The Life of Luxury was invited to participate in the record-breaking attempt titled ‘Funny on the Fly‘ by popular comedian, Owen Benjamin.

Owen is trying to break the world record for the most visited airports in 30 days. ‘Funny on the Fly’ is co-sponsored by Southwest Airlines and Lenovo.

To make his trip more enjoyable, Owen is equipped with the ideal travel companion. He is using a Lenovo IdeaPad Tablet K1 to help keep in touch with his family, friends and many fans following his quest.

You too can follow his every move along the journey via his Tweets, Facebook posts, or Owen posting humorous pictures and videos. Fans can also track Owen’s adventurous travel route on the following website: www.flyingfunny.com.

As a top comedian, Owen Benjamin has had a very successful career. He’s been a regular on many top TV shows including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Show with Jimmy Fallon, Chelsea Lately, Comedy Central’s Live At Gotham and MTV’s Punk’d. Owen also co-starred with Christina Ricci in the 2009 Hollywood movie “All’s Faire in Love” and had a role this year in “Jack and Jill” with Adam Sandler.

Owen loves doing stand-up comedy and has performed in many top comedy clubs, including an 18 city U.S. tour with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.

When asked why he decided to do this, Owen stated, “I love to travel and have always wanted to hold a world record, so why not hold one for ‘travel endurance’? With Southwest and Lenovo, I wanted to be part of something special and thought it would be a lot of fun to try this plus use the Lenovo tablet to connect with the world.”

As Owen was describing his journey to date, I asked him if it’s been easier or harder than than what he expected. He replied, “It’s definitely been much harder, especially in the morning. I often get up at 4:00am to catch the first flight and many times don’t finish my day until after dark. It’s weird but I basically don’t see daylight. I sometimes travel to 4 to 6 cities a day so it’s pretty hard. Plus I find most people don’t want to laugh early in the morning. I’m much funnier in the afternoons. But this experience has given me some ‘forced structure’ which has been really good.”

To give you a a taste of his grueling schedule …. the day of our interview his schedule included traveling through L.A., Sacramento, Portland, Phoenix and San Diego!

As part of the world record attempt, Lenovo and Southwest Airlines are giving away daily free prizes. Win a round trip ticket from Southwest Airlines or your very own Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet. Be sure to register to win at http://www.flyingfunny.com/

When questioned about the most memorable event so far, Owen responded, “I’ve met a lot of really nice people but it’s weird because we just meet for a few minutes and then they’re gone. I don’t have direct contact with my family and friends. But I enjoy seeing someone win a free Southwest trip. A school teacher was so happy to be able to see here mother. That was really nice.”

Owen mentioned he likes to inject fun in every situation he’s in, so you never know if he’s going to stand-up in the middle of a flight and do a comedy routine or take over the mic at a Southwest gate terminal and bark out boarding instructions.

The current world record is 30 city airports in 30 days. He’s targeting about 60 cities and 100 flight legs. Owen is well on his way to shattering that record and hopefully making it stand for many years to come.

Owen, I really enjoyed meeting you and wish you the best of luck on the reminder of your amazing journey.  I leave you with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson – “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

The first Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show started back in 1995, and the annual fashion event is as popular as ever.

The 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was actually November 9 in New York City, but aired Tuesday night on CBS.

The initial 195 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was an event to help promote the Victoria’s Secret line of sexy lingerie. ABC aired the first TV show in 2001.

This annual lingerie show features many of the most gorgeous models in the world. Several of the show’s supermodels included Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel and Behati Prinsloo.

The show has turned into a celebrity affair, both on stage and in the audience. This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show featured musical performances by Kanye West, Maroon 5, Jay-Z and Nicki Minaj.

A few of the celebs spotted in the audience were Beyonce, Orlando Bloom who is model Miranda Kerr’s boyfriend and True Blood’s Joe Manganiello.

The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show’s popularity has turned it into a pop culture event watched by millions on TV.

Model Miranda Kerr wears $2.5M Bra

The highlight of the show was considered the incredible $2.5 million Fantasy Treasure Bra that was modeled by Australian Angel Miranda Kerr. Read our original article coverage on the Fantasy Treasure Bra that featured more than 3,000 hand-set white and yellow diamonds, in addition to gorgeous pearls and other precious gems set in beautiful gold.

This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has several themed segments titled – Ballet, Superhero, Latin Passion, Aquatic Angels, I Put a Spell On You and Club Pink. Each featured the incredibly sexy Victoria’s Secret angels wearing simply stunning outfits.

