Shelby's Social Diary
Franci and Jim Crane, Dr. Red Duke and Lynn Wyatt each have their moment atSocial Book soirée
Sunday nights are usually sacred personal evenings, not as in "Let us pray," but rather as in "It's my private time." Not so this past Sunday when a VIP crowd RSVP'd in the positive for the Social Book's Houston Treasures 2012 announcement dinner.
Kudos to Social Book partners Scott Evans, Jeff Henry and Sami Shbeeb for luring more than 250 cocktail-attired guests to the swank ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel. By all accounts, it was a Sunday evening well spent.
Guests feasted on a four-course, four seasons-themed dinner overseen by executive chef Maurizio Ferrarese. The meal presentation served as the evening's entertainment with HoustonPBS personality Ernie Manouse introducing each course in clever seasonal prose and the Richard Brownstring quartet providing a related musical piece.
Warner Roberts, who founded the Social Book Houston Treasures in 2004, introduced the program of awards, which recognizes individuals and couples noted for philanthropy, volunteerism, medicine, the arts, etc. Each honoree was introduced by former award recipients such as Arthur Schechter, Pat Breen, Denise Bush Bahr, Cora Sue Mach and Lynn Wyatt.
While not all Treasures were present, all received introductions and rounds of applause. Those who will be featured in the pages of the 2012 Social Book are Franci and Jim Crane, Dr. Red Duke, Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein and Martin Fein, Barbara and Gerald Hines, Barbara and Ulyesse LeGrange, Walter Kase, Beth Madison, Darryl Murchison, Marilyn Oshman, Fran Fawcett Peterson, Diane and John Riley, Paul Somerville and Phyllis Williams.
Contributing to the evening's glamour were the Gloria Ferrer Sparkling Wines, the fab 4-foot tall confection by Who Made the Cake?, the Jordan wines, the crystal candelabra dressed in blossoms from Flowers by Nino and so much more.
Taking in the dazzling setting that included a crystal canopy and crystal columns were Saks Fifth Avenue's Terry Zmyslo and Sylvia Forsythe, Tiffany & Co.'s Michael McClure, Linda McReynolds, Bill King, Marijo and Denman Moody, Charity Yarborough, Dallas Hill, Chris Kase, Ed McMahon, Carol Barden, Tara and David Wuthrich and Four Seasons general manager Dirk Burghartz and wife Kelly.