Black Tie figures celebrate the holidays

So, the Black Tie season took a holiday break, but that doesn’t mean all of you did. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the parties and celebrations you held to celebrate the holidays. We hope the break was peaceful and rewarding, because it’s time to begin again.

Open House

It’s good to be home for the holidays, it’s even better to open that home to friends. Such was the case for Clara Reynardus de Villanueva and her husband Roberto Villanueva, who held a Holiday Open House to close friends on Dec. 28. Around 70 guests attended and enjoyed beer, mimosas, frittatas and, importantly, rum cake. A spontaneous rain storm sidelined the festivities for a hot minute, but the gang was back out partying and enjoying the day soon after. 

A Fitting Tribute

Dan and Nicole Starostecki surprised their son with a trip to New York City for Christmas, but the fun didn’t stop there. Dan decided to treat himself to a tattoo on his inner lip for his 40th birthday, as well. The tattoo serves as a tribute to the last four decades, and to the 40 years to come.

We can’t say exactly what the tattoo says, but ask him to show it off if you catch him. Just don’t take it personally when he does. 

Successful Switch-Up

The 29th Season Gala for the Sarasota Ballet took place Jan. 6 with a few last-minute switch-ups. The most notable was a change in the paddle raise when usual host Michael Klauber came down with a sickness. Luckily, Matt Walsh stepped in to help the company raise more than $600,000 in gross total including table and ticket sales. Perhaps he has a second career as an auctioneer in him.