Sacramento aka Mis Papelicos Takes New York by Storm!

We were thrilled when the day finally arrived when we could meet Sacramento who was visiting New York from her native Malaga, Spain. We have been following each other's blogs and Instagrams for quite some time, so we were thrilled when she emailed us her plans to visit New York and her wish to meet in person. Click here to view her blog.

The opportunity to meet her stylish daughter, Rebecca (who lives in Berlin), was an added treat!  We made a day of it.  Our first stop was brunch at Cafeteria on 7th Avenue at West 17th street.  Although it was sunny, the weather was brisk with a strong breeze, so we opted for an inside table.

Next stop?  We headed to The Museum at FIT to view the exhibition "Fashion Underground:  The World of Susanne Bartsch".  Just outside FIT, we met these lovely Swedish women who stopped to chat before we all went inside.

The Susanne Bartsch exhibition is up until December 2nd and features seminars and other events, so if you plan to be in New York, put it on your itinerary. You won't be sorry. Check out our coverage of the opening night gala, click here.  While our guests viewed the costumes for the first time, we took advantage of the chance to see the mannequins, wigs, jewelry and outfits up close, with a much smaller crowd than opening night.

As if this weren't enough fun for one day, we still had a third stop to make -- a party hosted by Debra Rapoport and Stan Satlin at Westbeth!  Could life get any better than this?

When we first met at Cafeteria, Sacramento remarked that she and Rebecca were surprised to see how few New Yorkers "dressed", opting instead for sneakers and sportswear.  We assured them that the crowd at Debra's would dress and would not disappoint.  Check out Elke and Debra and we're sure you'll agree.

Carol Markel, wearing a Eugenia Kim turban, shared the sofa with Nonnie Balcer,  who was wearing a felt coat from the Lincoln Center Craft Show.  Besides painting and designing and making jewelry and hats, Carol has embarked on designing fabrics and a line of dresses. Talk about a Renaissance woman!

Jaclyn Katz, another guest and new friend of Debra's, joined our host Stan Satlin, Joyce Carpati and Ilona Royce Smithkin for a photo. In a departure from her signature white pearls, Joyce surprised all of us by wearing a terrific necklace made and designed by Carol Markel.

Debra started a wonderful tradition in honor of the late, great Lynn Dell, by suggesting that we all go around the room and tell everyone a little about ourselves.  Last to go in rotation was Goia, a budding shoe designer who reached out to Debra by email and whom she invited to the soiree.  To the left in the photo is Carol's husband, artist Richard Cramer.

Ilona's attendance was one of the highlights of the evening, signaling her return to NYC from Provincetown. This photo captures her perpetually positive attitude, wonderful sense of humor and colorful fashion sense.  And, did we mention Sacramento's grape necklace, which she designed and made herself?  And her platinum top knot, which features prominently in her NY Instagram selfies, is her signature hairdo.  She embroidered the flowers on her skirt.

Miriam, another of Debra's guests, was visiting from just outside Washington, DC. Assuming New Yorkers all dress in black, she dressed in black and charcoal. Boy, did we surprise her! We're just sorry we can't show you a better shot of her beautiful woven metal earrings.

While Jean and Nonnie were admiring each other's hats, they were happily surprised to learn they were both made by the same milliner, Amy Downs!

Jewelry designer Diana Gabriel wore a bright red silk top to complement her red coral necklace and earrings.

Shona, visiting from Melboune, Australia, was yet another of Debra's guests of honor.  We just had to show you her fabulous stockings -- which everyone commented on and loved -- and her great black patent shoes. She accessorized her dress with a black pair of squiggle enamel earrings and brooch.

Had to share this photo of Sacramento and Elke, who was proudly celebrating the birth of her grandson.  Elke's necklace is made of yellow rubber-like petals that feel like the real thing. And check out that arm of Bakelite!

Valerie snapped this shot of the trio of visitors heading home on the E train. Rebecca, Shona and Sacramento -- we loved meeting you and getting to spend some time with you and are looking forward to your next visit!

Idiosyncratic Fashionistas At Forty+ Style's New York Blogger Meet-Up Dinner

Sylvia, editor of 40+ Style, is a champion organizer, and thanks to her, a group of New York bloggers got together at La Lanterna di Vittorio in the West Village on Friday night. Not so much to discuss business, but simply to break bread and rub elbows. (And mix metaphors.) That's Sylvia, above seated at left, and Lyn Slater of Accidental Icon seated at right.  Most of you will recognize Jean, standing.

We finally met Suzanne Carillo (find her multifaceted fashion blog here), friend of our friend Forest City Fashionista Shelley Long. Suzanne travelled from Toronto to meet the New York contingent (following her and Sylvia's previous meeting at the Vancouver 40+ Blogger Meet-Up).

You may have noticed by now that we ate in a darkened room. We originally had a table in the upstairs garden under a huge skylight, with a charming overhead city view, but most of us voted for a quieter ambience in La Lanterna's cellar. Below left, is the unstoppable Sue Kreitzman (wearing a necklace of her own design), and next to her is Debra Rapoport (wearing a hat of her own design). Both of these creative women can make something fabulous out of just about anything imaginable.

That's Elyse Fradkin (Elyse4Design)  below at left, with Lisa Hartman. Lisa is in town from Utah visiting her daughter McCall, a student at Pratt. Lisa's @HersHisandOurs ("Blending Her One with His Five") is on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest and her card reads: "Master Blender".  Elyse primarily designs jewelry, but that night she grabbed our attention with a series of burlesque photos she had recently taken. Here in New York (and likely elsewhere), it is now possible to take burlesque classes, and Dita von Teese is just the best known of a number of burlesque dancers heading up the current revival.

In the center below is photographer Denton Taylor with his wife Theresa.  We heard that Theresa has an enviable shoe collection, but more importantly, she has an enviable shoe organization system: all the shoes are in shoe boxes, and displayed on each box is a life-size photo of the shoes within (courtesy of Denton) for easy retrieval. How clever is that? (Oh, and for some inexplicable reason, Jean is showing off her biceps.)

A splendid time was had by all. We ate great food, met great people, and added to our vast store of knowledge. Many of us agreed to reconvene later in the weekend for Sunday brunch. Yum!