Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Miami Made Festival



If you are looking for something to do this weekend in South Florida, make sure to check out the Miami Made Festival, running from March 1st (that's tomorrow if you can believe it!) through Sunday the 4th. This is the festivals fourth year running, and this year's theme sounds particularly intriguing; When The Sun Goes Down is a look at the moves of Miami nightlife, as seen through each artists interpretation. The main focus of the event is to showcase new and up and coming artists from the Miami area. There will be live musical performances featuring some of Miami's best underground musicians, shows that will take you from being the spectator to directly being in the character's life, immersive dance theater, and photography.

The festival will be held at the Carnival Studio Theater, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts at 1300 Biscayne Blvd; 305-949-6722 .Admission is free, but you can score a VIP pass which guarantees admission to each event for just 35 dollars and read more about each artist performing here!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

In Loving Memory: Lucien Capeheart


Yesterday was once again a day marked by sadness and a friend lost too soon. Lucien Capeheart, the most prominent society photographer here in Palm Beach for the past 40 years passed away suddenly yesterday at Jupiter Medical center. Lucien has captured some of the most important moments of many people's lives throughout the years, and he will be very truly missed by all of us. Our deepest thoughts and condolences are with his wife Dina, daughter Lily, and close colleague and friend Carrie Bradburn through these difficult times. We will all miss you Lucien.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Food For Life

Firing up the grill is one of our favorite was to get creative with meat-free eating. Many grilling recipes are simple and take no time at all, and will undoubtedly leave everyone satisfied. Here are a few bite sized, and delicious ideas to try at your next outdoor gathering!

Stuffed Button Mushrooms

What you will need:
Button mushrooms
Feta cheese or tofu
Spinach
1 tbs of minced garlic
Your favorite type of nut, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped onion

Cut out the stems and gills of the mushrooms

Chop the stems, and fry in a pan with onions and garlic. Add in feta cheese and spinach. 

Scoop the mixture into mushroom caps and sprinkle with grated cheese and chopped nuts

Grill for several minutes, until top is golden brown, and serve.


Baba Ghanoush

What you will need:
1 large eggplant
1/4 cup of tahini, plus more if needed
1 pinch of ground cumin
salt, to taste
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup of brine cured black olives, such as kalamata

Preheat grill to medium-hot

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees

Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places and place on the grill rack 4 to 5 inches from the fire

Grill turning frequently, until the skin blackens and blisters and the flesh feels soft. 10 to 15 minutes

Transfer the eggplant to a baking sheet, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until very soft

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly and peel off the skin and place in a bowl

Mash the eggplant to a paste and add in the 1/4 cup of tahini, the garlic, the 1/4 cup of lemon juice and cumin and mix well

Season with salt, taste, and add additional tahini or lemon juice if needed, drizzle with olive oil, serve in a bowl with pita and olives

Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Sandwiches with Romano-Black Pepper Mayonnaise

What you will need:
1/2 cup of vegenaise
3 tbsp of Romano cheese
1 tsp of lemon juice
1/4 teasp of coarsely ground black pepper
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2 thick slices
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 plum tomatoes
8 slices of italian bread or focaccia
Fresh basil leaves

Combine vegenaise, cheese, lemon juice and pepper. Season if desired with salt. Refrigerate.

Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with two tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Grill turning once, for 8 minutes, or slightly charred and tender. 

Brush tomatoes with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper, grill turning once, for four minutes, or until charred and slightly softened

Remove and slice into quarters lengthwise 

Spread vegenaise mixture evenly onto bread and top with basil, eggplant and tomatoes and serve. 






Oscar Night 2012

Our favorite leading ladies of Hollywood delivered once again on last night's Oscar red carpet. Strapless, bold and classic are all words that come to mind when talking about last night's fashions.  Some took chances, and others played it safe, while Gwyneth took the spotlight in her form fitting white Tom Ford, and Jessica Chastain raised the bar with her effortlessly stunning Mcqueen gown. It's hard to choose our favorite, but these few ladies sum up the evening quite well.  

