Party Girl

Party Girl 09.24.2008


Kelley Gauthreaux, Queen Isabel IV, and Cyrus Champagne, King Dom Pedro IV, greet their loyal subjects.


Cherie Broussard, Kim Trahan, Tommy and Monica Onebane at the Rio Sambada


Bonnie and Bill Humphries and Martha and Mike Marse tore up the dance floor at the Sambada.


Another lucky five for the Rio Corte Real are Doug Trahan, Ashley Dugas, Dawn Quirk, H.L Huffman and Art Price.

Summer was not about to end until Party Girl hit the floor with the Krewe of Rio. In fantastico Rio style, the krewe threw a “Flamingo Revue” at the Petroleum Club for its fourth annual members-only Rio Sambada. Wheeled out on Brazilian drums were the new King Dom Pedro and Queen Isabel IV, Cyrus Champagne and Kelley Gauthreaux. They shared a toast with past kings Pete Nicolosi, Warren Shepherd and Larry Comeaux and past queens Rebecca Bernhard, Clara Mosing and Gayle Milam. When it was time to choose the new Rio court, Queen Isabel invited Party Girl to come up and spin the lottery basket. I reached in and selected 10 lucky new Corte Real members: Darrin Babineaux, Ashley Dugas, H.L. Huffman, Bill Lukasko, Art Price, Dawn Quirk, Jeff Riggs, Judy Swindle, Doug Trahan and Keith Trahan. I must have pulled some good names because then that party really got going! I hope to be back with the Krewe of Rio when its Rio Parada rolls on Valentine’s Day 2009.

Board members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana, along with sponsors and special guests, gathered at Zea restaurant to celebrate the kick-off of the 25th Annual Steak & Burger Dinner event. The event this year will be held Oct. 9 at the Cajundome Convention Center. Enjoying the kick-off party was Lynn Lejeune, director of development for Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana; Karmen Blanco of Cox Communications; Bonnie White of Superior Manufacturing & Hydraulics; and BGCA board volunteer Elisabeth Arnold. Also present was Dale Miniex, Robert Michalk, Bryan and Janet Courville, Angie Doyle of TMC Foods/Popeyes, Vickie and Patrick Patout of Gulf Coast Bank and Susan Fisher. Judy Briscoe of Home Bank and Danny Jones of the Chitimacha Louisiana Open also joined Boys & Girls Clubs’ Executive Director Arlene Armentor-Bonner in celebrating the kick-off of the Silver Anniversary of the Steak & Burger Dinner. By reserving a table for the Oct. 9 event, you’ll help impact the children of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Acadiana — a sure way to bring happiness to a child and nosh the best steaks and burgers you’ll ever eat.

Party. Early Christmas Shopping. Good Cause.Google these words and “Tinsel and Treasures” pops up. I just received my invitation to the kickoff preview party, and because this is such a great event, the excitement of what to wear, who will be there and what they will be wearing gets me all “tinsely.”

Last year’s cocktail dresses were bursting with colors of coral and apple green, and I could have been mistaken but Naomi Maraist seemed to be prancing around in a beautiful pair of silver Manolo Blahnik shoes. This season the new black is purple (in a big way), rose, mulberry, pearl grey and shades of creamy vanilla. Last year we should all have paid special attention to the wonderful necklace that Jeannie Patton wore that evening — that girl knows how to accessorize. And, more important, she was ahead of this season’s big trend, which is chunky necklaces and bold bangles. After my recent skim through the September issue of Vogue, brooches are back as well.

With more than 130 vendors selling everything from clothes, jewelry, decorative home items and food, I am sure to get something for myself and get some early Christmas shopping done. This year marks the 15th anniversary for the event, an annual holiday shopping extravaganza sponsored by the Junior League of Lafayette. I like to call this event my birthday party with a little guilt-free shopping because it defines who I am as Party Girl, and the shopping is for a good cause. These ladies know how to throw a party, and I promise to be there all night checking out who’s hot — and who’s not.

Party On! - Party S. Girl
(and the S stands for Shop)


James and Marie Reinhardt cut a rug at the fourth annual Rio Sambada.


Elisabeth Arnold and Angie Doyle


Judy Briscoe, Danny Jones and Arlene Armentor-Bonner


Lynn Lejeune, Karmen Blanco, Bonnie White and Jamila Prejean


Vickie and Patrick Patout and Susan Fisher