Memorial Day 2013

Hello again! The Singer family if off to Africa (don’t worry there will be plenty of photos to share)! I wanted to write one more blog for you all before we’re off! I had such an incredible Memorial Day. Memorial Day holds a lot of meaning for everyone. We often kick off the Summer with BBQs but it all stems from the celebration of remembering those who served our country. A great Patriotic holiday!

Every Memorial Day I have a gathering at my home for dinner. Theses dinners have been anywhere from twelve people to sixty people. So much is going on right now so we decided to have one table of twelve wonderful friends.

I marinated and grilled some shrimp and served with toast. Crisp, light and refreshing start to dinner.

I served pasta in fresh pesto sauce and then provided different toppings for people to choose from. A fun little make your own pasta bar!

I set out my antique gold china and cut fresh flowers from my personal garden for the table!

Mario lit all the candles and set out our American decor while we waited for our guests to arrive!

After dinner it was obviously TURTLE TIME!

We ended the night with some birthday cake!!

Avery’s Senior Prom

Hello again! Thank you for the great response on my flower blog! Its been quite the month in the Singer residence. I can’t believe Avery turned 18, had prom and is graduating all in a matter of a month. Where does time go?!

 It has been a really emotional time for me. I am very lucky to have such a great relationship with my daughter but it makes it that much harder to see her grow up and prepare to leave for college. Being a mother, you hope she has everything she needs for the real world.

 

Prom day was hectic! I had girls running around in sweats getting their hair and makeup done and planning for the night’s events. I have to admit I loved it. I’m going to miss those days when they are all away at their respective colleges.

When Avery and her girlfriends (who are like bonus daughters to me) walked out of her room all dressed up, I burst into tears. Avery looked like such a stunning young woman. I’ve never been so proud.

Avery’s dress was gorgeous! We had spent a whole day shopping and found it at BCBG. Her Schutz shoes completed the look.

We did all of the formal corsage/boutennire photos. She went with one of her very best friends who made sure to take care of her and watch out for her and her friends all night. I made sure of it! lol

Parents held a pre-prom party where Mario met us and he was just as floored as I was. We were both just so  proud to see our little girl all grown up and looking so beautiful.

Homemade Flower Arrangements

Hello again!

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Avery’s birthday with a dinner party for her girlfriends at our home. I did the flower arrangements myself and many of you asked for details on how I did it!

Flowers are one of my passions. I love gardening at my Hamptons’ home, cutting fresh flowers, taking long walks through the flower district. Its a great thing to use some creativity. I wanted to move away from the classic arrangement for this party. Avery is young and fun so thats what I wanted to capture. I wanted the table to look eclectic! I spent an afternoon strolling through NYC’s Flower District which is located on 28th Street between 6th and 7th Ave. I picked up some green floral foam, exotic green leaves, crystal beads and a bunch of flowers. I went with pinks and purples but instead of the same type of flower I did multiple different types.

When I arrived home, I pulled together all different size vases. I cut the floral foam to fit each vase and then saturated the foam in water. While the foam was saturating, I cut all of the flowers to the sizes I wanted them to be in each vase. This is,of course, is a matter of preference. When the flowers were cut, I put the crystal beads at the bottom of each vase. I then took the saturated floral foam and wrapped it in the green leaves, placing them in each vase. Once this is complete, I began sticking the flowers into the foam.

When I have all the vases complete, I began placing them on the table. How you place them depends on the look you are going for but I decided to scatter them a bit instead of putting them in a straight line down the center of the table.

This is a really easy and fun way to make some different centerpieces. Avery was so happy with the final look and we had a great night!!

Transitioning Beauty into Spring/Summer

Hello again! So as I sit here on another rainy day, I find myself daydreaming about the days of Summer right around the corner! So I thought I would take the time to share some of my beauty and style tips for the seasons changing.

