Book Nook: My Top Picks!

I just love to read, but this was not always the case. I had always considered reading as something to do for school. It wasn't until a few years ago that I actually started reading for leisure. I find that when I enjoy a particular book I become obsessed with the author and devour most of their books especially if they are part of a series.

My true love for reading started with A Series of Unfortunate Events written by Lemony Snicket (a.k.a. Daniel Handler). This series of books got me hooked instantly! I have always been a sucker for a good mystery and the author stretches a mysterious, heart-felt, and funny story for 13 books (each with 13 chapters).
Many adults dismiss children's books, but don't be fooled this is a winning series!



My current obsession is with books written by the late E.Lynn Harris. I am currently reading his book Just to Good To Be True, and it is a definite page turner! If you like lot's of drama (think Real Housewives of Atlanta) then Harris' books are for you! Full of secrets, lies, betrayal, and revenge with some life lessons in love, family and friendship mixed in between there is something for every reader!



Below is a list of authors that I have become obsessed with at one point in time:

1. Eric Jerome Dickey: My favorite author of all time...in a word his books are delicious! I will always be obsessed with his work!

2. Dan Brown: I am a conspiracy theorist at heart and I just love his page-turning thrillers!

3. James Patterson: I like his style of writing, but I find the endings of his books seemed rushed. I am a big fan of his Alex Cross & Women's Murder Club series. I will be rushing to B&N on Nov. 16th for his newest book I, Alex Cross

4.Janet Evanovich: My fellow Rutgers Alumnae! Her Stephanie Plum series is laugh out loud funny! It tried to read them all in sequence but became annoyed with the constant recap of characters in every book...I'll get back to the series soon.

5. Pamela Thomas-Graham: I just adore her ivy league murder mysteries! I wish she would write another one, although I doubt it because she is a successful business woman.

6. Victoria Christopher Murray: My fellow Queens native! I enjoy how all of her Christian fiction books. Don't be fooled by the genre there is plenty of drama! I can't wait to try out her teen series The Divine Divas.

7. Mary Higgins Clark: Last but certainly not least is MHC! Even before Lemony Snicket she was the ONLY author I would read on my long Greyhound trips back and forth to Rutgers. If you haven't read one of her books run to the library or B&N now...don't let the weak lifetime T.V. movies fool ya!

Have you read books by these authors? Who is your favorite author? Leave a comment!

Wedding Picks: Reception Halls

New feature on the blog will be "Wedding Picks". I am going to finally start seriously researching ideas for my own wedding and will be blogging about great finds!
I have attended three weddings in a years time and will be attending a fourth next month.

The most recent wedding I attended was held at The Swan Club in Glenwood, NY (which is in Long Island). The word picturesque comes to mind when describing this place. There are endless amounts of places to take wedding pictures. There are seven acres of beautiful landscaping including features such as a gazebo, water fountains, and a brides walk.

The wedding ceremony took place in an adjacent section of the club and was decorated the same way as seen in the picture below. Since the wedding took place early in the day the lighting was spectacular, and the sun streamed in to illuminate the bride and groom as they exchanged vows!

An outdoor cocktail hour in the garden was followed by a celebratory evening full of dancing, laughter and well-wishes in the Contessa Room. A fantastic time was had by all!


Out of a possible 5 stars:
Landscaping: 10 STARS :-)
Decor: 3.5 STARS
Food: 3.5 STARS
Staff: 4.5 STARS
Comments: At the end of the reception staff began vacuuming and setting up tables for the next event as guests gathered their belongings to exit...not a good look.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.swanclub.com

Last year I attended the wedding of my future sister-in-law. Her wedding took place at The Primavera Regency in Stirling, New Jersey. This place is simply delicious! The food was extraordinary...this is very important when selecting a wedding venue.



The ceremony took place outside underneath a trellis.



Take a look at this spread...



Out of a possible 5 stars:
Landscaping: 3.5 STARS
Decor: 3.5 STARS
Food: 10 STARS :-)
Staff: 4.0 STARS
Comments:The Primavera Regency is tiny in comparison to the Swan Club, the plus side to that is all attention will be on you and your special day!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:www.theprimavera.com

Last but certainly not least is the August 2008 wedding of my line sister at The Merion in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. The Merion is palatial and elegant. I had a more detailed look at this reception hall and its staff since I was a part of the wedding party. The bridal suite was set up with more than enough food and beverage for the bride, bridesmaids and photographer.The wedding coordinator was at the beckon call of the bride and groom.

