FREEBIES

Celebrities are always getting free stuff at gifting suites and parties. Being that I’m not a big name (YET), I rarely get FREEBIES but when I do, I’m truly appreciative and ecstatic! I think FREEBIES are FABULOUS.

My access into the world of FREEBIES started with getting the hand-me-down gift bags from my mom. Mom would search through the Oscar, Grammy, BET gift bags (she’s not a real party hopper these days, but the ones she does hit usually have some sweet gift bags). She would take the few things she wanted then pass them off to me. She never wants the gift certificates, so I usually have a lot of free hair cuts, manicures and once I got free eyelash extensions (which were cool for about an hour till I cried them off my face. I was having a bad day). I also have more bags, t-shirts and lip glosses than one girl can handle (most usually end up at the clothing swap , in friends closets or at Good Will).

Tracee gets a lot of freebies too and I’m a lucky, lucky girl because we are the same size! Tracee once hosted a Super Bowl party for NIKE and I got a free pair of custom designed sneakers with my name on them (you can a get a pair too from www.nikeid.com, but you have to pay).

Evan’s recently started raking in some good swag too and being the sweetheart he is, he always tries to snag some for his sis. He got me some brown Uggs recently (which I wear ALL the time. I actually have them on my feet right now!!)

I’ve haven’t been invited to too many gifting suites, but the ones I’ve been lucky enough to get into have been FABULOUS! It’s like an extreme shopping spree but you never have to open your wallet. The first one I went to was by the store Lisa Kline at the Young Hollywood party at Area nightclub. I was so confused and thrown off by them just giving all these designer duds away, that I felt bad taking anything! I took a long sleeve shirt with cherries on it and headed into to the party (I’m not scared of free drinks at an open bar)! The BET gifting suites were awesome too. My whole family got Fendi sunglasses and watches, Jawbone bluetooths, ionic hair products and much more. It was exciting!

Most of the FREEBIES I get are actually not free at all. I work for my free stuff! A lot of my modeling career has been for trade (I model in your fashion show you give me clothes). Of course I could use a big paycheck now and then (a girl’s got to pay her bills), but working for trade ain’t bad… you should see how stocked my closet is!

I walked in two shows for one of my favorite LA designers, Meghan FABULOUS (www.meghanfabulous.com). Her dresses are hip, sexy and yes, FABULOUS! She’s given me like 6 dresses, one of which I wore so many times to events (LA Fashion Week, New Years and my birthday), I finally had to retire it! Now, it hangs in the back of my closet because I love it so much I could never give it away.

Last year, I walked in a show for Samora (www.samoradesigns.com), a French designer who shows her feminine, sexy designs every year at LA Fashion Week. She gave me 4 dresses specially made for me and even custom fit them to my body! FABULOUS!

Li Cari (www.shoplicari.com) is a 19-year old up-and-coming LA fashion designer. They are actually doing a TV show about her and she often shows her flirty designs in small fashion shows. I attended a couple of her shows and walked in one last season. She’s given me 2 dresses and a pencil skirt and lace top which I LOVE! She has also offered to dress me for events which is awesome because you can wear a great outfit once, get photographed in it then return it for something new! (I’ve done this at stores and they don’t appreciate it! Ha!)

Recently, I shot a catalog for a new very cool denim company called Desert Blue (www.desertblue.com). My friend Sona, works for them and asked if I would be one of their models. In exchange, I got 6 pairs of jeans, a high-waisted pencil skirt, 3 shirts, a jacket and jeans for my sister. I totally raked it in!!

I’ve even gotten FREEBIES for my writing. I wrote a “So Sey” (fashion scoop article) for a Seychelles Shoe company’s website. I met the owners at a fashion week event. We hit it off and they asked if I wanted to write something for their website (check it out at www.seychellesfootwear.com) In exchange, I got 4 cute pairs of heels. Recently, I went to a party at their warehouse and he hooked me up again with a sweet pair of boots.

