Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 16, 1993 TAG: 9302160166
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Kathleen Wilson
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
SEX SYMBOLS, FAMOUS LOVERS PARTY TOGETHER
Clad in what could best be described as a felt dress, Lee Bowman stood next to the similarly attired Jeannie Fulton and surveyed the costumed crowd at Ruth An Cooper's Valentine's Day Masquerade Wing-ding on Saturday night.Couples who attended this party were instructed to dress up as famous lovers, like Blondie and Dagwood, June and Ward, Barney and Thelma Lou.
"I guess the price you pay for not being clever is that you wind up wearing a dress," said Lee, who was dressed as Fred Flintstone. Jeannie was Wilma.
Even flying solo last weekend wasn't reason enough to be let off the hook for dressing up. Singles were to come as sex symbols, and the invitation suggested masquerading as Kathy Ireland, Cindy Crawford, Richard Gere or Mel Gibson.
If there was someone in this town who could successfully pull off being Mel Gibson, if only for a night, well, that I had to see. (I was tremendously disappointed.)
Thanks to fertile imaginations, Ruth An's guests included John McEnroe and Tatum O'Neal (David and Jan Falkouski); Ralph and Alice Kramden (Buster and Julie Mowles); and Mae West (Robin Key).
I was told to check out the couple dressed as Woody Allen and Soon Yi Previn, which turned out to be two serious journalist types who work for this newspaper - David Poole and Mary Bishop.
This party was loads of fun, but then, the evening came with a guarantee. "This is going to be the best party I've ever given" promised Ruth An's invitation.
It's seldom you'll hear a fund-raiser described as a bargain. But for the 150 or so who attended the Diamonds & Dinosaurs Gala at the Science Museum of Western Virginia on Saturday, it seemed well worth the ticket price of $50 per couple.
"It's something everyone can afford," said Lisa Langhammer, who has to be one of the most elegant women I've ever seen in her chic, black velvet Donna Karan dress.
For those looking to make Valentine's Day a real event, this gala offered it all. Though it was black-tie-optional, most of the men went the tuxedo route. And the women proved you don't have to dress bare-as-you-dare to look sensational.
WDBJ (Channel-7) weatherjester Patrick Evans wore a bright red tie and cummerbund with his tux and walked a wide path around the museum's Weather Watch exhibit. Kimberly Caldwell was just one of the women who wore bright red with style.
"Just once I wish I had dark hair and white skin so I could wear red," commented Amy Whitlow. She and her sister, Annette, have the Nicole Kidman wild red hair many brunettes wished they had to add fire to simple black dresses.
Acoustic guitar music by Joe and Deet accompanied guests who wandered in and out of the museum's exhibits. Jeweler Frank L. Moose provided a one-night-only diamond exhibit, including a bracelet appraised at $22,500.
The auction got off to an exciting start, with guests bidding feverishly for Barney the Purple Dinosaur. More than 100 items - including bottles of wine, fitness club memberships and getaway weekends - were auctioned with the proceeds going to the museum.
While chatting with her sister and friend Ginger Equi, Amy lost track of her fiance, Tom Blair, until the auctioneer pointed at Tom and yelled "Gone!"
Amy quickly scanned the auction list, hoping that item 49 was the Frank L. Moose bracelet she'd had her eye on, and groaned when she discovered he'd won the $250 gift certificate from Audiotronics.
For him, of course.
THE PARTY LINE: If you'd like to invite Mingling columnist Kathleen Wilson to a party or social gathering, call her at 981-3434; when asked for the mailbox, dial MING (6464) and press the # key. Then leave a message as directed. Or write her in care of the Features Department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.