The H Collection " Beach Bracelets" in the seasons trendiest colors!
I first discovered The H Collection while looking at their photos on Instagram. I then started following them on Twitter only to find out that the creator , Ashure Giruzzi Hartkopf , is from Upstate NY just like I am!
Ashure is also part Italian and we bonded over that while sharing family stories . Her first name, Ashure , was an adaptaion of " Azure" from her Mom which means sky blue " in Italian!
We became fast friends and I loved her line so much I had to share it with you all!
The designs are fabulous, fun, made with love , and are very inexpensive considering the quality and the fact that they are hand made! The H Collection is starting to get a lot of attention and a celebrity clientele is soon to follow! My friend and creator of Beauty Kitchen, Heather Marianna , loved them so much that she had Ashure custom design her a few bracelets which Heather is wearing currently! Music Producer Teddy Sandman saw my black cross bracelet and I know he fell in love with it and now is ordering one!
The H Collection " Evil Eye" Bracelet to ward off negativity and jealousy!
BC: Tell me about the creation of The H Collection...
AH: The H Collection was founded in January 2012...One day myself and my friend June were shopping for jewelry at the mall, we couldn't help to notice that everything was made from plastic! We said to each other, we could make our own jewelry and the quality would be a lot better. It started as a hobby at first but we soon realized that we could sell our bracelets so we created The H Collection Facebook page and soon after a store on Etsy.
The lovely Ashur Hartkopf designer of The H Collection
" Autism Awareness" Bracelets inspired by her friend's son
BC: What was your biggest inspiration?
AH: I think our biggest
inspiration is our mothers, whom we both lost. Knowing that we have them
watching over us as our biggest fans is amazing!
BC: That is so sweet!
BC: How do you decide what to make and sell?
AH: We stay up to date with the latest fashion trends and create beautiful and affordable bracelets using only the best quality gemstones, metals and charms available. We take great pride in our line and wouldn't design anything we wouldn't wear ourselves.
BC: That's Awesome! I absolutely loved the bracelets that I received and have had many compliments on them! I can't wait to see whats in store next!
AH: There are many new fun designs that will be available on my ETSY shop soon!
Heather Marianna in The H Collection "Hamsa" Bracelet
The H Collection Stone " Hamsa" Bracelet for protection, prosperity, and peace was custom created for Actress and creator of Beauty Kitchen Heather Marianna!
Custom Designed Cross bracelet by The H Collection
The H Collection Men's Collection Cross Bracelet that I wear!
Raquel Castro was in show business a long time before she first came to everyone's attention and captured our heart's on screen ( at only seven years old ) in the hit movie Jersey Girl starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, and Liv Tyler . We watched her in many movies and projects since then but it was her ( smart) grown up decision to share her musical talents on NBC's Singing competition " The Voice" that had us pleasantly surprised, continued to keep our attention, and leaves us wondering what is next for this tiny powerhouse?
I talked to Raquel recently as I wanted to know what else she has up her beautiful and talented sleeve...find out below what she had to say!
BC: What is your nationality and where did you grow up?
RC: I'm Puerto
Rican and Italian and I grew up in Long Island New York!
BC: One of my favorite cities!
RC: Mine too! Growing up there was such a learning experience! BC: I understand you started acting at age four...what was it like growing up " in the business"?
RC: I was
always entertaining people when I was a child .. I ran around in circles every
time my mom had the camera on me! I started acting when I was 4, and landed my
first lead role when I was 7 in "Jersey Girl". It was an amazing experience and
I was so blessed to work with such an amazing cast. It definitely had its ups
and downs though..
BC: Such as?
RC :Dealing with all of the attention at such a young age and
then having it all go away was very rough, and hard to understand. I love what I
do though, and I believe going through the ups and downs in this industry, my
whole life, made me who I am today.
BC: Would you say that your role in Jersey Girl has been one of your favorite acting opportunities, and if so, why?
RC: Jersey Girl changed my life. So, I have to say that was my favorite opportunity! It was a huge
platform and I got to work with amazing people.
