Beautiful Beginnings, Effortless Endings, but where's the middle?

So, as my Easter crowd grows, year after year, I find I am able to enjoy everyone less and less. You see, in the past it has been a more formal affair of the linen, the good crystal and my china. Alas, I only have a place setting for 8, meaning that as in all of our family functions, the men eat first, while the women wait and wash dishes. Now I am a lover of tradition just as much as the next girl, but we also normally celebrate my birthday on Easter and last year it actually was my birthday! Mounds of dishes just aren't my idea of fun! So, I went to the etiquette expert herself, Miss. Janice (http://etiquettewithmissjanice.blogspot.com/)and asked if I could remain socially acceptable by using some gorgeous disposables I found. Imagine my delight when she told me that I COULD!!!

In my continued effort to make it of a remember able fun afternoon, I have decided (gasp!!) that I will not only be using disposables, but that I will not be having a sit down meal. No, I have put together a lovely little menu of hors d'oeuvres, a fabulous dessert bar, an afternoon of fun and games (croquet, target shooting, horse shoes and a softball finale.)wrapping the evening up with a coffee bar. In my excitement over my little plans, I asked my brothers if they would rather have mini ham biscuits or mini barbeque's and they gave me a less than favorable response of "sounds good & fun, but what are we really having?" They sounded so distraught, that I mentioned that if they would do the dishes I would reconsider. Hmmmm, suddenly ham biscuits, horse shoes and pecan pie didn't sound so bad.