This is my new favorite t-shirt. It says, “Animals are my friends.”

Sunflower Restaurant in Vienna, VA had an amazingly delicious vegan booth.

Grow your own mushrooms in 7 days! Love. Food for thought: What do you call a 12 inch mushroom? …A ‘fungi’ to be with!

Vegan dessert. My weakness! Good thing the line was outrageously long and I have no patience.

I hope you were all able to ring in the New Year the way you had imagined you would, and that you’re starting to now make those resolutions a reality! One of my resolutions this year is to be an honest and compassionate friend to everyone.

I was able to ring in the New Year with a group of my amazing girlfriends at the Washington Redskins Masquerade Ball! It was my first masquerade that I’ve ever attended, and I was so excited to channel my inner Gossip Girl by wearing a fabulous mask to a ball.

Before the new year, I went to visit my Dad’s side of the family over Christmas in Florida, and it was certainly an eventful holiday. By chance, I  was able to meet Nigel Barker, his wife Chrissy and twin sister-in-law Kimmy in Fairhope, AL at the Grand Hotel. They were all very sweet and genuinely such kind people. Nigel and Chrissy wished me good luck with my modeling career, and Nigel pulled out a personal book he had in Chrissy’s bag, and signed it for me.

…posing with my little brothers in Grand Hotel lobby.

On the way back to our house in Florida, my family decided at the last minute that we wanted to take a quick trip to New Orleans. What a great idea!!!

The first thing we did when we got to New Orleans was, “house shop,” in the Garden district around Audubon Park, and then actually shop when we got to Magazine Street. I picked up this gorgeous top and scarf from the lovely boutique Pied Nu.

I love this sheer linen top by Erica Tanov for of the beautiful fabric and details…and for the fact that it’s made in America.

I love the scarf by Epice because of the arrangement of beautiful colors; I love orange, pink and teal together.

After some much needed retail therapy, we checked in to the stunning Waldorf Astoria hotel and I could not believe how beautifully decorated the lobby was for the holidays…breathtaking!

Later that night, I walked around Royal Street with my family and my little brother Corey helped me pick out my mask for my NYE masquerade ball…This is the mask we decided on!

After a wonderful dinner at NOLA’s famous restaurant Muriel’s, we were ready to get back to the hotel to rest up before the early morning ahead of us. Before our quick two-day trip to the the Big Easy came to an end, we had to experience Cafe du Monde, a bakery that is wildly famous for their beignets and cafe au lait. Sadly, the only vegan options on the menu were water and coffee, but I was perfectly content just being the designated photographer that morning.

…It was a day away, and I had the perfect mask, and the perfect story to go with it. My first masquerade ball. I showed up to the Washington Redskin’s Masquerade Ball wearing my elaborate mask which I had toted all the way back from New Orleans. For my outfit, I chose to wear a purple and white Oscar de la Renta shirt dress and a pair of Dolce & Gabbana jewel encrusted heels. To show off my figure, I wrapped my dress with a black patent leather Prada belt, and wore diamond hoop earrings. I also opted to bring my small black studded Be&D purse.

The masquerade was an absolute ball! Here are some pictures from the event.

I hope you all have equally wonderful New Year’s stories! I will always remember the holidays and NYE of 2010.

…On to the next decade! Wishing you all happiness and health this year.

Love, Emily

]]> http://mlestyle.com/haute-holidays-nye-masquerade/feed/ 0 http://mlestyle.com/back-to-the-future/ http://mlestyle.com/back-to-the-future/#comments Mon, 28 Jun 2010 18:25:04 +0000 MLEstyle http://mlestyle.com/?p=539 Read the Rest...]]> I recently had the opportunity to model as a female version of Marty McFly with an amazing Delorean straight out of Back to the Future. The shoot will be used to benefit Parkinson’s disease research, via the Michael J. Fox Foundation. What a perfect match to use the Delorean from Michael’s incredible role as Marty McFly in the movie to promote a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

It was a great feeling to volunteer my time to help out such a worthy cause, and doubly great to leave the shoot thinking about how many amazing and talented people I had just worked with! …Especially one of my favorite photographers, Douglas Sounders. Here is the link to Doug’s blog with a sneak peak of what we worked on all Saturday night!

