Frugal and Easy Girl's Night

   One of my dear friends, whom I consider my sister and was a second mom to my boys, came for Josh and Lauren's wedding (I will be doing another post on that when I have more pictures to share).  She came home with us to spend some time with her mom and rest of her family.  She ended up staying longer than planned due to a last minute job interview (praying she gets the job and moves home).  Huge blessing for me!  I decided at the last minute to have a girl's night with her, her mom and her sister.  Her sister was unable to make it, but her mom, who is also one of my dearest friends, came with her.  

   I was in a fibro flare after all the wedding festivities but was able to throw together a nice little spread due to having a stocked pantry.  It was not much work at all and we could all just sit, laugh, share stories and enjoy each other's company.

   My husband got out my great grandmother's small parlor table for me and I set it up with 2 bottles of wine, one red and one white.  I then got the appetizers ready.  I had some garlic stuffed green olives that I got from the Dollar Tree, snack crackers, also from the Dollar Tree and put these in pretty white dishes.  I used an antique silver pickle fork to serve the olives with.  I then added a cut glass bowl filled with artichoke tapenade that I had picked up at Ross, and a plate of cream cheese covered in mango and pepper jelly that I had picked up on one of my trips to Montana at my favorite specialty food and kitchenware shop.  I had individual little plates for each person along with a small spreader for each to load their toppings on the crackers. All of this was also laid out on my great grandmother's table along with cocktail sized cloth napkins.

   I had some beautiful music pulled up on YouTube playing in the background and set out soft fleece throws for each person to cuddle under.  The fire was going in the pellet stove and the lights were down low with a beautifully scented wax melt going in the bathroom down the hall just to add just a hint of the wonderful cold weather comforting scent.

   My friend Roni snuggled up with her throw and cuddled into the couch with a glass of red wine and a plate full of goodies.  Her mom, Char, cuddled into the corner of the other couch close to the fire burning in the pellet stove.  One of our cats, Midgy made her way over to Roni and got lots of lovies.  Midgy usually does not like strangers, but loved Roni.  Midgy is a great judge of character and knows who she can trust. ;)  I cuddled up under my throw with a glass of white wine and some goodies too.  

   We all had a wonderful visit and it was so good to have them here.  They know that I have Fibromyalgia and am not able to drive myself places other than just right here in town.  They also know that my energy is limited but that I love having them here in my home.  My "love tank" was once again filled by my time with these amazing women that have become family to me.  It did not take much money and I had everything here at the house that I needed to throw together a fun evening at the last minute with minimal effort.

   The time we had together is priceless to me though.  Roni now lives in Palm Springs, CA but is trying to find a job here in her field so she can return home to her sweet little house here in town and to help her mom.  Char lives in a tiny little town close to us, but because I am not able to drive out there, I do not see her much at all.  Char lost her husband Mel in a tragic car accident last year.  Mel was like another father to me and I loved him.  Char and Mel are like another set of grandparents to my boys.  These amazing women have been through a lot in their lives and I have been on the journey with them both for a good part of it.  It has created a strong bond that cannot be broken between us.  I am hoping that we can do many more of these girl's nights in the future because I know it means a lot to us and it just makes those bonds grow even stronger.