The reception took place in The Merion's Skylight Ballroom. "The Skylight ceiling is a stunning 30 ft. high by 40 ft. diameter glass dome. The 1000 sq. ft. dance floor is made entirely of marble for a more neutral, rustic feel. The skylight is one of kind and the most sought after Ballroom at The Merion."



Out of a possible 5 stars:
Landscaping: 1.5 STARS (Since everything is mostly indoors)
Decor: 10 STARS :-)
Food: 4 STARS
Staff: 4.5 STARS
Comments:My best guess is that this location is on the pricey side.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.themerion.com

Look out for the post on Astoria Manor in October!

All that glitters isn't gold, but all that gold is CASH!

Okay it's self promotion time!

I am a gold appraiser and will help you and your friends get Cash for Gold!
Many people are very skeptical about this when they first hear about it, but it is very simple...Host a party where your family and friends bring unwanted or broken gold or platinum and get paid!

I know that seeing is believing! That is why I added the video in this post.
There are two main differences between what you see in this video and what Aurum Soiree (my business) can do for you.
First, instead of checks you and your guests will get CA$H!
Second, As a hostess you do not need gold and you have the added incentive to receive $20 for every bag of gold $200 or over and $150 reimbursement for food if you have a minimum of 10 guests/bags of gold.

I can't stress enough how easy and rewarding this is. Also, it is a great way to fund raise because the hostess payment can go to a charity of your choice!

If you want more information on hosting or becoming an appraiser go to www.aurumsoiree.com
I can be contacted via e-mail: aurumsoiree@hotmail.com

Feature Products: Icing on the cake!

Here are some products that I am using this summer.

I went to the mall just to look around and found an item that I have been looking for for a long time...A Handy Handbag Holder!
I had heard about it on T.V. and just had to have one! I purchased it at Icing by Claire's. This item is a must have for purse freaks like me.
Whenever I go out to dinner there is never anywhere to put my purse, especially with chairs that have a curved back. The Handy Handbag Holder solves this problem by resting on the top of the table and providing a hook where you can hang your purse. You don't have to worry about ruining your purse on the floor or being uncomfortable with it on your lap.
This is a must buy for all women...be sure to look out for them near the cash registers!









Also at Icing by Claire's I checked out their fab nail polish colors! I think its always fun to play with color and what better way than with nail polish! There are so many colors to choose from so enjoy...keep a look out for their buy one get one half off sales!
from left to right: Metalhead, Cosmic, WildNFree, Marine Blue, My Blue Heaven, and Ice Queen

Last but not least, Hair Products! In the summer it is hard to keep my hair from frizzing up when I sweat from the hot summer heat. So I opt not to go the salon blow out route and instead go curly/wavy and natural.
I use a mix of different products to keep the waves in all day long!
I wash my hair with Mixed Chicks Shampoo and Deep Conditioner. Then I apply Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner throughout (making sure to scrunch the hair as I go) while my hair is still wet. Next, I put my head down to create volume, and apply two Miss Jessie's products the Quick Curls and the Curly Pudding (making sure to keep scrunching). I flip my hair back and I'm out the door!
( as you can see I'm usuing the products :-)
For more information on this products and How-to videos go to: http://www.mixedchicks.net/
and http://www.missjessies.com/

Shopaholic: IKEA

I love to spend money, but I also like to get a great value. If you are trying to furnish an apartment IKEA is the place to be. I know many people already know this but some of my fellow New Yorkers are not up on the fabulousness that is IKEA. My first trip to IKEA was in December of last year, with my fiance. We stayed in there for hours! I have never been in a store where I felt so happy because I was actually able to afford everything I liked. I have been back several times since then. I must admit that before I travel to IKEA I must make a shopping list, so I don't buy random cute items, that seem like must-haves at the moment.

I had been fascinated with IKEA a long time before I was able to go check it out. I happened to catch a documentary about the national home and houseware giant. I learned how the company saves people money by making products that the customer can take home and assemble. I admit I wasn't too keen about putting large pieces of furniture together without a professional, but IKEA makes it so easy. The funny part is that their instructions have no words and only illustrations.

