Better TV: Celebrity Jewelry Maker

Another segment I did for Better TV. This one is a profile of jewelry maker Rosena Sammi, a former lawyer, who takes the ornate styles of ancient India and creates modern, wearable pieces for present day. Her jewelry is favored by stars like Naomi Watts, Lindsay Lohan, Kristin Bell and Jesicca Alba.

It's really beautiful - even more beautiful in real life than what you can see on this clip below. I'd love to own a piece myself. But, of course, all my jewelry, for now at least, is strictly the costume kind! :)

Take a look!

Happy Birthday Chris

My editor/friend Chris Keeslar threw a birthday/housewarming party last night at his place. The housewarming is about a year and a half late - he bought his place in March 07 - but the birthday was only a week belated.

People mingled, the drinks flowed, and the bacon wrapped dates were the most delicious thing ever. There was also some kind of weird Bud Light that people claimed was flavored with clam, but may have just been tomato and salt. (Which I'm not sure makes it much better...)

In any case, here are a few pics from the night.

The girls. Liz, me and Leanna. All sparkly...

Who you gonna call?





Jamie, Tracy (Dorchester's Art Director), and Brianna (Former Dorchester now Penguin Publicist extraordinaire) - having a laugh.





Leanna looks like she's breaking into song here, as Jacob looks on.





The Rebels with our favorite Dorchester exec, Tim.





Mike, Brady, Melissa - just chillin.





Leanna and Liz, waxing poetic with fridge magnets...





Rebel Girlz Gone Wild.





Liz taking a picture of me taking a picture. Guess you'll have to wait to see the other half of this.





The Birthday Boy and an exhuberant Leanna.





Time to go home. So sad!

ALL MOVED IN!

But not fully unpacked yet. :)

For those of you who don't know, as of yesterday I left the Upper West Side, crossed water, and now officially live in a borough with Jacob. The borough of Queens, to be precise. Astoria. Borough snobbery jokes aside, it's actually a great move. Jacob's apartment is awesome - so much bigger than my tiny studio. Lots of room to stretch out and a huge kitchen to cook in. (I'll take pics once I've unpacked and post them.) Plus we're saving so much money now! We each paid the same rent and so our bills have literally been cut in half. Woot! And, of course, it's going to be great to live with Jacob, who is the best boyfriend ever. <3

So all is well in my world. Except, you know, for the boxes...

Marianne

Grey's Anatomy

I know a lot of you probably tuned in to the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy last night. Well, two days ago, I had the opportunity to interview Chandra Wilson, aka Dr. Miranda Bailey, for Better. (That's my office mate, Better TV booker, Ashley Diamond, on the other side.)

Chandra's character is known as "the nazi" but let me tell you - the actress who plays her is the complete opposite. She was down to earth and genuine and really nice to talk to in real life. A mom of three, she was there to promote a PSA she worked on dealing with mothers giving their kids the appropriate dosage of OTC medications. I'm sure you'll see it on television soon - mid October, I think. It's nice to see celebs take up charitable causes!

By the way, I asked her what she and her kids liked to do for fun, family time and she mentioned Dance, Dance Revolution. Awesome!

Got a few more celebs lined up to interview next week, including Bill Murray, Tim Robbins (my hero!), and Leighton Meester, who plays Blair on Gossip Girl. Will report back in on them soon.

Marianne

A Socialite's Day at Fashion Week

A couple weeks ago I posted photos from my day at fashion week with socialite and founder of luxury goods site Bon-Luxe.com, Mina Jacqueline Au. The final segment is airing tomorrow on the Better show. For those of you unable to watch the televised version, check this out instead!

This was really a fun segment to work on!

Marianne

Everything's Coming Up Roses....

Last night Leanna and I headed to Times Square to check out the Tony award winning musical Gypsy with Patty Lupone. It was awesome. Patty sang and acted her heart out and got a standing ovation before the play was even over. The girl who played Gypsy was also great as well - Laura Benaniti, I believe her name was. All in all, a stellar performance by all!

