Dear Gala Guru

Happy Labor Day. Whether you plan to sleep in, shop the sales, or barbeque with friends and family, let us never forget the meaning of this day. Labor Day is when we honor the efforts of those who fought for workers’ rights in the late 1800s.  Their struggles led to benefits we now enjoy, such as […]

Dear Gala Guru, We have been planning our class 50th reunion, but there was some friction when some members of the class wanted to include class members from the years before and after ours. Others felt this reunion was special and should be limited to our classmates and their plus-ones, especially since the number of […]

Dear Gala Guru, Help! What should you do when your dinner guests are early birds and show up half an hour early to your party? Should I ask them to leave and return at the appointed time? A lot still needs to be done in the half-hour before a party. Not Ready! Dear N.R. Well, […]

Dear Gala Guru, I recently volunteered at a fancy fundraising event attended by many of the local elites. At the end of the evening, as the last guests were leaving the ballroom, much to my horror,  one well-known and highly inebriated attendee stopped to pee in a potted palm. I was so shocked I froze. […]

Ah, August! We’re leaping into what I call the “Frog Days of Summer,” when even the most energetic feel the slower pace. I have a giant desert toad in my yard, whom I have affectionately named Teddy. He hangs out in the bird bath every day reminding me that in this magical time when the […]

Dear Gala Guru, My friend hosted a cocktail/dinner party for her husband’s boss and invited us even though we had never met him.  This man was such a bore.  He talked about himself all night long and never asked anyone else a question.  No one else got a single word in.  My friend shot me […]

Dear GG, I recently had some friends over for cocktails and dinner.  It was a dark, rainy day and we were all glad to be inside with the drinks and appetizers.  I had just put the roast beef and the potatoes in the oven given we were to have an hour of appetizers, when lightning […]

Dear Gala Guru, Is using paper napkins at a dinner party okay rather than cloth napkins?  Is there a rule? Myra Dear Myra, I don’t know if there’s an official napkin rule, as long as one is handy. There are so many amazing colors and choices for paper napkins these days.  It’s like a party […]

Dear Gala Guru I recently hosted a dinner party and just as we sat down to dinner, one of my guests started sneezing so loud and so often it was distracting the other guests.  She said she was allergic to my centerpiece.  Is that possible? She finally, had to leave the table and take some […]

Dear Gala Guru, I threw a party for about 30 people. Everything was going smoothly and everyone was having a good time. I was outside visiting with my guests, then went inside to freshen drinks. I was surprised to find that one of my guests had lit every candle in the house. When asked, she […]

Get ready to party like it’s 1776 because Independence Day is almost here! It’s time to bring out the red, white, and blue décor and fire up the barbecue. Want to spice things up this year? How about throwing a neighborhood shindig with hot dogs, ice cream, and live patriotic music? You could even quiz […]

Dear Gala Guru, I was at a dinner party recently and a man spilled his red wine all over the host’s white tablecloth.  He was embarrassed, and the other 8 guests were also embarrassed for him. The hostess scrambled to get towels and everyone tried to stop the wine from spreading with their white napkins.  […]