Aubrey Up Close

I just spent a week with Flat Stanley! My friend Eric in Phoenix sent him to me and asked if I knew who he was and if I’d be willing to participate…of course I obliged, and Stanley and I had a great time!! So who is this “Flat Stanley” character, for those of you who aren’t familiar??? Well, he has a website – http://www.flatstanley.com/

Basically he’s a character from a book and because he’s “flattened” he can be mailed, thus allowing for great adventures all over the globe as he gets passed from friend to friend. I did this for Mrs. Mac’s 1st grade class at Cottonwood Elementary in Hesperia, CA!

I received Stanley in my Oakland mailbox right after Thanksgiving and of course he got to ride on Southwest with me cross-country to Florida! See how he got the window seat and was watching the luggage get loaded!?!? ha

We had one layover and plane change in Las Vegas, so Stanley took that opportunity to sit in front of the slot machines! Unfortunately we didn’t hit the jackpot and proceeded to board for our Fort Lauderdale bound flight.

The highlight of Stanley’s South Florida visit was a day out at an NFL game to see the Miami Dolphins host the Oakland Raiders! Here he is getting ready to enter Sun Life Stadium amidst all the pre-game festivities….

We had great seats at the game, but sadly the Raiders lost…womp, womp, womp… However, it was fun and Stanley got to meet my road dawg Jeanette and she will now be hosting him for a week over at the Raiders facility…hopefully he brings them better luck for this Sunday!

Here’s another segment I did for “Here’s To Your Health.” This aired on last Saturday’s show, so if you missed it, you can watch my clips now! Also, another episode will air this Saturday morning at 8:30am on TLC. **Note – If you have Directv on West Coast, it’ll be 5:30am your time. Anyhow, this segment took me to Bluffton, South Carolina where I met Chris and Sarah Arthur (really sweet couple), and they shared the story of how selecting the RIGHT car safety seat saved their new baby’s life!!

Me and Baby Ella as we wrapped the shoot….

After doing hundreds of product videos for “Babies R Us” …I was already familiar with many of the car safety seats out there, but learning about how the “Air Protect” technology literally saved baby Ella and kept her so safe, it’s now on the top of my list – for when I need one! ha Many of my friends are new mothers or have little ones…so I love doing pieces like this, because the information is so valuable!!

80’S PURPLE FALL :: 2011 COLLECTION :: MOTION PREVIEW

80sPurple.com, California’s famed online boutique is ready to grace this season with their highly anticipated Fall 2011 motion preview. Taking a cinematic approach to unveil this collection, sit tight and watch it unfold through a tale of lost and refuted love. Scene by scene offers the perfect blend of this season’s men’s and women’s latest trends with an earthy hint of charm and bohemian flare. Each piece offers a contemporary silhouette of sheer blends, crisp cottons, and dauntless prints. Only justified through the motion preview “By Your Side”, those who are intrigued enough to watch it will find themselves swiftly coalesced!

Launched in Fall 2004, 80sPurple.com has quickly emerged as a top online boutique destination. Combining innovative design with user-friendly interface, the site offers a look that is aesthetically pleasing. Infused with relevant products combined with the latest fashion news updates, 80‘s Purple is your American contemporary boutique that delivers the ultimate shopping experience.

I started this new feature segment on KRON called “Aubrey About Town” and it’s about fun, hip and cool things to do in the Bay…you know stuff to explore, try and get into….

Here’s one of my newest and latest installments featuring The WOW Truck!

I had the awesome opportunity and experience to get “styled” at Banana Republic today at their Flagship store on Grant in SF..GINORMOUS!! I was set up with a personal shopper, and after I gave them my two cents ahead of time of the types of things I like, what styles I’m looking for and what I’m trying to do fashion-wise, they created a beautiful set-up in a fitting room for me so I could try to a bunch of new “looks!!”

My “stylists” Sayareh and Nanci did a great job of selecting items in-line with what I had told them I wanted, and there were several combinations and options to mix and match all the pieces.

One of my “issues” is that since I’ve been living in Miami the past 5 years, my wardrobe is reflective of that….and now being in the Bay Area, it’s different – like sometimes my sister Ade says I’m looking a little “bootylicious,” because of how fitted my clothing can be, and then learning to layer is a must since the temps can range 30 degrees, depending where you are in the Bay.  I mean, in South Florida anything goes when it comes to dress, but I also felt the need to update myself to a more ‘mature’ look!! And — the GREAT thing I learned in the stylin’ session is that you can still look good, feel sexy and show off your shape, with chic sophistication!

There were crop pants and long pants, scarves, shoes, blouses, jackets, vests, cardigans, dresses, hats, bags and belts…. After more than an hour of trying stuff on and figuring out what worked and what didn’t, I was able to narrow down my choices (that fit in the budget) of what I wanted to purchase and bring home! Typically my fashion sense is to keep it simple and safe, so having a personal shopper/stylist to show you different ways to wear things or try on clothes you would’ve never looked twice at was a very cool experience. I had done something like this once before at Neiman Marcus Bal Harbour for more formal upscale wear, but it’s always great to have an “expert” around to have an honest, second opinion and allow them to inject their fashion sense into you!!

So, yeah…I highly recommend the experience… Just beware, unless you are prepared to BUY EVERYTHING you fall in love with…stay focused! I may be seeing some of the items I left in the store in my dreams! ha

So I did this “Saggy Pants” story last week in light of the UNM Football Player who got kicked off a US Airways flight for “sagging”…then this week a photo comes out of a guy in woman’s lingerie who flew on a cross-country US Airways flight with no problem…hmmm?? Anyway, I was so intrigued by this photo..I just had to post. I mean, I would’ve asked him to cover up…just sayin!

