Tina Rayyan, Devon Mosley, Jonathan Johnson, Jenny Berg, Melissa Maynard, and Chris Sofka.

My husband laughed when I told him I was going to be a host for the Pottery Barn opening this week.  He wasn't laughing after he picked me up at 8 PM and the place was jammed to the rafters!  And even though the night was freezing and windy, it didn't stop the crowds from coming to check out this latest Lincoln Park offering.   Chef Guy Meikle from Jon Wool's Finesse Cuisine prepared mouth watering appetizers that were displayed on enticing and unique tabletops around the expansive space.  There was even a terrific jazz band playing throughout the evening, Stitely.  Something beautiful was around every corner and all of it was available for takeout except for the custom pieces.  A check for $5000 was presented to the Parkways Foundation which was a beneficiary of the opening party.  Everyone was there....see for yourself!  (Photos by Caitlin Saville.)

Vanessa Williams and Robert Gonzalez. (Photo by Mike Ruiz)

I became aware of Robert Gonzalez a few birthdays ago one day in May when a massive floral arrangement was brought into Gibson's by TWO people as a gift from Chili Pepper.  They were the most beautiful and creative flowers I had ever seen in my life.  I discovered that Robert was already quite famous having done flowers for the one and only Oprah!  He began at age 14 in Venezuela with his own party planning business doing birthdays for friends.  He spent time in a flower shop behind his house where he honed his skills in floral design.  After he moved to the States and impressed Oprah with his skills, other celebrities followed.   He has created arrangements for Jennifer Hudson, Barbara Walters, Shania Twain and President Obama. 

This new life in fashion began when world famous photographer, Mike Ruiz (www.MikeRuiz.com) approached him to create some floral head pieces for his photo shoot with Vanessa Williams.  As you can imagine from seeing these photos, he has now become a much sought after florist/stylist for fashion designers and photographers who want to incorporate unusual flowers into their ad campaigns and runway shows.   He says the process takes two to three days from sketching the idea to working with the hair stylist to place the pieces. (Roberto Morelli was the hair stylist for this shoot and also did the beautiful makeup.) 

In addition to being an ace designer, he is also an ace body builder and started going to the gym at age 14.  He entered his first body building show at 30 and is training for his next show in 2010.  His looks as well as his skills have definitely been an asset since he is now in talks for his own reality show that will go behind the scenes of celebrity floral fashion shoots and will teach viewers the fine art of horticulture.   As he laughingly says, "I aim to give new definition to the words flower power!"  We wish you all the best Robert!   Your creations are truly innovative, unique and one-of-a-kind...just like YOU!  I have a feeling we are going to be hearing a LOT more from Robert!  (www.RobertoGChicago.com and robertogchicago@gmail.com  )

Founder Robert Redford makes the opening remarks at Sundance. (Pic by Peter Kramer)

Park City, Utah, this year was filled with Chicagoans who had come to party and attend the 20th Sundance Film Festival. Kristina McGrath and her twin sister, Korinna Isselhardt, hosted a girls' winter getaway for 10 women that included Heather Farley, Toni Canada, Lynn McMahan, Jan Flanagan, Nina Mariano and her California friends Tami Kahn and Joni D'Amato and moi.

Kristina made fantastic lunch and dinner plans at all of the local hot spots such as Riverhorse Café, Café Terego, Wahso, Grappa, St. Regis Hotel and the Glitretind Restaurant at the Stein Eriksen Lodge. She hosted a cocktail party at her home one evening that included Brenda Sexton, Julee White, Carrie Birkel, Greg Nye, Sean Eshagy, Denis Healy, Richie Rinella and Mike McGrath, Jr.

There were other parties over the weekend including "The 4th Annual Chicagoans at Sundance Party" (that attracted around 150 guests) and was hosted by Denis Healy, Brenda and Julee at Stein's on Saturday. Other guests who attended included Jonathan Bross, Les Coney, Kim Kline, Lyn McKeaney, Robin Robinson, Scott Schroeder, Billy Dec, Sylvia Perez, Bryan Glazer (Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner), Mike McNamara, Dr. Warwick Carter (Columbia College), Lance Chody (owner of Garrett's Popcorn) and Todd Lizak among others. After this party, guests including Mayor Daley's nephew, RJ Vanecko, went to Harry O's and saw Joan Jett perform.

Thursday was the first day of the festival and the streets filled dramatically overnight with camera crews. The theme this year was "RE...Remind, Rebel and Renew" and the screen before every film began with "This is the recharged fight against the establishment of the expected. This is the rebirth of the battle for brave new ideas."

The restaurants even change their way of operating for this occasion by only offering prix fixe dinners. One waitress put it this way, "It costs you $75 just for a seat."

Sundance attracts around 20,000 year round residents and jumps to 75,000 during the film fest. On average, 10,000 movies are submitted to the Festival judges who narrow it down to around 1000 films. They use around 10-15 venues around town to preview the movies and Sundance and Park City benefit to the tune of around $20 million dollars. No wonder Robert Redford is the local hero!

