Photos - 2012 People's Choice Awards Best, Worst Dressed Looks

Pops of color, not-so-basic black and white, and hints of leather and lace dominate the fashion on the 2012 People's Choice Awards Best Dressed lists. (Photos)

LOS ANGELES - Pop star Katy Perry often takes to her Twitter feed to tell fans - "Katycats" - how much she loves them - and tonight, the people proved that they love her, too. The sensational starlet picked up the most awards at the 38th Annual People's Choice Awards, winning in five categories including favorite female artist and song of the year.

Photos - 2012 People's Choice Awards winners in fashion - Best, Worst Dressed List

Although Perry cancelled her scheduled appearance at the fan-voted fete in the media frenzy following the recent news of her impending divorce from British rocker Russell Brand, the CBS broadcast featured a red carpet that read like a "Who's Who?" of young Hollywood: Lea Michele, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Nina Dobrev, Ashley Greene, Vanessa Hudgens, Julianne Hough, and other fashion-forward starlets, making the 2012 People's Choice Awards Best Dressed List a tough one to make.

Official People's Choice sponsored video of host Kaley Cuoco opening the 38th Annual People's Choice Awards, including Neil Patrick Harris.

Staged for fashion

Performer Demi Lovato looked both amazing and age-defying in a sultry Marchesa gown on the red carpet, broadcast from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live!

Host and star of "The Big Bang Theory," Kaley Cuoco, chose a soft pastel pink Badgley Mischka gown which was perfect for the occasion.

What did Kristen Bell, Kelly Osbourne and the rest of the A-listers wear? Continue reading the article here: Fashion recap and photos of these stars and more!

xoxo
J

New South Tampa concept restaurants? Yes, please!

Looking forward to a few new South Tampa restaurants, developed and conceptualized by current Ciro's Speakeasy and former Ceviche owner Gordon Davis. And the best part is the plan to use lots of locally sourced food beginning with Sweetwater Organic Community Farm!

From the article: "'We'll source seafood from the gulf, and sustainably raised pork from the Odessa area. We'll have to look outside the area for our beef and lamb,' concedes Davis."

Read the full story here: Two high-profile restaurants to open in Tampa this month - Tampa Bay Times

I love the concept of locally sustained, organic food being served in high-profile, trendy dining establishments. Tampa is an active community of people serving the purpose of sustainable energy, "going green," and other tree-hugger-esque activities, and I want it to keep growing in that direction. Cool kids, please start recycling!

People's Choice Awards: Worst Dressed Fashion Spotlight

In just a few short weeks, the People's Choice Awards 2012, hosted by the adorable Kaley Cuoco, will air on CBS from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

The night is one where artists in music, television, and movie industries all come together to thank you, the fans, for choosing them to be recognized in the fan-voted awards show. And, as always, the night will be fraught with fashion hits and misses.

Let's take a look back at some of the worst dressed looks from the 2011 People's Choice Awards.

View Photo Slideshow: People's Choice Awards Worst Dressed Fashion

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Fashion Spotlight, People's Choice Awards

Fashion Spotlight: 2012 Grammy Award Nominees

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards appear a lot closer on this side of Christmas. The show that pays tribute to music's biggest names will air at 8 PM on CBS February 12, 2012, broadcast from the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live.

With nods to Adele, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and many more larger than life performers, the event should be a spectacle to behold. Although the glory of the award has been somewhat diminished by the more coveted invitation to perform live at the event, it should still be a good battle to the finish. And while there are sure favorites among the nominees on the musical side of things, the night's biggest upsets and most exclusive takeaways are sure to be found among the fashion on the red carpet.

Continue reading on Examiner.com

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It's Christmastime in the City: New York Photo Journal

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, in the most wonderful city in the world!

Well, perhaps that second point is up for debate to some, but for me, it’s the best. There is definitely a special place in my heart reserved for New York City .