Yet another reason to fall back from flying US Airways …they def aren’t my airline of choice.

And, my Saggy Pants story for KRON…thanks to the Hoodstarz who have a song called “Saggy Jean Era” and Jan at FATLACE SF for breaking down what the “sag” means to them!

I loved this place so much, I just had to blog about it! My friend introduced me to this “tapas” type restaurant (he had already been there several times) that was really good and very inexpensive, so I was with it – those 2 things generally make me happy! Well, I had no idea what a treat it would be to eat at 100 Montaditos! **SOOOOOO impressed, I just had to blog about it!

First off, it’s located at Midtown Miami, a place I frequent often to go to Target..but I had yet to notice this new spot. Second, beyond the idea of tapas…they are the cutest (and tastiest) “Montaditos” or tiny sandwiches. The restaurant itself is very appealing, cute modern style, with festive decor…that new but authentic look and feel. Last, it’s simple, the people are nice and it’s clean. P.S. They stay open late too!

Apparently the Miami location is the first in America, but there are some 200 locations worldwide – in France, Mexico, Portugal, and, mostly, in its hometown Spain. I think it’s an excellent concept…not sure why it’s just hit the States now, but I’m confident it’ll be coming to a neighborhood near you very soon! Actually, I should buy a franchise!!! Seriously, it doesn’t get much better than this…they have $1 Wednesdays when all the Montaditos are $1 and they have beer bucket deals on Friday…buy one get one. Even if it’s not a “deal” day, it’s super low cost. They’ve got screens in there too, so you can hang out and watch games.

Okay, so other than its smart (affordable) concept…it really is GOOD. I mean, usually we’ll compromise taste & quality when it’s “cheap” …but you can go in there and get 3 of these baby sandwiches for a buck each and be full AND feel like you truly got your money’s worth…you’d probably have even been willing to pay more for these tasty treats! Another reason I like it is because I can order varied flavors of montaditos, each for just one dollar!! You know when you look at a menu and you want multiple things but you can’t decide?? Now you can order to your heart’s content… and pick more than one thing and not waste the food or money! Gosh, I don’t know, you just have to experience it. There was seriously a “party in my mouth”…yum, yum, YUM!

So, in the platter pictures above (about $12)…I had #1 -Serrano Ham and Olive Oil, #2- Chorizo, #9 -Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam (gotta satisfy the sweet tooth), #69 – Pulled BBQ Pork with Iberic Cheese and Brava Sauce, #70 – Pulled BBQ Pork with Bacon, Guacamole and Green Pepper and #77 – Shrimp with Ali Oli! I know it’s A LOT..but I had to sample everything!! Each item was unique and very tasty…I felt like a happy “montadito” when I walked out! Apparently they have really good ice cream too…I’ll have to dig into that item next visit. http://www.100montaditos.com/miami/

I attended a press event at the Delano on Miami Beach this evening.  Jay-Z and BING have teamed up with a fun, very creative way to promote his forthcoming book DECODED with an interactive game on BING. The book will be released on November 16. BTW…my friend Luxury Mindz has a page (photo he took) in that book too, so look out for it!!

Basically, we all gathered in the pool area of the Delano Hotel and Jay-Z, along with the CEO of BING  made an announcement about his book and showed a video that pretty much showcased the billboards and different marketing of how this Decode Jay-Z stuff works. Now, this is pretty cool..the first person to “decode” a particular page wins that page autographed and there will only be one…and the first guy/fan who successfully decoded, was present…and they presented him with his page! He came all the way from London and he explained how he was able to do the decode. Then, they asked us to all go over to the pool…

Well, when they turned the lights on..this is what we got… the next page to decode! Pretty amazing… it’s the lyrics to Big Pimpin’ if I’m not mistaken. *Sidenote – as I attempted to take the above photo with my blackberry, I sort of had to get up to the very edge of the pool and you know when you try to hold the camera over someone’s head to take a picture…uhm, well I was pretty much doing that over Beyonce’s head (well to the side)…except I didn’t realize it was her until my girl pointed it out to me (after the fact)!! LOL I can be a little oblivious at times… I mean, it’s not like she was wearing a red dress or anything!?!? YES, she was in RED….Ha! Anyhoo, no harm done, but I felt bad…I’m not one to be all pushy, but I was so taken by the pool, I had to snap a photo…and since I was on paparazzi status…I decided to take one of Jigga too!

Here’s the official DECODED + BING description from the press release:

Today Bing, the decision engine from Microsoft, launched a multi-platform search experience and interactive game to help fans decode JAY-Z’s life and lyrics found in his debut book, DECODED. Through an unprecedented partnership with Bing, JAY-Z’s words will be taken off the page allowing readers to find the very locations that inspired them.

Online, fans will find a one of a kind search experience built on Bing technologies using Bing Maps and Bing Entertainment to walk the streets JAY-Z walked, searching and deciding how to decode his life and lyrics at every turn.  Over the course of one month, five to ten pages will be unveiled each day, allowing fans to come together as a community to compile DECODED online before it hits bookshelves.  200 winners and one grand prize winner will be selected from the people who help uncover the 300-plus pages, located in 15 locations around the world and in Bing Maps.

You know, maybe I should get in on this puzzle solving stuff, I really like exercising my mind, and one of my friends was telling me (not too long ago) how popular this scavenger hunt stuff is getting. So, go ahead…it’s your chance to Decode Jay -Z with BING! http://bing.com/jay-z