#dawnsdestinations

[dawnspiration-blog]

Impromptu Itinerary of Witnessing Wonders

A week ago today, I boarded a little boat in Cabo to eat sweet potato donuts...and, whale watch. I had zero expectations for this impromptu itinerary switch because I assure you that this was not something that had ever been on any bucket list of mine. But as our captain spotted whales and I sat on the side of the boat, bouncing happily along as the waves crashed all around me - and, I hung on for dear life - I took a moment to take IN the moment for what it was.

Something new. Something different. Something unexpected. Something unasked for. And, aren’t those the best kind of dreams come true? The dreams we never even knew to dream of? And, the wishes for which we never knew to wish?

In that moment, one of the 14 giant humpback whales we had seen proceeded to put on a show for us by leaping out of the water and flipping. He was not only an entertainer. He was a show-off. I squealed with glee - and, the sound was familiar to me. It was the same sound I’ve made since I was a tiny girl when something utterly, deliciously delights and tickles me and my senses. This is why I travel.

And, this is why I try to travel light - not in the form of suitcases (because y’all KNOW I pack heavy) - but in the form of expectations. When you leave room in your proverbial suitcase of life while traveling, you leave space for memories to be made - ones that you never even could have imagined. And, that’s way more delicious than even the sweetest sweet potato donut. #DawnsDestinations #RelishTheHeritage #JWlosCabos #DineandDishWithDawn #ElarcoLosCabos #LosCabos

[lovelyinla]

Spending some much needed time away in the desert to recharge 🔋Staying in a beautiful desert dream house @moviecolonypalmsps thanks to my amazing hosts @acmehouseco @visitgreaterps @visitpalmdesert @visitpalmsprings @iamdawnmccoy Where is your your happy place to get away? Ps this gorgeous set is from @fabletics #myfabletics . . . . . . #visitpalmsprings #dineanddishwithdawn #AcmeHouseCompany #DawnsDestinations #visitcalifornia #girlswhowander #dametraveler #dametravelerhotels #pmmlovemybody #curvyfit #psblogger #yogachallenge #yogagirl (at Palm Springs, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrNrYREAi-G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16mvdexbgg8oz

[dawnspiration-blog]

Staying Afloat by Surrounding Yourself with Support of Others

Sometimes we feel like we’re drowning. Like we’re surrounded by a body of water we can’t control and floating aimlessly in this abyss known as life. And, then, we wake up. And, we realize that it’s really just all water and, realize that underneath us is a float - a floatation device - created to hold us up and support us when we are too tired to swim and must choose to just float. And, we look to our right and we see a friend...or, in my case, I look right in front of me and see a fluffy little Lorax of a friend who’s been there for me for 14 years and will even jump into pools with me just so I know that I’m never, ever truly alone. And, it all reminds me of a quote from one of my all-time favorite ‘80s movies in my living Nostalgiaville - St. Elmo’s Fire - which all of you kids really need to go watch today. But I digress. It’s a quote when the lost-but-not-lost boy himself, Billy (@robloweofficial in one of my forever-favorite role of his), is attempting to save the day for lost-but-not-lost girl, Jules (played beautifully flawed by Demi Moore @moore2d): “Jules, y'know, honey... this isn't real. You know what it is? It's St. Elmo's Fire. Electric flashes of light that appear in dark skies out of nowhere. Sailors would guide entire journeys by it, but the joke was on them... there was no fire. There wasn't even a St. Elmo. They made it up. They made it up because they thought they needed it to keep them going when times got tough, just like you're making up all of this. We're all going through this. It's our time at the edge.” At one time or a few times in our lives, we all feel on the edge. And, all we can do is cuddle the fluffy little Loraxes next to us who refuse to leave our side, try to find our footing as best as we can, reach out for the landing and know that we will float through this wave in life just like we’ve floated through all the others. It really did take getting into 2019 to realize how challenging 2018 was, but thus far, 2019 has me floating...and, smiling...and, feeling awfully grateful for all the comforting Loraxes and supporting floats in my life. All of you. Every single one. 💗 📷: Katherine Forrester Westerman#DawnMcCoyMedia #DawnsDestinations @jaggerhouseps c/o Acme House Company Vacation Rentals — with Katherine Forrester Westerman, Nick Yedinak, John-Patrick Flynn and Chris Richards in Palm Springs, California.

