Friday, June 27, 2008

The Great Gatsby Party

There's this popular THING in the Bay Area where ritzy blue bloods throw what's known as a "Gatsby" party...and boy are they prepared when one goes down. Fantastical costumes come flying out of their closets.

Charlie Schlangen (one of my best friends from high school) and his father Bill hosted a Gatsby party last Saturday on the solstice at their wine country estate Montedulce. It's a gorgeous home straight out of "Gone With the Wind", replete with long driveway, columns, a Gentleman's Vineyard, tennis court, and an amazing pool. All tastefully decorated, natch, with a grand piano Charlie makes sing.

They graciously opened their home to two hundred Who's Who friends from Sonoma and Napa county, LA, NYC, and San Francisco. It was quite a gathering. The laughter, gourmet food, and booze flowed freely as the big band played on into the early morning. It was all very yar.

They also had two professional photographers wandering the party, and many of my Spain cronies had cameras, so please do not judge the affair by my paltry, inebriated, NOCD offerings here...Mo better will be forthcoming (Barrett? Jacques? Ed? Step up with the photos, misters!).

The infamous, cackling trio of Brenda, Charlie, Lis:

Old Spain bestie best roomie Christy, hungry and almost in focus:

Me and Anita:

Fire-Chuck:

Anita and Ed gangsta-rapping away from their producing duties at The Dr. Phil show:

The Cool Table:

We had so much fun :)

Reunited with Fire:

She came all the way from Montana to see me! :) Love that firecracker.

Barbara being a rockstar:

Margot being Daisy:

The Montedulce Estate:
There must have been ten different tables throughout...



And somehow afterwards I ended up at my old highschool haunt Lyons restaurant with Ed, Anita, and Margot (Surreal to be in Santa Rosa with friends from LA), then locked out of the friend's house I was staying at. Slept in my car under my Star Wars blanket like a rockstar. Hahahah, I'm not old yet...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh the grandeur of it all. Must admit that I have never heard of a Gatsby party. The only thing I can relate to this is, the film the "Great Gatsby" Fab pictures by the way.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sharing the wonderful photos. Your photos are far better than mine. My camera was not working. My photos did not come out :( Happy you took photos and they are great! It is really nice to have memories of wonderful times like these. Loved your narrative too.

Perhaps some of your friends can post more photos and send them to you through Facebook?

Unknown said...

Love it. Nothing like rocking Lyons at 2AM... I can only assume you went for a milkshake or something fried...great seeing you and meeting your sis! Come up to SF soon (like, now, ok)...

Kidsis said...

JC, yes exactly the point! :)

Anon, who dat??? Identify yourself :)

BARRETT!!!! You're on. I have waaaaay too much fun with you guys. And I ordered some grand slam-like thing of pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns and ate it ALL!!!! hehehe.

By the way, I was locked out of the house because her 14 year old daughter saw "The Strangers" that week and is scared spitless...keeps locking EVERYONE out of the house, to which the mom replies "Don't worry about the strangers, I'M GONNA KILL YOU." Isn't that hysterical???

Anonymous said...

Liz,

The pics are fabulous...I have NO IDEA why the Styles Section of the Sunday New York Times has not front-paged this event...oh well...there is always next Sunday...Jeannette (NYC)

Anonymous said...

That party looks like so much fun!!! Lyons....wow....that brings back memories!
Shauna

Kidsis said...

Jeanette!!! So lovely to hear from you!!! Please send me your email addy :)

Shauna my love, somehow you and I will end up at that damn Lyons when we're 50. Count on it. ;) How's Vegas? Ready for a Fies fix?

Unknown said...

Liz,

I love, love, love looking at your pics of the magic of this fantastic Summer Solstice Gatsby evening. You truly rock, and I know being the rockstar that I am. Come to NYC, and Sis too.

Kidsis said...

Barbara, you are ON!!!! luved meeting you. Send me your email addy!