With the heat and sun coming, most of your products should change. A heavy foundation or an oil cleanser is not needed in the Summer. For cleansing purposes, I like to go with a really light and simple cleanser that won’t strip my skin of its natural oils but is also not adding too much moisture either. I use the Tru Renewal Gentle Gel cleanser followed by the Tru Renewal Oxygen boost. At night I will use the Tru Renewal moisturizer but in the day its BEYOND important to use SPF. I can’t stress this enough! A favorite of mine right now is Kate Somerville but any SPF will do!

Foundation does not always hold well in the Summer heat and let’s face it, a fresh natural face is always best during those warmer days. During the Summer, I recommend using a tinted moisturizer that allows you to build for coverage. You are still able to use concealer for those “trouble areas” but your face won’t melt when you are out to lunch at that fabulous outdoor restaurant! I recommend Laura Mercier, both her tinted moisture (with SPF!) and the primer. Sephora has a great starter kit for a flawless face. Definitely try it!

Is anyone else as ready for Summer clothing as I am? I officially took out all my Spring and Summer outfits but the weather did not come with it! Right now it’s all about black and white. You see it in the magazines, the store windows, its everywhere! From shoes to tops, black and white are the statement pieces right now. Pour La Victoire has the BEST shoes. They are so comfortable, look like a million bucks yet affordable! They have some incredible statement shoes this season that will completely change an outfit. I truly believe you don’t need to buy a ton of new clothing to update your look. A pair of shoes will update you alone.

So you have your black and white outfit and your statement shoes. Now its time for a girl’s best friend, her bag! In the Summer, I am all about totes and Boho bags during the day. These bags are great because they are pretty much the Mary Poppins purse! You can throw in a cover up and some great sandals and head to the beach but you are also ready for a day of shopping and eating in town. When the weather is gorgeous, I want to go out and stay out which is why these bags come in handy. Stylish and so effective.  Pour La Victoire has mastered these as well.

So now that we are ready for the Summer, lets get the sun out!  I hope you enjoyed my tips and find them helpful. Be sure to head to www.RamonaSinger.com to see videos of my showroom shopping as I try to update my style a little bit based on tips that you all have been sharing with me!

Til next time…

Ramona

Reliving Aspen 2013

Hello there! I hope you are all doing well. Its been a few weeks since my Spring Break in Aspen but I like taking a little time before I look at the photos because its like I’m reliving the trip and it’s a nice little break from the work week.

This was the first year Avery went on her own Spring Break as she is now almost 18 years old. I guess this is what I have to get used to now right? I can’t believe it’s a matter of a couple of months before she is off to college. Mario and I went to Aspen on our own and we did have an incredible time together. That is what we’ll have to cherish while Avery is gone!

 

As if NYC was not getting enough snow, Mario and I jetted off to Aspen to meet with some of our closest friends.  We got there just in time to celebrate St Patty’s Day! We bought all of our silly gear and headed out to dance the night away. It was the perfect start to our vacation!

 

While I love lounging on beaches on my vacations I love being active as well! Mario and I did a lot of skiing!  Here we are all ready on Snow Mass Mountain. Afterwards we would head to Sky Bar for some unwinding and always met some great people!

 

  

 

  

 

 

There was a ton of snow in Aspen. So much that sometimes there simply was not any visibility to ski. Those were the days I tried to just relax and enjoy the beauty I was surrounded by that you just don’t’ get to enjoy in the city.

 

 

 

I took a couple of days to just walk around and enjoy Aspen. Explore a little. I loved the homes I came across. From tiny eclectic ones to homes so big they wouldn’t fit on my phone camera! There is so much character all around.

    

 

 

During the last couple of days I made sure to get as much skiing in as possible. Especially with my best friend Marla as we hit Ajax!

