BeChicMag.com

I’m personally not a fan of handbags (I prefer a chic fanny pack instead), but if you are, you’ll love this deal. Donnella’s Closet is an online designer bag shop that sells authentic items at a reasonable cost. And if you’re in New York today, you have a chance of purchasing a purse from your favorite designer while also contributing to a great cause.

A portion of the proceeds will go towards the Fistula Foundation- an organization dedicated to the treatment and prevention of obstetric fistula, the devastating injury caused by obstructed labor.

Tonight’s shopping soiree will also include some fine cocktails- what a great way to shop!

Donnella’s Closet Handbag Event with a Cause. Free. 265 west 37th Street and Eighth Avenue. 7th floor. 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

THEY STILL HAVE THE ‘RIGHT STUFF’

As a birthday present my cousin got us floor tickets to see New Kids On the Block at Madison Square Garden. And yes ladies, they still got it!

Before seeing NKOTB, we stopped by the ever popular Local West for cocktails across the street from MSG. Apparently we weren’t the only twenty-somethings getting ready to relive the greatest hits from our childhood. It seemed as if all the women at the cafe were there for the same thing: to see the New Kids. So we went to a low key pub a block away.

At first sight of Jordan Knight I was in complete awe. I’ve been to concerts before, spoken and hung out with celebrities but I’ve never felt a sense of nostalgia and admiration. When they performed hits like “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”, “Step by Step,” and “My Favorite Girl” I was taken back in time to fifteen years ago. I remembered thinking I was the coolest kid around with Jordan’s Ken doll. But it was Jordan’s “I’ll be Loving You Forever,” that made me love him all over again. Forget what you’ve seen in VH1’s Surreal Life. Jordan is not a ‘hasbin’.

Lady Gaga and Natasha Bedingfield opened up for the New Kids. Seeing Bedingfield sing what I consider to be my personal anthem, “Unwritten,” was an unforgettable experience and the best way to start off the concert.

It was a great way to end my birthday weekend, except for the bruises I woke up with the next morning from falling off the seats after trying to dance to their freestyle moves.

AMERICA CELEBRATES A NEW ERA

Election night felt more like New Year’s Eve as New Yorkers filled the streets of Times Square looking up at the big screens waiting to hear if Barack Obama won. It was a historical night for all of us!

Americans nationwide anxiously awaited for the California ballots to be counted and finally celebrate. Friends and co-workers united and roamed the New York City streets together looking for bars with televisions to keep track of the votes. And once it was official that Barack Obama was elected and won the presidency, phone calls were made, tears were shed, block parties were thrown and car horns were heard all throughout the city until late. The New York Times reported arrests were made in Williamsburg after residents complained that the streets were packed and they couldn’t pass through the neighborhood.

In one of my previous posts I wrote, I’m not sure how I feel about being an American but I’m for sure proud of being a New Yorker. Today I join many of you when I say, I am proud to be an American too. *mercedes sanchez

ONE MINUTE WITH ED WESTWICK

On Halloween Night I was standing near the exit of a high-end restaurant in Manhattan when I spotted Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick who plays villan Chuck Bass. He was wearing black leather pants with a matching sleeveless leather vest showing off his arms. As he was leaving, Westwick stopped right beside me and unexpectedly asked me if I would do him the favor of holding his orange silk scarf as he adjusted his halloween wig. A little star-struck I replied “Sure,” and watched him put on his waist-length black wig. I was a little confused as to what his costume was so I asked him without realizing how fun the next 30 seconds were going to be.

With his English accent the British stallion said, “I am me.”

- “You’re you?”

– “Fuck yes. I am me.”

- “Nice. Do you need help putting that on?”

And that’s when he just gave me a drunken smile and stuck out his tongue. The gesture was a little much for me, though the impromptu flirting with Gossip Girl’s bad boy was lots of fun. With the wig (and the exploiting of his tongue) he looked more like a member of Kiss but without all the make-up.

La Fiesta Del Chivo

Once upon a time two tween cousins from Manhattan went on vacation to their parents’ native country, the Dominican Republic, as they did each year. Only one summer, their lives changed forever. After spending a long morning playing with a goat they considered a friend, they were traumatized when they learned that that very goat, which they named Pablo, will literally be their dinner.

I was one of those two little girls. My cousin and I saw and heard the poor goat be killed and made into a Sunday supper. From the animal’s squealing, to the washing and seasoning of the remains I will never forget our friend the goat. And it was that very day that my cousin and I said we will never eat lamb again. I stuck to that promise- until two weeks ago!

Apparently chivo, or goat is part of large family gatherings and celebrations in many Dominican homes. I was surprised to see my uncle in my parents’ kitchen wearing knee-length shorts, a long shirt and black socks as he prepared a lamb feast. My mother had already prepared a side dish of ribs and fried chicken for me as she assumed I would have nothing to do with the lamb. But it smelled so good after being marinated in rum and spices (I’m not much of a cook) that I couldn’t resist! Although it was delicious, I think I enjoyed eating it more because I was surrounded by family.

I should mention that I tried having lamb again a week later and after two bites, I spit it back out. It may have not been cooked the same way, or perhaps I was just more aware of the flesh that I was about to consume. During my hiatus, I read many books, meditated and reconnected with my spirituality. I’ve noticed that after being in such peace and becoming more aware of things, I’ve recently been thinking about meat way too much before eating it. I don’t have plans on becoming a vegetarian, but I often remember my pal Pablo (the goat) and the process of how meat gets to our dinner table.
Check out some photos below.