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October 12, 2011 New Sojourn With Stacey

Please visit http://sojournwithstacey.wordpress.com/2011/10/12/a-little-romance-and-scenery-by-jenn-smith/ where today I am honored to be a guest blogger.  Learn about my three favorite on location romantic movies.  It’s all about the setting!

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August 8, 2011 Don’t Waste Your Dime on a Fashion Crime; Save Some Cents and Rent Your Dress

You’ve heard of Rent the Runway.  You saw Bag, Borrow or Steal on Sex and The City the movie.  Now comes the latest and greatest in women’s fashion rentals: maternity wear.  So, get ready to have the hottest baby bump around, Ms. Preggers, because this fashion update is all for you!

Although I’ve never been blessed with children, I am an honorary aunt many times over.  I have seen numerous friends brave pregnancy…and the fashion nightmare that comes with it.  Is there anything harder than dressing that baby bump in fashionable and affordable clothing?  While shopping with a friend who was with child with her first, we braved her first venture into a maternity wear shop.  Our jaws dropped as we realized how expensive a mere pain of business pants would cost.  It is especially horrific when realizing that these clothes will only be worn for a few months.

So, may I introduce you to Mine for Nine, Rent Maternity Wear and Belly Bump Boutique.  Now, I know you’re probably thinking that the clothes are out-of-date, not to your taste or too expensive, but I was so pleasantly surprised to see that what not the case.  Here’s a sample!

 

Mine for Nine

 

 

Rent Maternity Wear

 

 

Belly Bump Boutique

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prices vary by site, with Mine for Nine seemingly the most affordable.  So do your homework, gals, but have fun in the process.  How great is it that you can now be one hot momma on a budget?!?

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August 6, 2011 Snoopy Goes Social

Peanuts

As if everyone else hasn’t already jumped on the social media bandwagon, we can now add America’s most loveable pooch to the mix.  Snoopy, and the whole gang from Peanuts, will soon be on a mobile device near you.  As this will bring back very fond childhood memories, I, for one, am glad of this latest development.  But one has to wonder, what would good old Charlie Brown have to say about it?  And what do you think?  Does this development tweak your interest, or would you rather your favorite childhood cartoons be left in the past?

For more on Snoopy and the gang’s venture in the cyber world, visit: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/08/social-media-snoopy-keeping-peanuts-relevant/.

 

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August 3, 2011 Bollywood Comes to Boca

Are you ready to get your Slumdog Millionaire on, South Florida?  As part of Boca Festival Days, a collaboration between local businesses and non-profits through the month of August, The Boca Raton Museum of Art will celebrate Bollywood Comes to Boca on Wednesday, Aug. 3, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Promising to be a vibrant tribute to India’s culture, this much-anticipated event, sponsored by Wells Fargo, will feature live music, refreshing libations and tantalizing appetizers courtesy of Curries & More, LivingFLA and Mad Platter Catering.  A perfect blend of art and culture.

Tirthankara

During this mid-summer social party in the Museum’s Sculpture Garden, follow the steps of traditional Indian dancers and discover the pulsating music of the sitar, a traditional instrument popularized by the Beatles and Ravi Shankar. Take a dance break and view artwork from India held in the Museum’s Permanent Collection. Décor, courtesy of Party Perfect, will invoke scenes from the famous Bollywood movies to be screened during the evening.

Tickets are available online at http://www.bocamuseum.org/bollywood at $15 for Museum members and $20 for non-members. Prices increase by $5 at the door and a discount is available for groups of 10 or more. For additional information on all Museum events visit http://www.bocamuseum.orgor call Kisbel De La Rosa at 561.392.2500 ext. 208.

Tally Ho!

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July 30, 2011 A Healing Scent

I’ve always been someone sensitive to scent.  Cloying perfumes or pungent odors create that queasy feeling that seems to scream: flee from this smell!  I’m also a lover of flowers and floral scents.  Is there anything more uplifting than waking to the scent of gardenia or lilac?  One whiff and your whole outlook changes.

Thus, it comes as no surprise to me that recent studies find that certain scents produce not only psychological reactions but also physiological. Today, MSN ran a story (click on image for link) reviewing various international studies that highlight the effect of a variety of scents.  From pain and weight management to regulating anxiety and sleep, the introduction of certain scents has been documented to have a positive correlation with each ailment’s improvement.

