Tag Archives: irvine

Irvine Chamber Presents Mayor’s Luncheon

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I attended the Irvine Chamber of Commerce’s Business Luncheon with the Mayor at the Hyatt Regency Irvine on Tuesday, May 21st, 2013, as a guest of my friend Beth Fujishige, networker extraordinaire and owner of Paradise Perks Café in Irvine. The Annual luncheon is co-presented by the City of Irvine. According to Irvine Chamber President and CEO Tallia Hart, the event “ is an opportunity to inform and educate businesses on the power of the Irvine Community.”

Paradise Perks | Mayor's Luncheon

For the past two and a half years, I’ve worked in Irvine and I have to agree that the city is perfect for businesses to grow and thrive. The infrastructure is there for one, and there is also the support of the community and the city itself.

Business Luncheon with the Mayor | Irvine Chamber

Here’s a short Storify featuring tweets and photos from the event tagged #mayorsluncheon.


Spring Style Mixer: Affordable Women’s Fashion from DownEast Basics

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Recently, I was invited to attend the Spring Style Mixer for Downeast Basics, a clothing store at the Irvine Spectrum. The mixer gathered together a select group of bloggers for an evening of shopping. I had never visited the shop but I had friends who were raving about the place so I checked it out. Social media shopping mixers are always neat because looking at women’s fashion and shopping amongst friends is always fun.

Bloggers Shopping at Downeast Basics

Shelby of ocmomblog.com and I with Kara Noel of elislids.com photobombing in the background.

DownEast was founded in 1991, and is a privately held company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.  It is a lot like other fast-fashion stores with affordable clothing, that offer a mix of trendy items and clasic staples. According to a DownEast Basics representative, their ideal customer is “any woman who appreciates boutique style designs but wants it on a bargain basement budget!”

Hair Accessories at Downeast Basics

Kara Noel and I try out some hair accessories.

Of course, bargain prices don’t mean poor quality. In fact, I was impressed by the quality of the clothing. I was told that they get in new styles on a monthly basis to keep their inventory fresh.  They have some basic items that I thought were awesome (Hello, wonder t-shirt line – it’s got spandex much like spanx, a friend to women like me who need the extra help, if you know what I mean.)

Wonder Tees and more at DownEast Basics

Wonder Tees and more at DownEast Basics in Irvine

Swimsuit

Swimsuit for DownEast Basics Spring 2013 Collection. Photo courtesy of DownEast Basics.

Finally, you gotta love a store that connects with its customers via social media. Let me say, DE is all over it. They are on www.facebook.com/DownEastBasics, www.twitter.com/DownEastBasics, Pinterest: @DownEastBasics and Instagram: @DownEastBasics. You can also shop online at DownEast Basics online.

They are holding a Spring Styles Contest on Pinterest that ends on March 5th. One lucky winner will win a $500 shopping spree.

Pin It to Win It with DownEast Basics

Pin It to Win It with DownEast Basics

 

Celebrating Movies at Oscar Themed Party at Kimera

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I can count the number of times I went to a movie theater to watch a movie last year. Four. One was a girls’ night out (guess which movie?) and the other 3 times were all children’s films at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE WATCHING movies. But these days, taking the time out to actually “go to the movies,” is a bit challenging. So it comes as no surprise that I haven’t seen a single Oscar-nominated film.

I’m not totally out of the loop though, I will be attending the 5th Annual Red Carpet Oscar Viewing Party at Kimera Restaurant in Irvine. I went last year and it was fun. As far as red carpet party ideas go, Kimera knows its stuff. There was an actual red carpet and even a step and repeat banner where you could pose and have your picture taken. But what I really liked were the cocktails inspired by the nominated movies, and of course, the food was delicious.

Kimera_RedCarpet

Here are the details about the Party this year – you can still buy tickets!

“The Fifth Annual Red Carpet Gala Oscar party at Kimera will be held on February 24, from 4-10pm. The event starts with a lounge reception from 4-6pm followed by an elegant buffet dinner. There will be a silent auction and raffle ticket sales to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association.

Entertainment will include red carpet interviews, Dance “Short Performances” and prizes for best-dressed and other categories awarded by a panel of fashion experts.

$85 per person (tax and gratuity not included), VIP booths available starting at $100 per person. Space is limited, reservations required. Reservations at (949) 261 1222 and rsvp@kimerarestaurant.com.”

And on another note, Sunday’s event at Kimera will be extra special as it will be the restaurant’s last night at the location. The OC Business Journal reports that it has something to do with Google’s expansion at the Impac Center. I have many fond memories of Kimera and the awesome staff. Last year, I hosted my cousin J.A. Tan‘s Art Exhibit there. You can see the awesome photos from “Autism Night at Kimera” by photographer Albert Evangelista. Of course, I will always remember my bonding time with Team Kimera during the Alzheimer’s Walk at The District in Tustin. Three cheers for Kimera, give them some love on facebook.com/kimerarestaurant.

Kimera Red Carpet Oscars Viewing Party on Sunday

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As some of you readers may already know, I ‘m all about giving back. For example, I work for a company that has a whole department devoted to finding ways of giving back! But that’s a topic for another post. I do like to support philanthropic projects and events that not only give back but are also fun.

Two projects I am currently working on involve food and charity. I am participating in these projects by providing social media consulting and coaching, pr, and my cheerful disposition (and believe me, when dealing with huge projects as a volunteer, a cheerful disposition goes a long way!)

George Clooney and Brad Pitt, two actors who love to give back, are both nominated at the Oscars this year.

This Sunday, I will be live tweeting from the Red Carpet at Kimera Restaurant’s 4th Annual Red Carpet Event – Oscar Viewing Party, February 26th at 5pm.  I am not a big dress up kind of person myself but I do enjoy the movies, people watching and good food — which is why Kimera Restaurant and Lounge’s special Red Carpet Party to celebrate the Oscars is perfect.  The event will feature a red carpet entrance, a full buffet dinner, cocktails, ample viewing of the awards ceremony and a silent auction to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association of Orange County. There will also be a special appearance by Peggy Tanous, a former “Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member.  If you are on Twitter, follow these hashtags  #kimeraredcarpet #oscars

According to owner Karyn Ghoukassian, “This event provides an excellent opportunity to give back to the Alzheimer’s Association of Orange County, and it is our pleasure to support such a worthy cause in our community.”

Guests will be greeted at the event with the full red carpet treatment, complete with simulated media interviews and a fashion panel awarding attendees who are “best dressed,” among other categories. Inside, a full buffet, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres will complement the awards show displayed on screens throughout the restaurant. The cost for the event is $75 per person, (tax and gratuity not included) which includes one specialty cocktail, hors d’oeuvres, and a full dinner buffet. What a deal!

The second project I am volunteering for is the Taste of Huntington Beach on April 29th, 2012  for the benefit of the Children’s Library of Huntington Beach.  But I’ll tell you more about that next time. For more information about the Taste of HB, visit www.tastehb.com and facebook.com/tasteofhuntingtonbeach