Rebecca Reports

Park Avenue came to Palm Beach last week when Brazilian Court Hotel Condominium kicked off its fourth annual “Author Breakfast Series.” Parker Ladd, the former host of A & E’s “Open Book,” served as moderator. First guest was David Patrick Columbia, the entertaining Editor-in-Chief of Quest magazine and founder, with Jeffrey Hirsch, of the much visited, online New York Social Diary. Columbia discussed his book, Debbie: My Life, the biography of actress Debbie Reynolds and told us great tales of trips around the world, including a recent one to Abu Dhabi, where he stayed at the $3 billion Emirates Palace hotel. So big, he couldn’t find his room or the lobby, on several occasions. Apart from that, he liked the place or should I say palace!

Next guest was Patrick McMullan, New York’s premier event photographer, whose gorgeous “coffee table” book, (it’s actually as heavy as a coffee table!), Glamour Girls, features 1,400 images of the world's most celebrated women. Ladd asked the laconic McMullen how much you need to spend to be glamorous, “Not that much,” he replied, "You just need a bit of tinsel!”

Designer Arnold Scaasi begged to differ, “Of course you must have big dark, glasses, long, long tanned legs and lots of attitude to be a real glamour girl,” he says in a quote in Patrick’s book!

My fellow breakfast guests were as interesting as the speakers. Hat designer Anne Moore is in Palm Beach from Bridgehampton to open a new store in Via Mizner in the heart of Palm Beach. She’s enlisted the help of two close friends to promote the store—iconic fashion photographer Arthur Elgort and supermodel Stephanie Seymour! With talent like that behind her, the stores bound to be a success!

Next in the series is Cathie Black, speaking about her book, “Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life)”
on Jan 11. Tickets for the series are $100 and include breakfast, complimentary valet parking and a copy of one of the featured books. Reservations are required of course. Sandra Rodriguez at 561-366-4301 will take yours!

No rest for Brazilian Court’s PR guru, former Vogue staffer, Maureen O’Sullivan—she’s organizing a major press conference for “Autism Speaks” featuring Bob and Suzanne Wright and Melania and Donald Trump at the Mar-A-Lago Club, Dec. 27.

The season’s only half way through as you’ll see from this gala preview edition. The first black tie event of 2008 is the “Shifting Sands” Gala for the opening of PBCC’s Countess de Hoernle Humanities Building on Jan. 12. Next, is the 46th Annual Boca Raton Community Hospital Ball on Jan.19. Creative types can dress up as a pirate at the Rotary’s Pirates Buccaneer Bash or a cowboy at the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s 15th Annual Caribbean Cowboy Ball!

And that is life in Boca…

Happy New year everyone!

Rebecca