Rockefeller Center

Built by the Rockefeller family, this National Historic Landmark is located right in the heart of Midtown Manhattan and features a statue of Prometheus, who in Greek Mythology was a champion of mankind know for his great intelligence. He was punished by Zeus for stealing from him and giving to the mortals. Zeus bound him to a rock and had an eagle eat his liver, only to have it grow back and be eaten again the next day, playing a pivotal role in the early history of mankind. This is also the site where the most famous Christmas tree in the nation is lit every year. People from all over travel to see the incredibly beautiful tree adorned in colored lights lit in the plaza the Wednesday after Thanksgiving each year. The tradition began in 1933 and holds strong today, with the traditional horn-blowing angels leading the path to the tree. Next to the plaza is the Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink where many couples get engaged each year amid the magical lights and overwhelming holiday spirit. It is touching to watch the couple skate happily throughout the rink and then, suddenly, the man gets down on one knee and pops that live-changing question, while the woman puts her hands to her face and adamantly shakes her head yes and they skate off to their happily-ever-after. But, of all this, perhaps the most sought after attraction is the Top of the Rock observation deck. Sitting 70 stories above the city, this jewel was envisioned by John D. Rockefeller as a place for both locals and visitors to marvel at the city he loved. Construction started in 1930 and was completed in 1939 and to this day holds the most spectacular view of the city we all love. You feel like you're on top of the world standing among the beauty of this city and I promised you, there's nothing quite like it!

My Mother, My Rock

This one's for you mom: my hero, my inspiration, my rock.
As a child, I  looked up to my mother as if though she were a super hero. She was breathtakingly beautiful, more generous and kind than anyone I've ever known, stylish as a Hollywood starlet, and full of life with a contagiously electric personality. As my dad has always said, when she walks into a room it just automatically lights up! Today, as I watch her constantly struggle with things so simple and basic that we all take so easily for granted, like breathing, I admire her even more. Having COPD, a chronic lung condition, leaving her with only 30% lung function and watching her with her oxygen tank always by her side, I pray to God every day that I never take even a single breath for granted. It is so sad when I turn on the news every day and see people killing each other and raping and stealing each other blindly, when we all should just be down on our hands and knees thanking God for even just being here on earth, which is a blessing in itself. I know this isn't a typical "confession from New York" but this is real and, today, as I await to hear if my mother will be sent back to the hospital for pneumonia for the second time this year, I can't help but get so angry at the world we live in today for it's disrespect of human life. As I watch my mother who's strength has miraculously pulled her through a heart-attack, internal bleeding resulting in a full blood transfusion, COPD flare-ups, and pneumonia several times, I am so proud of her and her persistent struggle and consistent faith. She is and will always be my rock and she and others who suffer with so many physical ailments and conditions out there, such as Cancer and heart disease, to name a few, should be a wake-up call to us. Life here on earth is far too short and it should never to be taken for granted. We must also always remember that family is the most important thing we have here in this lifetime and we should always hold it dear to our hearts. Nothing is more important than those we love and we should thank God every day for blessing us with them in our lives. My mother, who has and will always be my best friend has taught me that courage is the silent fighter in all of us and that with the love and support of family it is intensified. If only we could all love each other like family, this world would be a far greater place to live!

Serendipity

Merriam-Webster defines serendipity as the art of finding the pleasantly unexpected by chance. I personally first discovered this fabulous restaurant extraordinaire, which also happens to be named Serendipity, while watching the classic 2001 romantic comedy Serendipity, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. It was here that they first shared a frozen hot chocolate together as Beckinsale perfectly described serendipity as a  "fortunate accident". But this trendy place is definitely no accident. From its eclectic style to its long lines and even longer list of celebrity patrons this delicious spot has earned itself a permanent place in history as one of New York City's most sought after restaurants. Their food authentically combines the most mouth-watering unexpected combination of flavors and ingredients, leaving you feeling adventurous and daring. But the desserts are what they are best known for and deliver the most bang for your buck, specifically the famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate. It's a take on the traditional childhood favorite of hot chocolate put over ice and blended to perfection. It is topped with the creamiest whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and coco powder. But I dare you to order the Golden Opulence Sundae from the menu. This is the creme de la creme of desserts. It is a hot fudge sundae with countless scoops of vanilla ice cream, covered in all the chocolate gooeyness of a regular sundae but, unlike any other one you've ever heard of, this one takes the icing on the cake for being covered with edible 24 karat gold. And for just a small price of $1,000. Just be sure and order this one ahead of time because in order for them to make this delectable decadence it must be ordered 24 hours in advance.

