Noteworthy: 4th Annual Luke’s Wings Fashion Takes Flight
Last year, for the first time, I participated in Luke’s Wings Fashion Takes Flight – a fundraising fashion show that included real members of the military, modeling the latest collections from Saks Fifth Avenue (Tysons Galleria), Aram, Ella Rue and more. (Video below and recap can be found here.)
I also wrote about why this organization matters so much to not just me, but the soldiers and their families as well.
This year, we have even more reason to celebrate, as Luke’s Wings has hit some major milestones, not just making this an annual must-attend event, but also a celebration. In the last year, Luke’s Wings has had some major accomplishments, including (but not limited to):
- Raising $32,000 at the 3rd annual Fashion Takes Flight
- Receiving a $300,000 grant
- Partnering with the Rumsfeld Organization
- Receiving a donation from Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Receiving countless donations and accolades from generous donors and sponsors for their tireless work
- Having brought hundreds of families and soldiers together
This is no longer just a local charity – it has gone national. It has gained the interest of politicians, other military organizations, military leaders, government leaders and many many troops across the world. While you may hear of some of the glitzier things, what you don’t see is the hard work the supporters of Luke’s Wings put in behind the scenes, including many trips to military hospitals, fundraising meetings, meet and greets, attending countless networking events, as well as making sure some of these soldiers are reconnected to their loved ones.
You see, it’s no longer about the “who’s who” in the DC social scene supporting a local charity - it’s the “who’s who” in the national military, government and political scenes that are gaining traction – and fast. Luke’s Wings is a fantastic “connector” that allows these two worlds to collide for a common goal: to make sure that those that are protecting our freedom are taken care of, giving us all an opportunity to thank them for allowing us to continue to live in a country where freedom is what we stand for.
As such, a veteran volunteer to the organization, Kristen Murdock (USNA), will be walking the runway her final time, before she heads back to Afghanistan for a year. If for any reason to attend Fashion Takes Flight this year, give her a proper send off – thank her for her hard work, both in protecting us, as well as giving back to soldiers that are less fortunate. Details below:
This Year’s Fashion Takes Flight (Official Press Release)
Luke’s Wings is pleased to announce its 4th annual runway fundraiser, Fashion Takes Flight, on February 4th, 2012 at Nationals Park! Join us for cocktails, and an exhibition of some of the District’s finest threads modeled by our servicemen and women as part of our fourth anniversary celebration and 2012 kick-off campaign.
With sweeping panoramic views of the stadium on one side and two story windows overlooking the river and monuments on the other, in the Stars and Stripes VIP Lounge, Luke’s Wings supporters will enjoy Peroni beer, specialty cocktails by Van Gogh Imports crafted specifically for Fashion Takes Flight and gourmet hors d’oeuvres. Come mix and mingle among DC’s most fashionable, in one of the most unique venues in our nation’s capital- Nationals Park! A private tour of the dugout and batting cages will also be available to all attendees.
Over the years, the popularity of Fashion Takes Flight has grown, as attendees watch models and military service men and women ‘take flight’ in a swank, high energy runway exhibition highlighting cutting edge fashion by some of the District’s freshest new talent. Philanthropists and fashionistas alike come together to support an organization that aims to assist the families of those who serve.
Special guests include Deejay Neekola and our fabulous MC Natasha Barrett! Amazing styling by PR@Partners, Megan Riddle Make-Up, Blend, and the runway collections of some of the best local runway talent DC has to offer, including Nam Nguyen and Walish Gooshe!
After an amazing evening of supporting our wounded warriors overlooking the baseball field from the Stars and Stripes VIP Lounge, you are invited to join us at Lincoln for an Americana After Party.
Event Hosted by: Charlotte Jarrett, Kristen Murdock, Nichole Devolites, Mackenzie Miles, Lindsay Kin and Fletcher Gill.
Event Details:
February 4, 2012
VIP Reception (includes reserved seating) 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Open Reception – 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Fashion Takes Flight – 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
After Party at Lincoln – 11:00 pm – 2:00 am
Step Right Up, and get your tickets HERE
TICKETS:
VIP: $135
Includes:
· VIP cocktail reception with event hosts, models, honored guests, government leadership, sponsors
· Exclusive access to the VIP Lounge. Lounge includes private, heated balconies overlooking the baseball stadium
· Reserved Seat for runway show
· Gourmet fare
· Passed Champagne
· VIP gift bag
· Free Parking
· Invitation to our exclusive after-party at Lincoln
General Admission: $85
Includes:
· Open bars
· Gourmet fare
· Access to fashion show
· Free Parking
· Invitation to our exclusive after-party at Lincoln
MEDIA NOTE: All media attendees who are interested in covering the event must register by Thursday, February 2, 2012. Please register by emailing our Public Relations Director, Mackenzie Miles at publicrelations@lukeswings.org with your name, title, and publication.
