See and be seen

The Chester County Historical Society has set a new standard for what a gala ought to be. Their party on Friday at Westtown School was just awesome: plenty of amazing food, lots of nice people and a beautiful array of antiques.
A friend had seen the menu and suggested that I arrive hungry, which I did. There were not just butlered hors d'oeuvres; there was also a pasta station, a roast beef station, an artisanal cheese station, a seafood station (shrimp and oysters), and then finally a dessert station. All really delicious. And I greatly appreciated the fact that next to the roast beef station there were actually tables where you could comfortably use a knife and fork to cut your meat, rather than trying to do so while juggling your plate, your drink and your program.
Saying that there were lots of Unionville folks there would be an understatement. One especially popular friend said she was going to have to come back to see the antiques because every single time she'd head for a booth, she'd run into somebody else and get involved in another conversation.
The antiques were lovely and it seemed like the dealers were getting really creative, bringing an assortment of items instead of the usual candlestands and highboys (though there were plenty of those, and the $55,000 secretary with original feet, brasses and finish was stunning).
One dealer displayed a delightful and unusual Audubon print of four little mice with a large and well-munched-on wheel of cheese. One of the mice was standing upright on his hind legs in the foreground, and the woman I was chatting with speculated that he was the PR person for the mouse group. Either that, or their look-out.

In another booth I saw one couple who are prominent in the carriage-driving world looking at a copper horse that, I imagine, once sat atop a weather vane. The dealer, who was from out of the area, approached them with a smile.
"Do you like horses?" he asked hopefully.
I hope the historical society raises lots of money. It was a great party and I can only imagine the hours that the committee spent planning and making umpteen decisions (and yes, we did notice the tasteful blue-and-white plates at the food stations).