Friday Favorites

There is a lot of fun going on in Dallas this weekend but I hope your plans include a visit to one of my Southern Living Seminars at Dillards at Northpark Center tomorrow at 11 or 2!  I'll be sharing my favorite holiday recipes from Southern Living as well as tips for holiday gift giving and decorating! 

Sweet ideas for your halloween from Dylan Lauren.

I buy a new one of these every year...this year I pick this style.

What's your line?  Take the quiz - so darling! 

Amazing deals at one of my favorite stores for entertaining supplies, World Market, this weekend! World Market's Friends & Family Event - Save 25% + 10% on Food & Drink + Free Ship $150 or more use code FNFGOSHIP

The must have blouse for this season - love it!

Loved writing about what to wear where for Culture Map.

It's cooling off which means it is Moscow Mule time! 

And thanks for all of the Monograms for the Home love this week:

Tory Burch

Oh So Cynthia

Gilt City Party with Moi!

I am so excited about the party that Gilt City is hosting for The Party Planner!
I hope you can join us on November 30th at Frederic Fekkai!
The tickets are $35 and include:

• Passed hors d’oeuvres
• Salon smooth-outs, polish changes and makeup applications (first come, first serve)
• Gift bag
• A copy of “The Party Planner”
• Complimentary valet parking

Event takes place on November 30, 2011, from 6 – 8 PM at Frédéric Fekkai Dallas. Must be 21+ to attend.

Here is what Gilt City had to say:

Why We Love This

• “The Party Planner” by tastemaker and luxury lifestyle guru Kimberly Schlegel Whitman will inspire your big soirées and small gatherings, just in time for the holidays.
• Whitman’s know-how is first-hand. After planning her own Idlewild debutante ball years ago, she launched a successful party rental and planning company and has written five books on entertaining.
• Frédéric Fekkai also is a pioneer of style, known for innovative cuts and premium hair products. There are only seven exclusive Fekkai salons, including this one in Highland Park Village.

It’s an idyllic kick-off to the holiday season: fine primping, passed apps and a luxe celebration of Kimberly Schlegel Whitman’s new book “The Party Planner.”

Whitman has a stylish take on parties regaled by Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, The New York Timesand The Wall Street Journal, among others. Her daily morning lifestyle segments on 103.7 Lite FM’s Gene & Julie Show keep it real, with tips on everything from spring cleaning to modern-day etiquette.

Leave the evening with a Fekkai gift bag and a signed copy of “The Party Planner.” Also yours: the upcoming party season armed with Whitman’s timeless tips and a bit of indulgence from Fekkai’s trained staff.

About Whitman, Dominick Dunne has said, “Kimberly Schlegel Whitman is my favorite kind of public speaker. She doesn’t put on her glasses and read a long typed speech from the podium. She understands that public speaking is a form of entertainment. She is intelligent, witty, a gifted raconteur, and a bono fide member of the world about which she speaks.”

— Rebecca Sherman, Gilt City Editor

The Party Planner Book Launch - Dallas

I am really excited about the launch of The Party Planner!  I hope you can join me at my book signing on Sept 1st at Madison in Highland Park Village from 4 -6.

Superhero Tablescapes with NACE!

NACE or The National Association of Catering Executives hosts an amazing Tablescapes event every year and this year, they kindly asked me to be the judge! I loved seeing all of the amazing table settings that their members set to show off their Superhero's Theme. It was a tough theme to design a beautiful table around but each and every table was out of this world! The event raised funds for HERO's for Children, an incredible charity that provides assistance for the families of children who are battling cancer. The Superhero theme was absolutely appropriate as the people who dedicate their time to helping these families are right on par with the theme. Here are some of the fun Tablescapes:



Elektra (or Jennifer Garner as she was referred to all evening!) was created by Beth Berk and Marcella Vantarakis of M&M Special Events and The Urban Blossom Flowers. It was sexy and full of drama. I love the red roses raining down above the table and the candle light made a huge impact! The entire table top was covered in red rose petals!

Sleeping Beauty was truly gorgeous. Created by Sarabeth Quattlebaum, Amanda Taylor and Fallon Dages of the AACWP (American Association of Certified Wedding Planners), this table was so romantic. The colors were wonderful and the rich pinks, peaches and golds were glowing underneath the ivy arches.

The Spiderman Table was wonderful because it's creators from ISES (The International Events Society) thought beyond the tablescape to the people who would be seated around the table enjoying the meal. They had actors sitting around the table pointing at the image of Spiderman who was making his way to the table!

The Incredible Hulk, created by RedSole Events team of Erin Daniels Holme, Heather Ketter, and Kevin Holme, was one of my favorites. It was soooo clever! The iridescent green cloth was glowing and the leaves and green flowers were so beautiful! In contrast, the green hulk hands were breaking out of the table and elements of the table were cracked and broken! The china and glassware was broken and all of the flatware was bent! There was even green juice in the glasses! It was so clever!

The Silver Surfer table was my number one pick! I loved it because it was so stylish and elegant yet did not skip out on the dramatic Superhero department one bit! The huge silver surfer looked like he had arrived and landed in the center of a table set with geodes and rock crystals. Every detail of the table which was stretched in a Vivid Stretch cloth was chic and was something that I would re-create in my own home! It was completely on trend and I loved every bit of it. Kudos to Jennifer Harris and Todd Richter of Wynnwood Culinary Art Expressions and Vivid.

