Blog Design

For whatever reason, I am loyal to Blogger.  I contemplated switching to another platform or hiring someone (probably will eventually) to just fix this one but thought, "I got this!".  Well, in my journey into trying to figure out how to better my blog, I came across a couple of other blogs worth noting.

There is definitely a certain style I am going for and I'm going to refer to it as the "Lifestyle Format".  Lifestyle blogs are all the rage and I want in.  There is uber-popular sites like Cupcakes & Cashmere (who just relaunched her entire site) and the lovely Ramshackleglam.

On Blogger specifically, I found The Londoner.  She was actually one of the first ones to pop into my search and even had an entry about how she figured it all out on her own and included a couple of blogging tips.  I was motivated by this and respect her lots for successfully doing it solo.  That said, her blog is pretty freaking fab and you should start reading it...now!

Two other super cute sites with similar designs include:

Urban Flip Flops (credits design to Danielle Moss)

Chic Sprinkles

So my loyal readers, this is still a process and I appreciate you sticking with me during this eyesore.  One day I vow, it will be better.  Once again, if anyone has any tips, tricks or referrals, send them my way!  Til then, thanks for reading!  

Day 5 - Hawaii Honeymoon

Today was relax day. We got up early to get seats by the adult pool. Apparently it gets pretty competitive and people literally line up at 7am to claim territory. Naturally when I got there at 6:55am, I was one of three people there.

We set up shop and went to oceanside yoga. The sand on Wailea beach is so soft and clean. The resort is much more manicured then any human I know!

The hotel has a  breakfast buffet we enjoyed every morning (courtesy of booking with Stacy Small at Elite Travel International).  In addition to a customized feast, there were also gluten free options, a different complimentary smoothie shot every morning and a load of greedy/courageous birds joining us.

We spent the morning reading (finished Aleph by Paulo Coelho) and relaxing at the Serenity infinity pool...

and then it started to rain. As most island weather goes, we thought it would pass and then we could continue with our plan to hit the driving range but it never did.  It rained for several more hours, apparently a rare thing. 

Our late lunch was at a place "known for their hawaiian pizza" called Round Table. I cracked up when we got there because it was like a Pizza Hut meets Medieval Times meets a bootleg Chuckie Cheese. Oh well, its hit or miss out in Wailea I guess. David then went for a run and I relaxed cuz I hadn't been sleeping well. Hooked myself up with a great face mask from the concierge too!  

The rain stopped just in time for a spectacular sunset.  The best one of the entire trip. 

Sunset from our room. 

Sunset from the Serenity Pool. 

We walked the grounds and found the game room a couple hours too late, as well as a Missoni designed lounge area.  One of the many awesome partnerships in the hotel is the Missoni one. They also designed two cabanas here.

One of the two Missoni cabanas at the Serenity Pool.

And then it was dinner. So much eating!  We went to Capische? A decent and extremely overpriced place where I ate shrimp carbonara and husband ate the lamb. It was a really dark and quiet place but for some reason I was just not feeling the vibe.  Rainy day blues perhaps.  But a rainy day in Hawaii is still better then a rainy day anywhere else.  

Sessed: Donni Charm

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with a company called Donni Charm.  Alyssa, the creator of the company, is a great woman with a great team behind her.  

The story behind Donni Charm is worth mentioning.  Alyssa went through the tragedy of losing her father unexpectedly and created scarves with charms on them as a way to remember and honor him.  She started to expand in the past two years and for her Spring 2012 catalog and asked my place of work for some additional models and shooting space (see below for finished product).  

I can tell you first hand these products are super soft and super cool.  I wanted everything!  (There is a hamsa charm so you know I am into it.)  In addition to this new Spring line, Donni Charm has also teamed up with the Grateful Dead.  Yes, that Grateful Dead, to create a unique and kick-ass line of scarves.  

Go check them out and get some, a percentage of the sales goes to a selected charity each season.  So yea, it's not only just an amazing line of products but also has a philanthropic side.  Not hard to figure out without saying, who benefits from this season's sales.  

