No matter what your stance on the war there’s one thing that I think is universally understood…men in uniform are hot. I know this may not have anything to do with my usual volunteer posts, but seeing that it was just Veteran’s Day I wanted to thank again all the people who’ve served in the military.
It wasn’t a volunteer gig but I was able to attend an amazing event because of my friend connections….Marine Ball.
This was my second year to attend and I loved it as much as the last time.
The whole evening made me feel like I had stepped back in time. I was able to wear a beautiful dress and be surrounding by young men in uniform. I was also able to meet General James Mattis who I was told is a BIG deal in the Marines. He charmed me over when he told me that I looked gorgeous.
I don’t know too much about the military but I do know that when the General spoke and all the marines stood up there was a feeling a pride that swept over me. I’ve been to many events but these type of events will always be special to me.
After the party at the Marine’s memorial many of us made our way to the unofficial Slide afterparty where the revelry continued.
I just wanted to thank again everyone who is or did serve in the military and who’ve continued to fight for our freedom.
Tech geeks and society chic’s came together for the first official time at the BRAVO Opera Club’s Fall Membership party presented by Chic Meets Geek and held at Automattic Lounge.
This was quite a party with quite a line-up with big names such as Damon Dunn (Former Dallas Cowboy), Mattin Noblia (Top Chef contestant Las Vegas), Randi Zuckerberg (Facebook), Maurice Ramirez (Chief Photographer of MTV) and Matt Mullenweg (WordPress). And talking about line-up, we had quite one going outside of the venue. I felt slightly bad for the people waiting outside, but then I realized for every great event there’s going to be a line, so my bad feeling quickly subsided.
This was definitely not one of the normal art events. With tech demo’s and the amazing Terri Disley playing it up this was one of those BRAVO events that will not be forgotten. My friend Carol Tran was the amazing organizer for the night and she did a fabulous job blending these groups.
There are usually quite a few events specifically gear for the tech or the socialite crews, but there’s never been one geared to blend these two power players all together. I think this could be the event series to do it and I can’t wait for more of these to come. Because while I love attending both types of events if I could attend one that brings the two together and only have to buy one dress that be the best situation.
Check out Vidsf.com’s Olya Lapina’s coverage of the event:
I’m going to say it…ArtPoint does some of the most memorable parties ever. I’ve visited the Legion of Honor numerous times, but to hold such a huge party inside was one visit I will never forget. The halls were filled with ghouls, goblins, and a whole bunch of women who were trying to pass off lingerie as costumes.
When I first entered I knew that it was going to be an interesting night with the museum awash in a spooky glow and scary music. The one part of the party that took a little getting used to was being able to drink and party next to antiques, but fortunately the ones that would have been easily breakable were under glass. The food wasn’t too impressive, or maybe that’s because I filled up before I got there. I did help myself to the pounds of jelly beans scattered throughout. Too bad there wasn’t a larger selection of candy though. I was really hoping for some mini-Reese’s Pieces.
I was able to do my usual volunteer gig and that meant manning the tarot card and palmer readers. I’ve never talked with either of these people, so being able to do it for free was an opportunity that I wasn’t going to pass up. The Tarot card reader said a lot of good things, but I’m still waiting for them to come true.
After the volunteer shift I was able to roam the museum, stare at art, and dance to the PopRocks down in what would usually be the cafeteria. This was seriously one of the greatest places to hold this amazing event. I have to say that dancing it up in museums is my party place of choice. You’re able to have fun and dance the night away, but if you want a quite moment to yourself you can sneak away to check the exhibits. Just make sure to leave your food and drinks outside.
Go and see this movie! When people hear about political documentaries you might get flash backs to many of the Michael Moore films your friends told you to go see. This isn’t one of them. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about politics and even less about immigration, but this movie brings the issue home.
I work with Netroots Nation who helped sponsor the screening at the Sundace Kabuki Theater. This gave me the opportunity to help with registration and meet a lot of new people in the SF area. I’ve never been involved in politics before, but just being surrounded by these new group of people really helped spark a interest to get to know the scene and become more involved.
Going back to the documentary it was extremely well done, but it also still felt homemade. The filmmakers, Annabel Park and Eric Byler, have been showing clips on their YouTube channel, which has gathered quite a bit of interest. That really showed by the size of the audience who came to support the screening. After the screening there was a Q&A with the filmmakers, unfortunately not too many people choose to use the microphone so I wasn’t able to hear many of the questions but Annabel and Eric were great at addressing everyone’s questions.
