Paris Photos...Voila!

Paris was interesting....scenic and demure, but at the same time full of pushy panhandlers...gotta see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louve (even though they are a bit touristy). Amazing baguette sandwiches, crepes and croissants everywhere. Go for the food and the scenery, overlook some of the people hahahaha

Mas Pictures of Madrid!

Viva Madrid!

Madrid is an amazing city.....churros and chocolate, tortilla, gazpacho, sangria and more types of tapas than I can list! The city really comes alive at night, but the architecture and the vibe of the city is felt all day through =)

Photo Exhibit Photos Are Up On The Website

Check it out:

http://www.photomanhattan.com/students137.htm

Yay!!! So much fun. It was a really good expereince and I learned a lot!

Oh and here is a pic from Halloween just for fun. Can you guess who I am?

Photo Exhibit

Come to my photo exhibition this Wed. 10/27 @ 51 W. 14th Street b/t 5th and 6th Ave. Buzz #2R. I will be exhibiting 6 photos and there will be a lot of great photos to see....snacks and wine are free courtesy of photo manhattan =)!

I Love My Hair

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpFde5rgmw

You know you're from NYC if...

1. You say "Yous" as in "the two of yous"
2. J-walk like it's your job
3. Men: Talk to girls and convince them they need to be with you "Ay shorty..."
4. When responding to a question someone asks, say "yea yea yea"
5. Ride the subway while cutting your nails, drinking a cup of coffee and listening to your ipod on full blast
6. Ask for a pie or a slice, not a pizza...and it's plain, not cheese
7. You either love or hate the Yankees, there is no in between
8. You know what Alphabet City is...and you avoid Avenue D at night alone
9. Stoop sitting is looked at as a great option to a bench
10. You've never been to the Statue of Liberty

Pictures For My Photo Exhibition (Some of them)

Photos for my exhibition on people in their working environments

An Assortment of My Pictures

Hollywood’s Next Great Nightspot

As seen on UrbanDaddy.com

Hemingway’s

6356 Hollywood Blvd

(at Ivar)

Los Angeles, CA 90028

323-469-0040

Hollywood has always looked to books for inspiration. Some of which were not even written by Stephenie Meyer.


And now Johnny Zander, the nightlife superhero who brought you Teddy’s and Green Door, has turned books into... cocktails.


Introducing Hemingway’s, a showstopping new bar with the potential to be the city’s next great hangout, officially opening Tuesday on Hollywood Boulevard.


Basically, this place looks like a party spot disguised as a library—just where you’d find Hemingway if he were still around today and socializing with TV actresses instead of expats. (You’ll settle for the actresses, though—Zander and film-producer partners Elie Samaha and Donald Kushner will put you in industry-heavy company.)


So on those nights when you want a well-mixed drink and a bit of a scene, you’ll step past the Hollywood Boulevard grunge and through the indoor-outdoor foyer, and come to a large room with comfortable old couches, thousands of books in the walls and pillars, and a whole wall covered with vintage typewriters. And a DJ booth.


As you bask in the upscale Dead Poets Society of it all, you’ll want to order a Moveable Feast (rye whiskey, sage, lemon, honey and berries). Or for something a bit more Keys-y, there’s the Old Man and the Sea, which is sort of a thinking person’s mojito.

We don’t recommend the Ketchum, Idaho.


Note: Hemingway’s, officially opens this Tuesday, open Tuesdays through Fridays, 6pm-2am, 323-469-0040

Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich and Martha Stewart (Oh My)!

Job. Check. Food celebs galor. Check. Feelin' the heat of the kitchen. Check. Who knew working at a restaurant in one of the biggest openings of NYC history would be, well, so much work. Now, I'm all for work. I can roll up my sleeves and and do what needs to be done, but this place is crazy. Yes folks, I'm talking about Eataly, my new home away from home. I've spent copious amounts of time there the past week and half, working my butt off (literally, I think I've lost 5-10 lbs) to help them get this new venture up off the ground. But the thing is, I'm only a server. The serving staff, myself included, are doing so much to help this place run smoothly, i.e, devoting over 60 hours of our life a week while they interview and hire more folks. It is tiring, but that's okay. It is fun draining, but I can deal. What I can't deal with is 14 hour double shifts, and a manager that tells me if all I get is a 15 minute break I need to deal with it. Deal with it? Um, sir, I believe that is against the law. I mean, I'm no lawyer, but the last time I checked, it wasn't 1920 and labor laws are pretty well established. All right, all right, I think I've aired the bad news enough for today....it is ultimately my choice if I want to stick this new venture out while they work out the kinks...or I can of course find a new gig. It's a tough world out there though, even more tough when the idea of making sandwiches for a some cash starts sounding more appealing than working at a celeb-chef owned, world-class restaurant. Oh the humanity.

