Golden Globe Inspired Cocktails

I'm not a big time award show watcher. What I do enjoy is the red carpet entry- hours of beautiful hair, makeup, and dazzling gowns. Well, a girl can dream!

Whatever your reason for watching Sunday night's Golden Globes, why not do it with some yummy snacks and a tastey beverage in your hand. Stoli’s mixologist, Charlotte Voisey has come up with award-worthy cocktail recipes based on this year’s “Best Motion Picture” nominees.

Black Swan

4 parts Stoli® Blueberi™

2 parts cucumber-infused gin

1 part fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Blueberries (muddled)

1/2 part simple syrup or agave nectar
4 mint sprigs

Muddle blueberries and mint in a mixing cup

Add ice to fill and add remaining ingredients and shake vigorously

Pour contents into a Collins glass

The Fighter

2 parts Stoli® 80

3 dashes of bitters

1 part lime juice

3 parts ginger beer

Build in an ice-filled highball glass and stir

Garnish with lime and a mint sprig

Inception

1 ½ oz Stoli Vanil

1 ½ oz coconut cream
1 oz passion fruit juice
Squeeze fresh lime

Combine ingredients and blend or shake

Serve in a martini glass

Garnish with a small flower


The King's Speech Gimlet

3 parts Stoli® 80

2 parts lime juice

1 part simple syrup

Shake and pour into an ice-filled rocks glass

Garnish with several limes

The Social Network

2 parts Stoli® Gala Applik™

1 part fresh lemon juice

1 part simple syrup

Shake with ice

Strain into a chilled martini glass

Garnish with a lemon wedge

Ann Taylor Shopping Event_TONIGHT!

Ann Taylor
600 Thirteenth Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
6 - 8 PM
*Offer valid only at stores participating in December 9, 2010 events and listed on eventsatann.com website. 30% discount will be applied towards full-price items only. Taxes, shipping and handling fees, purchases of gift cards, charges for gift boxes and payment of an Ann Taylor or LOVE LOFT Card account are excluded from the discount. Not valid at anntaylor.com, LOFT stores, LOFT.com, Ann Taylor Factory Stores, LOFT Outlet Stores, or in conjunction with any other offer or total store promotion. Reproductions of offer are not valid. No adjustments to prior purchases. Not valid for cash.

Eatonville welcomes new chef with a special menu_Dec 1st

One Lounge Turns One

http://www.oneloungedc.com/

Time really does fly when you're having fun! Hard to believe that it's been almost a year since One Lounge opened its doors and made itself at home in Dupont Circle. Decked out in invitingly chic leather sofas, ottomans, and elegant oriental rugs, One Lounge has quickly become a destination for everything from after work drinks to an extra special night out. Under the direction of Le Cordon Bleu-certified executive chef Wade Hoo Fatt, the lounge's menu has been garnering praise from District foodies seeking a more refined late night option.

On Tuesday, December 7 from 6:30 to 10:30pm, owners Niko Papademetriou, Seth McClelland, Filipp Zeldin and Daniel Kramer will celebrate their one year anniversary with the venue's loyal supporters and local celebrities at a decadent invitation only event. Sponsored by Perrier-Jouet, Red Bull, Svedka and Voss Artesian Water, the night will feature One Lounge's signature cocktails crafted by Wes Arthur along with a selection of Chef Wade Hoo Fatt's tasty cuisine.

Not on the guest list? Don't worry. If the past year is any indication, One Lounge will be around for years to come. Check them out for dinner Monday - Thursday (5:00pm - 11:30pm), Friday & Saturday (5:00pm - 12:30am), and Sunday (5:00pm - 2:00am).

One Lounge
1606 20th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

Hot temps, hot sauce, hot Efron

Last night I stuck around Penn Quarter after work to catch an advance screening of Charlie St. Cloud at the Regal Gallery Place Theater. Before heading to the viewing, we stopped at California Tortilla for a quick bite to eat. I love that the food is quick, fresh, and delicious but  for me this place is really all about the sauce. A girl needs options and that's just what the "Wall of Flame" gives you.