Now the countdown begins for the Victoria’s Secret angels to return to the runway …. wearing next season’s hottest lingerie styles.

Beatles – Tom Murray

Many consider the Beatles as the biggest and most popular band ever. Now photographer Tom Murray has brought iconic rock and roll band back to the forefront with a stunning Limited-Edition Beatles Photo Collection.

Tom Murray was involved in the Beatles last ever group publicity shoot back in the summer 1968. Discovered after 30 years, this amazing Beatles photo collection is now available to the public. Critics have said some the the Beatles photos are the best pictures ever to be taken of the band.

Rock Paper Photo, who provides the largest online gallery of pop culture, fine art photographs, is offering the Beatles photo collection.

Tom’s limited-edition Beatles prints are not the standard mock portraits or throw-away celebrity posters. The Beatles photo collection is a timeless, challenging works of art capturing intimate, behind the scenes moments between the Fab Four, rock and roll legends.

This Beatles collection will make the ideal conversation piece for one’s home or office. These Beatles prints will also be appreciated by fine art collectors, home design aficionados and Beatles fans alike.

Beatles – Tom Murray

The photo collection features 23 different pictures of the Beatles and and each Beatles print has been hand-signed by Tom and comes in a 20 x 24 inch size.

Prices range from $3,500 – $5,000 per photo.

In addition, for those interested in smaller luxuries, all 23 images are also available as a giclée – aka an archival pigmented print – in an 18 x 22 inch size ($800 – $1,200).

The incredible Trans-Siberian Orchestra is a rock orchestra founded by Paul O’Neill, Robert Kinkel, and Jon Oliva in 1996. O’Neill had managed and produced rock bands including Aerosmith, Humble Pie and Scorpions, later writing for and producing Savatage, where he began working with Kinkel and Oliva.

The roots of TSO are found in Savatage, a traditional heavy metal band that gradually progressed into an operatic metal act. Savatage’s rock operas, starting with STREETS, began the experimentation with what would become TSO culminating on the track “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24” from DEAD WINTER DEAD. This track was a minor hit for the struggling band, and demonstrated that there might be an audience for the symphonic metal approach to holiday themes.

The concept for a band playing Christmas carols in a rock opera style was not received warmly by the industry, but quickly proved a success with adults as well as young people.

In the recording studio, Trans-Siberian Orchestra uses a full 60+ piece orchestra and a choir. Trans-Siberian Orchestra released their debut album Christmas Eve and Other Stories in 1996, and it remains their best-selling album. Their 1998 release The Christmas Attic was similarly a concept album with a Christmas theme.

In 2000, they released their first (and to date only) non-Christmas album, Beethoven’s Last Night. Beethoven’s Last Night is a concept album about Ludwig van Beethoven’s last night on earth, during which he meets Mephistopheles.

In 2001, TSO released The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, followed by The Lost Christmas Eve in 2004. Also in 2004, the band released a box set titled, The Christmas Trilogy. Trans-Siberian Orchestra is currently working on a new release, Night Castle.

Once when asked what Trans-Siberian Orchestra was about, Paul O’Neill replied, “It’s about creating great art. When asked to define what great art was, Paul said, “The purpose of art is to create an emotional response in the person that is exposed to that art. And there are three categories of art; bad art, good art and great art. Bad art will elicit no emotional response in the person that is exposed to it, i.e.; a song you hear in an elevator and it does nothing to you, a picture on a wall that gives you the same emotional response as if the wall had been blank, a movie that chews up time. Good art will make you feel an emotion that you have felt before; you see a picture of a forest and you remember the last time you went fishing with your dad, you hear a song about love and you remember the last time you were in love. Great art will make you feel an emotion you have never felt before; seeing the pieta, the world famous sculpture by Michelangelo, can cause someone to feel the pain of losing a child even if they’ve never had one. And when you’re trying for these emotions the easiest one to trigger is anger.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s main web site is http://www.trans-siberian.com
The group recently launched a new “Fan Club” web site http://www.trans-siberianexpress.com to visit.

Seeing Trans-Siberian Orchestra in concert is a must. Their shows are an amazing array of lights, lasers and music. First timers will never forget the moving experience. Loyal concert returners will remember why they keep coming back for more TSO, year after year.

Women in Art is a creative video developed by Philip Scott Johnson. Philip is a very talented digital artist from St. Louis, Missouri.

This incredible Women in Art video is form of morphing animation as this video montage showcases famous women in art through the years.

This video by Philip Scott Johnson is a wonderful journey through the ages of art, displaying the ever changing look of famous females.

Another popular video is titled, Women in Film.