[dawnspiration-blog]

Reflections on a Vacation I will Always Remember at Coral Beach

On this trip, I have learned: That outlook, attitude and gratitude really do make all the difference when it comes to joy. That a rainy morning can turn into a sunny day. And, a sunny day can turn into a rainy one. That it is totally okay to take a vacation just for you, and lavish in spa treatments and meals and not feel guilty about it for a second. That a spa with a 10-step hydrotherapy series can transcend you to a new state of relaxation. That a “Kidz Club” can be so well designed that it is the stuff that childhood dreams are made of. That one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen in my life, the marketing director Erika, can be just as beautiful of Soul and her work ethic incomparable. That being seated next to an “architect of dreams” at dinner can turn into a beautiful new, international friendship. That a work friend you have can turn into a life one. That secrets can be whispered to you by islands. And, that the water, always, ALWAYS makes me feel more spiritually connected to this universe more than anything else ever can. I have been so cared for by Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancún on this trip. The concierge service, the food, the amenities, the people - they all have just overwhelmed me with their generosity, quality and spirit. Thank you for an amazing, true, vacation, @grandcoral. Goodbye for now, but not forever.

[dawnspiration-blog]

A Designer’s Paradise, Announcing the Newest Project with Christopher Kennedy!

Couldn’t go to sleep tonight without sharing some big news!  In 2017, my life changed - and expanded in terms of career, goals and friends - when I was asked to be an official tastemaker and designer for the#ChristopherKennedyCompound - #VillaGoLightly - during Modernism Week, produced by my dear friend, the inimitable Christopher Kennedy Inc. 💗 My simple, whimsical, little room - “The Moet Bubble Bath” featuring my sponsor Moët & Chandon (scroll through to see) - garnered over 18 million impressions with countless social media shares and features by the likes of Traditional Home and Apartment Therapy, making this already lifelong-interior design-smitten gal downright in love with the world of interior design, the shelter industry and the talented people who create the magic within that world.✨✨ Tonight, I’m thrilled to announce that I have been asked to be an official tastemaker and designer yet again - this time for the#ChristopherKennedyShowHouse: California Central Valley in Turlock, California, presented by ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME this fall. And, best of all? We’ll be working hard all to raise money for @americancancersociety @relayforlife & @miraclesforkids. I can’t wait to see what dreams are born in this new house that will become a home, thanks to this team of talented tastemakers and designers, led by Christopher. I am beyond honored and excited...not to mention chomping at the bit to get started.☺️ Next up? Sharing the news of which space I’ll be designing...it’s a good one, y’all.#ASPIREhouse #CentralValleyStyle#DawnsDestinations #sponsored

[dawnspiration-blog]

The Essential, Ideal Bath, at the Eilan Hotel & Spa VIP Suite

If you’ve ever traveled with me for even a day, you know my love of baths.💗 It is less a luxury and more a daily essential for my sanity. Baths are my comfort zone and my retreat. When I’m winding down from an extroverted today, I need a bath. When I’m sick or in pain, I need a bath. When I’m depressed or stressed or having a rough time, I need a bath. In fact, on a rare occasion when I’m sick or am just having a really hard day, I’ve been known to take a few baths just to comfort my body and soothe my soul. So, my first question to any hotel or property when we book is “Does the room or suite have a bath?” I’m sure it sounds high maintenance but for me, it’s just a daily self-care commitment that I’ve been practicing since childhood. While @eilanhotel @bluegreenvacations may not have baths in every room, the suites that do have baths are a bath-lover’s dream. Less a bathtub and more a bathing suite, you can soak in the tub with a surplus of bubbles and sink into the sweet salvation of it all, suds overflowing onto the tile floor where it drains into the adjoined spa shower. While some might get their luxury from Birkin bags or designer shoes, as for me, all the luxury I need can be found in a tub of suds and a stillness in my soul. #sponsored #DawnsDestinations #BlueGreenVacations #VisitSanAntonio 📷: Nick Yedinak

