Good Morning, Darlings!

Thank you for allowing me to rest and recuperate yesterday after our big night.

Party day started off early with me driving the dogs to camp to stay until Monday. They were happy and I was happy.

Once I was back at home the prep began in earnest. Eric swept and mopped the bathrooms while I dusted. John was over at noon and he and Eric put up the tents in the backyard. Lights were attached at the top for extra illumination. Becky and Tim brought by their standing heater and Jeff came by to make sure it was in working order. Oops! Looks like we realized that we had the wrong heater too late and it wasn’t able to be traded out. But no matter, we had plenty of room on the front porch for outside smokers.

Teague dropped off extra serving pieces, their huge standing cooler for beer on the porch and an extra tablecloth for concealing the front of the table. The kitchen table was moved to make space for Farzana, who would be our Kitchen Manager for the evening. The bar was emptied and moved to make a great bar space for Wallace. Tables were set up behind the bar to make room for wine, ice, liquor and mixers.

The phone rang a zillion times with calls and texts. Some were sending regrets, others to tell me the name of their guest had changed (well, their name hadn’t changed, she just changed her date….).

The weather – very cold and drizzly. Mood – upbeat and sunny.

I finally hit the showers at 6 p.m. – with a 7 p.m. party call. I was really cutting it close.

6:30pm – Farzana and Wallace arrive. I am still blow drying my hair.

I can’t begin to tell you how fabulous Wallace was. He anchored this soiree. He answered the door, he greeted guests with glasses of champagne (because one hostess was busy getting false eyelashes applied by Art Director Tracy), he put everyone at ease and he was an angel to remember everything I forgot to pick up on the list he sent me (stirrers, etc….). When I suggested Wallace take a break mid-evening so I could tend bar, no one ordered anything because they wanted Wallace to make them a drink. This is the mark of a GREAT bartender and I was delighted! As long as Wallace is willing, he will be tending bar at every party we give from now on.

And Kitchen Manager Farzana was nothing short of spectacular. With some direction from Eric (still drying hair and putting on false eyelashes was I), she took over and kept everything fresh, hot and looking gorgeous. And she was gorgeous, too. And sweet. I hit the jackpot with Wallace and Farzana and the party would not have been nearly the success without them.

Tracy has a tradition of setting up a photo area at her parties and we thought this was a great idea to borrow. So we taped up some black velvet wrapping paper to use as a backdrop and took everyone’s picture, prom-style! Some of my favorites.

First big surprise of the evening came as I was getting those dang eyelashes applied (which bugged me so much I later took them off…). I heard a familiar voice outside in the kitchen and recognized it as one of our besties, Tam, who had come down from D.C. to visit and attend our party!! It was so wonderful getting to see her and having a bit of time to visit before the throng arrived. Holly also got there a bit early to lend support and we had a nice little reunion.

I had been worried that I had too much/too little food/drinks/ice/whatever….but it all turned out perfectly. You know the food is great when you spy a guest stuffing his pockets with chicken salad sandwiches ala John Belushi in Animal House. I thought this was the greatest compliment ever!

All of our guests looked so great and there were little surprise guests here and there. One was sweet friend Fay who I had not seen in years, brought by darling Bryan Dodd. It was so great to see her and meet her adorable husband, Lex. The problem with these huge parties is that you just don’t get enough one on one time with each guest. But we tried, by golly!

By 10pm, the house was throbbing with energy. Tracy’s ipod mix was pumping from the brand new stereo that Eric had just wired up (so much more cost effective than hiring a DJ), Wallace was now everyone’s best friend, and Farzana had the food under control (did I tell you how fab these two were?). Guests showed up, guests left for other engagements but I was smiling. A lot. Like an idiot. Here’s a view from the kitchen and a view of the insanely beautiful Kate, in a dress that would put Barbie to shame. (Photo credit: Gill Poisat, Dog Trainer Extraodinaire…)

As the night wore on, I looked around and realized it was almost all neighbors with a couple of exceptions. The party only got better from here. Around 11:30pm, I let Wallace and Farzana take off and there was no shortage of fill-in bartenders. I loaded a tray with mini-moon pies that Eric passed around on one of Crystal’s silver platters and the serious dancing began.

With no other hostessing duties to attend to, I danced. And danced. And danced some more. My perfect husband, who does not normally dance, danced. We danced until we could dance no more.

Toward the end of the evening, I walked to the kitchen and just took the whole scene in. Jay wandered back and mused that I was either “taking it all in or looking on very disapprovingly”…I assured him it was the former. Teague ambled back and helped me make coffee.

Me….I can’t remember ever being at any party that made me as happy as this one. It might have been the happiest night of my life. It was the adult party of my dreams. Dancing, best friends, a full bar with friends mixing drinks.

This last photo from the end of the night says it all for me. It just oozes sophistication and the feel of the party at the end of the night.

When the last guests left at 3 a.m., I couldn’t wait to do it all again next year.

Hope your holiday season is filled with glee.

xoxo, Patti