Jay Manuel was here hanging out in town with me on Thursday and now it’s time to begin the America’s Next Top Model Castings. We are truly ANTM crazy over here at The CW Washington! I can’t wait to see how many of you girls come out to show us what you have to offer. Remember a few things. Less is more. A simple, soft, beautiful look will get you further than an over the top, in your face designer down (to your socks) look. A layer of mascara, lightly colored lip gloss, maybe a little concealer under the eyes and over problem areas but that’s about it. Make sure your teeth are always nice and white, your breath is fresh and you are well rested. Drink lots of water the night before a big casting, you want to be hydrated and fresh. Pull your hair off your face so we can see just how beautiful you are. It’s summer time, so a simple outfit of fitted jeans and a white tank top (with heels) would be the perfect casting outfit.

If you want to audition, come meet us today at Pentagon City from 2-5 or tomorrow at Potomac Mills from 2-5. We’ll also be at Passport BMW on Thursday from 5-8. I look forward to seeing you all! xx Paul Wharton

Listen up ya’ll! I had the pleasure of hanging out with my boy, the one and only Jay Manuel “Mr. J” from America’s Next Top Model yesterday afternoon. He is just as gorgeous, charming and quick witted as you all would expect him to be. We got together out in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia where he was hosting a Calvin Klein underwear event at Lord & Taylor.

From the time I sat down with Jay, we adjusted the lighted, checked each others look and dished the dirt of Tyra, America’s Next Top Model and all of the other things Jay has on his plate.

Jay and I talked about the upcoming casting for America’s Next Top Model Cycle 12 that we have coming up and he passed along lots of juicy bits of advice for all of you aspiring models. I hate to dangle a carrot in your face,but it’s just so much fun! Every bit of it was taped and will be debuted right here on TrenDC!

If you want to be a part of the ANTM castings, click on the banner at the top of this page. Do you guys and gals just love Mr. Jay as much as I do? Isn’t he wonderful? Like I said, all of our conversation will be revealed right here on TrenDC in a few days. Until then, think about this… Do you have what it takes to be America’s Next Top Model? xx

Paul Wharton

The CW Washington has done it again! It’s been proven time and time again that The CW Washington is the network that connects with the young, hip, happening and hot people in DC. With the help of Gloria Jones and her team from Allied, The CW Washington hosted a very early premiere of Universal’s Mamma Mia Movie!

Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Furth and the rest of the cast did an amazing job dazzling all of us in this truly spectacular movie. I laughed, cried and cheered throughout this story of a mother and daughter that address their past, present and future in the motion picture adaptation. I loved this film from start to finish.

After the film, we took pictures with fans of mine and The CW Washington’s and then my friends and I went off to Coco Sala for after movie cocktails and chat! It seems that my friends loved the movie just as much as I did! Nicole Venable, Joelle Myers, Donnell Kearney, Anthony Rodell, Tara Jones, Cookie, Gerrry Coates, Matt Lamb, Matt Thompson, Flether Gill, Sandra Schwietert and the rest of my crew were all raving! We talked about all of our favorite parts and sang a few Abba tunes despite being stared down by other patrons of the bar! It was great!!

We are now just a few days away from our America’s Next Top Model Casting Call at Pentagon City and Potomac Mills. For more info, click on the banner at the top of the homepage of TrenDC. I can’t wait to see how fierce and fabulous all of the women will be this weekend. Until then Dancing Queens… The Winner Takes It All!! xx Paul Wharton

I had the pleasure of accompanying my friend Juleanna Glover to the annual Washingtonian Magazine’s “Best of Washington” event yesterday. We arrived, took a few red carpet pictures and headed into the Building Museum. We get inside and before indulging in fabulous food from some of Washington’s best restaurants, we head up to the VIP area to greet The President and Publisher Catherine Merrill Williams. They were serving the most delicious Peach Sangria that I decided to sample (how do you like that… “sample”, as if I had no idea what it would taste like). It was crisp, light and refreshing, the perfect summer drink!

White Peach Sangria

• 1 bottle dry white wine
• 3/4 cup peach flavored vodka
• 6 tablespoons frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 pound white peaches, pitted and sliced
• 3/4 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 3/4 cup seedless green grapes, halved

1. In a large pitcher, combine dry white wine, peach vodka, lemonade concentrate and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add sliced peaches, red and green grapes.
2. Refrigerate sangria until well chilled, at least 2 hours, or overnight to blend flavors. Serve over ice, and use a slotted spoon to include sliced peaches and grapes with each serving.

After hanging with the heavy hitters, we headed down to sample the food. Yummy bites from The Source, Lebanese Taverna, Rasika and other DC food favorites. Fine wines, cupcakes from Georgetown Bakery, the food was rockin. Jill Hudson Neal and Leslie Milk from The Washingtonian were especially wonderful, thanks for taking care of me girls!

