No other waterfront home has this much usable space manicured to absolute perfection. Your own stairway to the ocean, beach and sandy fire pit with gas and seating. Spectacular tide pools, rock formations and views like no other home. Large open spaces and lawns perfect for entertaining the largest parties, weddings, and all outdoor enjoyment with the ocean. Extremely secluded and gated. Recently updated home with 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms and a 1/2 bath. Spacious kitchen with unobstructed views. Huge deck with wind blocking glass for use all year long.

Offered @ $9,988,000

Contact Noel Beutel @ 831.620.3724 or Noel.Beutel@sothebyshomes.com. Or visit www.sothebyshomes.com/norcal.

Located in the hills of San Juan Capistrano, this fenced 5 acre compound has panoramic views of Capo Valley and the Ocean. Enter the grounds through the gated entrance and wind up the long private drive passing the pool house and salt spa. The gardens and terraces by Theresa Clark are reminiscent of a Villa in Northern Italy. This 5 Bedroom 9 Bath stucco and stone home has a pool room, offices, formal dining with wine cellar, Ocean View Master Suite and retreat. The solid wood doors and designer hardware by Ashley Norton are beautifully hand distressed, stained and glazed. Wood and stone flooring are throughout. The gourmet kitchen has the latest top of the line Viking cook top, multiple Viking ovens and refrigerators, dual Meile dishwashers, steam ovens and Decor warming drawers. This estate can easily accomodate large events for up to 500 people. Don’t miss Villa Hilltop.

Offered @ $6,295,000

Contact Shauna Covington @ 949.395.8786 or Shauna@ShaunaCovington.com. Or visit www.ShaunaCovington.com.

Organizing one’s closet to perfectly compliment individual style, need for space, and functionality can be challenging (assuming we even get around to organizing, that is). Here’s a look inside how actress, Christina Ricci, has spruced up her closet space to suit her style.

Closet space can be a never-ending battle of “I have too many things, and not enough space,” or, “I have too much space and not enough to fill it.” Either way, it’s hard to get your closet just perfect. Here is a look inside how actress Christine Ricci dealt with her closet space problem.

With bright pink walls and expansive shoe racks along the back wall of the closet, Ricci has clearly prioritized two things in this closet: shoes, and space. The back wall of shoes has plenty of space in front of it so Ricci can browse through without tripping over things or being closed in. Almost reminiscent of an actual shoe store, the closet even has a seating option. In addition, by cleverly adding butterfly hooks to one side wall, Ricci has managed to conquer the tricky issue of where to store handbags. They are out of the way, nicely on display, and she has easy access to whichever one she wants to wear that day.  

Although I can’t see why she’d want to hide this closet space, especially if she keeps it as organized as it looks in these pictures; Ricci has added a matching curtain for privacy.

Via: The Spiel

Grab your lobster bibs because The First Society has just produced the “Caviar and Crustacean Atomic” hamper, rumored to be the most expensive seafood hamper in the world.

The Fish Society is one of the UK’s most renowned mail-order producers of seafood, and they have just rolled out what may very well be their greatest creation to date.  The “Caviar and Crustacean Atomic” hamper costs approximately $4,120 and is filled to the brim with 17 different delicacies from every corner of the globe. Among these delicacies are “16-inch giant Siberian crab legs, extra large crab claws from Chile, freshly cooked native UK lobster, and four kinds of prawns, including half pounders from Madagascar.” The cherry on the top, so to speak, is a centerpiece made from 1.6 pounds of Sevruga caviar—decadent enough yet?

The hamper is the perfect addition to any party this holiday season, and the chairman of Fish Society, James Smith, feels that this exclusive seafood hamper is an ideal way to eliminate the stress of putting together the assortment, since the exquisite “balance of items has already been preselected for the customer.”  If you’re wondering how that price is holding up in terms of demand, Smith adds, “It’s not difficult to get these price points if you are dealing in meaningful amounts of caviar. I can assure you that it’s good value.”

 Via: Luxist

After a 7 year itch in 2008, this year’s 8^th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach proved that “the art fair as a species is not endangered”. Karen Rosenberg, New York Times

The biggest economic shock in decades seemed to get little attention at the world’s most prestigious contemporary art fair on America’s soil.   The Miami Herald headline read, “Less Bling, More Ka-Ching”, Lydia Martin, Miami Herald

First day sales at the Marlborough Gallery were $2 million and overall the sales and dollar figures increased significantly over the previous year while discounts were available along with perks like free shipping.