I Choose Juicy

 

As I stroll along 5th Avenue my eyes widen, my heart races, my adrenaline sky rockets and I suddenly feel like a kid in a candy store: Gucci, Prada, Fendi, Tiffany's, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and the list goes on. But of all the stores on this famous street of shopping paradise only one has truly captured my heart--Juicy Couture. Even its name rolls off the tongue with intrique and delight. Founded in 1994 in Pacoima, California by Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Taylor (wife of John Taylor of Duran-Duran) the company started with the motto: "Once upon a time in a land far, far away called Pacoima there were two nice girls who liked stuff. Juicy Couture swept the land and they lived happily ever after". The company started as a designer t-shirt company but has come a very long way since then. Juicy is today best known  for turning their velour sweat suits into the greatest fashion "must have" since the little black dress. Although I think these sweat suits have long overstayed their welcomed appearance in public and should be kept for lounging at home and heading to the gym, don't let them fool you. This company has plenty more to offer! From rocker chic to sweet and feminine this brand has something for every girl. Their dresses are classic and flirty, their jeans are the best-fitting around, their coats trimmed with the most girlie ruffles and detailed buttons, and their footwear is by far the cutest around. Not to mention their fragrances are sweet and fabulous and come in the most beautiful elegant glass bottles. From the adorable pink scottie dog embellished labels to the detailed stitching in the fabrics Juicy is fun, flirty, cute, and sophisticated all at the same time. So, I'm letting the world know, or at least everyone who reads this blog, I am proud to be a Juicy girl and you should be one too!

Carlo's Bake Shop

Ever wish you could experience the delectable pastries of traditional Italy without ever leaving the city. Well, you can and you only have to travel one subway stop away from Manhattan. Hidden in the hometown of the ever famous Frank Sinatra, Hoboken, New Jersey is also home to the most well-known and recently famous Carlo's Bake Shop. This amazing bakery known for its homemade from scratch baked goods and beyond elaborate wedding cakes has become a house-hold name due to its hit show on TLC. Cake Boss first aired on TLC April 19, 2009 and took the nation by storm. Starring Buddy Valastro and his quirky fun-loving, sometimes hot-tempered Italian family, this show gives America an up close and personal look into the kitchen of this family-run bakery. Bought in 1964 by Buddy's parents Mary and Buddy Sr., this bake shop prides itself on tradition and is, in the opinion of almost everyone who's ever tried it, the best bakery around, hands-down. Buddy, who took over the shop at the ripe age of 17 after his father's passing, has become the cream of the crop of bakers at just 32 years old. Since the shows success, this once hometown favorite bake shop has become a nationally renowned destination with tourists lined up around the block all days of the week waiting to have a taste and catch a glimpse of the Valastro clan. From the traditional Italian favorite, the cannoli to the most scrumptious chocolate cake you've ever sunk you teeth into you can't go wrong with a single dessert here. Although, I highly recommend the lobster tails. They're the most delicious puff pastry with the richest, most incredible cream filling you've ever had. So make sure and head west of the Hudson River and stop in Hoboken, NJ. Because this is a treat you don't want to miss!

Love Knows No Bounds

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I'd share an inspirational story about the mystery and intrigue we've come to know as love. This is my personal love story, written shortly after my husband and I's August wedding. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by the true beauty of love...


The moment I laid eyes on him, my heart came to a momentary halt. His smile was infectious, his laugh contagious. I couldn’t help but stare as he and his friends danced playfully amongst themselves. Our eyes met from across the room and the connection was instantaneous. He walked over to me and asked me to dance. Speechless, I gave him a quick nod and shyly followed him to the dance floor.  As he pulled me close, I stopped him.

“I’m a good girl,” I stated, matter of factly.

“And I’m a bad boy,” he replied, with a smile.

His name was Thamer. Born in the states but of Libyan descent he currently lived in Columbus, Ohio as did I. He was studying to be a dentist. He seemed so level-headed and confident. He was tall, about 6’1” with short black hair, tan skin, and big chocolate brown eyes. The exact opposite of me and I loved it!

