Adele - Someone Like You

British Vogue October '11 issue... Adoring Adele

Oh Adele, you are a dream! Seen here on her first British Vogue Cover, looking as good as she sounds...

LULU DESIGNS shares inspirational decor items for under $100 on Plum District

6 Inspirational Items for Under $100 to Add Character to Any Room

Lindsay Espinoza of LULU DESIGNS shares her picks for adding inspiration to any space



Visit LULU DESIGNS to see more of Lindsay’s inspirations!

B. toffee's new website is here...

We are thrilled to announce the newly designed B. toffee ecommerce site is l i v e ! ! ! !

B. toffee...
We longed for a way to express "thank you", "congratulations", " I love you" and "you are the best". Years of passionate experimenting with layers of premier ingredients prompted the launch of B. toffee in 2009!

B. toffee optimizes a "new luxury" that is pared down while being tempered with a healthy dose of sumptuous decadence.

Our hand-crafted recipe delivers a brilliant combination of warmth, sophistication and vitality.

With an elegant balancing act of extravagance and pure simplicity,
B. toffee exemplifies the ultimate indulgence.

The provocative manipulation of savory butters, fine domestic sugars, premium Guittard and Callebaut chocolates topped with superior quality pecans defines B. toffee... simply the best.

The gift of B. toffee prompts hospitality that warms the heart.

B. toffee is a sweet and luxurious gesture from our house to yours.

Indulge.

Magnolia Acupuncture in the news... Daily Pilot

Costa Mesa based Magnolia Acupuncture launches acupuncture for all this Fall...
Click here to read about "Sharing healing options" from two Costa Mesa acupuncture practices who join forces in Corona del Mar to help introduce the public to the traditional Chinese medicine.

Daily Pilot by Sarah Peters

Angela Sinnett and Andrea Allerton treat common health ailments with the one thing many people fear most — needles.

That's because they are trained and licensed acupuncturists.

"When people hear 'needles' they tend to think of a shot like they do at the doctor's office," Sinnett said. "But, the first thing they say afterward is, 'Oh, that was easy,' or 'I didn't even feel anything.'"

The duo have combined their practices, Sinnett's Magnolia Acupuncture and Allerton's Modus Acupuncture, to launch Community Acupuncture, a reoccurring event at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays at Studio Seaside, Corona del Mar.

The event aims to bring low-cost sessions — $25 for about 45 minutes — to those who otherwise could not afford it.

While Sinnett and Allerton accept insurance, many providers do not cover acupuncture. Both businesses' services normally run about $125 for the initial consultation and $80 for subsequent treatment sessions.

"There's so much available through acupuncture," Allerton said. "It's sad that it's limited only to the people that have the means to pay for it or insurance that covers it."

Most people have heard of acupuncture as a treatment for pain, but it is also used to treat a host of other health ailments, Allerton said.

Acupuncture is recognized as an effective treatment for adverse reactions to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, morning sickness, depression, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica and other health ailments, according to the World Health Organization website.

While the Community Acupuncture sessions are designed to be an introduction to acupuncture rather than treatment for a more complex health problem, attendees will still reap many immediate benefits from the meditative sessions, such as more energy, less stress and decreased minor pain, Allerton said.

The event will be done in two group sessions at the Corona del Maryoga and fitness studio, with attendees relaxing onyoga mats, but each session will be tailored to the individual.

For those who have never tried acupuncture before — or fear needles — the shared experience of the communal setting may put them at ease.

Other patients are less worried once they realize that the needles are sterile and disposed of after each treatment and that they are about the width of a fine strand of hair.

After that, acupuncture almost speaks for itself.

"The acupuncture calms people down pretty quickly," Sinnett said. "The first thing they notice is the stress relief and that they are more relaxed."

LULU DESIGNS in the news... Daily Pilot

Daily Pilot by Sarah Peters:
Local designer's work hits HGTV airwaves -
Costa Mesa businesswoman Lindsay Espinoza of LULU DESIGNS, designed five rooms in a Newport Beach home, which will be featured on a reality-TV series.


