Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, especially my amazing dad!
Thanks for always being up for going on one of my crazy adventures with me!
New York Edge Summer Kickoff Soiree
New York Edge Young Professionals Council (L-R): Mateo Creamer, Eileen Tublin, Rose Wisniewski, Evvie Kelley, Chris Creegan, Diana Arias, Elizabeth Tam, Robert Strang, Kinja Dixon, Kyle Deleon
Last night the New York Edge Young Professionals Council (of which I am president of) and I hosted the 4th Annual New York Edge Summer Kickoff Soiree at the Ainsworth - East Village. I want to thank everyone who came out to support our event!
I am so happy to say that all of the tickets were SOLD OUT!
I want to thank everyone who came out to the Summer Kickoff Soiree and helped us raise money to benefit New York Edge in providing free after school programming to students across the Greater NYC area!
New York Edge has been and still is one of my favorite non profits to work with. They are the largest provider of free after school programming in NYC, reaching over 35,000 students in over 130 schools!
As a product of NYC public schools, their cause really hits home for me and is something I am very proud to support!
New York Edge Young Professionals Council (L-R): Eileen Tublin, Ian McCarty, Mateo Creamer, Kinja Dixon, Evvie Kelley, Rose Wisniewski, Chris Creegan, Diana Arias, Elizabeth Tam, Robert Strang, Kinja Dixon, Kyle Deleon
New York Edge Spring Arts Showcase
On Wednesday, June 6, 2018 I attended the 9th Annual Spring Arts Showcase for the non profit New York Edge (formerly Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation). NY Edge has been one of my favorite non profits to volunteer with and this is one of their favorite events I love to attend (the other is the annual STEP Competition)
The Spring Arts Showcase featured some of the top performances and art, ranging from dancing and stepping to fashion designs and 3-D artwork. Needless to say, I was truly impressed. Check out the photos and video in this post!
In light of what has been happening in current events, in particular the suicides of fashion designer Kate Spade and Chef Anthony Bourdain, I was truely moved by the step performance, in which they addressed suicide prevention.
The free after school programming New York Edge provides is very impactful, reaching over 25,000 students in 120+ schools across the Greater NYC area. The after school programming varies from sports, arts, education, music and more. I love volunteering with such a great organization and am currently President of the NY Edge Young Professionals Council.
The NY Edge Young Professionals Council will be hosting our 4th Annual Summer Kickoff Soiree on Thursday, June 14, 2018 at the Ainsworth - East Village. If you are interested in attending, tickets can be purchased here:
https://sasfny.networkforgood.com/events/7165-new-york-edge-kickoff-to-summer-soiree
How to Make the Perfect Flower Arrangement
For Mother’s Day this year, I took a floral arrangement 101 class with The Wild Bunch and I made my mother a flower arrangement (which she loved).
I’ll be the first to say I do not have a green thumb, in fact when I moved into my new apartment in April I swore I would not have any plants, pets or anything they could die. However I did manage to make a pretty decent looking flower arrangement, if I do say so myself.
Here are a few take aways I learned:
Choosing Flowers
- Keep a simple color palette, but you can have a variety of flowers and foliage
- Fresh flowers have tighter bulbs and will last longer
Prepping the flowers
- Remove all leaves (and thorns) below the water line, this makes for easier arranging and a cleaner look
- Cut the bottom of the stems on a diagonal, the increased surface area will allow the flower to absorb more water
- Use luke warm water
Arranging the flowers
- Create a grid by crossing the foliage
- Insert the flowers into the grid at varying heights for depth
- Measure the stem lengths before you cut them
Maintaining the flowers
- Change the water every 2 days
- Remove stems as they die
- Recut the stems when you change the water to increase longevity of the flowers
If I can make a gorgeous flower arrangement, you can too!
Thank you to the Moxy Times Square & The Wild Bunch for a wonderful class!
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there, especially my amazing mom!
