Category Archives: Fun

December 16, 2012 · 10:41 am

Christmas in the City

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!

I’ve always loved Christmas in New York City, with all the beautifully decorated trees, pretty colorful lights, holiday markets, window shop displays, 5th Avenue, and the feeling of joy & good cheer. Before going back to CA for the holidays, I spent the day with some wonderful friends and got to experience all that the NYC holiday scene has to offer.

We met at the New York Public Library at Bryant Park, by the huge and magnificient stately Christmas tree, with pillars and candles on either side of it.

NY Library

NY Library

After marveling at the beauty of the tree, we headed to the Bryant Park Holiday Market, which was lovely and quite charming. We all enjoyed having our hands washed with soap, salt scrub, warm water and then pampered with lotion that made our hands baby soft and smooth. The tree there was also nice, with blue lights and silver ornaments and a star on top.

We continued on and checked out the window displays on the shops at 5th Avenue. There was everything from gorgeous high fashion and elaborate designs, to the cutesy, snowy and fun displays.

Bergdorf's Window

Bergdorf’s Window

Saks Window

Saks Window

We then of course passed by the beautiful Rockefeller Christmas tree and angels…

Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center

We also went into St. Patrick’s Cathedral with the display of Jesus’ impending birth, illuminated with red candles shining brightly in front.

 And of course we witnessed some of the staples of the season: Red bow tied at the side of a building to make it look like a life size present; sparkling belt buckles of twinkling gold lights; decked out lights, diamond accents, greenery in front of Harry Winston (jewelry); a huge brightly white glittering snowflake in the air; a very large scorpion-like bird in bright lights alongside Bvlgari’s shop…

Belt Buckles

Belt Buckles

Harry Winston

Harry Winston

 We finished up at the Plaza Hotel, where I saw my favorite tree yet. It had white lights, gold balls and the best part- cascading glittering silver snowflakes surrounding the tree.

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Wishing you and yours the very best this Holiday Season!

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November 21, 2012 · 12:39 am

Shanghai Fun

I can’t believe it’s been a month already, and that I’m back from Shanghai! I had an absolutely amazing time over there, going out with relatives pretty much everyday, whether it be shopping, going to the zoo, dining out, checking out botanical gardens, shopping and bargaining, sightseeing at famous streets, enjoying street food and markets… Even traveling a couple hours away to a place famous for orange (and tangerine) fields, with quite a few sights to visit, such as the Butterfly Island, Egret Islet, Tanxian Stone Castle and a mountain to climb- And yes, I did reach the top, called Yingke Peak.

I loved going to Xujiahua and visit the famous, beautiful and vast shopping centers. Below is an image of me in the huge dome-shaped shopping center, with my new leather jacket.

Then there was the Shanghai Zoo, which was such a fun place. I loved the tigers (Siberian and regular), lions, wolves, panda bears, foxes (and fox-like creatures), cheetahs, jaguar, and pumas the best. There was even a baby tiger and a baby zebra, which was just too adorable! The brown and black bears were quite cute as well- Everyone threw food to feed them (even though you’re not supposed to) and the bears got on their hind legs and opened their mouths to catch the food. They would eat almost anything, from crackers, to bread, to oranges!

Famous shopping streets… The one pictured below is a great place for trying delicious Shanghainese treats, finding great trinkets and little gifts and enjoying the bridge over a lake full of large orange fish.

I also got to go to Nanjing Lu – Another famous shopping street in Shanghai.

And the Bund, which is along the water, showing part of the Shanghai skyline and just beautiful.

Another great and fun street to visit is called CiBao, with many inexpensive shopping and food.

One of the most amazing events was the 2012 Cup of China Grand Prix of Figure Skating. I’ve always been a huge fan of watching figure skating, so when I saw this advertised, I knew I had to go. I went with my cousin, and we had general seating but once we were inside Oriental Sports Center Indoor Stadium, we were able to move around and sit much closer to where the action was.

