Beauty was being brought to the forefront of fashion as top designers and salons across the country come together for Fashion & Beauty Week 2013 which kicked off at The Venetian in Garfield, NJ on March 19, 2013 at 6:00pm to raise funds and awareness for the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI).

The event was hosted by celebrity guest Danielle Monaro from Z100's Elvis Duran and the Morning Show.  Reaching over 10,000 people in total, the 800+ gala attendees were invited to mingle with celebrities, stylists, fashion and beauty editors, athletes and industry icons while enjoying featured fashion shows from the world's most prestigious designers. The gala also included a full cocktail dinner, Lord & Taylor beauty bar, silent auction, luxury lounge experiences, after-party and more!

The ultra-chic 2013 runway line-up included some of the designers featured at the Fashion& Beauty Week kick-off mixer held on October 4; Melissa Odabash, Naven, and Sue Wong. Other notable names that have been added to the star-studded line-up include Monique Lhuillier, Jay Godfrey, THEIA, BCBG, Adrian Alicea and JS Collections.

As I write this post I am slightly in tears! My baby girl will be three on the 23rd of this month so I thought it would be nice to take a look at her 2nd birthday. She was really into Elmo at the time so we went with that.

Like with her 1st birthday (click to see post) I chose to make it a kid friendly event. No loud obscene music and no alcohol which are pretty typical with Hispanic parties lol. We hosted her party at Time 2 Party in Montclair, NJ. I really loved this location they provided an Elmo, music, face painting and many games/ activities for the children. Negatives; they only give you just 15 minutes before your event to decorate and it has a 2hr time limit. I felt a bit rushed other than that its a lovely location and the staff was very sweet.

I purchased her invitations from an Etsy seller.

It took lots of back and forth to get almost exactly what I wanted. There were a few bumps but this Etsy seller was very kind and very talented.

I made custom labels and stuck them in the center of small assorted color gift bags from Party City as a two in one souvenir and candy bag for the piñata

I was looking for party hat ideas and came across these Elmo visors. I bought red visors, googley eyes and orange foam at Michael's. I got one orange puff ball to make Naliya's party hat a little bit more special. 

Custom pieces can get really expensive on Etsy so I made her headband myself. It was my first time making a headband for her, I loved the final product.

Balloons I bought to decorate at the event location. I also decorated with Elmo and Sesame Street store bought party decor as well as table confetti from another Etsy seller.

I provided guest with bags of chips, juice pouches and pizza. I think Naliya had like 3 bags of cheese doodles lol. 

It took her a little while to warm up to Elmo. But she had a great time. Below are a few more pictures from her party. I thought I had more but cannot seem to find them. They could be in my mom's camera. This year we are doing a Lalaloopsy birthday, I will try not to take a year to post hehe.

I almost forgot to share this post with you, I had the opportunity to attend a preview of Kmart's Spring 2013 Collections on Thursday, November 15th. There were many pretty & stylish pieces, I am especially fond of Sofia Vergara's jewelry line. I was loving my natural curls that day.

(español)

Casi se me olvida compartir esta entrada con ustedes, tuve la oportunidad de asistir a una vista previa de las Colecciones de Primavera del 2013 de Kmart el jueves, 15 de noviembre. Habían muchas piezas bonitas y con estilo, soy especialmente aficionada a la línea de joyería de Sofia Vergara. Me encataron mis rizos naturales este dia.

Montclair Art Museum (MAM) hosted a Smokin’ Hot Barbeque friend/fundraiser event celebrating the exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe in New Mexico: Architecture, Katsinam, and the Land on November 30, 2012, 7 – 10 p.m. in the Museum’s Leir Hall.

Guests of the Smokin’ Hot Barbeque were transported from Montclair to the southwest for an exciting evening showcasing New Mexico through the art of Georgia O’Keeffe. The highlighted exhibition features 15 paintings and drawings of Katsina dolls (representations of Katsinam, or Hopi spirit beings) and over 30 paintings and works on paper of New Mexico landscapes and architecture.

“This exciting friend/fundraiser embodied O’Keeffe’s passion for southwestern culture, as depicted in our current exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe in New Mexico,” said Lora Urbanelli, MAM director. “Hurricane Sandy tried to put a damper on this special event by forcing us to reschedule, but an enthusiastic crowd of over 300 attendees came out for the new date and kept it ‘smokin’ hot.’”

The southwestern theme displayed itself through a fabulous silent auction and exquisite savory fare provided by Ruthie’s BBQ & Pizza. Margaritas and cocktails were conjured by Egan & Sons while DJs Russ Boris and Darren DeVivo from WFUV (90.7 FM) played O’Keeffe-inspired soundtracks.

This event was offered in partnership with Ruthie’s BBQ & Pizza, Egan & Sons, WFUV, and Elements Therapeutic Massage. All ticket proceeds benefited the Montclair Art Museum.

“Luxe Runway Star” modeling competition will be held in January 27, 2013. This competition has been in the making for the last year; with all parties involved dedicating time and committing hard work to produce a fantastic production.