 

We opened the trip with St Pattys Day and ended it with a Mexican Fiesta! It was such a great trip and Avery had a blast on her own trip. But I have to admit…I can’t wait for our next vacation as the little Trifecta we are!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Basket Cupcakes

Spring is here! (Even though it does not quite feel like it in NYC!) Easter is right around the corner. I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes for Easter desserts: Easter Basket cupcakes. There are so many great things about these cupcakes. One, how cute are they? They are perfect to set up as a decorative centerpiece or even place one at each setting.

They can also be customized to showcase all of your favorite treats and flavors. Below is one great recipe from TasteofHome.com. When  I make them, I use low fat butter and cream cheese so I feel a little less guilty but a splurge is always okay on the holidays. Enjoy!

Ingredients

•             1/2 cup butter, softened

•             1 cup sugar

•             1 egg

•             1 teaspoon grated orange peel

•             2 cups cake flour

•             3/4 teaspoon baking soda

•             1/2 teaspoon baking powder

•             1/4 teaspoon salt

•             2/3 cup buttermilk

•             FROSTING:

•             3/4 cup butter, softened

•             2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

•             1 teaspoon vanilla extract

•             3 cups confectioners’ sugar

•             1 teaspoon water

•             4 drops green food coloring

•             1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

•             Red shoestring licorice

•             Jelly beans

Directions

•             In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and orange peel. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

•             Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

•             In a small bowl, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar; spread over cupcakes. Combine water and food coloring in a large resealable plastic bag; add coconut. Seal bag and shake to tint. Sprinkle over cupcakes.

•             Using a metal or wooden skewer, poke a hole in the top on opposite sides of each cupcake. Cut licorice into 6-in. strips for handles; insert each end into a hole. Decorate with jelly beans. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts

1 serving (1 each) equals 351 calories, 18 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 51 mg cholesterol, 273 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Fashion Week 2013

Greetings from the runway! As you know, Fashion Week is one of my favorite times of the year, and this season’s fashion week did not let me down! I had such a great time and had the privilege of sitting front row at some of the most amazing shows.

 

I started Fashion Week off on Friday, February 8, by supporting a fellow Bravo TV member, Cesar Galindo, at his show. It was so good to see him, and his show was a huge success despite the winter “Nemo” storm! That storm was not going to stop this girl from seeing any shows, and it was not going to stop me from wearing heels in the snow! You know what they say….”Fashion over Function!”

 

Here are some pictures from Cesar’s runway show:

 

 

Also, on Friday I attended Rebecca Minkoff’s Fashion Show which was also a hit and a great time as well! I absolutely loved that Rebecca had a live band for her runway show. You better believe I was dancing away!

 

 

Here are some pictures from Friday:

 

 

 

 

Speaking of dancing, I had the privilege of walking in the Reality on the Runway show on Saturday and got a little carried away dancing to the song, “Anything Could Happen,” by Ellie Goulding. I happened to trip while dancing but I covered it up pretty well and got a laugh out of the crowd. I just wanted to spice it up a bit!

 

 

 

 

 

The Reality on the Runway Fashion Show that I walked in on Saturday was a benefit show to raise money for AIDS. I was so honored to be a part of that. I walked with some great girls, Alex McCord being one of them. Below is a picture of Mario and I with Drita D’Avanzo from Mob Wives. We all had a great time and raised money for a great cause!

 

 

On Monday, I went to one of my favorite shows…the Pamella Roland show. I was able to step back stage before the show to wish Pamella good luck, but I dont think she even needed it because her show was a hit, as always! Pamella’s new spring 2013 collection did not disappoint and I especially loved her peplum tank that was shown with a pencil skirt…so adorable!

 

 

 

Tuesday was a change of pace for me as I decided to head Downtown to the Elle 360 show. This was yet another great show with a trendy, hip vibe which differs from the shows at the Lincoln Center. After the show, I had dinner with with some beautiful blonde girlfriends of mine. It was a “Blondes Night Out” and a great time as well!

