First of all, I gotta thank my girl Marsha for thinking of me when her friend B couldn’t attend Diner En Blanc (DEB) Dallas at almost the last minute (prayers for her still).  I probably should explain what this is before I share my thoughts.  Diner En Blanc is a secretive and exclusive pop-up dinner party where guests (who must be fashionably clad in all white) must bring their own supplies (including said dinner, drinks, table, chairs, silverware, glassware, tablecloths, linen napkins, trash bags, table decorations, etc) and everything must be white.  Guests don’t know where they are going until they board a chartered bus or other public transportation that takes them to the secret location of that year’s coveted Diner En Blanc.  The mysterious dinner parties are popular with a crowd that is just as exclusive and ritzy as the dinner itself because let’s face it — you gotta make one hell of an investment to get all that stuff I mentioned AND accept transporting it from a bus to the actual site of the dinner while wearing white.  Walking shoes are a must.  So is some type of dolly.  There are Diners in Blanc in about  6 continents and 70 cities worldwide.

I saw all of the beautiful photos at the first one in Dallas and was intrigued.  I decided I would go this year (3rd year in Dallas) but of course you need an invitation if you are not already on the list (I wasn’t).  I initially tried to get into DEB Dallas on my own (a sponsor makes it easier and for all the friends I had that were going, nobody ever offered to sponsor my black arse but I digress) and had gotten the email about a Phase 3 (what?) saying that I needed to log on at 9 a.m. on a certain date to receive an invitation. I took this to mean I was definitely “in” so I logged on about 10 and it was already sold out. Bummer.  I wasn’t going.

Apparently there are 2400 slots for the Dallas one.  At the time I didn’t know about bringing all your own stuff (EVERYTHING you need to have dinner including dinner!) and when I found out about that requirement, I remember saying “Look at GOD” cause I definitely didn’t have all of that stuff and wasn’t thinking about trying to get it NOR walk with it from some bus in my good white clothes and shoes.

And then Marsha called.  3 days before the event.  Black foke will spring some stuff on you at the last minute, won’t they?  I was still intrigued and I have Amazon Prime so I said why not?  I hopped on the site and quickly bought a table in the required dimensions, the tablecloth, the napkins.  Everything was going to be delivered in time except for chairs.  Ikea was out of them until Wednesday so I put that part on hold. Figured I’d order La Madeline for dinner.  Needed something so that if it was cold, it would still taste good.  I was too late to order alcohol but figured if I was going to be lugging all this sheeit in Blanc (excuse my French), I was gonna need SOMETHING to take the edge off.  I found some secret flasks on Amazon but won’t mention what they were in case I’m invited back.  I figured I had a white dress in my closet so I ordered only a fascinator.  You know I gotta have me a cute headpiece.  Later I would find out on Thursday night (event on Friday) that the zipper on the new dress was broken (no wonder it was so marked down at Ross).  I guess I was gonna be nekkid in a fashionable headpiece. Thank goodness for Charming Charlies at the last minute!

I also needed a date/guest.  Nate was out because he had to work late and I had just spent all our childcare money on supplies for this dinner party so he couldn’t come.  Somebody needed to watch the kid for free.  The bestie had a late call on the other side of town so she was out.  And then the next best friend to bestie told me yes.  I called another friend asking if I could really do this and her husband got me chairs (thanks Ro and Jace).  Then yet another friend walked me through everything I needed to know via FB messenger (Thanks SVEJ).  It was a lot, but I figured I could do this.  I threw a hand grenade in Basic Training and lived, and if I could do that AND beat breast cancer twice, I had this white party.

Our pick up spot was 4:15 at the Anatole…a long way away from Lewisville/Coppell in traffic but Liz got us there easily.  I did have to take off work (how do you get there on time otherwise?) early and picked up our food on the way. Oh, I also got white plates (my picnic basket), acrylic glasses, table decorations, and the other stuff.  I also ordered a luggage cart which was easily the BEST purchase decision I made.

We got to the Arboretum (perfect location) and set up our tables and ate our dinners.  We mingled, and perused, and danced, and selfie’d and Instagrammed and SnapChatted.  Everything was beautiful and magical.  And then we packed up everything and left the Arboretum like we had never been there.

I’ll say this – I went in thinking “this is some white people sheeit” (no offense, but think about it – I’m giving you $80 for you to take me somewhere SECRET on a BUS AND I gotta bring all my own sheeit?  And you telling me what to wear…and you won’t even let me bring my own wine?  Diner En Blanc BYE )  but came away thinking it was a very nice function.  I also can’t wait to go back.  Especially now that I have a folding table in a bag that I probably will never use anywhere else.  And an Amazon bill to pay off…..

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