Get your jingle on!

No Scrooges allowed

Published On: December 31, 2009

If the holiday season seems to bring out the Grinch in you, there is a simple solution. Get thee to Jingle in the Mansion. Stat. Or, at least make the short journey to Cheekwood to soak in all this magical time of year has to offer. This stunning estate is, in all honesty, everyone in Nashville's home, and there is no better place to unleash the Christmas spirit.

Decorated to the nines already, the Mansion's merriment is kicked up a notch by the lovely ladies of the Horticultural Society of Middle Tennessee. And let me tell you, these fabulous girls know a thing or two about design and decoration. And, they're resourceful. Just take Barbara Rogers who spearheaded the table decoration. A teacher at Frankin High, she wisely called upon her students to fashion musical note decorations and to loan their instruments (horns, violins and more) for the table centerpieces. (Hey, we bet they were just pumped they got to do arts and crafts rather than calculus or something equally intimidating.)

Event chair Sarah Keith Maxcy proved to be equally talented and seems to be inheriting a somewhat permanent chair title for the Horticultural Society—having recently chaired their Summer Supper at Cheekwood and currently serving as chair of the Horticultural Society Board. Hey folks, cherish the chair. That's a lot of work she's doing!

This year's Jingle in the Mansion offered something new. Not only did guests enjoy cocktails, the festive decorations, sparkly Christmas trees and delicious dining courtesy of the Divine Dani (we think she may now go by Dani now instead of Dani Kates—kind of like Madonna or Cher), folks also could dance a spirited jig in the tented terrace area.

And don't think the night ended early. After hanging at the Big House, Jingle guests were able to shimmy on down to Botanic Hall where the younger (and later) set had gathered for Martinis and Mistletoe. It's a bit louder and a little rowdier than Jingle in the Mansion—a change of pace, really. Just hope they all remembered, someone's watching, and he knows if you've been naughty or nice. EN

—photographs by

eric england