[dawnspiration-blog]

Making a Splash at the Invitingly Fun Eilan Hotel and Spa, San Antonio

A true vacation should help you relax... Unwind... And, most of all, make you feel like a kid again.👯‍♀️ Éilan Hotel & Spa @bluegreenvacations in San Antonio is helping us do just that. From playing in the water fountains in the pools to romantic tasting dinners and couples’ massages in the VIP suite to lunching poolside with my best friend since age 11, it was all just exactly the level of childhood wonder and delight that I need before heading back to my hectic pace in LA, saying goodbye to spring and getting into the swing of summer. When was the last time a vacation made you feel like a kid again? If it’s been a minute, go find one that does. I know one place you can try...😉 #BlueGreenVacations #DawnsDestinations #VisitSanAntonio 📷: Nick Yedinak#DawnMcCoyMedia Blue wrap: Soul Journey Jewelry

[dawnspiration-blog]

The Welcome and Warmth of Eilan Hotel and Spa, San Antonio, Texas

For our first full day in San Antonio, we received quite the warm welcome - arriving to our partnership with Éilan Hotel & Spa & @BlueGreenVacations to be met with a sophisticated blue suite that felt more like the upper east side in New York than hill country of San Antonio, a bottle of fine bubbly and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

The next day? Nick Yedinak and I were treated to a couples’ massage that soothed our muscles, touched our hearts and brought tears to our eyes.

After a super stressful month, I can’t begin to tell you how much we needed this. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can’t wait to share our next day here in this little heaven with y’all, but for now, we’re off to a delicious Texas tasting dinner. Is this real life?

#sponsored #BlueGreenVacations #DawnsDestinations #DineAndDishWithDawn

[dawnspiration-blog]

A Very Meaningful Mother’s Day, and To All of You Sending Love

We couldn’t be more different. She’s the accountant and professor. I’m the entertainer and creative. She’s the “realist” that I sometimes perceive as “pessimist.” I’m the eternal optimist that she often perceives as a naive Pollyanna wearing rose-colored glasses. We don’t always agree or see eye-to-eye, and it’s not always easy to understand one another, but at the end of the day, our love and history are what bond us beyond measure. Afternoon tea has always been a ritual of bonding for my mother and I - an opportunity to celebrate the successes, to dissect the failures and dust ourselves off enough to talk about all of the potential the future holds in store. That’s my favorite part.☺️ Thank you, @theadolphushotel, for treating us to a decadent and delicious 3-course afternoon tea yesterday where my Mom and I got to share all of the above. Finger sandwiches with foie gras, orange poppyseed scones and praline cream puffs with teas paired perfectly with each course at the French Room were just what these gals needed to properly celebrate Mother’s Day 2019 and coast us on into summer. Thank you for making this trip home truly memorable. Happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there - and, much love especially to all of those missing their mamas today and those dreaming of being a mama. 💗 #DineAndDishWithDawn #DawnsDestinations #AdolphusHotel #MothersDay — with Clarice McCoy at The Adolphus.

[dawnspiration-blog]

The Newist Kid on the Acme House Rental Circuit, Lemon Twist!