Alisa Brides

My birthright friend Alisa (she was on the trip with Roommate) is one cool lady.  She happens to have started a new company called Alisa Brides.  Alisa describes her company as "a boutique bridal accessories line dedicated to a variety of finely crafted, American-made veils ".  I recently met with her and (aside from reminiscing about a trip of a lifetime) she wow'd me with her designs.  The girl has talent, understands the business, and is definitely doing things with this.  I am really excited for her!  She makes everything by hand with tender loving care.  She gets to know her brides and is also a great consultant for those unsure of what they want.  Here are just a few of her pieces below, click on the link above to see everything on her site.

HELP SUPPORT BRAD!

A Letter From My Friend Brad:

Hey Guys,

As you all know by now, I'm training to participate in the NYC Triathlon on July 18, 2010 with Team in Training (TNT) for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS). All of us on team are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. We each must raise $2700 individually. Currently, I have raised just over $1000.00!!! Every donation received has be motivates and encourages me to continue to train hard.

I am completing the triathlon event in honor of my late grandfather J.J. Goldberg who passed away a few years ago due to cancer and for all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!

Please use the link in this email to make a donation to support my participation in the NYC triathlon and help advance LLS's mission. I hope you will visit my web site often to learn more about my progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.

http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/nyctri10/bmarks8inw

I greatly appreciate your generosity. I would appreciate it if you would forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well.

Thanks for your support!

Bradly G. Marks

c.marchuska

I won! I won!
This post is long overdue, but hey, I still wear scarves in summer so to me, it's relevant.
C.marchuska is a sophisticated, sustainable and chic clothing company. They happened to have had a giveaway recently for their Hunter Scarf that I unexpectedly won (see pics).Their style is my style. Simple, sexy, eco-friendly. Like this Diane dress ($92).

and name fittingly, the Rebecca dress ($159).
They also do a wonderful job keeping a blog interesting, informative and intriguing. One thing I said in the giveaway was that I just moved to Ohio and would love to represent such a cool NYC brand over here and I truly meant it. Being from NYC and having an entrepreneurial bug myself, I love supporting fellow artists, designers, shops, etc. Thanks Christine and Brooke!

From their website:

The Mission:

c. marchuska is an eco-friendly clothing line by Christine Marchuska and Brooke Bresnan, which provides chic and sustainable clothing at affordable prices. Manufactured in New York City, the clothing is designed to embody versatility throughout different trends and seasons in order to stay true to the sustainable fashion mantra of producing less waste. The sophisticated clothing with green benefits is the perfect match for the socially conscious woman that doesn’t want to sacrifice style, price or comfort to help save the planet.

The Story:

Christine and Brooke met in April 2008 while raising funds and awareness for Safe Horizon, the nations leading victim assistance organization. Both were dissatisfied with their Wall Street careers and sought a more creative outlet to fulfill their days. Christine had identified a need for an eco-chic women’s clothing line that would not only meet her socially conscious standards, but also her desire for affordable high fashion. In November 2008, c. marchuska was born.
In August 2009, Brooke and Christine teamed up and haven’t looked back since. Christine, the socially-conscious-CEO-butterfly, heads up sales and marketing, while Brooke, CFO & COO, still enjoys to play with numbers and devise strategies to grow the brand. Both Christine and Brooke work with their talented design team to orchestrate and merchandise the upcoming season’s sustainable collection.
Serious supporters of Safe Horizon and New York City, Brooke and Christine continue to give back to the cause that brought them together. A percentage of c. marchuska proceeds is donated annually to Safe Horizon.

Published In Cosmo

Over a year ago I posted a story that may or may not have been true. Well if you turn to page 176 in this months Cosmopolitan, a new and improved (I guess) version of this story has found it's way. So proud of my friend!

The B-List.com

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Best Gift Ever

I am OBSESSED with monkeys and I was looking at some photos and saw this:

It's awesome for a couple reasons. 1. It's a freaking monkey! 2. It's slightly unrealistic to own one, but to play with on for an hour or so is a great alternative. 3. Definitely adds some originality and spice to the pics and event. 4. Way more original then a typical groom's gift like a watch.

Birthday Girl

Weddings are easy to obsess over. But as an event planner, there believe it or not, are other events besides weddings to plan. Birthday Girl recognizes that quite well and although not her full time job, she runs this beautiful blog for fun.