BC: Yes! Jersey Girl was a great movie and starred major Hollywood actors...Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, and Jennifer Lopez...what was it like working with them?
Raquel Castro on the set of " Jersey Girl" with A list Actor and Director Ben Affleck
A young Raquel doing press on the red carpet!
RC: I had so
much fun working with them. I got really close to Liv and Ben. They were like
big kids! They made me feel so comfortable. I hope to work with them again in
the future! Jennifer Lopez was one of my biggest inspirations as a child so
getting to play her daughter was incredible. Also getting to work with the
legendary George Carlin was awesome. He was a sweetheart.
BC: Would you consider Jersey Girl your " break out role" ?
RC: Yes and no. Yes, because it was my first lead
role, and I was given the opportunity to travel around the world to do publicity
for the film which was amazing. But, at the same time no, because I was so
young. I feel like I haven't had my breakout role yet. I feel like I have so
much more to show the world now as an 18 year old.
BC: So does that mean that you will continue to pursue acting in the future?
RC: Yes...I took a break from acting
for a little bit to focus more on my music. After graduating high
school, It really hit me that I'm stepping into the real
world now. I'm focusing on both my music and acting, and I'm 100% dedicated to
both. This is all I know, and this is all I can ever picture myself doing. I
will keep working my butt off until I get where I want to be!
BC: Speaking of working your butt off ( both laugh)... tell me how and why you decided to audition for NBC's reality singing competition " The Voice" starring Christina Aguilera , Blake Shelton, Adam Levine , and Ce Lo Green...
RC:At first I
wasn't going to do the Voice. I wasn't a fan of the whole reality TV shows idea. However, once my mom told me more about the show, it really made me want to
audition. I liked the fact that it was different and positive. It focused on
what really matters "The Voice".
BC: You were picked, and then as if that wasn't enough, you were lucky to have Christina Aguilera end up mentoring you! What was that like and what advice has she given you that you have taken?
RC: Very lucky! I loved having Christina as
my coach .. I always looked up to her as a vocalist. She's amazing! She really
taught me things more on a personal level from her own experiences. She taught
me how people will always try and say negative things to bring you down. You
just have to stay true to yourself and not let the negativity effect
you.
BC: Great advice, especially in this industry...you've since had the opportunity to cover Christina Aguilera's song " Aint No Other Man" what did she think about that?
RC: ( laughs) Yes that is like my go to song to sing for people! I love the power
in her voice in that song. I'm not quite sure what she thought about it I did it
after the show. I would hope she liked
it!
BC: What's not to love? ( both laugh) Did you find that during your time on " The Voice" that being so young was an advantage or disadvantage?
RC:Both, I
feel like being younger helped me connect with the younger crowd, but at the same time being so young on that kind of competition made it
really intimidating because I was "competing" against people who had way more
experience then I did. I learned a lot though, so I wouldn't change a thing
!
BC: Your singing career is really taking off! ...tell me about " Game Over" the song you just co wrote and released...
Raquel doing her thing!
RC: I wrote "Game
Over" with a writer in Miami at a program called IDA. I wrote it based on my own
experience from a relationship I was in. It's about being in a relationship with
someone who you love, but you feel like they're playing games with your heart.
It shows the struggles of not knowing whether to stay in the relationship or
not. It's like, you wanna stay because you love and care about that person, but
you want to leave because they continuously hurt you or make you feel like
you're not important.
BC: We are definitely starting to see you blossom into a young adult! Is there an album in the works?
RC: Yes there is an album in the works!
I'm in the middle of working with these producers and really finding a sound
with them. I've also been writing A LOT so stay tuned :)
Celebrity make-up artist and friend of Raquel Castro Priscilla Di Stasio
BC: Of course! How do you like expressing yourself in music and how does that differ from acting?
RC:Music is like therapy to me.
