Fiesta Fortunes on a Peso Budget

Party planning seems to fall under the category of "other duties as assigned" when one becomes department chair. This isn't necessarily a bad thing since food, laughter, and tequila are generally high on my list of the best things in life. It's just that in the heat of the moment that someone utters the word "party," I always interject, "We can have it at my house!"

So I have spent the last several days looking at decorations for our end of the year fiesta. I started with a stop by Party City last weekend while I was out clothes shopping. Unfortunately, since Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching the pickings were slim. Next, I turned to Oriental Trading Company online where I found a myriad of decorations at fairly steep prices and exorbitant shipping rates. So I let my fingers do the typing to look at Party City online, which had generally better decor at lower prices. "Ha!" I thought, "I've won!" At least until I saw their shipping costs mirrored the previous website. In addition, Oriental Trading Company has one lonely little item Party City doesn't carry. It sells for $7.99 plus another seven bucks for shipping. That's right - double since shipping is based on how much money you spend.

Happily, as I pondered the dilemma after school today, Jeff remembered a Dollar Tree had opened nearby. Even more happily there were still fiesta decorations left. (Not only do these sell out in late April/early May, but graduation seems to be completely luau based these days, so island-themed goods take over stores like kudzu.) Much to my surprise I found a myriad of themed decor items ranging from curly ceiling drops to serving platters, from chili pepper printed napkins to straw sombreros. Hooray! At least for a few minutes until I contemplated that single item I still wanted from OTC. (I know. You'd think I could be happy that I bought so much stuff for half the price I expected to pay. What can I say? I want everything - especially if I can't have it.)

So...after loading my brightly colored booty into the trunk, I asked Jeff to stop at a different Party City for one last try. Reluctantly, he agreed. ("You have all this other stuff. Why do you still want that?" Apparently the fiesta spirit has not set his soul aflame, but there's still time!) Of course, the store did not have the item I wanted (a door-sized printed scene with cutouts for faces) in the fiesta theme. Multiple were available for a luau, though. As my tired feet began complaining of the extra exertion and frustration set in, I jotted down the websites on the incorrectly-themed photo op banners. After paging through the on-line catalogs, I discovered two things. First, there are many life-sized cutouts available in free-standing cardboard forms for a pricey $75 each. Second, the only store that seems to carry the vinyl banner I'm looking for is Oriental Trading Company. Back to square one!

I suppose I should just order the silly thing and fork over the shipping charges, but the idea of paying seven bucks for shipping on an eight dollar item just irks me. At this point it is a matter of principle, and I'm working on ways around it. I'll let you know how it all ends on fiesta night.