Palm Beach party destination: Omphoy Ocean Resort

When we're looking for a quick getaway with gorgeous water views, sexy latin cuisine and amazing cocktails, we head to the Michelle Bernstein Terrace at the Omphoy Ocean Resort around sunset for ceviche and a strawberry-jalapeno mojito.
Enjoy a warm ocean breeze on Sunday nights with 2 for 1 house drinks and wines and a 10% discount on the Tapas menu. Stay for dinner at Michelle Bernstein Restaurant and receive 10% off your entrée selections.
Call ahead for outdoor reservation seating 561.540.6450 www.omphoy.com.

xo
Aime

Wedding & Corporate Event Destination: North Carolina

Whether it be in inspirational Asheville or lakeside in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains, the Carolinas offer endless destination wedding options. A recent trip revealed our favorites: the Biltmore Estate in Asheville and The Greystone Inn on Lake Toxaway.

On 8,000 acres, the Biltmore Estate represents timeless luxury. The Stable Courtyard and Gardens, the Inn on Biltmore Estate, the Barn in Antler Hill Village and the Champagne Cellar at the Winery are just a few of the many unique spots for a welcome cocktail reception, rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception, or a bon voyage brunch. Corporate clients will also enjoy this unique venue for meetings and special events.

Name your desire, and the helpful and courteous staff will find the perfect proprietary location! For more information, visit www.Biltmore.com.

The Greystone Inn on Lake Toxaway is the ideal destination wedding venue for an intimate affair. Rent out the entire 33-room historic mountain inn for a private weekend, or host a more private affair and book just a few rooms. Meadow Ridge, a clearing atop Toxaway Mountain, is ideal for an al fresco rehearsal dinner, while the Presidential Suite offers a more formal aesthetic with a stately view.

We love the boathouse deck for wedding ceremonies with pristine water views, and the Lake Toxaway Country Club's lawn overlooking the golf course, which is replete with wildflowers, sing-song birds and pure mountain air.

It! Weddings & Events is your hassle-free destination manager for weddings, corporate gatherings social events and more. For more information on these properties, log on to www.GreystoneInn.com and www.LakeToxaway.com and contact us to put the wheels in motion!

xo

Kelly

Trend: The Sparty Baby Shower

Looking for a fun baby shower theme? Host a sparty for the mommy to be and her best girlfriends at one of these luxury spas!

There's nothing more indulgent and rejuvenating than a day at the spa with your best girlfriends. For her baby shower, why not kidnap the guest of honor and whisk her away for a day of pampering with her nearest and dearest? Monogrammed waffle robes and slippers make memorable — and comfortable! — favors for guests to wear while sipping champagne and nibbling spa fare in between facials, manicures/pedicures and other luxuries.

Prenatal or pregnancy massages are usually recommended after the first trimester. Better believe that these custom treatments can bring more serenity than any pint of Ben & Jerry’s! Be sure to book one of these soothing prenatal treatments for the mommy to be:

Four Seasons Palm Beach

Mother-to-be

Designed to soothe the expectant mother, this massage relieves some of the physical stresses that are experienced during pregnancy. Our specially trained therapists deliver rest and relaxation with every stroke. Performed only after the first trimester.

50 minutes

The Breakers Palm Beach

Prenatal Massage

For the mother-to-be after the first trimester. Designed to assist with relieving pregnancy-related discomforts.

50 minutes

Prenatal Bliss Package

Especially designed for the mother-to-be after her first trimester. Enjoy a Prenatal Massage, Classic Facial, Solar Pedicure, Classic Manicure, and spa lunch.

3 1/2 hours of services

Anushka Spa

Pre-Natal Massage

This deeply soothing massage is specifically designed for the special needs of expectant mothers. Relaxation ensues while improving circulation, reducing swelling in the feet and hands and releasing tension in the lower back, neck and shoulders. This therapy is not recommended in the first trimester. 1 hour of service.

For pre and post massage party pampering and planning, It! Wedding and Events can make the day even more relaxing. Check out It! Weddings and Events at www.itweddingsandevents.com or call 561.801.0767.

xo

Danette

Born in the USA: Cool cocktails for hot nights!