The best part of the film is that you can feel the emotion of the immigrants that this issue affected. It kind of hit home since I have many family members who are first generation immigrants from the Philippines. No matter who you are or where you reside don’t be naïve to think that this situation doesn’t exist somewhere near you. It may take a less dramatic setting and be more subtle, but it exist and that’s something that we can’t forget. So remember immigration and the issues that surround it will eventually affect everyone. Don’t turn a blind eye to this issue, instead you can start familiarizing yourself with the situation by watching this movie.
In celebration of Halloween the 30 & Under SF Ballet ENCORE group held a wonderful happy hour at Swig lounge in downtown SF. If you weren’t there then you missed a great opportunity to meet and greet with young professionals interested in the arts, especially in the ballet.
I was surprised to see people who actually brought their own masks to the event, especially since it was immediately after work but it’s good to know that people were getting into the spirit of season.
I know that many of the people there might not be the biggest fans of the Ballet, but it’s good to know that they’ll come out and support us. Plus, when you tell people to stop by and partake in some free Greek food from Mezes and some free wine it usually helps them make up there mind whether or not to stop by.
If you missed this event then stay tuned because we’ll be bringing you more, especially with the SF Ballet’s opening gala coming up at the end of January.
I love going to the zoo, but partying with the lions at night time in a fabulous dress has to be the best way to see the animals ever. I was able to attend the 2009 San Francisco Zoo Fur Ball
2009 Fur Ball
by volunteering to help with the silent auction. They had quite a selection of donations (from Patagonia jackets to great travel trips), so I wished I was able to bid more money. Unfortunately, my money train hasn’t quite rolled in so my bids didn’t win me anything but the experience in itself was amazing.
As we made our way from working the silent auction to where the rest of the VIP’s were hanging I saw this fantastic carousel. Now let me just say I LOVE CAROUSELS! There’s something just something very innocent and magical about them. Now don’t get me wrong I’ve seen some scary creatures on those things, but if there are horses I’m there.
Afterwards we made our way to the Lion House to catch a night feeding of the lions. That was absolutely amazing. Seeing animals being fed without trying to claw my way through strollers is why I love going to these types of events.
The rest of the evening was spent dining and rocking out to the 80’s cover band PopRocks. Once they started playing Journey I was done for the evening. It was truly a memorable night and I hope they do another one of these events soon. Maybe we’ll be able to get up close with the giraffes next time. Love those!
Yes the two really do go well together. I found that out last night when I volunteered for Artpoint’s special event at the De Young museum located in Golden Gate Park.
Party goers mingled in a gorgeous rooom set off to the side while normal Friday Night visitors indulged in after hours touring and live museum in the main hall.
As usual I was able to volunteer my time by signing in event members and slapping on wristbands, but what really got me was that I would have the opportunity to tour the King Tut exhibit without having to watch out for strollers, small children, or massive crowds. Dont’ get me wrong I love all of those things, but for some reason when I’m in a museum I love to be able to look at the exhibits in quite and actually take in everything without all of my senses honing in on different distractions.
After cocktails, mini desserts from Dragonfly, a Belly dancer, and good old networking the Artpoint group was escorted to the exhibit entrance. Immediately I thought that I had been transported to Disneyland or the airport with the way the line was organized. Once inside the initial entrance I definitely thought about Disneyland since they had a pre-screening of the exhibit in a small room that was meant to resemble an Egyptian Tomb.
Now I won’t go into all the details of what was inside the exhibit, since I believe that everyone whose able should go and check it out for themselves, but I will say that it was lovely, exciting, and one not to be missed.
I will let you in on a small secret though. There is no actual mummy. For some reason the opportunity to see a dried out human carcass is one that excites me, but I guess I’ll have to wait to go to Egypt, London, or even San Jose (at least that’s what I heard whispered) before I can catch a glimps of a real one.
Nevertheless, go and check out the exhibit and bring the whole family. Since the recession still going strong this might be the only chance to catch the Boy King until you either get a raise or plane tickets to Egypt get drastically reduced.
