Parties You Will Never Get Into

Taylor Swift is growing up so fast!

The teen singing sensation turned 20 on December 13th. To celebrate, she had a Christmas-themed birthday party on Sunday at her Tennessee home.

Taylor spent the night before the big bash baking goodies for her guests. A source from E! News confirms that “She and her mom did almost all of the food for the party”. Except…. for the birthday cake. Taylor got a vanilla cake from Crumbs along with mini-cupcakes.

Apparently the party had more than 50 attendees.

And, despite the fact that it was her birthday, Taylor Swift gave a huge gift of $250,000 to schools around the country that she has attended and/or worked with. The money will go towards teachers’ salaries, books, and educational programs.

“Something I wanted to do at the end of this amazing year and especially on my birthday was give back to something I really believe in, which is education,” says Swift. “The schools that I went to and the amazing people I got to learn from really turned me into who I am, and I wanted to give back.”

It is unconfirmed as to whether or not new beau Taylor Lautner was able to make the party.
Source: E! Online

The party capping Alexander Wang’s show surfaced as one of New York Fashion Week’s best ever. Gotham’s wildest party animals even likened the merriment to those by Marc Jacobs, only that the latter never held his in a gasoline station.

MAC and Katie Grand engineered the September 12, 2009 party at the Mobil gas station next to Chelsea’s Milk Studios. Come party night, eager revelers swarmed towards 10th Avenue at 15th Street for the elusive ticket. It never came for many non-celebrities, of course.

Even with the gas tanks turned off by Mobil attendants, the aura within this hallowed expanse was one of paranoia. At one point, the DJ had to remind chain-smokers that it was, after all, a gas station. But the edginess was part of the explosive allure.

More than the makeshift bars serving Belvedere vodkas, revelers loved the station’s paid-for-everyone convenience store. Butterfingers and junk foods galore beckoned to the likes of Kirsten Dunst, Jared Leto, Mischa Barton, Agyness Deyn and Lily Donaldson. Pixie Geldof raided shelves of Nerds, as Cup Noodles started going into Alice Dellal’s bag.

Veuve Clicquot champagnes stood side by side with gas station staples like Gatorade and Orbitz gums. Baited with Pop cheeseburgers and fries were names such as Anouck Lepere, Devon Aoki, Kristian Laliberte, Amanda Leigh Dunn, Zev Norotsky, Isabeli Fontana, Trish Goff, Tallulah Harlech, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Theodora Richards, Will Blondelle, Jamie Burke and Lykke Li.

Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction was seen negotiating through the port-a-potties to catch the night’s main event: a Courtney Love mini-concert. In between expletives and puffs of fags, the onetime Hole front-woman revisited hits like “Malibu” and covered songs like “Bette Davis Eyes.” Rapper Santigold likewise performed.

BFFs Wang and Erin Wasson took to the stage in the small hours, when the DJ initiated a titanic dance party.

President Barack Obama honored three famous men, Bruce Springsteen, Robert De Niro and Mel Brooks, with lifetime achievement awards on Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009 at the Kennedy Center Honours.

The event was black tie and was in honor of the celebrities’ efforts in “transforming arts in America.”

“These performers are indeed the best,” said Obama at the event. “They are also living reminders of a single truth – and I’m going to steal a line from my wife Michelle here – the arts are not somehow apart from our national life, the arts are the heart of our national life.”

Celebrities in attendance included Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Edward Norton. Meryl Streep was on of several who spoke about the award winners.

“Bob (De Niro) has earned the respect he enjoys around the world in the thousands of little bitty details,” Streep said.

Variety has announced its lineup for their Third Annual Variety’s Power of Youth event, dubbed in Los Angeles on Dec.5, 2009.

This year’s event, produced in conjunction with Variety’s annual Youth Impact Report, features an exclusive afternoon of festivities and live performances, according to this article on Access Hollywood.

The event will celebrate a select group of outstanding young entertainers, chosen to receive the Variety’s Power of Youth “@15 Award,” presented by Best Buy.

The guest list is comprised of 700 invite-only guests made up of the elites of under-25 actors, actresses, recording artists, and the children and families directly affected by Variety’s two 2009 beneficiaries – Starlight Children’s Foundation and LA’s BEST.

This year’s honorees include “High School Musical’s” Corbin Bleu (for his work on behalf of the Starlight Children’s Foundation), “iCarly’s” Miranda Cosgrove (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), Jesse McCartney (City of Hope), “90210’s” AnnaLynne McCord (The Blind Project) and “True Jackson, VP” star KeKe Palmer (The Boys and Girls Clubs of America).

Starlight is a national in-hospital and outpatient program dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. LA’s BEST, a nationally recognized after school education, enrichment and recreation program, serves more than 28,000 children with the greatest needs and fewest resources throughout the City of Los Angeles.

