A Short Digress to the Willow Ball

I must beg indulgence from my regular readers for just a moment. The blogosphere allows for random flights of fancy and group participation in grand fantasies that a standard subject specific writing sphere would not permit. Below is my entry into the magical universe of the 3rd annual Willow Ball held at the stately Willow Manor. To read about the history and rules of participation, please visit the main Willow Manor blog site. However, if you choose to read further, you must remember only one thing.....ANYTHING is possible at the Willow Ball!

I begin this tale by confessing that I am tremendously nervous as this is my first ball. I know, I know, a pretty and successful girl such as myself should have had her fair share of balls by now….but alas, school and work and family obligations took their toll on my elegant social life. That is not to say that I abandoned the pursuit of beautiful and classic things in my life, but they were never afforded the prominence to allow a ball. Therefore, the beautiful invitation from our gracious hostess to attend the 3rd annual Willow Ball was the cause of instant excitement and something very close to giddiness.

Even though my head began to spin as I considered all of the preparation possibilities, the choice of escort was a simple one.....as long as he concurred, of course. In fact, I would have to say that my date choice was the inspiration for the rest of my ball embellishments. When I think of a glamorous night of dancing with a man very comfortable in a tux, and light on his feet, my mind immediately flashes to the image of the incomparable William Powell. If any man was comfortable in a tux, it would be this classic charmer. His adorable sense of humor, suave and graceful, yet masculine demeanor, would make any evening a night to remember forever. Besides, I also happen to have somewhat of an Art Deco fetish. Without going overboard, I incorporate this motif into decorating whenever I can...even if only subversively. The glamorous and sleek style of this time period that also coincided with a golden age of Hollywood is one of my greatest inspirations, and indeed, inspired the remainder of my selections.....well not everything. Inspiration is just that....not the creation of an exact replica, but rather a touch of classic elegance that when combined with current contemporary elements, can create the remarkable.

My fears of a necessity to pick another escort were dissolved with William's most eager and gracious acceptance. He was delighted to have an excuse to dust off the tux again...although I pointed out that I sincerely doubted he ever neglected a tux to the point of one becoming dusty....if any man's dance card is habitually completely full, it is our dear William. He chuckled softly and added that he was even more delighted at the thought of twirling me around the dance floor all evening and made me promise to reserve most of my dances for him. He was not eager to share his date overly much on such a beautiful evening, and especially when the date is so beautiful....did I mention how the man has made flattery an utter art form? This conversation had me floating around while shopping for the next week, all with a silly smile on my face.

I am a firm believer in serendipity. Especially when searching for the perfect dress. My first leanings were toward a beautiful ball gown with somewhat large skirts to produce that beautiful swooshing sounds when gliding across the dance floor in the arms of your handsome partner. The thought of moonlight and beautiful music had me settled on a beautiful sapphire theme which of course made the jewelry selection even more fun.....until.... I stumbled upon the perfect dress that was opposite of what I had originally intended. This gown was still reminiscent of moonlight, but in a more silvery manner. The silky flow of the shimmery fabric was even more perfect as it meant freedom of movement as the night would wear on, and the sensual feel of a dance partner's hand upon one's back. I knew instantly that this gown from a London boutique would make me feel as beautiful as possible.

As you can see it was also a perfect fit for my Art Deco sensibilities. This was very reminiscent of the glamour days and I was certain that just a few additional diamond accents would make this ensemble complete. Once again serendipity was on my side as this most beautiful vintage Art Deco diamond necklace was made available at just the right time to make our wonderful ball! I rounded off the ensemble with these gorgeous Jimmy Choo glitter pumps with handbag to match. I also could not resist the temptation of wearing some sheer white gloves to add to the moonlight of the night. When it came time to get dressed, I knew I had made the right choices, but the anticipation was building to such a height....did I mention how nervous I was?

When my dashing date arrived to pick me up he surprised me in his beautiful open top 1927 Bentley. The look on his face when he first took in the radiance of his date was a priceless moment that I shall never forget - one that instantly dissolved my fears. "Why my dear, you are a vision of moonlight and elegance, you are certain to be the belle of the ball....and what better way to celebrate the moonlight on this most balmy of evenings than a in a classic open chariot." As I blushed and thought to myself how observant and gallant he was, he stopped me as I began my way down the front steps. He pulled out of his pocket, a perfectly trimmed, white heirloom rose blossom that he proceeded to tuck into my hair. He smiled, kissed my cheek, then my hand and said..."to the ball madame!". Our ride was a short one as we are not too far from the Manor, but when we arrived, we knew we had been transported to a magical place far away. Yes, of course we danced all night and let the champagne's bubbles make us lighter than we already were, but for more details as to that lovely night, I'm afraid you'll have to visit the main posting about the night's events by our beautiful and gracious hostess, Ms. Willow. It was truly a magical night to remember forever!

Until next year!

CD

9/30/10