Feb12-Feb14 - Valentine's Day!

On Sunday I had to work all morning until later in the afternoon. When I got out of work I went to SoHo to meet up with Mike, his Mom Helen, Liz the hair colorist from Scott Miller Salon, and the famous Victoria Hunter from Whittemore House Salon. They were doing some shopping and after Mike found a nice pair of boots at Frye we got a diver to drop Victoria off and then take us to the hotel. Victoria was recently in the New York Times, here is her picture from the article!

(Taken by Deidre Schoo for the New York Times)

When we got to the hotel Scott, Mike's Dad, got back from doing another Fashion Week show and we all went to eat at Asellina in the Gansevoort Hotel again. We had a nice dinner and then we hurried up to the room to watch the Grammy's!

                                         

I thought overall it was a pretty good show, I really enjoyed Adele and Katy Perry's performances. Also, the tributes to Whitney Houston and Etta James were very moving.

The next day I went to some stores to finishing finding some ingredients I needed in order to make a surprise dinner for Mike on Valentine's day. I went back to the apartment and started making the dessert for the next day but I had to finish everything on Valentine's day so that it was fresh!

I went to the hotel and met up with everyone and their friend Albie Cortes who is VP of Sales for Kerastase by L'Oreal. We all sat by the fireplace and ate and talked. Everyone else did not eat a lot because we were meeting up with my roommate Dennise, her sister Casta, and Casta's husband David who is Mike's cousin (that might sound confusing) for dinner, but I knew we were going to a restaurant that only serves steak so I made sure to eat a lot beforehand!

We got a cab to the restaurant called Le Relais De Venise and Dennise, Casta, and David were at a table waiting for us. Everyone had salad, steak and fries and Dennise and I had salad and cheese. The fries were really good and so were the desserts! When I saw the dessert menu I could not help but get a couple of things so we could all try them.

When we got back to the hotel I saw a very tall, slender man walking towards us and as he got closer I realized it was "Miss J" Alexander (Alexander Jenkins) from America's Next Top Model. I didn't realized how tall he was but I looked it up and I guess he is 6'5"!

Then the next morning it was Valentine's Day! 

I got ready for the day and then Mike and I went to lunch at a restaurant that I made a reservation for us to go to. I had read about the restaurant online and it looked beautiful and had a very tasty menu so I was excited. We went to DUO Restaurant & Lounge and when we walked in it was gorgeous.

We started out with an amazing truffle pizza and then Mike ordered mini burgers, I ordered vegetable truffle pasta and we shared truffle fries and truffle mashed potatoes (think we like truffle much? hehe).

    

                                              

We went back to the hotel after being completely satisfied with our amazing lunch. Then I gave Mike a few little gifts and he gave me awesome flats from Scoop! They are so comfortable and so cute, I love them and I love him!

Then we decided to go visit Victoria Hunter at the Whittemore House Salon. We grabbed some hot chocolate and walked down some steps to the door and the salon was so beautiful. Victoria came out and sat with us in the waiting area that was filled with antiques and a display of Oribe products. 

           

It was so nice catching up with her as well as meeting her business partner Larry Raspanti who has great clients such as Bono. While we were there Mike and I were talking about how we love the new song Rise Above with Reeve Carney, Bono and The Edge and Larry told us how we did all of their hair for the video! Before we headed out we got a picture with Victoria and Larry was on the phone so we took one with his backside haha

After visiting with them we went to meet Mike's parents at B&H which I had never heard of but it is a huge electronics store. We looked around and played some music and then I said that I had to go to my apartment to get dressed for dinner. Mike wanted to come with me and siad he would just wait while I did my makeup and got dressed but really I had to actually cook our surprise dinner!

I convinced him to go back to his hotel and I went to the apartment and ran around the kitchen making a Milan pasta which consisted of a cheese cream sauce that I made and I cooked pasta, peas, and asparagus. I also had to finish making the dessert which I used a store-bought red velvet cake and cut it up and filled in a heart-shaped pan and put layers of whipped cream frosting that I made in-between the layers of cake and then put the topping of the cake on top.

Mike came over and I had our dining room table set up for two and candles in the living room lit. When he saw the settings and I told him that I made us dinner his reaction was just what I had hoped. He was truly surprised and he was shocked since I don't usually cook. The pasta sauce came out a little watery but we just laughed about it and put parmesan cheese on top and it tasted really good! The dessert was very tasty but so sweet that we could only eat a little bowl each of it.

Afterwards we went to Mike's hotel and bought the movie Thor to watch in the living room. It had been a little while since we ate and while watching the movie Mike surprised me with room service! I had pasta and we split tiramisu mmm

I was so glad that we could be together and it was a great day. Mike and I celebrate our love all of the time but it was nice to plan a day of nice things to do.

Feb10-Feb11 - New York Fashion Week Here I Come!

Friday was my hometown agent Mary Therese Friel's birthday so I sent her an email since I could not be home. It is exciting to think that I began modeling with her seven-and-a-half years ago and now I am in New York City pursuing modeling as a full-time career! She had also introduced me to the Miss New York Teen USA pageant at the same time that I started modeling so it will be even more exciting when I go for Miss New York USA to go after my dream of becoming Miss USA and then Miss Universe!

During the day I worked a double at work but when I got out at night Mike and I went to my apartment and hung out with some friends. Our friends Rick, Tevor and Dave who all do music and Julie who I know from modeling came over and we all had fun catching up!

Afterwards Mike talked me into going to McDonald's and then Bread & Butter Market to get cookies at 2:00 in the morning! I know that is the opposite of healthy but I decided it was okay this one time. I didn't want to hang out too late though because the next morning I had to get up to go to New York Fashion Week!

