THREAD Show, the multi-city shopping event promoting emerging designers and artists, is headed to Orange County as the next stop on its 2010 tour. In each market, THREAD will showcase 100 independent designers, as well as complementary music, art, food and entertainment. This year, THREAD is also adding a home section to the event, inviting independent designers of furniture, art and housewares to apply for the spring shows.

“There are loads of brilliant reasons we should all shop at THREAD,” explains Lara Matthews, founder of THREAD. “This is a unique opportunity to support independent designers, invest in your local economy and decrease your carbon footprint. But what I love the most about the designs I discover through THREAD is that they are not mass-produced and are made with a level of care and quality that I don’t find at most commercial retailers.”

THREAD is a unique event at which attendees can shop from independent designers, purchase art, house wares and eco-friendly designs, listen to live bands and DJs, watch fashion shows unveiling upcoming trends, receive complimentary styling in the THREAD Style Lounge, recycle their old clothes and sip, eat and mingle to their heart’s content. The 2010 shows will feature clothing and accessories for men, women and children, jewelry, furniture, art, house wares, books and eco-friendly designs. Attendees can expect high-quality and high-creativity designs in a more comfortable, energized and interactive shopping environment than conventional retail spaces offer. What truly differentiates THREAD designers from their mass-produced competitors is their commitment to the traditional beauty and art of design, with passion and quality that is second to none.

By allowing shoppers to skip the third-party retailer, THREAD gives trend-setters an opportunity to meet the designers face-to-face, feed the local economy, be kind to the environment and ensure products are locally-made and ethically produced. This one-on-one connection also allows designers to get direct feedback from their consumers. 

THREAD Show travels to Orange County on Sunday, August 22 at the OC Fairgrounds. Attendance is $10 in all cities – or $5 if you RSVP on the THREAD website. Attendees can also bring in a bag of clothes to donate to a local charity and get in for the discounted rate. For regular updates, to visit the THREAD blog, RSVP to a show or subscribe to the email newsletter, please visit www.threadshow.com. You can also follow THREAD Show on Facebook or Twitter for regular updates and inside deals.

About THREAD Show   //   Good Style. Good Value. Good Karma.
THREAD Show is a travelling juried showcase of the best independent fashion and home designers on the West Coast, and the music and art that rock their world. This dynamic one-day retail environment has showcased more than 7,000 emerging designers since its inception in 2003.  THREAD allows consumers a unique opportunity to support their local economy, reduce their carbon footprint and discover emerging designers while scoring deals and purchasing one-of-a-kind wares in a fun and unique setting. For more information, visit www.threadshow.com.

The Hotel Hanford, a new independent, boutique-style hotel in Orange County, CA debuted the first 79 newly designed guestrooms. This is the first set of new rooms to be completed, while the remainder of the 222-room and six suite hotel is scheduled to be finished by early August for the hotel’s fall 2010 debut. 

“What we’ve accomplished here is more than a renovation; we’ve developed an entirely new hotel from top to bottom,” said Donald Sodaro, president and CEO of Hanford Hotels, Inc.  “The new rooms at The Hotel Hanford are sleek and sophisticated with thoughtful details that make them a comfortable and functional retreat for our business and leisure guests.”          

Located at 3131 Bristol Street in Costa Mesa, CA, adjacent to South Coast Plaza, The Hotel Hanford features elegant fabrics and textures that make each area of the hotel a truly unique experience.  Guests in each of the newly designed rooms will enjoy custom handmade furnishings including a large work desk, full-sized armoire with full-length mirror and in-room technology and conveniences such as large flat screen televisions, MP3 compatible alarm clock radios, telephones and free wireless internet service.  A selection of coffee drinks created by Starbucks brand coffee, including espresso, cappuccino and lattes, are available for delivery straight to each guest’s door. 

“Through the new design, amenities and services, we’ve broken the mold and created a hotel with style and personality,” said Edward Moses-Granger, general manager at The Hotel Hanford. “Our guests should expect the unexpected.”

Guests at The Hotel Hanford will be well-rested after sleeping in the hotel’s plush beds with fine linens and a custom pillow from a menu that includes firm, soft, feather and memory foam.  Each of the luxurious bathrooms feature large vanities with ample storage and large rainwater shower heads for a relaxing shower.  Bathroom amenities include Bee Kind, an eco-friendly line of organic honey inspired soaps, shampoos and lotions by Gilchrist and Soames.

