An Easter Parade of Fashion's
Sunday, March 6, 2016
What a beautiful spring day it was this past Sunday! Just in time for the Hammond Garden Club's Easter Parade of Fashions style show. Not only was the weather cooperating but the venue was absolutely marvelous. It is a new center for having weddings and all kinds of parties including our style show. It's Juliana's Wedding and Event Center in Ponchatoula where McClendon's nursery used to be.....but it no longer looks anything like a nursery. When you step inside it's like you're almost transported to Tara , the mansion referred to in "Gone With The Wind".
Do you understand what that does for brides or models to walk down such a grand staircase from behind leaded glass doors, escorted by VIP's in black tuxedos? It was almost breath taking!
The crowds began entering (228) most dressed in church finery and most men in suits, (when you're in an elegant place you tend to dress accordingly). The tables were clothed in floor length white table cloths and decorated by Linda Ryan (our decorator in residence) and her crew. Each table was adorned with a colorful Easter basket with live growing rye grass, Easter eggs, butterflies, candy eggs donated by Elmer's Candy and all surrounded by pretty pink, bunny programs standing in a circle. There were plastic eggs filled with jelly beans and chocolate. From the top of the stairs it looked like a pink and white confection. Dillard's also put a tiny gift bag filled with cosmetics from their cosmetic department.
A light lunch was served and when dessert began so did the show.
Rosa Dunn as always was the very gracious emcee giving all the personal particulars about the models and their escorts as they appeared at the top of the stairs. She then shared the microphone with Ms. Kathy Johnson the General Manager of Dillard's who gave wonderful descriptions of the clothes and their designers the models were wearing as they made their way down the runway.
There were 26 models, nine of which were children aged four to ten years old, four teens to 18 years old and the rest were ladies in the garden club or friends of the garden club.
There was such an assortment of beautiful dresses, pant suits and a long denim duster with white pants and shirt underneath. There was formal, cocktail, sporty and Easter Sunday dresses with wide brimmed matching straw hats. The teens were in rompers, pants outfits and a terrific blue cut-out prom dress that I don 't ever remember seeing one quite like that at any prom I attended in school!
The youngest models looked like little angels, some all in white, some in pale luscious shades of aqua green. The guys were also decked out in suits, pants, shirts and vests with ties or bow ties and one with a smart looking white shorts outfit with layered hot pink and blue checkered shirts.
They all seemed nervous before those leaded glass doors opened, each one holding the arm of their handsome escort, (what man doesn't look fantastic in a tux!). But as they stepped out on the platform, smiles appeared and they looked almost like professional models, handling those high stairs in two and three inch heels like a pro!
The escorts helped them down the stairs, stopped after the last step, turned and went behind stage again to escort the next model. The models continued, making a turn at the steps, again in the middle, near the podium, turned and continued back to waiting chairs until all had made their journey down the runway.
The escorts then re-entered through the glass doors and partially down the steps as the models again paraded down the runway one last time to the applause of the crowd.
Once again Rosa took the microphone to announce the winners of the door prizes and the raffle items. Everyone was having such a good time we couldn't keep the roar of the crowd down so they could hear the numbers being called.
The wonderful models in the Easter Parade in order of their appearance were: Sylvia Dileo, Mary Thornhill, Elizabeth DePaula Worthy, Joseph Simon grandson of Melanie & Rob Stein, Mary Claire and Anna Grace Hoover granddaughters of Ed and Peggy Hoover, Jackie Carr, Kim Zabbia First Lady of Ponchatoula, Susan Allen, Ashley Director daughter of Brenda Daussat and mother of Abe, Madeline and Audrey.
Phyllis diBenedetto, Cathryn Rossie great grandmother to Brooklyn, Brock and Brenley Cothern, Juliana Chan part owner of Juliana's Wedding and Event Center, Margaret Hawkins grandmother to Lauren, Madison Babin niece of Linda Ryan and Anette Kirylo mother of Antonio and Alexander.
And their handsome escorts were: Sam Dileo, Steve Nelson , Former Hammond Mayor Mayson Foster, Rob Stein, Ed Hoover, Mayor of Hammond Pete Panepinto and Mayor of Ponchatoula Bob Zabbia.
The members of the Hammond Garden Club would like to thank all of the models and their escorts, Ms Kathy Johnson and Judy Miller of Dillard's for fitting the models and helping to get the show on the runway, the decorators and workers at the show, the models dresser and back stage helper Karen Granier. Don Johnson, Juliana Chan and the staff of the venue and most of all the sponsors and those who donated prizes for the raffle. Without all of their help and the guests who attended this event would not have been possible.
After all proceeds are counted and all expenses are in we will present a check to the Louisiana Children's Discovery Center whose funds were cut this year. They are teaching the children about keeping their city clean and that is a huge part of what the garden club is all about. What better place to start than with the little ones.