Fashion week is another great way to get fun gift bags and FREEBIES. The first two rows of the fashions shows usually have gifts on them (which is why they are the most coveted seats). I’ve gotten everything from sunglasses to bikinis, hair products to panties. LA Fashion Week is held at Smashbox Studios so there is always a lot of make up FREEBIES in the bags too. I love the lip gloss and mascara! At Miami Fashion Week, I met Rachel from Havianas and got to custom make a pair of flip-flops, which was cool!

Lately, from my website and myspace, new companies have been contacting me and asking if they can send me FREEBIES to try out their products. I LOVE FREEBIES so of course I am always game! Alexandria from Frosty Trinkets sent me the cutest crystal encrusted Hello Kitty compact mirror (check them out at www.shopfrostytrinckets.com) Lefteris Natural, a new Australian skin care line sent me a bunch of bath and body products. I love the shower gel and the lotion and the cool pump bottles (check them out at www.lefterisnatural.com).

FREEBIES are FABULOUS and I, for one am always hoping for more

YOUNG HOLLYWOOD

When I decided that I wanted to be a TV host, I knew I would need a reel (a bunch of clips of me actually hosting so people could see that I don’t suck in front of the camera). I didn’t want to film myself interviewing my friends (that seems so low budget), so I started seeking other options on the internet and through castings on craigslist. At a fashion show for DASH (The Kardashian’s boutique), I met RJ, the owner of a website called YOUNG HOLLYWOOD.



I had heard of the website before and instantly started harassing RJ (and Jill, one of the producers, and really anyone who would listen) to let me host.

I like YOUNG HOLLYWOOD because it provides an insider’s view into the Hollywood scene in a positive way (so rare with websites and blogs these days). It reveals the inside story of celebrity life, as told by the best source… celebrities! With its access inside the velvet rope, YOUNG HOLLYWOOD is the ultimate insider’s guide to celebrity lifestyle, travel, nightlife, music, fashion, and more. It’s only been around about a year and already ranks in the top five internet sites in the celebrity news category.

YOUNG HOLLYWOOD lets me come up with my own ideas and write my own questions. I pitch ideas and if they are interested, I can set up the whole shoot and they send me a cameraman (Richard is the best!) I get experience producing as well as hosting and a lot of great interviews with top celebrities!

The first segment I set up and hosted was METAL SKOOL. I had seen the comedic 80’s heavy metal tribute band a couple times before and knew they would make for a fun segment. METAL SKOOL is awesome! They are totally wild (while I tried to ask questions they looked up my skirt, humped my leg and made fun of each other). Also celebrities are always in the audience and rocking out on the stage. Just recently Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo sang on stage with the hair band. Check METAL SKOOL out at the Key Club every Monday night and check out my segment below!



The second segment I shot was the opening of the upscale doggie boutique BUSTER AND SULLIVAN in Malibu. It was a charity event for Much Love Animal Shelter and being that it was in Malibu lots of celebrities came out (I totally hassled the Hoff as he was just passing by and trying to get to dinner at Nobu). Check out my very handsome and talented co-host, Peanut!



It was cool to be a part of the National HIV testing day event at the Screen Actors Guild (what an important charity event)! Many celebrities came out to undergo a public HIV test in order to encourage 1 million Americans to get tested and stop the AIDS epidemic. GET TESTED and for more info visit one.org!



My next segment was the Celebrity Catwalk, where many young, hip celebs came out to strut their stuff on the runway for charity. It was fun to interview my friends the Kardashians and Kendra, whom I love from the Girls Next Door. I think I started to get more comfortable hosting with this segment. Check it out!



THE MAXIM STYLE AWARDS is one of my favorite segments. A lot of fun stars came out to celebrate 2007 style and fashion (as well as the hot ladies on the covers of MAXIM Magazine). For no good reason, I was feeling a little sillier than usual, which made for a fun segment. Enjoy!



Another important charity segment I was psyched to be a part of was THE DECLARE YOURSELF event. Hollywood’s brightest young stars came out to encourage young Americans to register to vote in the 2008 primaries and presidential elections. Register and VOTE (Obama :) and watch the segment below!



