Wedding Central is back!

Am I the only person that realized that Wedding Central disappeared?

During an excursion through Flatiron the other day, Tineey and I ran into a promotional event for the resurrected channel. A giant D'Orsay pump made its presence known in the famous center across from Madison Square Park, announcing to the world that Wedding Central is back!

Apparently we'd missed all the festivites. Khloe Kardashian was present earlier in the day for the "If The Shoe Fits Stunt", where brides sifted through presents to find the winning shoe that fits. The lucky bride-to-be, Stacy Steele, won designer shoes, invitations, a cake, and $5000 toward her wedding.

(Credit: Joe Kohen/Getty Images)

Cute faux brides handed out awesome D'Orsay shaped post its. They were such troopers in the cold!

Wedding Central is now on Time Warner Cable, Channel 94. Yes, David Tutera, Bridezillas, Rich Bride Poor Bride, and more are back. Go get your wedding fix!

Fifth Avenue Christmas!

No your eyes are not deceiving you. YES, it's almost mid-November. Apparently time flies when you're having fun! With a little more than six weeks until Christmas (yikes), it's time to decorate and what's more beautiful than New York during the holidays?

Stepping into the H&M on 18th and Fifth Avenue, I noticed a serviceman lacing the sidewalk trees with pretty white lights. As I strolled down the block what do I see?

This dreamy number is front row and center at White House Black Market. Dramatic hot pink bows? Yes please!

I have a weakness for chandeliers. They're especially beautiful during the holidays, they remind me of snowflakes!

Furs, tulle, leather, pearls, sequins....BCBG literally crossed everything off any girl's wish list with their holiday display. The juxtaposition of each of the textures creates a great story that comes full circle to femininity. Love this!

Imagine waking up on Christmas to a trunk full of sequins and stones! To die!

As usual, I am so looking forward to the holiday displays throughout New York City. Oh, what a wonderful time of the year!

BET's "Master of the Mix" Premiere Event

If you are even remotely into hip-hop you probably have heard about "Master of the Mix", a show that is one part hip-hop and one part cocktail with a shot of reality.

"Master of the Mix" is presented by Smirnoff and boasts quite the cast. The show's judges are DJ's Kid Capri and Just Blaze who both hold very heavy weight in the DJ scene. The competitors? Dj Jazzy Joyce, DJ Scratch, Rich Medina, Vikter Duplaix, DJ Rap, DJ Revolution and DJ Mars.

For the premiere of the show on November 3rd, a media event was held the night before. Kid Capri, Just Blaze and BET Executives answered questions from the audience, as well as giving a background to the show and its creation. During the panel, the cast of DJ's shared their experience on the show while special guest and legend DJ Grandmaster Flash flashbacked to the beginnings of his career. I caught all of it in a video:

The after party was at newly renovated Club Amnesia and we got to party with the DJs from "Master of the Mix" who absolutely killed the turntables. I chat it up with Rich Medina during the after party and he guaranteed me the show was worth tuning into. DJ Revolution says the same!


I must admit, I caught a glimpse of a commercial for this show and I chuckled. DJ's and a reality show? Doesn't sound like a viable mix. After attending the media event though, I got a chance to understand how monumental this show is and the predicted effects it will have on the DJ industry. I have so much respect for the hustle, focus and determination it takes to be a real DJ.


Most surprising was Ms. DJ Rap, an electronic DJ from the UK. Songwriter and performer gone deejay-tress, I'm interested to see how she will mesh with the rest of the hard-hitting hip-hoppers on the show. Footage of her in action:

Be sure to check out "Master of the Mix" on Centric TV, Wednesdays at 10:30 pm! If you can't do that, you can catch "Master of the Mix" on Youtube.

Levi's Water>Less Collection Spring 2011

Levi's are classic. Reinvention keeps them alive, and the Spring 2011 season proves no different.

The Levi's brand is launching a Water<Less Collection in January of next year. The new collection will feature styles made from finishing processes that significantly reduce the amount of water they used. Eco chic indeed!

(I die for the jean harem pant. They are flattering for all body types!)

The Press Preview event for the collection was held at the Levi's Photo Workshop and it was fantastic - from the photo booths to the metal straws in our cocktails. I half died and went to heaven with all of the vintage cameras at my disposal (if you have the chance to check out the Workshop, please do!).

