or not; therefore, you have the power to make it NOT a big deal. So use it! Can you imagine the guests of someone following all those rules NOT having a great time?

I have to laugh at the "bugs in the flour" reactions. When I was a kid we lived overseas in Brazzaville (in the Congo in Africa); San Salvador, El Salvado; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. When you used flour you sifted it to make sure you got any bugs out. Granted, this was in the 60's and early 70's, but no one ever got sick from the flour after it was baked or cooked. You also checked the cereal, rice, etc. One time, about 10 or so years ago, my Mom and brother were doing the Nutri-System diet. They send out prepackaged food. On the forums, someone mentioned they found a bug in their food, were outraged, and called Nutri-System. The company said they would replace the product or offer a refund. The person wanted some other type of compensation. I told my Mom about it and she said "I lived too many years overseas to let a little bug bother me." Would I eat food that had bugs in it these days? No. But it doesn't cause a gag reflex either. Now if we were talking rodents....

Mozarella does not really "blend" unless it is a very creamy version, not one that is expected to stretch (for example, something you would put on pizza). Full fat and squidgy is what you need. Pre-shredded is coated with something to keep it from sticking and I find it often does not melt well. Don't know about the fat free cream though, I tried it only once and it was so sweet I thought it was flavoured coffee creamer lol! Maybe try a better melting cheese next time. Dances.