I've Got The Looking For A Job Blues

NYC is fun, exciting and fresh. There is so much to do and definitely not enough time to do it all. First things first, I need to find a job. Well, a little more than just a job. You see, I can walk into just a store, or just a restaurant and make above minimum wage doing this job or that, but it is a lot more difficult trying to get a good job. One that doesn't have a person working for nickels. In this city, people settle for whatever they can get, which means that they often end up having to work two jobs or more just to pay the rent. And the rent is going towards a 500 sqft. studio that you share with another person...okay, it's not that bad, but it can be. City life is tough. I'm going to do my best to find a good job, really I am, but if you see me behind the counter making your sandwich, don't laugh, okay?

Please Read All The Facts-People Pass So Much Judgement And Usuaully Know Nothing

Let me get this straight: when an Israeli soldier uploads a facebook picture with Palestinian prisoners (they were arrested, keep in mind, not just captured randomly), the story makes headline news and draws international criticism. But when Palestinians chuck rocks at Israeli soldiers and civilians, bomb civilian targets, and force millions of people in southern Israel to live in terror EVERY DAY, nobody cares. There is no international outcry when a bomb falls in Ashdod, but when a soldier posts a facebook picture with prisoners, she is scolded around the world.-Mark N., Yahoo News

NYC Here I Come (Again)

My life feel's like it is a little bit crazy and a lot a bit wonderful. I have been blessed with the ability to do so many wonderful things this summer, and I have also been blessed to be some how given the time to really figure out what I want to do with my life. I am so excited for this next journey which includes moving back to NYC and heading to Spain for a month!
Nine times out of then when I talk to someone about their job they are unhappy. It makes me so sad that I don't even bring up work in conversations anymore. I think it's crazy that in our society our jobs or careers define us. I am trying to break that mold and really just be defined by my actions. I love every moment of my life and thank god that I have been given the life I have!

Woman wakes up to find intruder in bed REMIX

Fooooddd, Hash House--a-gO-gO & mOOtime

Fun times on my socal food tour haha. Pictures using my new dslr!!!!!!! More to come...............

Top Ten on Hiking John Muir Woods

The other day me and two of my best friends hiked in John Muir Woods, which is in Marin County. After a hell raising adventure finding parking, we traipsed up a 3 mile loop (half uphill). We saw a huge deer and lots and lots of redwoods. It was gorgeous and different from my everyday bay area hanging out. I definitely recommend it if you've never been, or if you'll be in the San Francisco area.

1. Feel one with nature
2. See animals close-up that you've only seen on animal planet
3. Get exercise while having the prettiest views
4. Feel a thousand miles away from city life
5. Nicely placed benches just when you're ready for a break
6. Feeling like an ant among natures greatest giants
7. Instant stress reliever
8. Easy to difficult hiking trails
9. Picture friendly
10. Ample bathrooms

Top Ten Most Annoying Parts of Booking Travel

1. Crazy Airline competition. Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline...whatever....you end up seeing tons of different airline prices, and just get more confused and annoyed by the second
2. Checked bag fees...ugghhhh
3. Carry-on bag fees, really?!!
4. Blackout dates for using reward points and miles...not cool man
5. Acquiring miles and points...but booking flights on so many airlines it just kinda evens out...leaving you with nothing
6. Non-refundable tickets...pahhhh-leassse!
7. Not being able to book a flight out on some airlines over six months ahead
8. Airline steals and deals causing website crashes....please get your site's together airlines!
9. Price hikes for leaving any other time besides a Wednesday at midnight
10. "Deals" for booking flight+hotel+car, etc....deals, yeah....blaaaahhhhh