Just when I thought it was going to be one of those drama free DC nights, I head out front to make a phone call and see a young guy, clearly under the influence of something stronger than liquor, walk up to a woman, grab her wine glass and smash it on the ground. Her friends pull her away, we yell for security and before we knew it, the DRAMA factor was through the roof! Then, the guy tries to charge into the party despite several security officers and one party guest that had another idea. What happened next was a good old fashioned DC beat down! The crazy part is, I’m standing up there with my hand on my chest being concerned when I realized OH HELL, I’m not recording any of the action!! I fumbled around with the camera and caught some footage.
Who says the people in DC are boring? Certainly not anyone at Washingtonian Party! xx

The countdown is officially on. You have four days to prepare for our first DC America’s Next Top Model Casting. Get it started, here’s how Paul style…

1. Revamp your daily skin care routine for both your face and body. Taking care of your skin should be one of your top priorities. Prevent skin problems before they develop by following a skin care regime designed specifically for your skin type. Your skin is unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses; what works for your friend’s skin may not work for yours. In the winter months, it’s especially important to brighten dull skin and moisturize dry skin. Unless you exfoliate the first layer of dead skin cells before applying moisturizers and brighteners; they will just lay on the top of the dead cells. Use a gentle exfoliant regularly to eliminate the dead skin cells. Work regular facials into your budget to keep your skin in great shape. A facial at the start of each season is a great way to help ensure beautiful skin.

2. Take special care of your hair. Use the recommended shampoo and conditioner for your hair type, hair needs, and common problems. Use a richer moisturizing shampoo and deep conditioning treatments. Consider updating your hairstyle, making some subtle changes like light layers, bangs, or a new uplift hairdo.

3.  Treat yourself to a regular manicure and occasional, refreshing pedicure. In the winter months your pedicure won’t be noticed like in the warmer weather but a pedicure is an instant mood lifter. Never leave the house with chipped polish.

4.  Let a professional shape your eyebrow. Once they’re professionally shaped, upkeep will be easy for you. A skilled professional will assure that your brows aren’t asymmetrical or over-plucked.

5.  Revitalize your makeup routine. Start by throwing out any old or worn makeup. Try some new techniques and tricks for a more natural, healthy look. Use a makeup primer under your foundation. A primer preps your skin and serves as a base for your makeup. Keep your makeup natural and simple; too much makeup will make you look harsh. If you don’t have a lot of time for makeup application, limit your routine to the basics. Use a concealer for any blemishes or problem zones and the undereye area. Add some tinted moisturizer and a light dusting of a neutral eye shadow. Add some tinted lip gloss and you’re ready to face the world. Carry your beauty essentials with you for quick touch ups: concealer, mascara, lip gloss, and a lip balm.

6.  Use a tooth whitener. Whitening your teeth is a quick and easy way to brighten your face and give you a healthy look. Crest Whitestrips and whitening tooth-pastes are a few of the options available today.

7.  Take a good look at your wardrobe. Eliminate any items you haven’t worn in years and anything you know doesn’t look good on you or make you feel good. When buying clothes, choose them by fit rather than the manufacturer’s size, which vary from company to company. Choose clothes that complement your skin tone. Wrong color choices can make your skin appear sallow and washed out. Always wear clothes appropriate to the occasion.

8.  You want to be beautiful inside as well as out, so a healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise are essential. Most new years resolutions involve weight loss, so if you’re planning to lose weight make sure you set realistic goals for yourself. Make lifestyle changes that will last forever while avoiding any quick fixes, such as fad diets. Resolve to be lean and healthy! Drink lots of water (6 – 8 8oz glasses of water a day), limit your alcohol intake, and if you smoke, stop immediately! Nothing will age you faster and ruin your health.

Some Quick Weight Loss Tips

1.  Eat moderate portions; if you do nothing but control the portions of food you will lose some weight.

2.  Don’t skip meals. Eat a healthy breakfast and healthy snacks throughout the day to refuel your body and help curb your hunger pangs.

3.  Don’t eliminate all the foods you love from your diet, just reduce the quantity and how frequently you indulge.

4.  Be aware of the foods that are your weakness. Get them out of the house and replace them with healthy, nutrient-rich foods.

5.  Start with minor changes and expect gradual results.

6.  Establish a regular fitness and exercise program

Yours in health and hotness!

