I Interrupt Your Presidential Debate Prep to Bring You This Special Report

I must interrupt the presidential election process to bring you this important  about the Obama’s last historic State Dinner; this one for the Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi and his wife, Agnese Landini. So naturally we wore Italian (Versace)

For the final state dinner hosted by President Obama, this one in honor of Italy’s prime minister, first lady Michelle Obama wore a custom rose-gold chain-mail gown from Atelier Versace. It was a slinky gown with an asymmetrical neckline that slithered like liquid metal down her torso and around her hips. It was pure Hollywood glamour. – WaPo

And we cooked Italian too – orchestrated by famed chef Mario Batali.

Good thing for Little Bo and Sunny it wasn’t the Chinese State Dinner

Mario is a long time friend of the Obamas. Here he is with Lady M’s first White House photo-shoot for Food TV. Note it was at the height of our mini-me sweater days. Crocs were compliments of yours truly:

Since it’s the Obamas’ last State Dinner, the affair was somewhat bittersweet. Butt then, everything about this last quarter of the last year of the historical, magical presidency is a bit nostalgic. Which explains the “Love Letters to Michelle Obama” published by the New York Times the other day.

She had rhythm, a flow and swerve, hands slicing air, body weight moving from foot to foot, a beautiful rhythm. In anything else but a black American body, it would have been contrived…But the cut of the dress scorned any “future first lady” stuffiness; it hung easy on her, as effortless as her animation. - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Wow! I couldn’t put it better myself!

She made her husband both more human and effective as a president by being his interpreter and defender…To be less serious, she has always been a woman who knows the difference between fashion (what outside forces tell you to wear) and style (the way you express a unique self).  – Gloria Steinem

Oh yeah baby! Express yourself, gurl!

As their history-making time in the White House comes to an end, it’s worth pondering the lessons of the Age of Obama. My own view is that both the president and the first lady have conducted themselves splendidly in the White House, managing the most difficult of tasks with apparent ease: projecting a grace that masked the ambition and the drive that took them, at early ages, to the pinnacle of American life. – Jon Meacham

And I would just like to add, what a pinnacle it is! I don’t even know where to start. So let’s just start at the end:

Warning: rear bumper backup lights engaged!

And leave it there for now.

You may now return to your presidential debate preparations.