Santa Cruz How I've Missed You

The other day my brother and I headed to Santa Cruz for some skim boarding and sun. I haven't been there for over a year, and have been seriously missing it. We get there and find out skim boards are $50, so we bail on that idea and head strait to the beach. The sun is also a bit lagging, so we eat the food I brought and then decide to see if the water is even remotely enterable. It's just as freezing as Santa Cruz water always is, so we hike up on the rocks to check out tide pools, trying to salvage our "beach day." I find a pretty cool star fish clinging to the side of a tide pool, and end up getting sprayed by the waves crashing on the rocks, as you can see below. My brother and I decide to finish our day by heading to the boardwalk to ride the Big Dipper. We scream like little kids taking our first roller coaster ride ever, (okay, I scream) and as we high five upon our exit from the ride we realize our day was pretty cool after all.

Apparently Hogs Breath Is Better Than No Breath At All

Hogs Breath Saloon is known locally and throughout the world, so I figured I'd have to give it a go. Tucked away off Duval Street in downtown Key West, the Saloon is filled with people in the middle of the afternoon. A bluesy crooner belting out county hits serenaded my mom and I as we sat down and got ready to order. Oysters on the half shell are the house specialty, so we figured a dozen of those along with some shrimp ceviche would make for a delicious meal. The oysters were succulent and juicy, almost creamy. The house made hot sauces were flavorful and spicy without rendering the mouth tasteless. The ceviche was filled with jumbo shrimp, onions, cilantro and just the right mix of lime juice and spices. A very tasty light meal.

After we walked around Mallory square, an area that meets the Gulf of Mexico with the Atlantic and is known as the best place to watch the sunset. We browsed some shops and carts filled with trinkets of all kinds, one with dozens of different types of sea sponges for sale and then headed to a shady area to sit for a while and ponder what to do next.

Drinking and Driving is A-OK in The Keys

As I was driving around Key West the other day, I noticed signs for drive through liqueur. A bit weird to see, so I had to investigate further. It seems that here in Key West, you can buy shots, beers, daiquiris and more at drive up windows. Some of these windows are on the side of liqueur store buildings, others are at the front of a regular restaurant size building. My mom thought this was as hilarious as I did, and we decided to drive through one last night and see how the drinks were served. Unfortunately, the drive through service stops at 11pm, so I guess that means you just have to get drinks the old fashioned way, you know, go to a bar and then get in your car and drive off after, darn =(

Top Ten about Key West

The Florida Keys are a relaxing, fun and interesting place. Key West in particular has a lot going on-things to do, see and eat. Read this top ten list for some fun tips if you decide to head down:

1. Mile 0 -the most southern part of the United States
2. Glass boat bottom sunset tours
3. Wacky and fun Duval Street
4. Hand made Cuban cigars
5. Delicious seafood
6. White sand beaches with warm water
7. Fat Tuesdays, Hard Rock Cafe and a Margaritaville
8. The home of Ernest Hemingway...six fingered toes anyone?
9.Almost every hotel/resort looks into the Gulf or the Atlantic
10. The island feel without having to leave the states

Bienvenidos Miami and the Keys...

My last few pictures of Aruba, top-bottom: the Aruban flag, checkers on the beach, the beach behind my hotel.

I wasn't sad leaving Aruba, because I was boarding a plane to Miami. I mean, who could be sad going form one tropical destination to another?

Got through customs in just under two hours  (yay) and landed in Miami safe and sound. So excited to be in Florida because my sister and my nephew flew in from Atlanta and they are spending the week with us at our time share in Key West. We got to the rental car place at 7:30pm and were on our way. We stopped once for a snack, all of 15 minutes, and we still didn't get to the Keys until 11pm. Oh my god we didn't know the drive was gonna be that long.

WooWee....lots of ocean crossing, little small towns and then finally, Key West at the very end. We did pass through Key Largo, which was pretty cool. This morning I awoke to a crazy windy tropical rainy storm (yay), so no beach today....but we are gonna scope out the town and some places to eat. I'm excited to see what the Keys have to offer, and looking forward to another week in paradise.