Paul Wharton

If you haven’t heard, I’ll be heading to Denver to cover the DNCC live for television. I’m thrilled to be a part of such a historic event. It got me to thinking, I know who the Democratic Nominee for President is going to be, Barack Obama (YIPPY!!). But who will be the Vice Presidential Nominee? Let’s get this conversation started. Who do you think it should be? What are some of the important issues to you (as we closer to the election). Here are a few potential candidates…

Hillary Clinton (D-NY): Kind of a long shot after a long and intense battle with Obama during the Democratic primaries. Upside is that she could bring in a lot of female votes for Obama. Downside is that her relationship with Obama is in shreds after all the fighting to secure the Democratic nomination. Also not typically seen as a “safe” choice because while a lot like her, there are also a lot of people who feel just the opposite.

Bill Richardson (D-NM): This New Mexico governor and former ‘08 Presidential candidate is being tossed around as a potential pick. After dropping out, Richardson publicly endorsed Obama, so that could be a plus.

He’s supported Obama ever since, and he would bring in a very strong Latino vote. Downside, he’s not really known, so that might play a factor.

John Edwards (D-NC): Another former candidate from this election. His strength is that he would greatly boost Obama’s appeal in southern states.

The downside of picking him would be the looming question of whether his wife’s ongoing battle with cancer would detract from his commitment (unfortunate).

I hear talk of a few others but no one is really sure yet. What are your thoughts? I really want us all to get up and get involved! We don’t want to repeat history and have to suffer the consequences. If you haven’t registered to vote, go to https://ssl.congress.org/congressorg/e4/nvra/. You can get all of the info and forms you need!

So last weekend’s visit to the farm had me craving fresh open air, country fried chicken and the famous Apple Cinnamon doughnuts from The Apple House in Front Royal. We ran into the Apple House and I ran into a huge TrenDC fan! She knew all about the site, where to go, what to do and what was going on in my personal life!! Fantastic!! We had a great time.

CHEAP ROMANTIC DATE IDEA ALERT!!

Ok guys and girls.. If you want to impress your special little boo, take them on a road trip down Route 66 about 70 miles to Front Royal. Get off on exit 13, hang a left at the stop sign and a right at the light (rte 55), head down that way through town and around Front Royal (Skyline Drive is the last turn on the left. You can pay $15 buck to drive up on Skyline Drive and view the most breathtaking view you might have ever seen. Holla at your boy when you’re down there. I’ll be the one trying to order a Lemon Drop Martini with a sugar rim from the local Stop and Pop (a beer)!

I’m back in the big city, working out all of the logistical plans for this week. Are you a Mamma Mia fan? You know we’re doing a big, exclusive premiere in DC on Wednesday.. If you want to win tickets, go to www.thecwdc.comand enter.. There may be a few left. Then there’s Lotus Club’s big Anniversary party on Friday night. Finally we have the Top Model Castings over the weekend and one at Passport BMW next week! Click on the banner on the top of TrenDC to get all of the casting Info.

The Fourth started off slow but my place quickly became the hot spot! A few friends came over, we watched the fireworks from my windows and had cocktails. At about midnight we decided to go to a country western line dancing bar with Karaoke! It was a blast. I sang back up to quite a few singers! Are last stop was a cool lesbian bar called Phase 1 in Cap Hill. I’d never been there before but the girls welcomed me with open arms!! Shout out to Carla and Michelle from Ft. Washington, thanks for being so awesome!

Joelle and I are getting ready to head down to the farm! I’m actually going to the 4-H Center! Can you believe it! I have on Rock and Republic jeans, a white Dolce shirt, Kolawski sneaks from Beverly Hills, my Dior shades and a Louis Vuitton bag…. And I’m going to milk a cow! Only in DC kids, only in DC! xx

Unless you’ve been living under water I’m sure you’ve heard that Beverly Hills 90210 is coming back to TV in a newly revamped spin-off. Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling have already signed on to reprise their roles in the series that had all of wishing we were young, rich and living in Beverly Hills. I’ve always been a bit of a car buff. I remember being totally obsessed with the fact that every season Kelly would always come back with a new version of her BMW 325i convertible and Steve would always have a new red Corvette! I mean, what was the deal with that. Am I the only one that caught that?? Brandon was the only one that held on to that beat down Mustang for all those years. My little insiders say that Shannon Doherty has met with Producers on the show and could most likely be offered a reprising role in the series. Ooooooh!! Baby, baby! The drama is going to be thick. My girl Tori Spelling is not going to play nice this time around. When you live in a 100 million dollar mansion like she was back in the day with her parents, you have a way of brushing things off as no big deal. Now-a-days, Ms. Tori is trying to raise two kids and go half on the mortgage with Dean. She got cut out of her Father’s Will and it doesn’t look like Candy is trying to break her off with any of those millions any time soon! These 30 something Princesses are going to bring it back quite fabulously and dramatically. I think I’m heading out to the set of 90210 when they start shooting a little later this summer. I’ll be sure to let you all know. Who knows, maybe I’ll take one of you with me! xx