Idris Elba and Lia Ames

On Thursday night, Kathy Griffin from Bravo’s Life on the D List, dined at Zuma with Gloria and Emilio Estefan.

Actor Idris Elba, (recently known for his role as Michael Scott’s hunky supervisor on The Office), hosted a party at Play Nightclub on Friday night. He will be appearing in the movie The Takers, a 2010 release touted as a crime action and thriller film also starring Matt Dillon.

Porschla Coleman celebrated her engagement to NBA Basketball star Jason Kidd, of the Dallas Mavericks, on Saturday at Louis Bar. The happy couple toasted with champagne alongside Front Management’s Auggie Lasseter .    Fellow NBA Stars, LeBron James and Chris Bosh were spotted dining at Red, The Steakhouse in the front VIP room. 

Eric Milon and Joey Goldman celebrated their birthdays at SET on Friday with a huge bash.  Many local socialites, including Tony Schectman and Larry Schwartz turned up for the party.

Miami publicist turned author Buck Winthrop, who is summering in the Hamptons, mingled with Sex and The City’s Candace Bushnell, Jay McInerney, and Barbara Walters at Author’s Night, a benefit for the East Hampton Library chaired by actor Alec Baldwin last Saturday. Winthrop‘s debut novel Delusions of Grandeur is being launched on Kindle and in 12 countries including France, Germany and Japan on September 9th.

While house hunting on Friday, Chris Bosh spoiled his girlfriend, Adrienne Williams with a day of pampering and beauty at Femme Coiffure Hair Spa in the Ritz-Carlton on South Beach. Onlookers say Adrienne and her sister received the works – over $2800 worth of treatments ranging from changing their hair to a blonde and chestnut brown contrast, deep conditioning and a $500 haircut from owner and master stylist Raphael Reboh.

Scarpetta’s Top Chef, Scott Conant, was spotted dining at The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar on Friday night.   Chef Dewey LoSasso prepared different dishes for Conant to sample, including a specialty pasta dish that got rave reviews from the Food Network star. 

Also on Friday, Miami-based Grey Goose Vodka sponsored the first World Leadership Awards in Atlanta hosted by Usher and his New Look Foundation.  Grammy Award winner,  Ciara and pop sensation, Justin Bieber entertained guests with exclusive performances as VIP guests, including former President, Bill Clinton, sipped Grey Goose Vodka cocktails and enjoyed a special evening honoring key individuals and organizations for their recognition of youth as leaders

Nick D'Annunzio and Tara Solomon

One event to which we look forward every summer is TARA, Ink. Principal, Nick D’Annunzio’s birthday party. Some locals even plan their summer travels around the celebration, which promises a fabulous theme- and even better crowd, year after year.  This year’s party, which took place last Saturday night, was no exception, with a “vintage tease/burlesque” theme at Miami’s first and only exclusive tease burlesque absinthe club, La Fee Verte.

Miami’s who’s who, dressed in their haute-est couture, enjoyed V Georgio Vodka cocktails, hors d’oeuvres courtesy of French Bistro Lemon Twist and delectable treats courtesy of Sweet Street and Ana Paz Cakes, who created a cake in the shape of a corset, in keeping with the theme. The burlesque numbers were unmatched, including contortionist acts and a ballet performance-leading to comments by partygoers such as, “If I could do that, I’d be a very wealthy woman,” and “Who needs college, when you can do THAT!?” (from one of the younger attendees). Guests delighted in a surprise performance by temptress Nicole Soden of the club’s tantalizing Madames du Mischief and danced the night away to the beats of South Florida’s latest stylish DJ duo Ess & Emm (Sasha Lauzon and Michelle Leshem). But the highlight of the evening was the seductive birthday surprise, in which a dancer, clad in black feathers, serenaded Nick with Marilyn Monroe’s infamous, “Happy Birthday Mr. President.” Read the rest here »

 Help with the Oil Spill at JB

JB Kitchen & Bar (1250 South Miami Avenue) will host the Oil Spill Relief Happy Hour alongside the accredited National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and a team of young professionals, invites South Florida residents to a charitable happy hour event on Thursday, August 12 from to 9 p.m., featuring music by popular local fixture DJ Ethics. JB Kitchen & Bar will donate a percentage of the proceeds from drink sales and a select menu of appetizers towards funding the rehabilitation of wildlife and the environmental cleanup of the affected area. There will be additional donation opportunities at the venue, as well as information on how to further get involved with the NWF. For more information or to make reservations call 305.415.0071 or visit www.jbkitchenandbar.com .