So, the next time you are about to reach for an aspirin or Tylenol, instead try smelling a little lavender or peppermint.  Maybe you will be one of the lucky who sees a good result. And if it doesn’t work, well, at least you had a few seconds of a refreshing scent that is guaranteed to trigger a memory and bring a smile to your face.

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July 17, 2011 Seeing St. Augustine in Style

This past week I had the opportunity to join seven other dynamic women from my place of employment at the Florida Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing’s annual meeting in what I consider to be one of Florida’s most beautiful destinations: St. Augustine.  Situated in the Casa Monica Hotel, the convention was educational and a great bonding time for co-workers.  But the real treat was the location.

Casa Monica Hotel

The Casa Monica Hotel is a beautiful four-star hotel that reflects the heritage, culture and architectural history of Spanish-inspired St. Augustine.  With walls lined with incredible artwork, a stellar location across from Flagler College and incredible amenities, this hotel exceeded my expectations.  As is the entire city of St. Augustine, the Casa Monica was like stepping into an old European city.

An added bonus is that the hotel is one of the city’s greatest haunts.  In fact, it’s stated that the original owner, Fred Smith, is known to roam the halls of the fourth floor.  Thankfully, I was not treated to an introduction to Mr. Smith, but there were some strange noises in the middle of the night that did have me questioning whether ghosts do exist.

As breakout sessions wound down, I immediately left the hotel to venture out into historic St. Augustine.  (The pristine beach will have to wait for another visit.)  Founded by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, St. Augustine is probably best known for Ponce de Leon’s quest to find the Fountain of Youth in the same region.   Everything in St. Augustine reflects the dynamic Spanish culture, as well as the incredible wealth that the city once possessed.  Although the shopping has become much more touristy, with many of the artisans I remember from years ago now gone, the museums, tours and decor make up for the loss of these talented artists.

Flagler College in St. Augustine

Finally, because the convention I was attending provided our meals, I only had one opportunity to get out and sample the local fare.  May I strongly, highly, emphatically urge you to visit Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille.  A two-story restaurant situated on the Intracoastal, the restaurant boasts a beautiful outdoor courtyard, as well as fantastic vistas of the city and water.

Although the wine list was a tad limited, the menu was incredible and definitely had a New Orleans vibe.  I started with the She Crab Bisque, followed by Pasta Chicken Louisianne, blackened chicken over pasta in white mushroom cream sauce, per the recommendation of our gracious waiter.  I concluded the meal with a gorgeously flavored Bananas Foster.  All in all, a grand slam conclusion to a great three days in this wonderful town.

For more information, visit:

http://www.casamonica.com

http://www.augustine.com

http://www.hookedonharrys.com

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July 9, 2011 Deals of the Day!

With the revolution of the internet, and more specifically social media, we have become inundated with deals, specials and offers.  Programs like LivingSocial.com and Groupon.com are making millions by giving the average joe 50% off on restaurants, spas and other services (and please note that I am one of their many customers).  Then there are the hundreds–let’s be realistic, thousands–of customer rewards programs put in place by merchandisers.  Build up enough points (in other words, spend enough dough) and you’re eligible for everything from free movie tickets to store credits.

Normally I scoff at these programs, realizing the amount of cash I will need to spend and questioning the actual return on investment.  But every once in a while I stumble upon a program that just makes me smile.  Case in point: Sephora.  As a 30-something gal, I have my beauty regime and will be spending “x” amount of dollars on moisturizers, eye creams, scents and make-up regardless of a rewards program, which is why Sephora’s Beauty Insider program is so fabulous.  Example:

– For every dollar I spend, which as previously pointed out I would spend anyway, I earn points toward products selected by Sephora.  Choose to use those points immediately or let them accrue indefinitely.  I’m almost to 500 points and really looking forward to the amazing eye shadow kit I will most certainly get!

– Need some insider beauty tips?  How about details on the latest and greatest products?  As an Insider, you are signed up for Sephora’s catalogue that does more than push make-up and hair gels; it provides great advice and explanations…a must for any fashionista.

– Get a free birthday gift!  As an Insider, Sephora invites you to visit one of their retail locations anytime in your birthday month to get a free gift, and I can assure you it’s not chintzy.  Typically bubble bath, shower gel or some other skin care product, it’s not sample size and is always a great fragrance. 

– Promo codes.  Sometimes available to all Sephora customers, sometimes specific to Insiders, the checkout promo codes range from product samples to partnering offers.  Today I landed a FREE one-year subscription to ELLE magazine, and there are NO future obligations.  She shoots, she scores!

