Derby Party 2011

The silver mint julep cups were fabulous! They frosted up perfectly.
Red roses, fried chicken, pimento cheese, ham and biscuits, and Kern's Derby Pie shipped in from Kentucky. Notice the tablecloth from Pomegranate, Inc. Love it!

Roasted fresh asparagus. It looked beautiful on the antique platter.

No one picked the winning horse, so all money was donated to the school.

Fancy Nancy Party

My niece joined in the party. She will go to the school next year, and she had a chance to meet some of the girls. Every young lady took home a fancy fuzzy blanket.

A very Fancy chandelier.

Things to make you Fancy; boas and rings and bracelets, oh my!

Last weekend was the Fancy Nancy party that was my donation to our school auction.

It was a great success!

Favor buckets, waiting to go home.

Flowers and feather centerpiece, and cotton candy towers.

All the Fancy Young Ladies!

My talented sister came to take pictures, and my great friend, Jean, with assistance from her daughter, came and gave a French lesson. It was a delightful afternoon, and I am already planning next years party.

Talk Derby to Me!

I am thinking Derby. And these Pomegranate linens will be on my table. We are having another Derby Party as one of our Auction Donation for school. I can't to pick out my new hat.

Thinking Auction

It is getting to be auction time at the kids school and now is when I think about what to donate. Two years ago we donated a Low Country Boil at our home, which was so popular that we did two dinners. Last year we had a Kentucky Derby Party. So what do I do this year? I loved doing the Derby party, but will it seen lame if I do it twice? I thought about doing a Sunday Dinner, you know... baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green vegetable, chocolate cake. It wouldn't be a special thing for my husband, but for some people gravy is not a common occurrence. I am already donating a Fancy Nancy party for 10 little girls, for which I have been stock piling all kinds of goodies. Any ideas? What kinds of things are donated to your school's auction? Any corporate connections that you can pass this way?

Aren't You Bored?

I was asked lately if I am bored staying at home. My reply, NO! I am busy planning school functions;

• International Day (14 countries represented, a renowned origami artist will give lessons, an Irish folk musician, an Ecuadorian dance group)
• Scholastic Book Fair (we are having a Royal Bookfair, due to the fact that the royal wedding is on one of our sale days... yum, wedding cake)
• planning the food for the 200 people that will attend the auction (I'm too cheap to pay a caterer for what I know I can do)
• Fancy Nancy party (this is my Auction donation, 10 little girls with tutu's, boas and tiaras, ice cream parfaits, french lesson and a professional portrait taken)
• centerpieces for the staff Christmas party on Saturday
• Spring Carnival (I'm not in charge, just a helper)
• First Grade Lunch Luau's (this month is a Chinese New Year theme)
• Camp Out on the Campus (we are having the Boy Scouts give a lesson on using a compass and an astronomer from the UW come to give a lesson on stargazing)
• going through 80 pounds of unclaimed lost and found (how is that possible?! Come on parents-label your kids stuff!)
• through in one kids birthday party (he hasn't decided on a theme)

I am busy, and as much as I enjoy it, I am looking forward to summer. What? I know it's January, but a girl has to look forward to something.

Lunch with Cat in the Hat

Lunch with Head of School, won in the Annual Auction
The table looked great, if I do say so myself!

Our Fabulous Head of School (AKA Cat in the Hat),

along with Thing One and Two

(the masterminds behind this lunch)

Cupcakes

Everyone had a great time!

Derby Party

Southern delicacies, including Bourbon balls and Kern's Derby Pie, shipped from Kentucky
Enjoying the Garden

Waiting for the Race to begin

Tanya, with Jay, made the winning bid with Super Saver!

The Teashop Girls Tea Party

Waiting for the guests to arrive.

As my donation to the school auction, I hosted a tea party today for a group of young ladies

at my house. The whole event was based on the book The Teashop Girls, by Madison writer Laura Schaefer. She reads my blog and I asked her to come talk to the girls about being a writer. She was completely delightful, and the girls were thrilled to meet her.

Is Z not wearing the PERFECT dress? She was matched to a T.

My niece, M, was so excited about meeting a real live author. She wants to know what author will be next. On a fashion note: LOVE Laura's shoes!


The favor boxes were all pink, sugary and girly!
Cookies by Design (thanks Ann) made teapot cookies to match
the teapot on the cover of the book.

Laura signing her book. Check out her website here, and buy the book!

Mrs V. hosted the party with me. She's the best.

All the young ladies, with Laura.

Cooking for 200, and living to tell the tale...

I have finally recovered from last weekends school auction. For the third year, I did the food. Six parents came over last Saturday, and helped stuff tomatoes, cut baguettes, garnish, and put all the final touches on appetizers for about 200 people. The evening was a great success, with many compliments about the food. Here's what was served:
gazpacho shooters
artichoke dip
blue cheese stuffed cherry tomatoes
BLT bites
taco bites
tenderloin with herb cream spread
chicken salad
cornbread crostini
shrimp cocktail
goat cheese tarts with roasted peppers
Bourbon BBQ meatballs
Raspberry Tiramisu
banana split cheesecake
brownies
chocolate dipped strawberries

Everything was indidual portions, for a quick pick up and keep bidding situation. Grand total for cost $1100.00. And now I rest!

Auction Recap

Last weekend was the school auction, to benefit scholarships. About 150 people showed up, drank lots of beer and wine, ate lots of food and went home with some great loot. The suprise of the evening was Matt Lepay, voice of the Badgers, mc-ing our live auction portion. B and I donated a low country boil for ten couples at our house, it was so popular that we announced we would do a second dinner for ten more couples. Both parties should be fun, and I'm already thinking about the complete menu. Barbeque pork sliders, cheese straws, boiled peanuts, etc. The money people are still crunching numbers, but I hope we did as well as last year. I chaired this year, but I think next year I'll sit out.

A Big THANK YOU!

Thank you R & K for all your help tonight. These amazing ladies gutted over 400 cherry tomatoes for tomorrow nights auction! We covered a lot of topics: weight loss, teenage sex, book clubs, jobs and lack of, new opportunities, many hours, countless topics. What a lucky girl I am, to have such wonderful friends, who come over and help with the grunt work, and do so happily.
I owe you, dessert at Sardine's?

The To Do List

On March 14th, I am chairing a fundraising auction for the boys school. All the donations are received, tables ordered and know I get to start the food prep. I am, with the help that day of 9 fellow Mommies, doing all the food. I know, CRAZY! But, I cannot pay a caterer to do what I know I can. Double the food, half the price. I did the food for last years event, and everything went great. My biggest request was for BLT Bites. I am doing Bourbon BBQ meatballs, artichoke dip, cherry tomatoes stuffed with coucous, and lots more.

I polished all my silver trays, picked the serving pieces, layered all the cocktail napkins (pink, yellow, green, blue, orange, over and over and over), have washed 200 votive holders, blah, blah, blah........... My mind just keeps on going. Checking one thing off, add two more on.