{Recap} Holiday party & Vera Wang

Friday night found me and Ryan racing home from work, then getting all dolled up for our company’s holiday party – held at the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum.  Not the one in downtown DC, but the one by the airport.  It’s quite an experience to attend a formal party held in a vast airplane-hangar-turned-museum, with space shuttles and vintage spy planes all around you.  In addition to the fun of decking black tie attire and eating amazing food, I love checking out the party decor and tablescapes each year.  Last year I shared a few photos from my camera – like this crazy pink feather centerpiece:

This year all I had handy was Ryan’s phone, which had a bit of trouble with the lighting.  But here we go:

First, it’s amazing to be selecting desserts from a table directly at the nose of the Enterprise.  But from a decor & DIY perspective, what I loved was these simple iridescent cone trees that were on each of the tables by the space shuttle.

These two arrangements both made the use of huge birch branches, which I think is totally over the top and totally awesome.  I’m guessing since Ryan likes to leave the branches outside, though, this would never fly in the borrowed abode.

I liked this arrangement because of its simplicity, and use of natural elements.  The two tall vases are filled with water and a single floating candle, then skinny sticks (taller than the vases) are placed against them and held in place with a wrapping of birch bark.  I love it!!

Another one of those floating candles, this time with another vase full of huuuuuuge birch branches.

All in all, I think these are some great ideas for simple, mostly-natural table decor.  Airplanes optional, of course.

And now let’s talk fashion.  I was so stoked to be able to borrow this beautiful Vera Wang gown from my friend Carolynn.  She’s always finding the most awesome unique designer items on eBay and other sites.
I. Love. It.

(Note to the ladies:  it’s really convenient if you can arrange for your man’s best friend to get engaged to a woman your size, with an eye for designer duds.) She didn’t buy a new dress either, wearing instead a simple black satin (silk?) dress from a previous year, and rocked it – going for a 1940’s glamour look, with simple upswept hair and sparkling antique family jewelry.

And here I am with my handsome man . . . when we got home from the party, and I finally took my shoes off.  He may have been crossing his eyes in this . . . I set the camera to take 6 shots automatically, and he screwed most of them up with his goofball antics. 🙂

The end.