Andrew Richard Designs Soirée

Pink French Connection dress + culinary delights by top chef Jamie Kennedy + open bar + fantastic music + gorgeous furniture & people = the official start of summer 2010! Last week Andrew Richard Designs hosted the party of the summer at their showroom in Toronto. Andrew and Richard Bockner not only create beautiful outdoor furniture, but the brothers also know how to throw one extraordinary shindig.

At the exclusive event influenced by a Parisian daydream, upbeat tunes spun on the main floor and another DJ, alongside saxophone players, got everyone busting a move in the loft area. People were dancing, eating and drinking the night away. I couldn't help dabble in the delicious food on display throughout the entire main floor. There were tender steak and veggie medleys, lobster quiesce and my favourite dish being a creamy rhubarb and strawberry paste enjoyed with a chocolate dipping stick. When the chefs left there were still plenty of tables filled with fruit, cheese and munchies and an open bar with cocktails provided by Belvedere vodka, Moët et Chandon and many others.

Guests lounged on the luxurious custom-designed furniture and upstairs, white sheers separated the magical area where fortunes were told and artists sketched portraits of party-goers. I took full advantage of the tarot card reader and the numerologist.

I won't lie, I had my doubts about finding out what the future held for me. Especially since the girl waiting in the line with me confessed that another psychic predicted three divorces for her. I almost opted out on the reading because I was scared of potentially hearing bad news. However, once I got to the table, shuffled the cards with my left hand and had them laid out on the table in front of me, I came to realize I had nothing to worry about.

My reader told me the best possible news for my love life and career. I asked her again if all this wonderful news was true and she confirmed. The most important thing she told me was that I'd need to pay more attention to my intuition. Having listened to my head for so long, the decisions that would come up in my future depended on my gut feeling. I'd also have an important decision to make early this fall. A big move, a big change? Regardless of what it was, it was my intuition that was going to come in handy to make the decision.

Just as I was leaving the table she also made sure to let me know that my system was overheated. Due to my meat and dairy indulgences, my body was giving off a large amount of heat. If I didn't change my diet to a vegetarian base, I'd encounter serious stomach problems in the future she said. This scared me so much that I've been a fruit and veggie eating fiend for the past week! In order to cool down my system, I've had to say bye bye filet mignon and hello celery stalks.

The after party was done at Blowfish Restaurant & Saki Bar with complimentary sushi. I ended the evening with some friends at Penthouse 5, one of the most exquisite penthouses in North America. The interior was modern and stylish, but even more breathtaking was the patio view of the city. This was without a doubt the best view of the CN Tower I've ever seen.

Pretty Headpieces

When I celebrated my birthday weeks ago, the invitation strictly stated mandatory cocktail dress and a funky headpiece as the attire. Here are some very pretty inspirations I came across when getting ideas for my big night out...





Loving the gypsy look as always.

Absolutely stunning bride. Something I would definitely wear on my big day.

So pretty.

My girlfriends fell in love with the idea. I decided to stay vintage and picked a tan Peter Pan hat with a feather and veil. Monica even made her own headpiece and proved a little hot glue and some peacock feathers can go a long way. Feast your eyes on these beauties...and I'm not just referring to the headpieces.

Drogba the Great

It truly moves me to see people using power to do good in this world. With the FIFA World Cup in full swing, I just had to dedicate one of my blog posts to an amazing footballer. Look up leader, visionary and greatness in the dictionary and there you shall find the name Didier Drogba.

Drogba is a name I'm all too familiar with. I've obviously glanced at this months cover of Vanity Fair with him and my future hubby stripped to their skivvies. And before then, I had watched many Chelsea games with the talented Drogba as the leading striker. He is no stranger to the football world, that's for sure. As one of the best players in the world, Drogba is representing his homeland, Côte d'Ivoire, in this World Cup. Despite a fractured forearm, he will still play in upcoming matches with a protective cast approved by FIFA.

When Time Magazine released its 100 most influential people of the world, I was surprised with the mention of Didier Drogba. I knew of his athletic accomplishments, but when a friend mentioned his extraordinary work off the field, I was even more intrigued and impressed with the man.

