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Original poster

When life throws you potatoes, make chips! Be disappointed but never defeated! Dating thread No:13

999 replies

ChaoticAngel · 26/04/2012 21:31

"you say potato, I say potatNO"

Down with potatoes Grin

As you were....

OP posts:
hatesponge · 04/05/2012 14:18

Party ideas are brilliant, you are all so good at this! thank you so much :) You are all of course now invited by way of a thank you Grin

The garden is a craphole much like the house Blush. Will try and put a pic on my profile later so you can all recoil in horror at how bad it is I'm not sure I can create anything as good as suggested - which now in my mind looks like an M&S ad, all stylish blankets/people/candlelight. Rather than the reality which will be a lot less glam. But I do have a big gazebo like this which will fill a bit of space in the garden. Have lots of tealights - are they ok on their own or do I need to put them in something?

Snapespeare · 04/05/2012 14:23

start eating these!

at least two a day(!) - they come in lovely little stumpy glass jars that are perfect for tea lights :)

TimeForMeAndDD · 04/05/2012 14:26

It's a shame we don't live closer sponge we could come and help you!!

You sound to have the basics though with the gazebo and fairy lights so you could plan around that, an outdoor party! You will be too drunk to care after the first hour anyway Grin

TimeForMeAndDD · 04/05/2012 14:28

I have known people to put tealights in white paper bags. You put sand in the bottom to stabilise the bag and to put the tealight in and away you go!

watchoutforthatsnail · 04/05/2012 14:29

sponge - you have that = USE IT.

tea lights in glasses, jam jars, whatever, it doesnt matter. pound world tumblers, 99p for 6. get get a ton of them.lots and lots and lots..

and yes, it will look like that damn m and s add. its easy. really really easy. just do it :)

its easy to do on the cheap too. its bank hol weekend. find a car boot and go buy glasses for things, or unusual garden stuff for pence, lots of mirrors.... cushions, blankets. chuck them all through the washing machine and voila, instant, cheap, shabby chic. if the garden is a mess, work with it, its a' as nature intended garden' honesytly, few plants in old planters, sinks, wheelbarrows, old tubs, not shiney new ones. stick these near the doors or bits where people will stand. and its all good :)

PostBellumBugsy · 04/05/2012 14:32

Your gazebo is perfect. Imagine how pretty that will look with tea lights, bunting, balloons & all that stuff in it. Will be great. Not sure what your finances are like, but you could buy an ice luge - always makes a good centre piece & gets everyone pissed quickly as they chuck vodka down their necks with it!

TimeForMeAndDD · 04/05/2012 14:49

Could you ask around your friends Sponge, to see if they have any of the things you need or things you could borrow for your party. How about a chocolate fountain?? I've always fancied having a dab at a chocolate fountain Grin

hatesponge · 04/05/2012 15:22

I've got a chocolate fountain (well, the machine-y thing)Grin Someone bought me it as a present ages ago. Can buy the chocolate I'm sure.

Will venture to a bootsale on sat. have quite a few odd glass jars knocking around but will buy more stuff...slightly hampered by lack of car but will get as much as I can carry Grin. Will see if I can walk up to the garden centre with DS2 and get some colourful plants...

Grin

feeling much better now thanks to the collective wisdom of the thread. how are such clever resourceful ladies single?!

MyLittleMiracle · 04/05/2012 15:31

Don't know, oh yep cos the men are too stupid or intimidated.....

MyLittleMiracle · 04/05/2012 15:45

Well think just friends has been busy. He leaves for belguim in 4 hours.

watchoutforthatsnail · 04/05/2012 15:53

Yay sponge!!!!!
Course you can buy morw chocolate. You need to thin it down for a fountain, with oil and/ or booze. Google for quanities. Cheaper chocolate works just fine. What a fab centre piece!!!!

Also, if you are going with the shabby chic thing, old bed linen make fab table cloths. You know, 70's ones or heavily floral, just lots of flowers. Bung them in the wash 90'degrees first though. Iron them and make sure you have the popper / button side the side people don't see. They will never know :)

Can you get a friend to Taje you at all?

Old bowls, plates are usually aplenty for 5p each too. And mis match vintage plates Will fit in so well with the whole shabby chic.

And don't buy bunting, its damn expensive. Buy old thibgs, bedding, clothes, anything with a nice pattern. Buy ribbon, or even string. Wash fabric, cut into large triangles. Fold over string and staple :) instant, cheap bunting..

My god, it will look fab!!!!!!

zanywany · 04/05/2012 15:57

Brilliant party ideas Watch

MirandaWest · 04/05/2012 16:06

Sponge your party is going to be great :)

Am going out with Mr Nice for dinner and then he is coming back here. For the night. Have warned him I will be sleeping on my side of the bed and he will just have to fit in Grin. Is it normal to keep waiting for something to go wrong I wonder? Am trying v hard to stay in the present and not think about past or worry about future,

Have to take DD to XH and then DS to cub camp (about 1.25 hours away) then come back and meet Mr Nice in a car park lol. Then we will walk along by the river assuming it hasn't flooded, then food then back here. Am not sure when the curtain mending happens but he said he has his drill and screwdrivers in the boot :)

hatesponge · 04/05/2012 16:08

bunting idea is brilliant!

