Granting the wishes of young children and adolescents is an undeniably rewarding experience. That's why I decided to check out a special kickoff event honoring the upcoming 17th Annual InterContinental MiamiMake-A-Wish Ball benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida. Held each year at the downtown landmark and attended by more than 250 of South Florida’s leading philanthropists, this exclusive preview event celebrated the annual Ball, to be held on Saturday, November 5, 2011. I was very excited to hear that the money raised this year is expected to push the organization’s all-time fundraising total in 17 years above $10 million. That is an incredible accomplishment! During the kickoff event, the “Three Amigos”— Norman Wedderburn, President/CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, Shareef Malnik, Ball Chairman and proprietor of The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, and Robert Hill, Ball Host and General Manager of Intercontinental Miami [all pictured above]— unveiled key details, such as the theme of this year's gala. I'll give you a hint: black and white (masks are a must)! It was also announced that the Ball’s live auction will be emceed by Burn Notice star Gabrielle Anwar. Did I mention DJ Irie will be spinning his beats? Sounds like a ball to me! Make sure you buy your tickets early and save the date for this celeb studded event! Above: Beatrice Clancy, Dr. Sanford Ziff [Founder of Sunglass Hut and Philanthropist] and Lady Monica Heflter. Past celebrity guests have included Paula Abdul, Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian, Scottie Pippen, Venus and Serena Williams [just to name a few]. To secure your seat for this prominent social event, call 888-773-9474 ext. 318. Above Left:Miami philanthropists, Diane and Aristotle Ares, who always look fabulous! Above Right: Shareef Malnik, Ball Chairman and proprietor of The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, along with the beautiful Tara Solomon, Principal of Tara Ink. Above: Karneval Masque Atelier showed guests their Venetian styled masks for this year's ball. If you purchase one of their customized masks, you'll be happy to know that 20% of the profit from your purchase will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information, feel free to email info@karnevalmasque.com.
My favorite Style Guide, Bobbie Thomas, was in Miami on Monday, September 13th, to speak about LATISSE® at the Four Seasons Hotel in Brickell. LATISSE® solution is the first and only prescription treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grow lashes longer, fuller and darker for those with inadequate or not enough lashes (eyelash hypotrichosis). As an Ambassador for the LATISSE® Wishes Challenge campaign, Bobbie Thomas is currently leading a team of LATISSE® users who are challenged to raise more than a quarter of a million dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Bobbie is also the official Style Editor of NBC's "Today Show" and Author of In Touch Magazine's The Buzz Column. Did I mention she has a fabulous website? www.Bobbie.com Style Guide, Bobbie Thomas, Professional Ballroom Dancer, Chelsie Hightower (pictured above: left), and Fashion CEO, Kathy Ireland (pictured above: middle), are leading teams of LATISSE® users to see who can raise the most funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The first 10,000 people to participate in the campaign (by making a minimum donation of $20) will receive a LATISSE® free trial certificate. At the end of the campaign, LATISSE® will double each individual’s donation, with a maximum donation of $250,000, through October 31st. If you'd like to participate in the LATISSE® Wishes Challenge, you can join a team by visiting www.LatisseWishesChallenge.com. After learning about Bobbie's commitment to the LATISSE® Wishes Challenge, I knew I had to interview her during her visit to Miami. Here is a recap of my interview with the very talented and beautiful, Bobbie Thomas:
MBS: How did you become involved with LATISSE® and are you a satisfied user? Bobbie: I am. I actually started using LATISSE® before I became involved with the brand. I was obsessed (and that's an understatement) with using false eyelashes. Over the years, after every application, I was pulling my own eyelashes off. Being in the business of knowing about the latest buzz and aesthetics, I was first in line when I heard about LATISSE® being FDA approved. I visited my doctor and he told me that I was a perfect candidate for the product. In terms of results, I started applying the product every night and saw a big difference after 4 months (the total time it takes for LATISSE® to make its full effect). The fullness in your lashes take time to appear and the results definitely vary per user.
[At this point, Bobbie allowed me to touch her stunning eyelashes...and yes...they are 100% natural.]
