As the holidays come close so does the traveling season! I don't know about you but I am seriously the WORST packer, ever! Seriously it takes me like 2 days and 2 times the space than the normal person. Luckily, there is no need to overstuff your suitcase or pay that extra luggage fee.

DVF just launched a new video about the Bearable Lightness of Packing. Full of spirited animation, Diane reveals her love of packing and discovering new places.
 

With the holidays right around the corner, its time to think about what to get that specific person in your life i.e. your boss, neighbor or even your best friend. Luckily, Liz Lange and Jane Wagman of Shopafrolic.com have chosen their top 5 favorite – which of course are the most stylish – gifts from their absolute favorite brands for anyone on your list! Here are some of their go-to choices:

Iconic designer, Diane von Furstenberg has it all—style, success, fame and most importantly staying power. Now the legendary designer adds another facet to her portfolio—a signature scent. On October 27^th, Diane von Furstenberg will host an exclusive event to celebrate her premier perfume, Diane, the designer’s timeless style captured through fragrance. Guests who purchase Diane will have the opportunity to meet the designer and receive her autograph for a priceless keepsake.

For decades, Diane von Furstenberg has been synonymous with effortless chic and jetsetting style. From her signature silhouettes to her bold prints, the style mainstay has left an indelible mark on the fashion world. Now von Furstenberg has infused a lifetime of aspirational style into a deeply personal fragrance that bears the name she was born with: Diane. Bright, glamorous and magnetic, the new scent embodies the unique appeal of both the singular fashion collection and the woman behind it. The perfect complement to every ensemble, Diane is the irresistible finishing touch that makes a style complete.

Who:                     Diane Von Furstenberg

What:                   The scent of style

When:                  October 27^th, 6-8pm

Where:                 Sephora in Soho, NYC

Autumn has begun which means it is time to enjoy the little luxuries that this season has to offer. Long walks in the park, watching the leaves change and indulging in seasonal treats help savor that warm and comforting feeling that fall always delivers. Below are some of my favorite fall products that capture the aromas of autumn.

Slatkin & Co. Holiday Collection Candles

$19.50 or $24.50 with Holiday Sleeve at www.bathandbodyworks.com and Bath & Body Works Stores

Inspired by the joyous scents of the season, Slatkin & Co. Candles have captured the warm and inviting aromas that remind us of being home for the holidays. Their packaging makes them pretty enough to stand on their own, but you can add to the wow factor by including a Slatkin & Co. Holiday Sleeve for only an additional $5!

Check out an article I wrote for WE tv on Why It Isn't So Bad Being a Bridezilla!

I got an email from a really cool company so I thought I'd share it with y'all! Soap Hope is a company with a purpose. That purpose is ending global poverty. As a leading online retailer of premium, all-natural body care products, Soap Hope, invests 100 percent of its profits each year into anti-poverty organizations around the world to empower women. They enable women to start and grow their own businesses through micro-lending.

Soap Hope offers healthy products online. They deliver them in an eco-friendly “Ugly Box,” that they make themselves, to cut down on cost and waste. It's essentially a cardboard box. They sell their products and with the profits they they invest every dollar into programs to help lift women up from poverty around the world. Not just a portion of proceeds but, every single dollar of profit that their customers generate goes to lift women from poverty.

Soap Hope, operates an online store where they sell high quality, all-natural soaps,lotions, shampoo and other personal care products (even cosmetics). All Soap Hope products, are 100 percent natural and free of artificial preservatives, fragrances, and colors. All products are paraben-free and all products are also cruelty-free. Soap Hope’s operations have been designed to minimize its environmental impact. They even use reclaimed cardboard, to package (the ugly box) and ship customer orders, saving cost to you, and the company.

