Honey Bugs Shine at 10th Annual Hats Off Luncheon

Posted by Maryanne Salvat On May - 31 - 2012

Tracy Wilson Mourning with beautiful Honey Bugs

We were thrilled to see the joy on the faces of the” Honey Bugs” as they rushed to greet the gorgeous Tracy Wilson Mourning upon her arrival at the Asian-themed 10th Annual Hats Off luncheon on Tuesday, May 8, at Jungle Island, to benefit the Honey Shine Mentoring Program, a program which she founded to provide support and guidance to hundreds of girls (Honey Bugs) in the community.

Tracy was joined by her husband, NBA Champion Alonzo Mourning, who graciously mingled and took photos with admiring fans before giving an inspiring speech in which he lauded his wife and encouraged continued support of Honey Shine. When Tracy took the stage, she shared that 15 of the Honey Bugs have successfully graduated and gone on to higher education thanks to funds raised through Hats Off. “The luncheon was amazing. Our Honey Bugs were glowing and the community support was stellar”, said Tracy.

Honey Shine Members and Co-chairs Cathy Blank and Monisha Melwani helped lead the effort, resulting in a successful silent auction and Camp Honey Shine appeal. Between the Membership program, ticket sales, auction, and appeal, $250,000 was raised for the program. Special recognition was given to Steering Committee Member of the Year, Ayana Rodriguez, and Honey Bug of the Year, Jasmine Thompson, who was selected for her overall achievements in the program. To add, two outstanding role models, Tahiese Beckford and Jonaura Wisdom, were honored with the Mentor of the Year Award.

The highlight of the afternoon was the Honey Bug showcase, where the girls showed off their talents by singing, dancing and walking the runway to model fashions provided by GAP, Aleren, Bloomingdale’s Aventura, Manisha Patel and MIA Shoes.

To join the Honey Shine program or to make a donation, visit HONEYSHINE.org.

Social Work

Hats Off!

Posted by Maryanne Salvat On May - 17 - 2011

Heather Bailey, Tracy Wilson Mourning, Ayana Rodriguez, and Nadine Valme

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

More than 500 of Miami’s leading ladies kept their hats on under the big top for the circus-themed Hats Off luncheon hosted by Tracy Wilson Mourning at Jungle Island on Tuesday, May 3, the Honey Shine Mentoring Program’s premier fundraising event. Circus performers, colorful animal statues, a cotton candy vending machine, snow cones, circus fare and Grey Goose cocktails added excitement to the already whimsical afternoon, which began with a silent auction filled with so many name-brand and hand-crafted items that even Mourning delayed her entrance into the actual luncheon to bid on several terrific bargains.

Once inside the main ballroom, guests delighted in the wall-to-wall circus décor: tabletops adorned with colorful linens, with centerpieces comprised of hand-painted hat boxes surrounded by circus treats including animal crackers, peanuts, and cracker jacks and a stuffed circus animal wearing a Honey Shine t-shirt on each chair. Read the rest of this entry »

The Fix

Best in Show- Pawpurrazzi 2010

Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On January - 31 - 2010

Every year, Pawpurrazzi is one of the most unique events in town. Where else can you see 500 socialites, with more than 350 dogs in tow, all dressed to the nines? This year’s Pawpurrazzi, chaired by Pat and Milton Wallace, took place on Friday night at Jungle Island and was THE place where dog and people watching reigned supreme. From ice cream treats, make-overs, and a Purina doggy bar for the furry guests, to a fabulous dinner and impressive auction chaired by Saks Dadeland’s Juan Lopez, Marisa Cisneros and Ann Rubino, for the humans, Pawpurrazzi was a blast for guests of any species.

One of the evening’s highlights, was the one-of-a kind fashion show: “Great Pets Who Walk In Front of Great People,” where honored guests and their dog(s) ironically walked the “catwalk” for the runway show, the best part of which was seeing just how much people look like their dogs, or vice versa. The 50 foot dessert bar, which included gourmet cupcakes, brownies, make-your-own sundaes and S’mores- (complete with blow torches and all), Turkish coffee and just about every other scrumptious delight imaginable was also fantastic. The event raised close to $500,000 for the Humane Society and five dogs were adopted during the evening

Special guests included: Sandy, Jon, and Nancy Batchelor, Kirk Landon and Pamela Garrison, Bunny Bastian, Marisa Cisneros-Rizzon, Dr. Fredric Brandt, Yvonne Eldredge and Emily Damiano, Barbara and F.W. Mort Guilford, Sherrill and Mary Ann Hudson, Linda and Patrick McEnany, Donna Shalala, President of the University of Miami, Jeanette and Ted Fine, Christina and Robert Hudson, DJ and Steve Kerr, Sandy Zankl, Steven and Allison Zelkowitz, Melanie and Ryan Herman, Jeff and Yolanda Berkowitz, Sam Blum, Lady Beatrice Clancy, Ana May and Eugene Conese, Skip and Joyce Dickerson, Irene and Chris Korge, Helene and Marc Kovens, Juan and Carmen Lopez, the Munilla family, Jennifer and Richard Postrel, Ann and Frank Rubino, Bob and Sookey Schwartz, Rene Ruiz, Marysol Patton, Amy Zakarin and Glenn Singer, Mayor of Golden Beach.

