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My Beach Getaway Packing List

LV Weekender I can't live without

As I get ready to leave for a short (but sure to be awesome) trip to The Cove at Atlantis tomorrow, I was asked about my “Beach Vacation Packing Tips”..Um, you sure about that? I am not known to travel light or with any notion of practicality. I try, but this is coming from someone who took gowns to the Greek island of Santorini. ‘Nuff said.

Also, my trips always incorporate work, so that is a whole other bag of tricks. Anyway, I do this with great frequency. That said, we work off a master list. Its part methodical, part ridiculous and it works for me. Except when I realize I forgot my favorite hairbrush!

This is The 3 Day/2 Night Beach Vacay Packing List.

What’s in your suitcase?

XO

Courtney

 

Swimsuits

Light tunics for cover ups

Chanel Sunglasses for sightseeing, TOMS Aviators for sunbathing

Havaianas/multiple colors

Floppy hat

Yankees cap, Heat cap

Greek suntan oil

Lancaster Suntan Extender

Vitamins

Advil

Beta Carotene vitamins to pop before sunning

Phytologie Sunblock for hair (don’t eant washed out highlights!)

Vintage Gucci totebag for beach bag or Lands End no monogram, thankyouverymuch

Marula oil

Baby wipes..to clean oil off cell phone

100 calorie protein bars

 

Three cute outfits for evening

Strappy sandals for each

Flats

Sparkly makeup

Waterproof mascara

Tinted moisturizer

Fekkai leave in conditioner

Korres body cream

Facial scrub

Deoderant

Dior Self Tanner

Tweezers,nail clippers, eyelash curler

Curling iron

Toothpaste

Floss

Travel size Woolite

Fake eyelashes

Dentyne

 

Louis Vuitton Weekender

Three cute bags in bright colors for evening, one metallic, clutches

A long skirt to pair with knotted t for casual evening look

Jeans

Candy colored skinny pants

Undergarments for all

Hermes belt

Hermes scarves

Gucci fannypack

Jewelry

Aakuula workout wear

Running shoes

Pumas

T-s and loungewear

 

Missoni tote for makeup, toiletries, vitamins

Laptop

Chargers

Headphones

iPad

Notebook

Magazines

Travel candle

Book

Camera/video

 

Printout of reservations

Cash

Phone Number of publicist, hotel manager, driver, United Club in both airports and my NY contact.

 

Photos of Aaron, Brooke and Ford.

5 Gifts For Mom With The Brother PE 500 Embroidery Machine!

 I am so excited to get the word out about the newest product launch from Brother™–the PE500.  It’s the first-ever embroidery-only machine from Brother! Everyone knows how much I like to personalize by embellishing my pillows, bedding and clothes.  Well, now I’ll show you a few ways you can, too and make it a perfect-and fabulously personalized Mother’s Day!

As a designer with a passion for detail, this is an amazing product. As someone who gets frustrated by anything that seems too complicated, it’s a dream come true! In the next several days, I’ll be showing you a ton of different things you can do with the PE500. If you’re not a crafty girl, don’t fret!  The machine is easy, fun and not to mention, totally affordable–it’s the lowest-priced Brother™ embroidery machine ever!

Stay tuned as we get ready to embroider, embellish and adorn!

Embroidered Yellow Placemat

And you could’ve made these fabu placemats, if you had a little more talent than Yours Truly! The key here (no pun intended) is the square shape of the placemat, making it more chic.

Embroidered Pendant

Typically, this wouldn’t be my look..a little too Laura Ingalls On Little House On The Prairie-ish. But it has a cute, vintage quality to it. The idea of it is very cute. Moms swoon over stuff like this if given to them..oh yeah, this one is pretty easy to do, also!

Every Mom-or pretty much everyone-would love a guest towel that doesn’t get all stained up from last night’s mascara..I’ve showed you these before and remarked on the Smarty Pants who thought this up at The Ace Hotel. So easy to do..great little gift for Mother’s Day or a housewarming present! I love these.