The Cup of China Grand Prix of Figure Skating started off with ice dancing, women’s short program, men’s short program and ended with pairs skating. There were a lot of Chinese skaters represented, as well as Russian, Japanese, French and Swedish.  During the women’s short program, I was most impressed by 14-year young figure skater,  Julia Lipnitskai (Russia). For one, she was the first skater to not fall during her routine and she just performed with  such grace and passion- made it look effortless. She should absolutely compete in the Winter Olympics…

As for the Men’s program, I loved Brian Joubert (France) and Adam Rippon (USA) – Both handsome, with great skill. This was an exciting and beautiful show to watch!

I also had the chance to go to a couple of botanical gardens, which was just wonderful- I really felt the fresh air and sunshine. Felt peaceful in all the beautiful nature of trees, flowers, ponds, rock formations and little pagodas.

I truly loved visiting Shanghai — such a bright, vibrant, and another city that (seemingly) never sleeps….

Stay tuned for installments about Shanghai Cuisine and Shanghai Fashion & Shopping!

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October 20, 2012 · 12:35 am

Shanghai Calling

Guess where I’m flying to tomorrow? Hint: If the title  doesn’t give it away, the iconic buildings in the image above should.

Yes! Shanghai, China for a whole month! I will be staying with and visiting family that I haven’t seen for a couple of years. I can’t wait!

It will be so exciting to reconnect with everyone, and there will be so much to do and see! The Bund, Nanjing Lu, China Pavilion from the World Expo, the zoo, riding on the back of motorcycles, gardens, nightlife, trying all kinds of Chinese cuisine, night markets and of course, the shopping. Everything is so much cheaper and I am itching to stock up on glitter, jewelry, clothes, shoes, trinkets, movies, cds and much more.

As WordPress may be blocked in China, I may not be able to post for a month but do not fear! I will be back with stories and pictures galore detailing my adventures in Shanghai. Until then, be well my friends!

XOXO

You know you love me.

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October 16, 2012 · 9:52 pm

My Little Pony Party

This past weekend, I happened across a My Little Pony Pop Up Shop, where an opening reception party was being held (likely to coincide with Comic Con). I knew I had to go in. The main section exhibited different My Little Pony one of a kind 18” inch pony figure works of art, designed by artists and celebrities. There were ponies by Perez Hilton, Hanazuki, Hime+you, Junie Moon and Lamour Supreme. They were being sold with a portion of the money donated to charity: Give Kids the World Village, which I found really amazing and inspiring.

I even got a huge My Little Pony bag (pictured below) with  a little gift of mini My Little Pony to keep – Trixie Lulamoon & a DVD of an episode. Yes, I still watch “My Little Pony.”

Some of my favorites: A hot pink sparkly my little pony; cotton candy blue one with colorful swirls painted one; a pale pink one with a black leather mask and stirrup (slightly naughty); a beautiful lavender one with screen printed pixie princess; a Victorian royalty inspired little pony; a white one with pink and pale orange blooming flowers in her mane & tail, with a lovely depiction of koi-like fish painted on her body; a demure pony with little flowers of pastel pink, purple, blue, yellow.


And of course I loved taking pictures with the beautiful and oh-so-girly My Little Ponies themselves.

I even had the chance to get my hair done by a really fun stylist. She put in 2 hot pink extensions in my hair- one on each side, and made a braid (with a hot pink extension woven in) that twisted over on one side then curled the end.

Then I had to get a picture with a Japanese girl with candy colored hair extensions up in a huge bun with bangs and one braid and a too cute for words Princess Celestia shirt.

I also enjoyed the very cute and sparkly displays.

All in all, a very girly and sweet, magical event that really brought My Little Pony to life and satiated my love for them.

If you would like to visit the MY LITTLE PONY Pop-Up Shop, here are the details. Located at The Hester at The Eventi Hotel 835 6th Avenue at 29th Street.