I’m from New Jersey, born and bred only a couple of hours away from the Big Apple. I grew up anticipating day trips to New York- the view of the magnificent skyline across the Hudson River as we approached on the Northbound Interstate; my first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, tiny in the distance; the long, dark confines of the Holland Tunnel, tail lights in every direction—and then, popping out the other side in the middle of TriBeCa and SoHo, instantly surrounded by the city. The people, the taxis, the height of the buildings, the noise in the streets.

It’s a rush.

Don’t get me wrong; the country can be beautiful, peaceful, natural, and safe. But there is something about the energy of a city, especially New York City, that just makes you feel alive.

After years of visiting mainstay New York destinations like Fifth Ave., Times Square, and Rockefeller Plaza with family, I finally got to experience staying in the city on my own. Well, with my boyfriend. It was a six-day, five-night whirlwind, beginning with check-in at the Waldorf=Astoria on Park Avenue (lobby pictured on left) and concluding in a visit to Central Park on our last afternoon in the city. All with non-stop activity in between.

There is so much to see in New York City, especially at this time of year. Storefronts are decorated with extravagant displays, like the Saks window display pictured below. I was amazed by the mechanical, intricate displays in windows like Bergdorf’s and the Lego store in the Theatre District, too.

My aunt, uncle, and cousins came up to visit for a day. The kids are 9 and 11, but they trooped through that city like champions, marveling at the decor in the streets, jumping on the subway like pros, and keeping up at crosswalks. So don’t necessarily let having young children deter you from taking a trip there if you really want to go.

After an adventure navigating the subways in search of the perfect NYC lunch, we refreshed ourselves with caffeine (on a side note, it does not seem pleasant to work at a city Starbucks during the holidays. Poor things).

Next, we headed to the largest public library in North America, the New York Public Library, where there is a currently a display "Celebrating 100 Years," which contains library treasures.

These included John Audubon’s oversized sketchbook, full of his original bird drawings; the 1514 edition of Dante’s Divine Comedy; Virginia Woolf’s walking stick and e.e. cumming’s typewriter; and a prompt copy of Charles Dickens David Copperfield; just to name a few things. The entire collection was a showcase of world literary, social, and political history.

The photo to the right is a shot of my boyfriend and me in one of the original halls of the library, which was established in 1902.

Oh, another side note - I love random bits of history.

Exploring Central Park was another aspect of New York City that I wanted to spend a little more time on during this trip.

We wandered deep into the Park and saw the Belvedere Castle, Strawberry Fields (the John Lennon tribute located at Central Park West near the apartment Lennon lived in before his tragic death), the Turtle Pond, and many other sights and sounds.

Despite claims that NYC is a concrete jungle, there was bountiful, beautiful greenery all around us in Central Park, as evidenced below. In fact, there were a lot of little bits of nature sprinkled throughout the areas of the city that we visited.

Rockefeller Plaza Christmas TreeAnd of course, no trip to the city is complete without stopping by to see the massive Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza, where it stood twinkling high above the crowded ice skating rink. This year, the tree was as big and as crowded as ever before.

We actually headed over around midnight one night to get an unencumbered view. Walking through a very safe section of New York so late at night, with fake snow etched into the corner of every window and white lights shining in the trees around us, made it feel like a true winter wonderland.

In the Air There’s a Feeling of Christmas

New York is a magical place to visit at this time of year, no matter where you are from. The diversity of an afternoon walking from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Financial District, where we saw the base of the new Freedom Tower, over to TriBeCa and then into Chinatown and Little Italy, felt like the combined efforts of all the other cities I’ve been to, wrapped up into one.

Of course, it felt more like Christmas in the commercial midtown arena of shopping and subway destinations, but the overall excitement of being in the city for the holidays was apparent everywhere.

I hope to go back soon, and my pipe dream is to go back to stay! In the meantime, holiday visits like this will have to suffice.

If you have not been to NYC at this time of year, I encourage a visit. Sightseeing, countless museums, plays on Broadway, the Empire State Building, and the Rockette’s “Christmas Spectacular” are just a few more of the reasons to go, especially in December. Oh, and the food. We ate everywhere from a Giants-loving sports bar to a fancy hotel restaurant to a hot dog cart in Battery Park to a NY style pizza counter.