Embroidered Pillow Cover

This is very pretty and not that hard to do..I love the soft blue juxtaposed on the burlapesque vibe of the cover. That style of monogram is trés passé, mes amis! It’s not “preppy” it’s just kinda played out and predictable. This font is so ten years ago. But we love personalization here at Cachet Inc. so we’ll let it slide!

Embroidered Linen Napkin

I love linen napkins and think everyone should use them regularly, not just when you break out the good china! These are lovely and a set of these as a gift is elegant and sweet.  You work off a computerized design, so don’t worry if you think you have to freehand this! I think this might actually be something I’m trying..I’ll let you know how it goes!

Happy Mother’s Day!

XO

Courtney

If you want to buy the Bother PE 500, it’s available at Walmart!

I’m Not Crafty But Embroidery And I Are Having A Moment

I have a lot of friends who could be called crafty. You know the type: They try new recipes, make scrapbooks, totebags and headbands for your kid. Truthfully, I find them just slightly annoying. it’s just so not me. Part lack of time, part lack of interest, part I’d rather be doing Zumba. It shocks people when they meet me, like they expect me to be quilting or making chocolate souffles. Oh Honey, not this girl!

There is the frequent misconception that all designer are crafty types. I assure you this is not the case. As for me, I have the eye. Then, I have the phone number of the person to perform the task. However, I’ve always loved anything to do with sewing and embellishments. My grandmother sewed and all my fashion designer friends can sew. I got into sewing years ago because it gave me the ability to personalize things and add my own touch on something as simple as a pillowcase. Creating a custom look on just about anything is fabulous and slightly addicting.

Recently, I’ve been seeing a trend of embroidery coming into home decor. Pillows, chairs, linens and accessories seem to be most popular. Recently, I found embroidered fabric wall coverings in a very modern style that were gorgeous! The textural element is the type of detail I love in a home. I wanted to see if I could do it myself after I heard about the new Brother PE 500 “embroidery only” sewing machine which promised to deliver options and results previously unheard of and at $299 it was attractive, as well. I called an expert sewer friend of mine and she came over to help me get set up and assist, if needed. After opening the box, I was sweating! It looked way too complicated for me.

Brother states on their website that this machine is geared towards those interested in “trying your hand at embroidery for the first time, a crafter looking for a new challenge, or an advanced embroiderer looking for a unit to carry to a make & take”. Clearly, I was nervous since I wasn’t really in any of these categories. Oh brother..(no pun intended) what did I get myself into?

In spite of m lack of experience, I was blessed with the ability of quick learning, so away we go! It actually wasn’t that hard. I almost forgot my friend was there! She definitely helped me get more acclimated with the machine and the basics of what to do but for the most part, just playing with it helped the most. The best features for me were the automatic threader and built in tutorials. It has computer connectivity that can connect you to their site, ibroidery.com giving you access to thousands of designs available for purchase. The machine itself comes with 70 designs, 5 fonts and over 100 frame patterns. Don’t I sound like an expert already?

I’m really glad I got it and I intend on embroidering basically everything in my house. I bought a set of Egyptian cotton napkins at Home Goods for $14.99 and I plan on turning them into a fabulous monogrammed set for my mom this Mother’s Day! Wrap them in my own tissue paper and ribbon and she’ll think I spent a bundle in some Madison Ave. specialty shop. That’s what I’m talking about!

Although I had fun, I won’t be giving up my day job. And I have no plans of making Gruyere Mac and Cheese or Tartelettes de Framboises any time soon. Just saying..

Stay tuned for more!

XO

Courtney

Living The Life You Wish For..VIP Status, School Plays, Tastemaker Events, Swing Sets & A Pure Heart

In the public eye I am a designer and media personality. But I am also a mother and wife and that comes first for me, always. Last  week, I was a featured speaker at High Point Market..what a thrill to have so many people come here my opinions on design and thoughts on the future. It is always a humbling experience when so many people turn out. I started from such modest beginnings..a dining room table, a mailing list and a sheet of looseleaf paper with my rather lofty goals. Fast forward several years and I have accomplished so many of them. This week has been a whirlwind of activity..sometimes, I don’t even know how I do it.