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October 14, 2012 · 11:00 pm

Foodie Weekend

Friday night, I had the opportunity to try Aurora, Italian restaurant for my friend’s birthday dinner. Aurora is a little spot in Soho, hidden away from the bright lights but quite the happening place. We were seated at a lovely corner table. It was cozy and romantic- Lights were dimmed a little bit too much, making it hard to read the menu.

I chose the le Pappardelle al Vitello, which was “homemade wide cut spinach flavored pasta with Vermont veal ragù & gremolata.” It was simply delicious. The pasta was top notch; the sauce tasty accompanied with the gremolata which is a combination of lemon zest, garlic, parsley, and olive oil was light and delightful and the veal was tender and savory. It was so tasty that I ate it all up, and even scraped the plate with bread to get the last of the flavor.

The dessert of chocolate terrine (cake) was quite rich and very chocolate-y with almond gelato and an amaretto stick on top sprinkled powdered sugar, a circle of caramel, pistachios and almonds. This concoction was unique and worked beautifully. I especially enjoyed chocolate with the lighter not as heavy flavor of the almond gelato.


Also Friday night, I got to check out a hilarious musical improv show with another friend and after that went to see Argo, which I didn’t really know about but am so glad my friend convinced me to see it. Based on true events, it showed the incredible covert operation to rescue 6 Americans from the Iran hostage crisis in 1979. This movie was suspenseful, intense, and deeply moving. One of the best this year.

Saturday I spent the morning volunteering at the Food Network NYC Food & Wine Festival, helping out at the Grand Tasting with replenishing wine glasses for the guests. I got to see part of Paula Dean’s cooking demonstration! Before leaving, I had the chance to experience it for myself. I started at the Delta lounge, hanging out on one of the Business Class airplane seats which was actually quite comfortable. I continued on, grabbing delicious small bite samples along the way- Artisan sandwiches and crackers, BBQ, pasta, mac and cheese, potato pancakes, meatballs, and more. I also was given olive oil galore, a multitude of snacks- chips, granola bars, dessert bars and even the official goody bag.

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October 3, 2012 · 11:34 pm

Medieval Festival


This past weekend I went with several friends to the Medieval Festival at Fort Tyron Park in Manhattan. The Medieval Festival is held every year, free of charge and brings to life the customs and spirit of the Middle Ages. Manhattan’s Fort Tryon Park is transformed into a medieval market town decorated with bright banners and processional flags. Despite the scattered showers, we had a happy and joyful time!

Two of my friends were dressed up in full Medieval garb and while I didn’t have a costume on, I wore a pretty light purple skirt and a deep velvety purple top. I loved seeing the different costumes on everyone, depicting knights, ladies, princesses, fairies, minstrels, as well as jugglers, jesters and much more! Some of the dresses were so lovely to look at: Ornate, beautifully crafted, and richly colored.

There were plenty of vendors selling medieval crafts, jewelry, trinkets, bath and body products, perfumes, swords, shields and much more. I purchased some delightful smelling olive oil soap in a variety of flavors: Black cherry, Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Green tea and more.

I also picked up some kettle corn and decided to have some real food. The steak and huge turkey leg looked enticing but the line was a bit too long, so I settled for potato pancakes with apple sauce. The potato pancakes were delicious and extremely crispy, the way I like it.

My favorite part was the jousting tournament between four knights on horseback. This was quite exciting and a real treat to see. I loved all the pretense that surrounded the event, with the introduction of the royals and the knights, to the first challenge of collecting as many rings as possible, then the matches between the knights. It definitely made my heart pound, cheering for our favorite knight and watching with bated breath as the knights fell from their horses during the final match. They all recovered afterwards. And after the jousting, I met a charming knight of blond hair and blue eyes.

What a lovely day- I definitely enjoyed all the festivities and Fort Tyron Park (pictured below) by the castle-like exterior of the Cloisters, was the perfect place to hold the Medieval Festival!

