You are Invited to Preview Cynthia Rowley 2011 Resort Collection

Next week, Cynthia Rowley, will preview her Resort 2011 collection and she planned a fun way for everyone to preview the collection.   Next Tuesday, a Cynthia Rowley mobile van will make pit spots at several locations were the Resort collection will be on display. So confident, is Cynthia Rowley that you will love the collection that she invited everyone to preview it.   Now, is your turn to play Anna Wintour to view the collection, live and in person, long before it hits the stores.

If this collection is anything like her past work – expect really fun prints, with classic feminine silhouettes, and really beautiful clothes.

There’s no need to sign up, so there’s no commitment.  Interested? Well, you are in luck. We have the details on where you can preview the collection.

Tuesday, June 15

Street-side presentations:
1:00 – 2:00 PM, Condé Nast – W. 43rd St. between Sixth Ave. and Broadway
3:00 – 4:00 PM, Hearst – W. 57th St. between Eighth and Ninth Aves.
5:00 – 6:00 PM, Time, Inc. – W. 50th St. between Sixth and Seventh Aves.

Life Fab and Get Rid of Pesky Hairs at Completely Bare Spa….and its Painless

I never before considered removing hair permanently from my body.  Yet once I experienced how easy the process would be and how that would make life easier without the constant rituals of shaving and waxing, it became a consideration in my immediate attention.  Completely Bare Spa introduced me to a new way to experience life as an on-the-go city girl through laser hair removal.  I entered the 5th Avenue location and was greeted by sunlight bursting through the high-ceiling windows lighting the elegant and chic, cream colored lobby.

Refined, modern, Victorian style furniture filled the room. Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Self magazines lined the glass coffee table.  Glass pitchers of water with orange and lemon and glasses were available on the glass table by the window.  Purple and white candies sat in the center of the coffee table in a glass jar to nibble on.  The staff was friendly and welcoming as they guided me through the paperwork and calmed my anxiousness as they explained the procedure.  Completely Bare Spa is “…credited with introducing the fresh philosophy to the spa industry, called spa-tology.  This concept provides result oriented treatments with the luxury of a spa setting.  The environment is relaxing and the treatments are clinical.”  I was lead into a room that looked very much like a doctors office, complete with paper covered table.

I was asked a series of questions about my skin, she checked out my underarms, which was the part of my body being lasered, and then left and entered another room for the treatment.  This room was a lower temperature than the prior because the laser machine was in this room.  I put on the shielding sunglasses, laid back, and lifted my right arm first.  She applied a cold gel on my underarm, similar to the gel put on the stomach during a sonogram.  She aimed the laser gun and went to town.  At first I felt nothing.  Then I slowly began to feel little needle pricks under my skin, like little bursts of small amounts of electricity.  It mostly tickled.  Some areas were more sensitive than others as she completed the landscape of my right underarm.  She did the same with the left underarm, and before I knew it, I was done.  Less than 5 minutes.  Just 6 sessions of this easy treatment and no more hair for life!  I took off the sunglasses, stood up, and went back out to the lobby to leave.  Quick, easy, and pain-free.

The price varies depending on which part of the body you want work done.  Completely Bare Spa offers a variety of services: facials of all kind (including intense pulsed light corrective facial), microdermabrasion, skin tightening, teeth whitening, and more.  All services are great for women and men.  They offer a great line of Completely Bare products including Ouch-less wax and Ouch-less wax strips, and Completely Smooth for Face and Body.  This product actually stops hair growth.

So ladies, and gents, imagine how life would be if you could cut those extra minutes in the bathroom shaving and still look fabulous.  It would be a whole new world to experience.  Stop by Completely Bare Spa at one of their many NYC locations and see how they can make your life a little easier. www.completelybare.com

Cheers,

Lori Richardson

Relaxing “Getaway” Only a Night Away at Andaz

No vacation compares to traveling to The Big Apple, city of lights, glamour, and culture.  However some  New Yorkers (myself included) who juggle hectic schedules rarely get a chance to enjoy their banked vacation hours on an extended road trip to the Shore, let alone a destination holiday to Cancun. Long gone are the five-day all inclusive trips to Los Cabos or Montego Bay;  And, let’s face it, we are still in a recession.  But there’s no need to fret – rest and relaxation are minutes away at Andaz Hotel.  It is the perfect spot for a STAYCATION. Yes, a day vacation right here in my home town, NYC! Luckily for me, I had an equally eager friend to join me for the staycation.

Unlike, any hotel I’ve been the Andaz, makes you feel at home from the moment you walk.   There’s no real check-in, the staff just walks around with handy laptops and welcome each guest.  When we were “welcomed,” we were informed of the daily three-hour complimentary open bar.  SCORE – we giggled and mumbled- “staycation here we come,” walked to the “communal table,” ate the free cookies & cheese, and drank the FREE wine.

After indulging on the free goodies, we made our way to the suite – the room was absolutely beautiful.  It was modern, with long windows, there was a flat screen TV, and then there was this architectural inspired artistic small couch by the window.  The room was spacious and bright due to the ample light coming from the windows.   The light-hearted art on the walls set a calm tone. The bathroom was glorious – the shower doors in the bathroom were all glass, like in the movies, with a Neon type shower head that gives you a soothing raindrop shower experience. The pleasure and excitement was heightened with recognition that the contents of the mini-bar were Gratis.  Sadly, alcoholic beverages were not included.