YOUNG HOLLYWOOD doesn’t like to do red carpet events. They like to get the inside view of the parties and hang with the celebrities. At the ASSASINS CREED video game party, we may have been a little bit TOO close to the action. It was loud (really, REALLY loud)! We were standing right on the side of the dance floor, so I felt like I was screaming at everyone, which didn’t make for the best interviews. At least the party was fun. Ha! (I do love a good party!) Check it out!



I while back I auditioned to be the host of an internet show called Total Pop Star (the American Idol of the internet). Sadly, I didn’t get the job, but the funny thing is YOUNG HOLLYWOOD asked me to host from their launch party. It was a pretty lame event (maybe I’m just a little bitter for having not gotten the job), but I did get to chat with 80's teen music idol, Deborah Gibson (I was a HUGE fan back in the day!)



My friend (model / DJ) Caroline D’Amore invited me to the opening of her new play BOYS DUMB GIRLS CRAZY. Sure enough YOUNG HOLLYWOOD was there too (Kim Kardashian and Brittny Gastineau were on hand as well). The play was funny, Caroline was hysterical and I got some funny clips with the girls about boys and relationships.



Just last week, I did my first real sit down (and more serious) interview (I tend to act a bit silly in front of the camera). We got to go in the studio with Ashanti as she recorded her new album (which sounds HOT BTW!) It was super cool to get such behind the scenes access. Ashanti and her “mom-ager” (mom / manager) where very sweet and I for one am super excited about her new album!



YOUNG HOLLYWOOD is a FABULOUS website that you should definitely check out! They have been instrumental in the building of my hosting reel and RJ, Jill, Michelle, Lesa, Richard and the gang are super nice too.

Check out more segments to come!

WORKING OUT

If you’ve read my blogs in the past, you know I LOVE FOOD. Now, I’m not always talking about good, healthy food. I have droned on about my love of fast food (see October 10, 2007 blog) and about restaurants from NY to CHINA, AUSTIN to LA (see August 22, 2007 and November 28, 2007 blogs). I love food and I love to eat! Now, the problem with this fascination with food is that I have to work my ass off to stay fit and slim.

Yes, I was blessed with good genetics (check out my parents! They are both good looking and fit), but you cant get away with gorging yourself on Big Macs and pasta and chocolate desserts and not WORK OUT. Luckily, I have always enjoyed getting sweaty from a good WORK OUT!

When I was very young I was a dancer. My mom had this amazing African Dance troop on stage with her at the concert at Central Park and I fell in love! Instantly, I decided I wanted to dance and I joined the Anita Zahn dance school (where the African dancers were from). I danced my little heart out and performed ballet, tap and African on the stage at Lincoln Center. It was amazing! As I hit my teen years, I dreaded the drive to Brooklyn because I felt like it was taking away from my budding social life and so I dropped out. I regret it now, but at the time it seemed like the right idea.

About a year ago, I decided to add dancing back into my WORK OUT regime. I bought a leotard and some ballet slippers and started taking classes at the Santa Monica Dance studio. Holy shit, is it hard to go back to ballet as an adult (and I don’t look nearly as cute in my leotard), but I’ve been doing it for a while now and it’s getting easier. Ballet is amazing exercise and it creates long, lean muscles. I go once a week to break up the monotony of WORKING OUT at the gym all the time. Variety is the spice of life, you know (and it makes staying fit a whole lot easier!)

In high school, I ran cross country and played basketball and lacrosse. I was never particularly good at any of the sports and spent the majority of my high school years warming the bench, but the activity set up a life long love of exercising and staying fit. Also, It’s so important for kids to be a part of team sports even if they are not particularly athletic at an early age.

When I went to college, I knew I wasn’t good enough for the cross-county, basketball or lacrosse teams, but I craved the structure and camaraderie of team sports (plus I didn’t want to gain that freshmen 15). But then one day, in the middle of campus there was a long boat. The crew team was recruiting! I went to the meeting and decided to give it a shot. Most people dropped out like flies due to the early morning practices (I woke at 5:45am almost everyday of my college career) and the hard WORK OUTS, but I’ve never been a quitter (though there were many times I wanted to throw my oar and run back to my bed). I stuck with it all four years. I even got to row in the women’s Henley in England (what an amazing experience)!