I recently returned from New York City. Let me tell you that is a city that will continue to capture my heart everytime I step foot in its wonderful city. There’s something about the mixture of cultures, the fast pace of life, and the possibility of a crazy amazing life just around the corner that continually wants me to spend more time there.
One of the great opportunities that I was able to experience was volunteering for the Academy of Art’s Fashion Show in the main tent at Bryant Park.
Backstage Pass
Inside the Tents
Yup that's the second row
I was able to do this fabulous event because I used to work at the Academy and have been able to maintain my relationships with people in the Fashion Department.
It’s important to never burn bridges. I’m not sure if I’ve said that before but whether you work with an organization or just volunteer you never know what other opportunities may arise from the people that you know now, so that’s why it’s important to stay on good terms with the people that you meet now.
Okay….back to fashion. It felt so glamourous checking in the press (which was the fabulous job that I was assigned) and seeing all of the models come in. From Vogue to ABC we were able to snag some fabulous press to attend this event.
Another thing I never realized was just how skinny the runway models really are, but I can say that I will honestly never try and compare myself to them anymore since there’s no way I’ll ever be able to get that thin. They wore the clothes well and looked exactly like the girls that you see in all the great fashion magazines, but again I will never compare myself or try to be like them ever again.
While waiting backstage I did catch a quick glimpse of Christian Siriano, since he was showing in the tent next to us. I tried to take a picture, but unfortunately my camera reflexes aren’t that quick. There were a few other Project Runway alums who graced the front row of the Academy’s show, but I can’t remember there names and they didn’t make it to the finals so I guess their names weren’t that memorable.
This was seriously one of the best volunteer opportunities I’ve been able to experience, and it will permenantly go in my I-can’t-believe-I-was-able-to-do-this adventure. Hopefully I’ll be able to attend more fashion shows and experience even more of that fabulous NY lifestyle. Next year…..
With the SF Opera and Symphony opening gala’s right around the corner. It’s only natural to loosen up with a pre-party bash. Opera’s BRAVO club did an excellent job at this year’s pre-gala party held at Roe Club on Howard.
I was fortunate enough to attend this party in exchange for a few hours of checking in patrons. A small price to pay although I think I may be a little sick from the draft by the front door. Nothing that a glass of wine couldn’t make me forget.
At first I was a little frustrated with how complicated the check-in process was since there were two price-level parties happening at the same space, but just relaxed and dealt with things as they came.
That’s the big thing that you have to remember if you’re ever volunteering…don’t lose your cool. No matter if instructions are confusing, if people are getting upset with you, or you just don’t know what’s going on. Always fake a cool, calm and confident demeanor.
After doing my time I was able to enjoy the amazing cupcakes and the sexy Latin music. Unfortunately, there was such a long line for the fortune teller that I wasn’t able to find out what happens in my life…like me guess you’ll just have to keep checking back on my blog to find out what happens next.
Digital Summer Presented by Ubergizmo and Girls in Tech
I attended my first Digital Summer at Temple Nightclub last Wednesday and it was probably one of the more interesting Wednesday’s I’ve had in awhile. Upon arrival I was a little shocked to see a huge line wrapping all the way into the parking lot. Now while I understand waiting in line for a good party I had to wonder if they producers were just trying to hold the line to make it look like an even better party.
Fortunately, the line moved pretty quickly and it only cost $1 to attend. The dollar also went to planting trees, so see not all benefit parties have to cost an arm and a leg.
Once we got in I could definitely tell that the night was going to be more chic than geek. There were DSLR cameras at every corner, a fashion show was getting prepped, and the tech gadgets were stuffed in the back corner. But when a co-sponsor is Girls in Tech I should automatically guess that getting dressed up and fancy will be part of the evening.
No worries though, whenever you get a fun and interesting group like this together you just have to take a sip, do a little people watching and enjoy the fact that so many beautiful people are actually smart. Oh how I love SF.
Now I really have to see http://www.avatarmovie.com. The alien people are called the Na'vi. W/ my name in the movie you know it's going to be good. 3 days ago
Not sure why but the http://www.avatarmovie.com looks really really interesting. Not my typical movie choice but will have to see it. 3 days ago
Marine ball #2. Should be another interesting night. :) 6 days ago
RT @timryan House passes historic reform to provide health care for every American. 1 week ago
I’m going to say it…
