Tag Archives: Palm Beach

The Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club

1 Apr

It’s a lunch club like no other. Author Diane Bergner describes her prosecco guzzling friends in this metaphor. Think Sex in the City meets the Devil Wears Prada sprinkled with Crazy Rich Asians. And please substitute Palm Beachers for Asians. I’m talking about the fictionalized ladies who lunch in her debut novel The Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club.

Yes, they can be crazy, rich, scandalous and oh, so much more. The protagonist, Julia Wild, is an attorney who became a fundraiser for a Performing Arts Center in Royal Coconut Beach. By the way, the author is an attorney, and currently the vice president of development for the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. Hmm. . . Perhaps this lady writes what she knows.

Bergner’s descriptions of the powerful and wealthy sparkle alongside the Jimmy Choo stilettos. I’m not sure why she left out the Lily Pulitzer prints, but she managed to mention the Stubbs and Wootton shoes.

Oh, did I mention that everyone is having an affair? Well, not exactly everyone. The protagonist only dreams of one with an Argentinian billionaire who she meets clandestinely on the bridge. Remember, Royal Coconut Beach, like Palm Beach, is an island.

She confides in her lunch buddies about work, pleasure and daily living. Can raising dollars for nonprofits really be a back-stabbing, challenging business? Does Bergner blur the lines of reality in this roman a clef?

Read it for yourself, because I know you will enjoy it. The short, witty chapters fly by. And, by the way, pass the prosecco please.

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A Chic Luncheon for a Noble Cause

27 Mar

I recently attended the RDK Melanoma Foundation 23rd Annual Luncheon at the Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. The event with more than 400 attendees was ultra chic and included a fashion show by internationally acclaimed fashion designer Monique Lhuillier.

Debbie Schwarzberg created this foundation in memory of her brother who lost his life to melanoma in hopes of educating others about the disease. The annual luncheon is the main fundraiser for the foundation which address the prevention and detection of skin cancer.

The gowns were feminine, sophisticated and red-carpet worthy. My favorite is the upper left with a floral design on tulle. And as equally delicious as the fashions is the yummy, chocolate dessert, above.

Lhuiller has a cadre of Hollywood devotees including Reese Witherspoon, Taylor Swift, Gwyneth Paltrow and more. Reese Witherspoon wrote the forward to the coffee table book Monique Lhuiller: Dreaming of Fashion and Glamour.

The sponsors of the luncheon included Tampa General Hospital, the Leder Foundation and Sun Capital Partners Foundation.

As we enter the summer months and sun is strong, please wear sunscreen!

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Complicated Relationships

16 Nov

I was honored to be the co-chair, with Sandi Rosen (left), at the recent Mandel JCC Sisterhood Brunch at Temple Emanu-El in Palm Beach. The event featured Sally Koslow (middle), author of The Real Mrs. Tobias.

The novel is about multi-generational mother-in-laws and daughter-in-laws and the many complicated relationships within the families. Need I say more. . . the mother-in-laws are therapists. Think Nora Eprhon because some of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny but yet poignant at times. This fast-paced read resonates with many people. Don’t we all have some complicated relationships?

The next event, if you are in the area, is December 15 with authors Alyson Richman and Shaunna Edwards, who wrote The Thread Collectors. For more information, click here.

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Perfectly Pink

13 Jan

It was an amazing evening at the Breakers in Palm Beach this past weekend to benefit the Promise Fund.  Every guest who attended the benefit received an autographed copy of The Queen of Soul by my friend Linda Solomon (top right, with husband Barry). Of course, if you are a Motowner, you know there is only one queen of soul — Aretha Franklin.

The weekend started out with a live radio show from Florida with broadcaster Michael Patrick Shiels, host of Michigan’s Big Show, interviewing Linda and Promise Fund founder Nancy Brinker. The Promise Fund, founded by Nancy Brinker, Detroiter Julie Fisher Cummings and Laurie Silvers, works to eliminate barriers to quality healthcare for Palm Beach County neighbors to save lives due to late stage breast cancer and cervical cancers. It was announced at the event that a hologic (3D) mammography machine with be housed at FoundCare, a non-profit federally qualified health care center, where thousands of women come for primary care.

Many of the attendees attended wore pink including myself (lower right).

Thanks to AutoNation Cadillac, West Palm Beach, for donating books. Kudos to all the supporters!

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Lilies Blooming

1 Apr

Lilly Pulitzer is a fashion icon. If you are thinking spring at the moment, there is nothing more refreshing or summery than a Lilly Pulitzer hue. Awash with florals, hot pinks and crispy limes, the prints are delectable. So, I was delighted to stumble upon a large Lilly Pulitzer store on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. (The photos above are from the store, including the mood board.)

The Lilly Pulitzer brand began in the 1960s but it was Jackie Kennedy who catapulted the prints to stardom. The shift dress is probably her most recognizable design.

It’s a preppy, fun look. I went to a charity benefit in the Palm Beach area, and the dress code was Lilly Pulitzer.

There is a lovely article on how her brand became iconic in the archives of Boca Life Magazine. You can read it here.

Are you a Lily fan?

 

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Take a Tour

4 Feb

 

Forget the pink and green chintz that conjure visions of Palm Beach. Think elegant, European vintage and classy. That sums up the new retail atelier the Grand Tour located in the Royal Poinciana Plaza in Palm Beach. I went to the grand opening the other day and was wowed by the custom fabrics and wallpapers, unique gifts and furniture. There’s even a spot for some children’s games and books.

The mother daughter duo of interior designer Caroline Rafferty (top left) and her mom, Julie Fisher Cummings, curated an elegant mix of home furnishings. Before the opening, they stopped in Paris to add to the mix.

Architectural Digest recently wrote up the store and the photographs here are far more professional than mine.

Take the tour!

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Elegant and Wearable Handbags

13 May

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Daniella Ortiz‘s sophisticated boutique can be found in a via on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.  (That means it’s off the main road nestled in a courtyard.) Her handbags are stunning and colorful. Although Ortiz lives in the Palm Beach area, she is from Argentina where her innovative design team works. Ortiz participates in the Palm Beach charity circuit attending more than 60 events a season and donates some of the profits from her trunk shows.

So, I just purchased the powder blue handbag in the photo. I’ve been looking for an elegant purse, but one that has easy access compartments to hold my cell phone and keys. What’s your favorite handbag this season?

 

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Hanging with Hoda

10 Jan

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Hoda Kotb is fun, gregarious and talented. After all, she is an anchor on the Today show. I had the opportunity to meet her in at a  book signing in Palm Beach at Jennifer Miller Jewelry. Her latest book,  “Where We Belong: Journeys That Show Us The Way,” features inspiring and compelling stories of everyday people and celebrities who find their purpose in life.

I went with my friend Jill Rosenstein, (far left). Not only did Jill  and I stop by, but so did the Broadway star Tommy Tunes. Hoda and Tommy took a cute selfie.

hoda and tommy

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