It's choc-full-o ideas for that special day that comes every year, not just once. Also, remember my recent entry on inspiration boards? She SELLS them! $25 a pop, I love it!

Such cute and quality stuff. If you need idea's for a birthday, you need to check Birthday Girl out.

Television History

I'll admit I did not watch Ugly Betty until last year. Then Mark Indelicato, who plays Justin Suarez, Betty's nephew on the show, became a client. I cannot say enough how much I loved working with this kid. His family was wonderful and he has such a great team behind him. I miss him more then anyone else I've worked with and luckily still keep in touch.

I watch UB now because I think the show and he are just brilliant. Two weeks ago, I turned it on just as Betty was by accident playing a music video Justin created for Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance". I nearly peed my pants in hysterics. One of the first assignments I was given was to get him into a Lady Gaga show and it was impossible. After this performance, I am sure he could waltz right in! I wish I could find a clip to the video, or ABC would post it but I digress and will just post the ep. link for you to see. http://abc.go.com/watch/ugly-betty/93531/253657/fire-and-nice

Now this past week, Mark made history! http://abc.go.com/watch/ugly-betty/93531/254484/all-the-worlds-a-stage

As a teenage boy struggling with identity, the show took things to the next level. He wasn't thinking, he was DOING. I don't think the world could have experienced this with a better actor. I am so proud of him and the show for this huge step. It is really a shame on the cancellation because the show could really take this somewhere.

Pic from Mark's blog at his "Sweet 16" I sadly could not make it to. The girl is his best friend who went to the same summer camp as I did. Such a small world. :)

Update! Found the Gaga/Justin clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0XaZaMUDxE&feature=related

#HappyinCLE

Here's the full story about the whole Forbes.com/whattheforbes.com/positiveleycleveland/#happyincle phenomenon, told by my new twitter friend @caralageson on her blog.

http://www.icarabout.com/2010/02/hey-forbes-the-entire-city-of-cleveland-hates-you/

Shirts made by Fresh Brewed Tees

A Sparkling Event

My friend Melissa works in the Sparkle Factory aka with Tarina Tarantino, a jewelry designer who rocks. Her latest endeavor for the company: makeup.

They just launched a line for Sephora and one of my event planning idol's, Jes Gordon/ProperFun, was tapped by coincidence by Melissa to coordinate the event. Jes is author of the book, Party Like A Rock Star.

BizBash did a great write up on Wednesday's party HERE.
The concept was adorable with so many details. I love the vanities they set up along the walls to display the new products.

What was cool was Melissa contacted me in the midst of all this busyness to say she noticed I was a fan of Jes's and told me Jes was one of the coolest people she had worked with and would send me her book. I then noticed some twitter shoutouts from her as well. I am grateful to Melissa for doing that. I don't think she realized how inspiring Jes was to me as a wannabe event planner when I was graduating. These are the kinds of events and things that make me want to move to LA and be Melissa's assistant (which is not an available position, fyi).

Keep up with The Sparkle Factory here: thesparklefactory.blogspot.com

More coverage of the event:
Purse Buzz
Nick Verreos
Dolce Chica

Birthday Brownies

Today is my roommate's birthday!

Mr. Newton

A couple weeks ago, a girl I know linked herself to a website she was on called Mr. Newton.

Mr. Newton in a sentence: "Resident of New York, citizen of the world. Street style photography and reflections on city life."

He really can capture something that a lot of photographers miss. You really feel the vibe of New York City when you look at his photos.

Keep It One Hunded

I like Kid Cudi, music in general and blogs. I also like my mom's boyfriend's son, Jason. It just so happens he is the co-author of a really great music blog called Keep It One Hundred. So today, he has an article on Kid Cudi and I figured it would be a perfect time to introduce him to my world. *This was unsolicited and I would not just shout out anyone because they are "family" or a friend. If I didn't actually like their stuff, I wouldn't waste my time, or yours.*

If you are interested in the ongoings of the hip hop, rap, and rock world, with a little pop culture and randoms mixed in, these kids are on top of it. It's not just, "Here's a popular artist, listen to his track." There is actual depth to the articles they write.