MBS: Why did you want to support the LATISSE®Wishes Challenge campaign? Bobbie: I jumped at the opportunity! Any time I can use my platform to give back...I'm there! I am such an advocate for women and children who are facing life threatening illnesses. The fact that we can help grant the wishes of these children is awesome. If we can use the buzz surrounding a product to create buzz for a charity, all of the stars aligned for me as far as my involvement. I love working alongside Kathy Ireland and Chelsie Hightower. I would urge your readers to join one of our teams. It's great to know that LATISSE® will be doubling everyone's minimum donation ($20). Your readers can also visit the LATISSE® website to see the progress different people are experiencing by comparing their before and after pictures. MBS: In your opinion, why should women be aware of their personal appearance and style? Bobbie: Because you are your own walking, talking, 24/7 marketing campaign! There's no better person on earth to let people know who you are. I tell people over and over again (I don't care if I sound like a broken record) style is the way you speak to the world. You should be taking advantage of every single opportunity, every first, second and third impression to let somebody know what you're all about! It's not about being superficial. Use the superficial layer to say something meaningful. There's so much that your wardrobe can say. As women, that's how we communicate in a sense.
MBS: Which award show do you get most excited about attending or covering? Bobbie: After being on the Today Show for 5 years, it has definitely become my second home now. I am so honored that I get to work with Kathie Lee and Hoda every day. Since I follow the buzz and trends surrounding award shows, I love watching the Oscars because they're so grand. Everyone knows that celebrities borrow dresses. I feel like every designer holds on to their dresses for that one particular show. That's why it's so exciting to watch and see what everyone ends up wearing. You definitely want to see familiar faces pull off all the stops on that night! MBS: Have you been to Miami before and what is your favorite place to visit while you're in town? Bobbie: You're not going to believe it but I love going to Versailles. My background is Spanish and Portuguese so my family and I love to eat! I always stop by when I'm in Miami.
ABOVE: A great clip I found of Bobbie doing her thing on the Today Show! Hope you've enjoyed reading my interview. I have to say that Bobbie was extremely kind and down-to-earth when I interviewed her this week. I can see why she has been so successful in her career! The one thing she kept stressing throughout our interview was the need for women to feel confident. Bobbie was truly inspiring and she really cares about today's youth! To stay up-to-date with Bobbie and read all about her upcoming projects, make sure you visit her website: www.Bobbie.com. The website also features her blog and of course, all of the latest buzz! You can follow her on Twitter @BobbieThomas and watch her fashion and beauty segments on NBC's Today Show and her "Minute Buzz" segments on Fridays with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford. For more information on LATISSE®, check out www.LATISSE.com. Remember: you cannot use LATISSE® without consulting your doctor first! xoxo
On Thursday, May 27th, Miami's philanthropists and celebrities were invited to a private cocktail reception at the InterContinental Hotel in Miami. The event: a kick-off celebration for this year's 16th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball. During the evening, more than 200 guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while watching a slideshow from last year’s ball, which raised more than $1 million for the nonprofit’s children in need. The list of prominent guests who were in attendance included Evelyn Lozada (star of VH1's Basketball Wives; pictured above- photo by Johnny Louis), Courland Lantiff (Ocean Drive Magazine's Publisher), Kamal Hochtdani (CEO of Haute Living Magazine), Michael Capponi and Celeb Attorney Bradford Cohen. Finally, you cannot have a celebration without Miami's own DJ Irie! TheMake-a-Wish Foundation has one mission with every wish: to exceed a child’s expectations, transporting them from a world of doctors and hospitals to a world where anything is possible. A true gift for any child... Aleksandra Eriksson, Edward Freedman, EJ Bowmen and Shareef Malnik attended the cocktail reception last week (photo from NBC6 Miami). Mr. Malnik serves as the Chairman of the Make-a-Wish Ball and is also the Proprietor of The Forge Restaurant Wine Bar (432 41st Street, Miami Beach). VH1's "Basketball Wives" stars Suzie Ketcham and Evelyn Lozada strike a pose with Star Jones' ex-husband, Al Reynolds (photo by Andre Pinsun, Sofi Mag). Evelyn, Miami's hippest Shoenista and owner of high end shoe boutique Dulce, was wearing a lovely pair of Christian Louboutin stilettos along with a DVF dress and Jimmy Choo handbag. HOT HOT HOT! Evelyn Lozada along with famed designer Pepe Calderin and his movie star wife, Carolina Lizarazo (photo by Andre Pinsun, Sofi Mag). Since 1983, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida has given hope, strength and joy to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Today, the organization grants a local child’s wish every 16 hours. Truly amazing! To learn more about the Make-a-Wish Foundation or to get involved with their initiatives, visit http://sfla.wish.org/.