Douglas Sounder’s Photography

A final thank you goes out to Bubba’s East Coast Rods and Customs for letting us invade their shop and parking lot for this shoot! Did you guys know that Bubba’s has a top-rated reality show called Hot Rod Reality? …and it’s shot right here in Fairfax, VA! I had no idea…but then again, what do I know about cars!

Working with such a talented group of people was really an honor and on top of it all, so much fun! I’m excited to see the final product!

Hugs + kisses!

There’s one photographer in particular that I really have fallen in love with: Moshe Zusman.

Check out the recent shots he’s taken of me!

If you would like to contact Moshe for a shoot, his information is:

Moshe@moshezusman.com

Mobile: (240)422-9742

Here is a list of incredible DC photographers:

• Moshe Zusman
• Zaid Hamid
• Michael Domingo
• Vithaya Phongsavan
• Patrick Onofre

Hope this makes photographer hunting easier for all you hotties!

XoX

Check it out:

When I go to George Mason’s Homecoming basketball game this Saturday night with Angie Goff–at 8 PM vs. College of Charleston for ESPN’s Bracketbuster tournament–I’ll be sure to ask Jon the first thing that popped out of my Grandfather’s mouth when I showed him today’s paper.

So Jon, Buddy (my Grandfather) wants to know…

“…Who won??”

VS.

So let the bets begin! I’ll bet a hug and a kiss that the Larranaga boys took home the trophy!

XoX

“…Valentine’s Day is around the corner and I need some ideas on where to take the GF for dinner…now my knowledge of the city can’t compare with yours, so any suggestions would be appreciated, preferably in VA or DC.”

Well, to be honest, I really am not an expert on restaurants in our DC Metropolitan area. In fact, as a vegetarian, I would preclude all of the steakhouses that most couples in our area rave about, like Fogo de Chao, in downtown DC, or the upscale chains like Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris (Even though I ate chicken fingers the night we hung out at Mister Days–eeeek!).

I do have several favorite restaurants in the area, and before I tell you, I have to tell you that all the credit to discovering my favorite degustations belongs to Tom Sietsema’s Dining Guide…and to all the wonderful–and awful–dates that I’ve had in the area. So, now that the appropriate credit has been given, I give you my Valentine’s Day Restaurant Guide. I hope it’s a wonderfully fun and romantic evening for all of you!

1.Inn at Little Washington (VA) – Now this special place requires some serious planning, and more importantly, mucho su dinero! This hidden escape in Washington, VA is a truly special and magical place to spend time with someone you love. The attention to every last detail, is beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. You might think you know 4 stars, but this place certainly redefines luxury.

2.Zaytinya (DC) – Fun, open atmosphere, yet still cozily romantic if you get a booth seat. There’s something very appealing about sharing Greek tapas with someone you can’t take your eyes off of.

3. Rasika (DC) – A dimly lit very upscale, yet reasonably priced, Indian food restaurant in the Penn Quarter. If you’re a foodie, like me, there’s something alluring, even deliciously sexy, about unexpectedly enjoying the tastes of a new fare. For me, the “ah-ha!” moment at Rasika was a shared hors d’oeuvres called, “Palak Chat,” which is crispy (lightly fried) spinach with sweet yogurt, tamarind, and date chutney.  The dish will definitely leave you and your date wondering how on Earth someone could possibly prepare spinach like that.

And if there was ever a doubt that the restaurants I mentioned just aren’t, “the right place,” trust that you won’t find me offended. That’s why I’ve included for you and your boo-bear (oh, you’re the exception to the “Cuddle-bear, Love-bug, Sweety-pie, Shnooky-poo Syndrome?”), The Washington Post’s Most Romantic Restaurant’s Dining Guide.

So cheers to YOU, for planning your Valentine’s Day in advance. Nothing says, “I love you,” like a little thought, effort, and planning.