To learn more about Philip Scott Johnson and see more of his incredible videos, go to his MySpace page.

Luke Ford, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

They say “All Good Things Must Come to an End.”  Well if it relates to the recent dream wedding between celebrity Kim Kardashian and her NBA husband, Kris Humphries, then something had to give.

It’s just been announced that the two-plus month old wedding is nothing but a passing dream between Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries.

After 72 short days, TV star Kim Kardashian has officially filed for divorce.

There had been several rumors soon after the celebrity wedding that was witnessed by millions on the “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” TV show, that the love couple was having a tough go at this marriage gig.

31 year old Kim Kardashian was quoted, “After careful consideration, I have decided to end my marriage. I hope everyone understands this was not an easy decision. I had hoped this marriage was forever but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. We remain friends and wish each other the best.”

The reason given for the divorce filing was “irreconcilable differences.”

Kris Humphries is a New Jersey Nets basketball player, but is a man without a team as he became an unrestricted free agent earlier this year.

Courtesy of: Cirque du Soleil

Canadian company Cirque du Soleil, is well known around the world as a “must see show.” Cirque du Soleil describes itself as a “dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment.”

In Las Vegas alone, there are seven different Cirque du Soleil productions running, including O at Bellagio, KÀ at the MGM Grand, and Mystere at Treasure Island.

Alegría by Cirque du Soleil is touring the U.S. and Canada, and was first created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the entertainment company. Alegria began its initial run in 1994 and was one of Cirque du Soleil’s popular “Big Top Tour” shows.

Alegria toured with its own tent and entertained smaller audiences of around 2,500 people. Then in 2009, Alegria morphed into a format better fitted for larger arenas. Now playing in bigger venues, Alegria can be seen by many more people.

Alegria can be described as a journey set to music. The show leads its audience to a strange, yet magical world that allows us to briefly forget all of our day to day problems.

Alegria is Spanish for “jubilation” or “joy.” That in a nutshell, describes both the show and its set. The set is a playground for the various performers including clowns, gymnasts and acrobats.

There are Gothic arches, various slides and staircases, along with large yet subtle glowing lanterns. Side ramps allow the characters easy access to the main stage area, along with a way to gracefully leave as their act ends.

The show’s cast includes 55 very talented artists, who represent 17 different nationalities.

The show includes an assortment of stunning acrobatics, trapeze performances, and aerial high bars. There’s a variety of clown acts plus other performers who demonstrate flaming knife dancers, a contortionist act, a Russian Bars act, and array of synchronized choreography.

Courtesy of: Cirque du Soleil

The opening act is by a woman dressed in all white who truly mesmerizes the audience. She performs on a trapeze and you can at times hear a pin drop as she makes incredible moves. Other times the audience gasps in unison with her every release, as she moves high above the arena floor.

As two wide strips of floor are slid away, it unveils long trampolines. Next is a non-stop series of tumbling runs and an aerial assault as the gymnast performers use the trampolines to catapult themselves into amazing front and back flips, twists and turns, and high-flying somersaults.

Alegria uses its talented clowns to bring both humor, as well as story telling techniques to the show. One moving scene involves a clown who leaves a train station after a short interaction with a new found love. His performance continues as the seasons pass, then winter arrives.

A blizzard hits. A large turbine fan whips up strong winds across the stage as the clown shivers. Thousands of small pieces of paper, representing snow, begin to blow across the stage and into the audience … as they now become one with the performance.

The music performed by a live band, is both lively but haunting. The musical score is all original and created specifically for each act. You’ll hear a mix of musical styles that include jazz, rock ’n roll, and even traditional accordion circus music.

The White Singer has an incredible voice and acts as the show’s storyteller. The talented performer sings in several languages including Spanish and French. She brings out a multitude of expressions and a variety of emotions in her beautiful singing.

Alegria is visually stunning and provides a variety of performances that touch all of us in some way. The show uses a perfect combination of music, sound and lighting, plus brilliant costumes and theatrics that when brought together, deliver a memorable theatrical show.

It was clearly a beautifully presented show, with breathtaking acrobatics, humorous clowns, enjoyable music, and a combination of both power and poetry.

“Art Of Drums” Collections by SceneFour

Have you ever wondered how to convey music onto an artist’s canvas? The Los Angeles creativity house SceneFour has.

The “Art Of Drums” is a historic collection of fine art, lead by SceneFour in collaboration with ten of the world’s greatest drummers.