The Fix, Social Work

Boho for Moca

Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On January - 20 - 2010

Moca’s Boho Bash Kick-Off

MOCA will host a kick-off party this Thursday, January 21, at the Catalina Hotel & Beach Club’s Maxine’s Bar & Bistro, including complimentary Grey Goose vodka cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and music from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. to kick-off the upcoming Bohemian Bash, taking place on February 20 (more on this as the date approaches). Guests at the kick-off party will enjoy live performances as well as palm and tarot card readings and have the chance to purchase specially priced tickets to the Bohemian Bash in packages of 10 for $1,250. Tickets to the Bohemian Bash are $150 in advance, $175 after February 5. To RSVP and purchase tickets, call 305.893.6211 ext. 36. Read the rest of this entry »

Don't Miss

Primal Dwellings

Posted by Mary Jo Almeida-Shore On July - 29 - 2009

Oh Yeah!

Entourage aficionados got their fix last Thursday night, as HBO and W South Beach unveiled the luxurious Entourage Bungalow in the hotel’s poolside garden. Miami’s finest became Hollywood insiders for the night, hanging with cast members, Adrian Grenier, a.k.a. Vinny Chase, Perrey Reeves, “Mrs. Ari” and our favorite, Rex Lee, better known as Lloyd!!!! The three-story bungalow reflects the characters’ extravagant Hollywood lifestyle, featuring Vince’s movie posters splattered all over the walls, a rooftop lap pool and BBQ, a regulation size stainless steel, mirror-polished ping-pong table, plasmas, PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PSP® systems, along with the hottest games. The Bungalow’s indoor mural reminiscent of the iconic oversized tropical leaf wallpaper featured at the Beverly Hills Hotel just adds to the Hollywood vibe. Our favorite kitschy set-up, which coincided with that of Rex Lee, was the director’s chair and movie camera pointed at the bed, surrounded by empty champagne bottles in the master bedroom. However, due to the sweltering temperatures, made hotter by the torches and grilling, the phrase, “It’s way too hot for an orgy” resounded throughout the evening.

To party like a cable star (who plays a movie star), the aptly named Entourage Experience, available from July 27 through September 27, 2009, will set you back about ten grand. A bargain, when you consider that it includes a personal driver, an afternoon of boating along the coast, a personal poolside cabana and jet skis, dinner for four at Soleà followed by table service at WALL and in-bungalow goodies from GREY GOOSE® Vodka and Heineken.

Jungle Love

Another wild gathering took place earlier in the day, as Jungle Island inaugurated a new home for their adorable 5-year old orangutans, Peanut and Pumpkin. The new digs were designed and built by Suffolk construction. VIPs, press and children from the Boys and Girls’ Home of Greater Miami joined in the celebration, enjoying an ice cream party and delighting in watching Peanut and Pumpkin, wearing construction hats, break-in their new home to the tune of Hey, Hey we’re the Monkeys and Celebrate. One of the day’s many highlights was watching the orangutans eat Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey ice cream- plain old bananas are sure to be a “tough sell” from now on! The folks from Suffolk were given original works of art created by Peanut and Pumpkin (yes, the monkeys can paint!) as a “thank you” for their diligence in finishing the project despite the tough economic climate and unfavorable weather conditions.

**The Webster Makes Space for L*Space**

On, Thursday, July 16, Mercedes Benz hosted a swank luncheon at Caviar Kaspia at the Webster boutique to celebrate the launch of the Mercedes Benz 2010 E-Class Coupe and Sedan. A-list guests experienced the best of several worlds: a private introduction to the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and Sedan led by M. Bart Herring, Mercedes-Benz USA Product Manager; a sneak preview of L*Space for Omni Peace, Monica Wise’s capsule swimwear collection which benefits OmniPeace- an organization aimed at “ending extreme poverty in Africa by 2025; and a special E-Class inspired lunch at Caviar Kaspia, the first stateside locale of the famed Parisian landmark restaurant. After lunch, guests had the opportunity to test drive the E-Class. On-hand for the festivities: founding partners of the Webster boutique, Laure Heriard Dubreuil and Frederic Dechnik; Mercedes Benz PR execs, Adam Paige and Greg O’Shea; L* Space designer, Monica Wise, and OmniPeace founder, Mary Fanaro.

Sizzling Summer Steal

Viceroy at Icon Brickell is inviting locals to unwind at Club 50 with a selection of fine wines and cheeses every Wednesday for just $20. Starting at 6:00 p.m., guests will have the opportunity to sample wines and enjoy cheeses from EOS, while learning about the wines being sampled through intimate Q&A sessions with the winemakers. The real fun starts at 8:00 p.m., as Liset Alea and the Sexy Trio perform live. We had the pleasure of enjoying their performances a few weeks back, and were delighted by the band’s unique style, which combines punk rock, new wave, Bossa Nova, jazz and 60s pop for a unique and sultry sound.