The more we talked the more perfect he seemed. He was exactly what I was looking for in a man. Until, wait! “What’s that, again?” I asked as I leaned my ear towards his lips to make sure I heard exactly what I thought he had said.

And again he spoke the same words, “I’m Muslim.”

I knew this was too good to be true, I thought to myself, and this was his fatal flaw.

You see, I, being a devout Roman Catholic all my life, never imagined my “prince charming” as a Muslim man. In fact, I deemed a romance of such impossible. Millions of thoughts flashed through my head: how would my parents feel about this, how would his parents feel about this, how could we get married in the Catholic Church, how would we raise kids…and the list went on.

All that aside, there was just something inside of me that would not completely let go of even the slightest possibility. I just had an overwhelming feeling of comfort ability with him.

But three weeks after we met, Thamer moved to California for dental school. Part of me was relieved. “Good,” I thought “3,000 miles in between us should definitely help me get over this crazy notion.”

But I just couldn’t. I moved on, so to speak, but Thamer would always find a way to call me or send me a text the second I’d seem to forget about him. Granted, it was just on a friendly basis but my feelings for him were so different from anything I’d ever felt before.

Then, one day, out of the blue he called me. “Cali-boy’s coming home,” he said, “how about getting together for dinner next week?”

Dinner’s harmless, I tried to fool myself. “Yea, sure, why not,” I answered.

When I opened my front door and saw him standing there it was like I was seeing him for the first time all over again. My heart melted. It was that moment I realized there was something so special about him and I couldn’t let him go.

We started dating and, like all relationships, we went through many ups and downs. We discussed religion daily, trying to uncover ways we could make it work. We found that, though the practices of our religions were quite different, the morals and ideals were all perfectly aligned. In essence, our daily lives were in sync, just our worship days and holidays would be spent differently.

Though, we saw light at the end of the tunnel, I sometimes felt so hopeless and disheartened. I even broke up with him twice. It was so sad to me that two people so in love, whom shared the same love of God and lived daily under God’s will could not be together because of the different practices of worshiping. After all, it is the same God!!!

I sought guidance from a priest as Thamer sought guidance from an imam, a holy man of Islam. We prayed and prayed and asked our families to pray for us and, after many prayers and religious studies, came to the conclusion that God brought us together for a reason and we were going to make this work.

We married August 1^st, 2009 at St. Peter’s Church in Mansfield, Ohio where three generations of my family married before me. It was a big Catholic/Muslim wedding—two ceremonies in one, something we never thought possible. It was a cultural fantasy. The priest and the imam collaborated, bringing the two faiths together in what our guests deemed: the best wedding they’d ever been to.

We know the path ahead for us will be challenging but we also know our love for each other and for God will stand the tests of time. We brought two cultures and religions together in the most beautiful way and it was nothing short of inspirational to all who were there. We must never forget that God created and loves us all and he works in mysterious ways. We feel that we are an example of that and our story should allow others to open their hearts to people of different faiths around them. We can learn so much by doing so, even strengthen our own faith.

As for our story, we finally got our happy ending, though our fairy tale has just begun. And we couldn’t be happier or feel more blessed!

Times Square

"Lights, camera,..action!" Typically when we hear these words we automatically think of all the glamour of a Hollywood movie. But I thinks it perfectly sums up one of the most fascinating landmarks in NYC--Times Square. Sometimes known as the "Crossroads of the World," Times Square has become an iconic world landmark known for its spectacular digital advertisements and has become symbolic of NYC. Located at one of the most well known intersections in Manhattan at Broadway and 7th Ave. and stretching from W 42nd to W 47th Streets, Times Square lights up the city blocks better than a 4th of July display of even the most advanced fireworks. The streets are always crowded, tourist's cameras always snapping shots, and there is always more than enough action to keep even the most picky people watchers busy for hours at a time. Plus, the streets are lined with some of the greatest NYC stores and restaurants. The experience is nearly impossible to put into words as it is like nothing you have ever seen before. I'll never forget the first moment I emerged from that subway on 42nd St. and caught my first glimpse of Times Square. My jaw dropped to the floor and my eyes opened wider than they ever had before as I fervently explored this dynamic phenomenon. You have to see it to believe it and I highly suggest you do! So, hop on the subway and take it to 42nd Street. You won't be disappointed.