One of the most beautiful benefits of being in South Florida is to be near the sea–to smell the fresh salt air and feel the warmth of the glistening sunshine. While yachting is a daily event here, March included Boat Shows in both Miami and Palm Beach. There was a very special U.S. launch that I want to share with my Haute readers who I love and appreciate.

It was a genuine privilege and pleasure to meet the elegant, young and dashingly handsome Johan Attvik, Owner and Creative Source of the boat design and manufacturing company, J Craft boats!!

J Craft was originally founded in 1998 by Björn Jansson, whose mission was to take the influence of the rich heritage of Swedish boat building, with its high quality and intricate craftsmanship, and bring it into modern times. In 2000 Johan Attvik bought J Craft and has helped turn the small company into a worldwide brand synonymous with excellence and beauty.

The first J Craft boat, the Cabrio Cruiser, left the shipyard in 2000 and was delivered to the King of Sweden, who loves it!! By September 2009, the new J Craft Torpedo luxury yacht tender was presented at the Monaco Yacht Show and featured Sir Roger Moore as guest of honor at a reception.

The J Craft headquarters are in Stockholm, Sweden and their building shipyard is located on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Today, the company is renown for glamorous unique detailed design and for their gift of incorporating modern techniques into classic boating, and bringing them to new standards of excellence.

Johan, a frequent traveler to Saint-Tropez and Monaco, as well as other haute places, longed for the polychromatic rhythm of the Riva Aquarama series, the handsome Italian-built mahogany-hulled slipper boats from the 1960s that came to embody the Dolce Vita era of divine elegance. In a recent interview with Ralph Lauren magazine Johan said, “I wanted to make boats that when people see them, they smile.” Now, if you meet Johan, he is a smiley happy person and his boats are gorgeous so who wouldn’t smile!!!

Each boat takes almost five thousand man hours to complete, which means “it’s one boat per month coming out of our factory,” says Johan. Last year J Craft built only eight boats, each starting at approximately $1 million. This year, the goal is to have ten ready for delivery by summer, and by 2012 to sell between 15 and 20.  For more information go to www.j-craftboats.com. 

Thank you Johan Attvik for spreading smiles and beauty to help make the world a better place!! Smile Smile Smile!! XOXO With Gratitude and Kindness, Sonia

Click on the images below to enlarge.

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The BLVD's Spring Crudo Plate

The hot sun has officially made its debut, which means one thing to us epicureans: savory cold dishes are back. My days of slurping soup during lunch have come to a close, as one of my go-to daytime staples, Crudo, the Italian version of Sashimi, is now available throughout the city.

Lightly laced with olive oil, sea salt, citrus, and Italian herbs, the dish is candy to seafood lovers, who don’t mind departing from soy and sesame flavors. Los Angeles chefs pretty much do it best thanks to locally renowned purveyor, Santa Monica Seafood, who supplies all kinds of daily catches 24/7. Here are our top picks:

BLVD: Inside the Beverly Wilshire’s main dining room, servers have begun to rattle off spring menu standouts, which include the Crudo. Resembling an artist’s palette, salmon cubes topped with a tiny dollop of goat cheese reserve the left side of the plate, Ahi tuna infused with herbs is situated on the right, and a neatly packed scoop of chopped avocado and black caviar takes center stage.

9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. 310.385.3901.

MEZZE: Over at the newly opened restaurant—Micah Wexler’s new place of culinary residence— the Crudo is served Mediterranean style. Playing on pungency from cherry gremolata, the presentation exudes a bit of minimalism, as three velvety slices of Yellowtail arrive on a plate garnished with the colorful ingredient and a side of Tahini.

401 North La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles. 310.657.4103.

Valentino Santa Monica: Famed restaurateur Piero Selvaggio brings a traditional Crudo to the table with various kinds of fish. Subtly bathed in just a touch of salt and oil, and topped with micro-greens and cherry tomatoes, simplicity is at its finest here at the established Italian gem.

3115 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica. 310.829.4313.

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Southern California is known for south-of-the-border specialties, and nothing’s more dramatic at a festive fiesta-style dinner than a sizzling plate of fajitas. If you’re looking for the best, pay a visit to any of these top 5 choices. Whether you like it hot or need a few cervesa to quell the spice, with these hot picks you’ll be one hot commodity.

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Fajitas: a tex-mex favorite combines sizzling meat skillets, an array of accouterments and cool tortillas served through multiple variations by creative Mexican eateries. These “make your own” meals are as recognized for their dig right in presentation- just don’t burn your hand on the pan in a hurry to indulge.

Put together some thinly sliced meat, corn or flour tortillas and condiments such as onions and peppers, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and tomatoes and you have the Tex-Mex treat fajitas. Here’s a look at some of the best in Las Vegas.

Steve Cohen and Phillips de Pury have joined together in memory of Elizabeth Taylor to auction off a portrait of her done by Andy Warhol. This legendary piece, which is expected to go for approximately $20 million, portrays Taylor during her award winning performance in “Butterfield 8” in 1963. Depicting Elizabeth with berry-red lips in the form of a smile, and her eyelids doused in blue eye shadow, this portrait, nicknamed “Liz #5,” is apart of Warhol’s signature series of pop-culture icons from the 1960s.

