Friday, October 29, 2010

A Tale of Two Cities: Paris and London

It isn't even Halloween, and the New Year's Eve frenzy has begun. Where will you spend it, and with whom?

Lucky for you, Visitlondon.com is giving away a posh, one-week New Year's Eve vacation for two. Complimentary round-trip travel, airport transfers, and six fabulous nights in a luxurious, private one-bedroom apartment at Cheval Residences in London could be yours. So could: tickets to the -5 degrees Icebar followed by dinner in the warm and cozy belowzero restaurant and lounge; an evening at the historic Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho; a guided tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and a visit to the Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition, followed by afternoon tea in the Brasserie, overlooking the Thames; a special tour of the Tate Modern, followed by a restaurant meal on the 7th floor, overlooking St. Paul’s Cathedral and the City of London; and a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Wembley Stadium, home to soccer and rock concerts. Plus, you'll receive London Passes that will give you free admission to over 55 top London attractions. Gawk at the crown jewels at the Tower of London, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral where Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married, or float past thousands of years of history aboard a Thames River Cruise.

The best part? A day trip to Paris with Eurostar, which takes only two hours and 15 minutes! Since Paris is the fashion capital of the world, sashay on over to the Ideal History of Contemporary Fashion Exhibit (Part 2) at Les Arts Décoratifs. When you return to St. Pancras, celebrate with complimentary bubbly at The Champagne Bar.

Come midnight on the 3lst, a thrilling fireworks spectacle over London’s greatest monuments rings in the New Year. Dazzling colors light up the sky as if it were the 4th of July. Now, that's the way to kick off 2011.

Already booked for New Year's? No problem. Opt for the $5,000 credit, which may be used to buy anything that is available for purchase on, or via, visitlondon.com, including air from the U.S.A. or Canada to London and hotel accommodations in London. Start the party and enter.

Voilà - the link to Visitlondon.com's "Only In London" sweepstakes:

http://www.visitlondon.com/competitions/detail/ussweepssept10

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The Secret of Château Martel

Jim Morrison sang it best. "People Are Strange." Take the bizarre true story about the aristocratic de Védrines family in southwestern France who were held hostage by conman, Thierry Tilly. By persuading this wealthy, noble family that they were targets of a Masonic plot, the de Védrines turned over their lives, their fortune, and their ancestral home, Château Martel, to this calculating mastermind. For all the unbelievable details, read the gripping Vanity Fair article here.

Oddly enough, according to this link, the historic Château Martel is now available for holidays, starting at 1750 euros a week at Christmas and New Year, and rising to 2950 euros a week during high summer.

Feel like renting it? You could DIY if you win DIY's Ultimate Kitchen and Bath Giveaway. The Grand Prize winner receives a $100,000 check to be used towards materials and tools for remodeling the Grand Prize Winner's kitchen and bath as a do-it-yourself project. Balance the budget, and you could have it all, including a detour to Paris. Stranger things have happened. DIY and enter.

Voilà
- the link to DIY's Ultimate Kitchen and Bath Giveaway:

http://www.diynetwork.com/ultimate-kitchen-and-bath-giveaway-enter/package/index.html

Friday, October 15, 2010

Bloom In Love In Paris

Hollywood hottie, Orlando Bloom, and his relatively new bride, Miranda Kerr, stayed at the swank Four Seasons Hotel George V when they were in town for Paris Fashion Week. According to OK! magazine, the newlyweds held hands when they were checking in. Sure, Kerr is five months pregnant, but that didn't stop the Australian model from strutting her stuff in a Nicolas Ghesquière houndstooth shift with a warrior edge on Balenciaga's catwalk. Bloom, well, bloomed with pride as he watched his wife steal the show... for him, at least. Also grabbing the runway limelight was Gisele Bundchen (You'd never know she had a baby less than 10 months ago.).

Feel like treating yourself to a romantic trip to Paris? HBO is giving away $2,500 in their Treat Yourself with HBO Sweepstakes. Spoil yourself and enter!

Voilà - the link to the Treat Yourself with HBO Sweepstakes:

http://www.hbotreatyourselfsweeps.com/

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Clocking a Trip to Paris

Clock watcher? Keeping the right time can be tricky when you're a frequent flyer. Kenneth Cole's new Digi-Touch Screen watch takes the guess work out of time travel. Digi-Touch technology lets you tell the time in up to 24 time zones around the world. Choose from 32 preset cities. Set the watch's home city and time and segue into the swing of things when you land. The time and date, an alarm, a stopwatch, and a countdown timer are all at the tip of your finger. An Electro Luminescent Backlight means you'll never be in the dark again, even if it's a night flight.

