i got soul but i'm not a soldier

I have finally given in and accepted American Idol into my life.  I have always thought the show was such a reflection of mainstream music fads and tasteless competitors desperate to get on TV.  I don't know if it's J Lo's wardrobe or Stephen Tyler's lips, but I have suddenly taken a long overdue liking to this incredibly commercialized show.  Besides the charismatic judge additions though, the music being performed on the show - even during auditions- has gotten better.  From Casey Abrams from the LA audition who got down with "Don't Need No Doctor" to Stefano from San Francisco's casting singing Marvin Gaye's "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", I started to think maybe it is possible that not all of the people on this show are wannabe Justin and Christina's...

I have been listening to a lot of Motown jams and Jazz standards lately, getting through my workdays with the Temptations station on Pandora and spending my evenings with Ella Fitzgerald on vinyl.  Maybe it was when I was sick and spending three whoppin hours watching The Temptations on VH-1, or maybe it was my dad's vintage taste in records, but something about the sound of a warm, deep soulful voice just speaks to me.

Fashion 2.0

It is nice to see when two very different worlds collide to build a harmonious relationship.  My two loves, technology and fashion, have made some major progress in their growing relationship over the past few years.  Through multiple vehicles including inspiring viral videos, all access backstage footage for the public to view, social media deals and web development innovations, fashion companies have been very vocal about their views.  The integration of these exciting new processes and agents have not only helped designers communicate to their audiences more effectively, but also help the growing fashion community express their own views to the designers they know and love.

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is check out Mashable's top stories and nothing gets me more buzzed then seeing fashion pop up in one of their showcased headlines.  Beyond the realms of fashion blogging and the plethora of viral videos that have been created by world renowned designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, there are other avant-garde ideas popping up on the web that fashionistas must check out.

One of the more recent article I stumbled upon involve live fashion advice from experts and/or consumers.  Delivered in the form of both mobile app's and websites, these forums are the answer to every indecisive shopper's dilemma.  Glamour Magazine's Ask A Stylist iPhone app has assisted many, utilizing the mobile photo upload function to broadcast your question to a professional stylist or to your peers via one of your social media networks.  This is genius!!!  If I had this app on my phone during college I probably could have afforded a much more selective wardrobe.

E-vite techniques have also become widely popular among bidding and bargain sites for high end apparel and accessories on sites like Rue La La and Gilt.  The access these sites give to designer duds at extremely outrageous (in a good way) prices has made it so simple for any aspiring A-lister to look sharp.

The more fashion mobilizes its inner nerd, the more us fashion freaks are able to continue shopping the looks we love in easy, affordable ways.  And the more state-of-the-art functions fashion can perform, the better!

DBD's Annual Night After Thanksgiving Party Strikes Again!

Bravo, ladies!  You have outdone yourselves yet again!

With the arrival of the holidays comes the need for festive outings and good old fashioned fun.  It has become an annual tradition for local socialites in the North County area to gather for an evening of catching up and getting down the night after Thanksgiving.  What started many years ago as a Torrey Pines reunion put together by Todd Prager, has since evolved into a social phenomenon taken over last year by none other than TP bred, New York based event planning company DBD Social.  Partners Carli Roth and Yvonne Najor have been hosting high profile events on both coasts for over 2 years, and this post-feast party has turned into another one of Thanksgiving's many traditions.  By always using ground breaking venues and bringing together only the creme-de-la-creme of North County, DBD has managed to become a household name not only in NYC but San Diego as well.

This year went above and beyond last year's event hosted at Prospect Bar & Grill.  The soiree took place at none other than the flagship location of La Jolla nightlife, Barfly.  Once used for a Hard Rock Cafe many moons ago, Barfly has been transformed into a swank bar/lounge complete with VIP tables, go-go dancing stands and flat screens boasting colorful visualizers to accompany the stellar DJ lineup.  

Guests arrived in waves between 8 and 10 pm, all bringing unwrapped toys to benefit the CyMo Foundation.  Close to heart for both Roth and Najor, among many of the guests attending the event, the CyMo Foundation was created a few years ago in loving memory of our dear friend Cyrus Moinzadeh, who was lost to substance abuse.  The mission of the CyMo Foundation is to, "bring awareness through local non-profit alliances, [and] promote and sustain local initiatives of love, health and happiness".  The toys collected at DBD Social's Night After Thanksgiving Party contributed to CyMo's third annual toy and blanket drive, benefiting at risk children that are kept off of the streets by the shelters refurbished by the Foundation.  Over 200 toys were brought for the drive, a smashing success!

As usual, the evening was filled with many run in's among friends, old and new, and if it wasn't already made clear by the sold out bottle service and maxed out capacity of the venue, it was apparent by the flashing photo bulbs, warm embraces and sparklers filled bottles of champagne that the event was a hit.  Beyond the realm of Torry Pines High, friends of DBD from La Jolla High, LJCDS, and guests from many other educational institutions and nearby cities flanked the red carpet for the social gathering of the year.

Photos, below, capture many of the highlights from the evening's shenanigans and are surely only a taste of the excitement the NYC duo of DBD Social are bound to bring us next year.  Who knows, maybe if we are on the nice list, Santa will bring us another festive DBD creation for Christmas! ;-)

Friends from Class of 05-06 

 Miss Roth and friends

DBD and friends 

Miss Najor and the Brothers Noar

 CyMo Foundation racked up over 200 gifts!  Well done Ladies!