“Through the amazing support of the entertainment community and our generous sponsors, Variety’s Power of Youth has had the fortunate opportunity of generating more than one million dollars to benefit the several charities this effort has supported over the past three years. It has helped to create a bedrock of social awareness within the next generation of entertainment,” Brian Gott, Publisher of Variety said in a statement issued to Access Hollywood. “With the help of more than 200 young artists who are in a position to influence their peers and fans, we are able to raise real money to support real causes where there is a real need.

With the opening of a W Hotel nearby, The White House has effectively extended its corridors of power—suites. Its new neighbor, reckoning with the world’s most powerful environs, in turn mounted a party of presidential proportions.

W Hotel officially opened its Washington DC branch Oct. 8 with an extravagant fete unseen since the Barack Obama inaugural balls. Over 500 invitees, including a few White House staffers, partied in the American capital’s hottest new hotel.

Locals surely could not miss where party central was that night. Awash in purple lights, the hotel glaringly stood out at its address in 515 15th Street.

Outside the building, a carpet of the same color rolled out for the stellar guests. Presidential speechwriter Cody Keenen walked the purple carpet, along with Obama Presidential Aide Reggie Love; Associate Social Secretary Samantha Tubman; POTUS Secretary Katie Johnson; and Assistant White House Chef Sam Kass.

Also in the District of Columbia that night were Hollywood actors Emmy Rossum, Tatyana Ali and Anthony Mackie. They breathed the same air as ambassadors (Stuart Holliday, Gilles Noghès), lobbyists (Jack Quinn, Lyndon Boozer) and many other politicos.

One serious time warp ushered guests inside. Men and women, dressed in 18th century costumes, were paid to traipse around the party.

For his part, W Hotel’s resident restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten cloyed attendees with bite-sized burgers, spring rolls, mini chicken samosas, oysters on half shells, and crab fritters. From the open bar, guests could guzzle mojitos, Circoc vodka cocktails, and other tippler’s delights.

So many sports deities came to savor these treats. Wizards DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood were spotted at the party, and so were Capitol’s Jose Theodore, Brooks Laich, and Nicklas Backstrom. Blue Mercury founders Barry Jon Beck and Marla Malcolm Beck also came to party.

Grammy-winning artist John Legend served as the musical guest. In a rare feat for a party entertainer, the “Ordinary People” singer managed to play for nearly an hour.

Here is a recipe we found online that would be a great addition to YOUR exclusive party.

Bacardi Coconut Eggnog Pie.

Essentials:

9 inch pie pan

Large mixing bowl

Electric mixer

4 cups flaked coconut

1/3 cup butter, melted ( substitute margarine )

2 pkgs (4-serving size)vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

1-1/4 cups milk

½ cup good quality rum, such as Bacardi

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3-1/2 cups whipped topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300

Combine 2-2/3 cups of the coconut with butter. Press evenly into ungreased pan.

Bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown (This will depend on your oven temperature.). Set aside to cool.

Combine pudding mix, milk, rum and nutmeg in bowl. Beat at lowest speed of electric mixer for 1 minute.

Fold in whipped topping and 2/3 cup of the coconut. Spoon into shell. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Chill at least 2 hours.

For more holiday Bacardi recipes, such as Rum Cake and cocktails, go here.

Vanity was the order of Simon Cowell’s £1 million birthday party on Oct. 3, 2009. The famed American Idol judge, who officially turned 50, spent the night testing the limits of bacchanalian gatherings.

Topshop owner Philip Green teamed with party organizers Banana Split to give Cowell a cheekily narcissistic milestone. Subsequently, 30-foot laser projections of Cowell’s likeness welcomed invitees like Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Kevin Spacey to the venue in Hertfordshire. His image was ubiquitous even in the toilets, where aquariums showed off infant sharks.

Some of Cowell’s 400 well-wishers included his cohorts at shows American Idol and X Factor. Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson were present, and so were Cheryl Cole, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue. David Hasselhoff of America’s Got Talent also attended, as did Kara DioGuardi, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan.

Even former judges, American Idol’s Paula Abdul and X Factor’s Sharon Osbourne, came to greet Cowell.

Waiters — wearing Simon Cowell masks — served guests with fish fingers and shepherd’s pie, among many others. Over the chicken soup, alphabet spaghetti spelt out “Simon.” Cristal champagne flowed freely the whole night long.

Nevertheless, Cowell spread enough limelight to showcase entertainers Westlife, Leona Lewis and Earth, Wind and Fire. Cowell, a huge Frank Sinatra fan, was treated to Rat Pack impersonators and a life-size hologram of his idol singing “New York, New York.”

Serving as the party center for all these was Wrotham Park, an opulent 18th century manor. Ferried to the mansion, aboard £50,000 worth of hired limousines, were such names as Olivia Newton-John, Gordon Ramsay, Naomi Campbell, and Kate Moss. Three of Simon’s ex-lovers, Sinitta, Terri Seymour and Jackie St Claire, also attended.

Other well-wishers included Simon Fuller, Michael Grade, Myleene Klass, Paul Potts, Shayne Ward, Dermot O’Leary, and Nick and Christian Candy.

