1/24/13

A One, Two Punch at Golden Boy

Even after several years in NYC, I still consider it a treat to go to the theater. An even bigger treat still is meeting the cast of a Broadway show and getting to pick their brains a bit.


A few weeks ago I was invited to a preview of Lincoln Center Theater's revival of the play Golden Boy (now open at the Belasco Theater) and a pre-show reception at The Lambs Club across the street. Having never been to The Lambs Club before I was excited as it felt very exclusive. Waitresses milled about with themed drinks and appetizers like yellowfin tuna tartare, spicy veal meatballs and pork belly with puff rice.

Drink Selection

My "Golden" drink had a GIANT ice cube!

Cast members Danny Mastrogiorgio, Danny Burstein, Brad Fleischer, Karl Glusman and Seth Numrich were milling about and couldn't have been nicer if they tried. Established thespian Danny Burstein, whom I loved in Follies, told me he still fears forgetting his lines, while Seth Numrich, who played the lead Joe Bonaparte, told me he trained at a real boxing gym in Venice, CA and then in Brooklyn to get in tip-top fighting shape for the show.

Danny Burstein and Me

Seth Numrich and Me
Also on display were sketches of the costumes designed by Catherine Zuber. According to a long-told story of an actress haunting the Belasco Theater, the designer included a blue dress which actress Yvonne Strahovski (of Dexter fame) wears as Lorna Moon.

Costume Sketches

Golden Boy closed January 20 but told the story of a young boxer who rises to fame and the love and family he gains and loses along the way.

Screw the Cold! Order Delivery and Get Free Stuff!

I have to admit, I don't order food for delivery that often. My philosophy is if I'm going to spend money on food from a restaurant, I'd rather make a night of it and enjoy the ambiance. However, on frigid days like today (and on lazy, especially rainy days) I make an exception.


So what did I want for lunch, I thought to myself at about 10:45 this morning when my stomach began to rumble. I could be like everyone else and use Seamless, but instead I opted to go with Delivery.com, and I'll tell you why. The basic concept is the same--login, pick a cuisine, add your items to your cart, list any special instructions, hand over your credit card info and the rights to your soul, and soon food will be delivered right to you without you ever having to interact with a human being (with the exception of the delivery person of course). However, Delivery.com is a smaller operation compared with Seamless and hence offers more perks to try and lure new customers.

For example, instead of choosing a cuisine first, I entered my office address and opted to sort the available delivery choices by discount. Low and behold there were 6 different restaurants that offered a 25% off deal for your first order. Score! I decided to order from Marrakesh because I was in the mood for hummus and I could get a shish kebab combo platter for $12.95 (includes a garden salad or rice, 2 pieces of pita, and 2 vegetarian sides including hummus, grape leaves, falafel, etc.).

Nothing surprising so far, BUT not only did I get my food and my 25% off discount, but I also received 316 loyalty points and one stamp on my loyalty card. Basically, the points can be redeemed for anything from a $5 charity donation (10,000 points) to a $50 iTunes card (125,000 points) to an 11 inch Macbook Air (1,380,000 - you have to order A LOT of delivery for this guy but I guess it's incentive to take the office's lunch orders!). In addition, you get one "punch" for every order and a $5 credit for each 10 orders no matter how much you spend.


There are other ways of earning points as well. You get 1,000 just for signing up, plus 1,000 more for each friend you invite to Delivery.com. So what are you waiting for? Start making your delivery dinner plans for the rest of this awful freaking cold week!

1/8/13

A Borrowed New Year's Eve

A few weeks ago, I asked all my fabulous readers to help me choose a dress to rent from Borrowed Closet for New Year's Eve. Well, the winner was....


The Sequin Stripe Dress!!!

I have nothing to say but positive things about my experience with Borrowed Closet and would definitely encourage you to check it out. My package arrived within days of my order and I was able to rent not only the dress, but a black leather clutch and gold dangly earrings. The whole ensemble was one of my best New Year's Eve outfits to date, and I'm thrilled that I did not have to pay an arm and a leg for everything. After all,  it's not often that I wear backless, sequined dresses. 

Now all that's left is for me to package up my rentals and send everything back in the postage paid envelope provided to me. So what do you think of my experience? Anyone tempted to join?


Happy New Year's to you and yours from Awesome in New York!

12/20/12

AWESOME ALERT: Phantom Turns 25 and Gives Away Awesome Prizes

The longest running show on Broadway is turning 25 next month! Phantom of the Opera, one of my favorite shows ever (see this post), is celebrating its quarter-century of existence in a big way that you don't want to miss!


100 lucky winners will receive a pair of tickets to the Anniversary performance, and two grand prize winners, in addition to the performance, will also receive additional passes to the exclusive post-performance party, as well as a one-night stay at the Algonquin Hotel and air transportation from American Airlines (make sure you tell all of your out-of-town friends and family about this!) for two during the weekend of the event.

The cast of Phantom recorded a video with a special message on how to enter for a chance to win.

To enter the contest, click here and then share the sweepstakes on all your social media sites! Good luck!

