The Price Was Right

Back in the early 80's, my aunt and uncle (family friends, not blood relatives, but they were very close) moved to California. It being LA, they got in a bit over their heads and were quite stressed financially. My uncle took my aunt to see The Price Is Right. He got interviewed in line once, then again. Then was walked to a special seat. He was pretty sure something was up.

Sure enough, he got called. And won. Then won the Showcase Showdown, bidding within $100 so he won them both (he worked for the FBI, he was a pretty detail-oriented guy). If memory serves, he won a Mustang, a vacation, a fur coat and a swingset for his kids amongst other stuff. My aunt was so excited that she ran right past him and straight for the fur.

They sold it all, except for the swingset.

I remember my parents being all kinds of excited, and the fun preprinted Bob postcard we got in the mail (they filled in the date that it would air), and being a little jealous that my really cool and beautiful aunt and uncle took it all for all the world to see.

Although now that I think about it, if Bob's so big on animal rights, what was with the fur coat?

Not the One With George Clooney

So what, you ask, could be more harrowing than being chased down by a mob of angry parents who would like to kill you, the spokesman, for your client's several transgressions in front of their darling little kiddies and who the hell do you think you are and you are a worthless human being and what are you part of the heinous liberal left and are you going to issue a statement of official apology and holy crap where is the back exit?

That, my friends, would be the event I attended today.

Granted, the crowd was very educated and quite pleasant. And the popsicle dessert, not so bad. But the screaming was horrible, and the fainting episode (mine) pretty much sucked.

My 3-year old's first emergency room visit. 5 stitches on the chin. Pushed into a puppet show at school.

I just hope neither of us ever has to live through that again. I'll take crazed parents who want to punch me in the mouth ANY day of the week over that. In fact, if there are any said parents who would like to come over right now and throw a swing or two just so I can get a bit of a leg up on Karma, well, then that would be just great.

Photo: my fabulous friend X and George at the 2006 WH Correspondents Dinner. Yes, it's been over a year; yes, still jealous as HELL.

Tonight

...started out with a spot of rain and a bit of shopping over at Apres Peau to benefit Labels for Love. A lovely crowd, and Ms. Alster in her Vuitton finest (if you missed her shoe closet in the Post last week, look for the upcoming pictorial of her home in the July issue of Washington Spaces). I in my fancy new Julie Brown party dres from Alex, with my BFF's grandmother's vintage billion-chain Monet necklace. 'Twas lovely to see so many friends from the DSS gang, especially as we start to gear up for the fall event.

Next, over to the Kennedy Center Rooftop (second time in a week--first was the VIP party for the KC speakers series) for the Awesomely Bad Ball to benefit the Forum Theatre. A really diverse crowd--different than the 400 same people you see everywhere, but lots of great friends, too. A good auction, though all items had "Buy It Now" pricing--so you could, for example, stop the bidding if you paid $150 for a $200 Milano gift certificate if you acted quick. Didn't make much sense to me from a fundraising standpoint, but for once I was the guest, not the worker bee!

You cannot fault an event that serves fried chicken, mashed potatoes and spaghetti and meatballs on the buffet. The polar opposite from our fabulous dinner at DC Coast last night (complete with complimentary tasting courses prepared by the chef just for our little table--the perfect end to what was prior to that a harrowing day!), but fantastic nonetheless.

I'm betting that this beat the PANTS off of the fundraising dinner across town. To loosely paraphrase my good friend M, "4,000 of your closest friends crammed into a room, including people bussed in from Iowa who paid a kajillion dollars thinking they were going to sit down and have dinner with the president." Fried chicken on a rainy rooftop beats that hands down any day.

Bad Blogger, Party of One...

Okay. So. A bit of a maelstrom.

Today, I had a group of, oh, about 100 parents of 10 year olds that literally wanted to rip me limb from limb at my alma mater. Seriously. Long story. But limb from limb.

Then there was the boat. From Kazakhstan. That has the vodka. That's not here.

So here. Come tomorrow. I'll be the frazzled one.

Fabulous Washington Hostesses: Marjorie Merriweather Post

Sorry, another crazy week. This event:

....is going to kick serious ass due to its complete and utter fabulousness. Once it's done killing me. (I cannot take credit for its brilliant concept, however).

So.
Random Trait: Serial (and Cereal!) marrier. Actually, untrue, as she was born a cereal barroness. Married the Birds Eye guy, though.

Buy: If you're modern/transitional, Grange furniture. If you're old school, some Faberge.

Read: American Empress by Nancy Rubin Stuart; The Side of a Cereal Box by C. Chocula.

Do: Summer in the Adirondacks (see you there in a few weeks--though our stay is no Topridge!), winter in Palm Beach (though I much prefer Middle Road in downtown PB*); smoke a doobie at Merriweather, since the acoustics pretty much suck anyway (lord knows it's a bazillion times more preferable than evilheinousvulgar Nissan, however); spend the 8 bucks and finally head down to Hillwood.

*My 30th birthday: 15 of my very bestest friends in a 12-bedroom PB house, fully staffed, for the week. Then Christmas: getting COMPLETELY loaded, trapsing across the street, like 10 family members, and belting out Happy Birthday to Jimmy Buffet's window. Loud. And that, kids, was a very good year.

Fabulous Washington Hostesses: Alice Roosevelt Longworth

I'm back! Sorry, life of a publicist: end of the month is a BEAST.

Random trait: Delightfully catty: her famed embroidered pillow said, “If you haven’t anything nice to say, come sit by me.”

Buy: Delightfully catty embroidered pillows (anyone have a source? I could have sworn Artsy Fartsy in Bethesda had them, but nope, and I know somewhere in Middleburg does, but can’t place it.)*

Read: Crowded Hours by Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Caring for Your Pet Snake by Rennay Craats.

Do: Smoke like a chimney and gamble ‘til the sun comes up, all the while wearing your best pearls. Fear no one, be perpetually hilarious, and bury voodoo dolls of those you loathe.

*I think I need some of these for my about-to-be finished lr, so if you know of a source, pls shoot it my way lest I add this to my humongously long and ever-growing list of art projects, which includes sewing my guest room curtains (one down, one to go) and embroidering my own dining room chairs (will never happen, but wouldn't it be cool?).

GO RIGHT NOW

Yoox Sample Sale started this morning. Just scored Balenciaga shorts for $95. Tip: change "Items per page" from 10 to 30 for fastest scanning.

Good luck!