The flagship “Art Of Drums” collection features former Guns ‘N Roses/Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, introduces a groundbreaking method of capturing music on canvas. The premier was revealed Friday exclusively atwww.mattsorumart.com

The method used to create this beautiful piece of art was by using lighted drumsticks. The drummer plays on a drumkit set to a series of light triggers before a camera set at 30-second exposure. Through this approach, each drumbeat and movement is captured, resulting in a completely unique visual representation of each performance.

Additional drum art collection releases are planned by a who’s-who of the world’s ten best drummers. A long list of famous drummers were considered but a final top 10 dream list was created by SceneFour.

Rick Allen of Def Leppard, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Frankie “Kash” Waddy of Parliament/Funkadelic and six other mystery drummers are each creating individual collections of 100 epic-sized canvases to be released every other month for 20 months.

Each drummer will release ten different pieces, each of which will be presented in ten one-of-a-kind drafts, all numbered and signed.

The Art of Drums is the brainchild of famed art house SceneFour, the team behind collaborative artwork with The RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Chuck D of Public Enemy, Bootsy Collins, TLC, Hieroglyphics, Fishbone, Helmet and George Lynch.

SceneFour Creative Director Cory Danziger was quoted, “This is something different than what people are used to seeing. It’s a new medium. It’s not acrylic or oil, it’s light and color and sound captured. The rhythm is on display for you to see.”

Courtesy of Fête

No matter whether you are planning that perfect wedding, family gathering, private party, corporate event or other special occasion. There is much work involved in making your event a memorable one. Planning is a crucial element behind any successful luxury event.

Based in New York, Fête was founded in 2002 and is a full-service, luxury event planning and design production firm that was founded by husband and wife team of Jung Lee and Josh Brooks. This talented firm manages and designs a variety of high caliber social, corporate and non-profit events across the globe.

Jung Lee is a celebrated event innovator and the highly praised author of Fete. Jung’s 360-degree approach to events and aversion to gimmicks are anything but ordinary. Her success has earned her the stellar reputation of a true out-of-the-box thinker and definitely made her one of the most sought-after wedding and event producers in the U.S. and worldwide.

Courtesy of Fête

Lee entered the crowded event planning industry because she felt strongly that events all felt so similar and could become much more interesting. She has a fresh and creative approach to event planning. The incredible results speak for themselves. Fête’s events are not just visually stunning, but acclaimed for being both personal and truly reflective of the host.

We had the privilege to interview Jung Lee and get her thoughts on her career and the success of her company, Fête.

– First of all, how would you each describe yourself?
I am very passionate about all things relating to lifestyle, particularly all aspects of design. I love starting from scratch, creating concepts and then executing and orchestrating them into these phenomenal event experiences. Creating unique, one-of-a-kind experiences for my clients, and then hearing that we have surpassed even their highest expectations, is incredibly gratifying for me and my team.

Courtesy of Fête

Lee Jung currently lives in New York with her husband Josh Brooks and two children. Josh has had a very successful career in the world of both finance and general management as an investment banker in Madrid and New York. In addition, Josh was a member of management teams behind top technology companies and his skills are a great asset to Fête.

What is your goal to be different and better than other event planners?
I am very focused on my clients and the events we do for them; I don’t know how other planners work. We are in the service business, and I am so grateful to have the most talented, dedicated, hardworking staff who really go all out to ensure that our clients are well taken care of. We consider ourselves to be “the architect” for the event. We create and layout the blueprint, which is the foundation, and build from there. We make sure every element is carefully considered and that it is impactful. This includes the environment, the visuals, food, drinks, music, wait staff attire and service…. we are constantly injecting fresh energy and surprises throughout our event, so there are always unveilings happening.
I entered the event industry because I was finding that from a guest’s perspective, events felt very bland. It reminded me of the hotel industry in the 1980s, before Ian Schraeger injected energy and freshness into what became known as a “boutique” hotel. I saw that events needed the same kind of fresh thinking. That is where my focus is. Now I am fortunate to create what I think are the most interesting, exciting and innovative events anyone will find.

Every event has a purpose to achieve. The primary objective of an event planner is to define the objective of an event and then exceed the client’s expectation.

Courtesy of Fête

– How do you decide on the theme of a particular event?
I generally don’t really create “themes” unless asked to. I develop an event’s creative vision by trying to capture something that relates back to the host – my client. Initially, I spend time with my client learning their passions, likes, dislikes, things people associate with them. We talk about design, food, drinks, travel, etc…whatever it is that they get excited about. These conversations provide me with the basis of the creative direction. This way, the event has soul and can really be customized for each client.

