Anyone worth his or her social cachet has been running, running, running trying keep pace with the gazillion parties that have crowded our dance card in recent days. But perhaps no one has been more on her toes than effervescent social force Lynn Wyatt.

Consider this schedule: Early Thursday evening La Wyatt co-hosted the Montblanc party in the Galleria benefiting the Princess Grace Foundation then scooted over to Restoration Hardware's opening in Highland Village to fulfill her duties as a member of the exclusive host committee.

Friday night was the red carpet at the Cinema Arts Festival followed by a late-night cocktail reception at her home.

Saturday, Lynn donned her party clothes and headed for The Corinthian where she served as honorary chair of the black-tie Trees of Hope gala. But her night did not end there. Once dinner was done, she headed to Franci and Jim Crane's home for the Cinema Arts Festival late-night do saluting Ethan Hawke.

Princess Grace & Montblanc

Madame Wyatt was gifted with a newly-minted Princess Grace "writing instrument" (pen to you and me) by Montblanc retail vice president Mike Giannattasio at the cocktail gathering in the Galleria store. The party marked the Houston launch of the "Montblanc Collection Princesses Grace de Monaco" that features fine jewelry pieces, watches and those dazzling writing instruments.

You might recall that Lynn, a long-time friend of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier, was a founding trustee of the Princess Grace Foundation—USA. Proceeds from an auction that evening of one of the pens went to the foundation.

In keeping with the cultural links of the foundation, members of the Houston Ballet academy, soloist Joseph Walsh and Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch were on hand. Toby Boshak, executive director of the Princess Grace Foundation—USA, flew in from New York for the evening.

Film party chez Wyatt

The propitious date of 11/11/11 received full attention at exactly 11:11 p.m. when party hostess Lynn Wyatt asked her guests to pause for a moment of silent reflection. It was a facile task for the Cinema Arts Festival Houston cutting-edge filmmakers who had gathered for the post-screening soirée — Zhu Wen, Godfrey Reggio, Mahmoud Kaabour, Lynn Hershman and Patricio Guzman.

In the mix, CultureMap spotted Houston Cinema Arts Society executive director Trish Rigdon, artistic director Richard Herskowitz, MFAH film curator Marian Luntz and HCAS board members Margarita de la Hurtado, Federica Hunter, Mark Wawro and Lois Stark. Rounding out the party crowd were Diane Lokey Farb and Gracie and Bob Cavnar.

Ethan Hawke at the Cranes

Who needs all that Astros/MLB jabber when Ethan Hawke is in the house? Certainly not Franci and Jim Crane, for whom it seems the baseball tide is finally turning.

The Cranes opened their new abode to 70 or so Cinema Arts Festival supporters for a party following screening of Hawke's film The Woman in the Fifth. The actor was accompanied by his buddy Richard Linklater and Franci reports that the duo truly did sing for their supper as guests chatted them up about the enigmatic film and the festival.

This was one occasion when there was plenty of supper for which to sing. Jackson & Co. pulled out the stops with chicken etouffé, cheese grits and homemade biscuits. It was a feast that tempted all including Mark Wawro, Judy and Larry Dierker, Margaret Williams and Jim Daniel, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Pat Breen, Brad Wyatt escorting mom Lynn and a sprinkling of the notable filmmakers.

Filling for Tony Bennett

It's a great gig if you can swing it and it was no problem for Steve Tyrell, who stepped in at the last minute to substitute for Tony Bennett at Larry King's "testimonial dinner" at the Friars Club on Monday night. King had called Tyrell and asked that he fly up and sing King's favorite song, "The Way You Look Tonight."

Tyrell took America's Got Talent winner Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. along and introduced him to the New York audience, which gave him a standing ovation. His album That's Life, produced by Tyrell and recorded in Houston, will be released by Columbia Records on Monday.

On the star-studded program and in the audience were Katie Couric, Donald Trump, Wanda Sykes, Regis Philbin, Joan Rivers, Wolf Blitzer and Kathy Griffin.

A major score

Marc Ostrofsky is kicking up his heels in a big way. His self-published hot seller Get Rich Click!: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money on Line has been picked up by Simon and Schuster and is set for world-wide distribution in January. You might have seen the venture capitalist and entrepreneur in appearances on numerous national TV talk shows and his book has been on the New York Times and USA Today best-seller lists. And that's just the start of his good news.

The gregarious Ostrofsky heads for LA next week to explore the possibility of a talk show affiliated with either CNBC or MSNBC.

Wining & dining

That would be the group that sat down for dinner at La Colombe d'Or on behalf of Theatre Under the Stars for the "A Taste of TUTS. Chef Jeramie Robison and sommelier Richard Arnold pulled out the stops for the gathering that raised $85,000 for various TUTS programs. Part of the night's fun were the tales of celeb visitors that La Colombe d'Or owner Steve Zimmerman shared.

Dinner chairs Cheryl and Louis Raspino welcomed guests that included TUTS CEO John Breckenridge and Michelle DeJean, TUTS board chair Steve Burkett and wife Sally, Misty and Don Ellis, Larry and Charlotte Whaley, Melissa King, Paulina and Jim McGrath, Greg C. Harper and Amy and Rob Pierce.

Friends in high places

It was a who's who of Houston politicos and biz leaders, numbering more than 100, that took over the private room at El Real for Cindy Clifford's birthday bash, hosted by hubby David Bray and Cindy's BFF Jason Fuller, regional director for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

With the city election just a few days back, the political swirl was at an all-time high in this party scene. Leading the pack was U.S. Rep. Al Green, joined by City Councilwoman-elect Ellen Cohen, Metro exec Tom Jasien and wife Anne, investment firm honcho Lee Lahourcade and wife Virginia, Hines' George Lancaster, Fulbright & Jaworski senior partner Neil Thomas and wife Kris and City Council members Sue Lovell, Mike Sullivan, Stephen Costello, Oliver Pennington and Anne Clutterbuck.

Add State Rep. Carol Alvarado, U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore and Mayor Annise Parker's senior staffer Jenn Char to the heady mix turning out to help Cindy blow out the candles.

Sight 'ems

Famed chef John Besh making the rounds with long-time friends Jennifer and Lance Gilliam. Despite tweets to the contrary, John was in town, not to scout for a Houston location, but to speak at a book signing and visit his Houston buddies. The Gilliams escorted John and his wife, Jennifer, to dinner at Hugo's and then chauffeured them over to Brasserie 19, where they were warmly greeted by restaurateur/chef Charles Clark, John and Charles having become friends during an Aspen visit some years back.