Tea With Iris

It’s a hybrid of La Biennale di Venezia and Bouquets to Art in San Francisco in a very broad sense, only on a much, much smaller scale as befits our area.  Nonetheless, we art lovers here in the desert eagerly look forward to the biennial “A Day in the Garden” presented by the Palm Springs Art Museum to raise money for its Arts Council (“MAC”).  Yes, it is yet another charity event in the land of countless fundraisers.  But this one is different in concept and appeal.  Some fifteen to twenty members of MAC compete with one another to see who can create the most elaborate, the most interesting, the most exciting, the most creative themed luncheon table decorations and cuisine.  Picture a ladies outdoor luncheon gone wild on steroids and you will have some idea of what I mean.  Save for a few brave men, primarily it is the “ladies who lunch” crowd that attends.  And these women universally ignore the invocation to “dress casually and comfortably” and make the scene worthy of Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs or Fashion Week in Palm Desert.  Our table was themed “The Tea with Iris” in honor of our hostess’ tortoise named Iris.  Although our group included a number of fashion renegades, for some inexplicable reason we tended to follow the dress code this year.  Fortunately the vast majority of attendees did not.  So enjoy the eye candy and inspiration for your Spring and Easter entertaining.