I started off leaving for High Point on Sunday. I spoke on Monday to a crowd a bit larger than I anticipated..my notes were unable to print at the last minute and I did the whole thing off the cuff, which is really where I excel anyway, so I guess things roll out the way they should, even when it doesn’t seem that way at the moment..”What do you mean, my notes won’t print??” *sweat forming at brow*

I returned a little early for a meeting and to attend my Kindergarten daughter’s school play-what a thrill to see her front and center, fearless, smiling and full of confidence. Yeah baby!! Moments like that make my day!! Then I was off to the Overseas Press Club Awards gala at The Mandarin Oriental in NY as a guest of Subaru..yep, that Subaru. Shortly after being seated at our table, a lovely couple approached me and introduced themselves as the President of the OPC and his wife. When I introduced myself, they said “We know exactly who you are! We are big fans!” They even invited me for dinner at their home..What a moment it was, I was so flattered over the fuss and the pr girls with me were dying! OMG, really? When I got home, I received a letter that my stationery line with Expressionery had a banner 1st quarter..I had no idea my notecards were becoming that popular..time to create the next line.

The next evening, I headed off as a VIP guest of Home Goods to the Housing Works Design On  A Dime Event in NY. Amazing evening full of inspiration, charity, celeb sightings and meeting new and old friends. I also got to FINALLY meet my friends from the Home Goods corporate offices in person and they were as awesome as I knew they would be. Everyone from GMA anchors and Ty Pennington to my buddies Stephen Fanuka and Tyler Wisler were there.

Great. Freaking. Night.

On Thursday, I was invited to visit two luxury hotels that have just been renovated-(they all know about my love of luxury travel and hotels) and on Friday I finalized my lineup of over 150 pieces I am selling on One Kings Lane, where I will debut House Of Cachet my latest and biggest venture thus far. But also, we had a ginormous play set installed in our home I ordered from one of my have companies, Hayneedle. Kids in Heaven!

On Friday I received a contract for my latest corporate partnership that starts next week..lots of DIY ideas with the latest sewing machines! More soon on that. It’s going to be very cool, so excited!

I am with my husband and kids all weekend, going to first communions, watching The Wonder Pets and eating BBQ. It’s been a uber grande week for me personally and professionally. I’m not telling you this to show you “how fabulous I am”, but to inspire you that you can do anything, you can have everything and do it on your own terms. You can wake up everyday and have the life you always dreamt of no matter where you begin. This I know for sure.

Just start with a clear vision, a pure heart and ears that are closed to the negativity that inevitably comes with any measure of success. Just let it roll and you will soar.

Here’s to more and more Best Weeks Ever! I wish you a life of happiness, success and faith in yourself.

I’ve got nothing but love for ya!

XO

Courtney

Why I Love The New Keurig Vue!

For anyone who knows me even just a little bit, it’s pretty obvious I am an avid coffee drinker. The boundless energy has to come from somewhere, right? But, my coffee has to taste good and be easy to make. I have the French presses, I have the espresso machines, the frothers and all the artisinal coffees one might desire. At the end of the day, I need my coffee quickly and hassle free.

Enter the brand new Keurig Vue. They just took Keurig Coffeemakers to a whole new level! Keurig is basically The Original G in one cup coffeemakers using the infamous K-Cups. It feels like not that long ago, the coffee purists who were scoffing at this new design are now lovers just like me. Why? Simple. The coffee tastes good, it is easy to use and now, more than, ever, comes in a variety of flavors that appeals to pretty much everyone. The Keurig Vue took those basic principles and brought it into the 21st Century. You no longer have to pay five bucks to have your coffee uber-personalized..I think you’re really going to dig this and here’s why..

