During the Nashville Antiques and Garden Show, some dear, dear friends were kind enough to throw a cocktail party in honor of yours truly… and a party they threw!
Not only did these fine folks open their homes, feed this Farmer and his team, and serve as my entre into Nashville society, but these folks also allowed this kid from Kathleen to “do the flowers,” as we say down here, for the party! Flowers for my own party… very fun my friends, very fun! And, very humbling as well, since some of the Music City’s phenomenal design talent and notables of the Antiques and Garden Show were also attendees. From one of “America’s preeminent interior designers,” (think JFK and Jackie’s White House) Albert Hadley to Ben Page, Bobby McAlpine, Jonathan Rogers, Julia Reed and Sarah Champier, this Farmer boy was in high cotton all night, meeting and greeting some of my social, design, and professional idols, let alone chatting with the delightful Nashville natives proper.
With a menu of “Lucky Money” soup, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato biscuits, black eyed pea hummus, red onion jam and crawfish cakes, the guests and this very humbled honoree were well fed with Southern comfort food in the finest form. The well stocked bars with cheddar cheese crisps and a wait staff that was quite attending and amicable made for an enhanced evening of lovely conversations and cocktails. Capers Catering did a fantastic job with the food and this Farmer would recommend them for any Southern gathering!
Lilies, amaryllis, amaranthus, delphinium, hyacinths, snaps, forsythia, quince, sassanquas, hydrangeas, orchids, fern fronds and fiddleheads all wove their way down the dining room table and onto other obliging table tops around the home. Upon completion of the long centerpiece railroading down her table, the hostess, and lady of the house, commented that her dining room table looked as if a “pall” had been draped across. We thus chuckled and concurred that it was “to die for.” Ha! She of course meant it in the highest of complements, so I was not appalled. Pun intended. I digress…
If one travels to Nashville, I envy your opportunity visiting. Granted, this Farmer is now rotten beyond repair after such a soiree, but that is just a price I’ll have to pay. I’ve heard there are stars, music folks, and glamorous celebrities in Nashville, but I was not privy to such this trip. As the honoree of a cocktail party in Belle Meade, I felt somewhat akin as to what a young singer must feel upon entering the Grand Ol’ Opry for the first time. That night amazed and humbled me, and I cannot thank my host couples enough! From this Farmer’s truly appreciative heart, I hope you all get to experience the graciousness of Nashville some time soon. In the words of Josh Bales from his song “If I was a Prince,” “it sure is a beautiful Southern city."
Not only did these fine folks open their homes, feed this Farmer and his team, and serve as my entre into Nashville society, but these folks also allowed this kid from Kathleen to “do the flowers,” as we say down here, for the party! Flowers for my own party… very fun my friends, very fun! And, very humbling as well, since some of the Music City’s phenomenal design talent and notables of the Antiques and Garden Show were also attendees. From one of “America’s preeminent interior designers,” (think JFK and Jackie’s White House) Albert Hadley to Ben Page, Bobby McAlpine, Jonathan Rogers, Julia Reed and Sarah Champier, this Farmer boy was in high cotton all night, meeting and greeting some of my social, design, and professional idols, let alone chatting with the delightful Nashville natives proper.
With a menu of “Lucky Money” soup, fried green tomatoes, sweet potato biscuits, black eyed pea hummus, red onion jam and crawfish cakes, the guests and this very humbled honoree were well fed with Southern comfort food in the finest form. The well stocked bars with cheddar cheese crisps and a wait staff that was quite attending and amicable made for an enhanced evening of lovely conversations and cocktails. Capers Catering did a fantastic job with the food and this Farmer would recommend them for any Southern gathering!
Lilies, amaryllis, amaranthus, delphinium, hyacinths, snaps, forsythia, quince, sassanquas, hydrangeas, orchids, fern fronds and fiddleheads all wove their way down the dining room table and onto other obliging table tops around the home. Upon completion of the long centerpiece railroading down her table, the hostess, and lady of the house, commented that her dining room table looked as if a “pall” had been draped across. We thus chuckled and concurred that it was “to die for.” Ha! She of course meant it in the highest of complements, so I was not appalled. Pun intended. I digress…
If one travels to Nashville, I envy your opportunity visiting. Granted, this Farmer is now rotten beyond repair after such a soiree, but that is just a price I’ll have to pay. I’ve heard there are stars, music folks, and glamorous celebrities in Nashville, but I was not privy to such this trip. As the honoree of a cocktail party in Belle Meade, I felt somewhat akin as to what a young singer must feel upon entering the Grand Ol’ Opry for the first time. That night amazed and humbled me, and I cannot thank my host couples enough! From this Farmer’s truly appreciative heart, I hope you all get to experience the graciousness of Nashville some time soon. In the words of Josh Bales from his song “If I was a Prince,” “it sure is a beautiful Southern city."