Noteworthy: Ace Hotel’s Rocker Chic Gifts Worth Buying
In my Washington Life fashion post on January 12th, I mentioned Ace Hotel‘s partnership with Uslu Airlines, creating a nail color exclusively for the two. Being the nail polish-loving female I am, I purchased it… along with a surprise for my boyfriend. It turns out, Ace Hotel’s store is filled with unique and chic items for sale, including vintage guitar strings and guitar picks (something my boyfriend LOVES). When they arrived last night, I was impressed by the packaging – recycled fabric, tied with recycled twine. Check out the pics below:
How the little packages arrived
The nail kit unwrapped
Love the vintage feel of the guitar picks and strings packaging
I guarantee you, these strings will never leave the packaging 
Façon Vigueur: Your Archives Guide to Washington Life’s Globaly Trend Report for 2012
I’m pleased to announce that I am continuing my partnership with Washington Life in bringing you the best weekly fashion news from around the world. Here, you can find all back posts for 2012.
Noteworthy: Dating Advice
From time to time, I get many questions about dating in DC – how I do it, how I manage to find relationships (when some people can’t find dates), and how I bounce back from a breakup so quickly. I always hesitate on giving advice, mainly because everyone is different. What works for you might not work for someone else. I always find it amusing when I get out of a relationship and the single people give me advice on being single and when I get into a new relationship, couples (who you can tell are seemingly not doing well because the happy ones only offer words of happiness for you) are giving you advice on dating. Let me be clear before I continue on: This. Isn’t. My. First. Rodeo. In a town full of hopeless romantics, disguised as cynics, let me be the first to say that none of us should be offering unsolicited advice, as we all have dated a lot, searching for something that may or may not really exist within the other person we’ve pinned our hopes on. With that being said, since so many of you ask, here are my top 20 guidelines I’ve compiled from myself as well as others, of things that work for ME:
1. Like my grandmother always said, “Make sure you can talk to the other for hours because when you’re 80, that’s all you will have.”
2. A friend of mine (who will remain nameless) recently said, “If the first thing that comes out of your mouth about a new man is the amazing sex you are having, it’s not a relationship”.
3. Another girlfriend of mine had a REALLY great piece of advice that stuck, “He doesn’t have to go to church but he should believe in something. It means he believes in something higher than himself.”
4. If you want someone who is attractive, in-shape, successful, etc., you, yourself, need to be that. Don’t even think about committing in a relationship until you have achieved (a varying degree) of what you are looking for. This ties to number 5.
5. Confidence is everything. When you can carry/take care of yourself, it’s sexy to a man and much easier to enjoy a relationship BECAUSE….
6. You don’t NEED a man, he’s a “nice to have”.
6b. But also remember… yes, there will be men/women hotter and YOUNGER than you, but there is a reason why your other half chose YOU – never forget that.
7. How to bounce back from an ended relationship – it’s okay to cry, it’s okay to need time to yourself or to not want to be alone for a BIT BUT….
8. DON’T DWELL!!!!! Really, everything happens for a reason in this world and it usually means you are better off because you weren’t compatible enough to continue and that’s okay. There are how many BILLIONS of people in this world?
9. Enjoy every single day of your life as much as you can – it’s important, no matter what, to establish who you are and STICK TO IT. It’s okay to have girls’ nights while the other half does their thing – they had a life before you too.
9b. Don’t get mad at them for going out to a party, a bar or other social enclave. Remember, if that is where they found you, it doesn’t mean they are out to replace you – they just want to have a good time. (See number 5 and number 10)
10. If you can’t accept the other person for who they are, then don’t try to change them – move on. You need to ask yourself what is best for YOU. Yes, this means you might be single again but so what? (Refer to number 8 and “billions”.)
11. Relationships can be work – you WILL fight – accept it. It doesn’t mean you love the person any less.
12. Timing and fate can be everything – I have the coolest story because of it and there’s no way I could have scripted it. In other words, allow yourself to be open to the opportunities and the possibilities (The Year of Yes is a great book).