This is my particular favorite, Thai Sting Sweet Chili Sauce. YUM!!! I put it on everything from tacos to salads. It's a great mix of sweet and spicy.

Speaking of sweet and spicy, how beautiful is Zach Efron. Seriously, look at those eyes. The movie was great. I'd say a 3.5 out of 5. I really enjoyed his performance and brief moments of shirtlessness. It's a bit of a tear-jerker (he cries A LOT)...with a touch of  The Sixth Sense and a dash of romance.  Compared to some of the big budget disasters that have come out in the last year, this is a solid movie with strong performances and an inspirational story.  It was somewhat choppy...I get the feeling that many scenes ended up on the cutting room floor...but over all a good date night choice.

Later,

Guru

Jazz in the Sculpture Garden this June!

One of my favorite things to do on warm (not too warm) summer nights is to meet up with friends and enjoy some sangria and jazz at the Sculpture Garden. It's the perfect way to end the week. The Pavilion Café is open during the event but is often so crowded it's best to bring your own picnic basket.

You can also preorder a $25 keepsake basket for two via the National Gallery's website. The basket includes Saratoga water, summer sausage and cheese, fresh-baked artisan breads, two gourmet spreads, and local seasonal fruit. The basket also contains a stamped postcard of an American masterpiece from the Gallery's collection, a pen, and a current Calendar of Events. Not bad for the price. To order the baskets and wines by the bottle, click here or call (202) 289-3360 by 6:00 p.m. on the prior Wednesday.

Not the type to make plans in advance? Why not stop by Cow Girl Creamery on the way to pick some cheese and a crusty loaf of bread to share. It's located at 919 F Street NW and has the most delightful selection of artisan cheeses. You're sure to find something everyone will love and their knowledgeable staff is more than happy to offer up a few suggestions. Then you'll still have room for dinner later at one of the many amazing restaurants in Penn Quarter. There! I just planned your Friday night for the next 4 weeks. Enjoy!

National Gallery of Art
Jazz in the Garden in June
Fridays
5:00 - 8:30pm
Rain or shine

June 4
Berklee World Jazz Nonet
(DC Jazz Festival)

June 11
Deanna Bogart
(bluesion)

June 18
Ron and Ryan Diehl
(Father's Day tribute)

June 25
Nattybeaux
(jump swing band)

Concerts take place in front of the Pavilion Café
There is no charge for the jazz performances
Sculpture Garden hours are extended to 9:30pm

Picnickers may bring blankets
Alcoholic beverages and coolers are not permitted
The Pavilion Café and carts located on the patios offer a seasonal light fare menu and cold beverages

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
Constitution Avenue between Third and Seventh Streets
202.737.4215
http://www.nga.gov/

Metro: Archives-Navy Mem'l-Penn Quarter
(post info courtesy of pennquarter.org and image from nga.gov)

Tarara's Fine Vine Event June 12th

Make Reservations for Anthony Bourdain May 21st at Warner Theatre

So, you may or may not know about my borderline unhealthy love of Anthony Bourdain. I think he's hilarious and gives off that scruffy bad boy vibe that even the primmest most proper girl can't resist. Plus, he's a chef and what's not hot about a guy that knows his way around the kitchen. Well, the object of my infatuation is coming to DC this Friday and he's bringing along his behind the scenes tales of the restaurant industry and, of course, a helping of his signature sarcasm.  I'll be there with bells on!

Here are the details.....