The excitement, phrenetic energy and good news this month has been OUT OF CONTROL!😱😱 I’m so excited to announce that the Dawn McCoy Media House SOLD OUT for both Coachella weekends and Stagecoach! To say it takes my breath away would be an understatement. Now, I’m excited to announce that we’ll be taking over an additional Acme House Company Vacation Rentals house this weekend for Stagecoach Festival. Pleased for you to meet @LemonTwistPS. A lemony, citrusy, whimsical, bright big-hearted home, here is where we’ll be hanging our @DineAndDishwithDawn hats and kicking up our boots on Sunday as we host a few of our favorite friends for an intimate “Boots & BBQ with a Lemon Twist” branded brunch.🍗 A BIG thank you to everyone who has made this month thus far possible - our brand partners and sponsors, and, most especially @acmehousecoJohn-Patrick Flynn @theseveneightybywe @westelm, my @dawnmccoymedia team, my agents and branding managers, and our newest partner... @lemontwistps. Now, I’ve gotta go honky tonk with our girl, @alanagraceofficial, who takes the stage at @Stagecoach at 8 pm in the Honky Tonk tent. #DawnsDestinations #DawnMcCoyMediaHouse #DineAndDishWithDawn #Stagecoach : Andrew Cabral Photography for Acme House Company — in Palm Springs, California.

[dawnspiration-blog]

Experiencing the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Culinary Bliss

I may have hosted a Coachella house this past weekend in absentia, but NOTHING compares to the Mallmann House at Pebble Beach Food & Wine. A meal, an experience and an entire evening that kept all of the honored guests talking all weekend long, we all felt that we had not only experienced the magic of Francis Mallmann, but that we got to take a little of that “Mallmann magic” home with us.✨

An intimate affair of around 60 guests seated family banquet-style at long tables ideal for sharing food and sharing conversation, the menu - which was one of the best I’ve ever experienced - was met by both the epic, everlasting gobstopper of a wine pairing and the conversation and friendship around me. From friends from the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea Classic running up and hugging Nick and I in the middle of dinner to getting a sneak peek of the Mallmann method out back from our dear friend - Mallmann devotee, @ShuGood, of Kiawe Outdoor - the night felt less like the formal affair it was, and more like a family reunion with the crème de la crème of the culinary, wine and sommelier world.

I am just privileged I was invited to have a seat at the table and taste the richness of this kind of life. Saying that I am “grateful” and “honored” doesn’t even begin to suffice. I simply fell in love all over again that night with this life I’ve been crafting and creating, and I think it’s gonna be quite the long love affair.

Thank you, @FrancisMallmann. Thank you, David Alan Bernahl and Santa Bernahl. And, thank you, life, for loving me so well this weekend.🍷 #PBFW #FWfesties #PebbleBeachResorts #DineandDishWithDawn #DawnsDestinations

My dress c/o Jet Rag My necklace c/o Amrita Singh Jewelry & Accessories @NickYedinak’s suit c/o @friartux

[dawnspiration-blog]

Dream Team Making it all  Happen at Pebble Beach Food & Wine AND Coachella Festival Acme House Company

I can’t believe this weekend, y’all - in the best possible of ways. Mostly that we’re actually able to make multiple dreams happen at one time🌟⚡️✨🍷 While I am here all weekend at Pebble Beach Food & Wine, hosting The Dawn McCoy VIP Experience and taping an episode of @dineanddishwithdawn, my skilled and creative #DawnMcCoyMedia team is in the thick of Coachella, kicking off our first Dawn McCoy Media House today for a month in Palm Springs at the West Elm House 2019 - @theseveneightybywe with @acmehouseco - with a celebrity gifting suite with Luxury Experience & Co. At first I thought it wasn’t possible to be two places at once but then I remembered how I have worked so hard and thoughtfully to build this dynamo team - this family - of brilliant, talented women (and, a few men ☺️) who can think not only like I do - but better than me, at times. Who give me the space, time and freedom I need to be the chief creator and ideator while they keep me organized and see those ideas through to fruition. And, who cheer me on even when the plate looks a little too full, and who not only help me clear the plate but bring me dessert, in the creative sense. As the DMM house starts making beloved desert memories for so many today at Coachella, I want to thank my team who has made this all possible through all of their countless contributions and patience this month: Alex Meyers Courtney Collins Elizabeth Odom Baker Gwynne Pitruzzello John-Patrick Flynn Nick Yedinak Acme House Company Vacation Rentals Good Carma Studio Nathan Cox@cottonandcreme @alexxmeyers @courtneycoloring @elizabethobaker @gwynnekindle @johnpatrickpalmsprings @nickyedinak @acmehouseco @goodcarmastudio @nathancoxstudios @cottonandcreme, and so many more. You make all this possible. And, I really love this life we’ve created together. I’m a very lucky girl.💗 📷: @elizabethobaker for #DawnMcCoyMedia #DawnsDestinations #DawnMcCoyMediaHouse #DineAndDishWithDawn — at Pebble Beach Food & Wine.