Urban Fame presents “Luxe Runway Star”, a modeling competition targeting male and female models between the ages of 13-28 years of age. With this competition the plan is to create an environment of exposure, experience and opportunity in the fashion and entertainment fields to those aspiring for future careers in these fields. 

Resources to further their aspirations in these fields in particular are not as accessible; or particularly affordable. That’s where they plan to create an outlet to help those aspiring and reaching to obtain and better their crafts, this will be an annual event.

Join the designer Marc Fisher in store for a meet and greet and special shopping event!

The first 10 readers who mention my blog at the Macy's Herald Square event will receive a $10 gift card to be used anywhere in the store.

• What:
  

Macy's invites you to the World's Largest Shoe Floor for a shopping party with footwear designer extraordinaire, Marc Fisher. Enjoy informal modeling of his newest collection, featuring super tall riding boots, peep toes and more, available exclusively at Macy’s. enjoy refreshments and jam to the beats of our guest DJ!

Make a Marc Fisher shoe purchase during the event and you’ll walk away with a complimentary Marc Fisher gift, autographed by Marc.

• When:
  

Thursday, Oct 18, at 5pm

• Where:
  

Macy's Herald Square
Shoe Department 2nd Floor
151 West 34th Street,
New York, NY 10001


About Macy's:
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc., delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at more than 800 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. Macy's stores and macys.com offer distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy's is known for such epic events as Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Building on a 150-year tradition, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities that make a difference in the lives of our customers.

Fashion & Beauty Week threw a charitable mixer on Thursday, October 4th from 6-9pm at Vibe in Riverdale, NJ to kick-off the fundraising and get the buzz going for the most prestigious international event held in New Jersey.

In celebration of fashion and beauty, industry professionals, salons, department stores, boutiques, designers, socialites and celebrities mingled together while enjoying complimentary cocktails by Grey Goose, hors d’oeuvres provided by Waterside Restaurant and Catering, decadent desserts by Apple Spice Junction & Costco on behalf of Twice Baked Twins, and music entertainment from DJ Nicky Sibilia. Noteworthy appearances were made by Nicole Obert of the hit Bravo TV show Shear Genius; Katie Deleasa, sister of Danielle Jonas from the hit E! TV show Married to Jonas; and Douglas Ramirez of the Diabetes Research Institute. Guests left with swag bags filled with today’s hottest beauty products.

Jack Panico, salon owner and founder of Fashion & Beauty Week paid respects to some industry leaders with an appreciative speech to show recognition for Lord & Taylor and last year’s participating salons for making a difference, working together, and celebrating each other’s accomplishments. During the night’s main event, the esteemed group of guests surrounded the runway to view exclusive pieces from Les Copains, Melissa Odabash, Naven, and Sue Wong - a preview of theirspring/summer 2013 lines, coordinated by Fashion & Beauty Week Runway Producer Alina Leshiner of Suite 201.

“I couldn’t be happier with the turnout. It really got the buzz going. I thought the show went phenomenally and truly exemplified our passion to showcase beauty at the forefront with fashion. I urge everyone to follow us online as we have many exciting things ahead from the addition of Fashion & Beauty Week’s Nights Out to the wonderful people coming on board. We’ve already developed this powerful and engaging platform; now, what’s next will simply blow you away” said Fashion & Beauty Week founder, Jack Panico.

Fashion & Beauty Week benefits the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI), a center of excellence at the University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine, a recognized world leader in cure-focused research. The DRI is credited with changing the international research paradigm, ensuring that promising findings in the lab can be translated to patients in the fastest, safest and most efficient way possible.

Fashion & Beauty Week’s main events are scheduled to begin in 2013 to celebrate the fashion and beauty industries, engage the public even further and provide another avenue for giving back.

The Montclair Art Museum hosted its annual gala this past Saturday, May 12, from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Guests came out for a special celebration themed “Hidden Treasures – A Gentlemen’s Gala.” This event honored the involvement of the co-chair committee made up of all gentlemen.

Adrian Shelby, MAM’s chair of external affairs and longtime Museum supporter, also served as honorary chairwoman. The Leir Charitable Foundations, introduced by Shelby to the Museum, were honored for their continual and transformational support of the Museum. In past years, the Foundations gifted the Museum with Leir Hall, a spectacular three-story room, as well as funded the Cezanne and American Modernism exhibition.

Kicking off the celebration at 6:30 p.m., guests enjoyed passed hors d’ oeuvres and cocktails while browsing and bidding on items in the silent auction. In addition, the night recognized hidden treasures within the Museum. The three exhibitions of the night included Look Now: Modern and Contemporary Art from Private Collections, New Media: New Forms, and Patterns, Systems, Structures: Abstraction in American Art. Many of the pieces came from private collections and were for the first time exhibited at the Museum.

As the night carried on, guests gathered for dinner and a special performance by the Bethany and Rufus Roots Quartet. The performance blended music of the African Diaspora, Native American Prayer, American Spirituals, and ceremonial rhythms. This soul stirring performance led into the final event of the night, a live auction. As guests participated in the live auction, they shared their support for the Museum’s exhibitions and educational program.