Celebs at City Oyster & Sushi Bar

On Thursday, August 12, head to City Oyster & Sushi Bar (213 Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach), where celebrities including Olympic Medalist Dara Torres, LPGA Golfer Kurt Bagwell and local philanthropists will tend bar and serve guests their favorite cocktails at a fundraiser for Palm Beach County JDRF Ride to Cure cyclists – who will cycle 72 miles around Lake Tahoe in September to raise money for Type I Diabetes research. Complimentary hors d’ oeuvres will be provided by City Oyster & Sushi Bar and all tips will be donated to JDRF. There will also be a raffle with great prizes. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. and goes until 7:30.  Call 561.686.7701 or visit www.jdrf.org/greaterpalmbeach

The 4th Annual “CHAMPIONS OF BUSINESS” Luncheon

 Young and notable business professionals from around the community will join the  Emerging Leadership Council of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce (MBCC) to experience and learn from the best of the best at the 4th annual “Champions of Business” Luncheon on August 13.  Individuals will have an opportunity to not only enjoy the divine creations of the newly improved and most iconic restaurant in town, The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, but interact with a discussion by a panel of champions in their field.   This year’s 2010 “Champions of Business” panelist discussion will begin at 11:30 am and will be moderated by Michelle Villalobos, principal of Mivista business skills training, and Willard Shepard, investigative reporter for NBC 6. Panelists include: Ricky Arriola,  President & CEO of Inktel Direct Corp, Misha Kuryla-Gomez, owner and creator of Misha’s cupcakes, and Shareef Malnik, owner of The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar.  The event is open to the public and tickets are available starting at $60 for Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce members and $75 for guests, with sponsorship opportunities starting at $700.  For more information or to RSVP, call Valerie Rasken at 305-695-6833 or valerie@miamibeachchamber.com.

 Paredes Fine Arts Studio Opening and After Party

 Celebrated local pop and multi-media artist, sculptor and urban impressionist, Miguel Paredes, will continue making his mark in the Wynwood Arts District with the opening of his first solo gallery Paredes Fine Arts Studio on Saturday, August 14 during the district’s monthly “2^nd Saturdays Art Walk.” Paredes is scheduled to be present on opening night and be part of the gallery’s cocktail reception at 8 p.m. which is open to the public. The artist will exhibit select pieces and sculptures from collections such as Boroughs, Digital Art, Pop Collages, Urban Dreams and Los Niños. Guests should confirm their attendance by emailing: RSVP@miguelparedes.com .   All guests are also invited to attend Paredes’ official after-party at Florida Room located inside South Beach’s Delano hotel.  After-party event begins at 11 p.m. and guests must RSVP to LoveCat at lovecatllc@gmail.com.

 Gold-Diggers Cut-A-Thon

Camelot Salon & Spa (2600 Galiano Street, Coral Gables) is sponsoring The Gold-Diggers, Inc.’s Third Annual Cut-A-Thon charity event on Sunday, August 15, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. for a salon experience like no other, all in the name of charity.  Guests at the salon can receive a haircut for $20, nail polish change for $5 and/or a relaxing chair massage for $10.  Gourmet “couture” will be served from Cupcakes Nouveau and Giardino Gourmet Salads; fitness tips from Gables Fitness. The Gold-Diggers, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, now in its 33^rd year, and has raised over one million dollars for its beneficiaries, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of South Florida and The Food for Life Network.  The Gold-Diggers, Inc. is made up of 40 women from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties who raise money for these charities through fall fundraisers and their annual spring musical revue.  Visit www.gold-diggers.org for more information or www.camelotspa.com.

Just in time for Fall, no pun intended, Ice-Watch® has created a whole new line of arm candy sure to brighten any wardrobe all year round.  The multicolored timepieces are water resistant, perfect for dreary rainy days, and feature luminous hands with a magnified calendar, for those early winter sunsets.  The best part, each Ice-Watch® is packaged in a collectable, reusable “becubic” case that doubles as a coin bank making it both fashionable AND environmentally conscious.  Ice-Watch® is sold in over 50 countries around the world and recently debuted in the United States in December 2009. Since it’s unveiling, Ice-Watch® has become a popular accessory among celebrities and fashion icons such as, Paris Hilton, Jennie Garth, Felicity Huffman, Gilles Marini, Ali Landry, Craig Robinson, Rex Lee, and Evan Handler.  With an array of colors from pastels to fluorescents, Ice-Watch® definitely has something for everyone.  For more information visit www.ice-watch.com