I was so fit and muscular it was almost disgusting (Seriously, I was HUGE!). I had practice 6 days a week. I lifted weights 3 days a week, ran for an hour twice a week and I ate like a hog (I was almost 20 pounds more than I am now, BUT it was all muscle). Though I never want to be that big again, I really got a lot out of having a WORK OUT schedule and all that exercise.

When I graduated, there was no way to stay as fit (and muscular) as I was, so I started cutting my extreme amounts of food and doing cardio, cardio, cardio. Luckily, the weight came off! Now I try to do some cardio everyday.

I go to the gym at least 3 days a week. I start with cardio (either on the treadmill or elliptical machine) then I lift weights and do squats and lunges and crunches. I watch TV, listen to my ipod and do some serious people watching (I watch Tyson pump up, Nelly play basketball and lots of buff body builders lift extreme amounts of weight), but going to gym gets boring and monotonous, so I try to switch up my WORK OUTS on other days.

I found this cool class called YAS (30 minutes of Spinning and 30 minutes of Yoga). It’s quick, but intense (and there is a very cute boy that’s always there that I make sexy eyes at threw the sweat dripping from my brow. HOT! Ha!) I also love to hike, bike and paddle around in the ocean (I love being outdoors).

A good WORK OUT keeps your mind clear, your body fit and allows you to eat to your hearts content and not end up overweight and round.

WORKING OUT is FABULOUS!

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

In the past my high glam partying has revolved around Fashion Weeks from East to West and this New Year seems to have started out no differently. I had decided to NOT go to NEW YORK FASHION WEEK after not getting a hosting gig with Full Frontal Fashion (I totally think they could use a little fresh, funny and extremely sexy new talent… but that’s just me). BUT at the last minute, I changed my mind. My new friend Brittny Gastineau was going and I didn’t want to miss out on all the fun and partying (you know, I love a good party!)

Off I jetted on Virgin America’s new flight from LA to NY. This is the hidden gem of airlines. Online, I bought a super cheap flight (cheaper than Jet Blue and with TVs in the seats too). I was able to check in online at home, and drop my bag at a counter with a very stylishly dressed, smiling lady. There was NO line! It was the easiest airport experience I’ve had in a loooong time. The plane was close to empty, so I had a whole row to myself. I alternated between watching MTV, writing, reading my magazines and sleeping sprawled across my 3 seats.

I arrived in NYC at 10pm refreshed and ready for a night on the town. I dropped my bags at my mom’s apartment and headed straight to meet some friends at Cipriani Downtown. I chowed on the baked tangolini pasta with ham (so fattening, but sooooo worth it! Delicious!) Then we stopped by a hotspot called Curio where I danced on the small dance floor until everybody was pushed aside for a burlesque dancer with feathers. Less than enthralled by the show, we headed back out into the cold. Nikki Hilton fluttered passed on our way out (I wonder if she enjoyed the booby dancer more than we did. Hehe!)

We headed uptown to a party where a friend of a friend Aiden Turner (from All My Children) was spinning tunes. The party was an odd mix of people, dancing a little too fast and out of control (not really my scene), so I headed home to rest up for the Fashion Week ahead.

Sunday, I met up with Ariel and Eric from Miami and headed to the tents at Bryant Park for the Diane Von Furstenburg show. I was going as Ariel’s guest, but there was some issue with our names being on the list (mortifying!) Instead of standing around looking like an idiot, I hightailed it out of there, returned to my apartment to change out of my very schnazzy Missoni dress and throw on some jeans (So much for being fabulous at Fashion Week). I headed to my friend Mary’s Super Bowl party. I gorged myself on Jambalaya and Mac & cheese and drank wine as I cheered on the Giants! (Well, mostly I watched the commercials and half time show, but what ever. GO TEAM!)

Monday, I decided to give Fashion Week another go. I glammed up in my new striped Mason dress that I got for Christmas and headed to the tents with Brittny. Again, no seats and confusion and mayhem which was AGAIN totally embarrassing and not fun at all (isn’t this supposed to be FABULOUS and fun?) Next time, I will RSVP on my own and not rely on other people who leave me seat-less and scrambling (UGH!)