13. Feeling blue about a snag in a relationship? Make sure to save old conversations and texts from the beginning of your relationship – it will reinvigorate you and remind you why they fell in love with you – I swear by this!
14. Don’t let society dictate how fast or slow you take a relationship – you only live once and if that means “living in the moment” while thinking about the future from time-to-time, do. Some of the greatest experiences I’ve had, had nothing to do with timing.
15. Don’t nag the other person. Before you fly off the handle, ask yourself if it’s really that important. Has it been bothering you longer than a few days? If so, find an appropriate time to discuss – usually not the minute the other person comes home from work, is tired or hasn’t been fed
16. Don’t continue to date in the social circle you are in. One word for that – REPUTATION. This will decline the more you date in the group. If it seems “hard”…
17. Don’t limit yourself to what you know… opportunities are everywhere. It’s keeping your eyes open, engaging in conversation – even if they are just a friend for a few years first, which means….
18. Not everyone you meet is going to be boyfriend/girlfriend material, nor is everyone you meet “the one” because…
19. This isn’t the movies, so stop acting as if that is what you are in. This often makes me wonder…
20. What is your first thought when you wake up in the morning? If it’s negative, think of three different ways to change that and then pick one. Because you only have you for the rest of your life.
Again, these are things that have helped me. The truth is, there are things that fell into place that I can’t even put a guideline around. When you meet the right person, your whole world changes and it isn’t scary – it’s exciting – exhilarating even. Nothing is forced and nothing is dramatic – it’s easy. But above anything else, listen to yourself and your gut. Everyone has an opinion but not everyone is right – don’t be afraid to be judged – embrace it.
Good luck!
Façon Vigueur: My Miss America Viewing Party Dress
Some were asking what my dress was from last night. It’s a Mikael Aghal.
Paparazzi – Celebrating Pageantry and Birthdays!
Last night was declared an official “Girls Night Out” when hosts Allison Brooks and former Miss DC 2006 Kate Michael hosted a Miss America Viewing Party at City Tavern Club. Ladies (and even one pint-sized male guest) snacked on chocolate-covered everything (along with a few other hors d’ oeuvres), sipped on cocktails, dressed up in tiaras and boas, and cheered on the Miss America contestants. Although we’re sad to say that Miss DC did not make it into the top 15, she did win the Best Interview Award. I’d also like to congratulate Miss Virginia for making it into the Top 12!
With the Hostesses of the Party
The table decor
The Two Greek Girls at the Party, looking particularly fabulous!
Intently waiting for the top 15 to be announced.
The Littlest Party-goer: Declan! He was rockin' a tux!
Once the pageant was over (congratulations Miss Wisconsin), some of us headed over to L2 to celebrate the birthdays of Tino Angelov and Matt Schwartz. Happy birthday you two!
Tino and his girlfriend Irina
Shout outs go to: Allison Brooks, Kate Michael, Constance Christakos, Lauri Tamney, Allison Prescott, Sophie Pyle, Windy Shepard, Donna Donella, Berkeley Jeffress, Matt Schwartz, Adam Aloi, Tino Angelov, Irina Safarcheva, Stef Woods, Christopher Calvin, Anita Fitzwater, Masha Tatianina and Kerry Reichs.
Rants and Raves: Pinterest – the Next Thing in Social Media?
Dan Kim, Founder and CEO of Red Mango, turned me on to it. Each day, I’d get his posts with strikingly beautiful images of fashion, photography and things that just make the world smile. After a few weeks of this, I decided to join what millions have already discovered: Pinterest.
Pinterest is a place for people to visually display, comment on, repin and like photos and videos of things that interest them – no status updates, no messaging, no long soliloquies to read. Thus, the uses are endless. I’ve seen this tool used for shopping “wish lists”, idea/product generation, design inspiration, reminders, recipe sharing and good old collaboration on just about anything (just to name a few). Below are my current boards – some are filled in (probably too much) and others not at all (not yet anyway).
- Michael Kors
- Bling
- Things That Make Me Smile
- My Style
- SS12
- Dream Vacas
- Ingenious Innovation/Invention (I3)
What do you use Pinterest for?