Soap Hope has integrated responsible business practices into every aspect of its operations. First of all, they offer top quality, name brand and amazing products. Every product is 100% natural, healthful, wholesome and top of the class. They offer brands like, Indigo Wild, Pangea Organics and Zum, all names you will recognize, that offer top quality. I also love how they do all the research for you, so you know you are getting the best products at the lowest prices without all the legwork.  They even guarantee your satisfaction, with every purchase.

When I received my “ugly box,” I was skeptical but the homemade soap truly smelled wonderful. I love feeling wonderful and knowing that I am healthy and helping others! They even have “green” cleaning and laundry products.

Check out Soap Hope today!

Bonjour mes amis!!! And for those of you dolls who aren’t fluent in Francais that means hello friends! This past weekend I had the pleasure of visiting Montréal. Somehow I had never been to this fabulous city despite it only being a mere 6 hour drive away. We were thrilled when one of our favorite couples asked us to go away Labor Day weekend with them for a little sightseeing and A LOT of eating! We quickly decided to stay at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, as in my opinion the Fairmont is an extremely reliable hotel chain and I didn’t feel like doing research. Plus, you can always bet that the Fairmont will be right in the heart of the action. The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth was no different, it was located right in the vivacious heart of Montréal.

Upon check-in I was pleased (yet not surprised) that the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth was so centrally located and within a short walking distance of (what soon became) many of our favorite parts of town. It was also a very short walk to many of the cultural and sports attraction. I was also interested to learn that the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth is located right above the train station (so convenient for tourists). The hotel is also connected to an intricate underground world with thousands of boutiques, restaurants and cafés. Montréal (so I’m told) gets pretty cold in the winter so this seems so ingenious! I wish NYC would build something similar so I could still shop in sub-zero temperatures!

I was psyched to learn that besides myself, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth has housed quite a dignified clientele including Prince Charles, General Charles de Gaulle, Nelson Mandela, and even the Dalai Lama. Equally as exciting was the hotel’s historical celeb clientele, which boasts classic movers and shakers like John Travolta and John Lennon. In fact, John Lennon held his famous ‘bed-in’ in 1969 in Suite 1742, where the song “Give Peace a Chance” was written and recorded! Being such a crazy Beatles fan, this really did it for me! If a hotel is good enough for John Lennon, it’s good enough for me!

The hotel itself is ginormicous (translation=hugungous). There are 1,037 rooms and if they were anything like my junior suite they were extremely luxurious. The charm of this hotel in my opinion is that the rooms really reflected the city’s distinct elegance and style.

Each room and suites at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth offer the following amenities:

• Air-conditioning with individual climate control
• Alarm clock-radio
• Cable television with in-room pay per view movies, Play Station® and video check-out
• Coffee/tea maker with complimentary coffee/tea
• Hairdryer
• Iron and ironing board
• Mini-bar
• Two telephones with voice-mail (messages are accessible from outside the hotel)
• Windows that open to the outside

The beds were super comfortable and I loved the turn-down service each evening. I especially appreciated the two bottles of water they left for these two kiddos who definitely needed to rehydrate when they got back. The room was quiet as could be, I didn’t hear a thing and slept comfortably through each night.

I must tell you that there are a few parts of the hotel that felt a little dated. The technology is a little behind us in the USA. The TVs are not flatscreens, which many of you have probably come to expect in luxury hotels. This isn’t something I minded at all given that I spent very little time in the room other than for sleeping. In fact the only time I even turned on the TV was when our friends ditched us go get engaged! (Wahoo!!) I chose to watch Legally Blonde in French and brush up on my language skills! Other than the televisions everything in the hotel was extremely high-quality. Especially the bathrooms—both of them! Probably my favorite part about our Junior Suite was having two bathrooms. What a luxury for a couple from NYC whose bathroom is the size of a shoebox. The bathrooms were marble and the amenities as always were impressive. I particularly enjoy how the Fairmont hotels give you Scope mouthwash, cotton swabs, cotton balls, a nail file and a shower cap. It’s the little things at this property that make you realize you’re at a truly fine hotel.

