It was definitely a departure for Girlawhirl, and as she found out, for her friends as well. It was as if no one knew how to act or what to do. First and foremost no one seemed to understand what RSVP means. It's a French acronym that stands for “repondez s'il vous plait,” which literally translates to “please respond.”

Girlawhirl needed to know how many people were coming to her soiree, so she could be sure to have enough food and drink, and in her case, figure out how much furniture she needed to move from her living room to her bedroom to make enough space for the gaggle of friends and co-workers she was expecting. And with just days to go until the party only two – yes, just two – of her invitees had officially ‘repondez–ed!' Sure there were Super Pals and co-workers that she knew would show, because they'd discussed the guest list, the menu and even their outfits at length, but what about the other 20 or so people who'd received an invitation and had yet to respond?

In the end she prepped for all, and found that most did show up. A few co-worker “no shows” slunk into her office Monday full of reasons why they didn't attend, but for the most part Girlawhirl was satisfied with the turnout.

But next time, she's adding her email address below her phone number to make the act of RSVP'ing even easier, and she'll have no qualms about asking – either by phone, email or in person – those she hasn't heard from if they plan to attend.

related articles:

dec 15, 2005:         party particulars. read full entry