Did you all have a good weekend? It sounds like those of you in southern England are having a very exciting time with all of your new fallen snow. I love the snow, so I’m so excited for all of you to be having so much fun!
We had a pretty quiet weekend. On Saturday evening, the yearly auction to benefit the school that my children went to was held. It’s a VERY posh, formal affair — so posh, I never get to go. By the time you buy tickets for two, rent a tux and buy a new gown, you could easily be approaching four figures. Maybe someday when I don’t need a new roof, counter tops, …. well, you get the picture. There will always be something, so it won’t happen.
Anyway, for the last 5 or 6 years, it’s been our (MeMum and I) tradition to sneak in, before the affair and ogle the fabulous decor. They have a different theme every year. It used to be children’s book themes (Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are (my favorite year, how I wish I had pictures), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc.) but they seem to be getting away from those themes. This year, the theme was “That’s Amore” and the decor had a wine/Italian theme.
They made the entrance look like you were going through a wine cellar. This is actually the high school locker room, but you’d NEVER know it. It’s one thing to have a restaurant or business permanently decorated like this, but to bring it all in for one evening is something else. The decor is so over-the-top and it’s really fun to see. For example, where on earth did they get all those wine kegs in the middle of nowhere with no wineries in sight???
After you walk through the “wine cellar” you enter the “ballroom/dining room”. There are always chandeliers hanging above each table. They always sell these after the event every year (That’s where I got the chandelier for the dungeon last year — for some reason I didn’t blog it and now those pictures are gone with the hard drive crash. ;-(. )
They serve a multi-course meal and just look at all those glasses — one water goblet and 3 wine glasses. (These pictures are a little deceiving — it was actually pretty dark. I set my camera on a pedestal and slowed the shutter speed way down to allow extra light in.)
I thought the tables were just beautiful this year. Each chair had a black and white feather boa hanging on it. And I’ll bet SweetiePie would have drooled over the tablecloths — they reminded me of the black and white prints she used in her wedding. I’m guessing there were between 20 and 25 large round tables.
You’d be pretty hard pressed to guess that this is an auditorium. The door in the picture above is the only thing that gives it away. I’m always very intrigued by the fabrics and pictures that they hang on the walls. And see the display above with the pictures and that ladder? The black trellis thing on the walls is FULL of little tea light candles. I think there were at least four of them in the room with ladders standing ready — I’m sure they planned to light those candels just before everyone arrived.
And last, but not least, the flowers. The flower arrangements were just gorgeous. Those are all real flowers. I think they were my favorite part.
I think they were selling those after the event too LOL. Must eek out every penny for the cause!
So, That’s Amore, a little sewing and a few movies (Doubt and Grand Torino — both big thumbs up, although Grand Torino has really bad language, so beware) made up my big weekend. Any excitement in your neck of the woods???
XOXO,
Anna
WOW! That looks like a fabulous event! Thanks for “sneaking in” and snapping the photos! :)
How very posh! I love that you sneek in :) Your pictures are great!!
Very very nice! Would love to go one time, when we hit the lottery LOL. Went to see Taken yesterday. Kept me on the edge of my sit. Have a great week.
Oh my goodness, So wonderful!! Wouldn’t it be fun to go.
The transformation is phenomenal! I just love it all! I can understand why you may not be able to go. Wow, four figures, that’s a lot for one night out. But what a lovely atmosphere to do it in.
It is beautiful! It always amazes me the numbers of people that can actually afford to attend these kinds of galas. I guess after what we have seen lately though, it should not surprise me.
Very elegant and is there an auction or entertainment for the affair? My children’s school had a yearly fund raiser gala that included a silent auction but the decorations were nothing to this scale. Black and white with red is a favorite combo.
Wow, that’s a lot of work setting all that up for one night….but it’s beautiful and all for a good cause. Sorry you couldn’t go, if it makes you feel any better…I wouldn’t have been able to go either :0
My excitement was a road trip that produced some yummy items.
wow…posh indeed! absolutely gorgeous!
Wow. Beautiful. I’m in awe of people who have the vision to decorate a plain gym into something that spectacular. Heck, I’m in awe of people of can decorate, period.
Beautiful :)~
oh my.
wow.
WOW! That’s impressive!!!! No wonder the tickets are so expensive – they must have to spend a fortune to set it all up!
Lucy xxx
Wow! I love those decorations, but I think the book themes would be more interesting. Because they aren’t done all the time.