The Keurig Vue does three things you will love.

It allows you to brew bigger.

Yep, we’ve got coffee that comes in larger sized K-cups called Vue Cups to accommodate those (hi, over here!) who like their big ol’ cups of joe in a travel mug, perhaps. If you’re like me, you get embarrassed in hotels and restaurants when they give you those tiny 6 ounce cups of coffee..like, really? Can I have three of those babies?

It allows you to brew stronger.

You can actually adjust the brew strength. Late night and an early morning meeting? No problem, adjust the brew! Want an after dinner cup of coffee that won’t have you counting sheep at 1am? You can do that, too!

It allows you to brew hotter.

Some of us like their coffee piping hot, others don’t ant to blow on it for five minutes. Now, you can have it either way with the Keurig Vue.

It is fully customizable coffee, plain and simple. That, combined with the sleek modern design and touch screen controls make it cool. And at $249, it will pay for itself pretty quickly.

XO

Courtney

Windows Phone Wrap Up & How We Can All Recharge Using This Fab Phone!

Now that we wrapped our fabulous Home Office Makeover with me, Windows Phone and Hayneedle.com, there are a few valuable takeaways I wanted to share with you..How exactly can we ALL recharge our work styles in 2012?? Here are some ideas I came up with using my Windows Phone I’d like to share with you all..

 

Gotta Get Organized!

Clear the clutter in your office by taking advantage of features like Office Mobile and SkyDrive. No longer do I have to keep a hard copy of all my documents, excel sheets and to-do lists because I have the Microsoft Office suite right on my Windows Phone including OneNote for my mobile task lists. I can even sync all of my notes and documents to SkyDrive so I can access them from my PC as well. Also, with apps like MoBudget I can stay organized and on top of project budgets without sticky notes and invoices. You can make better use of your time the more organized you are, so you have that extra time outside of work to spend with family and friends!

Stay Connected!

I’m on the go constantly and rely on my phone to stay connected to all my social networks while staying on top of work. The beauty of using my Windows Phone is that it lets me work from anywhere. I can literally update a word document while standing in line at a coffee shop by using Windows Phone’s Office Mobile feature. Also, it’s easy for me to stay connected to my fans and followers through my Me Tile, which allows me to send updates to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn all from one place. I actually save time during the work day because I don’t have to go in and out of social networking apps.

Take a break and get out of the house!

My Windows Phone helps me break out of the office and save some time accomplishing my day to day tasks, so what do I do with this extra time? As a working mom, I’m always in need of a breath of fresh air – between putting the final details on my latest design project and carpooling to after school activities. I use apps like AccuWeather on my Windows Phone to check out the current weather conditions if I’m in the mood for an afternoon run. The app even has Live Tiles so the latest temperature shows up right on my Start Screen as opposed to having to open the app. I also take advantage of Local Scout to find the closest parks to my current location if I need a new exercise venue. And if weather doesn’t permit and I opt to grab a cup of coffee or do some shopping with a girlfriend, Local Scout also pulls up the closest places to eat, drink, and shop.

One of y favorite things about the Windows Phone is that I can personalize it to my needs..and it looks pretty and all color coded how I like it! My own personal design, if you will..

As a writer, I’m sending and receiving hundreds of e-mails per day. Along with being a writer I’m a designer, TV personality and mom – you can imagine my calendar is crazy. With Windows Phone’s Linked Inbox and Integrated Calendar features, I’m able to easily distinguish between work and personal emails with my specified inbox making it easy for me to stay on top of my priorities for the day. The color coded integrated calendar lets me know exactly where I’m supposed to be for all engagements in my life – even Facebook events – and my next appointment shows up right on my lock screen. Windows Phone makes it easy to be a multi-tasker! That and lots of coffee runs!

Looking forward to sharing more useful (and of course stylish!) tips with you..Gotta run!

XO

Courtney

Courtney Cachet + Windows Phone: Win A Home Office Makeover!

