Kitten Lounge

Mingling Mondays ~ Power Suit Reinvented

KittenCouture — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Manu Green Amethyst & Agate Ring $285 - Barneys New York

Gucci tan leather 'Ginerva' pull-on platform boots $1112 - Bluefly

Veined Turquoise Necklace by Siman Tu $745 - Vivre

I was a huge fan of Dynasty, Falcon Crest and Hotel because it was the 80's and when the women in these shows meant business, they had the power suits with the fab shoulder pads. Thankfully, the idea of the power suit has changed as professions aren't the same - our look doesn't need to be one that is a two piece. One of my favorite looks is this long sleeve tunic dress which is a must for the fall/winter season. Paired with a super cute pair of boots all you need to do is find some fun accessories. Here lately, green has been a color that I have been including within a lot of my outfits. I've been obsessed with Siman Tu ever since I happened to walk by a shop on the Upper East Side that carried some pieces. This bib necklace has always been a classic but has been on trend over the last few season and I expect it to continue. This look can be completed with this gorgeous Amethyst and Agate ring! The large cocktail ring is a must and if you want to really bring this outfit to another level, I would pair this with a belt whether it's a wide one or a thin one that you can wear at an angle.

Sippin Saturdays: How About a Night at The Sofitel in Shanghai

KittenCouture — Sat, 16 May 2009 14:16:28 -0700

The past few weeks have been stressful. There have been a lot of events which have been enjoyable; however, it's taken a lot of work. If you happen to be in Brooklyn tomorrow, you'll see that I will be at the Warsaw in Brooklyn for Bust Magazine's Craftacular with one of the vendors and a very good friend of mine - Crystal Horton (cookie founder and baker extraordinaire) of Tasty Morsels Bakery. We will be knee deep in cookies, smiles and more! I can't wait to meet those that are fans of her work from the design house Chloe to S Factor and much more!

Of course both of us have been working hard in our respective worlds and we will have earned our much deserved trip to South Beach in June! When it comes to vacations, we all have our spots so I definitely want to present one of Sofitel's jewels! Located in Shanghai, the Sofitel opened the Sheshan Huaghe which is one of their gorgeous hotels! With Mediterranean architecture and located within the Sheshan National Tourism Resort, each room is one of three themes including Mediterranean, Chinese and Southeast Asian. If you're in this part of the world whether for business or pleasure you're bound to enjoy the private balconies, L'Occitane and Hermes ammenities and much more. If you need an additional incentive, check out the amazing images and the site to find out more about the gorgeous property.

Mingling Mondays: Hang Out on The Beach With Friends With ...

KittenCouture — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Gottex Silk Coverup Shirt $258 - Saks Fifth Avenue

Embroidered tunic $68 - Victoria's Secret

Vitamin A Women's "Paradise" Plunge V-Neck Caftan Cover Up $99 - Bloomingdale's

Milly San Remo Cover-Up $330 - shopbop.com

Vix Swimwear Drape Cover-Up Dress $165 - shopbop.com

I love picking bathing suits - but more than that, I love cover-ups. These should not be seen as an after thought but as something that is essential. I love that these are needed when you come off from the beach to get back to your hotel room, popping into the bar or more. These are some great looks to jazz up your suit and to look amazing as you pair this with your sunglasses and large hat! Take some time to check out these great looks! My personal favorite? The Vix draped cover -up is amazing and I love the dress like qualities.

Mingling Mondays: One Night Only

KittenCouture — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:00:00 -0800

Weekends are essential! I get very excited about them and this one was even more exciting since Kitten Lounge Food Editor and boyfriend, Paul and I were hitting the road to go to Atlantic City to not only enjoy Halloween night but to get in some good food, spa time and a little poker - obviously not all of these would be enjoyed by me but we were both excited. As many of you know who Twitter me, I kept counting down to Atlantic City and by 5pm, I was picked up by Paul and off we went after gassing up the Murano to tackle Atlantic City. There's something about going on a road trip and if you travel with me, you can enjoy me singing along and doing dances (the closer we got to AC we lost our stations and went to 60's and 70's music which brought back memories of Sat mornings when I was little with my mom, sister and I!).

Paul and I had been invited to come down to Atlantic City and to stay at the Tropicana and to enjoy some dining. As we continued on the Atlantic Expressway into the strip, I couldn't help but think that since we took a few wrong turns, that we should definitely think about the next car having a little navigation and that we definitely want to have an SUV but that we might consider getting a Ford Flex as we will do quite a bit of traveling and you can't deny that it is a head turner - I always feel when you hit certain streets you definitely want to do the whole "see and be seen thing".

