The week before Christmas I had a house tour.
It was so much fun.
The house smelled like a wonderful combination of fresh pine and cinnamon topped off with apple spice. The lights were twinkling on Christmas trees and brown paper packages tied up with strings were tucked under the branches and fresh magnolia was everywhere.
Every room was decorated and ready.
Waiting for the guests to arrive.
Dozens and dozens of smiling, red-nosed, oh-s0-cheerful Christmas guests……
…..all bringing food.
They brought food because I haven’t turned over my macaroni and cheese leaf in the kitchen yet.
It was the best way to host a party.
Tray after tray of food came was carried in. We had holiday dishes covering every surface. There were cookies and cakes and pies and stuffed potato skins and hash brown casserole and chips and dips and crackers and cheese balls that covered every surface.
And I wanted to show you.
I wanted to show you the house tour and the guests and the twinkling lights and the milk glass dishes and the Wayfair cloche and the fun and festiveness of the Christmas house tour.
And somewhere between the pecan pie tart and the pumpkin rolls…..I totally forgot to take pictures.
Really.
*sigh*
I was laughing and talking and putting out drinks and napkins and refreshing tea and telling how we knocked this wall down and how I found the chalkboard by the side of the road and how we added this porch on.
The party was incredible and amazing and full of joy and wonder.
And completely and utterly pictureless.
Not a single picture.
Not even the crumbs.
All I have is stacks and stacks of left-over dishes.
And a Hometalk mug.
Next year I’ll take pictures.
Next year I’ll remember.
But for now…..this year…..I just sat in the quiet with the sunlight streaming through the windows and the sounds of the party still ringing in my ears.
I sat in the stillness with a Hometalk mug full of coffee…..
…..and a heart full of joy.
Miriam called. She said no pictures- she wants her mugs back!! :) Happy Holidays my Kentucky Friend!
Photos or no photos....your parties are still the best! Have a great day! p.s. cool mug!
Oh, how many times have I forgotten to take pictures! Oh, well. :)
No photos, but wonderful memories. Success was had.♥
It's hard to remember or have the time to take photos when you're hosting! Sounds wonderful and sometimes it's more fun to soak in a special time than worry about photos anyway. :-)
I tell you what Miss Karianne, I feel like your description of your home tour was just as lovely as if you had photos to share of it. And now you have introduced me ot Hometalk which I am sure I will lose myself for hours browsing all the lovely homes! Your party recount reminded me of a little party I threw this holiday season in which not a single photo was snapped by yours truly either. I was the busy bee hostess who was also making sure all glasses and tunnies were full while we strolled around my 1950's home and I talked of where we knocked out walls and added things here and captured hallways through previous existing rooms threre. It was loads of fun.:-) And they all brought the food which I agree was the BEST part! Enjoy your coffee in your Hometalk mug! It's going to be a very cold day but fantastic day!
*tummies not tunnies were full (I promise i haven't had any mimosas yet this mornning!) :-)
awww, there's just times when even a blogger is having too much fun or just plain too busy to take photos. We all do it..:)
Sounds like a wonderful party and I am sure your home was an absolute hit with your guests! Missing pictures happens.... I've discovered it can be OK (it usually means we are having too much fun!) and my family really loves when I forget the camera. *Sigh*
You're just way so funny to the point I'm getting the early morning giggles!! Actually, you described your Open House Party so well...I could actually visualize it all with my imagination!! So glad and happy for you, that the whole event went so very well!! Take care!!!
Oh...you know that.is.really.funny.! You all must have had a great time! Good for you! ;)
Sometimes it its nice to just enjoy the party and not have to run around being a photographer. Some memories are photographed perfectly into our hearts.
Story of my life! Love your milk glass dishes!
Well if only that Hometalk mug could talk, I'm sure we'd hear all kinds of shenanigans from the party! Kelly
That mug is trying to tell us something. See the speech bubble there? I think the mug is saying "Kari's house is beautiful. House party was great. Kari is the house that built me. Kari is a brick house. She's mighty, mighty. Just letting it all hang out. House?"
I know the feeling! It's so hard to take pictures of a party once the party has started! I did the same thing with my Brother-in-Law's rehearsal dinner!
I can fix that issue for you at the next house tour. Get me there and I will be the shadowy figure in the background making you look gorgeous and snapping pic's of food trays and sparkling decorations. Bliss
Sounsds like you were just going with the moment and enjoying the party...just as it should be!
LOL, I have totally done that before! Glad to hear it was awesome, I can just picture it!
I love the "real" of this post. I hear you- that happens to me sometimes, too. No pictures of a special moment (or moments). Blessings to you-enjoy your day- xo Diana
Create a home tour video of every room and post it.
I love your blog.....and I am such a fan of HOMETALK...... I never got into pinterest......but Hometalk is a different story...now I want to know how to get a HOMETALK mug....
When you are enjoying the company of others on a wonderful day....you forget about the camera...as you are enjoying the excitement of each and every moment....So glad you had a fabulous and successful home tour!!!
Sometimes it feels good to just BE in the moment and not behind the camera. I feel like I miss some of the best moments just trying to take the pictures of them! On a another note, I live in fear in messing up a post like this and I almost did the same thing. About half way through my event I practically screamed, "No one leave! Where's my camera?!" LOL Yours seem much more peaceful. ;)
I can totally relate. Remember those things called 35-millimeter cameras? The ones that use FILM? Back in 1990, we had a really nice one. I took LOTS of pictures for my daughter's first birthday. Problem was, the film didn't "catch" when I put the roll in, so guess what? No pics. Can you say crying your eyes out upset? Yep. Fortunately my mom was also taking pictures. But it taught me that BEING there is more important than recreating it later, in pictures. I have a feeling there will be many more house tours in your future! Get somebody else to take the pictures . . . And get YOU in some of them!
I can't tell you how many times I've done that! It's so frustrating!
If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is there with a camera....did it really fall? haha.....glad that you enjoyed the party, sometimes it's nice NOT having to lug around a camera! ~Kim p.s. how long will it take you to put away all YOUR decorations?? It must take weeks!
Been there..done that.Sometimes you have to count on your memories..
That is truly one of those "head slapper" moments, Karianne, and I have totally done that so many times! Here's to going "picture-less!" Have a Happy New Year! Carol
Karianne - I totally understand. Really I do! I used to not understand. I used to get annoyed (just a little annoyed) when people said they forgot to take pics of their events. I would think 'how in the world could you forget something that important? Especially as a blogger?' And then this year I had a couple events and didn't get very many pics of either one. I did some before pics of both and just a few pics during one of them. And I now understand the forgetting to take pics thing. I so totally get it! And I will no longer get annoyed in the slightest when someone says they forgot!!! Have a Happy New Year!
How sad! But the point was to have a great time, I'm guessing, and it sounds like you did exactly that!
This often happens to me, when I have too much planned and just totally forget to get photos . It sounds like a marvelous time and that's the most important memory for your guests to have. Thanks for sharing your fun time! Happy New Year, Helen of Helen's Decor
I can ALMOST picture it. I just wish I had been there:):) XO, Pinky
no pictures means you were too busy having an awesome time! we'll cut you some slack! :)
The pictures you did post are so beautiful, I almost feel like there is nothing missing! Love this post, great narrating. Debbie :)
Most parties are that way...........never time for a hostess to take photos. And that's a good thing!