[dawnspiration-blog]

Hosting the Dawn McCoy Experience at Pebble Beach Food and Wine

From co-hosting the James Beard Foundation Taste America LA gala with my good friend, David Alan Bernahl, CEO & Founder of Pebble Beach Food & Wine - to THIS!!! I am so proud to announce that I’ll be hosting the Dawn McCoy experience at Pebble Beach Food & Wine, presented by Food & Wine, next weekend - 4/11-4/14 - in Monterey, California.🍷 First, I invite you to join me for a once-in-lifetime food & wine experience. And, second, I am thrilled to invite my brand partners and pr & marketing friends to be a part of the fun by joining this inaugural activation. We’re even hosting an influencer trip in collaboration with the DM x PBFW experience - so the possibilities are endless. If you’re interested in partnering with us for Pebble, email us at Dawn@DawnMcCoy.net or give me a call to see how you can be a part of the delicious action. If you haven’t been before, you’ve got a surprise in store, and if you have been, well then...you KNOW the deliciousness you’re in for, and I will see you there! #PBFW #DineAndDishWithDawn #DawnsDestinations #FoodandWine — with David Alan Bernahl and Clarice McCoy at Pebble Beach Food & Wine.

[dawnspiration-blog]

You Are Invited!  It’s the First Dawn McCoy Media House this festival season in Palm Springs!!

I said I had big news - so here we go... I am proud to announce that I will be hosting & producing the 1st Annual Dawn McCoy Media House in Palm Springs, celebrating Coachella & Stageocoach, at the world-renowned architectural & design gem - The West Elm House 2019 with Acme House Company Vacation Rentals, featured last month on the Modernism Week tour! If you, your clients or brands would like to host an activation with us for up to 50 people, email us or give us a call as soon as possible for availability and rates as we only have a few openings, and we can send you all of the photos and assets. The West Elm House 2019 was featured on @WestElm’s blog - “Front & Main” - on Monday, and it is a sight to behold - just perfect for fun and content creation for VIPs, celebs and influencers alike. Cannot wait to see what we can stir up this festival season... #DawnMcCoyMediaHouse #DawnsDestinations Home photos: @landonvonderschmidt for @westelm — in Palm Springs, California.

[dawnspiration-blog]

Success and Setbacks, As the One Year of Dawn McCoy Media arrives

Truth talk time, y’all - because when I share the successes, I also want to share the struggles. Last week, I shared a huge milestone in my life - 1 year of #DawnMcCoyMedia- & so many of y’all sent congratulations & gifts & messages of joy. THANK YOU FOR THAT. WOW!!💗 As I try to “truth talk” here on this land of squares as much as possible, I want you to know how last week also looked from the lens of my eyes: UTTERLY BAFFLING & BEWILDERING. There were huge work opportunities, new campaigns & hosting wins...followed by a miscommunication & a missed opportunity out of my control. There was some of the happiest, most exciting news of my life...and, also fear & doubt that crept in just as I was starting to celebrate it. There were moments of patting myself on the back with the big wins...& there were moments of tearing myself down when something didn’t meet my expectation - leading it to feel like a loss. There were champions cheering me on & a critic I wasn’t anticipating, and it felt like they all came to the party in the same week. So, back home to LA I went last night, with more exciting news to follow today, and thankfully, I had time to take a breath, take a bath, take it all in with gratitude & feel like myself again - forgiving others for their missteps and forgiving myself for my imperfection and perfectionism that are always constantly battling.