The movie reminded me a lot of Beaches. I wonder if the filmmakers were inspired by it. I could even see Bette Midler doing a mean Mama Rose. I'm interested now in reading the memoir the play was based on.

Next week I'm going behind the scenes of Gypsy for a Better TV story so I'll have more to post then, after I chat with the cast.

But if you get a chance to see it, definitely go for it!

Marianne

Wknd Wrap-Up Part 2 - Liz's B-Day Party Pics

Okay, I got home from work and plugged my camera into the computer using the darn proprietary Sony plug and uploaded my party pics to Flickr. Were I to use another brand of camera, we could have seen the pictures much sooner as everyone has that standard USB cable lying around. But NO! Sony doesn't like to mix-and-match. I hate this about them and yet, this is the third camera I've bought of theirs. I can't help it. Darn thing takes good pics.

Anyways, I digress. And you really only came here for the pics, right?

First up, Jacob and I, outside my new neighborhood (Moving Sat!) ready to go out. Notice my adorable Kay Unger dress has two straps and I'm not wearing a black shrug. (More on that later.) Also notice the booties I was mentioning in my earlier blog, on feet. And lastly, notice for once I'm actually wearing a dress with a real waistline. This is something I'm going to attempt more often this fall, moving away from my beloved baby dolls. Cry!

Oh and I just realized I'm wearing a strappy dress while Jacob's wearing a winter coat. That's New England vs. Texas for you right there!

Now for the party pics!

















The Rebels - in costume, of course! Leanna gave Liz the steampunk goggles and I gave her (and then stole back) the tiara.







I wasn't the only thief...





Liz got cupcakes from Buttercup because it was HER birthday and that's HER favorite. (But Magnolia is way better, just FYI...)





Later on, I decided to steal the goggles as well...Steampunk princess - now there's a costume idea!





And here's where I look like I am falling out of my dress! But it's not my fault! When I was trying to get out of the cab, I was still sitting on my dress and the spaghetti strap broke! Gah! Hence I had to wear the shrug all night. :(





As you can see, a fun night was had by all.





Now fun is over. Back to packing!

Marianne

Fall Fashion: Most Wanted (Better TV)

A segment I did with Saks Fifth Avenue on their "Fall Fashion Wanted List." You might call this a lust list. I want it all!

Of course I can't afford anything at Saks, so I'm working to find these essential pieces at lower price retailers. For example, I bought Enzo Angiolini booties at DSW (similar to the ones below, but with a little more rounded heel) for $79. They're just as cute as the designer $1000 ones!





Now I need to find a purple patent leather top handle bag for a reasonable price. Anyone see one out and about?

Marianne

Weekend Wrap-Up (Part 1)

Hey all,

Busy weekend, but in a good way! Jacob's parents came in from Texas on Friday and we spent the weekend with them. On Friday, Jacob and I cooked catfish with a New England flair (baking it with Ritz crackers on top, much like New Englanders do with Cod or Haddock.) It came out delicious. Then we headed down to Times Square to check out Young Frankenstein on Broadway. It was pretty silly, but fun.

On Saturday, I joined Jacob and his dad for 5 1/2 miles of their 14 mile run. (!) I was exhausted after 5 1/2 so I don't know how they managed the rest. Lunch with Liz and then headed over to Tiffany's where Jacob was picking up the now-monogrammed cufflinks I got him as his MBA graduatioon gift. They looked awesome. The engraver did a good job. If you ever have anything engraved by Tiffany's I highly recommend HAND engraving over machine. It's more $ but looks sooo much better. It takes 2 weeks though so either plan ahead of give the gift without engraving and bring it back to the store afterwards like I did.

Here they are in all their shiny, engraved glory. :)

Saturday night we went to Butter, a nice restaurant in the East Village, for a delicious meal. I picked out the restaurants for the weekend so I was glad Jacob's parents liked them all. After dinner, Jacob and I heade to Liz's birthday party at Shalel, an underground Moroccan lounge on the Upper West Side. (Photos to come in part 2 - I need to upload them.) Liz had really cool makeup/false eyelashes on. More about the party later.

