Hello my friends:
Sometimes, spontaneity is absolutely delicious!
Let me explain.
Last week, I was invited to a day of planned events to celebrate a dear friend's birthday.
She had mapped out this fabulous day: Lunch at Pastis, Drinks at the Standard Bar, Pizza at Vento, Dinner and a show at Lips, the great transvestite supper club in the Village.
It was to be a day of pure fun and fantasy. We all slipped away from our hectic lives to indulge in such delights, of course with our Blackberrys and i-Phones in constant sight, though! Grae, the birthday girl, is often described by her friends as "a party in a box" or "The Pied Piper of Fun." Anywhere and everywhere she goes, she lights up a room, includes strangers, and makes lifelong friends by the end of the night.
How could I turn down a day with my Pied Piper Party Pal?
We all enjoyed a luxurious lunch, complete with champagne and funny straws. Grae, as she is inclined to do, sent over some spirits to a nearby table of French women and one man. In no time at all, the older gent was hugging Grae, the women were kissing her on both cheeks and gave our birthday girl one of their lovely berets, to boot!
We were having silly fun and taking pictures...until the hostess at Pastis quietly came over and requested we not take photos. Because of all the celebrities that frequent Pastis, it was understood, photo taking was not allowed. Boo! That was the silliest thing I had ever heard, but no matter, we continued with our amazing lunch, laughing all the way.
As we went to our next destination, we stumbled down the cobblestoned streets of the Meatpacking District and passed by a huge gallery. The folks inside motioned for us to come in.
And WOW...were we blown away!
This is where the spontaneous part of the day comes in.
A HUGE gallery. 15,000 square feet. Enormous art work of musical and celebrity icons. Painted in black with broken vinyl records outlining parts of the face or hair. Amazing. Here we see Jim Morrison, there Nat King Cole, and over there, Jimmy Hendrix. Totally imposing and kind of take your breath away good...Over in the corner, we saw a HUGE sculpture of a horse, created with the treads of a tires. The musculature of the horse crafted with the tire treads was astounding, bursting with boldness.
We ran around the gallery picking out our favorites.
The name of the exhibit? Mr. Brainwash presents Icons.
Check out this site: www.MrBrainwash.com
The gallery is located at 415 West 13th Street.
But it only lasts until March 31st.
From a planned day, to a spontaneous event, it was a special day in New York City!
Before I sign off from this week's column, I want to tell you about a great store for vintage eyewear and accessories on Mott Street.
The fabulous Linda Derector is the woman who owns and runs the store and has the most amazing flair for fashion. Sadly, her lovely store is closing on March 7th. For a tremendous treat, and for some unique fashion assistance, visit Linda Derector at 211 Mott Street.
From the Meatpacking district to Nolita...this is Valerie Smaldone for Valerie's Gallery
Valeries Gallery
Valerie Smaldone
Media Personality, Actress, Producer, Writer
Valerie Smaldone, a 5 time Billboard Magazine Award winner, is perhaps best known for her unprecedented success holding the #1 position in the New York radio market as the midday host of New York’s 106.7 FM. She ended her on air run with the station at the end of 2007. In addition, she was the co-creator, writer, producer and host of 'Spotlight On,' a nationally syndicated program that featured in-depth interviews with top recording artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Sting and Celine Dion, to name a few.
Presently, Valerie can be heard on NBC Network News promos and specialty shows and as the announcer for The Boomer Esiason Show on MSG. She writes a weekly nightlife column for TheThreeTomatoes.com, writes a theater column for Examiner.com, and has an interview program on the Italian American Network. She is an interviewer and feature reporter on Broadway for TonyAwards.com and hosts and produces celebrity portrait unveilings for Broadway stars at famed theater district eatery, Tony’s.
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Spontaneity!
