Gallanting at the Dewey Beach Winter Gala

Last night the Ogre and I got gussied up for the Dewey Beach Winter Gala. I haven't been to a formal dance since college, so I leaped on the chance when a co-worker offered free tickets. My giddiness has been growing by the day, especially after my mom gave me a shopping spree on Kohls.com for my birthday, and we found a dazzling purple dress on clearance for only $6. And it actually fit and made me feel glamorous, what luck!

The fundraising event was extravagant, with two floors of live music, heavy hors d'oeuvres and flowing drinks. We started out in the Cove, grazing on an assortment of delicious cheese and meat trays and relaxing to the smooth sounds of the Comfort Zone jazz band.

Then we went upstairs to the Baycenter, where three more bands played the main stage. The outer edges of the gigantic room was set up with a myriad of bars. The ice sculpture to the right was part of the oyster bar - the bartender poured vodka through the middle and into an oyster shooter. It was fun to watch, but not tempting to try in the least. Same went for the upside down margarita, ice luge, and bloody mary shrimp stations. The crush bar was alluring, but it was the martini bar that charmed me in the end. I couldn't resist a Gala-tini. In addition to orange vodka and a peach liqueur, it had Tang as an ingredient! I also tried a Creamsicle-tini for dessert. The mix of whipped cream vodka, triple sec and orange juice tasted just like its ice cream namesake.

We didn't stay too long upstairs, as it just got too crowded and hard to maneuver holding a martini glass. We found a quiet booth next to a window overlooking the moonlit water and watched the people slinking around in their fancy attire. It was awfully romantic.

Tomorrow marks four years since we went on our first official date and I still have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure I'm not dreaming that I finally found my true love after so many years of searching. Whether you are still waiting for the one or are as head over twinkling toes as I, have a very happy Valentine's Day, filled with love and decadent chocolates.