WOW! Beautiful! You would never know you were in a school gym/auditorium.
My goodness, it kind of puts the fish and chips quiz nights at my youngest daughter’s school to shame!!!
Kimx
That looks absolutely amazing – what a lot of preparation. No wonder it’s expensive.
I am blown away! I can see why they charge so much! Amazing. Wow. OMG. Seriously… that’s a school? OMG. I can’t stop – must look away. Must stop saying OMG.
One more for the road… OMG!
I would have just stood there and stared..and completely forgotten to have taken my camera out. That event looks like it was absolutely amazing!
Gosh how fabulous is your blog? I am not worthy . . . Thanks for popping in to my blog. Helen
Are you sure the world is in an economic meltdown!!! Who pays for all of this and how much money is actually made!! It really is absolutely stunning!! Lucky you just being able to sneak in and see it. xx
Oh my!! An auditorium?? Amazing!
It does look incredible, but I’m with you; I’d take care of the countertops, college tuition, etc. before I’d pay to go….but if someone wanted to give me a free ticket…that’s another thing.
Wow…….that’s just….. amazing! What a transformation – I can’t imagine the hours of planning and execution. Reminds me of a church we’ve visited at Christmas that turns their entire sanctuary into a Bethlehem marketplace- the ultimate living nativity!! The whole thing makes me tired just thinking about it!!
Wow that looks so fancy! Absolutly beautiful! I can defintly see how attending an event like that could get mighty expensive. At least you were able to sneak in and get some great photos!
(oh, and yes I do just LOVE my name. I have always been told it is very classic and regal, i think it fits me nicely)
Next time would you pinch me one of those tablecloths? Gorgeous!
I think it is grat you sneak in to have a look before the big night! Love the theme for the evening – the feather boas are a great touch.
That looks like a seriously professional and swish-looking event Anna! Lovely sneaky peeks for us bloggers! It looks like a film set, or like some real wine cellars I’ve been into in Tuscany. Ah, Tuscany….
WOW! What a gorgeous event! The decor is amazing.
It is always so interesting to me to see how people decorate for those big events. Thanks for sharing a peek into this one!
I think it’s more fun to sneak in and look at that than attend!
As I’ve zoomed past the other comments, I’ve noticed a lot of “WOW’s”. I am adding my own WOW!! to that total. What was accomplished in the boys’ locker room and the auditorium is AMAZING! I’m so glad you and MeMum snuck in. It looks like a very expensive event. The “wine cellar” looks very much like the actual wine celler where The Man and I had dinner in Pennsylvania. They did an excellent job with all the decorating.
My weekend was extremely dull compared to yours. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this is a fund raiser for a school? That is incredible. And it costs so much to attend? Double wow. The decor is fabulous. Sorry, I am so late getting around to comments this week…I have been so busy and I am off on a business trip until the weekend.
That is absolutely beautiful Anna. You would never know it is a school. WOW!!!
It all looks wonderful.
A wow from me too! Such a huge amount of work must go into planning and staging that event. The flowers are stunning!
Glad you managed to get a sneak preview :-)
xxx
Wow, a very fancy affair! It doesn’t look like a school at all! I especially love the flowers! They’re so beautiful!
How’s the weather there? We’re supposed to warm up to 38 here tomorrow-a regular heat wave!:)
How fun! The decorating is amazing and I love the fact that you were able to have a peak beforehand. That might have been even better in some ways than attending the event itself, since you got to see the “untouched” decor!
a very posh affair, indeed. impressive!
WHAT an event! Beautiful photography Anna.
Jody
This looks amazing!!
Holy moly sister that is some affair – who the heck plans this baby up every year – the PTA. Your pictures are beautiful – breath taking to say the least. Would be fun to be a mouse in the corner for that affair. What are they raising money for?
Hugs – karen
Unbelievable – how fantastic – I have never seen anything like that for a school function!
Your photos are fantastic.
Amazing…what a transformation. You must have some very dedicated and talented volunteers in your school district to pull of such a wonderful event.
I’m such an oddball. lol I love the photos, and the decorations are astounding. But what was the first thing I did when I was done reading the post? Type “chandelier” into your search box, and find this for you. :o)
I would love to go to one of those nights, though. Just like the amazing balls of long, long ago! Thanks for the sneak peek, Anna. Such fun!
Oh, and the excitement today is a little girl waiting for me downstairs in a puddle of her own making. ;o)