Library Hours

DAY 7
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

As a freelancer I'd recently taken to getting work done in one of the libraries midtown. And now that I've just started working full-time in an office again, the library remains a resource for me to get up to speed on the work and blogging that I still do whether or not my weekdays are occupied. (Oh, I can't wait to talk about recent developments in my NY job "exploration"; things have taken an AMAZING turn! Hint: It's like being beauty editor again!)

Anyway, I have to thank my friend John Reyes (shameless plug: If you need a PR associate for your company, he has an unbeatable work ethic!) for showing me this particular library. You see, the one where they shot the Spider-Man movie is more like a museum. And, after experiencing a little bit of rudeness a few years back (I forget the details, something about having some takeout food in my purse), I never set foot inside again. Only to find out a few weeks ago that about two blocks away, is a friendlier, cozier Mid-Manhattan Library featuring six floors of working and reading space. The fourth floor has complimentary Wi-fi and a laptop charging station; along with rows and rows of computers one could use for free.

Americans are truly lucky to have this public resource available to them up to seven days a week, thanks to a few branches that are open even on Sundays. The Mid-Manhattan branch in particular, has even extended its library hours by opening earlier in the morning and closing later in the evening (up to 11pm!) on certain days, on top of already being open seven days a week. To quote from their tagline, "You can never have too much Library!"

Walk this way. One of almost a hundred libraries in New York.

Point of View

DAY 6
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

One word: amazing.

I'd recently been invited to a dinner party hosted by one of my good friends and her boyfriend, and was greeted by this spectacular view upon entering the apartment along the water's edge in Brooklyn. I'd barely made it through the niceties with the hosts and owner of the lease because my gaze immediately wandered off to the horizon, totally in awe. The furniture and decor were also very streamlined and tasteful. And, that kitchen! Sigh, which only reminds me, I need to get back to writing about food and actually cooking AND baking. My poor All My Sugar blog!

Anyway, photos. (I know, I know—my latest posts have been short, and more...picturesque! But, hope you're enjoying the 30-Day Blog Challenge.)

Lounge in style.

Hosts Mark and Pat in that lovely open kitchen.
(Mark holds regular eat-in parties where guests take turns cooking each night.)

"From another point of view..."

Matching the decor in one of my favorite Kate T. dresses.

A cute and cuddly cat named Moneypenny.

Dear friends, Nicole and Kat.

There was food, lots of it—pasta, bread, chicken barbecue...

For The Weekend

DAY 5
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

What a week! Well, it's Friday and I'm turning in early for the night. But, before I do, let me mark today's blogging checklist and leave you with a thought from yesterday:

"I never ever want to lose this sense of wonder. I always want to be impressed by the littlest things."

Call it a resolution, or even a simple realization—a reminder to always be thankful.

Beach Glamour in the Hamptons

DAY 4
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

Singer Deborah Cox serenades the crowd at the Benefit Luncheon

before the Beach Glamour event.

What better way to kickstart my first weekend back in New York than a trip to East Hampton, in no less than Lily Pond Lane—home to industry bigwigs and celebrities like Martha Stewart (sigh), Billy Joel, and Jerry Seinfeld.

Beach Glamour in the Hamptons was one of two events—the other being a benefit luncheon—held on June 26 at the Reginald F. Lewis estate in honor of the late business tycoon, lawyer, and the first African American billionaire. Mr. Lewis had paved the way for other men of color brought up in "tough" environments to excel in the fields of business and law.

I was fortunate enough to have been invited to assist in some PR and publicity work for the event, thanks to Carissa Villacorta who chaired the evening's festivities. I was also honored to meet the every gracious and delightful Mrs. Loida Nicolas-Lewis, who has continued her husband's lucrative business ventures and philanthropic efforts (funds raised at Beach Glamour have been given to the RFL Museum in Baltimore).

The unbelievably gracious, Mrs. Loida Nicolas Lewis (wife of the late Reginald F. Lewis), and
O, The Oprah Magazine editor-at-large Gayle King.

I have never met anybody so warm and genuinely accommodating as Mrs. Lewis; I was so impressed by how engaged she was in every conversation from lunch until way past dinner—on her feet and welcoming all the hello's while expressing heartfelt thank-yous like nothing I've ever witnessed before. Truly amazing. Consider me a Loida groupie. If in my life I ever reach that status of wealth and influence, I would very much like to emulate her. When one is blessed, one must be generous not just with money but also with non-quantifiable resources such as time, empathy, and effort.

Now, no words can fully express how beautiful and breathtaking the estate was, so let me show you photos to tell the rest of my weekend story :)

The RFL Beach Glamour evening programmes.


The sprawling RFL estate in East Hampton.


One goes out the patio/backyard and sees this.

The canopied cabana set-up in the backyard.

We were all on our feet for most of the day, but, this was a fun breather for us to pose and smile.
From left to right: Michelle Newson of Onederland Events, moi, publicist and project chair Carissa Villacorta, KasalNY's Lyna Larcia-Calvario, and PR assistant Genevieve Santos.

Taco Truck

DAY 3
of the 30-Day Blog Challenge

While living in Brooklyn, I'd noticed on the way home people lining up at this one taco truck parked along Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg. In New York, they're apparently called grease trucks (feel free to comment if I'm wrong).

After buying that necklace I wrote about before this from Charles St. George's street stall, I decided to finally go ahead and give these tacos a shot. And, I wasn't disappointed. Mexican food isn't exactly the most photogenic cuisine, but to give you an idea, the Endless Summer truck had a menu of soft tacos with a variety of fillings such as beef, chicken, fish, and even vegetarian (it's NYC, after all!). Each one is served with a drizzling of sour cream and cheese, along with some homemade guacamole and a lime wedge. One serving is pretty small yet substantial.

So if you're ever in the mood for some authentic street food, you'll find many in the city. But, if straightforward, no-frills tacos are your thing, you'll have a good reason to hop, skip on the L train sometime soon.

Hungry patrons of the Endless Summer taco truck fall in line along Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.