Celebs in attendance this year included Ben Affleck and Tommy Lee Jones (appearing in "The Company Men"), Chris Cooper, Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray, Robert Duvall and his wife Luciana, Amanda Peete, Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, David Strathairn, Bill Gates, Kristen Stewart, Andie MacDowell, Treat Williams, America Ferrera, Kate Capshaw and her daughter Sasha Speilberg among many others.

The trip was a wonderful experience and I even got to ski---although "skiing" is not a word I would use in my case!!!

Chef Art Smith will be turning 50 in grand style!

Our own Chef Art Smith will be celebrating his 50^th birthday in grand style!  How about a celebration in Soldier Field with over 70 top chefs?  This year's Fifth Annual World Festival benefitting Common Threads will be a blowout party for Chicago's very own Art Smith on Monday, March 1^st from 6-9 PM.  Participating chefs include Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill/Topolobampo) , Curtis Duffy (Avenues at the Peninsula), Graham Elliot Bowles (Graham Elliot), Gale Gand (TRU), Mario Santiago (May St. Café), Stephanie Izard (Girl and the Goat), Bill Kim (Urban Belly), Jason McLeod (Balsan at the Elysian), Daven Wardynski (676 Restaurant at the Omni) and Carrie Nahabedian (NAHA) to name a few.  Honorary host for the event will be Gail Simmons from Food & Wine Magazine and the host committee includes Lee Blackwell Baur, Katherine Chez, Lisa Erspamer, Brian McCaskey, Sue and Mike McCloskey, Ken O'Keefe and Jason Stephens, Mayari Pritzker, Patrick Sheahan, Marilyn Vitale, Linda Yu and yours truly.  

Silent and live auctions will feature one-of-a-kind items, including a trip to Italy sponsored by Barilla; an in-home, five-course dinner for four with Season Five Top Chef contestant Radhika Desai; and lunch for two with Nigella Lawson at her home!  General admission tickets cost $250.  Or, for $500, enjoy the VIP treatment, including access to Art's swanky Southern-style lounge and an invitation to the exclusive chef after-party at The James Chicago (55 E. Ontario)!  This will be an event not to be missed and a milestone celebration for Art's 50^th!  For tickets and more info, please email Jennifer@commonthreads.org or visit www.commonthreads.org  (Watch for Art's new show on TLC coming in the fall, "Craving Comfort" -aren't we all?)

Common Threads teaches low-income children how to cook wholesome and affordable meals because they believe that through their hands-on cooking classes, they can help prevent childhood obesity and reverse the trend of generations of non-cookers, while celebrating their cultural differences and the things people all over the world have in common.  Recently, at the Omni, I hosted a party to celebrate the launch of their first cookbook (Eat the World: Good-For-You Food for Families, $20) which includes recipes that they prepare in their after school program.  A few of the "Small Threads" were on hand to sign the books.  Check out the party pics and I hope to see you at Art's 50^th celebration!  (Additional pics by Caitlin Saville)

The moment we pulled up in front of the Playboy Mansion in LA and saw it decorated and lit up in deep shades of pink and purple, I knew it was going to be a great party.

The buzz started as soon as we walked through the front door and when we stepped into the tented backyard with all of the decorations, it took our breath away.

With actor Jack Black at the Polo Lounge in LA.

Chuck and I are in LA now for Hef's New Year's Eve Party tonight at the Mansion.  We are staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel and it just oozes with old-world Hollywood glamour. Yesterday, we had lunch in the famous Polo Lounge and it was packed with familiar faces!  Actor Jack Black was there with an assistant and I asked him when he stepped outside if I could take a pic of him.  He grabbed the camera and said, "Let's take one together--if there's no photo, there's no proof that this happened!"  He couldn't have been sweeter.  I told him we had seen his film, Year One,  premiered in Chicago and Harold Ramis introduced it to the crowd. 

As if this sighting weren't enough, there were other famous faces in the restaurant too.  As I was walking back in, who walked past me but Nancy Reagan with her long-time friend Betsy Bloomingdale!   They were both very small and I should've known something was up by the security men posted all over the place!  Shortly thereafter, Playboy Playmate of the Year, Shannon Tweed walked in.  She has her own reality show with long-time boyfriend and rocker Gene Simmons....what a day!

Went to Little Door Restaurant and to Bazaar Rest. at the SLS Hotel....both are highly recommended....

Stay tuned for more news and I hope you have a Happy New Year!!!

This was a walk down memory lane for me.  We hosted a Playboy photo shoot in our home and it was sooooo much fun!  Jenna, a gorgeous 24 year old model, had flown in that day from Pittsburgh and had a body that looked like she was an Avatar! It was beyond perfect, 34D-25-35.  Her 7 hour photo shoot was for the Special Editions for Playboy which included "Book of Lingerie", "Hot Housewives" and an issue entitled "Vixens." 

Look below the photos for the rest of the story about the shoot.