So, the next time you’re in Sephora, make sure to ask about their Beauty Insider program.   And check out my favorite new fragrance, LaVanila’s vanilla coconut…all natural, organic and not tested on animals.  PS. LaVanila has other vanilla-based fragrances, too!

PSS.  Free slurpies at 7/11 on 7/11…at least in Florida.  Hurray!

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June 27, 2011 Are You Ready to Sojourn with Stacey?

There is really nothing better than a vacation.  Just thinking about a v.k. puts you in a relaxed state.  But in contrast, the word “travel” can have quite the opposite effect.  Mention “air travel” and now you’ve gone from relaxed to stressed to all out panic.  But it doesn’t have to be that way!  Too often our independent natures and the belief that we can and should do everything on our own is largely what causes our should’ve been lazy days holiday to become a tactical nightmare.

I’ve become smarter than that through the help of a friend, who just happens to be trusty travel agent Stacey.  My rationale has become: why should I stress when she can do the worrying for me (no offense, girlie!)?  And another thing: all those travel agents who got relegated to the side with the boom of the Internet really do know all the best spots, get the best rates, etc.  Should I leave my European vacation to an online review, or do I belive the friend who’s been there, done that?

So, whether you’re planning to beach it in the Caribbean, do the Disney deal or cruise away to some foreign port, leave the planning to a pro…preferably my gal Stacey.  And make sure to check out her brand spankin’ new blog at http://sojournwithstacey.wordpress.com.  The self-described travel Yoda, this blog is sure to be packed with travel tips, destination ideas and more!

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June 13, 2011 Gaslight

There’s some funny business going on at South Florida gas stations, and I was one of the victims.  In many stations found in less than reputable neighborhoods (often off of I-95), there is a little ploy that is tricking motorists into thinking they’re about to fill up the tank at the cheapest rate seen on this side of the Sunshine State.  Unless extremely observant–and possessing better than 20/20 vision–what the driver will fail to see is that the advertised rate is for cash payment only.  Credit card payment is a higher cost, often 10 to 20 cents a gallon more expensive, and rarely displayed.  In other words, by some careful manipulation of store signage, owners are gaslighting their customers.

What, you may ask, is gaslighting?  Well, I wouldn’t know the answer to that question either except that as many of you know, I am a diehard “Young & the Restless” (Y&R) fan.  Every day I get home from work, flip open the laptop and bring up that day’s episode, courtesy of CBS.com.  It is my one true guilty pleasure.  This particular soap incorporates the gaslight phenomena into a storyline at least once every couple of years, thus my familiarity with the term.

Gaslighting, according to Wikipedia (I know, I know, not the most reliable of sources, but whatever; deal with it) is a form of psychological abuse in which false information is presented to the victim with the intent of making them doubt their own memory and perception. It may simply be the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents ever occurred, or it could be the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim.  The term is based off the Broadway play and movies from the early 1940s.

Now, clearly what these gas station are doing isn’t on the same level as what Y&R’s Adam did to poor Ashley, and certainly some stores’ advertising is very clear and upfront, but some are not so obvious–as I found out the hard way.  So, the lesson to be learned when driving through the Fort Lauderdale region is that if the price of that gas sounds to good to be true, it likely is…at least if you don’t have cash to pay with.  Here’s hoping you’re not gaslit the next time you and your credit card roll into that too convenient gas station.

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June 13, 2011 Tony’s Trainwreck

If you’ve been following me on Twitter tonight, you know that I did a rundown of the Tony Awards fashion nightmare.  A sad testament to red carpet glamour, it’s clear that these Broadway stars didn’t have the sense to make a call to Rachel Zoe or any fashion house’s PR team.  Perhaps the worst fashion showing of the year, here’s a recap of my observations:

Christie Brinkley: Here, she is, Miss America, circa 1985. http://t.co/vbCP16E
Ellen Barkin: Here comes the black widow spider. http://t.co/JkgSN6O
Marg Helgenberger: I got my dress of the prom rack at Macy’s! http://t.co/UJqIOjd
Chris Rock: I hear chin pubes are making a comeback. http://t.co/uS23kLG #Tonys
Tammy Blanchard: Joan Collins has nothing on me! http://t.co/mGSfeXy #Tonys
 
For the full rundown, follow me on Twitter @gatorjenns.   And give your feedback.  What did you think of tonight’s, errr, fashion?   

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