On Sunday we had brunch at the Arte Cafe and then headed to Soho to shop. Then back to Astoria for a rest before going out to dinner at Thor, an ecelectic restaurant in the very Rivington Hotel on the Lower East Side. I'd never eaten there before, but I greatly enjoyed my meal. And the architecture in the restaurant was most interesting.

So all in all, a good weekend, though tiring. I'm glad to have gotten to know Jacob's parents better as well. They're really fun and nice!!

This week is going to be busy too - gotta start packing for Saturday's move!

More later with pics from weekend!
Marianne

Better TV: Cabbage Patch Kid Anniversary

I talked last week about going to the Cabbage Patch Kid Birthday party at the Times Square Toys R Us. Here's my finished segment. I really love the archive footage the company gave us to include. Hard to believe people were this crazy over a doll!!

As a kid I would always go to the toy stores and look for a Cabbage Patch Kid. I couldn't fathom actually seeing one, just sitting on a shelf. That would never have have happened!

And now, 25 years later, they're everywhere. Go figure.

Anyway, check out the segment and relive those days!

Razor Girl Fan Art

I may be prejudiced, but I happen to think my fans are the most creative awesome people ever!! Case in point, check out the way cool Razor Girl wallpaper Eden made for me!

Cool, huh? And here's a couple Blood Coven inspired drawings from a MySpace fan known as "Vampire Goddess"

The first is of Boys that Bite's Sunny and Magnus kissing...





And the second is Zombie Jareth! Maybe combining Razor Girl and Stake That together? ^^ Like I said - my fans are creative!





Anyway, I just had to share! Keep the artwork coming! I love it!

Marianne

Sherrilyn Kenyon on Better TV!

Okay folks, this is a sneak preview! It actually airs on the BETTER television show tomorrow morning, but we got it up on YouTube now, so take a look! This is the feature I did on a writer I respect more than anything - Sherrilyn Kenyon. She is so amazing and not only talented, but sweet and lovely and caring as well. A lot of times you know authors are in it for the fame/money, etc. But she is in it for her fans and bends over backwards - doing crazy things like 14 hour signings - for them.

She also has an amazing rags to riches story. I could only touch on it here in the segment as I had just 3:15 to tell my story. But it is truly an incredible "never give up, never surrender" type tale. Definitely an inspiration for anyone who has a dream.

Anyway, I could gush on, but I know you'd rather just watch the segment, so here you go!

Marianne

PS Pay special attention to a very important cameo appearance from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books blogger extraordinaire Sarah!

My Weekend in NH

From glamour to granite, I ended fashion week festivities and headed to New Hampshire with Jacob and Molly for a weekend with my dad and stepmom. We arrived late Friday afternoon and headed out to Longhorn's for dinner -- my favorite chain steakhouse. As much as I love fancy NYC cuisine, there's just something about a good old fashioned suburban chain - whether it be Longhorn's, TGIFridays, or the Olive Garden.

The next morning we woke up and headed to Mt. Chocorua, a scenic peak in the White Mountains of NH. It has a 3,500 foot elevation and great views from the top. We picked Chocorua cause it was a southern peak and the weather said the more northern peaks were going to be socked in by clouds.

Here's me - dressed a lot differently than during Fashion Week! :)

The hike went above the treeline, where you started to see some views.





Here's my dad. He's a real expert at NH mountain climbing. He's climbed all the major peaks a couple times over.



As a Texan, Jacob had never seen such rocky trails. That's NH for you!



Molly is now 12 1/2 years old - that's like over 84 in dog years! But she climbed the mountain anyway - slow and steady! - and made it to our lunch spot. I think here she's missing her dog bed...



After lunch we headed up to the true summit. We did it! Who says Manhattanites can't conquer mountains?





The views were awesome, but the clouds rolling in looked a bit ominous.