 

 

 

On Wednesday, I closed out the season with another favorite show of mine: the Zang Toi show. I sat front row at this show with Alex McCord and we had such a great time catching up. It was so nice to see Maksim Chmerkovskiy at the show too!

 

 

 

 

 

I love taking pictures on my phone during the shows so that I can look back and have my own little catalog of what is in style. I was sad to see Fashion Week end, but I am excited to see all the new collections on the streets of NYC being worn by people like us and not just the runway models!

 

 

 

 

Fashion Trends Spring 2013

Hello Everyone! Fashion Week in NYC is just around the corner so I thought it would be great to give you my opinions on the hottest trends this season. It seems a lot of this season’s trends are inspired by the 60′s look such as the bright colors, stripes, peplum tops, and cropped jeans.

I am really into the bright, neon colors this season. When the neon trend started last year I thought it would be fleeting but its still showing up!  In the picture below, I am holding my Milly dress with lime trim and my matching lime coat from Milly is hanging up behind me.  These two pieces compliment each other so well! Bright make up is apparently in as well, but I don’t think that I could really pull that off so I will stick to my natural or smokey eyed look.

Let’s talk about jeans. I am a fan of the skinny jeans (and probably always will be), but the boyfriend jeans are trending these days. These jeans would be great for casual wear but I wouldn’t recommend wearing them for a night out on the town… unless you are more into the BoHo look which is also in style. Bright, skinny jeans are really hot this season too, as well as punchy floral jeans. I am not a fan of the floral patterns but I do like the bright-colored jeans.

I would have to say that my favorite trend this season is the peplum look! People think the peplum look can only be worn by string beans but I think it is most flattering on a waist-to-hip curve. Here is a picture of me wearing one of Walter Baker’s peplum tops that I love!

Accessorize. Accessorize. Accessorize. This is probably one of my favorite things to do, and this season its all about piling on the accessories! Though I tend to wear a lot of silver, gold has really been making a come back these days. I love the gold bangle bracelets and cuffs! Here is a link to my favorite gold cuff from my line at True Faith: http://www.truefaithjewelry.com/tf1216.html

True Faith Stretch Gold Cuff

True Faith Gold Bangles

I also just launched a beautiful Pave Crystal Gold Plated Pendant necklace that has earrings to match. These are simple, yet stunning pieces that will go with just about every outfit…and we have them available in silver and rose gold!  These pieces, as well as some of my other new arrivals can be found here: http://www.truefaithjewelry.com/ranewar.html?page=0&sf=&sd=a#sortblock

True Faith Pave Gold Plated Pendant Necklace

True Faith Pave Gold Plated Earrings

Playful accessories are also in style, such as those with clear accents, but I am not a fan of those. One accessory that I think should be “playful” and bold, is your clutch! Wow-factor clutches are really trending this season and should be a closet staple!

Pretty soon it is going to be time to put our boots away and pull out our spring sandals! Gladiators are still going to be in this spring and those are so comfortable, yet still trendy. Every girl should own a pair.

Cork Wedges are also something I think you should have in your closet this spring because they are also comfy and adorable. I don’t even feel like I am wearing heels when I have these on!

Now that you have read my opinions on what is trending, let me know what your opinions are! I can’t wait to see what the runway has to offer next week at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC, but I am sure that I will love most of it! Check in with my Twitter and Facebook pages to see pictures next week:)

First Post of 2013!

First post of 2013! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday and spent some quality time with your loved ones. My holidays were spent with my family and close friends….and some fun in the Anguilla sun

Christmas was wonderful as usual. My favorite thing about Christmas is how traditional it is with our family. I love being in our home and doing what we do each year. Ever since Avery was a little girl, we would make sugar cookies together. I did the same with my Mom when I was little. I would do most of the work while Avery watched and then she would get to sprinkle on the sugar at the end. 18 years later the roles have reversed… Avery does most of the baking while I watch and then I get to sprinkle the sugar on at the end!