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of the District VI Garden Club Federation and the Deep South Region of the National Garden Clubs doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America !
by Linda Broussard she is a member
of the Hammond Garden Club
Do you understand what that does for brides or models to walk down such a grand staircase from behind leaded glass doors, escorted by VIP's in black tuxedos? It was almost breath taking!
The crowds began entering (228) most dressed in church finery and most men in suits, (when you're in an elegant place you tend to dress accordingly). The tables were clothed in floor length white table cloths and decorated by Linda Ryan (our decorator in residence) and her crew. Each table was adorned with a colorful Easter basket with live growing rye grass, Easter eggs, butterflies, candy eggs donated by Elmer's Candy and all surrounded by pretty pink, bunny programs standing in a circle. There were plastic eggs filled with jelly beans and chocolate. From the top of the stairs it looked like a pink and white confection. Dillard's also put a tiny gift bag filled with cosmetics from their cosmetic department.
A light lunch was served and when dessert began so did the show.
Rosa Dunn as always was the very gracious emcee giving all the personal particulars about the models and their escorts as they appeared at the top of the stairs. She then shared the microphone with Ms. Kathy Johnson the General Manager of Dillard's who gave wonderful descriptions of the clothes and their designers the models were wearing as they made their way down the runway.
There were 26 models, nine of which were children aged four to ten years old, four teens to 18 years old and the rest were ladies in the garden club or friends of the garden club.
There was such an assortment of beautiful dresses, pant suits and a long denim duster with white pants and shirt underneath. There was formal, cocktail, sporty and Easter Sunday dresses with wide brimmed matching straw hats. The teens were in rompers, pants outfits and a terrific blue cut-out prom dress that I don 't ever remember seeing one quite like that at any prom I attended in school!
The youngest models looked like little angels, some all in white, some in pale luscious shades of aqua green. The guys were also decked out in suits, pants, shirts and vests with ties or bow ties and one with a smart looking white shorts outfit with layered hot pink and blue checkered shirts.
They all seemed nervous before those leaded glass doors opened, each one holding the arm of their handsome escort, (what man doesn't look fantastic in a tux!). But as they stepped out on the platform, smiles appeared and they looked almost like professional models, handling those high stairs in two and three inch heels like a pro!
The escorts helped them down the stairs, stopped after the last step, turned and went behind stage again to escort the next model. The models continued, making a turn at the steps, again in the middle, near the podium, turned and continued back to waiting chairs until all had made their journey down the runway.
The escorts then re-entered through the glass doors and partially down the steps as the models again paraded down the runway one last time to the applause of the crowd.
Once again Rosa took the microphone to announce the winners of the door prizes and the raffle items. Everyone was having such a good time we couldn't keep the roar of the crowd down so they could hear the numbers being called.
The wonderful models in the Easter Parade in order of their appearance were: Sylvia Dileo, Mary Thornhill, Elizabeth DePaula Worthy, Joseph Simon grandson of Melanie & Rob Stein, Mary Claire and Anna Grace Hoover granddaughters of Ed and Peggy Hoover, Jackie Carr, Kim Zabbia First Lady of Ponchatoula, Susan Allen, Ashley Director daughter of Brenda Daussat and mother of Abe, Madeline and Audrey.
Phyllis diBenedetto, Cathryn Rossie great grandmother to Brooklyn, Brock and Brenley Cothern, Juliana Chan part owner of Juliana's Wedding and Event Center, Margaret Hawkins grandmother to Lauren, Madison Babin niece of Linda Ryan and Anette Kirylo mother of Antonio and Alexander.
And their handsome escorts were: Sam Dileo, Steve Nelson , Former Hammond Mayor Mayson Foster, Rob Stein, Ed Hoover, Mayor of Hammond Pete Panepinto and Mayor of Ponchatoula Bob Zabbia.
The members of the Hammond Garden Club would like to thank all of the models and their escorts, Ms Kathy Johnson and Judy Miller of Dillard's for fitting the models and helping to get the show on the runway, the decorators and workers at the show, the models dresser and back stage helper Karen Granier. Don Johnson, Juliana Chan and the staff of the venue and most of all the sponsors and those who donated prizes for the raffle. Without all of their help and the guests who attended this event would not have been possible.
After all proceeds are counted and all expenses are in we will present a check to the Louisiana Children's Discovery Center whose funds were cut this year. They are teaching the children about keeping their city clean and that is a huge part of what the garden club is all about. What better place to start than with the little ones.
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of the District VI Garden Club Federation and the Deep South Region of the National Garden Clubs doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America !
by Linda Broussard she is a member
of the Hammond Garden Club