Mariah Carey, a visibly absent invitee, had an £850 bottle of Angel champagne delivered to Cowell’s table, where his mother Julie had a seat of honor. Others just played around the night’s theme, bringing him mirrors for gifts.

Simon received a £25,000 Dent watch from his brother Nicholas and an £80,000 microscopic sculpture of Frank Sinatra from publicist Max Clifford. Frank Sinatra’s family even gave Simon some of the late singer’s prized belongings. Other guests chose to donate to Cowell’s pet nonprofits.

Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences inaugural Governor’s Awards was held Saturday, Nov. 14 and all the biggest stars came out for the event.

The dinner awards career Oscars so it doesn’t have to be done on the televised version, which airs March 7 this year. The exclusive banquet for about 500 academy members was held in a ballroom near the Kodak Theater.

Some of the big names present were Ron Howard, Jack Nicholson, Lauren Bacall, Kirk Douglas and Warren Beatty.

The event was closed to most media, and only a handful of reporters were present.

Read all about decades-old celebrity secret crushes and what prompted this quote: “It’s O.K.,” he said. “It’s over now. You’re safe.”

Though her father has stepped down from the presidency, Jenna Bush Hager has not toned down her goal of changing the world. The former U.S. First Daughter headlined the bash launching her volunteer team with UNICEF on July 24, 2009.

UNICEF Next Generation is a group that works to improve the plight of impoverished children around the world. Hager, who is a Young Leadership Ambassador, chairs the nonprofit.

Held at hip nightspot Gates, the party doubled as a fundraiser for the group’s inaugural initiative, which required $175,000. By the wee hours of July 25, the event had raised around $45,000.

For their first project, the group is eyeing Guatemala’s malnourished children. This fall, the group will fly there to enact its initiative Project Sprinkles.

Project Sprinkles involves the distribution of the eponymous sachets to Guatemalan children. Sprinkles, which look like pouches of sugar, contain the daily recommended amount of micronutrients for children.

Gate’s partygoers had their fill of nutrition through tasty cupcakes called Crumbs. They feasted on Sprinkle Spritzers and cocktails from Grey Goose, while gyrating to DJ Josh Madden’s energetic tunes.

Onstage, Next Generation members raffled gift certificates to plush eateries at the Hotel Griffou, Waverly Inn, and Kingswood. Members also sold UNICEF Inspired Gifts, including a toolkit called School-in-a-Box. The kit offers tools for a provisional school for more than 40 children anytime, anywhere.

US Fund for UNICEF President Caryl Stern partied with the Next Generation youngsters. Members Lauren and Barbara Bush were standouts at the party, along with sisters Maggie and Jessica Betts.

Next Generation is also composed of Danielle Abraham, Mia Baxter, Gretchen Bylow, Clementine Crawford, Arielle Diskin, Megan Ferguson, Randolph Frazier II, Jillian Gumbel, Gillian Hearst Simonds, Louise Hooff, Geoff Johnston, Anika Kreider, David Lauren, Brian Lee, Melissa McGhie, Gloria Marie Moncrief, Purvi Padia, Caroline Polisi, Meredith Ross, Jason Rotter, Maya Samuelsson, Anna Schwab, Krystal Shanahan, Ashley Irvin Weaver, Candice Wolfswinkel and Brooke Worthington.

Harry Potter actress Emma Watson enjoyed her 18th birthday with a magical night-out April 19, 2008 in London. Celebrating unprecedented freedom, the onscreen sorceress reveled well beyond the witching hour.

Garbed in a tailored black silk dress, the debutante was surrounded by a coven of well-wishers, including some of her Harry Potter co-stars. Her onscreen chums Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the titular character, and Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley, were visibly absent that evening. Tom Felton, a.k.a. the villainous Draco Malfoy; Katie Leung a.k.a. Cho Chang; Evanna Lynch a.k.a. Luna Lovegood; and Bonnie Wright a.k.a. Ginny Weasley made up for the duo’s absence.

From kindred came Alex, her 15-year old brother. Emma’s banker-boyfriend Jay Barrymore, 25, also showed up.

Ms Watson only set for home in Oxfordshire at four in the morning. Her father brought the rear with a mountain range of presents, including a tree.

Of all the gifts, the most important was probably the full access to her £10-million fortune. Emma accumulated these riches from portraying Hermione Granger in five film adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels since 2001. According to reports, Watson would receive £2.5million more for starring in the newest Harry Potter film.

Emma Watson’s wealth lies in Coutts, the same bank as Queen Elizabeth II and Daniel Radcliffe. For her to withdraw money freely, Ms Watson first had to undergo a crash course on managing wealth. She underwent three days of lessons alongside Tom Felton and other young Harry Potter actors.

Even so, Emma Watson could not pull a Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, or Lindsay Lohan just yet. Her contract with Warner Brothers, Harry Potter’s studio, clearly stipulates a provision regarding good behavior.

She plays Hermione Granger yet again in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which launches in July 2009.