Reminiscing about the Royal Wedding Party

MFD beat it soon after this photo. He did not want to be the sole man at the Royal Wedding Party.

Did you have a party the day Prince William married Kate Middleton in April 2011? I did. No, I am not related to the royal family, and I'm not even really a royal watcher. The party was conceived over 176 bottles of wine with Gail one night, and we ran with it for the following reasons:

1. Theme parties are awesome.  

2. Hoopla and novelty are fun as hell.
3. A party that requires hats? Sign me UP.
4. A party that takes on a life of its own in the months leading up to it and earns an acronym - RWP - is bound to be fabulous.
5. It was a good excuse to take the day off and day drink. 

To celebrate the two year anniversary of an awesome party, I thought I'd recap it: 

Decor: the queen and Keep Calm signs; RWP stickers that say Hats Required, bitches; I replaced my photos with royal family photos, paper wedding bells out front, fresh flowers, British flags, cutout Will faces

Food: Quiche, brie bites, smoked salmon crostini, crab salad in cucumber cups, roasted asparagus pasta salad, tea sandwiches, veggies and dip, cheese plate, fruit salad. Dessert: red velvet cupcakes, British candy & cookies, Walker's shortbread, lemon cookies, bread pudding, petit fours, personalized royal cookies. Drinks: mimosas, kir royals, frozen grape sangria, wine, beer

We caroused, watched the wedding, scared the shit out of my UPS man and sent him running for cover when we all barged out of the front door in wedding dresses with glasses in hand, provided a spectacle for the school children and neighborhood parents as we stood in front of my house in our wedding gear boozing it up before noon, then when school let out, and then when soccer practice started, and basically all day.

We got fake Kate rings, traded hats, took photos, got drunk, painted wine glasses, and turned it into a garden party out back in the early evening. Even Gamma got involved. 

I love day long shenanigans with Framily.

Laura won for best costume. Her parents are off the boat from England, for god's sake. It was expected of her. I think Geege gave her a run for her money though. 

Lounge clothes were donned, naps were taken. It was a glorious day-long festivity.

We had a blast. I love when everyone really gets behind a fun idea and runs with it. Theme parties usually inject themselves with that type of vim and vigor. 

Cheerio loves.

Linking up with Steph at Bourbon & Glitter and Chelsee of Southern Beauty Guide for The Party Don't Start Til I Walk In.

Here's a tip: salt, baking soda, and vinegar

During my spring hausfrauing, I came across helpful household hints books for salt, vinegar, and baking soda. I'm planning a potions post soon - I make a lot of my own cleaning products - but I wanted to retain this info and figured I'd share it here in case you guys could use it too. I don't typically use salt, but I use baking soda and vinegar a lot (even though MFD is constantly complaining about the smell and comparing it to a Summer's Eve, if you catch my drift).

I hope you can save yourself some cash and incorporate these tips in your regular routines!

Thanks to Geege for being a photo prop.

• Any spill on the stovetop will come up more easily if sprinkled with salt first - the abrasive quality of salt removes the stuck on food but won't hurt the surface. 
• Those casserole dishes that won't come clean? Add boiling water and three tablespoons of salt. Let stand until the water cools, then wash as usual. 
• Exfoliate! While skin is wet, sprinkle salt in your hands and rub all over skin. Ain't nobody got time for dry skin. I am a very bad exfoliater. I need to do it more. 

• Keep baking soda in fridges and freezers to absorb odors. Change every three months. 
• Once a month, sprinkle carpets with baking soda, let sit overnight, then vacuum. I should do this. Dogs stink. 
• Remove mineral buildup and improve performance of your showerhead: Mix 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup vinegar in a sturdy plastic bag. Secure the bag around the shoewrhead with a rubber band so the showerhead is submerged in solution. Soak for one hour. Remove and run very hot water through the showerhead for several minutes. I am totally doing this this weekend. I pinned it eons ago. 
• Face scrub: make a past of three parts baking soda to one part water. Use as an exfoliating scrub. I do this and love it. 

• Sinks: Pour 1/2 cup baking soda through a funnel followed by one cup of vinegar. When the foaming subsides, flush with super hot tap water (I normally fill from another sink or the tub). Wait five minutes, then flush again with cold water. This clears blockages and washes away odor causing bacteria. For slow drains, pour in 1/2 cup salt followed by 2 cups of boiling vinegar, then flush with hot and cold tap water. 
• Keep frost at bay: Spray the outside of car windows with a solution of 3 parts white vinegar to 1 part water. I haven't tried this, but I will be trying it this winter. 
• Microwave: place a glass bowl filled with 1/4C vinegar and 1C water inside. Microwave for five minutes. Once it cools, dip a cloth into the liquid and use to wipe interior. Splatters will be loosened and come up quickly. I add a little squirt of lemon juice to the bowl too. 
• Pour 1 cup undiluted vinegar into the bottom of your dishwasher once a month and run the machine through a full cycle without dishes or detergent. 

I know there are 459,872 uses for each. How do you use them, or what on this list will you try?