Arriving at Tropicana, I was pleased to find that we were staying in the new Havana Tower. Not only do I love that it's new but it's so close to all the food and club.lounge options. Since we were a little late (wrong turns will do that to you), we checked in at the front desk and checked in with PF Changs, went upstairs and came back down. All week I had been dreaming of Lettuce Chicken Wraps and I was not disappointed in the slightest; moreover, munching on the Crab Wontons was equally as satisfying. After a crazy week full of presentations and finishing up the Holiday Gift Guide, I was so glad to have the Mai Tai and later a Plum Collins (an interesting take on the Tom Collins which substiutes the vodka for Plum Vodka and also Plum Wine). Paul being a creature of habit, enjoyed the red wine. For dinner, I enjoyed the Sea Bass which sat on spinach leaves and Paul had large prawns. We shared garlic snap peas and for dessert we shared a chocolate dome.

I have always been a fan of PF Changs as I enjoy their asian fusion menu; moreover, when I have had it in a resort setting, I tend to enjoy the food that much more. During dinner we were able to touchbase with Courtney who is the Tropicana's PR Manager. In addition to attending events, I love meeting the people that you spend weeks chatting with in order to learn about a product or service. She let us know that there was a huge Halloween Costume Contest that would happen in the Quarter which is an annual event. While at dinner we saw various costumes and my favorite was actually a couple that we saw while we were checking in - they dressed as a bride and groom from the beyond and yet they had a pack of beer.

After dinner, we walked out into the Quarter to see all the restaurants and clubs that were available upstairs and downstairs. With more people gethering for the costume contest, we decided to step into Cuba Libre downstairs and enjoy some mojitos and of course to dance. I love lively music and everything is much more interesting when you have so many costumes around you. We popped out to catch the winners of the costume and then went upstairs to not only look down on the winners but to pop in to a few more places for a drink. We are both a fan of people watching and I have to say that the Cuba Libre upstairs has a bit of a lounge which is perfect for that. Although it was past midnight and we had only been in Atlantic City for about 4 hours, we continues to Red Square to enjoy an amazing selection of vodkas.

With such a long day behind us and quite an agenda to cover the next day, we decided to turn in. Nothing is better than having a large corner room with a spectacular view of the cities. Whether I'm in Vegas or in AC, I love seeing the bright lights. Being on the 64th floor we had an amazing view that we took in for about an hour or so.

The next morning, we knew we had a lot to do as we were heading home later in the day. Paul had to play Poker as he had been itching to do this for weeks and I knew I had a spa and both of us would meet up for lunch. We decided to do the smartest thing by ordering a plate of fruit to kick off the day! Paul played poker and I headed out to the Blue Mercury Spa. I had no idea that we have one in the city but as I walked in, I saw products that you could purchase from Model Co, Kiehl's, Molton Brown and more. When I headed downstairs, I found Erin who would perform my Blissfuls Coconut Sugar Scrub. Leaving the lockerroom, I walked into a lounge with pitchers of water filled with oranges and limes and platters of fruit. After nibbling on these, Erin walked with me to our room. This treatment had various stages. Erin rubbed coconut scrub on me, I soaked in a coconut milk bath for 20 mins, I took a shower to cool my body down and then I got an intensive full body massage. This was 100 minutes that I could have enjoyed for quite some time. Interestingly enough, I was starving by the time I met up with Paul and we headed to Carmine's.

Carmine's is an Italian restaurant that we have here in the city in Times Square and on the UWS. This family style restaurant has HUGE portions that are meant to be shared with 2 - 4 individuals. Most items are made on premise. As we thought about the menu, we munched on various breads and dipped them into an amazing olive oil ordered lasagna with a side of spinach. From presentation alone, this lasagna looked so good that the table next to us told us that they wished that they had ordered. We had so much that we knew we had to take it home with us. The General Manager stopped by and shared with us the benefits of a restaurant of this nature. When you have various people eating together, everyone has the opprotunity to share various portions of an Italian meal and everyone is able to chip in. We finished the lunch with chocolate canoli's and decided that we had to walk off lunch.

As we walked the boardwalk, we went to a taffy shop to pick up James' Salt Water Taffy. This is a must if you love this candy and everytime I go to Atlantic City, this is something that I have to do. Our walk found us at the outlets and from a little after 3 until almost 7 we shopped! I knew that AC had outlets; however, the amount of shops was surprising. After all the shopping, eating, partying and more, it was time to head home and to ensure that Sun was all about rest.

