THE RECORDING ACADEMY AWARDS ANNOUNCED By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: WireImage.com As 2011 comes to a close, there are those individuals that we have lost this year that impacted our lives in so many ways. With the 54th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS coming up on February 12, 2012, one such person will be honored with ...

GLAMOUR 'WOMEN OF THE YEAR' AWARDS 2011 By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.glamour.com, Huffington Post As we are quickly approaching the end of another year, this quarter had some memorable events that we can't let slip by without mentioning. November 7th was a big evening at Carnegie Hall in New York City. ...

Justin Hines - A Positive Inspiration By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.justinhines.com, my space - Justin Hines When life seems to be getting you down, there could be no better medicine than to listen to the inspirational music of Justin Hines. Recently, I was introduced to the story of Justin Hines when ...

The Death of the North Korean Leader By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Reuters Powerful North Korean leader, Kim Jong II, the ruler with the Iron Fist, has died at the age of 69. Sources are revealing that while on a train to give field guidance this past Saturday, Jong-il had a heart ...

MOMA Premiere of Madonna's W.E. By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Just Jared and www.zimbio.com It appears that Madonna is back in the spotlight again. This time she is traveling across the continent for the premiere of her new movie, W.E., a film that she has directed and starring Abbie Cornish and Andrea ...

Iraq War Comes to an End By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Getty Images For almost nine year, U.S. troops have been battling Iraq in a war with no limits and a constant reminder to us back in the United States of the brave men and women that serve and defend our great country. This ...

Vera Wang Enters the World of Menswear By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Website, Kohl's, Zimbio Accomplished fashion designer and native New Yorker, Vera Wang, has drive, ambition and most of all a very special sense of her clients' needs. She has mastered style and dabbled in a number of successful ...

The Unspoiled Queen of the Caribbean By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: TripAdvisor All across the world there are special places considered to be dream destinations. A world of beauty beyond belief that captivates your soul and hypnotizes your mind. Time begins to stand still for a matter of days or weeks. Saba ...

Tash Folds Launches Again By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Natashia Tomek This past summer, Natashia Tomek took South Beach by storm with Tash Folds at Salon Allure during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim. Her innovative and adorable flats are just what every woman searches for in a comfortable fitting shoe and the perfect accessory for ...

Counting Down to the Iowa Caucus By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: A/P, Getty Images The campaigns are heating up as we count down to within three weeks of the caucuses. As Herman Cain pulls out of the running, he paved the way for former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich to climb ahead in the polls. ...

Event Planning at its Best By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Curtis Smith Photography A wedding is one of the most anticipated experiences in life. It requires extensive preparation and planning in order to make it a memorable event. While exciting and gratifying, it can also be extremely stressful. There is one wedding ...

92Y - Grow Through Exploration By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.92y.org, www.zimbio.com New York City is filled with cultural diversity. It is the place where people come together to share and grow through the arts. 92Y can make that happen. With concerts, classes, programs, lectures, readings and so much more, ...

Holiday Preview at La Perla By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: zimbio.com, www.fashionwindows.net Trend-setting Madison Avenue in New York City was the setting for a very charitable event that took place on Tuesday evening, December 6th. La Perla, a respected name in Italian luxury intimate apparel, swimwear and pret a porter, celebrated the evening as ...

Shopping at the pop-up mall By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Studio55 There is a new concept in shopping that has revolutionized London. The new BOXPARK is the first pop-up mall in the world giving shoppers a variety of over 60 labels. It is easy to visit located next to the underground ...

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Bob Landry, Getty Images Today marks the 70th anniversary of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Aside from the attacks of 9/11, this was one of the worst attacks in history. Eight battleships were attacked of which 2 were destroyed. Over ...

Charlize Theron's Heart of Gold By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Facebook - Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project Actresses are not born overnight. It takes a particular drive, determination and ambition to be the best. But you also have to have talent in your blood. Charlize Theron is one such actress. She ...

Michael Kors Goes Public By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: fashionweekdaily.com, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Website Well respected designer, Michael Kors, is preparing for Fall 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week but he is also preparing for what could be labeled as a historic event in the fashion world. Kors is the most recent designer heading ...