Word to my fellow internet-nerds, if you’re planning on wanting to surf the net during down time be sure to join the President’s club as it entitles you to free internet access, which is about $16/day otherwise!

The only other thing I have to say about the hotel that isn’t a glowing recommendation is that the hotel has a heavy business clientele feeling. For me I happen to associate this with quality but there is a large conference attendee population at the hotel that you may wish to be aware of.

The hotel is also home to three restaurants (I didn’t have the chance to try them unfortunately as our friends had us scheduled pretty tight) Les Voyageurs Bar, Le Montréalais Bistrot-Bar and the award-winning Beaver Club, which are all recognized among Canada’s best restaurants.

To make a reservation or find out more information about the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth visit the Fairmont Website or call toll free at (866) 540-4483. 900 Rene Levesque Blvd.W. Montreal, Quebec Canada H3B4A5.

Our friend, let's call her Baguette for the sake of her anonymity, made the best itinerary for our trip, filled with delicious French restaurants, cafes and bars. Here are the must see places in my opinion. For dinner our first night we went to a restaurant called Lemeac. They have a fantastic late night menu after 10PM. You get an appetizer and an entree like Steak Frites or Short Rib or Duck for $25! And this is no cheap restaurant so this is a bargain! For brunch the next day we went to a restaurant called Le Cartet, which served the most gorgeous brunch specialties in a casual cafe setting. We each ordered the same thing, the Super Salmon Breakfast it came with a salmon/sweet potato cake, salmon scrambled eggs and a half of a smoked salmon bagel for all this, coffee and a mimosa it was only $20! Not bad, right? Delish!

Here are some pictures of us out and about before I give you more food suggestions.

This was at our favorite bar, Barmacie. Instead of having to return time and time again for your cocktails they give you a bottle with mixers for a reasonable price and let you mix them yourself. Such a treat! Then there are ledges around the bar where you can rest your tray and become your own bartender!

Perhaps my favorite French cafe was Cafe Figaro. The interior was just gorgeous and the croissants were out of this world! Tres bonne!!!!!! Very low key and authentic. Love, love, loved this place! Probably one of my favorite destinations we visited.

4 of us were supposed to split a chocolate croissant but I got my greasy little paws on it and it didn't stand a chance. We had to order this rum and chocolate croissant and it did not disappoint! Running, oozing rum & chocolate sauce in a croissant? Who knew such a thing existed! Pas moi!

Just a random patisserie I thought was beautiful.

For the big celebratory engagement dinner, (Wooo!) we went to a restaurant called L'originale. 

The food here was outstanding. The true standouts were the tuna tartare, truffle salad (unlike anything you've ever tasted. I think they put crack in it!) and the scallops. Truly some of the best food I've ever had. Now, if you want a great and truly Montreal-ish (is that a word?) beverage you have to try a Bloody Ceasar!

It typically contains vodka, Clamato (a blend of tomato juice and clam broth), hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and is served with ice in a large, celery salt-rimmed glass, typically garnished with a stalk of celery and wedge of lime. And if you're luck you can get it with some fresh seafood!

We also ate at an adorable cafe called Au Festin de Babette. It offers gourmet delicacies, imported goods, decadent chocolates and a tea salon in which to unwind and savor them.   It had fantastic crepes and such an adorable ambiance. It's definitely a must see when you're shopping to fuel up.

For breakfast we went to a restaurant called Grande Mere Poule. It was incredible! The brunch was honestly the best I ever had. The eggs Benedicts were especially amazing. The waffles weren't the best. That's my only comment that isn't positive! The bacon, baguettes, banana bread and potatoes were all great!

Congrats to our friends, Baguette and Pamplemousse!! We had the best vacation ever. I would highly highly recommend the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth and a visit to Montréal in general!

Au Revoir!!! I'll leave you with our most favorite French (I clearly use that loosely) video.

*We were given a special press rate in consideration for reviewing the property for our fabulous readers. As always all opinions herein are completely my own!*