Celebrity Bartending
Alright, on to another fav holiday benefit: Celebrity Bartending. I've attended this event two or three previous times. This year's was by far the best of the bunch. They've all been fun, but this was just fun plus-plus.
This event is a fundraising event for an organization called Stockings With Care. It's a wonderful organization that provides holiday gifts to children in New York City who otherwise wouldn't get any. They use funds to buy gifts directly and they also recruit 'Santas'. These Santas are given the gender and age of a child, as well as three things that child wants. The Santas then go out and buy the gifts, wrap them, and then drop them off to Stockings With Care, who then give them to the parents to give to their children. I was a Santa last year and loved shopping for my sponsor child. I signed up to be a Santa again this year and just got my sponsor child's information today. Off to do some shopping for him soon! :)
But, though I love being a Santa, I am also *more* than happy to support the organization by attending their Celebrity Bartending fundraiser. The cover charge and any tips the 'bartenders' get go directly to Stockings With Care.
So Stockings with Care gets money, and us fans get to order drinks from our favorite celebs - it's win-win!
And for Law & Order fans (like me!), this year's even was particularly win-win-win!
I arrived just about when the event was to start, it wasn't that busy yet which was good as it gave me an opportunity to dry off a bit (it was raining) and also a chance to buy my raffle tickets! Lol For, in addition to just the celeb bartenders there were a ton of fun raffle prizes. I bought five raffle tickets and put all five of them in the drawing bag for this superawesome looking USA TV gift basket. Alas, I didn't win.
Also, I soon met up with a person, R, I had met once before the year before, and we had a mutual friend, as well. Thank goodness I had someone to hang with. That just made it even more fun and we were each there to take each other's pictures, too. So we chatted a bit waiting for the festivities to really begin and we mapped out our 'celeb bucket list' for the night, heh. On my list was Danny Pino from SVU, and Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway from Voyager and currently in Warehouse 13 which I just started watching).
And we didn't have to wait long before things got started, the first group of celebs showing up behind the bar. And things started to get a little crowded. Which is FANTASTIC, of course of the organization.
Also, I was very glad to see that me and R weren't the only ones (by far by far) who had cameras out and up and at the ready!
It was just fun to look behind the bar and see a bunch of familiar faces. I'll admit that I didn't always know their names, but I knew they all looked familiar. And you'd go...oh! It's that guy from... or, that woman from... oh cool! Heh. Like this...
...It's that guy from Nurse Jackie!...
...oh, and the woman from Blue Bloods!...
And this woman (who I learned is named Beth Ann Bonner and was on One Life to Live (as well as one episode of Law and Order, lol) was just a riot. I didn't know who she was when she showed up but she was massively entertaining. I wanted to tip her just for the laughs she provided.
As for my bucket list...lo! There is Janeway, er...the Warehouse 13 regent, er...Kate Mulgrew! Coolio!! Kate, I must say, took her bar tending duties *very* seriously. She was very intent on pouring beer and wine and whatever else she was asked. Here she is pouring beer from the tap, very professionally pouring off the foam.
And, LOL, here she is getting squished against the taps as things got pretty hectic and busy back there!
It took a bit but I did eventually get her attention and managed to order an every exciting diet Coke from her. And this, this my friends is the drink that Captain Janeway served me. Hehehe
But, while Kate Mulgrew was definitely on my bucket list, and while it was super fun to see a bunch of other familiar faces, anyone that knows me knows that the true excitement of the evening for me was the cornucopia of Law & Order alums in attendance. Every time I turned around there was another one, lol!
For instance, here's Annie Parrise (ADA Alexandra Borgia on the mothership) smiling at something a customer said...
And here's Kelli Giddish (Det. Amanda Rollins, SVU) pouring a drink (she might be pouring my drink, heh)
Ooooo, and then there is the ever wonderful and talented Jesse L. Martin (Det. Ed Green, mothership). Still all that and a bag o chips! Here he is clarifying an order from someone...you want THREE shots?!?
And he will happily take your money!
I wish this picture was better but oh, well. He still has the greatest smile in captivity.
And then the second person on my bucket list arrived! Danny Pino (Det. Nick Amaro, SVU)! He was so wonderful. I happened to catch him walking in and told him I promised to order a drink from him later but could I please get a picture with him then. He agreed but only if I promised to order beer or wine because he didn't know how to make anything else. Hehehe. I told him I'd be ordering a diet Coke. And that's exactly what I did. And when I did he put his arms up like in victory and said, "I know how to do that!" Very cute.
However, getting his attention to order that was pretty funny. I was trying to get his attention and one of the other bartenders saw me. I was told later this other bartender was Gina Tognoni. In any case, the following conversation took place, cracking both me and R up big time:
Gina Tognoni to me: Can I get you something?
Me to GT: Uh..yeah... Danny Pino.
GT: A pinot?
Me: Uh, yeah, a Danny Pino.
L-O-L Oh, good times.
Anyway, here's another picture of him down the bar as he takes an order from another customer. This man, too, is not hard to look at.... (oops, did I just say that out loud?)
Awww, here he had just served someone next to me and saw me with my camera so smiled...and see who is in the background? Diane Neal! I'm telling you, Law and Order cornucopia!
Speaking of Diane Neal (ADA Casey Novak, SVU), she was there, too. Here she's talking to one of the 'real' bartenders.
Getting serious, tucking her hair back and taking an order...
I then asked Diane if she would mind posing with Danny Pino. They were kind enough to oblige. Awwww.
And, here, here is the fulfillment of my bucket list for the night. :D Definitely a fun time.