They even had a rocking British band, The Duke Spirit, on hand to perform. Leading lady, Leila Moss, is a knockout and I full-on jammed to their music. Tineey got some footage of their first performance:

     

Good, right? Speaking of which - Levi.com is offering a free download of  The Duke Spirit's song
"Procession" here. Go ahead and check it out!

Look, I found a new mantra :)

(No event is complete without some fun photobooth action!)

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the Water>Less Collection. Judging from the preview and the success of Levi's Curve iD, this collection will be a spring staple.

*photo credit: Phillip Angert

Rachel McAdams + "Morning Glory" Hair

Last night in NYC, Rachel McAdams stole the show at the premiere for "Morning Glory" at the Ziegfield Theater (which I am dying to see, she is one of my favorite actresses). Her hair is not what you would usually expect from her - it was very rockstar, voluminous and textured. Apparently her hairstylist was Sebastian Professional stylist Thomas Dunkin. How did he achieve the look?

1. Saturate freshly washed hair with Sebastian Professional Volupt Spray for heat protection and touchably soft volume.

2. Rough dry with hand and blow dryer lifting random sections while twisting hair in different directions until very nearly dry.

3. Place hair in very large Velcro rollers in a brickwork pattern for maximum root lift. Complete drying with a diffuser then allow the rollers to cool and set.

4. Remove rollers and apply a sparse amount of Sebastian Professional Matte Putty through the ends of the hair. Apply another blast of heat with the hair dyer to work up the hair's texture by massaging roots with finger tips.

5. Part the hair low so that a big section of fringe sits asymmetric and falls sensually over one eye. To exaggerate the style, set it with Sebastian Professional Re-Shaper by spraying into the stream of hot air from the hair dryer.

6. Apply Matte Putty again, loosening the look with your hands and defining sections that give a disheveled but modern edge to the final look.

I would love to see some of my girlies with straight hair try this 'do out!

Fall Addictions!

Finding myself under blankets more and more lately, I've picked up some delicious habits while I websurf and watch my new favorite TV Shows. 

Turbana Plantain Chips are RIDICULOUSLY good! And with no trans fat and little to no sodium, these are a hit with me. I'm no fan of potato chips and these plantain yummies are a perfect alternative. I can literally scarf a bag of these down in fifteen minutes. So bad but oh so good. 

Starbucks Salty Caramel Hot Chocolate (with Soy milk please!) has become a winter staple, thanks to Tineey. We had a run-in with this delectable delight just as the summer turned to winter (haha, where'd the Fall go?) and now I can't let go. Seriously. I'm hooked.

Speaking of delectable, I can't stop watching CW11's melodramas. Vampire Diaries? I'm #TeamStefan - I live for a brooding, weepy, romantic vampire who feeds on bunnies instead of humans so he can have a relationship with a beautiful human woman. Not to mention said woman's evil vampire doppleganger who has been living for Stefan's love for centuries. Score.

And Hellcats? Where do I begin? The entire cast is SMOKING! And the tangled web of best friend love triangles mixed with religion, mommy issues, and slamming dance choreography draws me in every Wednesday night. I have a weakness for cheer shows/movies, and this one is not half as cheesy as the usual.

Shame on me for not getting attached earlier. The mother of all New York glamourati shows, Gossip Girl is the queen of witty puns, high fashion, and mean girls. I'm  #TeamSerena all the way, but Blair has her shining moments for me. I'm not totally into the crazy semi-incestuousness of it all, but I love that Serena's man for the season is hottie Sam Page (who recently played Bree's step-son on Desperate Housewives and Greg Harris on Mad Men). 


What are some of your guilty pleasures? 

Fergie + Glamour Magazine for the Holidays!

I happened to be at the Conde Nast offices the other day and I caught a glimpse of Glamour Magazine's Holiday Issue. Fergie is looking fabulous, I must say!

Ms. Stacy Ann Ferguson (cute name!) has it all going for her - Grammy's, perfumes, Black Eyed Peas - and things are only getting better. She's even taking the humanitarian route, working for causes from AIDS to cancer.

She is breathing life into me with this velvet blazer from DSquared, an exquisite choice for the holidays. If you check inside the Holiday Issue, she's looking stunning in a Sonia Rykiel piece adorned with Neil Lane Jewelry and Christian Louboutin (flossy, flossy!).