Thank you to my wonderful mother for raising me and my sister. I do not know where I would be without you! I love you! 💕
SASF 25th Anniversary Luncheon
Today marked the 25th Anniversary of Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation, the largest provider off free after school programming in NYC and a non profit that i hold near and dear to my heart!
SASF serves over 125,000 students in over 130 schools across NYC. I first got involved with them in 2013 when I was Miss NY, I absolutely fell in love with them and all that they do. Now in their 25th year, they have re-branded and will now be operating as New York Edge.
As President of the SASF Young Professionals Council, I have definitely had the opportunity to see all the progress and phenomenal accomplishments they have made over the years as well the tremendous growth my board has undergone as well.
Congratulations to the winner of the Legacy Award Nico Elmaleh and Gold Star Award winner Matthew Petrula!
I look forward to seeing all of SASF/New York Edge's continued success in the next 25 years!
Miss US Galaxy Interview with the Tulle Project
Every girl, woman and person has the ability to do whatever they set their mind to - breaking stereotypes, changing boundaries and setting the standards. I believe that girls and women do not have to categorize themselves in behaving one way or another, in fact we can change these perceptions set upon us by society.
Check out my interview with Silvana Favaretto, Founder of the Tulle Project. In our conversation, we discussed the importance of embracing who you are and breaking stereotypes - everything from what it is like being a woman in a male dominated industry (finance), making a difference by living by example and showing that you can have brains AND beauty!
The Tulle Project is a place for women to look and feel beautiful, feminine, and graceful—and also encouraged, connected, and empowered. Their mission is to help people make meaningful connections, share their stories and equip themselves to be their best. For every skirt that is purchased, one will be donated to a child in need!
My take away from what I have learned over the years is:
Don't be afraid to show who you are and take a risk, who knows where it will take you!
Happy International Pageant Day!
Happy International Pageant Day!
I am grateful for all of the amazing people I have met and opportunities I have had throughout my pageant career!
Pageantry is more than just looking pretty, pageantry has given me a lot these past years - new friends, new opportunities, but more importantly, the opportunity to get involved with the community. After my reign as Miss NY US, I became increasingly involved with Sports & Arts in Schools Foundation and now lead their Young Professionals Board as President.
I do not think I would be nearly as involved with the community if it were no for pageants.
I am so honored to be/been involved with the Miss Galaxy (Miss US Galaxy), Miss United States (Miss New York), Miss Tourism (Miss Empire State), Miss America and other systems.
To all those considering entering pageants, give it a shot! And if you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out!
Happy Pi Day!
Happy π Day!!!
Call me a math dork, but Pi Day is one of my favorite holidays to celebrate! For those of you who do not know, the Greek symbol π (pi) represents the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter and is equal to approximately 3.1415926535. π is used in calculating various aspects of circles, including the area of circles, volume of cylinders and spheres.
π Day is celebrated on March 14, 3/14, which represents the first 3 digits of π. Pi is an irrational number, continuing on for forever... How many digits of π can you recite?
This year to celebrate π Day, a few of my fellow math loving friends from high school and I went to Bubby's and got some delicious pie! What did you do to celebrate?
What Goes Into A Photo Shoot?
I had the pleasure of shooting with photographer Nephi Lim, hair stylist Jon Chao & makeup artist Alani Rasheed in Bushwick (Brooklyn, NYC). Nephi had the brilliant idea of creating dual persona for me, starting with an innocent, sweet girl persona turning into a dark, goth persona. The team did a fantastic job making this happen!
Photo shoots serve many purposes, one of which is a way to be creative and express yourself. Photo shoots may seem glamorous, with the wind blowing in the model's hair and the flashes shooting; however there is a lot of work that goes into getting the perfect shot. From the preparation (styling your hair, getting your makeup done and finding the right outfit) to the actual shoot (working on those poses/expressions and snapping the right angles) you are looking at a few hours of work, not to mention the photo editing afterwards.