AN EVENING WITH ANTHONY BOURDAIN AND ERIC RIPERT AT THE WARNER THEATRE MAY 21, 2010

Seats: $89.00, $69.00, $49.00, $39.00
$89.00 ticket allows access to the post show meet and greet book signing

The host of NO RESERVATIONS, Anthony Bourdain, is coming to the Warner Theatre Friday Evening, May 21nd for one night only. Bourdain is the acclaimed television personality, best-selling author, public speaker, world traveler, gourmand, and punk-rock aficionado. Bourdain will be joined by his special guest and friend, Eric Ripert, chef, author, and host of PBS’ Avec Eric. Ripert has been honing his talents at Le Bernardin, as executive chef and co-owner for the last 18 years. In 2007, Ripert presented his first casual neighborhood American bistro called Westend Bistro by Eric Ripert, for the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, D.C.

Bourdain, with special guest Ripert, will provide an evening of storytelling and observation providing the audience with a frank and provocative back and forth about what really goes on behind the kitchen doors- from both ends of the spectrum. Through illustrative anecdotes and stories, the night will include highlights from Ripert’s career and lurid lowlights from Bourdain’s career, and will give the audience a real-world understanding of what it takes to survive in the cutthroat culture of fine dining restaurants. The program portion of the evening will include an audience Question and Answer.

GO HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PURCHASE TICKETS!!!

Me and mom out on the town

The first day back to work after a long weekend is always a rough one. My mom came to visit and after 2 late nights out on the town, my age is definitely showing. I’m exhausted and the 2 million emails that have piled up over the last 3 days are not helping the situation. Sleeplessness aside, I had a wonderful weekend filled with lots of great memories with my mom.

Saturday night we hit the late show at the improv. That means in your seats at 10:30pm and nonstop laughing until around midnight. My head didn’t hit the pillow until 3am. Sunday was another all nighter. We got dolled up to sit front row at Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies at Lincoln Theater. This place is beautiful and the show was unbelievable. I seriously wanted to jump out of my seat and shimmy across the stage. The costumes were divine, and the set really took you back to another place and time. The highlight of the evening was when the show’s star, Maurice Hines strolled off the stage, swept my mom up from her seat, and danced a few steps right there in the aisle. The spot light was on her and my mom soaked it up! It was fantastic.

After the show, my mom made her way out of the theater like the super star she is, awash in compliments from other theater goers. It was really I night I’ll never forget.

The show runs until May 30th and is an absolute must see. Get your tickets here!

More to come on this and other events from the past week....

Later,
GURU

Beautifying Washington one event planner at a time!

Thank you to everyone who came out to last week’s WEP Red Door Spa Party! It was an absolute blast. Check out my article on Examiner.com for all the details and pictures from the event.

Later,
Guru

Complimentary Friday Wine Tastings at Zola Wine

Zola Wine & Kitchen
Complimentary Friday Wine Tastings
Tonight!!

Fridays, 5:00 - 7:00pm

Zola Wine & Kitchen is giving everyone a reason to stop in to their shiny new storefront on Friday night’s. They’ll be serving up a sampling of affordable wines from their collection every Friday from 5-7pm. No RSVP necessary.

For information on tastings and classes go to: www.zolawinekitchen.com

Later,
Guru

Suited for Change:Suite PurSuit Event-May 13th

A Super Sweet Mother's Day at the Gaylord!

With my mom so far away on Mother’s Day, I’m envious of anyone that’s able to spend such a special holiday with their mom. When you get past the age where homemade cards and art class projects are acceptable, it can sometimes be difficult finding just the right gift. Lucky for me, my mom’s not shy about letting me know exactly what she wants.

For everyone still searching for the perfect gift, the Gaylord has put together a fantastic Mother’s Day weekend package with the help of Warren Brown, founder of Cakelove.

Mother's Day with Warren Brown at Gaylord National
Mother's Day Weekend — May 8-10, 2009
CakeLove Your Mom

Join Warren Brown, founder of CakeLove and star of Food Network's Sugar Rush as he hosts an event for moms and just about anyone with a sweet tooth at Gaylord National. He’ll be sharing his baking secrets along with his inspiring story that began with baking in the kitchen with his very own mom.

There are two scrumptious packages to choose from, starting at $219 a night including accommodations. The VIP package includes a special Family Cupcake Decorating Class for 4!