Warhol’s collection, which includes Marilyn Monroe and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, has helped to transform pop culture and art into what it is today. This work of art was bought by Cohen for an undisclosed amount from widely known New York art dealer Illeane Sonnabend. Since passing away in 2007, Sonnabend is known for showcasing artists such as Robern Raushenberg and Jasper Johns. Another work of art by Mr. Warhol, entitled “Liz,” was sold for a cool $23.5 million.

[Source: WSJ Online]

There aren’t many vineyards that can claim they’re located on the true Sonoma Coast in Northern California; and there aren’t many opportunities for wine connoisseurs in Honolulu to sample the wines from one of them — and paired with a spectacular menu from Hoku’s at The Kahala Hotel and Resort.

The award-winning restaurant will host a special wine dinner on April 13 with Peay Vineyards, a 53-acre estate vineyard located above a river gorge in the far northwestern corner of the Sonoma coast. This first-generation organic winery — which earned such accolades as the 2009 Winery of the Year from Wine & Spirits Magazine — specializes in Pinot Noir, Syrah and Chardonnay.

Co-owner Andy Peay will host the five-course dinner, which includes such pairings as a roast duck with forest mushrooms and prosciutto and a braised New Zealand lamb shank (shown) with artichoke ragout and prune chutney. The menu was created by chefs Thomas Ho and Michael Moorehouse. (See the full menu here.)

Cost is $120 per person (tax and gratuity not included) and reservations are required. Contact 808.739.8760 or restaurants@kahalaresort.com.

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Calling all moms, moms-to-be and ladies looking for a laugh. The chic Elie Tahari boutique is hosting the release of Sarah Maizes’s book Got Milf?: The Modern Mom’s Guide to Feeling Fabulous, Looking Great, and Rocking A Minivan. On April 5th from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., she’ll be in-store ready to mingle and share war stories on mommyhood and battling the urge to be a dumpy mom.

Sarah Maizes is a mom, but she’s also a writer, stand-up comedienne and founder of MommyLiteOnline.com, a blog she writes about parenting — with a humorous twist. As a single mother of three, Sarah lives in Los Angeles (which she’s deemed the Land of the MILFs) with her eight year old twins and eleven year old daughter, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome when she was three. At the event, 10% of Elie Tahari sales from that night will benefit Autism Speaks and guests will be able to enjoy refreshments, MILF-tinis, and $100 gift cards to the store as well as a copy of Got Milf?.

In her own unique way, Maizes will explain (in-person and in her book) how she’s able to juggle the carpool, PTA and the demands of the office, showing that today’s Milf is a shining, multi-tasking example of confidence, poise, and age-defying beauty. Cougars beware and desperate housewives need not apply — Sarah Maizes is out to show that the Milf is something to be celebrated.

Elie Tahari is located at 575 Newport Center Dr., at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. For more information about the event, contact the store directly at 949.258.7933. For more information on Elie Tahari, visit their official web site at www.elietahari.com.

For more information on Sarah Maizes, visit her blog at www.mommyliteonline.com or her book’s official web site at www.sarahmaizes.com.

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The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art held its 25th Annual Director’s Circle lecture and dinner on Wednesday, March 16 in recognition of its donors who contribute $15,000 or more annually to the museum.

The evening was chaired by SFMOMA Trustees Gretchen Leach and Mary Pilara and featured guest speakers Craig Dykers and Kjetil Thorsen, principals of the Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta, the museum’s building expansion partner. The award-winning firm was founded in 1989 and is known for their innovative, dynamic, and stunning structures, and delivering compelling cultural experiences while bringing communities together. Their notable projects include the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, the National Opera and Ballet in Norway, and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York.

The event, sponsored by J.P Morgan, Sotheby’s, and CitationAir, provided members of the Director’s Circle and an exclusive opportunity to meet Dykers and Thorsen, while learning more about their international projects and witnessing firsthand the firm’s creativity and imagination that captivated the SFMOMA Board of Trustees.

To check out more pictures from this event, check out Haute Living’s Event Gallery.

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On Thursday, April 7, high-end furniture and interior design firm, Baltus, will host a private awards ceremony at its Miami showroom.

Baltus’ new awards program, the “Baltus Icon Award for Excellence in Design” has been created to honor designers and design firms who have made a significant and creative impact on the world of design in their community and the industry.

Baltus Collection’s President Henry Sanchez, says of the awards, “The Baltus Icon Award for Excellence in Design strives to honor designers who set new industry standards; we aim to celebrate visionary designers with artistic execution to match their innovative vision.”

The first Baltus Icon Award for Excellence in Design will be awarded to Edward Nieto of Nieto Designs.  The Icon Awards will continue in Baltus Collection showrooms throughout the United States in New York, L.A., and Chicago.

Baltus invites designers and teams to submit completed work for consideration on their website www.baltuscollection.com.

Baltus Miami is located at 3935 N. Miami Ave., Design District, 305.575.2620.

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