Interior designer Lindsay Espinoza aims to make beautiful homes available to the masses, but she never envisioned that her audience would be comprised of thousands of viewers tuning into reality TV.

The 1995 Newport Harbor High School alumna will be featured in a new HGTV series that was scheduled to premiere Monday evening. "Showhouse Showdown" puts interior designers in competition, leaving the judging up to the viewing public.

"It's a full design show packed with design knowledge," said Executive Producer Dawn Stroupe. "It has humor and some drama, but true to the HGTV brand, it's based in teaching."

For those who love the "big reveal" at the end of makeover shows, "Showhouse Showdown" offers a reveal every three minutes, Stroupe said.

Espinoza designed five rooms, including a bedroom, bath and kitchen, in a new house in Newport Beach built by Waterpointe Homes. The episode in which she competes against Los Angeles designer Charles Neal airs Nov. 21.

Espinoza is under contract with HGTV and can't reveal details about the home or the episode until its airs, but described her design style as "industrial chic." She said she pairs functionality with glamour and high-end items with low-cost accessories.

"I'm a big believer in that interior design is not just for affluent people," Espinoza said. "Everyone should be able to enjoy the effects of good design in their daily life. When you wake up in a place you love, it affects your whole outlook — good interior design evokes emotion."

Espinoza isn't opposed to shopping at vintage shops, HomeGoods or Target when searching for the perfect piece of furniture or accessory.

As owner of LULU DESIGNS, a Costa Mesa-based residential and commercial interior design business, Espinoza's goal is to bring the benefits of her craft to as many people as possible.

One such method is the "room in a box" personalized design plan. For $2,500 to $5,500, Espinoza will create a complete room plan — from chairs to window treatments, fabric and paint swatches, all available in local stores or online — from measurements and taste preferences clients submit via the website.

Another way Espinoza shares her design skills, honed at the Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach, is through her blog linked to her company's website, luludesignsonline.com.

On the blog, she gives free fun tips, such as "Men's feet are more sensitive than women's so make sure to never put a coir natural rug where a man would most likely be barefoot." And then there's, "If and when you feel you need to fluff a synthetic-fill duvet, then it's just time for a new one."

More tips from Espinoza will be packed into the November episode, which was filmed over five weeks from the start to finish of the design process.

As part of the show, both fully decorated homes were put of for sale following the audience judging.

Espinoza said her home received an offer within 24 hours.

Although Espinoza knows how the episode will end — and she can't say who wins — she will not see the final edited cut before the episodes airs.

"It's very hard to put your stuff out there on TV," she said. "But the house came out well, and I'm not concerned. In my personal life, I'm pretty shy and reserved. But, when it comes to design, I'm confident in my skills as an interior designer."


Daily Pilot by Sarah Peters

Make Me Chic in the news... Seventeen Mag October '11 issue

the editors of Seventeen Mag have chosen your Fall fashion finds from Make Me Chic.

Make Me Chic in the news... Redbook October '11 issue

Redbook's 50 under $50 features "the official jacket of international superspies and chic supermoms - at a thrilling price, $35 available at Makemechic.com"

B. toffee review and giveaway.... Tom's Foodie Blog

Tom's Foodie Blog features B. toffee.... New Product Spotlight and Contest: “B. toffee”, Seriously Good Toffee!

Tom gives B.toffee "4.5 out of 5.0, a very rare score that is well deserved".

Click HERE to read Tom's review and instructions on winning a pound of B. toffee....

B. toffee is simple the best!
Indulge.

B. Toffee is V. Mouthwatering... by Sugar Loco

our friends at Sugar Loco love B. toffee! Thanks for the love jenny!

"B stands for Betsy (the owner), V stands for VERY. I ripped into my cute little canister of toffee and sank into my chair after just one bite of this angelic toffee. The beauty and difference with this toffee is the uber-thick layer of milky, milky, milky-milk chocolate. It’s a healthy layer with phenomenal flavor to say the least."