… Continue Reading

“Designers” Your Opportunity Showcase Your Talent Awaits

If you love Project Runway, and think you have what it takes to make a runway ready pattern then sign up to Simplicity Creative Group contest.

This is a rare opportunity for budding designers to demonstrate their skills and to compete in an fashion design contest where the prize enables the winner’s name to be forever attached to Simplicity®.  One, Grand Prize Winner will win a trip to New York City to visit Simplicity Creative Group®’s offices for meetings with the Design and Production team. In addition, the winning original design will be produced and distributed worldwide as an Inspired by Project Runway® pattern in the Simplicity® Pattern Collection, as well as be featured on Simplicity.com and the Simplicity Catalog.

Think you got what it takes? Well, hurry because you still have to time enter.  Entries will be accepted until June 17th, 2010.  For further information visit the contest site or the Facebook page.   And, the Project Runway fashion the contest will be judge by Project Runway® Executive Producer, Barbara Schneeweiss along with Simplicity® representatives.
Good luck.

Review: The Stone Turtle Restaurant an Experience in Fine Dinning

The Stone Turtle Restaurant in Island Park, Long Island is on it’s way to becoming the new hot spot that New Yorkers will actually leave the city to attend.  Opened in May 2010, Executive Chef Gregory Baumel has assembled an eclectic and fun menu that adds a twist to everyday food in a friendly, chic, and lively atmosphere. I recently ventured out to Island Park to experience the new hotspot and of course sample the food.

The ambiance was friendly, welcoming, and an eclectic mix of classic rock and Motown oldies played in the background as I dined.  The wall fountain I especially enjoyed as it created a calming trickling water sound.  It was very soothing.  The décor had a chic, down home feel to it.  Plush leather armchairs and leather couch filled the lounge area and bookcase area (where I dined).  Large, spacious booths filled the other half of the restaurant.  An array of cookbooks lined the bookshelf, as did Trivial Pursuit games and books about the Beatles.  It seems Chef Gregory is a Beatles lover.  A beautiful marble table sat in the center of the lounge area.  The sun beamed through the tall windows and lit up the beautiful artwork lining the walls.  After enjoying the beautiful decor, I was ready to eat.

I started with a basket of peasant bread and freshly made pesto.  This was the and heartiest pesto I have ever tasted so much so that I ended up ordering another basket! I just had a wonderful consistency.   Then my drink came – a Mango Popsicle Martini.  This was delicious!  It’s a light, refreshing, and mildy sweet martini consisting of Cruzan Mango Rum, Bacardi Light Rum, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, and a frozen mango lollipop.  As the lollipop melts, it creates a smooth mango puree that adds a yummy mango kick.  You can let it melt, or eat it as a popsicle!  I did both!

For my main dish I had the Green Tea Poached Wild Alaskan Salmon.  It was served with sesame grilled asparagus, wasabi cous cous, and Asian BBQ glaze.  It was absolutely scrumptious!  The plate presentation was so gorgeous I didn’t want to touch it, but hunger overrode beauty in this instance.  The salmon was delectable! It was so juicy and tender it practically melted in my mouth.  The Asian BBQ glaze poured on top simply popped on my taste-buds. The sesame grilled asparagus had the perfect tender yet crunchy texture and was seasoned beautifully.  The cous cous was cooked just right with the mild wasabi flavor, without the bite, creeping up as I chewed.  One of the surprising highlights of the dish was the garnish: pickled carrots and white onion.  It was sweet and tangy and complemented every piece of the dish. The best garnish I’ve ever tasted! It was a hearty yet light and refreshing dish that left me feeling satisfied.  But I didn’t stop there.

Next came the Chocolate Jack Daniels Pecan Pie with a cup of tea.   It is a generous slice of pecan pie infused with a shot of Jack Daniels, a few pieces of Valrhona chocolate, and finished with whip cream on the side in an enclosed dish and a strawberry garnish in the shape of a rose.  It was a lovely presentation. This dessert was so delightful and was one of the greatest pecan pie’s I have had.  It was decadent, smooth, and not overwhelmingly sweet.  A “Kick-Ass recipe”, as stated on the menu.  The tea was a great finish to my lavish meal.  I chose organic African Nectar tea from Mighty Leaf Tea.  Each tea came in a handcrafted silken biodegradable pouch.  It was light, exotic, and very flavorful.  The honey, to sweeten the tea, was a piece of actual honeycomb!  It came in a small dish with a spoon, and the best part, the honeycomb melts in your tea…completely dissolves!  This was exciting to me.

The Stone Turtle is very accessible to public transportation.  Just a 5 minute drive from the Island Park LIRR train stop, or you could walk.  Chef Gregory Baumel has created a magnificent combination of  elegance, fun, and eclectic food with The Stone Turtle.  It’s an excellent mixture of flavors that leaves the taste-buds dancing in joy at the refreshing twists on the tastes of each dish.  With friendly, attentive and knowledgeable staff,  a chic and welcoming atmosphere all priced moderately, upscale dining hasn’t been so exciting.  Check out The Stone Turtle and experience it for yourself.

Cheers,

Lori Richardson