Intercontinental Miami hosts a kickoff event for the 17th Annual Make-A-Wish Ball

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 Miami Make-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.

New Eyewear Hot Spot: SEE hosts the Grand Opening of its South Miami Boutique

On Tuesday, June 7th, I attended the grand opening of SEE, the largest optical retailer in the U.S., in South Miami (5826 Sunset Drive). This one-of-a-kind hot spot features frames from the top designers in the world who create designs exclusively for SEE. During the event, guests enjoyed sipping on specialty cocktails by Zignum Mezcal and Japanese fusion tapas by RA Sushi in South Miami. Among the fabulous guests, I ran into Norma Quintero (Miami Socialite and Philanthropist), Raquel Watters (Owner of Rik Rak Salon) and Tara Solomon (Principal of TaraInk PR) who are all pictured above. If you didn't get a chance to check out this event, make sure to visit the boutique's website. Richard Golden, Founder of SEE, has made sure to provide his clients with a selection of eyewear that doesn't hurt your pocket. Thus, SEE's slogan: "Hip without the rip." I love it! You'll also be happy to know that SEE donated 10% of the evening's sales to Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute.

Shelly and Richard Golden, owners of SEE. When asked about his boutique, Golden says "we're obsessed with uncovering hidden gems and little-known sources when creating designs." Trust me, this optical boutique is unlike any other in Miami.

Start planning your visit to this new hot spot in South Miami!

Alonzo and Tracy Mourning attend Art Basel's VOGUE Lounge at The Raleigh Hotel

Art Basel has taken over Miami and the VOGUE Lounge at The Raleigh Hotel is one of the hot spots you cannot miss! On Wednesday, December 1st, Miami's trendsetters and fashionistas attended the VOGUE Lounge's cocktail reception for an exclusive shopping preview of the season's most inspiring fashion, beauty and lifestyle trends. Guests were able to visit stylish shopping booths by Sam Edelman, Curve Boutique, Bebe, Trina Turk and Tracy Mourning's Honey Child Collection which features a wonderful assortment of moisturizers and body oils (Tracy and Alonzo Mourning are pictured above with one of the sprays). For those who want to check out the VOGUE Lounge, today is the last day to swing by The Raleigh Hotel (open to the public from 12 pm till 9 pm). Enjoy!

Above: Here's a special glimpse of Tracy Mourning's Honey Child Collection which is exclusively available throughout Miami. Make sure to visit her website for a list of the locations. Tracy was kind enough to personally show us her collection of moisturizers and body oils which smell divine and feel great on the skin. Annie and I tried all of her scents like Goddess, Soulmate, Mother and Friend. I honestly smelled lovely for the rest of the night. Thanks TRACY!!!

Above: My fabulous friend, Annie Vazquez (fashion writer for NBCMiami.com), Tracy Mourning and yours truly!

Top Left: Jilian Sanz, National Fashion Director of Haute Living Magazine, strikes a pose for Miami Beats and Sazon with Shari Liu, Owner of Shari Liu Handbags. Top Right: Jessica Garcia and Mary Handel enjoying their evening at the VOGUE Lounge.

Above: Amanda Whittleman, Charles Albert (Designer of Charles Albert Jewelry) and Tara Solomon (Principal of Tara Ink). I'm a big fan of Charles's jewels: check out the precious stone on Tara's hand and Amanda's amazing necklace!!!

Above: Kelly Silva, Nikki Lorenzo and Livia Silva. Nikki is a Miami singer so make sure you listen to her beats on iTunes.

Above: The beautiful MJ Barton, Talia Matney and Justyna Lipka. For a complete guide to Art Basel, visit the official website. Cheers to a fabulous night of fashion and art!

Photographer, Seth Browarnik, launches WorldRedEye.com at the Raleigh Penthouse

On Friday, May 14th, Miami's best-known celebrity photographer Seth Browarnik celebrated his birthday and the launch of his new website at the famous Raleigh Penthouse in Miami Beach. Seth's website is called World Red Eye. This visual lifestyle journal is actually a very cool concept! Make sure you check out the site and see their photos from the launch party. Here are some of the celebs and special guests I captured throughout the night:

Al Reynolds and Evelyn Lozada strike a pose with Seth (right).

Left: DJ Irie, the official DJ of the Miami Heat, shows some love for MBS. Right: Evelyn Lozada, star of VH1's Basketball Wives, wore her fabulous Alexander McQueen Booties which are actually available at her high end shoe boutique, Dulce.

My sister and I with Tara Solomon (middle) from Tara Ink.

ETRO debuts their Spring and Summer 2010 Collections at Village of Merrick Park

On Thursday, April 8th, ETRO hosted a beautiful event inside their store at Village of Merrick Park (342 San Lorenzo Avenue, Coral Gables) to officially introduce their Spring and Summer 2010 collections. ETRO is best known for their distinctive prints and elegant styles. For forty years, this Italian lifestyle brand has been led by the vision and passion of designer, Gerolamo Etro. With 200 boutiques worldwide, we are extremely lucky to have a location here in South Florida! Last night, guests arrived into ETRO to see this Spring's colorful leather handbags, accessories and apparel. The best way to describe the 2010 collection: a kaleidoscope of light, patterns and quality workmanship. The women's collection is actually headed by Gerolamo's daughter, Veronica Etro. Veronica's line offers the brand's signature paisley prints along with soft ruffles, waives and frills that add that ultimate feminine touch. Overall, it was a wonderful event which also featured a special performance by the New World Symphony. For more information on ETRO or to view online catalogs of their new collections, visit http://www.etro.com/.
The very glamorous: Rebecca Brothers, Tara Solomon (Principal of Tara Ink: http://www.taraink.com/) and Evelyn Lozada. As you may recall from one of my previous blog posts, Evelyn Lozada (right) is starring in the upcoming VHI show called "Basketball Wives." The show premieres this Sunday, April 11th at 10 pm on VH1. Last night, I also learned that Rebecca & Evelyn own Dolce Shoes on Miracle Mile! To check out their shoe boutique, visit www.dulceshoes.net or swing by 286 Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. The shoes are fabulous and so are these successful women!

Models at the event showcased ETRO's latest collection.
The New World Symphony entertained guests during the event.
Guests enjoying their shopping experience at ETRO in Coral Gables.
ETRO's men collection is sharp and stylish! Shop at the store from now until Sunday, April 11th, and a percentage of all proceeds will benefit the New World Symphony. Keep their music alive in our community and shop till you drop!