This shoot was by no means a quick shoot, we had started around 7 PM and shot until 1 AM, but definitely worth it - check out the final product below.
For the first look we went with a sweet, innocent look. We kept the makeup and hair minimal, not to seem too glamorous.
For the second look we went with a dark, goth look. We used dark, heavy makeup and gave the hair more volume and scruff.
Nephi & Lani used their creativity to take this look to the next level - check it out!
Let me know your thoughts on the photos, concept or photo shoots and modelling in the comments section!
Accidental Blind Date
Never thought the words "accidental blind date" would come across my mouth, but at the same time, this would only happen to me... thank you online dating.
Here's the rather amusing story:
I was meeting with my friend for dinner to catch up at Bea in Hell's Kitchen. My friend had already arrived by the time I got there, so I told the hostess that I was meeting my friend Jayme, who had made a reservation. She seems confused, but then points me in the direction of a random man, clearly not my female friend...
The man walks over and says "Patricia?" I tell him, I am not her. He continues, "You do not look like the woman in the pictures..." Despite this, it definitely crossed his mind that I could have been his date for the night - LOL!
We turn to the hostess, clearly not who we both had intended to meet with, and let her know. After a few more minutes of awkwardly waiting, the hostess finally brought me to meet my friend.
As my friend and I are exiting the restaurant, I see the man with his date, who happens to be Asian, like myself :P I will say it looked like they had hit it off, despite the mix up. Congrats to him - lets hope he can spot her out in a crowd for their next date!
Thank you to the hostess for trying to to set me up on an accidental blind date!
The Art of the Chinese New Year Lion Dance
This past weekend, Chinese New Year was celebrated in Chinatown. One of my favorite parts of the parade is all of the lion dances!
Lion dances are fun to watch, but what do they symbolize?
What is the lion dance?
The lion dance is a traditional Chinese dance, in which performers wear a lion costume and perform a dance to mimic a lion's movements. The dance is accompanied by soudns of Chinese cymbals and drums. The lion dance is typically performed around the Lunar New Year to chase away evil spirits away and bring good luck and fortune.
You can typically find lions performing the lion dance for businesses days following New Years. The lions will go down the street and stop to perform at any store that will have them. As part of the traditional dance, the lions will reach for a head of lettuce place upon a pole and tied to a red envelope. The lion will then grab the head of lettuce and spit out the lettuce, the red envelope will be a reward for the performers as they are bringing luck with their dances.
The lion is a symbol of power, courage, wisdom and good fortune. The lion costume consists of two performers, one for the head and one behind. This may seem easy to maneuver, however it is quite the opposite as it requires a lot of coordination. The dances have a lot of movement, dancing, jumping on stools and even on type ropes and pure acrobatics sometimes.
This Chinese New Year, I was fortunate enough to see a full performance and even get to pet and take a photo with a lion!
Chinese New Year Traditions
Happy Chinese New Year!
2018 is the Year of the Dog!
Honest and loyal, those born in the year of the dogs are the truest friends and most reliable partner. Dogs include those born in: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018
Chinese New Year is always a fun holiday and filled with lots of celebrations, traditions and the food of course!
Here is a quick 101 on all you need to know about Chinese New Year.