It's hard for me to show emotion, so I love being able to
get my thoughts and emotions out through my music. I really love to make music
that people can relate to because I know it makes my day when I hear a song and
say "oh my god I've felt that before", or "that's exactly how I'm feeling". It's
like a shoulder to lean on, but it's music. It definitely differs from acting.
In acting you're putting your own experiences into a situation to be someone
else. Music is just writing your heart out on a piece of paper and saying this
is me and this is how I feel. I love doing both .
BC: Which actors ( or singers) do you look up to or admire?
RC:Beyonce is one of my biggest
inspirations. I hope to be as respected and talented and successful as her one
day. Christina is a big inspiration as well vocally. I also really love Katy
Perry as an artist. Rachel McAdams is my favorite actress. And I'm also loving
Jennifer Lawrence! She's awesome!
BC: Who would you like to meet someday if you could?
RC:I'd love to meet Jennifer
Lawrence, because she's so real and I'm a big fan of real people who don't put
on some act to be someone they're not. I'd also love to meet
Demi Lovato. After seeing an interview of her sticking up for Miley Cyrus, she
seems pretty real as well. Also, Justin Bieber is a big inspiration and I'd love
to meet him. Anytime I'm feeling down or frustrated I just watch his movie and
it just reminds me to keep striving for what I want!
BC: What advice would you give to the many young girls that are looking up to you as inspiration?
RC: I have so much
to say whether it's about relationships, making mistakes, feeling like you're
not good enough or just life in general. I want to be like a big sister to my
fans and show them that no one is perfect.
BC: How do you balance work, school, and play?
RC: It was hard growing
up, especially dealing with school. I was bullied a lot growing up and no one
really understood me or my goals. Not even just kids, teachers too! Now that I
graduated from high school, it really makes it a lot easier!
I like to go out and have fun every now and then but my head and focus is really
on my craft.
BC: What would you consider a fun day off? What would you be doing?
RC: Hmm... I don't know about a fun day off ( laughs) .. but I really wanna go skydiving! I love
doing things that give me an adrenaline
rush!
Sexy but Classy
These boots were made for walkin'...
Fabulous Style!
BC: You are quite the " fashionista"... How would you describe your style?
RC: Aw thanks! I'd say I am stylish, a
little sexy, but not like an x rated movie ( both laugh). I just like to have a little
edge to everything I wear. I'm really digging high waisted pants/shorts and crop
tops. And I'm always wearing some type of boot.
BC; Tell me five things that you love or couldn't live without...
RC:My family, real people, music, inspiring quotes, and being on stage!
BC: Tell me any five things that you don't really care for...
RC: Five things I don't care for are rumors, negative people, rude people, cockiness, and liars. BC: What is next for Raquel Castro? Where do you see yourself in the future? RC: More new music, and hopefully I can do some more acting! I wanna be at the Grammys some
day!
BC: I would love to see that for you and I thank you for sharing your life with us!
RC: Thank you for having me!
Raquel Castro is a girl of many talents and she enjoys sharing them with the world. She has an upbeat and positive energy that is both endearing and infectious. Her musical career is just beginning and I for one am excited to watch her grow and change as an artist as I have been since she first came into our lives on the
" Big Screen". Raquel Castro has a good head on her shoulders and with her Mom by her side supporting her as well as managing her any path she chooses will be a " win win " and That's The Way I See It !
Xx Billy Charles
Find out more about Raquel Castro and what she is up to on her official website: www.RaquelCastro.com
I am very excited to share my first cooking blog with you all: Mangia! In The Kitchen With Billy Charles NY I hope to do many more and eventually to turn it into a Video Blog!
For those of you who don't know me, or may just be following me, I have a passion for food!
I love cooking, eating, and critiquing it! I have been cooking since I was very young. I grew up in the family restaurant business where I worked on and off from ages 15 until about 21. I am full blooded Italian and as many people know food is a major part of our culture! We live, laugh, and express love through our passion for food!
Food comforts us when there is a sad occasion and ads to any celebration to lift us up! My mother, Nancy Mazza Piperata is an amazing cook... and trust me it's not just because she is my Mom! She learned a lot from her family as well as her father in law, my grandfather, who was a top chef in our state!
