Poinsettias, Parties and Prizes

I've always had my own unique way of making friends as a grown-up.  I usually hear about a thing that's happening or going on and I totally invite myself to that thing.  Perhaps it's more polite and proper to wait to be invited to a thing, but who has time for that?  And you know what?  People don't usually say no. If you've had the guts to invite yourself to a thing, people aren't usually going to tell you that you can't come, even if they want to.  So my word of advice to you - invite yourselves to the things if you really want to go. 

Also, I just said the word "thing" like 52 times and this is why I will never be a for-real writer.

One of the other ways I make friends is by going to a thing (in this case, that I was actually invited to) where I don't know a single person, and find a way to make conversations with strangers.  And you know what's a great way to do that?  By dressing yourself up as a human poinsettia for an ugly sweater themed party!

There are two kinds of people in this world: 

1)  The kind that go to an ugly sweater party and wear an ugly sweater. 
2)  Those that go to an ugly sweater party to dominate. 

I think it's pretty clear which kind of person I am.....

 

By the way, my new friend Melissa has purple hair and a dozen tattoos and two boys and we speak the same language and I love her.

We've been attending a new church for a few months and making friends and connections there has been a little slow in coming.  When I heard about the ladies Christmas party they were having, I immediately signed up even though churchy ladies things have historically not been my jam.  But, I need to make new friends and I couldn't have been more excited to go to a party where I didn't know anyone in my entire life. 

Apparently showing up as a human poinsettia was a great idea and I met lots of new people throughout the evening.  My ugly sweater (though more of a shirt really) was kind of a hit and I felt a little bit like the homecoming queen, especially when I won the ultimate prize:

I don't think I've won any kind of contest in my entire life, so I kind of want to shadow box this and keep it for always.  This is a pretty big deal.  Major life accomplishment.

For those that want to know - my costume was made with a red shirt, hot glue, several poinsettia silk flowers, mesh garland and a belt.  I don't sew, but give me a glue gun and I can work wonders.

I also received this beautiful cross made out of holly and pine sprigs and berries and carried it like a bouquet of flowers, holding my trophy and taking my winner's walk like I had just won the Miss America pageant.  I felt a little bit like "the bell of the ball" even though I was more like "the potted plant of the party."  Oh Lord, humility is not my natural state of being.

Anyway, the moral of this story is that if you invite yourself to the things, you might end up as the homecoming queen.  Or something like that.