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T is the season for white opera-length gloves and dashing, eligible bachelors. Girls (ahem, young women) are posed to do the Texas dip as they make their entrance into formal society. Yes, deb season has arrived. To commence, a picture-perfect (in today's terms, Instagrammable) party was thrown by Shannon and Stephen Nolan for their wildly creative daughter, Ariana Nolan, at River Crest Country Club. A veritable who's who of the Fort's social set dusted off their white-tie tuxes and diaphanous frocks for a magical evening under the stars. Ariana is a 2020 Steeplechase Debutante and will make her full Texas dip at the ball on Saturday, October 30. As guests entered through garden gates and trellises, garden nymphs offered up a dream-potion bottle of Veuve Clicquot that swirled with edible gold glitter. The always party- ready Olivia Kearney commented, "I didn't recognize the place. It had been utterly transformed into an ethereal dreamscape. Trees wrapped in flowers with tables suspended from the branches, and garlands swaying in the summer winds. What a fabulous setting for our entire evening." Ariana, the girl of the hour, wore a Carolina Herrera floral gown, with baby's breath woven into her flowing red locks and draped over her shoulders as a boa. She looked like a garden fairy emerging for one night of dancing and champagne, ready to climb onto one of the swings that seemed straight from a Rococo painting. The party epitomized the wistful lyrics of "Dream A Little Dream of Me": "Stars shining bright above you. Night breezes seem to whisper I love you." In the crowd: Janis Brous, Letty and Mike Waltrip, Margaret and Stuart McDonald, Jennifer and Phillip Williamson, and Anne Marie Bratton. Chic event planner, Melanie Tatum, shared — "designing for Ariana was a literal dream because she is an artist and true creative." Well, it seems as if deb season is off to more than an enchanting start. Stay hydrated (and we don't mean with flutes of bubbles), since it's a marathon of events. Steeplechase and Assembly have set a full schedule of parties through the fall and winter. Be sure to give us a wink when you're doing your Texas dip. A DEB'S DREAMSCAPE By Billy Fong. Photography Sterling Steves for Sterling FX. Lou Martin, Margie Smith Debbie Reynolds Christy & Jason Smith Turner Anderson Julia Hayes A scene from a deb's dream Teresa & Jim Hubbard Brooke Lively Kristi Newton Stephen Jr. Stephen, Shannon Ariana and Patrick Nolan Sarah Nolan, Bryan Garvey, Caroline Carvalho Will Kirtley, Graham Baker Serena Luplow, Sirena Tam 28