For the past eight years, his homeland has been ravaged by civil war. Ivory Coast still remains divided with rebels in the north and a government presence in the south. United Nations and the French military failed to help, with increased hostility and raids on troops and civilians rising. It was Drogba who organized a statement of peace. He and his Côte d'Ivoire teammates created peace amongst a nation of terror when they qualified for the 2006 World Cup bringing both parties together. Many thank him for starting a positive movement to resolve the Ivorian Civil War.

Drogba has also stated that he will donate every penny earned from endorsements to building new hospitals in his country. I officially have goosebumps and crown Drogba the Mother Theresa of football.

Who knew that athletic greatness could lead to calming a civil war. And to use his personal endorsement money to build hospitals in his country, while others focus their wealth on oversized homes, sporty cars and luxury definitely warrants his name on the 100 most influential people list and so much more. If that wasn't enough, he even has a beer glass named after him, almost double the size of an average pint.

So cheers to you, Drogba! Thank you for being such a wonderful role model and I can only hope that more footballers can transform their fame and fortune to make the world a better place.

OmGym

If you love hardcore workouts, weight training and you go to the gym every other day, then you're definitely NOT like me. But, if you're into keeping healthy, getting in an occasional LIGHT workout and a great stretch, then we would probably get along much better. During my last day in LA, I had a blast "working out" in Venice beach before my red-eye flight back home to Toronto. I'm one lucky gypsy to have had this personally catered workout from an expert OmGym instructor.

OmGym is a multi-purpose portable inversion therapy device with all the benefits of yoga. It is a new line of fitness that incorporates supported gravity-free yoga, upside-down inversion therapy and full body strength and core workout. The device resembles a mini parachute and harness that can hang from pillars, trees or even off a swing set on the beach in my case. It is equipped with 6 different handles differing in length to allow over 1000 different moves and poses.

One of the main functions of the OmGym is its inversion therapy applications. It relieves back pain, improves posture and enhances spinal mobility. It improves digestion and elimination as well as lymphatic drainage and blood purification. It elevates the mood and eliminates depression. It enhances relaxation and promotes sounder sleep. It also boosts brain power and leads to a more beautiful appearance as the body gains more circulation through being upside down. The OmGym does all these wonderful things, but most importantly it's fun. It doesn't feel like a workout and there's never a dull moment with so many ways to be creative in an everyday workout.

My workout started off a little flustered. I ate breakfast right before and my first inverted hang wasn't too pretty. I don't recommend eating immediately prior to the OmGym experience. After I waited a bit, I got right back into the swing of things (literally). I started with the basic inverted hang to decompress my back. I also did a few low repetition strength training exercises to workout my arms and legs and of course got an overall great stretch in. After my workout I felt relaxed and ready to take on the day.

If all else fails this device can be used as a great tool for partner yoga and play. Sarah Kellett will soon be marketing her OmGym as a sex swing. So if you prefer getting your workout in the bedroom or just want to spruce up your love life, then consider the OmGym as well.

Here are some more pics of the twists and tangles I got myself into!

World Cup

It's finally here... 2010 FIFA World Cup. I along with billions of soccer fans around the world have been patiently awaiting the World Cup, which kicks off (literally) today. As the first African nation to host the tournament, South Africa will cater to the 19th FIFA World Cup this year.

South Africa has been busy preparing for the soccer craze to begin. New buildings have been constructed, transportation improved and security measures heightened. It may seem like a friendly game of kick ball, but there are too many fans who take their teams and the sport extremely close to heart. There have been many dangerous brawls in soccer stadiums across the world and instances of fans being trampled to death after games. During my trip to Amsterdam last spring, I did a tour of Amsterdam Arena and home to the Ajax football club. I was amazed that opposing fans had their own separate entrance to the arena through a subway line that went directly to seating in their closed-off section. The section was completely caged in to ensure that none of them threw garbage onto the field or disrupted the game in any way.

Some players even fear their own lives when returning back to their countries after a huge loss. Yup it's true. Take for example Colombian footballer Andrés Escobar who was shot and killed when returning home to Medellin after accidentally scoring a goal on his own net in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. It was reported that his killer shouted "goal" for each of the 12 bullets fired. His mistake caused huge gambling losses to several high profile drug lords all across the country.

Unfortunately my team (Czech Republic) did not qualify for the event and I've had to make some drastic changes. Trading in my Czech jersey was not easy, but I now wear green and red with the name Ronaldo written across the back. That and my beverage selection will be adjusted to a refreshing Sagres instead of my classic Pilsner. If I'm going to cheer for a team, I'm going to go all out. I figure since my hometown is heavily Portuguese populated and my dream is to one day become the future Mrs. Cristiano Ronaldo, I might as well be more patriotic.