Noteworthy: New Year’s Resolutions for 2012
Every year, I go back and forth on whether or not I want to create a set of resolutions I may or may not follow. In the past, I’ve called them “wishes” or “goals” as “resolving” to do something sounds too committal and too serious. However, my boyfriend has inspired me to think about actual resolutions and after hearing some of his, I’ve decided to create some of my own. BUT, sticking with them is a whole other story, which is why I waited a few weeks before posting them, to give me time to make sure these were attainable. The good news: I’m on my way to accomplishing a few already!
1. Focus on me more: Sign up for a dance class or two, try Bikram yoga, create a sustainable workout routine and be more conscious about healthy eating decisions.
I signed up for a full five week Intermediate Hip Hop dance class. Few know that I used to perform and miss it a lot. It’s one of the things in my life that work every single part of my being and I leave incredibly happy, excited for the next class. I also signed up for a Bikram Yoga class next week (see post in Rants or Raves – who wants to take a bet on which one it will end up being?). If all goes well, I’ll be signing up for a class package. If not, I’m going to continue the hunt for a yoga studio in Vienna. I’ve also added into my schedule a different type of workout everyday – the days I’m not taking a class, I might be doing free weights or resistance bands. Bottom line: There’s no excuse to take an hour out of my day for me.
1A. Downtime is a MUST – it’s OKAY to veg on the couch on weekends
My boyfriend is a wise man and for his own reasons, he makes sure to relax when he comes home and on weekends as well. It’s something that was foreign to me for a long time and now, I’ve learned to enjoy it. Case in point: New Year’s weekend was spent on the couch, napping and watching football. No, not every evening and EVERY weekend will be spent this way – it’s just important to allow it to happen. I’m definitely embracing it
2. Schedule everything that needs to be done and make sure that schedule is in ONE PLACE!
All too often I will over-commit or will push aside the aforementioned “me time”, which is important, in order to maintain a sense of balance. If I can’t fit it in, it’s okay to say “no”. Thus, my schedule is now a rainbow of colors and it’s all in ONE CALENDAR – my work one. If there’s an appt. on there I don’t feel work needs to be a part of, it’s locked and marked “private” but it at least allows everyone to see when I’m busy in the evenings, thus giving me control over my schedule and my life. So far, success!
3. Accomplish one major thing this year that I have been putting off.
This list includes four websites, a book outline/writing the first book in the series, start a professional blog on marketing and innovation, and resurrecting Conversa Group to fit my current bandwidth.
4. Continuing my education in my field(s).
Nope, I’m not going back to school (see all aforementioned resolutions). Instead, read a book a month in marketing and/or innovation.
5. Giving back more to those charities of my choice
In Washington, DC, there are a TON of charities to choose from and at times, people feel they are spread a little thin, in contributing to everyone’s interests. Thus, I’ve decided to take a look at those interests that mean the most to me: military, dogs (pets), Celiac Disease and (by association) brain injuries. While every charity deserves attention (and I will be happy to support my friends’ endeavors when I can), these are my focuses, starting with Luke’s Wings Fashion Takes Flight on February 4th.
6. Making sure those closest to me know they are appreciated
2011 brought too many changes, too many headaches and a lot of chaos. Thus, I missed out on a lot of birthdays, engagements, baby showers and the like. My friends mean the world to me and they will all hopefully know it
What are some of your resolutions this year?
Façon Vigueur: Shopping for Spring…
Yes, it’s a bit early to shop for spring (given this weather, it’s throwing me off) BUT… in “stopping by” the Michael Kors outlet this past weekend (some of the sales girls remember me – that can be taken one of two ways), a bag that had been on my mind is now mine.. and it goes with “everything”, which means spring might arrive a little early
With that, I give you the newest addition to the Michael Kors Hamilton collection in my closet:
Something to note: vibrant dark pastels (almost neon) are big for spring. If any of you have perused the Nordstroms SS12 catalog, you will know what I am talking about.
Façon Vigueur: New in my Closet
In my last post, I talked about my new love affair with Joe’s Jeans – this was just part of my fun shopping trip, over New Year’s weekend. Check out some of my other new additions:
By Matty M
By Willow and Clay. I loved this so much that I bought it in burgundy too.
By Diane von Furstenberg. Great as a beach cover up too!
By Michael Kors - My New Year's dress!
By Michael Kors
This will now be the third Michael Kors watch I own - I'm addicted!
A throw back to the early 2000s with the velour but I don't care because this is my work attire! By Michael Kors
Always hated ankle boots until I realized I didn't want to wear knee-high boots all the time. By Levity
By Guess - FYI... Guess makes very comfortable shoes that don't require painful break-in
