Dinner party disasters, part 8437

I decided to invite some friends over for dinner tonight since we couldn't find a babysitter and promised myself that I would keep it low-key. I'm doing pretty well I think. I decided to make 7-hour lamb with white beans and a salade for dinner. I'll whip up some of my famous green olive tapenade for an entree/hors d'oeuvres along with some walnut puffs like the ones we ate last time we were in Italy (no recipe, so I'll just have to wing it. But I saw fresh walnuts at the vegetable stand and I just had such a craving that I couldn't not make them). I still have to make a fig tart for dessert, which will be a pain since there is already the lamb in the oven. Don't know quite how I will swing that. And I got the most gorgeous bouquet champetre at my fav neighborhood florist, Comme Ca, on rue St Antoine. Also, note to self, bring up lots of champagne from the cave and put it in the fridge ASAP.

No, all that is going fine. The disaster is that I lost my keys and ended up sitting downstairs in the entry hall for 45 minutes with an over-tired toddler waiting for the concierge to get home and give me my spare keys. Now I think I might have to go without that bath that I so desperately need.

Oh, and the house has gone from spotless at around 6 pm yesterday to disaster zone. I think that I am just going to shovel it all in the office and tell people that we are doing no apartment tours tonight.

But I did remember to get all my new music that I bought yesterday on to I-Tunes so that I can put it on my I-pod and have something fun to listen to tonight. I bought the Scissor Sisters that I have wanted for ages, Stars of Bossa Nova and Samba (to get me in the mood for holiday), and the Golden Years - Frank Sinatra. Add that to my Amy Winehouse and that, my friends, is what you call an eclectic Ipod shuffle.

Ok - I'm off. The faster I get the champagne chilling the faster I can get myself a glass.