12/14/12

Getting Cultured with Marriott

Last night I had the honor of attending Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Wired’s Collective ReMix event at the Wired Concept Store in Soho.

Photo courtesy of Marriott

The evening was curated to celebrate art, music and innovation. Comedian Mark Normand hosted the event and throughout the night, guests had the chance to have their mood read through Marriott Hotels & Resorts’ Aura Cam, an interactive installation, to determine where they should travel to next. I was told that I was epic (obvi) and should visit the Jordan Valley Marriott Dead Sea Resort and Spa, and the camera even transported me there!


In addition, critically acclaimed photographer and artist Todd McLellan showcased pieces from his latest series entitled, “Disassembled.” Also select pieces by renowned brick artist Nathan Sawaya were on display. Well-known DJ and television personality, DJ KISS kept the celebration going with high energy beats and mash-ups while video art served as the backdrop of her DJ booth.

Photo courtesy of Marriott

Samplings from Marriott Hotels & Resorts’ new 5-10-20 menu, which is made up of simple, fresh, chef-crafted food that can be delivered in approximately 5, 10 or 20 minutes, were served. I personally loved the mini lobster rolls and sliders.

If you haven't been to the Wired store, I'd definitely check it out. They have the coolest, but most expensive litter box I've ever seen in addition to some awesome Lego sculpture (see below), and a bunch of other awesome random pieces of technology.

Photo courtesy of www.leeabbamonte.com

Can I Borrow That?

If you're anything like me, your closet is full of items that you buy for special events, love, and end up wearing only once or twice. It seems like such a shame, which is why I love lending out clothes to friends for their various special occasions. Still, something seems wrong with this picture.


New Year's Eve is coming up, an occasion for which I have often taken a trip to the Bloomie's sale rack for, but this year I'm doing something different. I recently discovered the new website Borrowed Closet. Think of it as a Netflix for clothes. The way it works is you pay a flat $29.95 per month and in return you get to borrow up to 100 credits of clothes and accessories at a time. Brands include Alice + Olivia, BCBG, Asos, Michael Kors, Free People, and Helmut Lang. All items are delivered right to your doorstep, and you simply mail back the pieces whenever you're done with them. You can keep the items for as long or as little as you want, and Borrowed Closet takes care of all the dry cleaning bills. Pretty great huh?

Now this is where you, my glorious, fashionable readers, come in. I need your help picking out a NYE outfit from Borrowed Closet as my first rental with the site. I'll report back on how the experience goes so that you can in turn sign up and try it out for yourself. There are so many great options and I honestly can't decide which to go with. Here are the dress options I've narrowed down. I would really appreciate your help and suggestions in the comments of this post and next we'll pick the accessories. Thanks in advance!

Option #1: Black Open Back Crochet Dress (45 Credits - $100 Retail Price)

Black crochet 3/4 sleeve minidress falls above knee-length. Outer layer is crew neck with black sweetheart neck tube lining.




Option #2: Michael Kors Sequin Tank Dress (65 Credits - $250 Retail Price)

Brown tank dress completely covered in sequin embellishment.  Hanging chain detail along front neckline.  Knee-length.



Option #3: Sequin Stripe Dress (45 Credits - $120 Retail Price)

Fitted bandage style shirt dress with black and copper colored sequin stripes all along front and back of dress.



Option #4: Lace Crew Neck Dress (45 Credits - $120 Retail Price)

Off white sleeveless dress with zipper up the back. High neckline and loose-fitted around the waist.



So what say you? What dress should I rent from Borrowed Closet for New Year's Eve?

12/13/12

Holiday Markets and Beyond!

It's the time of the year where everyone is scrambling to check off names on their gift lists (or if they're anything like me, embody the one for you, one for me ethos we all know and love). Thankfully NYC will never leave you hanging as there is a plethora of different holiday markets you can choose from. Here are some suggestions for this weekend. Happy shopping!

Union Square Holiday Market


The tried and true Union Square Holiday Market is one of my NYC traditions--a December is not complete without at least one visit (and a slice of crack pie from the Milk Bar booth). I did a walk through last weekend and bought my first real piece of art from The Raw Art, and would highly recommend you check them out. (Through December 24. Monday – Friday, 11:00am to 8:00pm; Saturday, 10:00am to 8:00pm
Sunday, 11:00am to 7:00pm; Monday, December 24th closes at 4:00pm)

Refinery 29's Magical Pop-Up Holiday Shop

Refinery29 is one of my favorite websites with fabulous style advice, so why wouldn't they have a rad holiday pop-up shop? Featuring designers like Glossybox, Rebecca Minkoff, and White + Warren, this market is definitely where you want to go to find duds for your more fashionable friends. (201 Mulberry Street. December 14-16 noon to 6 pm, 7 on Saturday)

Sweet Afton Holiday Mini-Market


As a new Astorian, I'm super excited to check out my new neighborhood and I'm definitely starting this Sunday at Sweet Afton's Holiday Mini-Market. There's nothing like discovering local designers while drinking alcoholic beverages indoors, with indoors being the key word. I've heard so many great things about this bar, and I'm sure they will put on an excellent event. (30-09 34th Street, Astoria. December 16. 12-5)

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