Hunger Games: My Mom Does It Better.

A week ago today, precisely, I was on the eve of seeing the Hunger Games at midnight. And I was EXCITED. Midnight premieres are kind of a big deal. Well, spurt of the moment, I called my mom and we decided we would have a little party. The night before, mind you. Well... it turned out to be a pretty cool little shin-dig. Do you guys remember that word? MAN, we need to bring it back. That's all's I'm saying. It was a good, good day. I picked up my friend Ashleigh in SLC and we waited outside of Whole Foods to meet some man named Marty who had booklets for selling cookie dough for her little sister's colorguard team. It was every bit as sketchy as it sounds, but it was SEVENTY DEGREES AND I GOT A TAN LINE FROM SITTING ON THE BACK OF MY CAR! People. I am happy. And the people-watching in SLC is so prime. I love to creep. People are so interesting and wonderful.

 I came home from a wild goose chase for spray paint to make shirts and... this is what my mom had created in our kitchen. SERIOUSLY. She doesn't even have a Pinterest, people! She is just straight awesome. Butcher paper trees = forest arena from book one.

Yes, that is orange chicken on rice. Which, if you are as nerdy as we are, you know Katniss has when she first eats with Cinna. And if you didn't know, well... my mom printed out the excerpt and placed it on the table nearby.

Peeta can frost my cookies ANY day of the week. That sounded way more provocative than I intended and I don't regret a thing.

This... was so good. Like unholy good. I need to invest in a goat.

She is so thorough. And so awesome for knowing the books like this!

Parachutes with bread from Rue's District. Yes. There is actual bread. Yes, she made those parachutes without a pattern. Ah! Are you in love with her, yet?

Some of my cute friends from the party. I was silly and didn't get a picture while everyone was still there.

If being horrifyingly creepy in photos could help me win the Hunger Games, I'd go all the way. I imagine myself as one of those portraits, where the eyes follow you all around the room... So.

Oh, did I create the stencil that then created these lovely shirts? YES. And if Ashleigh and I look like we're dating... it's only because we kind of are. LADY DATES. The shirt and stencil - which I free-handed! - are my only artistic contributions. :/

Here's where Ash's talent lies. KATNISS BRAIDS. Could they be any cooler? If I had any idea of how to do this on myself, I'd do it every single day.

READY TO ENTER THE MIDNIGHT SHOWING.

So that was that. And by that, I mean beyond awesome. We even played "Don't Eat Peeta" which is like Don't Eat Pete, but much, much better. Also, a shocking number of guests had never played Don't Eat Pete. Please tell me that you have? I feel like I am taking crazy pills when I talk about it. But the good news is, my stress level is much, much lower when I play it nowadays. I used to play it at all my birthday parties and I would just cry because the tension, and then everyone SHOUTING, "DON'T EAT PETE" when all I wanted was that last everlovin' M&M... it was just too much for baby Shelby.

I'll post about the biggest part of the night/wee-early-hours-of-the-morning later. THE MOVIE. But for now, can we all just bask in how awesome my mom really is? She threw this together in like two hours, people. Whaaaat? I love her. And I love all the cute people that came. It was such a good day. I should run away from college mid-week more often.