An impromptu cocktail party

There's something lovely about an impromptu gathering. One minute I'm spending my Sunday prepping for the week, when out of the blue, I'm sipping cocktails with girlfriends, sprawled out on a living room rug.

You see, my friend Mary-Catherine can make a new friend in minutes. She can interconnect them with her other friends within weeks. She knows everybody. And on a recent Sunday, she decided to have last-minute cocktails in her home, watching new bonds form around her.

We needed this Sunday more than we knew. We're exhausted by the news cycle of doom, career demands and domestic responsibilities. Many of us admitted to being overwhelmed by the constant action of a post-COVID world. Making up for lost times can take it out of you.

Mary-Catherine made it easy for us. She laid out a sumptuous cocktail spread with sliced lemons and strawberries, cocktail mixers and elegant glassware. 

Her charcuterie board was a perfect mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy - and all things in between. It was served in her dining room, and I appreciated her built-in glass cabinets (with lights!), custom molding on the walls and vintage chandelier. 

Our first drinks were served to us, but to keep it casual, we were invited back to the bar to mix and match to our delight. My cocktail was infused with jalapeno and lime - the perfect summertime combination.

As the sun-baked afternoon went on, we stayed cool nestling in her living room, which was painted a chic teal, and accented with soft lighting. We ticked babies, wrestled with vicious balls of fluff and laughed.

We also marveled that such a group of busy women, who often have to pre-plan gatherings weeks in advance, were able to drop everything and show up the way we did. In the end, it didn't matter how busy we were. We knew it was the perfect way to end the week.