Cece and I attended a fabulous client appreciation party at the Sutton Place Hotel – also where we host The Taste of the Gold Coast. Guests gathered on the second level around the circular bar that frames the corner of the Bellevue Room. The catering was beautifully displayed and absolutely delicious!!! That, combined with the live pianist and GREAT raffle prizes including signed Blackhawks jerseys, was a recipe for a great evening.

To top it all off, they invited a talented woman who draws computerized caricatures, so of course Cece & I waited our turn for ours! I have no idea where we found the patience, but it was certainly worth the wait!!! Check out our caricature, Cece always wanted to have this done so it was exciting watching the caricaturist draw us on the TV screen! Perhaps we should make this our new main photo?!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet this
• Follow this posts comments

Brandon Carone with girlfriend Dominique Scalise

Cece and I were invited to a night of celebration with birthday boy Brandon Carone, the Director of Nightlife Development for Enclave and Cuvee – arguably two of the hottest of-the-moment nightclubs in the city. The festivities kicked off with tasty margaritas and some spicy dishes at Mercadito, one of our favorite restaurants in the city that will be catering the food during our Nautical Networking event next week (an absolute must-attend for all you Chicagoans out there looking to connect with like-minded business professionals! (CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS!) While my mouth was on fire at Mercadito, of course Cece didn’t even flinch!

After dinner we hopped on a party trolley (yes, the red kind!) and headed over to Enclave. There we joined Brandon Carone right next to the stage and danced and celebrated with friends.

Cece & Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho

Even Ronaldinho, a Brazilian soccer player came out to celebrate with us! Cece was ecstatic to meet him since she’s such a huge soccer fan!

Brandon Carone is great at juggling the demands of the two exclusive downtown venues, accommodating guests, bringing in talent, and ensuring that events go off without a hitch – but on the night of his birthday his only responsibility was to celebrate with the fantastic crowd and enjoy the evening! We were happy to help him celebrate his birthday!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet this
• Follow this posts comments

Jesse White, Secretary of State, Angela Rose, Founder of PAVE and Cece & Melinda with Raymi Productions at the PAVE Gala

On Friday, May 14th Cece & I  attended PAVE’s (Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment) first gala. PAVE celebrated 10 years of working towards “Shattering the Silence of Sexual Violence”.

Founder Angela Rose was 17 years old when she was exiting Woodfield Mall where she worked part-time. As she walked outside, she was abducted by a repeat sex offender. Her life was forever changed. However, Angela’s resilience led her to turn this tragedy into something amazing-PAVE, an organization which helps supports victims of such crimes and works to keep our communities safe.

Angela worked with the perpetrator’s previous victims as well as the community to help enact the Illinois Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act in 1998. Since its enactment, over 200 convicted repeat sex offenders have been committed under the Act.

Over the years PAVE has worked to create education and action surrounding the issues of sexual violence, while being inclusive to all individuals and their experiences serving both males and females.

At the gala Jesse White, Robert Jordan and Laura Schwartz all did a great job speaking to the guests about the cause.

PAVE Gala Commitee

Angela has the largest heart of anyone we know and she has truly taken a horrifying experience and turned it around to help others nationwide.

We are proud to know Angela and are moved by all of her hard work and dedication. This is a great opportunity for you to help this great cause by contributing to their efforts to develop multi-media violence prevention materials.

Donations are always accepted at: http://www.pavingtheway.net/donate.html

Here is how you can help PAVE!…

• $25 brings resources to religious centers for victims of sexual and domestic violence
• $50 promotes a male survivors and allies conference or awareness event
• $100 creates one educational DVD and curriculum for a college
• $300 mobilizes a grassroots campaign through one-click action alerts
• $1,000 brings a speaker to a school or juvenile detention center to talk on empowerment after abuse
• $3,000 funds an annual art for awareness event in L.A., NYC or D.C.
• $5,000 supports a year of PAVE campaigns for all awareness months

Check out the ABC clip about the gala!

We are looking forward to attending the 2nd annual PAVE gala next year!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet this
• Follow this posts comments

On Thursday, April 15th we were invited to Ashley Zygmunt’s ZAMRIE studio launch in Lincoln Park. The décor was amazing, and the appetizers were delicious. We also enjoyed sampling some of the punch (non-alcoholic, of course), especially since I had the fun of explaining to Cece what punch is. (She had only seen punch in the movies!) While enjoying the food, Cece saw an adorable lime-green dress that she wanted to try on. When she came out of the fitting room, Ashley couldn’t help but laugh. What Cece thought was a dress was actually a tunic, and it’s meant to be worn with shorts or pants. When tucked in, the tunic blouses out and looks very chic. Good thing she told us! We each bought one in different colors and can’t wait to wear them.