Thinking back, there are times when you want to do something fun and don't feel like boarding a plane. Filling up the car right after work to head out to AC is totally doable and once there, you can gamble but there are so many things to take advantage of! Whether it's you and hyour sig other or a large group, you won't be at a loss of things to do. The Tropicana was a great place to stay with so many options and you can still visit other areas. This is definitely an option for over night, a couple of days or on your way to something else. Atlantic City and the Tropicana was a Kitten Lounge Pick and a great way to kick off the next few weekends where we will be traveling! Next stop: our invitations to Islands of the World Fashion Week in the Bahamas and Skytop Resort in the Poconos.

Modern Romance Bridal Event

KittenCouture — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:01:07 -0700

Last night I went to the Millenium Hotel's Hudson Theater to attend the Modern Romance Bridal Event. Now before anyone starts spreading stories, I am not engaged nor does that seem on the immediate horizon; however, I know it will happen one day and I am a fan of various Bridal shows and in lieu of hearing from people on Twitter, those I have lunch with and more announcing their engagements, I felt that this was something that I wanted to know about. Now I have attended many bridal events which are bona fide tradeshows where there are booths of the same types of services that are run by various companies, I would find this very overwhelming and difficult in terms of just focusing on the moment,. I wasn't sure what I was walking into but I was very intrigued to not only attend the event but to also see the Jenny Yoo Collection which I am familiar with many of her dresses.

Upon entering, I knew that this wouldn't be a massive and impersonal show.. For $25, brides were able to come to the event with a guest and to sample various foods, beverages and an extremely select group of vendors from entertainment, spa, makeup and more. The best part, this was extremely intimate! There weren't large groups of people the entryway of the theater (which at one time had actually housed various Broadway productions prior to their purchase of the Millenium Hotel next door) allowed everyone to check in, receive their goodie bag and to meet with the vendors. This space was illuminated with lighting and large mirrors. I know I began thinking about having an event here as the mood was definitely in place. As you walked into the theater, you were welcomed with tasty sweets on the right and on the left various meats and appetizers. Both sides had bartenders and of course there were passed beverages and drinks as well. I was very pleased to enjoy the champagne. The theater not only had tables set in various motifs that were created by James Abel Events (I love the amber inspired table), but there was seating for the fashion show and on the stage the band played. This was very soothing and kudos to the organizers to hold the event from 6:00 - 9:30. Although the fashion show didn't start until nearly 8:00, it was nice to come early and to have ample time to talk to the vendors while also recognizing that some brides would be unable to come until later.

Most of the attendees had a guest with them (kudos to the fiancees that appeared) although I felt bad for those that were alone as this was definitely an event to begin honing in on the decisions of your wedding while also enjoying the atmosphere. Mental note: these events are the best to go to and I would prefer to not go alone - friends and family beware!

I could go on and on about each vendor but I focused on certain areas but if you have a question, you can contact me and I can pass on what I know/heard. Jo Malone attended this event and as I have always been a fan and tend to walk by their Flatiron location, I was pleased to learn that they have an interesting way of offering their services. Obviously, they are available to have the bride and their party come to their location to enjoy their services and they are also able to travel as well. This is a great way to get pampered and to enjoy one another's time. But the most interesting element that I enjoyed was learning about their Fragrance Combining. This service is where the bride chooses a particular scent that will be worn for the wedding and then her bridesmaids will have various notes of this scent with other items layered in. In this way, the bride has a signature scent and her bridal party has elements of it while being different from hers. She doesn't have to worry about competing or offending scents as it is complimentary. I loved this concept and was so pleased that the two ladies attending this booth were so knowledgeable about this. Pampering and a signature scent - fabulous.

This event also had a great blend between traditional versus having your own element within your wedding. The band played traditional songs such as "Just the Way You Look Tonight", "Night & Day", "What's Going On", while also putting in a Stevie Wonder song that had elements of Will Smith in the song. They were not only playful and welcoming but they showed their range as we listened to the different songs and heard from the male and female singers respectively. This was enjoyable as we had Tuna Tartar, Spicy Shrimp and more.

Prior to the fashion show, I was able to see Tarte Cosmetics offerings, Cake Alchemy, Jerry Kravat Entertainment and more. Our hostess for the night who I thought was very warm and shared many of her experiences as she had recently been married, introduced the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. This couple did two dances (shown in the video) with a traditional dance and then one that was a salsa for the first dance. Once this was completed, we were treated to the Jenny Yoo Collection which had wedding gowns and then vibrant hues for bridesmaids dresses. These are definitely not the dresses that I have seen in Bridezilla epidsodes where the adventurous bride strives to find the most questionable dresses. These are beautiful gowns that you could use for other dressy occassions and that are very flattering whether you're looking for long, short, strapless, halter and more. Of course no fashion show of dresses would be complete without showing the super cute flower girl!

