Shiseido Hosts Malibu Beach CleanUp with Celebrities Katharine McPhee and Adrien Grenier

This Friday July 23rd Shiseido kicked off the weekend with a great event giving us a fun way to give back! I attended the Shiseido Blue Project Malibu beach clean up where local influencers and celebs showed up to help spread awareness about keeping our oceans clean. The project was organized with Shiseido Blue grantee, Wild Coast, a non profit that is helping to clean up our beaches and oceans as well as spread awareness about the importance of caring for our Ocean and coastal environments. 

We started the morning off with some snacks and juices provided by Shiseido all in reusable containers. And of course we couldn't forget sun care! Shiseido provided their signature sunscreen and roll on sun gel for guests who came to the event. 

Wild Coast provided clean up gear as well as taught us how to catalog the trash we found for reporting and analyzing. We all got ready to go and then headed across the beach to begin our clean up. Celebrity guest Adrien Grenier, star of Entourage, got right to work and shared how important this cause was for him. 

Katharine McPhee Foster, the singer and actress known for her role in the TV show Scorpion, took time out of her busy schedule as a new mom to attend the event as well. Both stars dug right in collecting tons of trash with the group. 

I spoke with Ann Wycoff, the director of development for the Wild Coast project and she shared with me some of the shocking facts about the trash in our oceans. Over 1.8trillion pieces of plastic can be found in the pacific garbage patch located between CA and Hawaii. By cleaning up trash along the coast of Mexico and California WildCoast is helping to prevent more plastic from ending up in the already giant garbage patch in our ocean. 

The event shed light on the very important work that needs to be done to preserve our Oceans and coastal environments. Many times when talking about preserving the environment the Ocean is left off or forgotten about but thankfully organizations like WildCoast and the Shiseido Blue project are continuing the efforts to clean up the beach and bring awareness to this important cause! 

Justin Bieber Performs at the New Sofi Stadium in LA

This summer I attended the One Day LA "Freedom Experience" concert held at the brand new Sofi Stadium in LA. Headliners included Justin Bieber, Jaden Smith, Chance the Rapper, Tori Kelly and more. I covered the concert put on by the charity organization One Day LA which held the concert in celebration of a successful campaign around the city of Los Angeles. They had been working on initiatives such as delivering food, providing assistance to the homeless, and much more to help LA recover from the economic devastation of Covid-19. Volunteers who had participated in one of the campaigns were invited to the concert for free in honor of all their hard work. I covered the event from the media section and had a great time experiencing the brand new SoFi stadium. There were several other notable guests in attendance including the mayor of Inglewood and the co-founder of the OneDay LA movement. 

The event started off with a performance by Jaden Smith who warmed up the crowd with several new songs as well as his hit single "ICON". 

He told the crowd, "I seriously connect with what OneDay LA is doing and its an honor for me to be on this stage performing for all of you!" 

Chance the Rapper also gave an inspiring performance and shared some of his personal background with the crowd. He celebrated the great volunteer work accomplished through the OneDay LA movement. 

Tori Kelly came out next and performed several of her popular songs and got the crowd singing along. In between songs she said, "The work that you guys are doing is so inspiring. Thank you to OneDay LA!" 

Finally, it was time for the performance that everyone had been waiting for. Justin Bieber took the stage with several brand new songs. He gave a heartfelt performance to the crowd and shared about his personal faith journey with the audience. He told the crowd, "The pandemic has caused all if us to struggle and many of us have struggled with mental health issues. I know I have. I'm here to say you are loved and you don't have to be ashamed." This was a timely message that really resonated with the crowd as well as all of the listeners streaming the concert. One of the biggest silent effects of Covid-19 has been the epidemic of mental health issues that young people have faced while being away from their peers for so long. 

The night ended with some of Justin Bieber's classic songs like HOLY and the crowd went wild. It was a great way to celebrate the charity work that OneDay LA accomplished. 

Skating in Style at OC Fashion Week 2021

This year, I headed to OC fashion week which took place in Orange County the second week of July. I attended a very unique fashion show which was the perfect way to get back out and celebrate the return of fashion events after the pandemic. On July 6th I headed over to the fountain valley skating rink for a fashion show that was literally on wheels! Models for the Delyx Swimwear collection skated down the runway at the Studio54 show. The brightly colored collection fit right in with the colorful lights and retro vibes of the skating rink. The Fountain Valley Skating team also gave an amazing roller skating performance for guests of the show. 

The swimsuits were perfect for summer and featured several different accessories as well including oversized hats and straw bags. The collection included one pieces as well as two piece sets in vibrant prints and neon colors. 