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September 28, 2012 · 12:42 am

Day At The Botanical Gardens

This past weekend, I went on a date that started off with brunch at Pershing Square, the bustling Midtown restaurant right across the street from Grand Central (and underneath the Park Avenue Viaduct). This lovely restaurant was roomy, with a wonderful energy and surprisingly comfortable. Also, loved that it was quiet enough to have an intimate conversation, while businessmen, tourists and locals all shared the same space.

I had the steak and eggs (any style you wish), which came with home fries and toast. The meal was delicious. I loved the peppery taste of the steak, which was quite juicy and well done. The crispy potatoes were well seasoned. The eggs, which I ordered fried and cooked completely were a bit flat and not as flavorful as it could’ve been. But overall a great meal to start the day.

We then headed to the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx by way of Metro North. A truly vast, beautiful space with so much to see. Upon entering, we checked out the gorgeous and magnificent building (that housed Monet’s Paintings & Photographs), with an intricate fountain of mermaids and sea creatures in front. It was reminiscent of fountains in the piazzas of Italy… Okay, not quite, but close.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued on to see interesting statues, grassy lawns, rock formations, different types of trees, colorful bushes and plants then came to the elegant Haupt Conservatory which was home to many beautiful and exotic plants, flowers and displays of bridges, water, fountains, trees, ivy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of the conservatory was something of a Monet Garden with different colored flowers of pale pink, violet, lavender, yellow and huge green lily pads covered the surface, as well as some golden koi fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked through high ceiling-ed gardens, roses, the children’s garden filled with carved pumpkins and came across a bridge that led to a sort of gazebo near a larger body of water covered with green moss. Then a quiet tree-lined area and after that took a free trolley tour around the rest of the Botanical Gardens, which was quite fun and as an added bonus, learned some interesting facts about the Gardens. Overall, a wonderful afternoon and lovely experience.

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September 24, 2012 · 11:23 pm

Club Getaway Classic


A couple weekends ago, I had the pleasure of attending Club Getaway. It was perfect, weather wise (and in almost every other way as well) – Not too hot and not too chilly. I managed to pack in tons of activities, while making great friends along the way.

I did the zip line; cooking class on making apple fritters (which were delicious, especially with the cinnamon & sugar mix); archery (I finally managed to get the hang of it after several initial tries); arts & crafts (we painted tumblers- I decorated mine with hearts in hot pink, silver, blue) ; swimming and playing in the lack (a bit cold at this time of year) ; slip n slide; outdoor karaoke (of course I sang “Summer Nights” with Ajax, which has become a tradition now); rocking out to live music by Occasional Sunday; dance party; campfire with s’mores and a guitarist/sing-a-long. And that was just Saturday!

We had quite a feast during meals, with sit down dinners and buffet lunches. The lunches were the best just because of the sheer number of options. There were sub sandwiches, ribs, chicken, turkey, sweet potato, stuffing, different types of pizza and bread, fajitas, and a plethora of delectable desserts- from fruit tarts, to cheesecakes, to ice cream, to Napoleons, to chocolate cakes, to cookies, to red velvet cake and strawberry shortcake. There is even a chocolate fountain with marshmallows, rice crispy treats, strawberries and other fruits to dip in it. As for dinner, Saturday night is the best, complete with salad, veggies and rice, chicken and beef in an amazing tasty sauce.

Sunday, we woke up super early to sign up for activities. The first one was spelunking (caving), which was off-site. We took a bus to the location, walked a bit in the woods then came to Tory’s Cave- a small cave with one main room and two smaller rooms that you have to shimmy through tunnels to get into. It was pretty awesome, and I loved seeing the marble covered interior and sparkling mica or fool’s gold all over the walls.

After spelunking, I went on a hike to Bulls Bridge- Also off-site. It was not a bad walk- along a stream with waterfalls, going uphill but just slightly. We got to the bridge and hung out along the water, taking in the beautiful woodsy view and relaxing, dipping our feet in the cool, clear water.

We got back to the camp grounds just before lunch and after eating, headed back into Manhattan on the Club Getaway bus. I would recommend Club Getaway to anyone… I always have such an amazing experience and cannot wait to see what next year entails!

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September 5, 2012 · 11:03 pm

LivingSocial Adventures Camp

I enjoyed a whirlwind of activities this past weekend at Island Lake Camp in Starrucca, PA, with LivingSocial folks. I was a little bit unsure about the camp at first, and upset that I had to bring my own bedding and towel, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the experience. And happy to get some LivingSocial swag, such as an orange tin water bottle, a big blue towel, lip balm, sunglasses, etc.

I met so many new friends, both male and female, and found it incredibly easy to start conversations and loved the college-like friendly & wild feeling that permeated the whole weekend…

There were shirtless men; stripping; raucous games of Jenga (& late night Jenga on the tennis courts) and Apples to Apples; self defense class; hiking in the beautiful wilderness; arts and crafts (where I made a pink Strawberry Shortcake inspired oven mitt); bonfire and delicious s’mores; crazy dance parties; pool and water slide; slip ‘n’ slide on the grassy quad between our cabins; movie night of Dodgeball and much more.

The food was mediocre, but bearable, with lunches being probably the best meal out of all of them. French toast, eggs, bacon, chocolate pancakes were served at breakfasts. For lunches, we had grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken tenders, mac and cheese, more pasta. Dinner time, we had chicken fajita, chicken parmigiana, pastas, and outdoor grill on the last night of hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages. I did enjoy desserts though: Oreo cheesecake, soft chocolate chip cookies and cannolis.

And the Sunday night fireworks show was the most amazing display I have ever seen. We all sprawled out on the lawn in front of the swimming pool and one second we’re all gabbing away, and the next second a frighteningly loud booming sound interrupts us… The fireworks were so, so close, bursts of bright color and explosions of light, dissolving into glitter in the night sky. It was truly beautiful. We kept thinking it was over, then more would come, to end in a spectacular finale.

After the fireworks, we proceeded into the dining hall to enjoy the best karaoke concert/dance extravaganza ever! I started off singing “Summer Nights” with one of the very cute LivingSocial staff, which was great fun and such a sweet song to sing. Others continued with awesome performances of songs like “Wannabe,” “Bye Bye Bye,” “No Scrubs” and so much more. My group of friends and I did “What’s Love Got to Do With It” – We called ourselves Kathy and the Dreamers… Pretty awesome to have my own band!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And my favorite boy band of the night, showing massive amounts of bro-love…

After karaoke, we spent the next few hours on the dance floor where I danced it up like crazy with a bunch of different guys, including one of the hot strippers from earlier on.

Leaving on Monday morning was such sweet sorrow, but at least I got to see almost everyone I wanted to at breakfast. My friends and I picked a bus that wasn’t completely full, so that we could all have window seats and I stayed up to watch “Parent Trap” (the version with Lindsay Lohan, when she was actually good), which is a great camp movie — and it made me cry at the end.

So maybe there weren’t as many activities or as much great food (compared to Club Getaway), but the people, fun and craziness (so crazy that I lost my voice!) made it well worth it. These memories and friendships (well, hopefully) will last a lifetime!

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August 31, 2012 · 10:38 am

US Open


I managed to get discount tickets to the US Open and went for the first time this past week. And what a beautiful night it was! We were seated up high in section 311, which was actually quite a good view.

The first game was Maria Sharapova versus L. Dominguez and it was really not a fair match because Sharapova was so much better. She definitely dominated the tennis court and looked beautiful doing it. Afterwards, there was a short interview with Sharapova, and she was both engaging and charming.

Next was Olympic Medalist, Andy Murray versus Ivan Dodig. They were better matched, thus this game was more exciting, but Murray reigned superior, as expected.

I had a wonderful time! Really loved being able to witness the games live, and being so close to the action!

 

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