...can't live with them, can't kill them and get away with it.
Party planning for my MIL's 80th birthday continues. The Kommandant (as I've taken to calling my one sister-in-law), continues to ask for our opinions, so she can ignore them all. "Control Freak" does not even begin to describe her. My husband is in London on business today, and since she lives there, he will be meeting her for dinner. I want to be a fly on the wall for that dinner conversation...
I've taken on aspects of the party where she can't interfere. I'm making the guest book, so people can leave memories and remembrances of MIL. I hate those generic ones where you sign your name and date - no room to write a greeting or anything. So I've embraced my paper crafting mojo (and the fact I have easy access to stuff), and made this: (her picture and name have been removed, but they go in those two white spots...) It's an 8" x 8" scrapbook, and I've replaced the pages with cardstock you can write on.
(okay, her name is not removed here, but it's just her first name, and her kindergarten picture - I'm pretty sure she's not recognizable from this...)
Each page is different -
there are specific pages for her grandchildren and kids to sign, 
and the rest are just pretty (I hope). It's her style, all flowery and such, 
so I hope she likes it. I think she will - the K will probably not, since she hasn't seen it and has no control over it. (She did ask me when she could she what I have so far, and I told her "the day of the party".) Yes, I'm a three year old when it comes to dealing with things and people that annoy me...
there are specific pages for her grandchildren and kids to sign, and the rest are just pretty (I hope). It's her style, all flowery and such, so I hope she likes it. I think she will - the K will probably not, since she hasn't seen it and has no control over it. (She did ask me when she could she what I have so far, and I told her "the day of the party".) Yes, I'm a three year old when it comes to dealing with things and people that annoy me...The other thing I'm doing is the cake. But I'm making cupcakes instead (each will have a moulded chocolate 80 on top. My MIL will love it (she loves cupcakes), but the K will probably have kittens, because it's not "normal". And yes, she'll find out on the day of the party.
I'm going to need plenty of something numbing that day...
13 comments:
It is beautiful and unique. Perfect.
Oh boy I wish you luck with your SIL.
I am completely immature about people like that, too, and totally appreciate the chance to play head games with them wherever possible...
reminds me of the best wedding card I ever saw - pic of the Three Stooges with women on the front, and inside says, "men... can't live with 'em, can't rip their heads off" - I have found it applies to a much wider range of people than just men... SIL's, MIL's etc.
Beautiful. She'll treasure it.
You work in the best place on earth!! Great items. I love cupcakes. It's like your own personal edible party.
Beautiful book!
For my parents' 40th anniversary, I got digital pictures from several guests (the ones with good cameras), and had photobooks made (along with other photo gifts). Can't be given the day of the party obviously, but they make fabulous gifts.
I hate control freaks that ask for opinions then disregard them! And they're usually the people that whine that no one helps, LOL.
It's a beautiful book; I like the idea of adding pix from the party later.
Cupcakes have become a "normal" dessert in this city. Sometimes the icing covers all of the cupcakes so it looks like a cake, but then one can just take one out. No mess, no cutting, not even forks.
We'll all look forward to hearing about the end result.
Congratulations on finding creative solutions to dealing with the Burr Under The Saddle (also known as BUTS!
Marlyce in Windsor, Ontario
How great that you found some things you can do on your own without interference from "the K"! That book is a great idea! The cupcakes sound wonderful too! I hope everything comes together wonderfully...even finding something tasty and mind numbing that day! lol
The book is absolutely beautiful - a true keepsake! Who cares about the SIL - your MIL is guaranteed to love it.
(And when it all becomes too much to bear, I just tried some new and quite yummy numbing stuff - Glenkinchie. I quite recommend it!)
Nancy
The book is a wonderful gift. If I should live so long, i am going to ask you to do one for me.
soooooo cool, the cupcake idea. Sounds like your MIL will love it, and who cares what the SIL thinks anyway. Your guest book is also a lovely idea, and something your MIL will cherish for a long time. Hope you can enjoy the party - whatever it takes !!
Liz
It will only make you look all the better if you accept the well-deserved pride in your creative and loving accomplishments with a smile and refuse to rise to any bait.
And who knows, the example might even make a difference. Maybe not to her, but maybe to someone else struggling with how to handle such people. Go team go!
(Confession: I had a high school English teacher who was verbally highly abusive. I somehow became a target, which was all the more miserable in that class, and I decided to fight back by smiling back at her and refusing to answer if it wasn't about the class material at hand. She hated me for it, but I got the satisfaction of not letting her accomplish what she wanted, which was to get me to act out in anger so that I would put myself down in her league.
But the whole thing made no sense to me: who was supposed to be the grown-up here?
I won and she knew it.)
The book is beautiful. 'K' can just wait to see it. That's not 5 that's common sense. Why spend so much of your creative energy for someone only to set yourself up for a third party to bitch. It's not for THEM after all? especially as you KNOW she will nitpick and say something dumb.
Also, what's wrong with cupcakes? Cupcakes are cute! And precut! And cute!
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