Monday, February 23, 2009

It's been a busy social season for most of us in Miami—er, I mean like 1 percent of us—so that's my excuse for not blogging. I mean, I've been writing writing writing the memoir. Seriously though after this week I'm locking myself in my apartment for days on end till I go up to the city. My old and dear friend Meredith is heading down here Thursday, and being that she is as much of a type-A planner as I am, we've got a packed itinerary. We'll be hitting the Fontainebleau, Viceroy hotel, the Spa at Epic, The Mandarin Oriental, Bal Harbour, Prime Italian and if we're not too partied out by Sunday, Palm Beach.

Meredith and I met when I was 16 years old. We were both at a Musiker program—my fellow MOTs remember Musiker teen tours and summer programs verrrrrrrrry well I'm sure—at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. We insta-bonded over food and fashion. Somehow we initially talked about Atlanta, and it just so happened that she was raving about a restaurant that was owned by our very good family friend. When I found out she lived on the Upper East Side, attended Dalton—where my not-so-dear departed Roxy don't-call-me-grandma also matriculated—and was obsessed with Ab Fab, Versace and all things fashion, it was all over. My mom remembers me calling her and saying that I'd met my soulmate. Yeah, I was a really late bloomer in the boy department.

We've shared many good times over the years in New York, Florida and Mexico at the amaaaaaaaaazing Las Ventanas al Paraiso in Cabo. Our last trip in Florida was a spring break jaunt to South Beach, where we stayed in some little place on Ocean that probably isn't around anymore, and thought we were so cool for getting into Liquid and all those throwback places. South Beach was in the last phase of its Rennaissance back then—meaning it was still fabulous. South Beach still can be fab, but it's also often the cheesiest and most offensive place on earth, fashion-wise. (Aside from Disneyworld.) The Patsy to her Edina, I can't wait to glam it up again and have another partner in crime more than a decade after our initial SoBe foray.

And we CAN'T wait to visit The Spa at Icon Brickell Friday. Check it out. I hit probably three spas or so a month for my Juli B beauty column, but even this jaded spa-goer is really looking forward to this place.

Ugh stupid photo uploader not working so go to the web site to see the Icon photos.


I did watch the Oscars, but I need to watch the E! reviews to fully absorb the extent. The woman who made me gasp with pleasure and envy though was the elegant, intelligent and beautiful Natalie Portman. She also happens to be an MOT who was born in Israel, went to Harvard and is extrememly talented. And I've always loved her. The gown by Rodarte wouldn't be my first choice, but on her the pink and the gold and her flawless face just totally work.