The Fête philosophy is that great parties do not happen by themselves, and that there’s a true art to entertaining. Lee and Brooks search far and wide for their inspiration, tap into clients’ sensibilities, and weave subtle, meaningful moments throughout any project.

– What do you consider your most rewarding event to date & why?
Each event is rewarding in a unique way – it can be a challenging event that really pushes my abilities. Or the emotional tie to the client can make it very meaningful. Fortunately, I have the privilege to design for many high-profile individuals. I get excited when I create an event that really blows these people away. Surpassing their highest expectations is rewarding. My aim is to raise the bar in this industry, constantly and consistently.

Courtesy of Fête

The design of a Fête event is always top-tier and unique, filled with unexpected details and a sense of adventure and discovery. There’s a profound synergy between the numerous event elements, and each has a definite purpose. Their in-house team creates and executes flawless visual feats, which work in harmony with incredible food, service, and music. Most importantly, each event is masterfully orchestrated to build its energy and create dynamism within the environment.

– What short-term and long-term goals and objectives have you established for your company?
Short-term, we’re growing our team and capabilities to continue to support client all over the US and globally. This year, we have already produced events in South Korea and Italy and Mexico. Long-term, we want to expand our business via a line of entertaining products.

For additional information about Fête and all their luxury event services, please call (212)725-7268 or visit www.feteny.com

Singer, songwriter and famous pop artist Lady Gaga was born March 28, 1986 in New York. Her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta.

Lady Gaga’s debut album titled “The Fame” featured a string of hit singles including “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” and “Paparazzi.”

“The Fame” album has has won numerous music industry awards. Both the album and its songs were nominated for a total of six different Grammy Awards, including in the Album of the Year category.

“The Fame” won the Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. IN addition, the hit single “Poker Face” won Best Dance Recording.

Lady GaGa is truly a glitz and glamor media queen. Her concert shows sell out all over the world and Lady GaGa is just as well known for her unconventional sense of fashion, strutting on stage wearing stunning and colorful outfits.

Lady GaGa’s second album was named “The Fame Monster” and includes the following hits – “Bad Romance,” “Alejandro” and “Telephone.”

Earlier this year, Lady GaGa’s The Fame Monster album received three Grammys, including Female Pop Vocal Performance (“Bad Romance”), Pop Vocal Album and Short Form Music Video (“Bad Romance”).

At the 2010 VMAs (Video Music Awards), she won eight total awards, including “Video of the Year.”

Combined, the first two hit albums from Lady Gaga – “The Fame” and “The Fame Monster” – have sold more than 15 million copies.

The third album to be released by Lady GaGa on May 23 is titled, “Born This Way.”

The first release is also named “Born this Way.” This anthem song describes confronting one’s inner demons and loving the wrong man for all the wrong reasons.

Lady GaGa recently swung through the West Coast for her famed Monster Ball tour. Her fans come out in droves, decked out in bizarre outfits ranging from chic to the outrageous. Her fans are thoroughly thrilled to be able to see their idol perform live.

The Monster Ball concert had the ideal combination of her hit singles plus songs from her upcoming album “Born this Way.” The little monsters didn’t go away disappointed as the concert was start to finish mayhem and first-class production.

When Lady GaGa first appeared on stage, the crowd went absolutely crazy as a remixed intro version “Dance in the Dark,” starting playing. Then when a silhouette of Lady Gaga appeared, the excitement level ramped up and the concert was on!

Whether you are a Lady GaGa fan or not, you have to admire her as a performer. She grips the crowd and never lets go. She sends a message throughout the show for her “little monsters” to embrace their own destinies and follow their dreams.

Lady GaGa’s upbringing was also full of challenges so speaking from first-hand experiences, she communicates an uplifting request – be proud of who you are and don’t let others drag you down.

Lady GaGa is also a dominant force in the social media world. She holds the #1 spot on Twitter with more than eight million followers and has a staggering, greater than 28 million “likes” on Facebook.

Photo:  Michael Spencer, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

“Home Alone” House for Sale – starring Macaulay Culkin

One of the most popular comedy movies of all time was 1990 classic “Home Alone”, starring a young Macaulay Culkin, who played eight-year-old Kevin McCallister.

Kevin was accidentally left at home while his family leaves for their Christmas vacation … without him.

If you would like to own the iconic home from ‘Home Alone’ movie, it is now up for sale for $2.4 million.

This incredible home is located in the beautiful town of Winnetka, Illinois – a Chicago suburb. The 4,250 square foot, three-story home looks just as picturesque today as it did for the 1990 theatrical release of the film.