May 3rd, 2007

A League of our Own...

Ocean breeze, prominent Orange County folks and one of Orange County's most prestigious golf courses unite for a good cause. This past month Junior League of Orange County hosted "Golf Tournament by the Sea," to raise funds for a host of Orange County organizations at the luxurious Monarch Beach Golf Links. Hard working ladies such as Laurel Murray, Michelle Mokri, Dana McCollum, and Renee Polk are committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. More than golfing by the sea, these charitable golfers "swung" at a chance to win the highest bid for a range of items from shopping sprees to a private chef and a Hawaiian vacation. Committee member Melissa Leasure mentioned that golfers even saw whales from one of the holes! The tournament, organized by event chair Mara Hampton with the help of committee members Beth Brown, Darcy Lewis, Shanna Siegel, and Julie Leigh to name a few, concluded with dinner at the resort where participants such as Michael Jospeh, Kathy Bihr, and Todd Bisbocci enjoyed an Italian buffet with live music. New JLOC members Kristen Wohl and Erin Herrel mentioned that supporters went home with a full day of sunshine, sports, socializing, and even complimentary Nike Golf Wear and a goody bag filled with treats from local and national retailers. Stay tuned for more JLOC events that help build and strengthen our community. Can 't loose being a player in this league!

Friends, family... and even dogs!

Sunshine, awareness, and support are the powerful ingredients that made this year 's MS Walk at UCI a success. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society puts on the event every year to raise funds to make a difference in lives of the people affected by multiple sclerosis (MS). Seen participating were Elsa Yasukawa,Taryn Coleman, Nancy Coleman, Rick Coleman, Stephanie Jacobs, and Josefa Rivera with Ali and Gretchen Steinbroner, whom were all part of Kent Barkouras's team who joined for an active and impacting morning.

No Walking Away from Here...

Walking and talking coupled with fine wine and fine art! The perfect way to start off the month and lead your way into the weekend is Laguna Beach 's Annual Art Walk, which occurs the first Thursday of every month. The art walk is an evening to definitely be seen out and about, and run into friends from around town. Along for the evening were Kim Troxel and her lovely "furry friend" Fred, who strolled through the numerous galleries that helped put the fabulous artistry of Laguna Beach on the map. The evening begun at a private reception with Annette van der Laan showcasing artist Georgeana Ireland unveiling her latest painting called "Splash" at Azali Gallery. Soon followed was a live demonstration of the artist's art creation by the window.

Now time to walk! Our first stop was speaking with local watercolor artist Judy Laschober. Where does she get her inspiration from? "My watercolors are based from my experiences in Japan," says Las-chober. Accompanying the lovely painted pieces were Japanese Haikus. Grabbing dinner nearby before making their way through were Laguna Beach locals Zac Smith and Emily Murray showing Shana Murray from Napa a taste of Orange County. The walk continued to artist Daniel Du Plessis who spoke about some of his exquisite art pieces that he explains are "like a fading memory" and "part of a dream sequen-ce". If the art pieces weren't enough, there was a live yoga exhibit by well-known yoga expert "John". All in all, nothing like enjoying art, good weather, and some mellow exercise!

Beyond the Frame...

For some people, trolling around a museum may not be fun and tough to stay quiet. For others, paintings speak a thousand words. That it did at a popular Corona del Mar nightspot recently when Chapman University alum Chris Moghaddam thought it would be a good idea to gather local artists, quality music, delicious cuisine, and friends for a night of art viewing, dancing, and socializing, all without the museum. "I wanted to expose new, up and coming artists, and for people to have a good time, " Chris says about the art show event. A collection of witting and amusing bright colors, earth tones, and stunning pictures, young, local artists Eric Vosseller, Carver Young, Matt Hoover, and Brad Lim were showcased. Taking a peak at the art were Megan Petrik, Kaley Nix, and Kate Youngloveis. Also catching up with friends were Brady O'Connell, Ryan Cook, and Jon Luke DelFante...who even ended up buying an art piece!

Big Crowd, Big Surf...and Big Award!

This past month beach locals and top ocean athletes from around the world met up for Billabong 's seventh annual celebration of the greatest achievements in the sport of big wave surfing. The exclusive XXL gala event took place at the Grove Theater in Anaheim. "The participation levels are at an all time high, and with the introduction of the XXL Ride of the Year category there is an all-time level of buzz, " stated Graham Stapelberg who also mentioned, "This premier event provides a guaranteed opportunity and platform for all qualified big wave riders around the world to be showcased each and every year. "

If the video footage of the huge waves didn't get your jaws dropping, then the lovely cash prize for the winners did! Orange County brothers and fellow surfers Greg and Rusty Long were key contenders. Newport residents Jeff Zettle, Tom Linovitz, Mike Vernick, Evan Slavik, and Kim Shinner who usually have their eye on the surf had their eye on the screen. I won't lie; it felt nice to be on land and watch from afar because the waves these surfers (including ladies) caught were "gnarly!"

A Piece of History...for your own home?!

World of Decor's Spring Auction Extravaganza is definitely a world of its own, bringing back old world into present day with the best of unique treasures purveyed from around the globe. A feast for your eyes as the auction includes palatial furniture, which occupied the interior of castles from yesteryear, architectural fountains, artifacts that adorned the walls of stately mansions to the rare lifetime collection of dinosaur fossils from a renowned paleontologist. Sounds like shopping at a museum! But it 's more than an auction, A World of Decor auction is an event like none other with fine food, wine, and even entertainment by Grammy-award winning Tavares, and Jay & The Techniques. Who knows what you'll come home with, but regardless it's a unique story to tell to house guests. Now that's something to talk about! For more info, visit www.WODauction.com.

TGIF!

Having recently completed an extensive $32 million makeover, the all-new Fairmont Newport Beach is ready to stand out in the crowd with their "Fairmont Fridays" every Friday evening! It starts off at the hotel's bambu Lounge and then spills out into the restaurant area for extra room to dance and mingle amongst the classy crowd and deluxe atmosphere. "If it's Friday, it's the Fairmont," said Randy Zupanski. Live music from Gerald Ishibashi and the Stonebridge Band, performing today's hits as well as classic favorites, and weekly guest-star appearances add flavor to the mix. You just might need to cool off and take a peak at the newly designed "sky pool deck" from all the dancing and live music!

Forget the Cake & Candles--Celebrate by Wine Tasting!

You are a victim of a friend's last-minute birthday dinner. So you stop to pick up the last-minute bottle of wine, and show up at the dinner table with an unimpressive Char-donnay. Well, to fix that, a day of wine tasting could help you not find yourself in this embarrassing situation again. Birthday lady Kendall Coleman taught her friends Allison Nowell, Shelby Pollard, and Danielle Muschetto a lesson or two by taking them wine tasting in the beautiful Napa Valley of Northern California. For starters, wine tasting teaches you proper wine etiquette, such as tips that will impress your fancy friends --the ones that actually swirl and sniff before they guzzle. By the end of the day you will be able to smell the plums and berries in your glass that make a Merlot so soft. And since wine and food are two things you cannot live without, wineries even give you food pairing ideas, recipes, and tasting notes. Not sure what to order with a foi gras, or a lobster salad? A lesson from wine tasting will help. Besides the lesson itself, there are many wineries to choose from. For a more exclusive winery, try Napa 's up and coming Thrive Winery from the Diamond and Howell mountain region of Napa with high end wines made exclusively from the mountain vines. If you visit Fluery, you will gather in the room filled from corner to corner with barrels. You will taste wine from a barrel and be wine educated by "barrel tasting Mike," the host.