And while we’re on the topic, I thought I would share with you a Valentine’s Day nightmare, so we all know what to avoid as the big day starts to creep up on us:

My Last Minute Valentine

At the time, I had just graduated from college and I was long-distance dating this charming man that I was hitched with at university, and I drove six hours to see him for Valentine’s Day. When we talked on the phone several nights before I left, he made it clear to me that I should bring my nicest dress because he wanted to take me out on a romantic date. How fairytale. So Valentine’s Day came around, and I was practically dying to know just what this guy had up his sleeve. I was almost admiring how well he was keeping his plans a secret from me. Oh, how I just adored him (choke choke).

I remember waiting alone in his parent’s gourmet kitchen thinking, “Great! It’s nearing dinnertime. Guess I should go upstairs and start getting ready for our big evening. I want to surprise him when he gets back from wherever he has secretly run off to.I’m sure he’s just making sure the plans are all set for the night.” And it was just as I had started to carefully unzip my Neiman’s hangup bag with my favorite low-cut black dress, when he walked into the room in his faded blue jeans and his favorite t-shirt, handed me a last-minute flower bouquet from the local convenience store, and asked, “Are you really getting dressed up?”

“Am I really getting dressed up? Are you out of your mind??!” I thought. I halfheartedly smiled at the “oops, I forgot it was Valentine’s Day” withering bouquet of roses and looked up at him as I pursed my lips out of irritation. I put my hand on my hip and thought “Okay, was that ridiculous question supposed to be indicative of what was to happen that evening?”

And though I kept my mouth shut, it almost like he could hear my thoughts, and he answered, “We’re going to Mexican with my parents. I figured all the nice restaurants in town would be too busy to really enjoy.”

And so the evening continued, sharing the town’s best guacamole (for the price), drowning myself in cheap margaritas, and “oohing and ahhing” on command when Prince Charming and his parents talked about how unconventionally romantic our last-minute Valentine’s Day decision was.

Aye yeye yeye. A Disaster Date indeed.

So to everyone planning to celebrate February 14th with someone else, someone else’s family, or sitting in bed alone with a box of chocolates watching Audrey Hepburn movies, I hope you spend your day doing exactly what you want. I know I will be.

Hugs + Kisses to all of you!

XoX

Crystal Couture 2010

If you’re into the DC fashion scene, then Crystal Couture 2010 is certainly an event that you want to check out. The event will be held from 6-10pm Monday, February 1, through Saturday, February 6.  Also, Natalia Sanz, with The Natalia Sanz Collection (stop by and check out her line!) sent me the fashion show dates and times if you’re interested in going (see below):

Monday, Feb 1 @ 9:30pm

Tuesday, Feb 2 @ 6:45pm

Wednesday, Feb 3 (no show)

Thursday, Feb 4 @ 8:30pm

Friday, Feb 5 @ 8:00pm

Saturday, Feb 6 @ 7:15pm

Please go out and support the DC metropolitan area fashion community and catch the uptick of 2010 couture fashion and design.

Hugs, kisses, and sexy couture to all! Muak!

If you’re the type of person that really wants to volunteer and just doesn’t know what organization to support, well consider Fashion Takes Flight, an event run by Luke’s Wings, a great start to, “making the world a better place.” Fashion Takes Flight is a fashion-forward fundraiser to help the family member’s of injured veterans who can’t afford to fly from their homes to Walter Reed Hospital to see their injured husband, son, wife, parent, etc.

So, how does Luke’s Wings help?

Luke’s Wings purchases the plane tickets for the injured veteran’s family members to fly to DC to spend time with their American hero. Simple. Huh?

So take your pick: A $50 ticket to the fashion show, or the $100 VIP ticket with a seat, free flowing champagne and more DC Socialite sightings then you can imagine! And if you’re still worried about the coolness level of the event, have comfort knowing that Angie Goff, from Channel 9 News and DC blogger, only emcee’s at the BEST events in Washington DC.

So…see you there?

Hugs + Kisses! Besitos!

XOX Emily

For those who weren’t able make it to the Paradise Springs Winery soft opening last weekend in Clifton, VA, here are two videos for you to enjoy:

Cheers! Salud! Wishing the best of luck to Paradise Spring Winery for many years to come!

Hugs + Kisses, Emily

And not to worry, I hate paying $20 for a movie that is a complete flop, so I will report back with all the details tomorrow!

Hugs and kisses, and blessings to all! xox