There were also several sponsors at the show and guests could discover beauty and health services offered throughout the OC such as EM Sculpt which was giving guests a free sample of their exclusive treatments during the event. There were also eyelash extensions, and the Dana Point Infrared Sauna... Guests received exclusive discounts for future services as well. 

The best part of the night was after the fashion show ended the event turned into a skate party! Guests were allowed to rent skates and skate on the roller rink. Whether an expert skater or just trying it out for the first time everyone had a great time listening to music and skating! It really felt like we went back in time and was the perfect way to de-stress after all the craziness of fashion week! 

Day One at the Old Town Music Festival In Temecula

   

The Old Town Music Festival kicked off summer concert season in SoCal in a big way last weekend featuring acts like The Band Perry and Billy Ray Cyrus. The brand new event celebrated the return of country music concerts for tons of fans who came from LA, San Diego, and even out of state to see the stellar lineup. The festival was presented by the Stampede known as Southern California's largest country music dance venue. The festival was held at the Stampede in Temecula with two stages and tons of fun events throughout the day. The day opened with local singer Daniel Bonte who got the crowd pumped up with some original hits as well as some 90s classics. The main stage outside was surrounded by food trucks and fun photo op stations for guests to enjoy throughout the day. Inside, there were more local bands playing live music throughout the day on the smaller stage. There were also line dancing lessons offered on the dancefloor and drinks and bull riding. For fans of Billy Ray Cyrus's song "Old Town Road" the line dancing lesson to the song was a highlight. After learning the steps guests danced to the song while it was being performed live later in the evening. 

The up and coming girl band Honey County performed next bringing some color and sparkle to the stage. TO learn more about what they've been up to you can read my pre-show interview with them here. They performed their TikTok famous hit "Got it From My Momma" as well as premiered a new song they had been working on. They also sang some of their songs that had been used on the TV show Yellowstone and the single they premiered last year "Cry Wolf". I caught up with the band backstage. I hadn't seen them in person since the Stagecoach festival before the pandemic. You can see our full interview in my Day 1 recap video on YouTube! 

Afterwards country singer Tyler Farr gave the crowd a rock and roll performance and got everyone pumped for the night ahead. Brandi Cyrus came out to open for her dad and got the crowd going with her DJ skills. 

Billy Ray Cyrus gave a great performance and sang his throwback hit "achy breaky heart" to the excited crowd. He also sang his new song "Old Town Road" and several other songs from his early career. 

Finally The Band Perry closed out the show giving the crowd a great performance. They sang their hit song "Comeback Kid" telling the audience "I know this year has been tough for a lot of you, but we are here tonight and we made it through so this song is for all of us because we are all Comeback Kids tonight!" 

After the show guests stuck around for more line dancing inside The Stampede and everyone enjoyed the chance to party and dance again! 

Honey County To Perform at the Old Town Music Festival in Temecula

This weekend an exciting country music festival is coming to Southern California. The two day Old Town music festival will be held at the Stampede in Temecula and feature 6 national acts as well as local SoCal bands. Headliners include Billy Ray Cyrus, Chris Janson and more! I spoke to the band Honey County about their upcoming performance and caught up with the latest news since our last interview at Stagecoach before the pandemic. 

The band was so excited for the return of large crowds and music festivals. They told me they can't wait to perform their latest hit "Got it from my momma" which they wrote during the pandemic. They have been working on some new music and plan to release an EP soon with the music they wrote last year. However "Got it from my momma" is one song they decided to share with the world and they have wasted no time getting back into performances and producing music. They have recently been traveling to Nashville and Alabama and were able to perform the song for some weddings. The girls told me that the song really resonates with brides and has been a big hit with all the postponed weddings finally taking place this summer. They are even planning to perform it at another wedding in New York in July. The group has also been working on filming a music video for the song which they plan to release soon and might even share some previews on social media. They told me what a blast they had filming it in Alabama and they can't wait to release it and share the song with fans. 

The girls are looking forward to their Saturday afternoon performance at the festival and they told me, "We just can't wait to get back out there and be around people again. We are going to see friends and fans we haven't seen in over a year. With the festival being right in our backyard in SoCal it will be like big a family reunion." 

We talked about how it would feel getting back onstage and having the chance to wear some fun looks for the show. The girls said, "It's going to be hot so we will probably ask our stylist for like a swimsuit. A sparkly swimsuit!" 

The duo is so excited for the festival and the chance to engage with fans again. You can also listen to their latest music here  The Old Town Festival is happening June 26th and 27th and will be a great way to kick off the summer.  It will no doubt be a wild time as country fans are looking forward to getting back out and seeing live music. You can find more information at their website here

Stay tuned for my coverage of the festival and the live Honey County performance on Saturday! 