Sear & There

An avid fan of Brian Malarkey and my desire to experience fresh new restaurants led me to this mysterious buzzed about spot for dinner a few months ago.  Everything was absolutely phenomenal.  The cheddar puffers to start, the famous shrimp & grits for round two, a delicious filet for the entree and the King Sundae complete with caramel and bacon to slide into home.  This meal, combined with the company of girlfriends and Italian wine made for one of the best dinners I have ever had.  Ever.  Led by many return visits and more "best dinners ever".  The staff is always great, the bar is glorious, and the crowd is full of successful young professionals eager to loosen their ties and let down their hair.  These components are what has kept Searsucker on top of their game and always busting at the seams with newcomers, return visitors and religious followers.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to the first round of Searsucker's soft lunch opening.  All meals seemed boring and anticlimactic in comparison to what was  to come.  And I soon found out why.  The renowned modern farm table decor, order upon entrance, and table number techniques gave it a casual vibe perfect for a quick lunch, with all the benefits of an upscale eatery.  The attention is in the details... simple serving dishes, familiar flavor combos with a bold twist, and an ambiance that is as much like a cozy home as it is a chic restaurant.

The menu was daring and delicious.  I ordered the steak and egg sandwich since I love breakfast at any time of day, and my friend Brian ordered the Crabcake Club, otherwise referenced as the C3.  Both were rich with flavor, beautiful in presentation and surprisingly prompt to the table to be devoured.  On top of the insanely flavorful sandwiches, the desserts they carried out were even simpler visually but vibrant in taste.  The chocolate dessert, which Malarkey's dubs "the most insane Twix bar you have ever eaten" is beyond rich.  The delicate lemon bar is a zesty breath of fresh citrus air.  And the carrot cake ice cream sandwich (pictured below) was definitely the crowd favorite.  The experience was a whirlwind of different flavors and scents in a hip homestyle setting and truly was the most memorable lunch I have had downtown.

"The idea is to get those with 30 minute lunches in and out in time to enjoy a gourmet lunch and make it back to work on time," stated General Manager Chris Puffer.  And with a perfect mix of fabulous food, modern country decor and the excitement of a wide open kitchen, this is just the place to be transported to on your downtime from the office, or anywhere else for that matter.

 Brittany & Brian gearing up for the meal

 The Steak & Egg Sandwich

 The Flank Team @ Searsucker

 The AMAZING Carrot Cake Ice Cream Sandwich

Made of Sugar and Spice, and Everything Nice!

Strangely enough for a SoCal native, fall is my favorite time of year.  Football, leaves changing color, holiday parties, and MOST importantly the coveted annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.  Each year, the lingerie trend setter puts together a fashion event of epic proportions.  Complete with 5 themed runway sets, international superstar performances and behind the scenes interviews with supermodels like Marisa Miller and Alessandra Ambrosio, the VSFS is a collection of the most beautiful undergarments and boudoir pieces showcased by none other than the stunningly beautiful cast of Victoria's Secret's Angels.

This year, the performer chosen was none other than the sweet sexy Katy Perry, who's chart topping album blew her "I Kissed a Girl" single out of the water.  With hits like "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" filling the commercial airwaves, it will be a breath of fresh girly-pop-air after last years performance by the synthesized sensation the Black Eyed Peas.  Joining her on-stage this year will be Senegalese singer/songwriter/producer Akon.

One thing missing from this year's festivities will be Heidi Klum, arguably the face of Victoria's Secret since Tyra and Gisele's departures from the runway show.  What a shame, since she has the most bangin' body of all the moms!  In fact, in 2005, just two months after giving birth to her baby, she returned to the runway with a fierce figure and her loving husband Seal to welcome her on-stage.  Just two years later in 2007, Heidi continued reigning the runway and joined Seal on-stage for a romantic duet that gave chills to the entire viewing audience.

This year is bound to be fantastic still, even without our German Princess guiding the way.  Some secrets of the show:  Adriana Lima will be making her post-baby debut by sporting the $2m Fantasy bra; the theme of the night is "A Thousand Fantasies", complete with sequins, feathers and insanely intricate wings only one could dream up; keep your ears peeled for Katy Perry's cover of Blondie's "Call Me".

Tune in 10/9c on Tuesday Nov. 30th for all the eye candy!

USB Fashion Show

Last week, my buddy Max Zien returned from a business trip to Hong Kong bearing gifts for all of us girls. Being the thoughtful gentleman he is, he got us each something fitting for our individual personalities. For the far east traveler, a lucky buddha statue. For the princess, a one of a kind ring. For the foodie, a wine cork from the Hong Kong Food & Wine Festival. The latter sound like home girl was gypped. But in reality, this young lady got the most unusual gift of all... what we thought was a simple souvenir turned out to be a USB flash drive in disguise!

This incident, combined with my new career move and obsession with Mashable, has led to a slight infatuation with geeky gadgets with fashionable twists. Don't act so surprised! Fashionistas can be nerdy too, especially the ones who intend on being successful in their career. And these curious USB plug in's aren't just for fashionista's... there is a flavor for everyone!

For the photographer:



For the Rancho Santa Fe trophy wife:



For the paleontologist:



For the wino (Thanks Max!):



For the kids:



For the rappers:



For the New Yorker:



For the pescatarian:



For the groom:



For the cops: