My Publicist Note Book

The State Dining room of the White House has been refurbished with new arm chairs, side chairs, and draperies suspended from carved and gilded poles, all of which were selected with the approval of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House in consultation with first lady Michelle Obama in Washington. WASHINGTON  — Michelle Obama has given the White House State Dining Room a bit of a touch-up. The first lady has added peacock blue and ecru striped silk draperies and custom-made mahogany chairs to the room where many dinners and other White House events take place. The gradual refurbishment has been under way since a new custom-made rug arrived in 2012. Gone are ivory silk-brocade curtains that were designed with flowers, baskets and ribbons, along with older chairs upholstered in beige-colored fabric. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House approved the upgrades at a cost of $ 595,000. The cost was not immediately available, but the changes were pa...

American lawyer and writer, the first African-American First Lady of the United States, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, celebrates her 50th Birthday today! Michelle Obama's not just embracing her half-century milestone, she's relishing it. Describing herself as "50 and fabulous," the "Let's Move" creator is getting ready to move herself on Saturday -- as in show off some dance moves -- with a big birthday celebration at the White House. "I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman," the first lady told Parade magazine last summer when asked about approaching the big 5-0. That confidence was on full display when she recently took on the topic of aging and whether she'd ever consider plastic surgery. "Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves," Obama said in an interview with People magazine set to release on Friday, her birthday. "Right n...