IT appears that a request to 'répondez s’il vous plaît' has become a thing of the past.
That simple pleasure we had of receiving an invitation response through the post with a warm message of 'yes, we'd love to come to your party', has all but disappeared.
Just recently a friend, who after months of renovations, decorating and dressing his new home, decided to throw a party to show off his pad to his nearest and dearest.
So as meticulously as he planned his new home, he began to plan a house-warming party like no other.
The guest list was made (70 in total), the invitations were beautifully designed and to ensure all means of communication were covered, they were posted, emailed, sent via text message and through the usual social media channels of Facebook and Twitter.
With a multitude of food lists and drinks to organise and all those extras that house parties entail, a week before the event was due to take place and my friend's nerves were beginning to fray.
Of the 70 close friends and family invited, just a handful had sent back a reply.
Of those few that had actually replied, one said she 'might' have other plans but would let him know on the day while another said he hoped to be there but couldn't be certain.
For the vast majority of people on the list - those that he especially wanted to be there to see the fruits of his months of labour - it seems they just didn't read to the bottom of the invitation where the letters RSVP were written in bold black print.
Why do people nowadays think it is acceptable to completely ignore a party 'répondez s’il vous plaît'? Is it no longer fashionable to respond?
I can only imagine how many poor brides, dinner-party hosts and event planners feel, for getting a response to invitations seems harder than ever before.
Even the calmest of organisers must be completely tearing their hair out at the bad manners of guests who can simply not comply with the request to reply.
As a host of an event, you are prepared to spend a lot of time, effort and money on ensuring that people enjoy themselves at your party.
But when invited guests fail to respond, it can be very stressful.
No-one wants to be left red faced with a food shortage on the night or worse still, more than enough vol-au-vents to keep you going for a month.
So why do so many people not realise that no answer is not an answer?
It could mean the invite was lost in the post or you have genuinely forgotten about replying - but quite simply, it's being rude.
From the maybes to the non-existent replies, a simple RSVP to say 'yes, I can make it' or 'hey, I already have something on that night', is all that is asked.
A quick 'I'd love to come' or 'thanks, but no thanks' is pretty simple. And how hard is it to send a quick email, all it takes is 10 seconds to glance in your diary, tap a few keys and press send.
Our over-use of social media means we receive invitations on a regular basis. But are we so busy nowadays that replying to an invite may not be our top priority?
Quite simply no-one can be bothered to RSVP any more.
In reality, our addiction to the internet has led to us failing to live in the real world and being polite enough to send a reply to an invite.
While nothing compares to the feeling of receiving a handful of RSVP cards in the post, any response is better than none at all.
Assuming you actually know and like the person who invited you to their party or event, then why not say yes or no within a reasonable amount of time?
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Competition
Bring the balance and glow back to your skin with this new replenishing and soothing collection from Elemis.
The Radiant Moment collection, worth £68, puts the spring back into skin as it is formulated to nourish and rejuvenate.
The beautiful collection contains a pro-radiance cream cleanser, hydra-boost day cream, hydra-nourish night cream and fruit active rejuvenating mask.
I have one of these beautiful gift sets to give away. To be in with a chance to win, simply email your name, address and telephone number – along with the answer to the question below - to competitions@irishnews.com
Closing date for entries is Tuesday June 7 at noon.
(Q) What is the name of the new collection by Elemis?
Normal Irish News Rules Apply
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What's Hot!
Coffee pix - Ground Espresso Bars are on the lookout for aspiring photographers to capture Northern Ireland's most cherished coffee moments. They want shots that range from Ground drinks or a precious memory in one of their coffee shops. Selected images will be included in a bound coffee table book, which will be sold and all proceeds going to the Ground Honduras project. For further information, visit www.groundcoffee.net
Market - The time-honoured tradition of the Farmers’ Market is to be revived in Hillsborough tomorrow. With stall holders selling everything from in-season fruit and vegetables to specialist small batch artisan produce, the event is a must food connoisseurs and anyone who loves to support, buy and eat local.
What's Not!
Top Gear - Chris Evans has been criticised by viewers of the revamped show during his Top Gear debut on Sunday night. Many fans took to social media and referred to Evans being "shouty" and "too excitable". Fans also felt he had tried - unsuccessfully - to imitate Jeremy Clarkson.
Film critic - Keira Knightley has been slammed by a director who said her entourage got in the way of work when he made a movie with her. Filmmaker John Carney also said she did not have the music skills he needed when he directed her in 2013's Begin Again.
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Competition winners
The winners of last week's Dietland novel competition are Bernie Monaghan from Banbridge, Dympna Slevin from Co Tyrone and Marcella Moan from Dundalk.
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Easy Peasy Recipe
This week's Easy Peasy Recipe is cookie and pecan bars.
You will need:
560g chocolate chip cookies, crushed into bite-size bits
675g pecan halves
225g sultanas
110g glace cherries
225g unsalted butter
225g light brown sugar
340g milk chocolate chips
To make:
Stir cookies, pecan halves, raisins and cherries together.
Place a piece of parchment paper inside an 20 by 20cm baking dish. Paper should hang over the edges all around.
Melt 225g of butter then add in the brown sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to a simmer and stir to make sure sugar is melted and cook for one more min.
Add the butter mixture to the cookies, pecans, raisins and cherries.
Stir until combined.
Pour the warm mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a large spoon.
Place a medium saucepan of water, about 450ml, onto a medium heat. Then place a heat-proof bowl over it to create a double boiler.
Add chocolate chips to the bowl and allow to sit for one min over the heat.
When it starts to melt, stir until completely melted. Pour the melted chocolate over top of the pecan mixture. Spread out evenly.
Place the mixture into the refrigerator for about 1 hour or into the freezer for 10 mins to set the chocolate.
Once set, tip out onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment paper and with a sharp knife cut the slab into small squares and serve.
Do you have an Easy Peasy recipe you would like to share?
Are you the queen of quiches, magnificent at muffins or can you turn out some nice scones?
If so, then we want to hear from you.
You can send your name, address, contact number and recipe (plus photo if possible) to:
Easy Peasy Recipes,
Suzanne McGonagle,
Irish News
113-117 Donegall Street,
Belfast,
BT1 2GE
or
s.mcgonagle@irishnews.com