Employment Situation for November By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger It's hard to believe that 2011 is coming to a close. On December 2nd, November Employment results were released. As was expected, progress is still slow but the addition of jobs is improving and the pace still begs for enrichment in the current ...

Student Academy Awards By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the 2012 Student Academy Awards Competition is now underway. The students of today have fresh new ideas and innovative approaches to filmmaking. The Student Academy Awards were established in 1972 by the Academy to promote, encourage ...

The Elegant Collections of Rania Hatoum By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Rania Hatoum Every bride looks forward to the day that her dream becomes a reality. There is one bridal designer that is like a star in the night sky sparkling brighter than the rest. Rania Hatoum is a young and culturally diverse ...

Own a Part of Elizabeth Taylor's Memory By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Getty Images Elizabeth Taylor will always be remembered as one of the greatest actresses and stunning beauties of our time. Throughout her lifetime, she accumulated a mass of fans and followers. Now the famous auction house of Christie's is giving all ...

WORLD AIDS DAY By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Denver Post December 1st is symbolic as WORLD AIDS DAY. It is recognized all over the globe and well-known celebrities such as Bono, Christy Turlington Burns, George Bush, Alicia Keys and others are part of the worldwide campaign. While tremendous strides have been ...

Countdown to the GRAMMY Awards By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: LA Times The GRAMMY Awards will come to the world live on February 12th on CBS. Last night, November 30th, GRAMMY nominees were announced during an entertaining event with award-winning artists gearing up for the big evening. Held at the Nokia Theatre in ...

Victoria's Secret - Angels of the Evening By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.zimbio.com, hollywoodreporter.com, sawfnews.com Tuesday evening, November 29th, was that special evening of the year when the heavens opened up and the lovely Victoria's Secret angels graced the runway in a tantalizing way. The show took place earlier in the month ...

Miami Beach International Bridal Week By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger This past weekend, November 26th and 27th, we took a glimpse into the fascinating world of tradition as the Miami Beach International Bridal Week took place at the plush Eden Roc Renaissance in trendsetting and tropical Miami Beach. Exhibitors had the special couple ...

Holiday Window Dressing By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.vanityfair.com It is a time of the year when imagination, fantasy and creativity come together into a mixture of beauty and belief in the spirit of the holidays. From New York City to London to Paris, window dressing captures the hearts of many an adult and ...

What is the Fate of Egypt? By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: AFP, Getty Images In a time when peace and gratitude should surround us, tensions are at their highest levels in Egypt and demonstrators are clashing with security forces. Kamal Ganzouri has reclaimed his post as Prime Minister, specifically to serve his nation with ...

WINTER OR WAKATOBI? By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.photobucket.com While residents in most parts of the United States are pulling their heavy winter coats out of the closet, there is a destination that really requires only a swimsuit, dive gear, shorts and flip flops twelve months out of the year. The destination is ...

Is There Life on Mars? By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Reuters Just months after the shuttle program has been retired and headed for the history books, NASA is undertaking a new mission, scouting for life on Mars. This Saturday at 10:02 A.M. EST, the 1980-pound United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, nicknamed Curiosity, will ...

Who Loves a Parade? By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Just as waking up at the crack of dawn to see all the glistening gifts that Santa brought to the family is symbolic of Christmas, so is getting up early to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on none other than Thanksgiving morning. It's hard ...

Dreams Can Come True By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Website Recently, the 10th Annual Celebration of Dreams took place at the Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara, California on November 18th, 2011. This was a very special event for many heartwarming reasons. The Dream Foundation is the only organization giving ...

What Happened to Natalie Wood? By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Splash News, Sportsphoto LTD., Scope Features, haveuheard.net Flashback to thirty years ago in the dark and forbidding waters just off Santa Catalina Island where the young and vivacious actress, wife and mother died on Thanksgiving weekend on November 28th in 1981. Her ...

Gossip Girl Celebrates 100th Episode By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Huffington Post, FAME, CW It's hard to believe but the CW's Gossip Girl series has hit the 100th episode milestone. In celebration of the success, as other shows falter, the cast members of the past and present came out to celebrate at ...

