Alonzo and Tracy Mourning host The Crown Royal Black Lounge to kick off Irie Weekend

It's always a party in Miami if DJ Irie is spinning his beats on the turntables! This past weekend, DJ Irie celebrated his 7th Annual three-day action packed charity event called "Irie Weekend" and he also introduced his recently founded Irie Foundation. To kick off the weekend's festivities, Alonzo and Tracy Mourning [pictured on the left] hosted an exclusive party at Mokai in South Beach. Guests who attended "The Crown Royal Black Lounge" enjoyed complimentary cocktails and music by celebrity DJ Jazzy Jeff. All proceeds raised throughout the weekend benefited the Irie Foundation and the Make-A-Wish of Southern Florida. Throughout the evening, celebrities joined DJ Irie to kick off the weekend in true Miami fashion. I spotted Reggie Bush, Suzie Ketchum and Jonathan Vilma showing their support for this great cause. Check out my pictures from The Crown Royal Black Lounge:

Above Left: DJ Irie and Reggie Bush striking a pose on the red carpet before entering Mokai. Above Right: DJ Irie and I during the kick off party. Did I mention it was also DJ Irie's birthday this past week? In honor of his birthday, Plum TV in Miami Beach presented him with a beautiful cake pictured below. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The Irie Foundation seeks to improve the lives of South Florida youth through educational and extracurricular opportunities that may not otherwise be available to them. With a particular emphasis on the arts, the foundation's ultimate goal is to improve the graduation rate among the young people it serves. Middle school students will be mentored and encouraged to remain in the program through high school and will receive scholarship money towards college or trade school tuition. For more information, visit the foundation's website.

Above Left: One of my favorite former University of Miami football players, Jonathan Vilma, attended the kick off party on Thursday night. Vilma currently plays for the New Orleans Saints [a.k.a. this year's Super Bowl champs]. GO CANES! Above Right: The fabulous Suzie Ketchum who stars in the VH1 reality show called Basketball Wives. Watch Suzie every Monday evening at 8 p.m.
For more information on DJ Irie or to learn about his upcoming events, visit his website and follow him on Twitter. I'd also like to introduce you to Rudy Duthil and Lizmarys Duthil [pictured on the right] of the Results Driven Agency (RDA), producers of The Crown Royal® Black™ Lounge event." If you missed this exclusive party on Thursday, follow @theCrownLifeMia on twitter to learn about future Crown Royal® Black™ Lounge events in South Florida. You never know who you'll bump into in Miami so stay connected and check out these local events. See you at next year's Irie Weekend and remember to always drink responsibly! Here's a video recap from the Crown Royal Black Lounge...

Tracy Mourning hosts the 9th Annual Honey Shine Hats Off Luncheon at Jungle Island

Get ready Miami: the Royal Wedding has started a new trend in our city. Since we don't get to wear such fabulous hats on a regular occasion, I loved the concept behind last week's 9th Annual Hats Off Luncheon benefiting Tracy Mourning's Honey Shine Mentoring Program. Members and sponsors of the organization attended the festivities at Jungle Island to support and raise funds for Honey Shine's vision which is to empower young girls to shine as women. As a program under the Alonzo Mourning Charities, Honey Shine is dedicated to enriching the lives of young girls (ages 8-18) that are living in at-risk situations in our inner-city communities. During the event, guests were able to meet some of these extraordinary young girls [who are affectionately called "Honey Bugs"]. Aside from a great cause, you can really see that the Honey Bugs love to participate in all of the bi-weekly workshops and especially their annual Camp Honey Shine that takes place every summer. To get involved with this organization or for more information, make sure you visit www.HoneyShine.org.

Above: Tracy Mourning's sister, Lisa [right], provided guests with a personalized demonstration of the new Honey Child collection.

Above Left: Bond Trisransri, owner of 2B Asian Bistro, and Norma Jean Abraham (Event Committee Member and a Double Platinum Donor). Norma has a big heart and is an imperative part of the Honey Shine family. Above Right: Sabrina Badeaux, owner of Chez Badeaux Salon, along with her friend during the Luncheon.

Tracy Mourning bidding on a handbag during the Silent Auction.

Yours truly and Celebrity Jewelry Designer, Shannon St. Clair.

Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard (right) with her mother, Suzie Sayfie (left). Stephanie is dedicated to working at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund, the world’s most comprehensive spinal cord injury research center based at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

Talk about confidence! Check out the Honey Bugs as they modeled apparel from GAP (sponsor) on the runway.

The lovely Honey Bugs "Under the Big Top" at Jungle Island! By the way, if you'd like to get a closer look at my outfit to this event, check out the Miami New Times today. They featured my entire look [from head to toe] on Cultist, Miami's culture blog. Many thanks to Jipsy Nefarious who photographed me that day. Enjoy!

Tracy and Alonzo Mourning introduce their Honey Child Collection at Therapy Boutique

Happy Valentine's Day to all of my Sazoneros! In the spirit of love, check out this event I attended over the weekend called "Lover.Kiss." hosted by one of my favorite power couples: Tracy and Alonzo Mourning [pictured on the right]. On Saturday, February 12th, the duo introduced Honey Child's latest Bath & Body Ritual Collection by Tracy Wilson Mourning (TWM). Honey Child is a line of natural products developed by TWM featuring a variety of body polishing scrubs, cleansers, body glowing oils, moisturizers and perfume oils. The products are categorized into four distinctive scents: Goddess, Soulmate, Mother and Friend. The newest collections, Lover and Kiss, were revealed during this weekend's event at Therapy Boutique located at the W South Beach. You'll be happy to know that Therapy carries Honey Child at their South Beach location so make sure to stop by to indulge in these sensual products.

According to Tracy, "Honey Child reflects an inner style that fascinates and inspires others. She looks good because she feels good." TWM's collection leaves your skin feeling smooth and silky ladies! The best part of Honey Child: you can choose your favorite scent [Goddess, Soulmate, Mother or Friend] and find the matching scrub, lotion and perfume to complete your daily moisturizing ritual. To see the complete list of scents, visit the Honey Child website and click on the "About Us" section.

Guests of the "Lover.Kiss." event enjoyed Valentine's Day cupcakes, champagne and cocktails provided by Fenom. Ten percent of all of the sales made throughout the evening were donated to Honey Shine Mentoring Program, an Alonzo Mourning charity.

Top Right: Jeff St. Fort along with the beautiful Amaris Jones, Founder and CEO of Elite Home & Lifestyle Management, striking a pose for Miami Beats & Sazon!

Above: I had the pleasure of meeting Tracy Mourning's sister, Lisa [middle], who gave my friend, Natalie Hatjes [pictured on the right- Director at Pure Romance. Inc.], and I a personalized demonstration of the new Honey Child collection.


Top Left: Andrew and Lauren Sperber. Top Right: Amber Lamptey and Iram Ahmed.
Tracy Wilson Mourning's Honey Child Bath & Body Collection is available at various retail store across the country. For those who prefer to shop online, you can purchase products on the official Honey Child website. As stated on their website: be good to yourself...you deserve the gift of Honey Child!

Tracy Mourning's Honey Shine Mentoring Program hosts a Networking Event in the Grove

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting the girls from Tracy Mourning's Honey Shine Mentoring Program over at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Coconut Grove [pictured below/ photo by Jo Winstead]. Founded in 2002, the Honey Shine Mentoring Program provides positive experiences that nurture the mind, body and soul of young women in at-risk situations by improving their self-esteem and creating balance in their young lives. If this sounds like an organization that captivates your passion, then here's an upcoming event for you. On Thursday, January 20th, Mayfair Center, Event Visions and Grove Retrospective Gallery invite you to attend a "Young Professionals Networking Happy Hour" from 6 to 8 p.m. This is a special event for young professionals in our community who want to learn about Honey Shine and find ways to make a difference in the lives of these young honey bugs. Throughout the evening, guests will enjoy cocktails and light bites provided by Atchana's East/ West Kitchen along with music by The Miami Music Conservatory. The event will be held at The Grove Retrospective Gallery located at the Mayfair Center in Coconut Grove [2911 Grand Avenue]. To RSVP, please email Andrea@honeyshine.org. Empowering young girls to shine as women will be your ultimate goal as an attendee!

For information on Honey Shine Mentoring Program, a program of the Alonzo Mourning Charities, visit www.HoneyShine.org. To get a better sense of the organization's mission, listen to Tracy Mourning during this amazing interview by Plum TV's Jennifer Santiago.

