Habits and routines are funny things. Once I let a routine slip, I need an act of congress to get me back into it, sometimes, never to be routine again. That is this blog. I love writing what we have been up to and when I started I also said I would write about life and the times we are in. Many of you know of the crisis my family and I went through with my father which has left me without my customary joie de vie. Everyone is experiencing the change in the economic climate to some degree and I am certain we are all in pain over the horrors occurring in Haiti.
I must confess that when life conspires to push you down just a bit, it is hard to think of parties, to be creative and to rustle up the enthusiasm that clients deserve. It comes back to habits and routines. While we do tailor each event to the particular client, much of the display work has a bit of a formula so when it came to creating a display for an annual holiday event in Greenwich, I pretty much packed up a truckload of sparkle, added some incredible staff and we were off.
This annual event includes a singer, storyteller for at least 35 children, I think this year’s topped out around 100. Then there are the nannies to which we added a nanny wrangle this year to aid in communicating. Add to that the parents who come along to this well known hostesses events. Include in the mix a beautiful carriage pulled by two stunning percheron horses, an elegant driver and a coachwoman with a pile of cozy blankets to shuttle the guests around this private loop of waterfront road and bring in the first real snowfall of the season. To completely ensure we had to be on our toes, an additional 100 guests showed leaving the final guest count at 250.
This is where the Abracadabra School of Cooking comes in. We had planned on 150 guests. 50 children and 100 adults. There was to be a children’s’ menu for their time with the storyteller and the carriage rides. That would then morph into a children’s buffet in their well appointed playroom while the kitchen transitioned to the evening event which was sans children, sans nannies. When feeding little children, I have learned to assume they will eat one bit out of a container and leave the rest so we came armed with lots of food. THANK HEAVEN!
Suffice it to say, I have very few photos of that evening. One year I will get a photo of the horses but always seem to be too busy by the time this gathering gets underway. I took a few very poor photos, which I will share, one of the hot chocolate and egg nog bar, a terrific idea with adults and children, just have someone man the bar to add the spirits for the adults! One of my happy terrific staff getting everything ready, the grazing table and of course, the snow.
Six inches of snow that evening, one staffer with a flat on his way home and two other parties rounded out the night. I was too tired to be anything but glad.
I must confess that when life conspires to push you down just a bit, it is hard to think of parties, to be creative and to rustle up the enthusiasm that clients deserve. It comes back to habits and routines. While we do tailor each event to the particular client, much of the display work has a bit of a formula so when it came to creating a display for an annual holiday event in Greenwich, I pretty much packed up a truckload of sparkle, added some incredible staff and we were off.
This annual event includes a singer, storyteller for at least 35 children, I think this year’s topped out around 100. Then there are the nannies to which we added a nanny wrangle this year to aid in communicating. Add to that the parents who come along to this well known hostesses events. Include in the mix a beautiful carriage pulled by two stunning percheron horses, an elegant driver and a coachwoman with a pile of cozy blankets to shuttle the guests around this private loop of waterfront road and bring in the first real snowfall of the season. To completely ensure we had to be on our toes, an additional 100 guests showed leaving the final guest count at 250.
This is where the Abracadabra School of Cooking comes in. We had planned on 150 guests. 50 children and 100 adults. There was to be a children’s’ menu for their time with the storyteller and the carriage rides. That would then morph into a children’s buffet in their well appointed playroom while the kitchen transitioned to the evening event which was sans children, sans nannies. When feeding little children, I have learned to assume they will eat one bit out of a container and leave the rest so we came armed with lots of food. THANK HEAVEN!
Suffice it to say, I have very few photos of that evening. One year I will get a photo of the horses but always seem to be too busy by the time this gathering gets underway. I took a few very poor photos, which I will share, one of the hot chocolate and egg nog bar, a terrific idea with adults and children, just have someone man the bar to add the spirits for the adults! One of my happy terrific staff getting everything ready, the grazing table and of course, the snow.
Six inches of snow that evening, one staffer with a flat on his way home and two other parties rounded out the night. I was too tired to be anything but glad.
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