NEW YEARS PARTY WITH GRETCHEN ROSSI AND SLADE SMILEY~

I don't have photos yet because I left my camera and my friend still needs to send me the photos from her camera (she is having surgery so it may be a few days).....

But we had a WONDERFUL time on New Years Eve at Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite. I would say the only down side is that I was still feeling a bit under the weather.......

We arrived at the Lodge with our friends and got settled into our rooms. We then went to the lounge for a pre party drink and to visit.

Then we went back to our room and got dressed up for this formal event! OH MY GOSH! I was in AWE of the decorations alone......

Ok, I'm getting ahead of myself........ Soooooooooo we go to check in. And we take photos in front of this HAPPY NEW YEAR backdrop. (again on my friends camera.......I'm at her mercy sorry!)..... We are then escorted to our table.

OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH, OH MY GOSH! The room was B-E-A-utiful! Everything was done in black, white and silver. The table decorations were awesome. I was taking notes on how everything was done for future parties or children's weddings........ I'm crazy like that!

They seated us at a table right next to the dance floor. I couldn't have asked for better seating. It was IDEAL. Perfect for PEOPLE WATCHING (and oh my was there some good DIRTY DRUNK DANCING to watch as the evening went on) and perfect for getting up and steppin' on the dance floor ourselves!

Then the FOOD. OH MY! Now I really took notes on this. THIS IS HOW TO PUT ON A SPREAD!

So the 1st table: Chocolate fountain with strawberries, angle food cake and marshmallows to dip in the chocolate. Assortment of fruits to choose from.

2nd table: Beef tenderloin, Venison tenderloin and smoked Salmon.

3rd table: Sushi of all kinds.

4th table: Seafood gumbo's. Lots of different seafood mixtures with rice, etc. 4 different ones to choose from.

5th table: Chicken cooked many different ways, sausage, pastas.

6th table: HUGE container of crab legs, shrimp, Oysters, Clams, mussels.....cocktails sauce

7th table: Ceasar Salad or Garden salad.

Bar: Served anything you could think of AND had a table full of GOOD cheeses. Including slabs of Bri, crackers, breads.

Later in the evening they opened a desert table. Crepes, Bananas Foster, Ice cream.....

Our tables had party hats and horns.

So we are sitting at our table meeting our fellow party goers (both of which were from the Los Angeles area) and in walks the group of people at the table next to us. I look up as they are being seated and say "SHUT THE DOOR!"

Now as much as I hate to admit this I watch "The Real Housewives of the OC" (and of Atlanta actually) and who is sitting next to us......... Gretchen Rossi and Slade Smiley from The Real Housewives of the OC.

As the night went on my friend and I ended up talking to her and she was very very nice. Her and Slade seemed very happy. She has been up here at "Bass Lake" by us before and I believe she has family there. I took pictures of them "with their camera" for them as they were doing the hold the camera out and take a picture of themselves trick so Hunk said "Why don't you go see if they want you to take a photo for them. We also did this for the other couples sitting at our table too. It's just something we always offer. And we had others take photos of us together too (again on my friends camera........why did I leave mine?)

I didn't get a close up photo of Gretchen and Slade because some people were asking (and they had no problem doing it) but I just didn't want to be stalker mode. I felt a little bad for them and wanted them to just be able to enjoy their new years like every other couple there.

We did get some photos with them in it though. It was a bit harder as my friend lost her BIG flash but there should be some good ones.

One of the couples at our table lived in the area where these "housewives live" and she knew a couple of them personally. One she said was ..........well, I wont say EXACTLY what she said but basically She isn't a nice person..........and the other one she said is sooooooooooo nice.

We had a great time visiting, meeting new people and eating (man oh man how I wished I was feeling 100% I could have done some real damage to those buffet tables).

At midnight they served champagne and had a balloon drop on the dance floor. Hunk and I were out there with our friends dancing and holding our champagne glasses as they did the count down and the balloons fell on us.

We stayed and danced for awhile longer....... OH too funny....... The singer in the bands wife moved up to the front and was holding up a lighter while her husband sang at the end of the night. And this DRUNK girl was at the stage dancing a bit sexy and a bit drunk TO the singer in the band. Again perfect table to people watch....

We finally decided to give in and we went back to our room.

It was the first New Years Eve we have spent without our Rugrats in years but we really had a wonderful time. Next year I think I may try to do a "mini duplication" of the party here at our home. I have a year to plan it right?

I hope you all enjoyed your New Years. I'm finally feeling back to normal and feeling like I'm getting caught up on my office work as well as my home.

YESTERDAY I got my Christmas decorations taken down. This is how far behind I've been.

This flu kicked my REAR.

Miss you all so much!

Cheers to 2010!

A friend used this line the other day and I think I will steal it to say to you all.......

"May all your troubles be as short as your New Years Resolutions"

Cioa Bellas~