Oxygene Boutique and Miami Magazine host Loree Rodkin Trunk Show at Bal Harbour Shops

I love social gatherings so I couldn't miss this special event at the Bal Harbour Shops! On Friday, December 17th, Oxygene Boutique and Miami Magazine hosted an exclusive trunk show to debut the latest hand crafted jewelry collection by Loree Rodkin. During the event, guests sipped on Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte while enjoying a variety of hors d'oeuvres. A portion from the evening's VIP preview reception benefited Tracy Mourning's (pictured on the left) Honey Shine Mentoring Program, a program of Alonzo Mourning Charities. Honey Shine provides a platform for young girls to develop their own voice as women. The program provides "Honey Bugs" [participants] with mentors, bi-weekly workshops and a chance to attend the most anticipated event of the year: Camp Honey Shine! To learn how you can become involved with this program, visit their website. In the words of Tracy Mourning, "I invite and encourage other women to join me in shining their light to brighten the paths of young girls." Join the movement and become a mentor.

Above left: Shayne and Felix Cohen, owners of Oxygene Boutique at the Bal Harbour Shops [9700 Collins Avenue]. Above right: The sweetest couple of the night- Diane and Aristotle Ares. I loved Diane's elegant sense of style and Aristotle's sense of humor. Sending you a big hello and thank you for striking a fabulous pose for my blog!!!

Above: Guests during the Loree Rodkin Trunk Show. Make sure to check out Victoria Matveeva (second from the left) and her new boutique in Miami called Sauvage.


Above left: Reynald Ricard and Jean-Marc Durante, owner of Red Market Salon at the Bal Harbour Shops [9700 Collins Avenue]. Above right: Mekevia Hawkins and Claudienne Hibbert also attened the exclusive event.

Hope all of my Sazoneros are wrapping up their last minute shopping this week! Remember to stop by Oxygene Boutique at the Bal Harbour Shops and check out Loree Rodkins jewelry collection for yourself. Ciao!

Alonzo and Tracy Mourning attend Art Basel's VOGUE Lounge at The Raleigh Hotel

Art Basel has taken over Miami and the VOGUE Lounge at The Raleigh Hotel is one of the hot spots you cannot miss! On Wednesday, December 1st, Miami's trendsetters and fashionistas attended the VOGUE Lounge's cocktail reception for an exclusive shopping preview of the season's most inspiring fashion, beauty and lifestyle trends. Guests were able to visit stylish shopping booths by Sam Edelman, Curve Boutique, Bebe, Trina Turk and Tracy Mourning's Honey Child Collection which features a wonderful assortment of moisturizers and body oils (Tracy and Alonzo Mourning are pictured above with one of the sprays). For those who want to check out the VOGUE Lounge, today is the last day to swing by The Raleigh Hotel (open to the public from 12 pm till 9 pm). Enjoy!

Above: Here's a special glimpse of Tracy Mourning's Honey Child Collection which is exclusively available throughout Miami. Make sure to visit her website for a list of the locations. Tracy was kind enough to personally show us her collection of moisturizers and body oils which smell divine and feel great on the skin. Annie and I tried all of her scents like Goddess, Soulmate, Mother and Friend. I honestly smelled lovely for the rest of the night. Thanks TRACY!!!

Above: My fabulous friend, Annie Vazquez (fashion writer for NBCMiami.com), Tracy Mourning and yours truly!

Top Left: Jilian Sanz, National Fashion Director of Haute Living Magazine, strikes a pose for Miami Beats and Sazon with Shari Liu, Owner of Shari Liu Handbags. Top Right: Jessica Garcia and Mary Handel enjoying their evening at the VOGUE Lounge.

Above: Amanda Whittleman, Charles Albert (Designer of Charles Albert Jewelry) and Tara Solomon (Principal of Tara Ink). I'm a big fan of Charles's jewels: check out the precious stone on Tara's hand and Amanda's amazing necklace!!!

Above: Kelly Silva, Nikki Lorenzo and Livia Silva. Nikki is a Miami singer so make sure you listen to her beats on iTunes.

Above: The beautiful MJ Barton, Talia Matney and Justyna Lipka. For a complete guide to Art Basel, visit the official website. Cheers to a fabulous night of fashion and art!