“The handcrafted furnishings will remind our guests of a home that is both comfortable and elegant,” said Moses-Granger.  “The warm design will wrap our guests in comfort and the soft colors will soothe away the edges of a long day.”

The hotel recently opened its Savoy Restaurant and Lounge, featuring a menu of small plates with creative interpretations of traditional cuisine inspired by the best palates of Europe and the Orient.The 80-seat restaurant will soon feature a private wine salon and tasting room with an award-winning selection from Sodaro Estate Winery, as well as select wines from Napa Valley’s Coombsville region.  Guests may enjoy flights of wine and great food pairing in the private cellar.  Savoy offers a wonderful Terrace for outside dining or late night cocktails under the stars.

The Hotel Hanford’s new guestrooms are part of a $7 million dollar transformation by Hanford Hotels, Inc., a Newport Beach-based hotel owner and operator, to convert the former Holiday Inn Costa Mesa into a completely redesigned independent hotel. The hotel remains open during its comprehensive renovation which began in December 2009 and includes a complete redesign of its guestrooms, meeting rooms, ballroom, lobby, restaurant and bar.   Updated exterior features include new architectural lighting, signage and new garden landscaping.  Plans for the hotel’s fall 2010 debut will be announced in late summer.

Receive $25 travel reimbursement, $15 per night dining certificates and a South Coast Plaza passport through December 30

     Are you dreaming of an escape, but don't have the time or budget to plan an extended out-of-town trip? Having company for the holidays but don’t want to disrupt your household?
    Well, the hotels of Costa Mesa in Orange County have the perfect package for you.
    We may only be down the street, but we know you'll feel a world away when you arrive in Costa Mesa, the OC’s family-friendly base camp for shopping, dining, surfing, boating, golf, Disneyland, and much more. 
    The “2010 Drive & Dine” promotion offers valuable travel and dining incentives and competitive hotel rates and runs through December 30 based upon room availability.  No minimum stays are required. Some restrictions apply.
    Here’s how it works. When guests book a stay in one of 10 participating Costa Mesa hotels during the promotional period, they will receive a $15 per night dining certificate per reservation for each night they stay in that is redeemable at many fine Costa Mesa area restaurants. 
    Additionally, a $25 reimbursement on airfare or purchase of gasoline will be
mailed to guests within a few weeks of their stay in Costa Mesa.  That amount rises to $50 for visits of three or more consecutive nights. The gasoline or airfare reimbursement is also limited to one per hotel reservation. 
    Guests also receive a VIP Passport from South Coast Plaza filled with valuable special offers from leading retail establishments.   
   



    Located in Orange County between Los Angeles and San Diego, Costa Mesa is
known for its world-class shopping at internationally renowned South Coast Plaza. Near Costa Mesa are miles of beaches, plus theme parks, sports venues, museums, day spas and many other attractions.
    Costa Mesa also has a worldwide reputation for internationally acclaimed visual and performing arts in South Coast Repertory’s Folino Theatre Center and the Orange County Performing Arts Center, home of the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall.  Adjacent to The Center, is the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and 500-seat multi- purpose Samueli Theater. 
    Costa Mesa is located conveniently near John Wayne Airport, and is accessible
from the San Diego Freeway (405), Costa Mesa Freeway (55) and Santa Ana Freeway (5),  as well as the San Joaquin Hills (73) and Foothill/Eastern (241/261/133) toll roads (www.thetollroads.com).
Participating Costa Mesa hotels include Ayres Hotel & Suites, Best Western Newport Mesa, Costa Mesa Marriott, Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, Ramada Limited & Suites Costa Mesa, The Hotel Hanford, Costa Mesa Residence Inn by Marriott, The Westin South Coast Plaza, and the Wyndham Orange County.
    Participating restaurants include the Hilton’s Bristol Palms California Bistro, Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale’s, Le Chateau Garden Bistro in Ayres Hotel & Suites, Pinot Provence in The Westin, Royal Khyber Fine Indian Cuisine, the Savoy Restaurant in The Hotel Hanford, Skosh Monahan’s Steakhouse & Irish Pub, Sopranos Restaurant, South Coast Winery and the Wyndham’s TerraNova.
For more information, visit Costa Mesa online at www.TravelCostaMesa.com or call 866.918.4749.