I left this event thinking that there are no shortage of events that "assist" brides and their friends and families with the options available to them. But when it is my turn, I want to attend events such as this that have a select group of vendors, a small number of attendees and then having a staff that caters to everyone so that you can feel special leading up to your day.

NYC Bridal Event: Jenny Yoo

KittenCouture — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:58:58 -0700

This Wed for those that are making plans for their amazing wedding, you can attend the Modern Romance Bridal Soiree at the Broadway Millenium Hotel at 145 W 44th Street this Wed the 24th at 6:00pm - 9:30pm. This is a great evening to see the Jenny Yoo Collection and also to meet various Wedding Planner Professionals. This event also includes appetizers and cocktails (provided by Hudson theater) as well. For $25, you and a guest will be able to enjoy seeing great garments and to start putting your plans into action! If you know someone or will be getting married and are in the area, this is the perfect event for you! In addition to seeing the Jenny Yoo Collection, you can enjoy the following attendees: Tarte, Abby Jean Invitations, Neuhaus Chocolates, Brides.com and Brides NY and many more. Visit the website to see how you can be added to this event. Of course, Kitten Lounge will be covering this event and sharing it with you as well.

Treasure Tuesdays: Miami Benz Swim Fashion Week

KittenCouture — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0700

This week we will temporarily focus on an event that is literally my favorite in the entire fashion industry! Maybe because I did a lot of bathing suit modeling at one time but I love Fashion Week Swim and Miami and when both are combined, you can't get any better than that. Next year I am promising myself that I will be an attendee/press (and gasp how great would it be if a swimwear line actually wore my - Kitten Couture Until then, I am dedicated this week to the Mercedes - Benz Fashion Week Swim Event!

So this week, we will be covering a variety of designers from the launch party at the Raleigh Hotel all the way to the very last show! The good thing is you don't have to have Uber VIP status to attend and you can still let your presence be known and get various forms of access to this event via American Express! You can enjoy a Poolside Cabana at the Meet and Greet at The Raleigh with a fab swimwear designer and of course you can see all the swimwear lines such as Red Carter and Ed Hardy!

I am so bummed that I will not be able to meet Tibi's swimwear designer, attend the Diesel show, go to a card member only private trunk show! This is a such a great time and if you will be there and are a card member, check this out and if you're aiming to be at the event next season, I will see you there without question! Stay tuned this week to find out about all the great designers at my favorite season's Fashion Week - sigh!

Mingling Mondays: LAGOON ~ Hudson Hotel Private Park

KittenCouture — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:00:00 -0700

This weekend, I spent time with my boyfriend lounging and chatting. I love how you can enjoy a great time with some drinks and a lot of laughter. This is the kind of weather that will make you want to be outside as much as possible. So when you do this, you'll find that you'll want to keep topping yourself with great finds. The Hudson Hotel (this is apart of the Morgans Hotel Group) has an amazing area that looks like your very own private park where you can enjoy nature, drinks and a fabulous setting. This is perfect for after work drinks, planning a birthday party and much more. With all the work that we do, it's nice to live in a luxurious way and of course it makes the weekends run by fast!

Mingling Mondays: Shoreham Hotel

KittenCouture — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:00:00 -0800

I love the Shoreham Hotel. I love that it's down the way from me and that it's always full of people right after work and then it just kind of winds down. It's one of those places that reminds me of South Beach (even when it's super cold and you can't imagine even leaving your door). They have an amazing Calamari and yes, their Cucumber Drink is one of the reasons that I always come back. For those of us in the Fashion Industry, it tends to be a great stop on the way from the office when trying to show off our knowledge of what places are in the know. But when it comes to just somewhere to go, this has such a pleasing atmosphere and is very welcoming! This was definitely a place that I went to during the warmer months and just recently, the day befer FANY, I was here with a friend and loved the idea that the indoor beach environment was just as welcoming as it is when there are warmer temperatures. I do love that in the summer, the windows are actually full length doors and you can step in and out of them and enjoy the breezes.

So when you're looking for a great place in midtown (they're located between 5th and 6th aves on 55th street), this boutique hotel is perfect. You can stop in here prior to heading down town or while you're wating for your reservation from Tao to be ready. If anything, this is an interesting way to enjoy watching others leaving work to go to their next function without being in the way!