As the lights went dim and the show started, we were able to highjack two empty seats. Bongo players kept the beat as the models stalked the runway in French inspired berets and flouncy party dresses. Betsey Johnson finished the show by cart-wheeling down the runway (she’s got some skills for an older woman). Always entertaining!

After the show, we left the tents to grab a bite to eat at the Mercer hotel (FABULOUS) with Jason Preston (Marc Jacobs boyfriend who is such a sweetheart. If he were straight I would try and steal him away). We chatted over salads and cocktails, but then I headed home to rest up for the night ahead (which is always a LOOONG when your out partying in New York).

I started the evening with dinner at Philippe’s (I had my birthday here and it is so good) with friends Mary and Lydia. We drank wine and gorged ourselves on lettuce cups, crispy beef, chicken satay, seaweed and the most to-die-for chocolate caramel dessert! After dinner I rolled... I mean headed to the Joie party at the Rose Bar in the Gramercy hotel to meet my friend Grason. My friend (and ex-French lover) Nico was DJing. He rocks the most awesome random mix of tunes from French rap to Michael Jackson. We danced and drank and danced and drank then headed home to hit the hay at 2:30am (not bad by NY standards).

Tuesday, I had lunch with Mary and then hit a couple smaller shows with Lydia. Doucette and Duvall was a cool presentation that looked like an editorial shoot for Vogue. The models struck poses all around a snazzy suite at the Ritz Carlton (a little weird, but kinda cool and I liked the dresses). We stayed for about three and a half minutes then headed downtown to the Tiffany Koury show at the National Arts Club. I felt bad because there were a lot of empty seats and not very organized, but I thought the dresses were fun and the gift bag was even better (Cookies and the dieting book “Skinny Bitch.” Strange combo, but FABULOUS!)

I headed home to rest up, shower and change for the night ahead, which actually started 5pm. I had cocktails with Brittny and some of her friends where I took a particular liking to Fabian Basabe (New York socialite known for his party animal ways who was on Rich Kids Cattle Drive with Brittny). He is hysterical and extremely entertaining, so I decided to tag along with him on his wild evening adventures.

First, we stopped by the ASW party (asmallworld.com which is like myspace for rich people) at Ivanka Trump’s store where we had cocktails and posed for some pics (this is what socialites do, u know). Then off to the Jimmy Choo dinner to celebrate the new book “Celebutantes” (by celebutantes Ruthanna Hopper and Amanda Goldberg). I chatted Nicole Fiscelle from Gossip Girls, ate pasta, salad and veggies and made new friends with Zani Gugelmann (another socialite… if only I was still writing the original blog, this would be a dream night! Ha! Ha!) Next, Zani, Fabian and I headed downtown to the Prada party (the hottest and most anticipated party of Fashion Week) It was crowded, but good for people watching (I spotted the Heatherette boys, Chase Crawford and Ginnifer Goodwin) while a weird band called CocoRosie garbled onstage.

As if the night wasn’t already long enough, I left Prada to meet up with Brittny at The Rose Bar in the Gramercy hotel. When I arrived she was ready to leave (awesome) so we followed the crowd to One Oak. Evan was there! He had a stop over in NY on his way to see one of his films at the Berlin Film Festival (My brother is such an amazing talent and a great little bro to boot). I chatted with the ladies of Danity Kane and danced on the banquet, but could barely keep my eyes open so headed home (4am more appropriate by NY standards. Exhausted!)

My last day in New York, I was hung over! I puttered around the apartment packing and cleaning. I ate a bagel and bid NY farewell. Brittny was on my plane home, which seemed like it took forever (6 hours, which seemed like an eternity). We entertained ourselves by having a wine and cheese party. U can order all sorts of food right from your seat on the touch TV screen (God, I love Virgin America!)

So maybe this FASHION WEEK wasn’t as FABULOUS and fashionable as ones past, but I had a good time. I made new friends, socialite party hopped and returned to LA exhausted (as always) and happy to be home!