Warner Bros. Joyful Noise + My Story

Joyful Noise, the new Warner Bros. movie starring Oscar nominees Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah, is an inspirational film filled with laughter, joy, music, hope, love, and renewal.

After the death of the town's choir director, Vi Rose Hill (Latifah), a single hardworking mother of two, is given the position, only to come face to face with G.G. Sparrow (Parton) a fiery, tried-and-true gal who wants to give the choir direction in the way she sees fit.

Their bumpy journey to win the National Joyful Noise Competition leads them on a path filled with many of life's rawest emotions, but if they can overcome their differences and find a common voice, Vi Rose, G.G., and the choir may make the most joyful noise of them all.

Joyful Noise is such a powerful film that it made me think of a strong woman in my life: my Mom, who lived her life with a quiet mission to bring hope, love, and kindness to others.

A bright, shining light amongst her family, friends, and church, my Mom maximized her heart's capacity on a daily basis by lending a helping hand to anyone in need, whether it be through children's and adult ministries, volunteering at organizations like Juvenile Diabetes Research, sending monthly care packages to our soldiers overseas, building homes in Mexico for the less fortunate, or cleaning the church's auditorium, bathrooms and classrooms, no task was too big or too small for her to give it all that she had.

Since her passing in 2007, not a day goes by that I don't come across an example of how my Mom's open heart and helping hands made an impact in someone's life, most specifically my own and the ways she motivated me to go above and beyond what is just expected.

In 2010, my Dad and Uncle traveled to Mexico to build a church in my Mom's honor, in hopes that her tenacious work ethic, unwavering faith, compassion for others, and loving spirit will continue to inspire.

Women like my Mom serve as a daily reminder to leave our pride at the door and offer the most simple yet powerful tool we were given: our hearts.

I hope that you will join me in seeing Joyful Noise and take a moment to reflect on how we can all be more inspiring women to our family, friends, communities, and most importantly, each other.

Now it's time to tell your story! Leave a comment and tell me about a special woman who's made a difference in your life and how she's inspired you.

Joyful Noise opens in theaters January 13th, but you can receive news and updates about the movie on the Warner Bros. Pictures Twitter and the film's Facebook!

Also check out the BlogHer.com Joyful Noise page to see what other bloggers thought of the movie.

Happy 2012 + Pretty Little Liars Premiere

Happy 2012! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with lots of love from family and friends. As I awoke this morning, I couldn't help but notice how refreshed and renewed I felt. I've spent the last week baking and cooking tons of gluten free, dairy free recipes that I've wanted to try for a while. Donuts, cookies, pizza, roasts, appetizers- you name it, I made it, and it was fabulous. However, our tummies are a bit full and I think the next few weeks shall be filled with soups and lighter meals of the sort.

- gluten free donut, pizza crust, and chewy chocolate chip cookie recipes to follow in the coming weeks -

Jumping quite a bit to another (but equally as exciting for me) subject: Pretty Little Liars premieres tonight at 8/7c on ABC Family. I'm ecstatic. I love this show. I believe I read that we will be finding out who 'A' is this season- any guesses? When I visited the Pretty Little Liars set last month, the set designers gave us a tour of all the girls' rooms which are located on the same sound stage. Each space was decorated to perfectly represent the character, and I loved seeing all of the bed linens, pillows, and decor accessories in each. Here are a few of my favorite design elements from their rooms:

The Eiffel tower lamp on the left and wallpaper on the right caught my eye.Perfection:

I adored the yellow lamp base and white wood lattice chair.

Tune in tonight at 8/7c on ABC Family for the Pretty Little Liars premiere! It's never to late to start watching. You'll be hooked immediately!

Wishing you all the best in 2012!

Brunch at Saks talks with Pastry designers Angela & Vanessa Simmons

-Angela Simmons with Brunch at Saks talking about her line Pastry-

Last night I attended a roller skating party presented by Pastry, the fabulous shoe line created and designed by Angela and Vanessa Simmons (daughters of hip hop legend Rev Run of RunDMC). I was able to talk with Angela and Vanessa before the party started, and I have to say, they were the sweetest girls. Here is our interview:

Three words to describe Pastry:

Angela and Vanessa: Sweet, chic, and unique.

What are you most excited about with the new Pastry line?

V: We're excited to be expanding the brand and offering accessories like iPad cases, bracelets, and tees.

Do you have any beauty secrets for getting ready to walk the red carpet:

A: Confidence!

V: Yes- confidence!

A: Being confident in yourself is the best beauty tip there is.

What brands do you both wear?

V: We wear anything, really. We shop everywhere so there's no particular brand we wear more than others.

A: I like Marc Jacobs -

V: Topshop is a great place to shop at! You don't have to spend a lot to look cute.

Anything fun on your Christmas wish list?

V: I think I'm just looking forward to spending time with family. Since we work so much it's just nice to be with them during the holidays.

A: An iPad 2!

V: Oh and maybe someone to buy me a new car! No, I'm joking. Just family time.

Thank you for time.

A: Nice meeting you. Have fun!

V: Of course. Thank you for keeping it simple- we appreciate that! Have fun!