Celebrity sightings continued with both silver screen buyers and artists in attendance.  Rocky resurfaced in the form of a serious artist named, Sylvestor Stallone who showed his paintings publicly for the first time ever in a booth hanging next to both a Botero and Miro…quite impressive for a hobbyist.   At first I took a double take, then realized it was really Rambo.  He was an approachable, articulate and humble artist who took the time to meet, greet and pose with all the paparazzi without a bodyguard in site.  I personally liked his Neo-Expressionist paintings and the meanings behind them that he shared with us during the vernissage.

Jeffrey Deitch of the New York gallery, Deitch called the presence of celebrity artists a “collapse between the avante-garde and mainstream pop culture.” He said, “What’s happening is that there is this completely new audience of young people who are coming to art in the way they used to come to rock music or hip-hop…and that’s a very positive thing.”

The New York Times’ Style Magazine called this year “Party Central”. “As much as Art Basel Miami 2009 was about who showed, who sold and for how much, it was all about the art of the party.  And a few of the week’s fetes served up a particularly potent cocktail of patron saints, bigwigs, bad boys and ‘It’ girls.” Jeffries Blackerby

On Monday, I hosted my signature kick-off party on Star Island titled “Eco Artland 2009” while Audi unveiled their new A8 model in a 45,000 square foot temporary exhibition space.  Tuesday, Vanity Fair hosted the MOCA Museum night. Wednesday was the vernissage night with parties here, there, and everywhere.  Thursday Wynwood shined with galleries galore opening their doors.  I went to a private gathering at collector, Marty Margulies’ Warehouse with some heavy-hitters.  Friday, I attended Russell Simmons charity event at a Michael Capponi’s home and then the new W Hotel for the Art Nexus party.  W became the unofficial pitstop daily and nightly for many.   Then Saturday yet another waterfront mansion for a Vogue Versace fashion show hosted by Loren & JR Ridinger with their special guests, Jennifer Lopez and hubby, Marc Anthony. Following that came Casa Tua and and David La Chapelle’s party at The Raleigh Hotel.  Visionaire had a party at The Delano, but I missed that one.  Just can’t do them all.

Sunday, I tried to see as many satellite fairs as possible soaking up the remaining hours of showtime.  Then it was time to check out a “green yacht” of the Marco Polo () series designed by Ron Holland at the Miami Beach Marina followed by the final closing party back at the W Hotel.

Other celebrities making the charity or collecting scene included Lance Armstrong, John McEnroe, Patty Smith, Todd Oldham, Naomi Campbell, Eva  Chow, Calvin Klein, Val Kilmer, and Nicky Hilton among other A-listers..  And top collectors were not in shortage either from Eli Broad , Steve Wynn, Michael Ovitz, Pearl Lam to Miami based Don and Mera Rubell, Jorge Perez and many many more.  The Rubells, cleverly served up donuts as both breakfast and art at their warehouse open house by hanging them by nails on a wall.  Who says fried dough isn’t art?

Even the Beatles showed up where they first landed in 1964 at the Deauville Hotel before appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, but this time in photograph form floating in the pool with their shaggy hairdos.  Michael Jackson was also iconically presented in Rubenesque paintings by Kehinde Wiley, Barack and Michele Obama also were there in two dimensional form as well as France’s First Lady, Carla Bruni Sarkozy in the nude.

And the fair has a few characters show up on cue annually like Eva and Adele, the gender-bending bald twins.

The new power buyers were Brazilians ringing the cash registers this Basel with their booming economy.

Swarovski was shimmering as usual with 1,500,000 multi-colored crystals with a Crystal Cathedral centerpiece at Design Miami, another offshoot of the main Basel fair.  Collectors, Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz opened a new space showcasing their collection in the Design District.

Fairchild Tropical Garden is a far away journey, but worth the jaunt to see the sculptures of Yayoi Kusama in a lovely outdoor settting.  Other outside art not to be missed were the Wynwood Walls Murals commissioned collaboratively by Tony Goldman and NYC’s Deitch Gallery by graffiti artists including Fairey, Scharf, Futura and a dozen more.  Next door is Joey’s restaurant run by Tony’s son, Joey Goldman which is great food at a fair price.

Pop up shops appeared in the Design District to keep the fashionistas happy with Fendi, Gucci , Tomas Maier and more.   Victor & Rolf made an appearance at The Webster in South Beach while dead carcasses showed up a lot, perhaps relating to the state of the world economy or lack of climate control.

