Happy Friday Loves! Wahoo! The weekend is upon us!

Last night, I went to the Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival on the water and was such a fun, relaxing way to spend the evening. Arts Brookfield hosted the Robert Cray Band (5 Grammys + 15 nominations), John Hiatt & the Combo, and James Carter Organ Trio! I loved the super chill vibe at the festival and really enjoyed watching the sun go down while listening to the bands.

All summer long, the Arts Brookfield will be hosting amazing events on the water! Check out all the events and schedules at http://www.brookfieldplaceny.com/EventsCalendar.

Summer nights in New York have been simply magnificent recently! Crimson colored evenings dusted with bits of magic, mystery and enchantment.

Saturday we walked down to South Seaport along the East River. We dined on amazingly delicious seafood for dinner and then watched an outdoor movie in historical Seaport beneath twinkling rows of string lights. Picture-perfect ambience!

Following the movie, we took a spontaneous stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge, brightly illuminated by the July Super Moon…I kept saying “this just can’t be real”. I literally wanted to pinch myself and make sure I wasn’t just floating in a fantastic dream. Pure bliss.

Manhattan has bewitched me and left me spell-bound. I’ll always remember this splendid New York City night…

Good Morning Sweetheart!

Hello Bucket List! Crossed another one off the list this weekend!

Twice a year (typically around May 28th and July 12th) the NYC phenomenon called “Mahattanhenge Solstice” occurs as the setting sun aligns perfectly with the New York street grid lines. The term Manhattanhenge was coined by Neil deGrasse Tyson in 2002 and the Big Apple wonder is said to have been derived from England’s Stonehenge where to sun aligns between the stones in similar fashion during solstices. Another interesting discovery, the saying “the sun rises in the east and sets in the west” is only really true twice per year during the equinoxes of spring and fall.

New Yorkers and tourists alike flooded the streets of New York City to capture the midsummer golden sunset. For a girl that simply adores watching sunsets, the Mattanhenge Solstice was definitely a memorable Manhattan moment!

Hello Sunshine! Hope you are having a Fantastic Friday!

“It’s gonna be a long hot summer” 🙂  Good Morning America hosted a Keith Urban concert in Central Park this morning (open to the public and free admission)! Yes, I’m taking full advantage of all these free summer concerts in New York!

The concert was held at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park and I arrived just before the park opened at 6:00 A.M. I hopped in line and met the nicest couple from my home state of North Carolina! Shortly after, one of the ladies I met at the John Legend concert joined us! The four of us ended up staying together during the concert and we had a blast together! I was so thankful to share the experience with such friendly people! Genuinely good company, is hard to beat!

The entire GMA team helped create an extremely upbeat concert in the park! Once we entered the concert arena, the crowd was greeted by the Walking with Dinosaurs Tyrannosaurus Rex (beginning the North American tour)! Definitely woke me right up! No need for coffee when you have enormous dinosaurs roaming around Central Park!

We found a great spot near the stage and were able to watch Keith Urban perform his warm-up! Thomas Kelly (GMA staff member & comedian), kept the crowd entertained between tapings with lots of crowd interaction, including a sing-off between audience members! Soon enough, the GMA team (Robin Roberts, Laura Spencer, David Muir and Ginger Zee) went onstage to introduce Keith Urban!! Keith has great energy and continually showed off his skills on the guitar! He is one amazing  guitar player! Wow! Spending the morning with GMA & Keith Urban was absolutely the perfect way to start the day and kick off the weekend!

Visit here to view the entire GMA Fun in the Sun Concert Series 2014 line-up!

Hello Hello! Happy Thankful Thursday to you!

Yay! Hooray! The Today Show Summer Concert series is in full swing and this morning John Legend, the Grammy award-winning artist performed here in NYC! Live concerts in NYC? Sign me up! Plus it was F-R-E-E!! Holla! I woke up bright and early (actually, it was still dark outside) and headed over to Rockefeller Center near the NBC Studios! I arrived just after 5:00 AM and there was already a long line extending to 5th Avenue!! Whoa! Luckily for me, I met some fantastic ladies waiting in line for the concert! Super friendly and outgoing!

Once the Today Staff ushered us to the concert area, I nestled in behind the press camera crew. At the beginning of the show, two girls nearby from Texas were featured on the show and we were all on TV! Right before the concert began the Today Show cast came onstage with John Legend and welcomed everyone to the concert. John Legend started by playing ‘All of Me’ on the piano and it was amazing! He has a great stage presence and his voice was incredibly captivating…SO beautiful and soulful.

Interested in attending one of the Today Show Summer Concerts? Visit the Today Show website to view the entire summer schedule of upcoming shows and to sign-up for a VIP Pass!

Tips for attending Today Show Summer Concerts:
1) Sign-up for a VIP Pass online! (Although I didn’t sign-up, VIP Pass Holders are first in line to the concert)!
2) Arrive Early! Plan to arrive BEFORE 6:00 A.M. to get the best place in line and closer to the stage once the concert begins!
3) Wear comfortable shoes! You’ll be standing for the entirety of the concert, so do your feet a favor and wear sneakers 🙂
4) Bring a bright, creative poster to stand out in the crowd! You may even be featured on the Today Show taping!
5) Have fun and enjoy yourself!

Happy Tuesday Loves!

Take a spin on the NYC Citi Bikes! Come on, it’s easy…just like riding a bike! I’m pretty much in love with the Citi Bike 24-hour bike sharing concept! Grab a bike, explore the city and drop off at one of the many locations throughout the city! Easy, fun and the perfect way to discover different parts of the city!

I had a blast biking along the West Side of the city! We had several races-complete with entertaining commentary by yours truly 🙂

“This legendary cyclist is racing strong today! Impressively passing top racers at every turn…could she be the next Tour De Manhattan winner? She is leading by large margins now!!”

Let’s just say, I got a little trigger happy with my bike bell signaling my championship! Clearly, I’m a very silly competitor! Fun times!!

Learn more about Citi Bikes by visiting http://www.citibikenyc.com

Hello Firecrackers!! Hope your July 4th weekend was filled with fun patriotic celebrations in our sweet Land of Liberty!