Merry-making with Mary
Mary Ann with TNT's Marichel Magalona
and Chining Bustamante.
How does Bacolod's "Martha Stuart" and President of the Association of Negros Producers celebrate her "XXth" (!) birthday? Simple and intimate and loaded with all the trimmings of the famed icon she is linked with.
Mary Ann Colmenares did it that way last September 12, at the newly renovated Sweet Greens Restaurant at Bacolod's "strip", Lacson Street. Glass doors opened to the patio with its centerpiece fountain highlighting the manicured garden. The function room had a cozy set-up of six tables, laden with giant leaves for placemats, and accentuated by scented candles and endless servings of curl-tipped breadsticks that complemented Mary Ann's homemade artichoke dip. It was an assortment of food on the buffet spread; with lechon and paella making their way to everyone's plates while red wine and margarita were overflowing.
Mary Ann's High School batchmates
Reena Pena, Mitzi Tongoy and
Christine Severino.
On one corner was the celebrator's family with her mother, Negros' "ceramic queen" Annette Feria, chatting away with Nening Flores, Christy Montilla, and Bessie Fernandez. Adding more sugar to this already sweetened island is Dumaguete's "Sansrival queen" Chining Bustamante, who was with other "queens": Iloilo's "The News Today queen" Marichel Teves-Magalona; still groggy from her law exams was "handmade paper queen" Reena Gamboa-Pena; 21 Resto's queen, Ging Gamboa, and THE "beauty queens" Ditas Trebol, Cookie Montenegro, Nena Rosello, and Maite Elordi.
Tura Colmenares, Boy Pena, Dr Willy Yu,
Art Puentebella, Jun Kho (standing),
Dr Kerwin Hiponia and Dr Boy Tan..
Of course, everyone's respective partners were present in another table, hobnobbing and discussing business in their oh-so-serious tones. Enjoying the cool breeze by the patio were the "Bad Doctors" (that's Badminton Doctors) Drs. Willy and Caroline Yu, Kerwin Hiponia, Boy Tan, Jenny Uy Kho and the rest of the Pohang badminton gang.
Before the night ended, Mary Ann transformed herself to a dancing queen as former Governor Bitay Lacson belted out songs together with the in-house band "Rhythm and Soul". Mary Ann's two special men, hubby Angelito (Nonoy) and their son, Hinigaran's SK, Don, were just too happy to watch her enjoy the night with her best friends.