See full article and additional photos on icraft.ca.

xoxo,
Justine

Crafter Interview - Naturally by Denise creates art from "the beauty that surrounds us" - via my iCraft Blog

It was only natural that Denise Wandt would develop a lifelong love of creating art from recycled, rustic, and, well, natural materials.

“For as long as I can remember,” the owner of Naturally by Denise explains, “I have been coloring, painting, putting together scenes with rocks and twigs, or building cute houses and furniture for my dolls.

Art has always been a part of my life.”

For Denise, medium was no matter. Sticks, stones, shells, or sewing thread – she works with it all. “In school,” she recalls, “I could always be found in the art room working on something. It was my favorite place to be and fellow students and teachers always encouraged me.”

An early love of nature coupled with a creative side mean a future as an artist is a no-brainer, right? Well, not exactly. Although Denise has had an art studio since the 1980’s, her vision has not been a full-time venture.

“You know how life can take up most of your time.”

Does Denise find time to fulfill her passions? Read the rest of this Feature Interview on my iCraft.ca blog.

xoxo,
Justine

[Photo Credit: Naturally by Denise via iCraft.ca]

Photos!

Order your original Amor Fati Photography by 12/17 to receive by Christmas ---> Amor Fati Photography on Etsy






xoxo,
Justine

A-list fashion on red carpet at The Trevor Project's Annual Trevor LIVE [Photos]

HOLLYWOOD- Some of the year's most influential figures in social change were honored Sunday at The Trevor Project’s annual benefit “Trevor Live” at the Hollywood Palladium, presented by Audi of America and ING. Lady Gaga and Google Inc were presented with awards from the LGBT community during the star-studded evening event.

View the looks from the Annual Trevor LIVE red carpet and performances.

See Miley Cyrus' LIVE performance at the 2011 Trevor Live event at the Hollywood Palladium.

The group is the nation’s leader in providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) young people, according to thetrevorproject.org. And last night, Hollywood showed a dedication to the cause by attending the red carpet event in true A-list fashion.

Continue reading on Examiner.com A-list fashion on red carpet at The Trevor Project's Annual Trevor LIVE [Photos] - Tampa Bay Consignment Fashion | Examiner.com

xoxo,
Justine

LaFrance brings Christmas consignment cheer to Ybor City

TAMPA- It's the most wonderful time of the year.

Just ask the residents of Ybor City and the surrounding neighborhoods in Tampa Bay. When wreaths are strung through Centro Ybor and lights twinkly even more merrily around lamp poles on 7th Ave., everyone knows that Christmas is in the air.

Consignment fashion in Tampa Bay turns up the holiday spirit

With local residents enjoying tree-lighting ceremonies in Hyde Park Village, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, and Ybor City's own square, Tampa Bay is no stranger to holiday festivities. The town even boasts an ice skating rink in the park along the Hillsborough River- despite the coastal balmy temperature we experience most days.

Click here to view a slideshow of the seasonal storefront at LaFrance in Ybor City.

Continue reading on Examiner.com LaFrance brings Christmas consignment cheer to Ybor City - Tampa Bay Consignment Fashion | Examiner.com

[Photo Slideshow] American Country Awards: Best & Worst dressed fashion recap

The Second Annual American Country Awards will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on Monday, December 5th, 2011. Hosted by Trace Adkins and Kristen Chenowith, the fan-voted awards show will air at 8pm ET on FOX and highlight the year's best and brightest stars in country music, including 2010 Artist of the Year Carrie Underwood.

Rate the Red Carpet at the 2010 American Country Awards Best Dressed fashion [Photo Slideshow]

The Second Annual American Country Awards winners in fashion will likely hit this season's high notes of metallics, structure, and a sleeker look in hair and makeup. Men will keep to their country roots, but tailoring and footwear is crucial.

Overall, the 2011 ACA red carpet will be full of country music's biggest names, so the two-hour special should be a fashion hit.

Continue reading on Examiner.com American Country Awards: Best dressed fashion recap [Photos] - Tampa Bay Consignment Fashion | Examiner.com

xoxo,
Justine

Photo Credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images via Examiner.com