Coming Up

Always in good taste is the annual Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation event, which takes over the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne this Thursday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m. In its 21^st incarnation, the event will feature forty of Miami’s top restaurants, including Chef Allen, Smith & Wollensky and Ortanique, which will serve signature bites to benefit the fight against childhood hunger. The best part is that one hundred percent of the proceeds from the gastronomic festivities (gastro-fest- you heard it here first) will benefit local organizations including, The Daily Food Bank, Florida Impact, and FLIPANY (Florida Introduces Physical Activity & Nutrition to Youth). Tickets are still available. General admission costs $100 in advance, $125 at the door; a head start at the VIP reception goes for $200 in advance and $225 at the door. For more information please call 1-877-26-TASTE or go to www.shareourstrenghthsouthflorida.org.

On Thursday, August 6, award-winning author, Gigi Levangie Grazer, will be at Books & Books on Lincoln Road at 7:00 p.m., to discuss, sign copies of and answer questions about her fourth and latest novel, Queen Takes King. A private cocktail will be held at W South Beach on Saturday August 7. Grazer just held successful book launches in New York and Los Angeles. Her prior novels include: Rescue Me (2000), Maneater (2003), and The Starter Wife (2006), which was adapted for an Emmy Award–winning USA Network miniseries starring Debra Messing, and later for a television series. Maneater was adapted for a Lifetime miniseries starring Sarah Chalke in May 2009. Grazer also wrote the screenplay for Stepmom, starring Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon.

Birthday Love to Leos:

Happy Birthday to the sign invented just for party people. This month we celebrate those who share the zodiac with Madonna: Nick D’Annunzio, Erin Newberg, Merle and Danny Weiss, and Stacy Milon. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t step back and wish a belated to some very cool Cancers: Tara Solomon and Jilian Sanz.

Celebrity Sightings:

Robin Quivers, Howard Stern’s co-host had lunch at Wet at the W South Beach, last weekend. Right next door, Lil Kim was holed up at the Gansevoort South. Kim had celebrated her birthday with a blow out at Mansion on Thursday night. Dwyane Wade shacked up at the W Fort Lauderdale over the weekend, maintaining a low profile. Pharell Williams held court at Flipside Friday at LIV. Dancing on the banquettes all night to the sounds of New Yorks’ DJ Chachi. Burn Notice star Jeffrey Donovan was spotted at Clarke’s and at Shiso.

Rapper Lil Jon partied at Tommy Pooch and Alan Roth’s Shore Thing Sundays party at The Shore Club. Little Kim held a birthday bash at Mansion on Thursday night and holed up at the Gansevoort all weekend. Our source from Aspen, Erin Newberg, (“Aspencita”) reports that Jeff Soffer and Elle McPherson were seen shopping at the farmers market on Sunday and having breakfast at Popycocks on Wednesday. Usher, in town to record with Fat Joe and producer Rico Love, tore up Mansion’s hot new Rewind Tuesday party to watch old school legend Special Ed perform his hit I Got It Made. A casually dressed, Usher ordered three bottles of Moet Rose for his table and danced until 4:00 a.m.

The Fix

Dominoes and Dancing

Posted by Maryanne Salvat On June - 25 - 2009

For those of us who’ve got a little bit of Cuban coffee coursing through our veins and some Salsa in our step, last weekend was a throwback to our Cuban Roots- and we are not talking cassava or malanga. We could scarcely contain the dancing throughout the touching musical tribute to the Queen of Salsa last Friday night, The Life and Music of Celia Cruz extravaganza at the Adrienne Arsht Center, finally indulging our inner Salsa Queen during the standing ovation. Fortunately, Saturday night provided just the opportunity for dancing and more dancing, as ING and Amigos for Kids brought a little bit of Havana to Jungle Island for their annual Celebrity Domino Tournament. As usual, the event was over-the-top, with scantily-dressed beauties, food stations from Miami’s top restaurants, lots of free flowing libations, an ice-cream stand and donut shop and the requisite espresso machine- a welcomed addition to any party. The event was huge, taking up two floors of Jungle Island, including the outside balcony, with well over a thousand guests. Thanks to an adoring grandmother who always let me win at dominoes, I never developed a skill for the game, so participating in the tournament was not an option. But that didn’t matter one bit, since the best part of this event was the music. The Celia Cruz All-Stars, actual band members of the late Celia Cruz, several of whom starred in the musical, took to the stage for their world debut, turning the place into the Tropicana from the I Love Lucy series. As if the crowd wasn’t already buzzing, the band got everyone on the dance floor, performing numerous songs from just about every style of Latin music, and making for some very sore feet the next morning.