The 45th annual Hoag Christmas Carol Ball may be a tradition, but this year it had a modern twist. Guests bid on auction items using a small wireless touch pad. It made cocktails an even more enjoyable prelude to dinner and entertainment by the Wayne Foster Orchestra. More surprises awaited guests in the ballroom of the swank St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, as flash-mob carolers and opera diva Karin Mushegain belted out holiday songs on queue. And each guest took home a gift: a beautiful crystal plate, courtesy of Tiffany & Co.