Alonzo and Tracy Mourning host The Crown Royal Black Lounge to kick off Irie Weekend

It's always a party in Miami if DJ Irie is spinning his beats on the turntables! This past weekend, DJ Irie celebrated his 7th Annual three-day action packed charity event called "Irie Weekend" and he also introduced his recently founded Irie Foundation. To kick off the weekend's festivities, Alonzo and Tracy Mourning [pictured on the left] hosted an exclusive party at Mokai in South Beach. Guests who attended "The Crown Royal Black Lounge" enjoyed complimentary cocktails and music by celebrity DJ Jazzy Jeff. All proceeds raised throughout the weekend benefited the Irie Foundation and the Make-A-Wish of Southern Florida. Throughout the evening, celebrities joined DJ Irie to kick off the weekend in true Miami fashion. I spotted Reggie Bush, Suzie Ketchum and Jonathan Vilma showing their support for this great cause. Check out my pictures from The Crown Royal Black Lounge:

Above Left: DJ Irie and Reggie Bush striking a pose on the red carpet before entering Mokai. Above Right: DJ Irie and I during the kick off party. Did I mention it was also DJ Irie's birthday this past week? In honor of his birthday, Plum TV in Miami Beach presented him with a beautiful cake pictured below. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

The Irie Foundation seeks to improve the lives of South Florida youth through educational and extracurricular opportunities that may not otherwise be available to them. With a particular emphasis on the arts, the foundation's ultimate goal is to improve the graduation rate among the young people it serves. Middle school students will be mentored and encouraged to remain in the program through high school and will receive scholarship money towards college or trade school tuition. For more information, visit the foundation's website.

Above Left: One of my favorite former University of Miami football players, Jonathan Vilma, attended the kick off party on Thursday night. Vilma currently plays for the New Orleans Saints [a.k.a. this year's Super Bowl champs]. GO CANES! Above Right: The fabulous Suzie Ketchum who stars in the VH1 reality show called Basketball Wives. Watch Suzie every Monday evening at 8 p.m.
For more information on DJ Irie or to learn about his upcoming events, visit his website and follow him on Twitter. I'd also like to introduce you to Rudy Duthil and Lizmarys Duthil [pictured on the right] of the Results Driven Agency (RDA), producers of The Crown Royal® Black™ Lounge event." If you missed this exclusive party on Thursday, follow @theCrownLifeMia on twitter to learn about future Crown Royal® Black™ Lounge events in South Florida. You never know who you'll bump into in Miami so stay connected and check out these local events. See you at next year's Irie Weekend and remember to always drink responsibly! Here's a video recap from the Crown Royal Black Lounge...

Hometown Model, Francesca Frigo, shares her Beauty Secrets and Life as a Playboy Playmate

It's officially summer so I've decided to turn up the heat to muy caliente! Although our city is saturated with models, it's inarguable that Miami's own Francesca Frigo is making big moves in the modeling industry and bringing sexy back while doing so! Born in Puerto de la Cruz, Venezuela, Francesca first moved to Miami to attend college and later decided to pursue a modeling career. After Playboy Magazine named her the official Miss August 2010 Playmate, life has taken her on an incredible journey around the world. In my special interview with Frigo, you'll get the inside scoop on her upcoming projects, her role with DECOBIKE on South Beach and her beauty secrets. Let's get this heat rising! Oh, make sure you watch Francesca add her Playboy spin on the classic Nike commercial starring Mars Blackmon and Michael Jordan at the bottom of this post.
MBS: How did you begin your modeling career and what inspired you to enter the industry? [Picture above courtesy of Wildcard Photography]

FRIGO: As funny as it may sound, I have to say I started taking pictures by accident. A friend of mine asked me to do him a favor and take some pictures for his vodka company. That's when the camera and I met for the first time.

MBS: How do you stay in shape?

FRIGO: I love playing sports (anything that involves physical activity and laughing). I also workout at the gym 3 to 4 times a week. I don't kill myself counting calories! I grew up having homemade meals so I don't eat a lot of processed foods. However, I do have a crazy sweet tooth...chocolate is my weakness!

MBS: Do you have any beauty secrets you can share with my readers?

FRIGO: My mom always told me the less make-up I wear, the healthier my skin would become. Similar to other girls, I love make-up but I only wear it when it's necessary. Of course, one should never go to bed with make-up on. My beauty secrets: Trish McEvoy body scrub and Carol's Daughter almond cookie body lotion keep my skin glowing.