Artist, Tom Dixon threw a steel chair into Biscayne Bay after Basel 2008 to save on storage costs, dredging it out to display again this year in its barnacle encrusted state.  He will repeat the process removing the object once the recession is over and then hopes to sell it for lots of money!   Yes, art appreciates in funny ways.  Another odd display was a torso with two sets of legs struggling, but going nowhere. The Bass Museum had a show titled “Where do we go from here” which was from the renowned Jumex Collection from Mexico City being shown in the U.S for the first time.

Everyone’s Basel experience is unique.  No one can do it all.  With the main fair alone consisting of 250 galleries exhibiting work by 2000 artists plus 15+ satellite fairs, museums exhibitions, lectures, panel discussions, tours of private collections, performance, film, video, concerts and of course the requisite arty parties the selection is endless.  You pick and choose and run here and there and everywhere til you can no longer remember who, what, where, when, why….and then know enough is enough.  As one Wall Street Journal writer stated, “Sleep is optional”. Candace Jackson

During Basel Week we are all in a state of perpetual arrival and departure seeking the best place and party to be at.  Mornings after arrive with hangovers and coffee klutches conveying what you missed the night before.

New York Times writer sums up Art Basel Miami Beach this way, “It is a delicate organism.  It requires sunlight, optimism and an abundant supply of collectors with open wallets.” Karen Rosenberg

Well, this year we had it all!

HOPE GAINER, President of Hope International is a global imagemaker, marketer and branding expert with 30 years of lifestyle experience with a focus today on the luxury market.  She produces unique, upscale events around the world.  Gainer is a founding member of the Florida Luxury Council and a contributor to several luxury magazines including Elite Traveler, Haute Living and Social Affairs.  She also represents spectacular ‘trophy’ real estate properties.

For more exclusive pictures from Hope’s week during Art Basel, visit our events page.

Marco Polo Yacht

Al Gore's Book Cover

Eco Artland

As instant popularity seems to be the way with fashion featured in Sex and the City, the newest brand on the brink of explosion is New York’s own M. Sturman Jewelry.  Peggy Sturman is the aesthetic genius behind these covetable jewels, and her work is a clear result of her training in art and flowers.

The ornate jewels are composed of pearls, stones, beads, and sparkly Swarovski to create pieces that are not only glitzy, but also exclusive. One piece even has gems historically ordered over fifty years ago by Christian Dior.

Via: Luxist

If you happen to be in Singapore over the holidays, consider indulging in some seasonal celebrations of an extremely decadent kind at the Hilton Singapore. The five-star hotel’s signature restaurants will be lining up a series of Japanese and seafood gourmet cuisines specially tailored for this year’s Christmas.

The Hilton Singapore is celebrating the holiday season in true five-star style with delicacies you don’t want to miss as you enter into the New Year. The hotel’s two signature restaurants, Checkers Brasserie and award-winning Harbour Grill & Oyster Bar, have tailored a series of Japanese and seafood gourmet cuisines in their “elegantly-themed ivory gold buffet.”

Checkers Brasserie will be featuring unique Japanese-French fusion cuisines such as foie gras chawanmushi on Christmas Eve with free-flow of wine (yes, you read that correctly). Over at the hotel’s Harbour Grill & Oyster Bar, set dinners will be served consisting of a 4-course dinner promotion featuring dishes such as Hokkaido scallops and Joshu Wagyu.

But wait, it gets better. For those of us who just can’t get enough champagne, the hotel’s Champagne Brunch Buffet will provide a season-inspired meal that “puts a twist on tradition.” The brunch buffet is a unique and refreshing display of culinary artistry, featuring dishes such as the Japanese-inspired turkey with tofu filling. In addition, the Christmas log cake from the hotel’s fantastic in-house bakery, Checkers Deli, is mind-blowing. The cake is white and dark crispy chocolate delicately decorated with vanilla snowflakes and golden leaves combined to compliment the ivory and gold theme.

 The hotel will also be featuring a New Year’s Eve White Menu, which is a set dinner menu at the Harbour Grill & Oyster Bar that will include exquisite ingredients such as white caviar and white pearl oysters.

Via: Luxury Insider

By now we probably have all heard of  the new trend in shopping: pop-up shops. Originally conceptualized to be non-permanent shops, some pop-up venues are extended their leases indicating they plan to stay longer than anticipated.

We’ve seen pop-up shops literally pop up everywhere, and this holiday season retailer’s short stints at various locations seemed to be all the rage. But now some reports are indicating that a few of these intended-to-be temporary set-ups are actually extending their leases and getting comfortable.