Overall the event was super fun. Nick Cannon and Conner Cruise (Tom's son) DJ'd and it was so nice getting to know such down to earth, positive, and empowering women.

Click below for more photos.

-talking with Angela & Vanessa Simmons about Pastry -

Pretty Little Liars Fashion Event + Season DVD Giveaway

A few Los Angeles bloggers and myself went to the set of ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars at Warner Bros and were given the opportunity to meet the show's costume designer, Mandi Line. We all gathered on the set used for the show's classroom scenes, where each girl's wardrobe was on display for us to pull out and look at. The clothes were incredible, to say the least. From Marc Jacobs tops to H&M jackets, Betsey Johnson jewelry to leopard booties, each wardrobe contains an array of deliciously selected pieces that Mandi buys from stores around Los Angeles. After talking with Mandi we toured the rest of the sound stage, which holds sets of the girl's bedrooms, bathrooms, and the school hallway. It was such a fun night- thank you to Warner Bros. TV for inviting me to such a cool event. Now I'm even more excited for the new season, which premiere's Monday, Jan. 2 at 8/7c on ABC Family.

GIVEAWAY: On the way out they handed us a gift bag, which contained Pretty Little Liars Season 1 DVD that I would love to giveaway to one of you! Be sure you're a follower of Brunch at Saks (far right column) and leave a comment below. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced Monday, December 12th.

- with Ian Harding of Pretty Little Liars -

Pretty Little Liars links I'm loving: @ABCFpll - Facebook - ABC Family

*disclosure: this is not a compensated post, nor was my time at the event. this is not a sponsored giveaway. all opinions expressed are personal only*

*photos by Brunch at Saks*

Gossip Girl by Romeo + Juliet Couture

Last Thursday a few Los Angeles bloggers and myself attended the launch party for the the new line Gossip Girl by Romeo + Juliet Couture at the Writer's Room in Hollywood and it was so much fun. Gossip Girl has been a part of my Monday night routine since the day it premiered (seriously, I don't go anywhere on Monday's at 8pm when it airs unless it's an emergency!) so I was ecstatic seeing this collection. The line features everything you would see Serena, Blair, and others wearing, including tops, leggings, dresses, handbags and more. Thank you to Romeo + Juliet Couture for the tops and a fabulous event. Here are some of my favorite pieces from the collection:

How gorgeous are these pieces?! You can shop this collection at Kitson LA here.

Be sure to tune in to Gossip Girl on Monday night's at 8/7c for even more stunning fashion!

GG links I love: Facebook - Twitter: @CW_Network (Seriously- if you love GG, Vampire Diaries, Hart of Dixie, etc. follow them! Fun tweets, photos, clips, etc!)

*This was not a compensated post, nor was my time at the event. Everything expressed is personal opinion only.

Sachin + Babi Collection Preview at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills

This morning I attended a preview event at Neiman Marcus for Sachin + Babi's upcoming collections and it was so much fun. The fabulous pr team at Neiman's greeted visitors on the third floor and then we were able to look at the clothes, pull the looks from the racks, and talk with Babi about her newest pieces. The collection boasts glistening sequins, beautiful hues of navy, creams, and a few vibrant colors, and can easily be taken from day to night with a quick swap of shoes, jacket and accessories. I asked Babi where she derives inspiration for new designs and she explained that it comes from a variety of places: books, movies, travels, hobbies, and everything in between. A few of my favorite pieces among the racks were the Gracie Combo Coat, Margo Leather Accent Pencil Skirt, the Marilyn Combo Dress (seen on model below left), and the Silk Chiffon Sequin dress (seen on model below right) just to name a few.

Babi looked stunning. She was is in Sachin + Babi's Sequined Fleece Sweater and the Margot Leather Pencil Skirt. Oh, and she had the cutest shoes on! Wish I had a pic of those.

To see more of Sachin + Babi's collection (including jewelry), go here, here, or here.

Thank you to Neiman Marcus and Sachin + Babi for including Brunch at Saks at your event. Looking forward to your newest collection!

*This is not a compensated post, nor was my time spent at the event.

Hart of Dixie Fashion Event - Rachel Bilson & costume designer Meredith Pollack talk fashion

- photos by Brunch at Saks -

Last night a few LA bloggers and myself attended an event at Warner Bros. studios which introduced the fashion and accessories that will be seen on Rachel Bilson and Jaime King's new show, Hart of Dixie, premiering Monday, Sept. 26th on the CW. The event was a small gathering and took place on a sound stage used to film the show's bar scenes, which I thought was really cool. The set was decked out with racks of gorgeous clothes, jewelry, shoes, and handbags on either end; one side was the wardrobe of city-girl Zoe (Rachel), and the other side of country girl Lemon's (Jaime). The night began with Hart of Dixie's costume designer, Meredith Pollack, and Rachel sitting down for a Q&A session, where they discussed everything from the meaning behind the wardrobes to where Rachel personally likes to shop. Here are a few fun tidbits I took away from the Q&A:

- Meredith gathers clothes and accessories for the actors from a variety of places, including vintage shops in LA, like Polka Dot & Moonbeams, as well as mainstream stores like J.Crew.
- Since Rachel spends most of her time on set filming, she is a huge fan of online shopping. Net-A-Porter and Piperlime are among her favorites.
- Meredith likes to mix both high and low -end pieces, and shops for deals on sites like Gilt Group.
- Rachel is similar to her character Zoe in terms of style, although she does like to mix in vintage pieces to her everyday wear, like long long dresses and sweaters.
- Rachel mentioned she just bought a ton of chunky sweaters online for fall, as she loves layering clothes this time of year.
-Towards the end Rachel reversed the Q&A and asked all of us if we had bought anything from the Missoni for Target collection last week. She said out of everything, she really wanted one of the Missoni pieces of luggage, which surprised me!

-Rachel & Meredith talk Hart of Dixie fashion, accessories, and shoes during the Q&A -

- jewelry worn by Lemon (Jaime King). J.Crew baubles, pearls, etc. -

- Valentino lace and stud open-toe pumps worn by Zoe (Rachel Bilson) -

- Rachel & me -

Thank you to the CW and Hart of Dixie for including Brunch at Saks in your event. And it was so nice meeting you Annabel Manners, Join the Gossip, and Nautical by Nature!

*This is not a compensated post, nor was my attendance at the event. Everything expressed is personal opinion only.

Click below for more photos

- kate spade ny 'Charm' heels worn by Lemon. noticing a difference in Zoe and Lemon's wardrobe yet?! -

HGTV's Chip Wade Gives 'Brunch at Saks' Design Tips

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking over the phone with HGTV's Design to Sell and Curb Appeal: The Block host/contractor, Chip Wade, during his media tour for Levolor at Lowes. He was gracious enough to share some great tips for accessorizing smaller spaces efficiently, how to avoid three major design mistakes while making over a room, and so much more!


*The interview was also filmed (I'm not in it- just my voice which bugs me out!) from an actual living room Chip designed, so if you would like to see Chip answer my questions, click here.

What are some ways to accent and accessorize a small space without overdoing it?

This is a great, common question I get a lot from people who live in apartments. You don't want to spend too much money because it's a temporary place, but at the same time it needs to feel like home. Getting comfortable furniture never goes out of style and can be something you take with you. It doesn't have to be the most expensive because you are going to be moving it around and there is a potential things can get damaged. But comfort is vital in a place like an apartment that can often feel estranged. Having something comfortable that makes you feel like home- those are the types of items that I always recommend for places like condos or apartments.

Reinventing a space can be overwhelming. What are the top three design mistakes people tend to make when trying to makeover a room?

One of the biggest things is color. Starting with a paint color first can often lead you down a dead end road, so start looking at the more permanent pieces like your furniture and some of your larger, more expensive accent pieces. Choose your color palate from that to pick your paint color.
Another thing people do is bringing too much stuff into a space. I know it's so, so tempting to want to pack all the things you love into one room, but it can really kill the design and functionality of the room. Leave adequate walk spaces and don't over clutter with furniture. The final thing you need to be very cognizant of is keeping things coordinated, so those pieces that you have that are costly- you want to make sure they go together so you don't have a couch that really contrasts the style. So these permanent items need to all flow together- whether it be furniture, window treatments, or paint color.

How can something as simple as adding window treatments change a room?

This room before had really ill-fitting blinds and the furniture didn't really go together, so the whole room was disjointed. Just by adding new blinds from Levolor [these are called a custom-size now blind that you can get at Lowes, cut to fit your window] it completely fills the window. Often times blinds are just too big, or just too small because they come in incremental sizes. These you can measure whatever your window is and they will cut them for you, free, while you wait, at any Lowes store. You can go there today, pick them up, come right home and have some fabulous looking, custom shades in your home. They come in a lot of different styles- also in a very dense, room darkening shade that doesn't allow for any light. They're also great for media rooms where you want to shut light out.

One of your design tips is to turn something old into something new for a practical DIY Project. What are the latest DIY trends?

There's a lot of trends- re-purposing is a huge thing that transcends beyond just turning something old into something new. You can also do things with pre-fabricated pieces that are typically less expensive, making them your own and custom for your space. In this room, this cabinet was made from the wood that was on the floor. The homeowner actually pulled these floors up, and re-purposed the nice, old hardwood into a functional media cabinet. They didn't throw them away, and they didn't go into a landfill, but rather, they created something with actual value.

Tell us about the easiest home decor improvement that can make the biggest impact in changing the style or mood of a room.

Simply adding the right type of furniture in a space can drastically change something overnight. Just like I was talking about the window treatments, which is something fast and easy you can get right at the store, you can also get custom furniture. This is a Henredon couch, that I found online, picked the custom upholstery, style, arm arrangement, and the configuration of the lounge. Whatever it is you like, you can completely customize something, order it, and have it delivered to your home. This really puts a lot of power in the homeowners hands to be very versatile and customized on a budget.

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Thank you, Chip!

You can see him on Curb Appeal: The Block every Saturday at 9:30PM EST on HGTV