Chinese New Year Greetings
- 新年快乐 - Happy New Year
- 恭贺新禧 - Happiness & Prosperity
- 身体健康 - Enjoy good health
Traditions
- Red Envelopes
Red envelopes with "lucky money" are given to younger generations - End of Year Dinner
While New Years Day is when the holiday technically begins, having a bountiful dinner the night before is just as important. You should have leftovers to bring into the new year as a sign that you will not go hungry into the new year. - Tangerines & Oranges
Tangerines and oranges are displayed everywhere and given to friends and family. Tangerines represent wealth and oranges are a popular symbol of good luck - Kick off the year with something SWEET
You should have a piece of candy or something sweet to begin the new year, it will show you will have a sweet year - Hair Cut
You should get your hair cute before the new year, but should absolutely NOT get your hair cut on the day of or during the 2 weeks following New Year Day - Showers
Do not shower Chinese New Year Day, it is believed that you will wash away your luck. If you are really courageous, it is suggested you do not shower for 8 days (I will not be taking part in that part)
Foods
There are a lot of traditional foods, here are some of the more traditional and my favorites
- Fa Gao
Cakes are supposed to bring you good fortune (it also looks like a fortune cookie) - Sesame Ball Cookies
Cookies are supposed to bring you laughter into the new year and are symbols of family reunions - Nian Gao
Cake will bring sweetness into your life, asthe cake is very sweet
I could go on and on, but these are just a few of the traditions of Chinese New Year.
Let me know some of your traditions for the new year in the comments!
NYFW Spring 2018 - That's a Wrap
New York Fashion Week - Spring 2018 has officially come to an end.
NYFW has changed a lot over the past few years, in fact this year a few major NYFW designers opted out of the official NYFW schedule, including Alexander Wang, Public School Rodarte, Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra and Thom Browne to name a few.
Budgets for NYFW have gotten smaller and smaller as have the crowds and celebrities attending. I noticed that the events open to the public and promotion events declined this year. Designers appear to be taking a stance and changing their marketing approaches through:
- collaborations
- direct to consumer marketing
- digital media
- off-cycle shows
I think these methods, will provide designers to reach their customers more effectively with more relevant/timely collections and brand ambassadors. Despite all of the changes, I still love getting glammed up and checking out all of the new designs and what everyone is wearing (on the runway and off)!
Last week, I was lucky enough to attend Sherri Hill's NYFW Fashion Show, where she showcased her new Spring 18 collection. Needless to say, her collection was filled with pastels and SPARKLE!
Sherri Hill and I on the runway after her NYFW show!
As a pageant girl, you could imagine how much I loved being there and seeing all of the new designs and all of the models, including the reigning Miss Universe Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters & Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach!
After the show, I head the pleasure of meeting Sherri Hill! She was so sweet and genuine, which was very refreshing!
Can't wait until next time!
Fashion Illustration with Holly Nichols
As part of NYFW, Apple hosted "Live Art: Runway-Inspired Portraits with Holly Nichols" as part of their "Today with Apple" series at Apple Soho.
One of my favorite fashion illustration Artists Holly Nichols spoke to the audience on a range of topics from how to launch your business, social media and her favorite designers to draw. After the Q&A, Holly walked us through a hands on step-by-step lesson on how she makes her gorgeous sketches using Apple's iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and the Procreate app.
Holly's workshop was very informative, I learned a lot about her techniques, how to effectively use the Procreate App - from the brushes, to layering and how to draw hair! This was my first time trying out the new Apple Pencil, it was a pretty handy tool and great for drawing, painting & sketching my masterpiece with.
On a personal note, Holly is one of my favorite Fashion Illustrators. Her sketches are fashionable and stylish meets confident and bold.
I am not the best artist, but I really enjoyed the workshop and would definitely recommend taking advantage of the workshops Apple offers if you have time.
Check out Holly's fantastic sketch below on the left and my attempt at a sketch on the right.
Not the best, but not bad for my first attempt at a fashion sketch and on digital media, nonetheless! Now if only I could sketch as well as Holly does!
Motivation Monday w/ the Eagles
Congratulations to the Super Blow LII Champions the Philadelphia Eagles!!!
If this journey does not scream MOTIVATION MONDAY, I do not know what does! The Eagles have come a long way as underdogs to Super Bowl Champs and it has been a long time coming (at least that is what my co-worker tells me).
In honor of the Eagles winning the Super Bowl last night, here is a shot from my photoshoot in Philly with Bill of Echelaeus Inc!