What else we learned while we were there:

• Ashley uses a lot of different silks and silk blends because she states, “They lay well on a woman’s body and are comfortable. I also use fabrics that are flattering and lightweight so they move with ease.” She also told us flirty and feminine clothes are going to be a huge trend this spring, so keep an eye out for all things lacy and lovely.

• If you’re wondering what “Zamrie” actually means Ashley wanted to incorporate her name into her label, but not so literally. One day she was just playing around with the letters of her middle name, Marie. She put a Z in front to signify her last name and after scrambling some letters, came upon Zamrie and liked the way it sounded. How unique!

• Ashley spent a year with the Chicago Fashion Incubator (one of six selected designers) and now a year later her first collection is  available at Anana’s in Oak Park, the CFI Pop Up Shop at the 900 Shops, and at Peg Ann Kompany in Lake Bluff.

• You can also visit her at her Lincoln Park studio by appointment only. She will also be one of the featured designers in Shop IN Chicago on Saturday, May 1 from 2:00pm-6:00 p.m. at the Park Hyatt Chicago.

All of Ashley’s designs are flirty, fun, and appropriate for work or a night out. We will be checking back with her when she announces her fall line. (And we will be sure she shows us how to wear her pieces!)

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet this
• Follow this posts comments

We all know nothing beats relaxing on a rooftop in the summertime. After months of being cooped up in the winter, it’s amazing to be able to sit outside and enjoy a cocktail while taking in the beauty of the city. Saturday night Cece & I decided to pretend it was warm outside (as it should be for mid-April) and enjoy our favorite views of the city at the Vertigo Sky Lounge at the top of the dana hotel and spa.

Known for its stellar service and hospitality, Matt McCahill, the general manager at Vertigo, treats every guest as if they are VIP, and he always makes sure a good time is had by all!

After our warm welcome from Matt, we played outside with our camera (don’t worry, we were warm and snuggly in the blue robes Vertigo provides), and then we went inside to sit down at a table and give our feet our break from our heels! Our table overlooked State Street, and the city was bustling with people heading out to enjoy their Saturday night. All of the guests at the Vertigo Sky Lounge were dressed to impress and the music was pumping all night.

The next time you are looking to impress out-of-town guests with Chicago’s amazing skyline, or simply the next time you want to enjoy one of Chicago’s premier hotel lounges, check out at the Vertigo Sky Lounge at the dana hotel. I know we will be back soon!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet this
• Follow this posts comments

Finding a cure for cancer is a must, and thanks to talented and driven people like Shelly Patoff, new research and life-saving techniques may be on the horizon.  Shelly, owner and founder of The 3 Hearts Boutique, created two exclusive lines of jewelry with one goal in mind—finding a cure.

The first line is a trendy collection designed for the stylish young professional, which specializes in sought-after designs perfect for an evening out with girlfriends or work functions. The second line is for special occasions, and these designs feature diamonds and other precious stones.

Shelly states, “The 3 Hearts Boutique was founded with three goals but one mission. The ‘three hearts’ represent Hope, Research, and a Cure. The mission is to use fashionable jewelry that make women look and feel good to raise money and awareness for those fighting cancer. A percentage of every Three Hearts Boutique purchase will go to this
worthy mission.”

Shelly’s jewelry line is accessible from her website at: www.3heartsboutique.com and she also participates in a variety of trunk shows around the city and northern suburbs. The next event she will participate in will be our upcoming ‘Shop IN Chicago’ on Saturday, May 1st at the Park Hyatt Chicago from 2:00pm – 6:00 p.m.

For everyone trying to make a difference in the world, Shelly says, “Passion and determination will drive success” and we couldn’t agree more!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet this
• Follow this posts comments

Who are we?

We host events around the City of Chicago from The Taste of the Gold Coast to Shop IN Chicago to seminars for women.

Our unique, exclusive, and dynamic events held around the City of Chicago bring education and value to the local community. Our events are a platform for local Chicago businesses to connect with the community.

If you’ve never checked out our website, make sure you do at www.raymiproductions.com. Welcome to our new blog!

• Bookmark on Delicious
• Digg this
• Recommend on Facebook
• Share on Reddit
• Share with Stumblers
• Tweet this
• Follow this posts comments