The 39th Annual American Music Awards By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: WireImages, Getty Images The stars were out in full force on Sunday evening, November 20th, for the 39th Annual 2011 American Music Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California and broadcast live. Silver silk and black tie seemed to carry ...

Holiday Happenings at Tribeca Film Institute By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger The Tribeca Film Institute has a multitude of cultural happenings taking place this time of the year. In addition, submissions for the Tribeca Film Festival being held from April 18th through April 29, 2012, are open until December 2nd so make ...

Eileen Fisher Partners with PACE By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Simple, sensual and timeless are all synonymous with the luxurious International retailer, Eileen Fisher. This was very evident on Saturday, November 19th as Eileen Fisher at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, came together with PACE, Believing in Girls, of Palm ...

The Academy Gears Up By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Academy website The first quarter of 2012 brings with it many great award events and one of the largest of its kind is the Academy Awards broadcast in February. This coming year marks the 84th anniversary of this exciting ceremony of recognition. Preparation is ...

GUCCI SPREADS THE GRAMMY WORD By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Gucci website Gucci and GRAMMY have more in common than you would imagine. If the words class and sophistication come to mind, they would be appropriate synonyms. Gucci has been recognized all across the world as a first-class Italian design company that was ...

Unite to Save Our Reefs By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.coral.org Photo by Chuck Savall One of the great aspects of the recent DEMA Dive Show 2011 was the awareness that it brought to life through organizations fighting to save our marine ecosystems. The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) is a non-profit organization working diligently to ...

Cleanup of the 'Occupy Wall Street' Movement By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: AP and Reuters The movement that took hold of the world from the cement jungle of Wall Street triggering movements all over the globe, 'Occupy Wall Street', is now being told they cannot return to Zuccotti Park with their tents ...

We Can't Wait - Health Care Innovation By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: CMS Website On Monday, November 14th, health care took an innovative turn. The Challenge has been delivered and now it is up to the public and private community organizations across the country to come up with ways to improve the ...

Fashion On Ice By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.universalsports.com The sport of Ice Skating, so graceful to observe, has now taken a step into the fashion world as NBC TV presented 'Fashion On Ice' on Sunday, November 13th, with designer fashions from Betsey Johnson and J.Mendel worn by some of the top skating ...

Lady Gaga Workshop at Barney's New York By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: gaga fashionland.com including Norma Kamali website, Barney's New York Lady Gaga seems to be the current rage so its only logical that Barney's New York has captured the craze. Gaga screams style in an individualistic sort of way and her ...

Sharing Shoe Boxes By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: www.southernsavers.com, Operation Christmas Child Facebook Page, www.timessquare.com Operation Christmas Child is a holiday blessing for less fortunate children in the world. Life-sized shoe boxes are magically appearing all over New York City and you never know when you might spot one at Ground Central Station, in ...

South Carolina GOP Debate By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Reuters Once again the GOP candidates took the stage at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to debate the greatest issues at hand, foreign policy and their vision for national security. The debate was sponsored by CBS News and The National Journal and aired on ...

Veterans Day Remembrance By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Reuters Today is a day that we give thanks to all our service personnel for their dedicated efforts to making our country safe. It is a day to look back at the veterans who have served our country throughout many years of war and strife. ...

A Week of Fashion Fun in New York City By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Getty Images and www.zimbio.com This week has been a big week for New York City. On Tuesday evening, November 8th, Pier 57 became the setting for 'Versace for H&M Hall on the Hudson'. As most H&M followers ...

Grammy Emerging Talent Competition By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Before we know it, GRAMMY Week will be upon us and we will eagerly be awaiting the announcement of the winners. It's now about rising stars. New and emerging talent are going to be given an opportunity to be discovered for a chance of ...

Hit the Jackpot in Queens By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: New York Times Friday, November 11th, will be a historic day for New Yorkers. Queens will be transformed into the land of dice and slots, similar to Las Vegas. Tourists and residents alike will be able to jump on the subway ...

Aruba In Style 2011 By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photos: Getty Images What could be more magical than a fashion getaway to the island paradise of Aruba? From November 3rd through November 6th, Aruba became the hottest island in the Caribbean as it sizzled with a celebration of style known as Aruba In ...