I was actually in Philly for a charity fundraiser for New Leash on Life USA. New Leash on Life, also a great Motivation Monday related non-profit, works to both save the lives of dogs at shelters by placing them with inmates, which in turn gives the inmates a chance at redemption, helping both the dogs and the inmates. It was a very moving cause.
But enough about football, what motivates YOU?
My goals & motivations this month are to:
- Go to the gym more
- Get more sleep
- Just focus on being a better me
Share your motivations in the comments!
National Wear Red Day
Today I wear red to support National Wear Red Day, a day to raise awareness of heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease in the U.S. kill approximately one woman every 80 seconds. The good news is that 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes.
To learn more about Wear Red Day, visit: https://www.goredforwomen.org/wearredday
Farewell Ken Chenault
Today marks the end of an era at American Express as our CEO Ken Chenault passes the torch to Steve Squeri on his final day at the company.
I have been working at AMEX since June of 2015 and it by far has one of the best work cultures and work/life balance. I think this goes to show what great leadership Ken has, can’t wait to see what changes Steve will make.
I had the pleasure of speaking with him today, his last day at the company. Ken was very down to earth and really eager to meet everyone and even take some photos - it was actually rather humbling.
One thing that really resonated with me, is Ken’s ambition and drive. In a conversation yesterday, he discussed his future plans not only in the digital world, but to give back the community. Can I please be as swagger as Ken? (He said that word quite a lot yesterday). However, he did say as much as he loves AMEX he had missed out on opportunities to spend time with friends and loved ones. My advice to you, which I am sure Ken will agree with is seize every opportunity and spend time with those that you love.
My biggest takeaway on a personal level, Short people and events who are a waste of time (Silly finance reference made my Ken yesterday)
Ken has truely made an impact at the company, in the black community and the globe.
Wishing Ken the best of luck in the next chapter of his life, you are going to do great things!
Grammy Weekend 2018
This weekend marked the 60th Annual Grammy Awards! I am so excited that the Grammys were held in NYC after 15 years of being in Los Angeles! I was fortunate enough to hit a few pre-Grammy parties on Saturday.
This weekend I attended The Soiree Gala at BB Kings & a private pre-Grammy party at the W Hotel.
The Soiree Gala
Kay Morris & I
At the Soiree Gala, I saw a few performances and met a few of the artists one of which, Kay Morris, was a "Considered Grammy Nominee" performing that night! In fact, I guess I played the part so well, that she asked me to take a selfie with her and thought I was also performing that night.
W Hotel
Lexy Panterra
Next stop was the W Hotel in Times Square for a private party where Lexy Panterra performed a few song. I will be honest, I did not know too much about Lexy prior to Saturday night, but she had a great voice!
Sadly I did not make it to Clive Davis' or Diddy's Parties, but I had a great time. Cant wait until next Grammy Week, I hope the Recording Academy brings the Grammys back to NYC soon!
Why do I love the Grammys so much? Well, I actually I have quite the ties with music...
Here are some fun facts about my ties to the music and the industry (in semi chronological order):
- I can play the piano, clarinet & recorder
- I was very involved with "street teams" when I was in HS, in fact I was VP of the Greg Raposo (formerly of Dream Street) Street Team and NY State Leader of the Stevie Brock Street Team.
- I interned at a Warner Music for 1.5 years in college (2 semesters on the label side & 1 semester in corporate). I had the pleasure of interning with Liz Rosenberg during my time at WBR.
- I LOVE going to concerts
Congratulations to all of the Grammy nominees and winners!
Big shoutouts to Bruno Mars & Jay-Z on your big wins!
First Photoshoot of 2018
Today I had the pleasure of shooting with Babs Photography and had my makeup done by Selma Makeup NYC!
We shot in studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Things to know when shooting, always be ready for anything, and know there may be a long wait time in between shoots!
Barbara and Selma were amazing, I can’t wait to shoot with them again!
Outfit:
Dress: JCrew
Shoes: Marc Defang
Jewelery: Swarovski