My Grandfather Chef Dominck Piperata R.I.P
My mother Nancy Mazza Piperata and I
Here I share my recipe for a dish inspired by her Spinach Frittata!
What is exactly is Frittata you ask? Frittata is an egg based dish similar to an omelet or quiche, enriched with additional ingredients such as meats, cheeses, vegetables or pasta! It usually involves frying eggs and adding whatever you desire, the possibilities are endless, but here I make it a bit more healthy and quicker by baking it instead. Cooking is all about choices and I never follow any recipe to the letter. It's about experimenting, being inspired, and having fun in the process! I hope you enjoy making and eating this Spinach Fritatta as much as I do!
Billy Charles Fast and Easy Spinach Frittata!
This dish feeds about 6 people with one 4X4 square each and should take no more than 45 minutes including prep.
What you will need from the grocery store:
1 Cup of Milk
10 Large Eggs ( you can use egg beaters if you desire)
Garlic clove ( or garlic powder)
A small white or yellow onion ( or onion powder)
1 full Cup of Romano or Parmesan cheese ( or both)
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 ounces of chopped spinach ( Short cut; use a frozen, chopped, steamer in the bag for microwave)
Cooking oil ( again your choice) to fry the spinach up
FUN FACT ABOUT ME: I love drinking a glass of white wine with ice when I cook and listening to Josh Groban or any relaxing and passionate music!
Tools:
A large frying pan
A medium mixing bowl
A whisk
A cup for liquid measure
A cup for Dry measure
A 12X9 glass baking dish or pan ( I prefer glass looks better to serve out of )
A spatula
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and make sure you have the rack in the middle of your oven.
Next prepare spinach using the instructions if you are not chopping and cooking it fresh.
Chop garlic clove and your onion into tiny pieces.
Turn your burner on medium heat and add a few table spoons of oil and let it get nice and hot.
Spinach, onion , and garlic frying on the stove!
Throw the spinach, onion , and garlic in the pan once it is ready and be sure and turn it every so often so it doesn't burn. If you are using onion and garlic powder I suggest two full table spoons of each, or to your personal taste. I like things spicy!
Egg, cheese, salt , and pepper mixture.
Meanwhile in the bowl add all ten eggs, your milk, the cheese of your choice ( Romano or Parmesan) and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk until all ingredients are well blended and there are no lumps.
Be sure and spread the mixture evenly over the spinach.
Remove your fried spinach from the stove and spread it out evenly in your 12X9 baking dish. Cover the spinach evenly with the egg mixture and place sideways in the center of your pre-heated oven.
Cook the frittata for 1/2 an hour and towards the end of cook time ( you can insert a fork in the middle and see if it comes out dry) switch your oven to low broil to brown the top. Be careful to keep a close eye on it at this point as you do not want to burn it!
Camera ready and Gorgeous from browning the top under the broiler!
Remove the frittata from the oven, and when it cools enough to eat, divide it in to six even pieces approximately 4" X 4" and serve it with your choice of grated cheese for garnish! This recipe also makes a great side dish to many meals! You could even garnish with fresh cut grape tomatoes , cubed mozzarella, and a drizzle of seasoned oil. Yum!
I love mine served with extra grated Romano cheese! I also eat this cold! It's usually gone the day I make it!
This dish is easy, delicious, and a healthier choice than many meals! Perfect for vegetarians also! You can even try it with mixed Chinese stir fry vegetables as I have done! ( everyone has that bag of veggies in the freezer they never think about using).
If you decide to try this recipe please leave me a comment here or on twitter @BillyCharlesNY and let me know what you think! Enjoy, have fun, and Mangia! ( eat in Italian) Xx Billy Charles
Heather Marianna's Beauty Kitchen was a VIP sponsor at The Syck Magazine launch in LV
Heather Marianna, actress, host , and now Beauty Product Guru is officially launching her Beauty Kitchen line this weekend at her spacious ( 7500 square ft) home in Las Vegas Nevada. Heather will be hosting a VIP event and will reveal several of her newest all natural spa creations! The Beauty Kitchen launch party promises to be a lavish affair with goody bags chock full of her samples for her guests, press, fabulous people, and of course champagne!