MBS: How has your life changed after being named Playboy Magazine’s August 2010 Playmate? [Francesca is pictured above along with Hugh Hefner]

FRIGO: Now, I have a whole new family at the Playboy Mansion and I basically live out of a suitcase. I have done a lot of traveling, shoots, commercials and I recently finished filming a movie. Yes, my life has changed a bit!

MBS: What do you love most about DECOBIKE and how do you feel about being their Ambassador? [Check out her picture on the left with fellow Ambassador, Chad Ochocinco].

FRIGO: DECOBIKE is a project I have been involved with since its conception. I loved the idea of bringing a healthy mode of transportation that would also be good for the environment. I'm happy to be supporting a company with a cause that I believe in.

MBS: What are your favorite places to visit when you’re in Miami?

FRIGO: Sometimes I feel as if I were a tourist in Miami. I can always be found walking around Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road. I often check myself into hotels on the weekends to get spa treatments and just order room service [it's honestly the best restaurant]! Both, the Four Seasons Hotel and the Mandarin Oriental have amazing spas. The Setai on South Beach has the best brunch in the world!

For all of the latest news on Francesca Frigo, visit her official website and follow her on Twitter. Enjoy your summer and remember to keep it HOT!

Intercontinental Miami hosts a kickoff event for the 17th Annual Make-A-Wish Ball

Granting the wishes of young children and adolescents is an undeniably rewarding experience. That's why I decided to check out a special kickoff event honoring the upcoming 17th Annual InterContinental Miami Make-A-Wish Ball benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Southern Florida. Held each year at the downtown landmark and attended by more than 250 of South Florida’s leading philanthropists, this exclusive preview event celebrated the annual Ball, to be held on Saturday, November 5, 2011. I was very excited to hear that the money raised this year is expected to push the organization’s all-time fundraising total in 17 years above $10 million. That is an incredible accomplishment! During the kickoff event, the “Three Amigos”— Norman Wedderburn, President/CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida, Shareef Malnik, Ball Chairman and proprietor of The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, and Robert Hill, Ball Host and General Manager of Intercontinental Miami [all pictured above]— unveiled key details, such as the theme of this year's gala. I'll give you a hint: black and white (masks are a must)! It was also announced that the Ball’s live auction will be emceed by Burn Notice star Gabrielle Anwar. Did I mention DJ Irie will be spinning his beats? Sounds like a ball to me! Make sure you buy your tickets early and save the date for this celeb studded event!
Above: Beatrice Clancy, Dr. Sanford Ziff [Founder of Sunglass Hut and Philanthropist] and Lady Monica Heflter. Past celebrity guests have included Paula Abdul, Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian, Scottie Pippen, Venus and Serena Williams [just to name a few]. To secure your seat for this prominent social event, call 888-773-9474 ext. 318.

Above Left: Miami philanthropists, Diane and Aristotle Ares, who always look fabulous! Above Right: Shareef Malnik, Ball Chairman and proprietor of The Forge Restaurant | Wine Bar, along with the beautiful Tara Solomon, Principal of Tara Ink.

Above: Karneval Masque Atelier showed guests their Venetian styled masks for this year's ball. If you purchase one of their customized masks, you'll be happy to know that 20% of the profit from your purchase will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. For more information, feel free to email info@karnevalmasque.com.

New Eyewear Hot Spot: SEE hosts the Grand Opening of its South Miami Boutique

On Tuesday, June 7th, I attended the grand opening of SEE, the largest optical retailer in the U.S., in South Miami (5826 Sunset Drive). This one-of-a-kind hot spot features frames from the top designers in the world who create designs exclusively for SEE. During the event, guests enjoyed sipping on specialty cocktails by Zignum Mezcal and Japanese fusion tapas by RA Sushi in South Miami. Among the fabulous guests, I ran into Norma Quintero (Miami Socialite and Philanthropist), Raquel Watters (Owner of Rik Rak Salon) and Tara Solomon (Principal of TaraInk PR) who are all pictured above. If you didn't get a chance to check out this event, make sure to visit the boutique's website. Richard Golden, Founder of SEE, has made sure to provide his clients with a selection of eyewear that doesn't hurt your pocket. Thus, SEE's slogan: "Hip without the rip." I love it! You'll also be happy to know that SEE donated 10% of the evening's sales to Cedars-Sinai Women's Cancer Research Institute.

Shelly and Richard Golden, owners of SEE. When asked about his boutique, Golden says "we're obsessed with uncovering hidden gems and little-known sources when creating designs." Trust me, this optical boutique is unlike any other in Miami.

Start planning your visit to this new hot spot in South Miami!