On reaching this level of success and fulfilling her dreams:
“For some lucky reason or gift from God, I’ve known what I wanted to do since I was a little girl. And even through disappointments and rejection, there was something inside of me that wouldn’t give up. I’m a survivor, and I’m very driven.”

On having self-esteem:
“[If] you start making the right choices for yourself, all of a sudden you start feeling better and better. You’d be surprised how addicting high self-esteem is.”

On her relationship with husband Josh Duhamel being featured in the tabloids:
“Just knowing that our relationship was stronger than that. We live in a voyeuristic world, and it’s part of our business. But I like to [focus on] all the perks that I get in this business.”

Her advice to young women:
“There were periods of my life when a lot of people didn’t believe in me. [But] I still had faith in myself. I really had to ask myself life questions. Where do I see myself in five years? Create a ladder for yourself, and walk up the steps. Climb that ladder.”

On watching other women flock after her husband:
“For me, I’m not a jealous person. That’s just not my thing. You have to have trust in your relationship.”

Her advice to teenage girls:
“I think a lot of you teenagers try to get [esteem] from accolades from other people, or boys, and what you learn as you get older is that you have to create that within yourself.”

Check out the interview here, and snatch a copy off of newstands on November 9th.

Speaking of which, Fergie has been honored as one of Glamour's 2010 Women of the Year. Cher, Julia Roberts, Donatella Versace, and Queen Rania of Jordan are among its other honorees. Can't wait to see some flicks from that!

Coco + Breezy Fall 2010

Temperature's are dropping outside, but that doesn't mean things can't heat up!

Coco + Breezy , the twin design team known most for their haute eyewear, had a hot party alongside Melanie Marie MM Couture. With music provided by DJ T. Elle, guests and New York's urban fashion lovers had a great time while enjoying the couture artwork.

The ladies, Coco + Breezy, were on hand to greet their onlookers.

Me and Editor Mizz Dee

Me with Christina of LoveBrownSugar, love this girl!

KIK, Push...

If you're part of Blackberry nation, you are probably a BBM fanatic. Conversation flow, instantaneous messaging and cute emoticons (*bbm angel face*) make you happy. Being able to catch someone when they start to say "...well I didn't see your text" gives you satisfaction. You are the elite, the unstoppable.

So who is Kik?

Kik is for those who want Blackberry Messenger capabilities without the Blackberry data plan. This free app, available for Blackberry, iPhone, iPod, and Android, is the same as BBM without the price tag.

Spreading like wildfire, Kik has 150,000 new users since YESTERDAY. Don't believe me?

(this is a Twitpic from #Kik)

Registration doubled. 

My timelines are crowded with both yay and nay-sayers. Most want to give it a try, just because. Others are absolutely opposed to anything that grows so quickly and they fear change. Me? I'll stick to BBM, texts, e-mails, Facebook messages, Twitter direct messages, and the other trillion ways to contact me. The rapid increase and popularity of the app is intriguing though, and I will be keeping my eye on Kik!

National Men Make Dinner Day

 

Wait...this is real?! 

This is an official observance, sort of the pre-cursor to all the slaving away that has to be done by women for Thanksgiving. From here out, men are going to be cooking every first Thursday of November. 

Personally, I have a beau who does cook so this is not for him. But all you lazy bones, "hun-can-you-pass-the-remote" types must be prepared. Also applicable is a sweet man who just never learned how to cook but wants to show his appreciation for the hard work his lady does 364 days of the year. 

Dust off those aprons and mitts boys, it's time to bake.

The McRib is back!

When was the last time you saw or heard of the McRib? It's been a McDonald's menu phantom, disappearing and reappearing again since the late 90's. Last night, it made its limited appearance at the famous Times Square location.

McRib and I danced. We sang. Served on silver platters with its compadres (french fries and Sweet Tea...sidenote: every blogger I was with is also addicted to it!), McRib introduced itself to me and we had a jolly ole' time.

Apparently, McRib has a cult like following. Three serious McRib enthusiasts were present to share their stories, from a cross country trip fueled by McRibs to a McRib locator and the self-dubbed Mr. McRib. Who knew? 

No awesome event like this is complete without a photobooth!

Be sure to get your hands on the ground pork patty + bbq sauce + onions + pickle combo while you can. It will only be around for six weeks, then *poof* it's gone again! 

Interested in other McRib tidbits? Check out my info-bible, aka Wikipedia.