Heather is going all out for her launch party ( The milk is for her shakes)
Heather also just got back from filming in Tucson Arizonawhere she was a live guest on The Morning Blend show. Heather demonstrated how to make her fabulous Beauty Kitchen products and also shared with the galsa thing or two about what she does !
Watch Heather on The Morning Blend in Tucson AZ here:
Spoiler Alert! New Heather Marianna Beauty Kitchen Bath Bombs!
I am personally looking forward to the new products as I am already a Beauty Kitchen user and I can't wait to see what other tricks Heather Marianna has up her Beauty Kitchen sleeve!
Heather is just getting started and That's The way I see it Xx Billy Charles
Check out Heather Marianna's e commerce site that is loaded with beauty video
tips and tricks and you can also purchase her Beauty Kitchen products!
Teresa Giudice and her brother Joe Gorga at The Milania Hair Care Launch Event!
Teresa Giudice is one busy Housewife these days. Besides finding the time to be a mother, wife, and
NY Times Best Selling author due to her cookbooks , Teresa Giudice has also launched a new haircare line called Milania Hair Care!
Teresa, along with co creator and legendary beauty veteran Jerel James, decided on the name after fans voted from three potential choices. Ultimately, when the votes were calculated, the fans decided on naming it after her spunky and infamous young daughter Milania. From The Official MilaniaHairCare.com website : The Milania product line was created using 8 essential natural ingredients in each item which we at Milania like to call the ‘Great 8’. Each ingredient was carefully selected for its exemplary benefits to hair. Milania protects, nourishes & repairs hair damaged by heat styling tools. The combination of such rich & luxurious ingredients in each bottle will leave your hair stronger, smoother, shinier, healthier & create the great hair you’ve always desired. When you have Milania on your side, you no longer have to worry about what damage is being done to your hair during styling. Use individually or for optimal results, treat your hair to an alluring experience using all three products.
The Official Milania Haircare Launch Invitation
Milania Hair Care launch at The Stone House at Sterling Ridge NJ
Many blogs and stories have come out recently regarding " Season Five of The Real Housewives of New Jersey" ( if there is one ..hmm) and Teresa's publicly tumultuous relationship with her brother Joe Gorga and his wife Melissa Gorga. I am here to tell you that I have an exclusive insider information ( and photos) from a source close to the Frey who told me that not only have Teresa and her brother ( and his wife Melissa Gorga ) " mended fences" and supported her at the event ...and that the Milania Hair Care launch was a " complete success and a joyous affair filled with laughs , love , and in true RHONJ style only " slight drama" ...this time it was not between family members!"
Teresa Giudice, her brother Joe Gorga, and his wife Melissa Gorga at The Milania Hair Care launch.
The Milania Hair Care launch was a reality star studded even and amongst the guest were Teresa's Best friend and make-up artist Priscilla DiStasio, rumored season 5 cast mate Jennifer Dalton, Kim DePaola of Posche Boutique, Penny DrossoKiragiorgis , and many more! Dina Manzo apologized for not attending telling an understanding Teresa that she was " camera shy" ;) I also was told that Dina ( Laurita) Manzo is busy filming he rown reality show after a recently announced break up from her husband of seven years Tommy Manzo in October 2012. I can't wait for more on Dina's new show and I am sure you all can't either!
A very happy Teresa Giudice and her supportive husband Joe Giudice!
Joe Gorga, Jennifer Dalton, and Gorgeous Priscilla DiStasio
Joe Gorga, Kim DePaola, and Priscialla DiStasio
I don't know about everyone else but I am very excited to see what the future holds for Teresa Giudice and if Bravo TV decides to air Season 5 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey...if ( when ) they do it promises to be a season to remember and that's the way I see it Xx Billy Charles