The GuardaHeart Foundation Launches DiabetesPredict in Style At Newport Beach Gala

The GuardaHeart Foundation presented a sizzling summer event in Newport Beach on Saturday June 19th to celebrate the launch of their DiabetesPredict test. The event was held at a Newport Beach mansion with food, live music, and more. Both the Chariman and the Founder of GuardaHeart Dr. Douglas Harrington and Estrella Harrington attended the event and spoke to the crowd.

 Notable guests such as Dusty Lang of Rock Band Six Gun Sal, actor Tyrone DuBose, Simon Lunche music artist, and more stepped onto the red carpet to come out and support the event. 

The attendees enjoyed a beautiful buffet with delicious appetizers and a blue themed drink to match the GuardaHeart brand. 

The dessert was a delicious sugar free ice cream provided by BochaSweet an all natural sweetner company based in Orange County. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the sunset views over the harbor. 

The GuardaHeart foundation members even put on a live music performance for the guests. We also got to hear from the doctors and founders about the progress the DiabetesPredict test has made. It was a great night and everyone enjoyed getting back out to celebrate together. 

Palm Springs Weekend Getaway: What's New in 2021

This weekend I headed to Palm Springs for a much needed weekend getaway. It was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the springtime weather before the summer heat sets in. Palm Springs is usually known as a vacation hot spot for festival goers and music lovers but this year things are a little different. I decided to make this trip about checking out what's new locally and visiting some of my favorite fashion boutiques while just enjoying the scenery. 

On Friday night I arrived in town and after checking in I headed over to El Paseo for an afternoon shopping trip. 

The shops at El Paseo is a high end shopping street with brand names like Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co. and more as well as classic Palm Springs boutiques such as art galleries and interior design shops. I love coming here to check out the latest trends and seeing all the fun and vintage Palm Springs style. 

I stopped in the Tiffany store first and wandered throughout the shops. I stopped for a shave ice treat to get a break from the heat before heading over to my favorite vintage store. Marga's repeat boutique is right off El Paseo and always has tons of great finds. I love this store because it is so much fun to go in and hunt for a designer item and you never know what kind of gem you will find. This store has been around for years and the management is so nice and friendly. If you love vintage shopping or just like finding designer items at a discount you will love this store! 

After a successful shopping trip I headed back to my condo and decided to hit the pool. I also found two cocktail recipes on Pinterest that I decided to try out over the weekend and made some poolside drinks as well. You can check out my video here on how to make these easy recipes perfect for vacation mode. It was still a warm evening and the perfect way to end my first day. 

On Saturday morning I woke up and headed out to the pool for some relaxation time before starting my day. It was actually perfect weather and only about 92 degrees in the morning. 

After returning from the pool I got ready to head out to my massage appointment. I decided to try out the new spa at the Margaritaville resort which just opened in 2020. I was excited to see what the new spa had to offer and check out the resort. I headed into Palm Springs and checked into the St. Somewhere spa at the resort. 

The spa is located right next to the pool area and the "5 O'clock Somewhere" bar. 

The resort was so much fun with country lyric quotes on the walls and brightly colored decorations everywhere you looked. The massage was great and very relaxing and the spa was super luxurious. I would definitely recommend checking this place out if you are a country music fan or just looking for a unique experience in Palm Springs. 

After my appointment I headed over to my dinner reservation at the Come Monday Cafe and Grill. 

This restaurant is super cute and also located poolside at the resort. It has a luxury southern garden feel with lantern lighting and patio seating. 

I tried the house burger which was delicious and would also highly recommend getting the shoestring fries on the side. They were perfectly crispy and tasted great! I would also recommend trying one of the delicious cocktails on the menu as it is Margaritaville after all! You really can't go wrong with any of the options.

On Sunday morning I woke up and had breakfast by my pool before getting ready for the day. It was another day with great weather not too warm with sunshine all day. After relaxing by the pool I got ready to head out to the Cabazon outlets. For my last day in town I decided take a shopping trip to this one of a kind outlet spot near Palm Springs. This outlet mall has tons of name brands that you can't find anywhere else in southern California like YSL, Jimmy Choo, Burberry and more! I love coming here to find great deals on some of my favorite designer brands. 

If you are looking for a fun and relaxing weekend getaway in SoCal I would definitely recommend heading to Palm Springs. While not everything is open just yet there is plenty to do and some fun new places to check out. Even if you have been before after being shut down for a year there are some great new places to discover! Let me know if you have tried any of these spots in the comments!