Rally for Kids with Cancer Scavenger Cup – 2009

Dolce Staff Writer — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:00:08 +0000

On your marks, get set, go! The crowd went wild as the chequered flag waved and race cars took off in support of the SickKids Foundation’s efforts to end kids’ cancer. Organized by award-winning event management team Solutions With Impact, the rally, held on Sept. 26th, 2009, raised an astounding $1.4 million. The ‘Start Your Engines’ brunch took place at Harbour Sixty Steakhouse and presented drivers with tips and clues, including seven unique pit stops with themed games and activities. One of the pit stops was carnival-themed and entirely run by SickKids child ambassadors, with whom celebrities interacted and partook in the activities. The previous night featured a celebrity cocktail event entitled ‘The Qualifiers’ at Muzik, a popular event venue. Presented by Rosseau Asset Management Ltd., the pre-event featured many notable personalities such as Adam Rodriguez of CSI: Miami and 90210’s Adam Gregory. Ending the night at the ‘Winner’s Circle’ dinner was a private serenade by Chantal Kreviazuk and and the Gipsy Kings, as well as a live auction and raffle with fabulous prizes. www.rallyforkids.com

PHOTOS: The Rally for Kids with Cancer winners Olive Bock, left, CEO Solutions 2 Go and actor Adam Rodriguez, of CSI: Miami; Rhonda Lipson & Michael “Pinball” Clemons; Suzana Bulhoes, Community Investment manager & captain David Legge, senior VP of Operations, both with Air Canada. Heather Broll, VP of the Hospital for Sick Children with Rene Gerber, Asst. marketing manager Serengeti Eyewear; Celebrity navigators. Actor James Kyson Lee (Heroes) and Jim Williams, president & CEO of Williams Telecommunications; Joel Hock, president & CEO of Solutions with Impact and his wife, Lisa; Warren Irwin, president & chief investment officer, Rosseau Asset Management Ltd., and Jessie Camacho, host of Descontrol on Telemundo. Actress Shantel VanSanten (Final Destination), with a SickKids child ambassador; Damon Allen CFL alumni, Rachel Smith, Miss USA, Shantel VanSanten, actor Robert Buckley (Lipstick Jungle), actress Bai Ling (Star Wars “Revenge of the Sith”), actress Tichina Arnold (Everybody Hates Chris) and actor Adam Gregory (90210).

Perfecting Proportion

Dolce Staff Writer — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:39:17 +0000

As Dee Dee Hannah recalls her childhood, it’s easy to understand how she became both an architect and an interior designer. “I loved math and science and I loved fashion. I had this dichotomy in terms of interests, but also that’s sort of the way my mind works: very linear, logical thinker. But then I loved design!” Her stunning creations, bright smile, long golden locks and engaging personality have become famous, courtesy of three appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, a hosting gig on the HGTV series Love By Design and a column in the National Post.

Graceful lines and proportions that radiate timelessness and sophistication are present throughout Hannah’s architectural creations. Her refined interior designs, equally as inspired, are opulent and ornate yet never dabble in ostentatious. Each alluring design detail is calculated and fitted for the space it resides in. Hannah’s work oozes extreme elegance from the inside out. “Every home has to have beauty. And in addition to beauty, it needs to flow and it needs to suit the purposes of those who live there,” says Hannah.

Hannah founded the Taylor Hannah Architect group of companies, which boasts a staff of 40, in 1992, after graduating with honours from the University of Toronto with a degree in architecture. Stylish and unique, high-end residential and commercial architecture and interior design is the focus of her firm. “I think what I am trying to do is to pull out from you, as the client, what is inside of you, what you are really looking for. And some people have no idea. As a professional, that’s my job to find out.” Dreamy, distinctive homes that are imagined free of stifling moulds or design templates are the result. High, dramatic ceilings, clean, modern lines and polished décor are commonly featured in Hannah’s work. Her fresh designs cater to the needs, desires and styles of clientele with superlative tastes. “A part of my job is to give people that feeling that what they’re doing in their world is extravagant!”

The coveted penthouse of 155 Cumberland, a swanky orthodontic clinic in Yorkville and a renovation of the celebrated Harbour Sixty Steakhouse in downtown Toronto, are just a few sites that Hannah is currently infusing with her talents and motto of “timeless elegance.”

She also applies a classic design aesthetic to her own look, as her closet houses covetable garments that mirror her chic designs. “I love Valentino. I love Chanel. I love Prada. I love throwing my jeans on with a great pair of Louboutin’s and a white T-shirt.” She’ll be seated amongst the well-heeled and comely this October, when she attends Paris Fashion Week. Frequent visits to sensual European cities act as a source of enrichment and inspiration for Hannah.

While most find it difficult to command one’s business, Hannah acts as a partner in two others: Ellis Fine Cabinetry and Montclair Construction. When not immersed in the world of business and blueprints, Hannah devotes time to her family. “My sweet life is being with my husband and my children.” As a successful professional, Hannah is constantly faced with the classic challenge of balancing a career and a family. She manages to do so with organization, a strict schedule and a vacation every July. “I love what I do. I love that I look to the past and that I reinterpret for the future. I love something that’s modern and has got proportion and scale.” Without a doubt, her clients love it, too.

Dolce Vita luxury magazine » Harbour Sixty Steakhouse

Rally for Kids with Cancer Scavenger Cup – 2009

Perfecting Proportion