Everyone knows, I’m a hard working girl! And I am always on the go, whether it’s shooting on location in Europe, designing for one of my celebrity clients or chasing after my two kids! In fact, most of us are on the go at all times. That said, it’s important to have a phone that helps you stay connected from anywhere. To work smarter this New Year, I’m partnering with Windows Phone to recharge one lucky person’s work style with a home office makeover! This FABULOUS makeover includes a consultation with me, home office prize package from Microsoft, including a new Windows Phone and home office décor and accessories from Hayneedle.com.

You should really get in on this sweet deal of a contest!! Enter to win by telling me why you need to recharge your home office in the New Year, submit a TwitPic of your space @windowsphone and @CACHETLIFESTYLE and include the hashtag #WindowPhoneWorks. The contest starts today and the winner will be announced on February 8..GOOD LUCK!

Here is the link to the Windows Phone Blog with all the rules and details!

bit.ly/homeofficemakeover

Also, check out this video we made on the streets of NYC to introduce this fab phone!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70m0x32TkCU

XO

Courtney

US Weekly Magazine Features My Design of Ashley & JP’s NYC Apartment

This week, US Weekly featured my design of Ashley & JP’s NYC apartment. It’s not often the celebs let me discuss their homes publicly, so I am extra happy about this one!It was a lot of fun and they I am so happy I got to know them. You can read about the makeover here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-cachet/the-bachelorette-goes-glam_b_1215455.html

And see the inside peek video from Us Weekly here:

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/inside-ashley-hebert-and-jp-rosenbaums-first-home-2012201

My Christmas Eve Cooking Lesson At The Four Seasons Firenze!

I get to do a lot of really cool stuff, this I know for sure. One of the coolest things I’ve done in a while is spend some time in the kitchen with Michelin star chef, Vito Mollica of Il Palagio at The Four Seasons in Florence. I was there filming a three part series all about Fabulous Florence and The Four Seasons Hotel. Christmas in Europe is always spectacular, especially in Italy. That said, I thought I would be remiss if I didn’t ask Vito about the infamous Feast Of The Seven Fishes. Growing up in New York, I always heard Italians talking about this. It’s like a really big deal. But, I was in Italy not Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. I wanted to get it from a master. Now, I’m certainly no chef, more like a takeout queen. But, we are a foodie bunch and everyone knows I love haute cuisine and dining at top restaurants.

Here’s a video of me in and around Florence, including a simplified recipe that incorporates the “seven fishes”, just much easier and more user friendly than that which I am sure Chef Vito is whipping up.

There’s no real recipe, it’s sort of that simple. Just take a small amount of several different types of seafood, season and sauté. While the seafood is sautéing you cook your linguine-and not soft till it tastes like it’s from The Olive Garden, mamma mia!!-. Toss and plate. Just a note, Chef Vito didn’t use one drop of butter, just good olive oil.

I really wish you could’ve seen the part where I asked him about putting cheese on pasta with seafood. It was epic. Eyes all popping out, sweat at the brow. It was great! NO!!!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I’m so grateful for all the gifts in my life and part of that is you and all your loyal support.

Peace on earth and goodwill to all.

Enjoy the video.

XO

Courtney

 

Bieber Fever & Paris Hilton Eats Cupcakes!

 

Hurry! We go live in three minutes!

Hurry! We go live in three minutes!

Yesterday, I appeared on NBC Philadelphia’s The 10! Show, featuring all the latest in celebrity favorite hostess gifts. It was great segment and I am very pleased with the items we showcased and theoutcome of the segment. 

What nobody knew is that I hot a terrible traffic snarl and came uncomfortably close to missing my segment! Without the help of good old Bill Henley, I never would’ve made it to the church on time! I’m not from Philly and I certainly don’t know my way around. Bill guided me through the back roads and I arrived safely and in time! Thanks, Bill. Enjoy that champagne! Here’s the clip!

xo

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video/#!/shows/10-show/Life-Of-The-Party/133819753

 

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