Sonic the Hedgehog by Michele Stoute-Smith, Angie Bricker, Sarah Sawai and Jay Cooper from NACE was really cool! They had an interactive area where people could play the Sonic the Hedgehog game and two tables set up. The tables were set with menu cards shaped like a Ninendo Game Boy!

The Buzz Lightyear table was created by Angela Dupont, Deanie Yuska and Kelly Simants for the Association of Bridal Consultants or ABC. It was precious! They had really cool leather chairs and they also had space age triangle shaped plates. Buzz was the centerpiece and the purple and lime green linens were the perfect complement.

The Superman Table was created by Junior Villanueva, Melanie Lott and Erin Guinan of The Garden Gate and BBJ Linen. It was awesome! The bold superman colors were found in every element of the tablescape from the linens to the flowers. Every detail was carefully included and the story unfolded as you continued to look at the presentation. Clark Kent's shirts, fresh from the dry cleaners with the name printed inside, were displayed in each corner and the glass chargers had a space age Kryptonite look to them. Junior and his design team even included specimen samples of "Kryptonite" in covered glass jars.

What Superhero event could be complete with out a Captain Underpants table? Stacey Murdoch of The Wildflower did a great job with her tricky theme and her sense of humor abounded. The stack of books as the centerpiece held a balloon wearing underpants and each chair cover had an extra large pair of underpants wrapped around it! Upholstery at it's finest!

I didn't know much about Underdog but anyone who knows me know that I love anything DOG! This tablescape was no exception. The amazing place settings were made from all sorts of doggie bowls and utensils and the napkins were wrapped in dog collars. The centerpiece was a telephone booth capped off with a gorgeous arrangement of white flowers. The table was created by Heather Wilmoth of H Weddings.

Batman's table had an exceptional guest list made up of all of the characters that make up his story. Each character had a customized cupcake representing their personality and costume. They were amazing! The flowers were fantastic and I loved the comic strip signs emerging from the bright flowers. Congratulations to Sarah Pittman, Laura Kelsey and Karen Higginbotham of June Wedding, Inc.

Another one off my favorites, Wonder Woman, was amazing. It was beautiful and feminine yet powerful and stylish. I loved the gold flowers and the use of Wonder Woman's favorite fabrics through out the tablescape. The "chandelier" made of Wonder Woman images looked so beautiful and gave the table a dramatic effect. It was worth all of the effort that Debby Jewesson and Paige Chenault from Branching Out Floral & Event Design and Paige Chenault Events put into it!

I had a great time judging the event and to me, every table was a winner! I gave each of the groups a copy of my book!

The Neiman Marcus Beauty Event! Get to know Susan Posnick!

If you are looking for the perfect way to get freshened up for Fall, stop by Neiman Marcus Northpark on Friday the 17th of September between noon and 4 to meet Susan Posnick and learn about her fantastic makeup techniques! I just came from the store where I purchased Susan's wonderful ColorFlo Mineral Foundation and ColorCorrect Brighten/Correct pencil.  I am going to keep the pencil in my handbag for my much needed mid-day touch ups!
Because I spent over $55 I also brought home a travel size Shimmer with Sun Protection and a mini applicator brush!
Susan cosmetics are amazing and, on my way out the door, Neiman Marcus NorthPark's dapper General Manager, Malcolm Reuben, told me how excited they are to have Susan's products in their store now!
The best part about buying your new makeup this week is the Beauty Event!  If you spend over $100, which is really easy to do at Neiman Marcus, you get a tote bag filled with fabulous products to sample.

Join Me for Fashion's Night Out

Have you always dreamed of being a stylist?  Are your friends always telling you that you have a knack for fashion?  If so, this is your chance to break into the business!

Neiman Marcus NorthPark 

with

FD Luxe

invites you to

Fashion's Night Out

Friday, September 10th from 6 to 10PM

7PM Fashion Presentation

I will join a panel of celebrity judges that includes Jacquelin Sewell, Jason Sheeler of FD Luxe, and Dallas Maverick, Jason Terry to determine who has what it takes to style with the best!

Here is the deal:

FD Luxe and Neiman Marcus NorthPark are looking for the next great stylist in the area.  Enter to win your chance to style a runway show during Fashion's Night Out, Friday September 10th at NM NorthPark.    Three Style Guests will be chosen and one lucky Style Guest will be selected by our panel.  

Here is the cool part:

The Winner will receive the opportunity to assist the styling of an upcoming section of FD Luxe as well as a prize package of a $500.00 Gift Certificate from NM NorthPark!

To enter please submit two photographs of how you would style the fall 2010 trends from Neiman Marcus as well as a paragraph on why you should be selected.  

Send the following to RSVPNorthPark@NeimanMarcus.com or NM Northpark  Attn: Fashion's Night Out-PR  400 Northpark Center  Dallas, Texas  75225

Full Name

Contact Phone Number

email address

and 

100 words:  Why you think you can STYLE? 

two images of your style point-of-view before Monday, August 30th

Finalists will be notified Thursday, September 2nd by phone.