Monthly Archives: December 2021
Happy New Year!
We’re staying in and hosting a virtual party at 10pm. Last year, we did the same, only to come down in the morning and our house was trashed like we’d had our pre-pandemic annual NYE bash … fingers crossed we do it again!
Don’t forget to enjoy The Twilight Zone marathon with your mimosas and Bloody Marys tomorrow, and very best wishes for a celebratory evening and a very productive and magical 2022!
Charles, Nathan, Krissi and our kitty Mikey
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
We wish you a bright and merry holiday weekend! From our house to yours, here’s a short video clip (below) of our vintage (1960s) silver tree that has been stowed in our basement for nineteen years—my little cat Poe had Pica, so to him, this was just a big, glittering snack. While I’d rather have my kitty back, and I miss my live tree, it was tear-inducing to put this baby back together and listen to her sing “Silent Night” to us. The color wheel is modern–we DO have the original, but it’s just not fire-safe.
Always love your traditions—but always relish the moment you can shake them up a little bit, too! Thank you for reading and always supporting my work. May your celebrations be filled with joy.
Best wishes,
Kristi, Nathan, Charles (housemate), and Mikey (the cat)
Ten tips for a great online party that feels real
We’re entering another year of this pandemic, and while things are looking up, it’s still going to take time. While we all have Virtual Fatigue and a good lot of us are vaccinated, there’s still a need for some virtual activities, and it’s still one of the few ways we can stay in touch.
In 2020, COVID forced me into hosting the two parties I’d planned—34 Orchard Dark Literary Magazine’s launch in April and New Year’s Eve—into virtual rooms. What surprised me? I’d felt like I’d actually had a house full of guests, and my guests—especially for New Year’s Eve—said it was almost as though we’d all been together in person. It was so successful, I did it for my 50th Birthday Party in February of 2021, and I’m hosting New Year’s Eve online again this year (my guests are from all over the country, and sometimes, people come and stay for a few days. Even with all of us being vaccinated, that’s still not really possible this year–we don’t feel it’s worth the risk).
Wanna pull that off? Here’s how:
1 Choose a theme. A party is a party, right? Yes. But a theme creates a cohesion that changes it from a party to an EVENT.

My 50th birthday was themed for my favorite childhood book, THE PENGUIN THAT HATED THE COLD. So the decor was sort of a winter/tropical mix.
2 Set up your chat room/Meet-up/whatever early. Then call your party something Read the rest of this entry