So we headed back down and went to dinner then drove home. All in all a great hike and a great day! The next morning Jacob and I packed up and headed back to NYC. Watched the Pats put the Jets back in their place. :) As the Boston Herald said, "No Brady, no problem!"

And that's basically my weekend!

Marianne

Better TV: New Mom Uniform segment

Another segment I did for Better TV. This one's on creating a new mom wardrobe. Moms can look stylish and skip the sweats - even with the busy baby schedule.

My Day at Fashion Week

Yesterday was quite an amazing day. I got to experience NYC's legendary Fashion Week through the eyes of an insider. Someone who gets invited to all the shows, is given front row seats, throws parties for the designers, etc. Now you'd think that type of person would be snobby beyond belief, but Mina Jacqueline Au is a doll. She is so sweet and treated me and my cameraman like we were her friends instead just some annoying TV crew. You don't often get that level of genuineness from this world - she's a rare breed.

Anyway, we started the day at around 11:30, heading up to Vallery Joseph Salon on the Upper East Side (79 and Madison) to meet up with Mina, who was getting hair and makeup done.

Then we hopped in a car service and headed down to Bryant Park for the Rebecca Taylor show. Mina's good friends with Rebecca so we were able to slip in backstage, where there was much media madness.







Then we went to be seated. They let me have front row. I felt like a celeb. AND I got a great view of the show.



The pre-show crowd was madness, too! Everyone searching for a seat and trying to pinpoint the celebs.



Here's a random celeb spotting. Anyone know who this is?



Everyone took a seat and the show started. I love Rebecca Taylor's stuff. The dresses are so gorgeous. Pretty colors and fabrics. I wanted them ALL. :) When I interviewed her later, she said she found her inspiration from the Out of Africa author.







Booties are IN this fall, people. And all the models in the show were wearing them.



This was my favorite dress of the collection. I love the color and the sparkles. I really would love to own it.



By the way, models in real life? Almost freakish. They're not only skinny, but they're Amazonian tall. I guess I already knew this, but it was a little different seeing it in person on a runway. After the show I saw some of them walking off to smoke cigaretes. Of course.

Outside the show we saw this guy. I think he was also a celeb or designer. Anyone know? He said his kilt was Gaultier. Of course it was!



After the show we went over to this delicious restaurant called Artisinal at Park and Madison. They specialize in cheeses. After seeing those skinny models, I decided to eat some mac and cheese in their honor!!

Mina threw a post-show cocktail party for Rebecca Taylor there. Anisha Lahkani, author of the book Schooled and Jill Fairchild, "What to Wear" publisher (and daughter of W Magazine founder and fashion world legend John Fairchild) were co-hosts. Wine, cheese and fondue. Delicious! Rashida Jones from The Office was there, as was Ramona, one of the "Real Housewives of New York."



It's a tough job, I know. But someone has to do it!



After the cocktail party, Mina and I got changed for the nighttime show and party.



She had a room at the Shoreham hotel in the Penthouse. It was an amazing hotel room with a glowy sink! I want!



I wore my Betsy Johnson dress, which I must admit I bought at Buffalo Exchange in Williamsburg. I'm poor! But I LOVE this dress all the same.



Then we headed back to the tents to the Custo Barcelona show. I saw socialite Tinsley Mortimer - who recently guest starred on Gossip Girl - in the front row - and stole a pic.



Unfortunately this show was packed to capacity so I was stuck back in standing room only. So my pics aren't as good.









After the show we headed to Marquee to a private party thrown by Kerry Cassidy. She's currently filming a reality show for Bravo along with Devorah Rose so you'll probably see more of her soon. Jacob joined me for the party and we got drinks (as worktime was over!) and people watched.

Then we went back to real life and ate Gray's Papaya hotdogs and went to bed. It was a dream day, though exhausting. I don't know how socialites do it. Honestly it's more work than a 9-5 job! :)

That's all to report from the trenches. Today Jacob and I are heading up to New Hampshire with Molly in tow to visit my dad.

Marianne