I’ve never been happier to be overdressed for the day than I was this past weekend when I started my Sunday at a private brunch over my girlfriends house and then walked in a fabulous Emmy after party.
I walked in the door of my girlfriend Susie’s in a linen Grecian inspired ensemble, only to find that all of the other ladies were way more relaxed in yoga pants and t-shirts. I often find myself in these situations. Especially at work where the dress code is super casual. I’m talking jeans and t-shirts, sweatpants and hoodies casual. So casual in fact that people ask me frequently why I’m so dressed up. But there’s just something about dressing up for me lately that feels really good, but I digress, this post is about my crashing the Emmy’s and well the whole dressing up thing came in handy because I had NO idea prior to crashing that I would be doing it that day!
Not sure if I’ve mentioned this in past posts, but I come from a family of musicians, in fact the whole side of my Dad’s family are musicians in some way shape or form singers, producers, arrangers…. music has always been a big part of my life. So it was no biggie when my brother’s told me that they would be performing at the after party for the Emmy’s. I happened to be free after brunch so they asked me if I wanted to come hang out with them at their sound check.
Because they had already been performing when I got there, I had to do some fast talking to get inside the venue, but once I was in and given my wristband I was given full access to the event no questions asked.
Living in Los Angeles people think that parties like this are a regular occurrence, but they’re really not for most natives (unless you’re in the entertainment business), so I still get awestruck when I see what goes in to putting this kind of event together. I mean the sheer scale of the place is magical in itself, and every detail seems to be ironed out meticulously. From the bathrooms that had specialty soaps and lotions (of which I may have snuck into my purse) to the waiter assigned to each table of 10, to the beautiful waitresses walking around with handcrafted cocktails. No detail was left un-turned. It all just made me feel that there’s this whole world of fancy out there that I have YET to really experience. If they do this for the Emmy’s, imagine what they do for the Oscar’s!
Right before the party started my brother and I were standing around just looking out at the event space, there were 4 women up on stage playing the hell out of violins, I asked my brother if they were just now doing their sound check. He said that they were “creating the WOW factor”. Of course I didn’t know what this meant and looked at him like “the what”? HE said the WOW! Factor is what events like this create as guests walk into the room. The party seems to already be in full swing, waiters at each table, performers performing, cocktails being poured. This is to give the impression that the party has been going on and you’ve just walked into the fabulous of it all. The notion behind this was remarkable to me, as a party planner I think about entertaining my guests with my food, my attention to certain detail ( my guests get the feels when I have paper towels instead of hand towels in the bathroom), a clean and welcoming environment. Not once have I ever thought of this WOW factor concept. But it makes perfect sense! I was impressed by the mere idea alone!
Then there were the drinks! All beautifully handcrafted in pretty little glasses carried by pretty little women! In 6 inch HEELS no less! I had to ask one lovely lady how she did it, to which she responded “very carefully”.
I was attempting to act like I do these kinds of things all the time, but after a few cocktails, that just went out the window. However I did manage to keep it together when I ran into one of my favorite television moms Becky Ann Baker, otherwise known as Looren Horvath…
I mumbled to her, how much I loved her take no bullshit approach to parenting on Girls to which she said she was there with her own daughter and I actually asked if she was anything like her character…yeah as you can see talking to celebrities brings out the idiot in me. But she humored me and said “not at all”. I love when the people from inside the TV are just as cool on the outside.
I was creating up enough courage to find someone to let me hold their Emmy. My plan was to sit close enough, but far enough away to eavesdrop on an Emmy winners conversation, then once I knew they weren’t douchy Hollywood peeps I would make my play for the trophy. T’was a good plan, but I don’t think that’s how it finally happened. What I think happened is we were all drunk enough that I just asked and in their drunken Emmy winning happiness they obliged, and then had a little fun with it themselves…
Thanks lovely lady who I imagine let me hold her Emmy and get my lipstick on it. You made my dreams come true!
So peeps, when have you said yes to an invite you otherwise wouldn’t have gone to, and it paid off in the end? I’d love to know in the comments below!