Go HERE for more info and stay tune for more Mother's Day Gift ideas!

Later,

Guru

Grand Opening of Guess F Street- April 30th

Morton's The Steak House Hosts a Special Occasions Open House- March 16th

SPECIAL OCCASIONS OPEN HOUSE For Anyone Planning a Party in 2009
A guided preview of Morton's elegant private dining rooms and event spaces with design and accoutrements provided by some of Virginia's most reputable event vendors. The space will be set to showcase various celebrations, including wedding receptions, birthday parties, bar/bat mitzvahs, baby showers, corporate events, rehearsal dinners, anniversary as well as bachelor or bachelorette parties, and graduations.

Guests from around Northern Virginia will enjoy reception style signature hors d'oeuvres and fine wines from Morton's.

5:00pm-8:00pm

Complimentary, but reservation required

Morton's The Steakhouse - Tysons Corner 8075 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia 22182

For reservations or for more information please call 703.883.0811

Inspiration: A shiny New Year

New Year's Eve is almost here! What better time to look and feel like a rockstar. Here are a few ideas to get your place ready for the big countdown as well. Whether you're entertaining 2 or 200, simple touches of silver, glitter, and mirrored surfaces will help keep the holiday spirit going long after the clock strikes 12.

From left to right, top to bottom:
Target's large mirrored candle holder: Perfect for a mantle or tablescape.
Silver ivy panel from A&R: These easily hook together to form a room divider, curtain, or table runner.
Maxfield Charger from PB: Add a little shine to your holiday table while giving guests another place to check their makeup
Jeweled napkin ring from Nordstrom's: These napkin rings can read Hollywood or Victorian. Either way they're absolutely beautiful!
Countdown mantel display from Martha.com: This is a fun little project from Martha's site. to recreate this look at home display a collection of different clocks on your mantle in front of a large mirror. Surround with candles and you've created a fun focal point.
Party City glitter horn: Ring in the new year with these super inexpensive glitter-covered party horns.
A&R table grill: This stainless grill can go from the kitchen to table top. What a fun way to add a little something special to your party. The handled, dishwasher safe bowl can also be used as a serving dish or ice bucket.
Star candle holder from Target: Create a subtle glow with these tea-light candle holders
Martha.com's midnight countdown party flutes: I love this idea! Go to Martha's site to learn how to decorate your champagne flutes with adhesive numbers for a fun way to countdown to the New Year.

For more at home entertaining inspiration and to hear about New Years Eve events throughout DC, check out my posts on examiner.com.

NYC or Bust! Bizbash Style Expo 2008

I'm headed up tp NYC for a little sightseeing, celebrating, and to attend the Eighth Annual BizBash New York Event Style Expo! The Style Expo is like a mini-bootcamp for event professionals. It's a day long conference with workshops focused on the latest trends, best practices, and inspiration. Located at the Javits Center, the expo will also include a tradeshow featuring over 300 of the area’s best exhibitors offering the latest and greatest products and services for event planners. Last year I walked away with more swag than I thought was possible. I'm certainly looking forward to hearing what Keynote speaker, Dax Callner the VP of Strategy and Planning for Jack Morton Worldwide has to say during his presentation on "Making the Case for Events in Challenging Economic Times". Sounds like a case for job security for this non-profit planner.

This year's expo just happens to coincide with my B-day, so I'm taking a little extra time to explore my beloved NYC. I've already got plans to stop by a few venues and I'll be sure to report back on what I find as well as any new products and services I may stumble upon at the expo.

For more info on the Bizbash Style Expo go to http://www.bizbash.com/

Until Thursday....get out there and live fabulous
Guru

New DC Hot Spot Opening This Weekend!

Looking for a new place to get your groove on this weekend? Well look no further than Tuscana Lounge at 1350 I Street. Scheduled to open this weekend ( August 15-16), Tuscana promises to be a break from the norm, offering up signature cocktails and Italian light fare and tapas. This is a grown up destination catering to the 25 and older crowd in an ultra chic setting.