I linked it to the Entertainment links on the right, and you can follow them on twitter @keepit1hundred and become a fan on their facebook group http://www.facebook.com/pages/KEEP-IT-ONE-HUNDRED/152040794048

Speaking of Kid Cudi, he hasn't been around for too long yet holds a solid career so far which is impressive. My favorite song of his is Up Up and Away (youtube). He is from Shaker Heights Ohio, the town I currently live next to. I actually have friends who went to HS with him at Solon. Kid Cudi is also severely disturbed, as the majority of his lyrics reflect. Kids got problems!

Liam Alexander

Back in September, I went to a photo exhibit called Behind The Curtain. The photographer: Liam Alexander.

Erin introduced me to Liam because she was working with him on this project and we knew a lot of the same people. Liam is quite a character, he has a true artist's aura about him.

(me, ariel, liam)

As Erin explains,

"...featuring documentary-style photography backstage at recent fashion weeks from shows including rag & bone, Elise Overland, Yigal Azrouël, Lorick, and others. The opening was a great success thanks to Severn Taylor for curating the show, as well as the support of CITY Magazine, StyleCaster, and Fame Game. His photos are incredibly unique and nothing like what comes out of the press pit at the end of the runway. "

Some of his photos:

My First Guest Blog

Melody Simpson is the author of the blog, Hollywood The Write Way. We were connected last year and since then have kept in touch. She recently asked me to guest blog on anything I wanted and the first thing that came to my mind was LOST. The following is what I wrote and she posted. Be sure to check the actual posting here!

Tuesday February 2nd on ABC. A date that has been lingering in my head for months. Oh LOST. Where to begin? Where to end?! As the 6th and final season approaches, many folks, including myself, are starting to dust off the DVDs, magazines and websites and questions that remind of us everything we have seen come rushing back.

ABC.com had a pretty good starter kit for those who are forgetful. http://abc.go.com/shows/lost/starter-kit I watched it. It was fairly funnily narrated but did its job and raises some questions. Will Jack's bomb be detonated by Juliet who fell in the magnetic hole? Who is the alive Locke if the real Locke is dead? What will happen to the survivors in 1977 and the survivors in present day? Will these questions actually be answered?

It's hard to ask questions without getting into the past. What worries me is that I have heard numerous times that the writers themselves had no plans when making this show. I am sure they will settle things, but how? There is just so much to cover!



Like the connections. Are they random or do they have meanings? Just like in real life, connections or coincidences, or as some may even call them, miracles, happen every day and you just aren't aware of it. Is it just because this is a TV show, they need to be focused on? Nevermind picking apart each and every connection but in general, is it just something cool they decided to do, or is there a deeper meaning to all of it? Will they make things even more intertwined?

Also, the show has officially gone from possible "reality" to just straight science fiction so I kind of gave up on actually trying to explain the actuality in the time travel and such. But they have to answer it somehow right? I mean, I have never really been into scifi before. Do you just accept it as is, and not worry about the how or why? Well I guess normally you would but not the way this show started. Everything needs to be explained, that's just what LOST is supposed to be committed to.

Oy! I'm getting anxiety just thinking about it! Hopefully these questions and all the others being asked will be if not answered, touched on. I cant wait! What questions do you want answered?

PRBreakfastClub

I am loving, loving, LOVING this site called PRBreakfastClub.

There are so many things I have wanted to write about in my short public relations career but either don't have the time or don't know how to properly phrase. I stumbled on this site and it's like they took all my thoughts and nailed every single one of them. Just about every day I read their postings and its as if I wrote them myself. I feel like I can relate completely to these people.

There are a group of them. I actually found them on Twitter first. One person lead to another and then a link and HELLO I am reading everything I ever wanted to say! So cool. I just made my first comment today, about how a publicist's perfect client is an ex-publicist. I don't know how enjoyable someone not in the industry would find this but I think it's relateable regardless because of the way they write.

If you are on twitter, the following are contributors:
@keithtrivitt
@stina6001
@hdueitt
@PRCog
@CTmichaels
@teammommedia
@daniellecyr
@tjdietderich
@KOttavio
@jessisjuicy
@missmotorcade

Their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/PR-Breakfast-Club/121990767818

Holler

I stumbled upon a scrumtious blog today, Blondie and Brownie, and just in time! For June Wednesday's Shake Shack has a flavor of custard that is truly intriguing to my taste buds...Coffee and donuts!