The block party. A Chicago tradition. You love them when it’s on your block. You curse them when you’re trying to get from point A to point B but all points in-between are blocked off for block parties.
We recently enjoyed our very own block party … so I thought I’d share with you some tips on how to prepare.
Well, how I prepared …
Tip #1: Paint your toenails with the light blue nail polish you picked up months ago. I mean, I am the self-proclaimed most famous blogger on the block …
… and you might want to do this when the I’m-sure-she’s-very-nice-but-clowns-creep-me-out-balloon-lady is on the block …
Tip #2: Park your car in front of your very own house and leave it there until the very last minute.
… your house is the house in Chicago where people abandon their cars. And you know from past experience that it could take months before that abandoned car is finally towed away by the city …
… and where else would the inflatable company guys be able to set up that almost-as-long-as-the-full-length-of-a-city-block water slide …
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| … wait for it … |
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| … wait for it … |
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| … wait for it … |
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| … and what? |
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| WHAT?!? Crazy, right …? |
Tip #3: Fix the loose screen on your front screen door using glue dots and a butter knife … but not spray adhesive. Spray adhesive would be silly to use … just saying … not that I have any personal experience with trying to fix a loose screen on a screen door with spray adhesive …
Tip #4: Dead head the geraniums in those cute black and white terracotta pots. See #1 re: my self-proclaimed-most-famous-blogger-on-the-block claim. I mean, seriously, after my toes are checked out the neighbors would surely check the front porch to see if I’ve been caring for those geraniums properly …
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| A HUGE thanks to my sponsor for caring for those geraniums …. |
Tip #5: Mix up some lemonade … check to make sure there is Vodka in the freezer … and ponder what it means that the vodka is frozen … and wonder if a teen son and his friends might somehow be involved …
Tip #6: Wait until the very last minute too make your macaroni and shrimp salad to share at the block party group dinner …
… because you’ve been too busy painting your toes and fixing the screen with a butter knife and glue dots (but never, ever spray adhesive) and mixing lemonade and running to the store to get more vodka and moving your car at the very last minute …
Tip#7: Volunteer (once again) to host movie night. It’s easy. Well, it’s easy if you don’t wait until the very last moment to order Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Netflix and hope and pray that your disgruntled mailman delivers it in time …
Tip #8: And last … but certainly not least … kick yourself for not organizing a Hometalk craft party as part of your block party like this blogger and this blogger …
… I mean (see #1 and #4) I am the self-proclaimed-most-famous-blogger-on-the-block … and how amazing would it have been to be the self-proclaimed-most-famous-blogger-on-the-block who wowed her neighbors at the block party with their very own Hometalk swag …
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| … if you want to pin this, please click on the pic and pin from the Thistlewood Farms blog … |
And to cap it all off, while the neighbors and I crafted and shared the Hometalk love I could’ve quenched their thirst … while dually impressing them with my crafty genius … by recreating this paint tray ice tray idea from the very talented At The Picket Fence sisters …
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| … if you want to pin this idea, please click on the pic and pin from At The Picket Fence’s blog … |
… and so sorry Vanessa and Heather, but I would’ve shamelessly told everyone this was my very own genius idea …
😉
P.S. If you want to host your own Hometalk swag-filled party, just click here for details …
… and no, I haven’t been paid by Hometalk to write this post. I’m just the self-proclaimed-most-famous-blogger-on-the-block supporting some blogger friends like the ones I linked to above as well as this blogger and this blogger, all of whom are real-life Hometalk Ambassadors …
P.P.S. You can find me on Hometalk here …
I wanna party with YOU!
xo Heidi
What kind of permit does one need to park a Boeing 747 Inflatable Waterslide on the street?
~Bliss~
Could I just do #1 & #5 then sit back and admire my toes while sipping a vodka slushie! (ok, after one too many vodka slushies, I’d probably be making a fool of myself on the world’s longest waterside)!
Kelly
OK…I heard this rumor of a lady with blue toenails pushing her way to the front of the lines of the waterslide wearing a matching blue Hometalk apron…! Your block party sounds like great fun!…I am having a Hometalk party with the “Crafty Chicks” soon…
Wow! You “city” folks really know how to (block) party! Clearly, those of us in suburgatory need to step up our game. I’m sending the photos of your ginormous waterslide/inflatable whatever-it-is to our “committee” for “consideration” this morning…and I’d better run out and get some blue nail polish. Geez, I was gonna settle for Red…what was I thinking!? Looks like a blast! xo, Kimberly
P.S. Your geraniums look GREAT!(and it’s already August!!)
Practically peeing I’m laughing so hard…what a great party. I’m not one to hang out with my neighbors but if I lived on your street I would totally hang out with you. :o)
Oh…love that you added the pic of your tag to your header. Brilliant.
Again with the Chicago nostalgia. Block parties… you’re killing me…
Linda, you’re hilarious. Wait for it…wait for it…WOW! That was awesome! 🙂
Awesome post!!! I pee’d my pants laughing – not gonna lie ! 😉
I want to go to YOUR block party! Seriously…do they let old ladies on that blow up thingy? THAT looks like fun…maybe I can tell them I am in my second childhood? Ummm..THAT clown is a little creepy-just sayin’…What a fun thing though! xo Diana
i need that water slide!
I so expected to see your car BOEXED IN from the waterslide! lol
And, I want to party with you!
Right after I visit Karah.
I’m sure she won’t have a prob w my staying on her palette bed 😉
er boxed in…
this post made me laugh! I needed a good laugh today!
That looks like the most awesome block party EVER!! That water slide is incredible! Hope your hand isn’t too sore from all the autographs you were probably signing Miss Most Famous Blogger on the Block 😉
Can I PLEEEASE come to your block party? My neighbors are boring and awful and keep to themselves. (Which is actually probably a good thing.)
So fun! The ice in the paint tray is awesome … that would be so fun for a crafty party!
Wow, you have some amazing block parties over there in Chicago. Sounds like a lot of fun!
That is one honking huge inflatable slide!
That’s one serious inflatable water slide! Your block party sounds like a blast – wish we had things like that in our neighbourhood. The most excitement we get around here are garage fires and construction!
So I’m worried about the vodka issue in tip #5, impressed by the toes in tip #1 (heading for a pedicure in about 15 minutes myself) and kind of wanting to go on the giant waterslide myself, is that wrong?
Wasn’t there a great fire in Chicago years ago. I think we may be reading about the Great Chicago Flood of 2012 if that water slide gets out of control! Looks like an insane amount of fun.
Lynn