February 11th would have been my Uncle Victor's birthday but he passed away this past October. It has been difficult for my family but he will always be in our hearts. We will never forget his incredible intelligence and wittiness. We will love him forever <3

I woke up Saturday morning and got ready to go! At around 9:00 in the morning I went to breakfast with Mike's Mom Helen and Liz the hair colorist at a cute place called Penelope. I had nutella toast which was really yummy. Then we went to their hotel and Helen and I got a cab to go to the Lincoln Center!

The cab ride there I kept saying how excited I was to be able to go to a show! We finally arrived and headed towards the Mercedes-Benz sign!

We walked in and the lobby was filled with people! Right away I noticed a showcase of beautiful gowns on mannequins. I have a weakness for glamorous dresses so I had to snap a picture! Then we headed over the the registration desk where there was a big screen that was showing previous shows which was neat.

We picked up our tickets, thanks to Kerastase, and headed in! As soon as we walked through the doors the first thing I saw was hundreds of photographers getting in place against the back wall! We walked down the runway to find our seats and then looked through the program book while everyone was getting seated.

Before Jill Stuart's show started the paparazzi was interviewing different celebrities. The press was going crazy over Ramses Barden who is the wide receiver for the New York Giants, which makes sense since they won the Super Bowl!

   

The woman next to him was Kelly Bensimon from The Real Housewives of New York City who I got to meet later! Right afterwards Olivia Palermo from The City and actress Nikki Reed walked in and sat down across the runway from us next to Jill Stuart's daughter, Sophie Stuart. All of a sudden the bright lights turned on and the show was about to begin!

I found a video that shows a little bit of the action that went on in the audience before the show started! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_jJe8ZZ7u4

The music started and the first model walked out! Each outfit that came out was beautiful, many of the pieces were very simple but yet still unique. 

  

 

Then before you know it all of the models are coming out for the final walk! At the end Jill Stuart walked out to make a quick appearance. 

As soon as the show finished some interviews continued and Helen and I went backstage to meet up with Mike's Dad, Scott, who was one of the hair stylists for the show. All of the models were talking to people, taking pictures and getting ready to leave and the hair stylists were packing up. Scott was just about packed up at his station and Kelly Bensimon was taking pictures with people behind us. I complemented her on her pretty silk dress and she was so nice!

                       

 

We walked out of the backstage exit and there were some photographers there waiting for the models and celebrities to walk out. All of a sudden I heard the cameras clicking away as we walked by and Scott and Helen said that the people thought I was in the show haha

Overall these are my top three favorite looks from the show!

  

Afterwards we left and went to Barney's to do some shopping with Liz. Mike came and met us and then we all headed to one of their favorite stores, Chrome Hearts! The main location was closed due to renovations but we walked to another location of theirs and looked at all of the cool jewelry. 

We all were pretty hungry so we headed to Bar Italia and had a very good lunch there. Afterwards Mike and I went to do some shopping at Guess, BCBG, H&M and a couple of other stores. Later for dinner we went to L'Express that he had been to before and I had been wanting to go. 

We had a nice candle-lit dinner with dessert and got done just in time to catch a movie at the theater. The movie Chronicle seemed interesting so we went to go see it and it was definitely different. I am glad that we went but it is not a movie that I would typically watch. Then I was ready to go to sleep, it had been a really long but amazing day!

Feb2-Feb9 - Back to the city!

February 2nd was Groundhog Day and the groundhog did see his shadow which means six more weeks of winter, but if winter is like the nice weather we have been having then that is not so bad!

That morning I got up early and got ready to go back to the city! Right when I got back I worked at Maialino that night. I worked for the next couple of days including Super Bowl night which I was bummed about but I had Mike DVR it for me.

On Monday Sarah and I had off from work so we went to Mesa Grill, Chef Bobby Flay's first restaurant, where Sarah had reservations for lunch. We ordered from the restaurant week menu and I got a salad, butternut squash ravioli and chocolate cake dessert. Sometimes I wonder if I should be writing a food blog but seriously the moist cake, cream, and melted chocolate was incredible. We each ordered one and we were so full but we had to finish them because they were so good!

Afterwards we were so full we felt like we could not walk but we went right next door to Bebe and shopped around until we were able to walk home.

February 8th was my best friend Liz's birthday but she was back home in Rochester so I could not see her but we plan on celebrating together soon! That night I worked in the office and got a call from Cash Warren's assistant to make a dinner reservation for him and Jessica Alba on Valentine's Day which I thought was really cute! She was so nice and said that last minute they decided to come to New York from Los Angeles and even though they ended up canceling at a later date it was nice of them to think of us!

On Thursday Mike, his parents and one of the senior colorists from their salon came to the city! They came because Mike's Dad was doing the hair for several of the Fashion Weeks shows. When they touched down I went to the Gansevoort Park Hotel on Park Ave where they were staying to surprise them in the lobby! 

After they got settled in we went to eat at Asellina which is the restaurant in the hotel. Sarah and I had eaten there before and we really liked it. When we sat down to eat there I was totally surprised by Mike's Mom when she told me that she would give me her ticket to attend Jill Stuart's Fashion Show on Saturday!! I had been wanting to go to a Fashion Week show but the tickets are hard to come by! I was so happy I was teary-eyed! We enjoyed our lunch there and afterwards they got ready to do the Creatures of the Wind Fashion Show. 

(photo: MCV Photo)

They said that the show went well and afterwards we met them out for dinner at a restaurant called Novita!

There was a special of pasta with pieces of truffle on top that I could not resist! It was the best truffle pasta that I have ever had. Their dessert menu was exceptional and I want to go back but for now I got the creme brulee which was delicious. 

After dinner we went to their hotel and watched tv and hung out until it was time for bed!