And now, to put on my Santa hat and go shopping for my sponsor child! :)
This event is a fundraising event for an organization called Stockings With Care. It's a wonderful organization that provides holiday gifts to children in New York City who otherwise wouldn't get any. They use funds to buy gifts directly and they also recruit 'Santas'. These Santas are given the gender and age of a child, as well as three things that child wants. The Santas then go out and buy the gifts, wrap them, and then drop them off to Stockings With Care, who then give them to the parents to give to their children. I was a Santa last year and loved shopping for my sponsor child. I signed up to be a Santa again this year and just got my sponsor child's information today. Off to do some shopping for him soon! :)
But, though I love being a Santa, I am also *more* than happy to support the organization by attending their Celebrity Bartending fundraiser. The cover charge and any tips the 'bartenders' get go directly to Stockings With Care.
So Stockings with Care gets money, and us fans get to order drinks from our favorite celebs - it's win-win!
And for Law & Order fans (like me!), this year's even was particularly win-win-win!
I arrived just about when the event was to start, it wasn't that busy yet which was good as it gave me an opportunity to dry off a bit (it was raining) and also a chance to buy my raffle tickets! Lol For, in addition to just the celeb bartenders there were a ton of fun raffle prizes. I bought five raffle tickets and put all five of them in the drawing bag for this superawesome looking USA TV gift basket. Alas, I didn't win.
Also, I soon met up with a person, R, I had met once before the year before, and we had a mutual friend, as well. Thank goodness I had someone to hang with. That just made it even more fun and we were each there to take each other's pictures, too. So we chatted a bit waiting for the festivities to really begin and we mapped out our 'celeb bucket list' for the night, heh. On my list was Danny Pino from SVU, and Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway from Voyager and currently in Warehouse 13 which I just started watching).
And we didn't have to wait long before things got started, the first group of celebs showing up behind the bar. And things started to get a little crowded. Which is FANTASTIC, of course of the organization.
Also, I was very glad to see that me and R weren't the only ones (by far by far) who had cameras out and up and at the ready!
It was just fun to look behind the bar and see a bunch of familiar faces. I'll admit that I didn't always know their names, but I knew they all looked familiar. And you'd go...oh! It's that guy from... or, that woman from... oh cool! Heh. Like this...
...It's that guy from Nurse Jackie!...
...oh, and the woman from Blue Bloods!...
And this woman (who I learned is named Beth Ann Bonner and was on One Life to Live (as well as one episode of Law and Order, lol) was just a riot. I didn't know who she was when she showed up but she was massively entertaining. I wanted to tip her just for the laughs she provided.
As for my bucket list...lo! There is Janeway, er...the Warehouse 13 regent, er...Kate Mulgrew! Coolio!! Kate, I must say, took her bar tending duties *very* seriously. She was very intent on pouring beer and wine and whatever else she was asked. Here she is pouring beer from the tap, very professionally pouring off the foam.
And, LOL, here she is getting squished against the taps as things got pretty hectic and busy back there!
It took a bit but I did eventually get her attention and managed to order an every exciting diet Coke from her. And this, this my friends is the drink that Captain Janeway served me. Hehehe
But, while Kate Mulgrew was definitely on my bucket list, and while it was super fun to see a bunch of other familiar faces, anyone that knows me knows that the true excitement of the evening for me was the cornucopia of Law & Order alums in attendance. Every time I turned around there was another one, lol!
For instance, here's Annie Parrise (ADA Alexandra Borgia on the mothership) smiling at something a customer said...
And here's Kelli Giddish (Det. Amanda Rollins, SVU) pouring a drink (she might be pouring my drink, heh)
Ooooo, and then there is the ever wonderful and talented Jesse L. Martin (Det. Ed Green, mothership). Still all that and a bag o chips! Here he is clarifying an order from someone...you want THREE shots?!?
And he will happily take your money!
I wish this picture was better but oh, well. He still has the greatest smile in captivity.
And then the second person on my bucket list arrived! Danny Pino (Det. Nick Amaro, SVU)! He was so wonderful. I happened to catch him walking in and told him I promised to order a drink from him later but could I please get a picture with him then. He agreed but only if I promised to order beer or wine because he didn't know how to make anything else. Hehehe. I told him I'd be ordering a diet Coke. And that's exactly what I did. And when I did he put his arms up like in victory and said, "I know how to do that!" Very cute.
However, getting his attention to order that was pretty funny. I was trying to get his attention and one of the other bartenders saw me. I was told later this other bartender was Gina Tognoni. In any case, the following conversation took place, cracking both me and R up big time:
Gina Tognoni to me: Can I get you something?
Me to GT: Uh..yeah... Danny Pino.
GT: A pinot?
Me: Uh, yeah, a Danny Pino.
L-O-L Oh, good times.
Anyway, here's another picture of him down the bar as he takes an order from another customer. This man, too, is not hard to look at.... (oops, did I just say that out loud?)
Awww, here he had just served someone next to me and saw me with my camera so smiled...and see who is in the background? Diane Neal! I'm telling you, Law and Order cornucopia!
Speaking of Diane Neal (ADA Casey Novak, SVU), she was there, too. Here she's talking to one of the 'real' bartenders.
Getting serious, tucking her hair back and taking an order...
I then asked Diane if she would mind posing with Danny Pino. They were kind enough to oblige. Awwww.
And, here, here is the fulfillment of my bucket list for the night. :D Definitely a fun time.
And now, to put on my Santa hat and go shopping for my sponsor child! :)