Cameon Diaz in Gucci
Rooney Mara in Givenchy Haute Couture
Jessica Cahstain in Alexander McQueen
Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton
Esperanza Spalding in Prophetik by Jeff Garner
Angelia Jolie in Atelier Versace
Emma Stone in Giambattista Valli
Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford
Rose Byrne in Vivienne Westwood

We also can't forget the hair and makeup from the evening! Chignons, Ponytails and all natural curls were the highlights of the evening with simple makeup that wasn't in competition with the stunning gowns. Viola's au natural short hair look is hands down our favorite of the night while Natalie Portman was once again flawless with a side part and simple yet just dramatic enough eye makeup. Our favorite updo of the night goes to Bernice Bejo, adding the unexpected addition for a slight twist on a classic style. 
   
Milla Jovovich 
Natalie Portman
Jessica Chastain
Rooney Mara
Kate Mara
Penelope Cruz
Bernice Bejo
Viola Davis 

Saturday, February 25, 2012

In Loving Memory: Jaik Miller

HOL's family lost a good friend today. Jaik Miller will be remembered by his friends for his prolific musical background, as well as his charm, compassion and deep appreciation for all that is living in this world. Death always brings an amout of sadness, but in this case we are lucky to have his music to rememebr him by.  Have a listen, and we hope you enjoy his talent as much as we have.
Orange Sunshine ~ Jaik Miller Band by jaik miller

Friday, February 24, 2012

You Can't Fake Fashion

Ebay and the CFDA have teamed up once again to bring us a new collection of totes to raise awareness against counterfeit goods and to celebrate original design. The collection last summer sold out in record time, and this March 20th will surely be the same result. There are more than 75 designers participating in the campaign, who have each customized a tote and there will also be four styles of standard totes on sale as well. Each bag will be available at buy it now prices, exclusively on eBay with Customized totes at $200 and the standard totes at $45; all proceeds benefit the CFDA Foundation to support this important cause.








Thursday, February 23, 2012

Annie Leibovitz

Our Inspiring woman of the day is iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz. Her career began in 1973 as a staff photographer for Rolling Stone magazine, which was just the beginning of a career that has captured some of people's most intense and intimate moments. She has scaled buildings for the sake of a great picture, been on tour with the Rolling Stones, raised three children, and given us some of the most memorable photos in the world. (Who could ever forget pregnant Demi Moore?) Check out this great article from Vanity Fair, and pick up Annie's book, At Work where she explains how many of her famous pictures came to be. 




Mick Jagger, Buffalo, New York, 1975

Demi Moore, Culver City California, 1991

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Malibu, California, 1988

Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace, London, 2008

John Lennon and Yoko Ono, New York, 1980















Wednesday, February 22, 2012

This Will Have Been


From now until June 3rd the exhibition This Will Have Been: Art, Love & Politics in the 1980's will be at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. A look back to the years between 1979 to 1992 when the world was drastically changing, the artists represented in the exhibit were directly influenced during these years by our dramatically changing world. The politics, music, television, major advances in technology and the changing ideas behind social equality in all areas of everyone's life define the artwork that challenged mass media and also asked the question "Where do the visual arts fit into the changing world of mass media images and advertising of Hollywood?" Be sure to check it out if you are in Chicago! 

DEMOCRACY:
Gran Fury
Kissing doesn't kill: Greed and indifference do, 1989

This section can be explained simply by the core ideals of democracy: equality, freedom for all citizens and protecting the rights of those we may disagree with. These artists explore public spaces, expressing their artwork as posters, graffiti and everyday language to convey important messages in a raw, and public forum other than in museums and on the television. 

GENDER TROUBLE:
Lorna Simpson
Necklines, 1989

Focusing on works that are directly influenced by the significance of the 1970's feminist movement. Understanding gender roles in the 1980's is wholly explored by looking at identity in it's entirety and how such roles should be equally influenced by race, sexuality, class and other distinct forms of difference. 

THE END IS NEAR:
Gerhard Richter
Said, 1983
The idea of "the end" rang true in many different ways throughout the 80's.  Many artists talked about "the end of painting" in the newly developing mass media world, the Berlin Wall coming down, and the rapid increase of AIDS. These 'ends' made way for the beginning of the term postmodernism, setting the stage for history to be looked at as a narrative for the future where traditional ideas were approached in non-traditional ways.   