Don’t miss their grand opening this weekend! They’ll be serving up complimentary cocktails and Italian tapas from 11pm-12. Sign up for the guest list and there is no cover charge. Just go to their site to sign up, check out their venue photos, and get more information about their opening event. http://tuscanalounge.com/

Hey, only 4 more days til the weekend!

Hope to see you there!

Guru

Day trip'n to the Caribbean?

After the week I've had a little fun in the sun was just what I needed to start off the weekend. So after wrapping up things at work on Friday, I made my way down Penn Ave to Aria Trattoria's outdoor Caribbean themed party. The outdoor plaza had a festive feel with music playing and enough Hawaiian shirts in sight to rival any resort.

The seating was a bit disorganized. The host lead us in to the middle the crowd and told us we were free to sit anywhere we liked. We spent the next 20 minutes searching for a table and trying to get a very busy waitress' attention. By that point, I had a delicious rum punch in hand to help ease the blow. There were lots of food and drink specials as well as some cool give-aways. I didn't walk away with any prizes this time around, but I sure felt like a winner as I relaxed in the warm weather, sipped fruity drinks (with umbrellas of course), and nippled on Hawaiian pizza and other munches from the grill.

I overheard the planners say they're thinking about doing this every Friday! A girl can only hope. I left Aria Trattoria feeling like I'd had a mini vacation. Hopefully it will be enough to hold me over til I find the time for the real thing.

Aria Trattoria is a great spot. I highly recommend stopping by for lunch or dinner. The plaza is jumping all summer long during the lunch hour.

Aria Trattoria
Woodrow Wilson Plaza
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
202.312.1250
Metro: Federal Triangle
http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001sfcKPu2Zvai5t6gu_5C08ZDWVn-bcV_T5xltZn4CmTbX7jDX2NidmeB10x8ITNQ5dWwc7VrgZgeDRXC8-0lne588Iw5_i21A3TKLiiSO6Nr0MgzckIErnA==

Here's to hoping you find your fun in sun and take the time to live fabulously!
Guru

Getting my fill at the EMC Tradeshow

This past Thursday I had the pleasure of heading over to the Le'Efant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC for the Exceptional Meeting and Conference Venues' 2008 Tradeshow. It was my first time at the hotel which is located right above the Le' Efante Plaza Metro stop in SW, DC .The Hotel is beautiful and they started the evening off with a tour of their event spaces. They have an amazing conference center featuring:

• 21,000 square feet of modern meeting and banquet space, accommodating groups of up to 700 people
• 21 function rooms, featuring versatile floor plans and the latest technology
• The Grand Ballroom, a elegantly soaring destination for events of up to 700 guests
• The Solarium, featuring striking skyline views through a glass roof, a fashionable lounge for receptions and social events.
• The Club Room, a casual lounge setting perfect for pre-function gatherings and cocktail parties

The tradeshow and ed session was held in the Solarium, a long narrow space with lots of natural light. It was a small tradeshow featuring about 10-15 different venues from all over the US. Their reception was SPECTACULAR! This guru loves a good meal and EMC did not disappoint. Local chefs were on hand to share recipes for rock fish and gazpacho, while demonstrating their handy work at a hot station in the middle of the room. Everything was very well layed out. I got lots of new and unique display ideas, from an EXTRA large pan of paella to a non-alcoholic juice bar.

Toward the end of the night, the planners gathered around for a teacup auction of different prizes from each of the venues. I was busy noshing on the dessert buffet when I heard my number called! I won a $100 gift card to Morton's Steak House. What a fitting end to a wonderful evening!

I attend events through EMC whenever I can. They are really wonderful at highlighting local venues and giving planners the opportunity to experience them first hand. They have a great website that you should check out: http://www.emcvenues.com/ You'll find a listing of their upcoming events and webinars. Sign up, you won't be disappointed.

Until next time... live fabulously!

Guru