A few of you noticed my absence here on stories and asked “Are you ok?” I appreciate it more than you know. I just needed a break to live in the moment and not in a story feed. When I worked with philosophy on the #HopeAndGraceInitiative & when I hosted their #HopeAndGrace luncheon in 2017, we talked about how by simply asking “How are you REALLY?,” we can open up an entire, authentic dialogue that “How are you?” never quite elicits. So, right now, I want to say this: Last week was weird. It was a challenge. And, I’m ready for Mercury Retrograde to go AWAY. (And, it does on the 28th, thank GOD!!) And, I also wanna ask YOU: How are YOU really, today? This isn’t one of those questions at the end of a post to increase engagement - I just really, sincerely want to know. We’re all in this together, y’all.💗

[dawnspiration-blog]

So Much to Tell, So Much to See- Hard Working while Having Fun

A year ago yesterday while attending Fashion Week El Paseo in Palm Desert, I launched DMM - Dawn McCoy Media - to appease a client - an international company who couldn’t make a payment to an individual proprietor and needed a company name for validity. 😂 A year later, I’m a CEO, whose company - intended to be in name only - has worked with the likes of the city of Palm Desert, Twitter, Pebble Beach Food & Wine, LA Food & Wine, Four Seasons, Bluegreen Vacations, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy Beauty, Palm Springs CVB, Acme House Company, JW Marriott, Smithfield Pork, El Paseo, La Croix, SoulMats, Landmark Wine, Modernism Week and many more. It reminds me of that scene from “Father Of The Bride” when Kimberly Williams’ character delivers the news that she’s “met a boy in Paris and we’re gonna get married” and her father sees her as the little girl she was...rather than the woman she has become. I mean, am I the only one who feels like I’m “playing grown-up” at times? It feels strange, doesn’t it? But at the same time it doesn’t. After all, I feel like I get to “play” every day. I get to play with my friends. And, play with brands. And, play with pr pros and marketing mavens, and cities and corporations, all while just being me: an influencer-connector-actor-host-writer-producer, who consciously decided to turn my connecting into a media outlet and, content creation, social media management and production company. I turned my play into production. And, turned production into power. I’m pretty sure that this is exactly what they told us as little girls we couldn’t do. “Stop playing, Dawn. Get to work. To be successful, you have to work HARD. And, work is not always fun.” Ohhhhh, but it is, Mom. It IS. And, inspiring. And, intoxicating. And, fulfilling. Instead of working “hard?” I chose at some point along the way to “work fun” - to use my voice as a woman and my power as a woman - to work with my friends and to work with those who have supported me along the way- in ways that my mother never even knew to dream of. Good golly, that is COOL. So, SO COOL. And, that’s coming from someone who has always considered herself anything but cool. On Monday, I’ll be making an exciting announcement. And, then the next day, I’ll be making another one, and - well - that’s crazy, y’all. And, all I can think - and, all whom I can THANK are the women who inspire me daily & who work with me daily - both on my 6-person team and my own agents and managers - and, who all motivate me every day to make all of our lives not only better - but, oh my darlings, to make them more joy-filled. More creative. More productive. And, more FUN!!! More fun that our parents ever dared to dream. Let’s go have more of that fun this year, shall we? I have SO many delicious surprises still in store and so many words yet to write. 📷: Elizabeth Odom Baker for #DawnMcCoyMedia Captured at: Villa Carmelita (the Sonny & Cher House) available through Acme House Company Vacation Rentals — with Matt Marr, Cara Kleinhaut,Nick Yedinak and 16 others in Palm Springs, California.