not much chance of a lift sadly as friends either have no cars, or have cars but are lazy don't do early mornings. but I'll manage I'm sure :)

PoppaRob · 04/05/2012 16:12

Yes, MyLittleMiracle, we're too stupid or intimidated, but we do contribute well with the practical stuff to complement you ladies' decorating vision. Were I 16,000Km closer I would be there shuttling stuff to and fro in my car, bringing things like eskies, my big bbq, two big trestle tables, my gazebo which is the same as Hate's so they could be put together to create a huge marquee, shitloads of christmas lights which could be strung up as fairly lights, a commercial slushie maker which has 4 separate sections for various flavours of dangerously alcoholic slushie cocktailswhich may have been liberated from the back of a pub a couple of years ago, and of course my 300w band PA. I'd bring a couple of ladders too so we can string the lights up in the trees and along the back of the house. :-)

You're young, you're cute - you're forgiven! I think Hate's party would be FUN! Wink

watchoutforthatsnail · 04/05/2012 16:15

Yes, and you could get your boys to do it too :) give them 10 meters of string each!!!! And it doesn't matter if the fabric frays or It's wonkey, because its shabby chic its part of the style!!! :)

Take rucksacks and big bags and most sellers will let you leave stuff there while you finish looking/ shopping... Then just collect it at the end, saves lugging it about so much.

:)

Snapespeare · 04/05/2012 16:41

want to go to a boot sale now! :)

MyLittleMiracle · 04/05/2012 17:41

Wasn't referring to you poppa no offence intended, just the ones I meet seem to be. Grrr

It does sound fun. I saw something on Facebook it said, why does you ex always say "i'm here for you if you ever need me" where the hell were you when we were together and I needed you? How god damned true.

TimeForMeAndDD · 04/05/2012 17:45

I want to go to a party! Smile

MyLittleMiracle · 04/05/2012 17:58

Me too. And I suppose I could have a house party......but nope think of the mess. A bunch of 20somethings in a house uh oh no.

MsCellophane · 04/05/2012 18:50

Sponge - your party will be fab. Look at your 40th as the next phase of your life

I quite like being 40+, I don't look it so I like surprising people Grin You have a lot of years ahead, years where you are wiser and have learnt from your mistakes so hopefully it will be easier

Date one happened will call him MrWork - still not sure about him, personality wise absolutely. Not sure looks wise. His profile is lovely, face on - not so lol But I got a snog and that was lovely. He is very busy workwise but will prob see him again at some point

Date 2 - should be happening tonight, will call him MrPolite - as the name suggests, I don't think I've ever spoken to someone so polite. Meeting for a drink tonight. Again not sure from pics but we'll see and he's local

Date 3 is prob off, as he has his son every weekend and he doesn't think his sister can babysit. Really like this one over texts, very very funny. And talking about where to meet and I said always public when he asked to come to my home and I doubt if he would give out his address to a stranger - he text me his full address. Strange or endearing? not sure but he still isn't getting my address

hatesponge · 04/05/2012 19:31

I want to cry :( apologies what will follow will be VERY self pitying but my earlier party enthusiasm has evaporated, as just got home from work to find

a) boys were ridiculously late for school again today (that's every day this week, which will mean another threatening letter from the LEA) and

b) not only have they not done any of the small things I asked (empty their bins, tidy their rooms, put clean washing away) they have made 3 x as much mess as there was yesterday.

They are now in their rooms, I have removed their Xboxes as punishment, but DS1 is simply faffing about swearing and complaining and DS2 is tidying, but at a rate of putting one tiny item away every couple of minutes Hmm

And I can't go downstairs because if I do they will simply stop altogether. And I have housework to do (which I cant start) because my useless friends are sparing me a whole 2 hours of their time tomorrow to sort some stuff out for the party and it has to be clean and tidy when they get here. Sometimes this shit really all is too much.

MyLittleMiracle · 04/05/2012 19:32

Fair enough. Or maybe he wanted you to go to him.....

Just friends is off abroad for 2weeks, so no texts....... :( but we will catch up when he is less busy. Yay! Feel good. Found an old friend fuck he is still fit and followed his dream, looks like he may well be a pilot now and i am hoping he accepts my friend request on Facebook. Hope he recognises me cos he won't the surname as he only knew ny maiden name.

MsCellophane · 04/05/2012 19:39

Sponge, how old are they? Can you put the tv/radio on and just ignore after giving them clear instructions on what you expect and then piss off to your room with chocolate and wine?

I've got four teenagers and they drive me to distraction. They are rude and untidy. I have given up on their bedrooms - they look like hoarders rooms. I just shut the door on them. Very very occasionally I have gone ballistic - tears and snot.. mine! - Didn't cure it but they don't like it when I get to that stage so if I look really really sad, they change their attitude for a while

Hope your evening gets better

hatesponge · 04/05/2012 19:48

They are 11 and 13, so old enough (I think) to know better. I have retreated to my bedroom with the laptop and will sulk in here for a bit I think. I can hear tidying noises so hopefully they are doing something. Their rooms have no doors (one of the many things unfinished in my house) so I have to look at the mess all the time, which I find somewhat trying...

I really admire you coping with 4 teens MsCello. My 2 nearly tip me over the edge )and one isnt even a teen yet!) but 4?!