Seriously, enough already!

Allegedly we are supposed to be on the party wind down for the year – someone has obviously forgotten to give Port Macquarie this memo! Celeb spottings, race days, birthdays and weddings literally saturated this hectic month, with more of the same expected for March! Clearly I am going to need a bumper pack of party feet and serious dose of Vitamin B to get me through!

We recently had a delicious breakfast at new café ‘The Milkbar’ under the Observatory. It was standing space only for the wet and woolly Sunday when we celebrated good friend Jamie ‘Sparkles’ Styles’s birthday. Thankfully our booking ensured us a very comfy table! Eight of us tucked into a fabulous brekky and some seriously yummy coffees. Steve clearly enjoyed himself, tucking in to no less than 3 luscious lattes! In typical form, the ladies in the party were left wondering how breakfast turned into beers, with the party going through three venue changes and finishing at four in the afternoon! Happy birthday Jamie – looking forward to trying the new release ‘sparkles’ from Cassegrain soon!

We did a spot of power shopping a couple of weekends ago and we bumped (literally bumped – poor thing!) into Toni Collette. The gorgeous Aussie actress must have been home on some well deserved R&R with hubby Dave Galafassi and his family in Wauchope. Fresh from her recent Golden Globe win in the US for her starring role in The United States of Tara, Toni topped off her trip with dinner at the Boardwalk for an evening of vino and tapas. She was even so gracious as to sign a plate for the Boardwalk boys to hang on their wall of fame. It’s good to see that even Hollywood hasn’t diminished her love for the coast or a bit of retail therapy at Just Jeans! A girl needs a decent pair of jeans, after all!

Exciting times for ex local and beautiful entrepreneur Samantha Wills, whose success in Tinseltown continues to sky rocket. This lovely and hardworking lass, now based in New York City, recently showed her wares to LA style guru Rachel Zoe from the Rachel Zoe Project. Rachel styles for all the huge names in Hollywood, including the leggy and lovely Cameron Diaz. Rachel most notably styled Anne Hathaway for her Oscar red carpet/Hugh Jackman moment – it’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it! There is no doubt local girl Sam will continue her ascent to fame and fortune. Sam may be planning a little visit home later in the year for a special local event – fingers crossed she can fit us into her very busy and fabulous schedule!

If rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck, then Joel Wehlow and his lovely new wife Jenny Mezzina are going to be the luckiest people on earth! The two had planned to be married on sunny Oxley Beach; however, due to the torrential downpour, a quick ‘Plan B’ venue change was put in place as the happy couple said “I do” at Flynn’s Beach Surf Club. Guests were bussed back to Pam and Arthur Wehlow’s stunning Fernbank Creek Rd property, where they were greeted by a magical marquee filled with stunning flowers from Touchwood and twinkling tealights. Over 160 guests greeted the gorgeous couple, who quite literally radiated love and fun throughout the night. Jenny looked absolutely stunning in her off the shoulder gown, with her gorgeous bridesmaids in a striking blue. Joel and the boys wore camel suits and looked handsome and happy as they partied throughout the night. The whole wedding was a family affair, with both sides assisting with preparations on and before the night. Parents of the bride, Jane and Gerry Mezzina, along with sister Louise and hubby Demitri put the final touches on the marquee. MC Josh did a fabulous job of keeping the night on track. We had lots of fun with the guests, including Jenny’s cheeky and charming Italian uncle, who insisted we keep a solid stream of red vino coming his way! The guests enjoyed Silverspoon canapés followed by a sumptuous buffet main course. Rain certainly didn’t dampen the crowd’s mood, with every Mezzina and Wehlow up on the dance floor! Congratulations to Jenny and Joel – wishing you lots of fun, love and happiness!

Alicia Steinhardt and Shaun Weelands were married in mid February in a ceremony at historic St Thomas’ Church. Seventy guests enjoyed a waterfront reception at Rydges with a wedding feast created by Executive Chef Michael Schubert. Guests enjoyed champagne and canapés, with band ‘Well Swung’ entertaining the guests throughout the evening. The main course was followed by a chocolate mud wedding cake from Penelope K for dessert. The couple honeymooned with a cruise on the South Pacific. Congrats to you both.

We had a lovely if somewhat windy day at the Port Macquarie races in February. Rydges & Travelworld supported the Focus Fashions on The Field for the annual ladies’ day, Queen of the North race meet. Thankfully it was a sunny day and we enjoyed an afternoon of bubbles and nibbles on the Chairman’s Lounge Deck overlooking the track. It was good to see some fashionable and familiar faces, including Dianne Richmond, Toni Cooper, Annabel Warren and Varan Freestone, all frocking up and looking fabulous on the day. Official judges Ria Smith from Funk’d and I had our work cut out for us, with so many elegant ladies and gents to choose form. Congrats to all winners who went home with a swag of prizes to the tune of $5,000, including goodies from Travelworld Port Macquarie, Novotel Coffs Harbour, Rydges, Tommy’s By The Beach, Touchwood Flowers, East Coast Laser and Ella Baché. The guys in Port really should wise up to this whole ‘ladies’ day’ concept – where else are you going to get a chance to rub shoulders with so many fine fillies all frocked up and ready to party? Note to self, fellas – Queen of the North – worth a diary entry for next year!

I made a rather rash comment in an online public forum last month that I would be hanging up my party shoes for the season … It seems that this statement was quite hasty and is considerably harder to adhere to than initially anticipated! Statement officially retracted!

Until next month, Kate.