Here is what I purchased on my last IKEA outting:


1. The SAMTID floor lamp, $39.99, for my reading nook.
















2. The ORGEL floor lamp, $24.99, for my fiances work area.















3. The ORGEL VRETEN floor lamp, $ 29.99, for extra living room lighting.


4. Slatthult decorative stickers, $19.99 (4 panels), to decorate my BLAH bedroom wall behind the bed. This was an impulse buy, and I did not regret it!


If you are a New Yorker and have not been to IKEA you have no excuse! The IKEA in Brooklyn offers free shuttle service and you can even get there by water taxi. Check out: http://info.ikea-usa.com/Brooklyn/StoreDirections.aspx

My Tube: Bridget's Sexiest Beaches

One of my favorite channels to watch is the Travel Channel. It is can be very informative and just fun to watch and fantasize about where you want to be. I was able to catch a mini marathon of a new show Bridget's Sexiest Beaches.

This show was right up my alley because I love a beautiful beach with crystal clear water! Hostess Bridget Marquardt formally of The Girls Next Door (which I also watched) travels to the worlds sexiest beaches. She hits all the countries hot spots, samples local cuisine, and takes risks trying daring excursions. Bridget is usually paired up with a friend for her adventures and meets up with locals along the way that give her insider tips on things to do and historical background.

After watching this show I am even more excited about going to Turks & Caicos one day and I am strongly considering adding Croaita to my list of future travel destinations. Bridget is a newbie to the whole TV hosting thing and it shows slightly but what she lacks in experience she makes up for with her positive attitude and willingness to try anything once.

Check out the show and let me know what you think!
Bridget's Sexiest Beaches Thursdays at 10 p.m E.T. on the Travel Channel

Flashback: Life before the blog! ....The Punta Cana Princess All-Suites and Spa Resort

Right now I'd give nothing more than to be in the Dominican Republic at the Punta Cana Princess relaxing on the beach. Since I can't be there I am going to flashback to when I was there. Take a look at some snippets from my extensive review I wrote on Trip Advisor.

"The Punta Cana Princess is a beautiful resort. Upon arrival you are served the wonderful fruit punch while you wait for check in. My friends and I were told to get something to eat at the Casbe Buffet until check in time...Although we did not use the pool it seemed to be a good size for the amount of people staying at the resort, the beach is a few steps away so most people went there.
The beach is absolutely breath taking. Between the beautiful white sand and the gorgeous blue water you can't go wrong....
The Punta Cana Princess is a very Quiet relaxing adult spot which is wonderful. You have the option of going to Caribe for shows and over the disco if you want night life. I will be going back!"

Interested in going? Check out my full review (w/specific tips) here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147293-d313884-r7703921-Punta_Cana_Princess_All_Suites_and_Spa_Resort-Punta_Cana_Dominican_Republic.html

Trip Tip: Champagne Sunset Cruise

If you are ever in Key West you must take the Champagne Sunset Cruise offered by Sebago Key West. The cruise has unlimited champagne, margaritas, beer, wine, and soft drinks. Upgraded beer, wine, and liquors are a few bucks more. The staff come around and continously refill your cup.
It is a nice relaxing way to enjoy the sunset. Get there early so you can have a choice of seats on the catamaran. Most people stand up the whole two hour ride but I decided to stay seated until the seas became a little less choppy. Lastly, be camera ready for the breathtaking sunset pictures!
For more info: http://www.keywestsebago.com/

Hot Spot: Cabana Nuevo Latino

What is Nuevo Latino?

It means good drinks and GREAT food!

Today I took my dad for lunch at the Original Cabana in my neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens. It was his first time there and he loved it! Cabana has the wonderful Latino food you know and love with an upscale twist. Dad had the Parrillada, which is a mixed grilled platter of various meats, that took him back to his childhood in Puerto Rico. I was a little less adventurous with the Churrasco. Both orders were served to sizzling perfection including the ever popular side order of maduros (sweet fried plantains)The drink menu is extensive and I have to recommend the guava daiquiri!

I have been to Cabana several times and it never disappoints. Be prepared for a wait if you are going to dine in the evening...this place is worth it! Luckily there are 3 locations in NYC: Forest Hills, Midtown and the South Street Seaport. Floridians also get to experience Cabana with their two Florida locations. For more info: http://www.cabanarestaurant.com/

A New Beginning

Life is full of simple things that make us happy. The purpose of this blog is to help me share the things in my life that make me happy. This will include reviews of restaurants, books, stores, clubs, etc.

I am excited about this blog and hope that it inspires others to share their simple pleasures!