Watch out! Kenneth Cole is giving away a 3-night trip for two to one of the Top World City Destinations featured on the watch in the Touch The World Sweepstakes. Bien sûr, Paris is one of them! Time to enter.

Voilà - the link to the Kenneth Cole Touch The World Sweepstakes:

http://kennethcoletouch.com/enter.php

Monday, October 11, 2010

Wine and Dine Like the French... in Los Angeles

Wine is reportedly good for your health. To keep you robust, Sheri Sauter Morano, Master of Wine and Wines of France spokesperson, hosts a sumptuous and informative wine dinner at Café Pinot in Los Angeles at 6:30 p.m. on October 25th. Savor 3-courses of modern French inspired cuisine paired with wine, plus an amuse bouche for $70 per person. Want to preview Executive Chef Kevin Meehan's menu? Click here. For reservations, call: 213.239.6500.

Prefer to choose your own vin? Patina Restaurant Group and Wines of France have partnered to offer a distinctive wine list featuring top notch picks of French wines at approachable prices, by the glass and by the bottle.

Hungry for more? France Guide is giving away a 3-night trip to Paris for two in their Patina Sweepstakes. Stop volatizing the esters and enter!

Voilà - the link to the Patina Sweepstakes:

http://us.franceguide.com/.html?nodeID=3082&EditoID=226966

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Olivia Palermo Perks Up Paris

The fate of MTV's The City is still up in the air, but that hasn't prevented Elle's show pony, Olivia Palermo, from hitting Paris Fashion Week. Palermo was snapped arriving at the Giambattista Valli fashion show earlier this week, looking runway worthy in a creamy feminine frock topped with a gray blazer. If only her personality and work ethic on The City were as charming! Why showcase such a bad attitude when you don't need the paycheck?

The City isn't Palermo's only job. Wilhelmina Models represents her. This year, she also designed an eponymous jewelry collection for Roberta Freymann, inspired by her favorite cities, including Paris.

Feel like doing your own thing like Palermo? Hostess is handing out $1 million in their Halloween promotion. That's enough to move to Paris and make it your city. Now, if only MTV would shoot something there! Scare up your deets and enter.

Voilà - the link to the Hostess Halloween Promotion:

http://www.hostesscakes.com/justiceleague/

Friday, October 8, 2010

Naomi Campbell Celebrates A Quarter Life of Fashion in Paris

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has been strutting her stuff and causing a stir for 25 years. During Paris Fashion Week, Naomi surprised the crowd at Russian designer Igor Chapurin’s show when she sashayed down the runway in a sheer black corset fit for a Maxim cover that left nothing to the imagination. Naomi celebrated her 25th anniversary in fashion at the Dolce & Gabbana boutique on Avenue Montaigne, where proceeds from the sale of t-shirts commemorating her quarter-life career in the biz were slated to benefit the Fashion for Relief fund. Partying with Naomi were Lenny Kravitz, Janet Jackson, Dita von Teese, and fashion photographers Ellen von Unwerth and Patrick Demarchelier.

Want to celebrate your quarter life (or more) in Paris? Everyday Food is giving away $5,000. Imagine the possibilities and enter.

Voilà - the link to Everyday Food's $5,000 Sweepstakes:

https://martha.zt01.net/EF/1/ef_sweeps_sept/signup.php

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Show Off The Row in Paris

Mini moguls, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, finally unveiled their Spring 2011 collection for the Row during Fashion Week. (Remember how their samples weren't delivered on time, so they had to cancel the New York presentation? Check out their new, luxurious, minimalist pieces with feminine flair here.) Of course, the Olsen duo were spotted checking out the competition on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Think something's fishy? Well, they did lunch at Caviar Kaspia.

It's arguable if the Olsens are built to outperform the rest of us, though their multi-million dollar empire does give one pause. Now, the Ducati is something else. Lucky for you, Carhartt's Built to Outperform Sweepstakes is giving away a 2010 Ducati worth $18,0000, or you can opt for the $15,000 cash payout and zip over to Paris. Roar on over and enter.

Voilà - the link to Carhartt's Built to Outperform Sweepstakes:

http://www.carharttsweeps.com/