As the Saturday night event approached, Kristin covered all her party-prep basics. On Thursday, she had a service clean her house. Kristin made sure to stock up on liquor and plenty of champagne. "That girl can’t have a party without champagne," Susan says.

"Even at a hole-in-the-wall bar, she asks for a glass of it."
Friday, Kristin and Jay welcomed the Ratcliffes and spent the evening at a local bar catching up and recalling old times. The Hewlitts were stranded in Chicago when their flight was delayed, but they joined the crew Saturday morning with Susan’s brother, Steve Caruso, who had driven from Kansas City.

Kristin and Jay spent the morning moving furniture to the basement and clearing space for the event. Kristin prepped two tables for a buffet-style meal and played up the Asian theme for the main dining table with bamboo place mats, brightly colored sushi dishes and plenty of chopsticks. "When you’re having a party with a theme, it’s not going to turn out if you have paper cups. The day was about creating the environment," Kristin says.

With little time to spare, the friends took a leisurely lunch to have a few laughs and re-energize for a frenzied afternoon of turning the Tracys’ house into a little slice of Tokyo. The women treated themselves to hairstyles with chopsticks and spiked buns in Asian fashion and some got pedicures complete with Japanese decals—Susan even had her hair dyed black for an authentic look.

The men rushed to Des Moines for fresh fish and a few festive floor cushions for seating around the dining area.

Once back at the house, the girls got to work while the guys snuck upstairs for a pre-party nap. Kristin took the legs off an old table and propped it lower on cinder blocks so people could sit around it, Japanese-style. She then accented one of the main buffet tables with orchids, chocolate-covered fortune cookies and a wood-framed paper umbrella. For added flair, Susan helped Kristin mount a rotating disco ball on the ceiling.

Kristin’s friend and sushi chef for the evening, Chris Limburg, arrived early to begin prepping rice, tuna, salmon, yellowtail and octopus for rolling. Chris, an engineering consultant, taught himself the art of sushi rolling after falling in love with it on a trip to the West Coast. As a favor to Jay, he offered to cater the evening with dozens of handmade rolls. "I’m nothing near a real chef, but when Jay and Kristin host, you can count on great company, music, food and décor," Chris says. "I wouldn’t have missed it."

As Chris readied the evening’s main course, Kristin whipped up wasabi mashed potatoes while Jay prepared teriyaki chicken skewers. Once the food was prepped, it was time to dress for the occasion. Though the festivities were scheduled to begin at 8 p.m., a few guests arrived early, eager to get a jump on the evening.

Because this was a party for Jay, the RA-HEW-CY clan only topped the guest list. Over the next couple of hours close friends, from engineers to tattoo artists, filtered into the Tracy home, mixing easily with strangers and friends alike.

One of Kristin’s friends brought Korean lounge music to set the Asian mood. "The Asian music didn’t last long," Kristin says. "I threw in some old ’80s music instead." From Boy George’s "Karma Chameleon" to Robert Palmer’s "Addicted to Love," and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham!, the music brought a verve to the party that kept guests eating, drinking and having a good time.