If there's one thing the It! Girls value above all else, it's joie de vivre. Our friends at Coastal Living echo that sentiment on every page. This It! Girl has worked with the CL team for years, and I can't wait to try these great cocktail recipes from Senior Editor and fellow foodie Julia Rutland:

Frosty Raspberry-Lime Margarita

Why she likes it: Raspberries!
When to drink it: While watching fireworks on the Fourth of July!
Yield: Makes 5 cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) tequila
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) orange liqueur
• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 cups ice

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Frozen White Chocolate

Why she likes it: It has a huge yum factor with a decadent blend of rich vanilla ice cream and delicious liqueurs. Really, you should try this.
When to drink it: As a grownup dessert after a fun beach cookout
Yield: Makes 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) white chocolate liqueur
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) Irish cream liqueur
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) clear crème de cacao
• 3 cups vanilla ice cream

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Blended Blue Hawaiian

Why she likes it: It’s tart and refreshing—not super-sweet like many other brightly colored cocktails.
When to drink it: While watching an Elvis movie marathon
Yield: Makes 5 cups

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) pineapple vodka
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) blue curaçao
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) coconut rum
• 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) amaretto
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup agave nectar, simple syrup, or sugar
• 4 cups ice

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.

For more of Julia's fab cocktail recipes, click here.

xo Aime

Photos by Jennifer Davick

I want It! trunk show series with Calypso Sea jewels

The "I Want It!" summer trunk show series continued on June 24 with Calypso Sea jewels. Guests mixed and mingled at It! Headquarters, sipping selections from Bulletproof Wine & Spirits while viewing designer Tanya G. Burnett's collection of leather and exotic pearl jewelry.

"I have been designing and crafting high end jewelry from natural gems, ethnic beads and pearls for the better part of two decades," says Burnett. "But nothing has spoken as seductively to my clients and me as my work with the ocean’s own precious gem: the pearl. Fortunately my travels and contacts in the South Pacific and the Far East have allowed me to hand select every pearl I use which I personally drill to my specifications. The leather cording used is free of toxins and certified by both European and American standards."

To view the collection, visit www.calypsosea.com.

Inspired by all things nature and particularly by the ocean, Burnett has also photographed and documented her experiences above and below the surface through her discriminating lens.
View her fine art photography on www.islandexposure.us.

xo

The It! Girls

Table It! tabletop decor at Neiman Marcus Palm Beach draws hundreds

Palm Beach, FL (June 6, 2010) — The It! Girls were the talk of the town this spring, when the island’s hautest tastemakers gathered for a casual vernissage of the “Table It!” tabletop décor exhibition at Neiman Marcus Palm Beach. For the five-day event, Neiman Marcus invited It! Weddings & Events to design six themed tables inspired by events of their creation, such as a Bridesmaids’ High Tea, Brunch in the Garden and an Estate Rehearsal Dinner.

Nearly 100 guests attended the opening-day soiree, including Kathryn Vecellio, Julie Rudolph, Annie Falk, Brewer Schoeller, Elisabeth Munder, Terri Mersentes, Angela Culveyhouse, Beckie Stoddard and Kathryn Martin. The fresh mix of traditional and modern pieces chosen by the It! Girls from the store’s Gift Galleries was complimented by florals by Design Studio at The Breakers, paper goods by Stationer on Sunrise and confections by The Sugar Monkey.

“Our clients are well versed in tabletop design, yet they’re always looking for ways to wow their guests, many of whom have been wined and dined by the world’s foremost entertainers,” said It! Weddings & Events managing partner Aime Dunstan. “We have a ball taking their creativity to the next level, mixing traditional pieces with fun and funky accessories.”

Dunstan commissioned an aquatic centerpiece from Design Studio at The Breakers, complete with live goldfish and sculptural pincushion protea blooms, for the “Seaside Wedding Reception” table, which also included “Elysee” dinnerware by Bernardaud and Juliska stemware.

At the center of the grand display was a “Timeless Wedding Reception” themed table, on which Kim Seybert linen napkins and pagoda-inspired napkin ring holders accented J.L. Coquet’s “Hemisphere” charger, “J Chew” dinnerware by Limoges and Reidel crystal. An organic arrangement of pale pink cherry blossoms added height and volume.

The opening day afternoon soiree also included light bites by Café Boulud Palm Beach and wines by Bulletproof Wines & Spirits, as well as makeovers by YSL and an informal fashion show by Neiman Marcus.

It Weddings & Events specializes in the discerning taste of Palm Beach, Nantucket, the Hamptons and beyond, ensuring the elegance and extravagance of your wedding, fund-raiser or special event. For more information, call 561.801.0767 or log on to www.itweddingsandevents.com.

xo

Danette

June 24: The I want It! trunk show series with Calypso Sea jewels

Join the It! Girls for a our second sip 'n' shop, featuring Calypso Sea, 5-8pm Thursday, June 24, at It! Headquarters (303 Gardenia St., Suite 7, West Palm Beach). Email RSVP@itweddings.com to let us know you're attending. Can't wait to see you all there!

xo

The It! Girls