The first matches are as follows...

	South Africa	vs.			Mexico					-	11 Jun 10:00am (ET)
	Uruguay	vs.			France					-	11 Jun 2:30pm (ET)

Here's a little clip to get you in the mood!

The Last Beat Of My Heart

I listen to this song every day and I think you will too once you hear it. Thank you nelnel2709, whoever and wherever you are, for posting this video to accompany such a beautiful song.

If you need to press repeat now that you've heard it, you're sure to fall head over heels for DeVotchKa. The band is made up of four musicians, all with eclectic backgrounds, based out of Denver. They fuse eastern European folk, Gypsy and American punk as well as South American traditional styles to create a trademark sound. It's so refreshing to hear artists who dare to be different and I'm in utter awe at how many cool instruments they play.

They jam out with not only guitar, piano, double bass and percussion, but also violin, accordion, theremin (an electronic instrument that produces eerie sounds), bouzouki (a traditional Greek string guitar), sousaphone (a type of tuba used by marching bands) and trumpet.

Like most bands, DeVotchka started off in poverty with their sound constantly being deemed "unmarketable". But hard work and talent never goes unrewarded and the group shot to stardom with the success of their soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine, a surprise hit film.

My top DeVotchKa songs include...

How It Ends
Till the End Of Time
You Loved Me
New World

FYI - The name DeVotchKa translates into "young girl" in Russian.

Sex & the City 2

This post is for all the ladies who love sex and New York City (so in actuality it's for ALL females out there). I along with thousands of other women have anticipated the release of Sex and the City 2. Despite bad reviews and most of my girlfriends being disappointed with the sequel and it's cheesy scenes, I came out of that theater pleased with a sudden urge to buy a fancy turban.

Maybe I enjoyed the film so much because it wasn't built up. I wasn't expecting anything grand, but I just don't see what women and critics hated about the sequel. What's there not to love about it? Spicy love stories, the adventures of a close-knit group of girlfriends, an over-the-top gay wedding, fashion, shoes and a lavish trip to the desert in Abu Dhabi.

A few odd women don't share my love for Sex and the City and I just don't understand them. Some may find it unrealistic that Carrie has a collection of Manolo Blahnik's on a columnist salary, but hey a girl can always dream. Overall Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda can relate to all women in some way or another. And come on, even if you're not into the plots, at least watch it for the sake of fashion!

Speaking of fashion here are few looks that I loved from the movie...

Although Carrie looked aged, her wrinkles didn't hold her back from looking fabulous in this urban turban. I wasn't loving the dress, but I was definitely in love with the turban idea. Very unique!

I've never been a fan of Miranda's fashion on the show, but I was pleasantly surprised with her wardrobe choices in the sequel. I particularly loved the black dress with the low cut front that she sported to Stanford and Anthony's wedding.

I adore this modern and so-Samantha bathing suit. I would definitely rock this outfit poolside in Miami or Saint-Tropez.

I believe a large part of my love for this film is due to my addiction to traveling. The majority of the film focused on the ladies' trip to Abu Dhabi and there's just something about the Middle East that mesmerizes me. I've always been obsessed with Middle Eastern music and the delicious cuisine. I really enjoyed how the ladies played on the Arab fashion as well with turbans, head pieces, shawls, Samantha's golden Aladdin pants and her white hooded cloak.

There were so many scenes that reminded me of my trip to Morocco last year (which I've already featured in my blog). The Sex and the City crew were not able to film in the Emirates and actually spent eight weeks shooting all over beautiful Morocco instead.

The only difference is my trip wasn't anywhere near as posh as the women experienced. I didn't stay in a ridiculously-priced hotel with my own personal servants or ride beautiful white camels into the desert to sip on Champagne. Instead I opted for a $5-per-night hotel and took grumpy, old and unmaintained camels (who needed to relieve themselves every 15 minutes by the way) into the desert while chugging from my water canister. Regardless, I wouldn't trade my experience for any other even if the camels could hold their bowels. The decor, traditional souks and the gorgeous desert sand brought back some great memories. But enough blabbing, go catch this flick and get Carried away already!