When I was pregnant with Avery, I was strolling down Madison Ave and saw 50% off Christmas ornaments. I purchased hundreds of dollars worth of ornaments. My husband looked at me like I was nuts but I told him, “These will be our first ornaments with Avery and we will keep them forever”. They are still my favorites and we hang them every year along with ones
we have added along the way.  They happened to be gold and burgundy, which who knew would end up being the colors in my Hamptons home where we spend Christmas now!

I always throw a pre-Christmas gathering so we can celebrate with our friends. I invite 20 of our nearest and dearest over and cook all of my signature dishes, some of which are pictured below. I really look forward to everything about this holiday season.

 

Avery’s favorite Christmas gift this year was the new camera we bought her from Willoughby’s . She really takes beautiful pictures and has such a good eye! Most of the pictures below are from her new camera.

Once Christmas was over, Mario, Avery and I kicked off the New Year in Anguilla. It was so relaxing and was great to escape the cold weather of New York City for a little while. We stayed at the Viceroy Hotel… it was magical and the place had it all! We started all of our days on the hotel’s private beach (of course, that would be after Mario played a set of tennis and after our workout next to Paul McCartney!) We loved to just walk along the beach, splashing through the ocean.

The Viceroy has four nearby restaurants on the beach where we would have most of our meals. The bottom picture is at the restaurant called “Blanchard Beach Shack.” This is owned by the same owner as Blanchards, which is considered the best on the island. At the end of the day we would go to the Sunset Lounge near the Viceroy’s incredible infinity pool since the dress was casual and we could be lazy and stay in our cover ups. We wore some great bikinis…my favorites were from Diane Raulston’s collection.

New Years Eve was the best! Karmin performed and we danced the night away until 3am! Mario and I spent a lot of quality time with Avery, but we also had some alone time since a lot of Avery’s friends were there. This vacation was especially important to us as it was the last New Year’s vacation before Avery enters college this fall.

New Years Eve with Avery and her friend

 

 

I hope all of your dreams come true in 2013 and that you follow through will all of your New Year’s Resolutions! Mine is to not always take control and to relax a little more…hopefully I can follow through with it

Until next time…XOXO Ramona

Singers’ Thanksgiving 2012

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all of you! hope  it was wonderful filled with great food, loved ones and of course many thanks! Mario, Avery and I escaped the cold winter of NYC and spent Thanksgiving in Palm Beach. What a great retreat!!

We stayed with one of my closest girlfriends and what a welcome we had! A stunning dinner set up with one of the most incredible menus created by the head chef of hot restaurant Crave. Can barely read this menu  without feeling a strong need to eat it all again!

Thanksgiving dinner itself was also incredible. Everyone added a little something. I made my own recipe of stuffing that I started cooking in NYC! Chopped all of the veggies, wrapped them up and carried them on the plane with me to save time! We had quite a few stuffings and turned it into a contest of which one was the best. I won!! But, they were all truly delicious.

There was plenty of turkey, ham, cheese, sweet potatoes made with Brandy. The amount of food was out of this world. There were four couples and 8 “kids”. I say “kids” but they are all ages 16 and older! They will always be our babies! The “kids” said that this Thanksgiving meal was one of their favorites of all dinners they have had. Something about the comfort food of this holiday always makes it seem the best.

The rest of our trip was spent playing tennis, laying out and going out to some fantastic restaurants. Forget about Thanksgiving being one day revolved around a ton of food…our whole week was!!

On our last night, we went to a dinner party at this hot restaurant called Solita Del Ray. Also in attendance was the hysterical, beautiful and incredibly sweet Sofia Vergara! Mario snagged the seat next to her. It takes a secure woman to have her husband sit next to Sofia all night! lol

Overall, it was a great trip. I have so much to be thankful for. My health, friends and most of all my incredible family. It is important to remember to be thankful every day instead of just one day a year.

As we packed up and headed out of town it was clear…Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is here!!