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The dining room table in the Talbots' Hattiesburg home is decorated in Asian flair with a mixture of natural items such as fruit-bearing tree branches and bowls of lemons and cherries and glitzy trim such as the sequined gold ribbon and gilded pine cones

Hattiesburg Plastic Surgeon and Wife Delegate Duties for Their Annual Bash

The words "relaxing" and "hosting a holiday party at home" don't usually go together, but "relaxed" is the word that keeps coming up when Julie Talbot talks about the annual Christmas party she hosts with her husband, Hattiesburg plastic surgeon Paul Talbot.

"We try to keep the atmosphere relaxed," said Julie Talbot, a former stockbroker who is now administrator of her husband's office, the Plastic Surgery Center of Hattiesburg. "We have it later in December, closer to Christmas. You're either done with your running around then or have given up. People seem more relaxed then."

The Talbots usually host their come-and-go cocktail party on the Thursday before Christmas. Most doctors' offices are closed on Friday, so guests can enjoy the party and not have to worry about going to work the next day, Paul Talbot said. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and is usually over by 11 p.m.

"We have a good time at it. It's one of the highlights of the holiday season. People talk about it all year long," Paul Talbot said.

The Talbots' Canebrake home becomes a winter wonderland with the help of interior designer John David Williams. A caterer prepares heavy hors d'ouevres and hot dishes such as baked salmon, shrimp etouffee and gumbo. Desserts such as Bananas Foster or Cherries Jubilee are prepared at the dessert station for the guests. Although the Talbots don't have a theme for their bashes, last year, the caterer set up a holiday fantasy village for the dessert table. A large buffet of cheeses from all over the world is set up on the breakfast table in the kitchen.

"From year to year, we have a color theme that we use, and every year we tweak it," Williams said. "Last year, for example, we bought new deer to put on the middle of the table. We do try to use the same colors (gold, green and burnt orange) every year because they're the colors in her home."

The Christmas tree in the library has a pheasant theme, Williams said, with ornaments made from bird feathers.

A small jazz combo - piano, drums and bass - provides background music while the crowd socializes and enjoys the refreshments.

"Music's extremely important at something like that," Williams said.

The guest list includes a cross-section of the couple's friends, including other physicians, attorneys, a
Supreme Court justice and a variety of other professions.

"Everyone who's on the list, we do things with all year," Paul Talbot said. "There's a good variety of people there."

The Talbots have two daughters, ages 6 and 8, who will probably attend the party for the first time this year to greet guests, and then go home with their grandparents while the adults have fun.

Julie Talbot, a self-described worrier, said hiring a designer to decorate the house for the holidays and a caterer to provide the party food takes most of the worry out of hosting a get-together for up to 200 people. She also starts cleaning and tidying-up her house months before the party.

"I try to start in October, just little things so I'm not doing everything at the last minute," she said. "Delegate it out so you can enjoy your own party."

Williams said the planning starts six months in advance, and invitations have already been printed and the caterer and musicians booked.

"Entertaining in Hattiesburg, there's only so many dates you can choose from in the month of December," he said. "We try to set that date six months in advance."

Dress is casual. Julie Talbot said she wore corduroy slacks and a festive Christmas top last year.

"It's not really formal, we want people to come and enjoy themselves," she said.

Paul Talbot said he always comes home from work early on the day of the party to help out, although his wife, the decorator and caterer generally have things under control. The caterer uses the Talbots' three-car garage as a staging area, and Talbot gives directions, pointing out where the ice machine is, or where things should go.

They erect a tent with a floor in the back yard, adjacent to the house, where the bar is set up. Portable heaters keep it warm on cold December nights, although the cold is not usually the problem. Julie Talbot said it frequently rains the night of the party, but not even a shower can put a damper on their holiday fun.

"If it rains, it rains," Paul Talbot said. "We've had great nights and we've had nights when it rained all night."

Williams co-authored a book with Catherine Strange of Hattiesburg, "Fearless Entertaining," which features the Talbots' party in one of the chapters. He said the key to throwing a great party without killing yourself is to enlist help.

"The holiday season is always hectic and busy, so plan several months ahead," he said. "If it becomes too much, hire a catering company to make it easier on yourself. Hopefully, you'll be able to show up to your own party."

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