In SoHo, one upscale menswear fashion house, Kai D., which was launched just nine months ago, had originally planned to set up camp at their pop-up shop just during the holiday season, but after opening their 375-square-foot store no more than a month ago, the retailer was able to extend his lease for additional 13 months as of December 1. Kai D., who also sells at Neiman Marcus, retails “utility-inspired clothing” ranging in price from $65 to $700 and Aaron Odle, a design representative, says, “It’s always been a dream to have our own shop. You really need to be in a space to test it out, and we’ve decided that staying is the right thing to do.”

Kai D. isn’t alone in this new extended stay trend. A string of retailers are converting their pop-ups into more permanent shops as landlords apparently become more desperate to fill vacant spaces. The Limited is another trendy apparel company that has had a change of heart. Originally signing on for a four-day shop in SoHo, the brand extended its lease through the end of the holidays. Some say that Limited, a company that has not sold in the city since 1999, is even considering a permanent Manhattan location after the holidays.

And the list of new pop-up shops, short term and potentially long term, seems to be endless. The Barber’s Daughter is reportedly leasing space for a few days to sell their new jewelry line from Alicia Keys, and eBay is also planning on setting up temporary shop for its second-hand wares.

Via: Crain’s New York Business

Now that we’ve all started searching for holiday gifts in earnest, we’re coming to the annual realization that this can be harder than we expect.  You’d love to get something designed beautifully, that’s efficient and practical, and that doesn’t far exceed your budget.  (I’m looking at you, Bang and Olufsen.)  Tara Riceberg, and her new West Hollywood pop-up shop Tweak 99, has your answer.

The reason for the name is as follows: nothing exceeds $99.00 in her shop and each item is meant to essentially tweak your home or lifestyle in some small, innovative way.  Take the salt and pepper shakers on wheels, for example – tweaks the idea behind passing someone the salt when you can roll it down the table.  On the other end of the spectrum, men’s socks with a boot knife or a holstered gun sewn in takes care of his need to actually equip himself with a weapon just to look cool.

It’s the kind of shop you can spend an hour in and still discover something you hadn’t already seen, like a gorgeous, oversized fragrance bottle, a Coink Bank, and Whiskey Stones – gray cubes you freeze and put into a tumbler. They don’t dilute your whiskey like that pesky traditional ice.  See? Lifestyle: tweaked.

Black Friday just passed and investors and luxury retailers are now looking toward upscale shoppers hoping they open their wallets this holiday season to further improve the struggling retail market.

The official start of the holiday season began as people lined store fronts early on Black Friday to be a part of what many were hoping would be a very successful retail rebound. But now investors and luxury stores are turning their attention toward more upscale shoppers in hopes that their thicker wallets will reach a more specific retail market. Luxury goods.

Shares in luxury retailers such as Tiffany, Saks, and Nordstrom all rose a few days prior to Black Friday, and Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak, said, “We’re resting our (upbeat outlook) on the upper-income consumer, who seems to be holding up pretty well. Greenhaus is hoping that a recent restoration of some of last year’s lost wealth has helped to boost confidence and spending power amongst higher-income shoppers.

Greenhaus continues to says, “The vast majority of spending in this country is done by the upper-income consumer and people feel a lot better this Christmas than they did last Christmas.”

But the whole situation isn’t as peachy-keen as some may want us to think. It appears that there is a big difference in what high- and low-income households are planning on spending this year, which could continue to negatively impact the economy. In a recent survey of 1,002 consumers, it was found that those earning more than $70,000 a year plan to indeed increase their holiday spending by approximately 27 percent; however, those earning less than $40,000 a year are planning on cutting their spending by 14 percent.

Despite this confounding variable, some are remaining optimistic when they simplify everything into a comparison to last year. Retailers that are anticipated to see an increase in sales this year include Williams-Sonoma, Banana Republic, and online giant Amazon. Individuals looking for more of a bargain are more likely to head toward Costco and the Dollar Store, according to one report.

Retailers have taken a different approach to this holiday season than last by cleaning out their inventories so that they won’t be forced to cut prices as much as they had to last year. “You won’t see retailers throwing themselves out of a window to sell stuff,” adds Greenhaus.

But we should keep in mind that beating last year’s sales won’t necessarily be hard considering the 2008 holiday season saw retail sales falling 9.5%, the most seen since 1960. Either way, any increase is still an increase, and retailers are hoping that those higher-income individuals who plan to increase their shopping this year actually follow through.

Via: USA Today