Ice Cream Social

So, this last weekend Brian and I had an "ice cream social".

I saw the idea in my "Better Homes and Garden" issue and thought.... we just have to do that. And we did! I figured out it is much easier to entertain with just desert, and you can invite more people that way. We are party people and it had been a while since we had a party!

So, Baker and I made little ice cream cone invitations and sent them to his friends and our friends.

We had some people bring toppings and some bring their favorite flavor of ice cream. Then we set up our back yard into "areas" (I guess you would call it). We had the serving table on the deck. I tried my best to make it as festive as my mind would allow. I found some ice cream art and just tried to make it colorful. Then Brian set up a tent for the kids to play in, we had a fire pit area (b/c it is in the 50's at night), and an area with 2 tables for eating/visiting. Brian is very good at envisioning layouts and then putting them together. It didn't hurt that our backyard is huge and we had lots of room, but he really made the space useful.

So, people came and could make ice cream cones or sundaes or what most preferred to do was eat Julie Beam's famous peanut butter ice cream pie. Man, that thing is always such a hit! Then we just sat around and talked while the kids played. We had 32 guests, several of which weren't even 3ft tall, but they might have had the most fun of all.

So, from the pics you can see the set up and our friends and the kids. I was proud of our party b/c one- we did it, it takes courage you know to throw a party. And #2- people came! I don't know if it was just a low activity weekend or what- but we were thrilled that we had guests. I think it boosted our North Dakota confidence a bit that maybe people really do like us and making extra effort to be social does pay off, for more than just us.

I also made these spoon shape cookies. I wouldn't call them a success at all. They sure looked easier on Martha Stewart's website. Oh well.

And the last picture is just Beau bee dobee.

I think he had a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone and then a sundae with oreos on top (which you can see now cover his face). It was a very, very good night.