World's Top Players support the All-Star Charity Tennis Event at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne

The Sony Ericsson Open has once again attracted the world's top tennis players to South Florida as they battle their way through tough opponents and our hot weather to win the #1 spot! Last week I had the pleasure of checking out these top tennis stars as they gathered at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne for an evening of fun. On Tuesday, March 22nd, Andy Roddick, Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki and Ryan Harrison came out to raise money for the Greater Miami Tennis & Education Foundation [GMTEF] at the resort's Cliff Drysdale Tennis Center to co-host the 2nd annual All-Star Charity Tennis Event. It was definitely a unique and intimate event where fans and tennis players had the chance to play against each other for a great cause! About 150 lucky spectators and VIP guests attended this event while enjoying champagne, specialty cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Here are some great pictures for you to see and don't forget to visit the GMTEF's website to help our city's youth pursue their dreams in the tennis world! Above: The man we all like to call "The King of Serve" a.k.a. Andy Roddick. During this year's All Star Charity Event at The Ritz-Carlton, Andy showed the crowd how hard he could really serve as he played against local opponents. The event featured an exhibition match called the "King & Queen of the Court" challenge where the pros played against the amateur Round Robin winners (two local players who qualified for a spot to play during the event). My personal favorite and most exciting match to watch was the "Battle of the Sexes" because [of course] the ladies won!!! Make sure you congratulate Kim and Caroline if you run into them at the Sony Ericsson this week! It was an incredible experience to watch these women in action! Above: Belgian-native Kim Clijsters enjoying her time at the All Star Charity Tennis Event. During the matches, the audience was able to hear the players taking to each other because they each wore a small mic to add a flare of fun to the event. Trust me...these players are talented and have a great sense of humor! Did I mention Clijsters was the Sony Ericsson's 2010 women's champion? Go Kim! Above: Ryan Harrison returning a shot during the All Star Charity Tennis Event at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne. Harrison began his tennis career at the age of two and became the first American teenager to beat a Top 20 opponent in a Grand Slam since Roddick at the 2001 US Open. Above: Caroline Wozniaki [who arrived straight from her Indian Wells win] is a Danish pro tennis player and the number one singles player in the world. All of the proceeds from this event benefited the Greater Miami Tennis & Education Foundation (GMTEF) who were presented with a check for $13,000. GMTEF's mission is to develop, organize and conduct tennis, education and life skills development programs for youth from socially and economically challenged communities in Miami-Dade County. For more information on GMTEF or to learn about their upcoming events, visit their website. Cheers to a spectacular tennis event at the Ritz-Carlton in Key Biscayne [Miami's only AAA Five Diamond Resort] and remember to always give back to your community!

Betsy Johnson presents their "Sailor Betsy" Fashion Show at Grand Central in Miami

Sazoneros! You may have noticed that I took a little hiatus from my blog but I'm back with plenty of exciting festivities to share. If you're into music, I totally recommend you check out the incredible line-up of talent taking over South Beach for Ultra Week. For my sporty spices, make sure you visit one of the world's largest tennis tournaments taking place in our own backyard for the next two weeks...The Sony Ericsson Open! Oh, don't think I forgot about my fashionistas. This week, there's a whole lot of fabulosity in the air as Funkshion brings hip fashion designers [like Richie Rich] to Miami. After you're done soaking in Funkshion, mark your calendar for this one: on Saturday, April 2nd, swing by Miami's Grand Central to watch the "Betsy Sailor: A Betsy Johnson Fashion Show" featuring sounds by Mike Deuce and Josh Lecash. The event officially kicks off at 11 p.m. and admission is complimentary before 12 midnight as long as you email RSVP@grandcentralmiami.com. Want more? Join MBS on Facebook for continuous updates on the hottest events in Miami. See you around town! xo

Miami Magazine hosts an event at Elie Tahari Bal Harbour to benefit Rally for Kids with Cancer

I love to support events that benefit great causes. On Wednesday, March 2nd, I attended a special shopping event at the Elie Tahari Boutique inside the Bal Harbour Shops hosted by Miami Magazine [pictured above: Sara Droz, Anne Owen (Miami Magazine's Publisher), and Jennifer Sybers]. During the evening, guests enjoyed cocktails courtesy of Grey Goose Vodka, hors d'oeuvres and 20% off the new Elie Tahari spring collection. A portion of the evening's sales went towards Rally for Kids with Cancer, a foundation that aims to help young children fight their battle with cancer. Since their annual celebrity event is right around the corner (April 29 & 30, 2011), check out their website to learn about the Cancer Scavenger Cup where celebrities and donors drive around Miami and participate in a variety of scavenger games to spread awareness for the organization's mission. This year's honorary chair is Eva Longoria so scroll down to see a video of Longoria as she speaks about the importance of Rally for Kids. Become a driver, a sponsor or donate to your favorite celebrity to help raise much needed funds for children's cancer research, treatment and care.

Above Right: Brandon Grant [Marketing Director, Miami Magazine] and Jared Sharon from Botania Design strike a pose for Miami Beats & Sazon during the shopping event at Elie Tahari.

The American Red Cross presents the Victoria Lopez Castro Spring 2011 Fashion Show

There are plenty of fashionable events taking place in South Florida at this time of the year but this one was quite exciting for me! On Friday, February 25th, I attended the Victoria Lopez Castro [pictured on the right] Spring/ Summer 2011 Fashion Show at the Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six Resort & Spa in Ft. Lauderdale. This New York-style Runway Show was presented by the American Red Cross and it attracted over 400 high-profile individuals who raised more than $50,000 to support the life-saving programs offered locally by the American Red Cross. Lopez Castro is a world-class Hispanic fashion designer who has dressed the likes of celebrities such as Gloria Estefan and Vanna White [to name a few]. Lopez Castro recently returned from showing her collection at this year's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York so everyone in the audience actually got a special sneak peek of her Fall 2011 designs during the American Red Cross Show. I must say that I was definitely loving the high-end feel of this collection. For more information on this Cuban American designer's Miami boutique, make sure to visit her website or swing by 2947 Coral Way. You can also find her designs at select Saks stores.

Above Left: The Victoria Lopez Castro fashion show was emceed by CBS4's Emmy-nominated reporter, Marybel Rodriguez. Marybel is so sweet so tune in to CBS4 News to watch her in action!


The Victoria Lopez Castro collection was so elegant and classy. I loved the simplicity of her designs. Toward the end of the show, everyone enjoyed seeing her pop of colors which you can see on the two looks pictured above.

This was a fabulous event which helped raise money for a great cause. The American Red Cross in South Florida offers health and safety programs, and international, disaster relief and armed forces emergency services to the residents of Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties. For more information or to make your own donation, visit their website. Help make a difference and do it with style!