DESIRE AND LONGING:
Jeff Koons
Rabbit, 1986

Artists of the 1980's were very influenced by the strength of the images that were being saturated throughout mass media, these images that are always encouraging the need for more- more belongings, a better lifestyle, money, fame and conformity. Hoping to disprove the strength of these images, artists explored various techniques which included re-photographing the works of others, using everyday objects and mass media images within their works, which ironically brought out the fact that Hollywood-style fame, luxury goods, and things of the like, however they are assembled, are hard to resist. 



Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Marni for H&M

It's here! The Marni for H&M look book came out yesterday, and it is as fantastic as we all expected. The collection is a great combination of bold colors and prints, with price points that won't kill your wallet, which is always a plus! Check it out in full here and make sure you are ready on March 8th, because as we all know these limited time collections disappear faster than you can say Missoni for Target! 


Also, check out some of our favorite ladies of Hollywood sporting pieces from the collection at the launch party last Friday night:

Drew Barrymore

Frida Pinto

Jessica Chastain

Lou Dillon

Mila Jovovich 

Sofia Coppola 


Monday, February 20, 2012

Food For Life

Happy Meatless Monday everyone! Remember, even if you aren't vegetarian or vegan, incorporating one meatless day a week into your diet will not only help you physically, but it's also great for the earth! Read more about meatless monday and share the love with your friends and family. In the meantime, here are two recipe ideas for an easy and delicious meatless dinner that you can try out tonight!

Italian Potato Salad


What you will need:
2.5 lbs of small potatoes (you can use red, yellow, or purple) well scrubbed and halved
5 stalks of celery, chopped
4 tbs of pickled capers, drained
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
15 pitted olives
fresh basil, chopped

For the Marinade
4 Tbsp of olive oil
1 large lemon
sea salt and pepper to taste

Start by boiling the unpeeled potatoes in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Let them cool.

Mix olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl, set aside while making the salad.

Toss tomatoes, celery stalks, capers, onion, olives and basil in a medium bowl. Add the potatoes and the marinade and toss gently again. Serve on plates and top with fresh basil and ground black pepper.


Vegetable Lasagna


What you will need:
Tomato sauce (recipe below)
1 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles
lemon ricotta (recipe below) 
Grilled vegetables (recipe below)
1 package of mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Start with a thin layer of tomato sauce, cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, a layer of lemon ricotta, a layer of grilled vegetables, a layer of kale and another layer of tomato sauce. Repeat 2 to 3 times, and top the last layer with the rest of the vegetables, the tomato sauce, the lemon ricotta and the grated mozarella cheese. Bake it in the oven for 30-45 minutes. 

Tomato Sauce

What you will need:
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of minced garlic
1 fresh chili, medium to strong, finely chopped
25-30 pitted kalamata olives
2 tbsp of capers, drained
4 large tomatoes, cut into quarters
half a pot of fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, and chili. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add olives, capers, and fresh tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes before adding in the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 10 mintes, lower the heat and let simmer for half an hour or more, under a lid. 

Grilled Vegetables

What you will need:
2 tbsp of olive oil
Salt
2 zucchini, sliced
1 eggplant, sliced
10oz of mushrooms
10oz of fresh kale or spinach 
1 clove of garlic

Dash the zucchini and eggplant with olive oil and salt and grill in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Stir fry the mushrooms and kale in a pan for 5 minutes with olive oil, salt and garlic. 

Lemon Ricotta 

What you will need:
12oz of ricotta cheese
1 organic medium sized lemon (zest and juice)
1/2 pot of fresh basil, chopped
a pinch of sea salt
a pinch of lemon pepper

Place ricotta cheese in a bowl, grate the lemon zest ans squeeze the lemon, add zest and juice to the bowl. Add basil, sae salt and lemon pepper and mix together. 

*recipes courtesy of Greenkitchenstories.com




Friday, February 17, 2012

Fall 2012: Ready To Wear

Fashion week has come to an end, but the excitement of the collections that are gracing us this fall is still buzzing. A few of our favorites from the week were Elizabeth and James, Marchesa, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Alice and Olivia. Keep your eyes out during the Oscars next week for some of the beautiful gowns that were seen on the runways this week as well!

    Elizabeth and James

    Marchesa

    Michael Kors

    Calvin Klein

    Alice + Olivia

Thursday, February 16, 2012

New York Fashion Week: Tommy Ton

It's the one we've all been waiting for! NYFW through the lens of Tommy Ton. From the bold prints, glove details, bold colors, textures and cat sweaters peaking out, we love it all!