Hello my angels!  I have some very exciting news for you.  This week, Princeton University’s Triangle Club stages it’s 117th production, “A Turnpike Runs Through It.”  This hilarious look at life in New Jersey is a sure-fire hit - last year’s production was SOLD OUT!  Buy your tickets now.

McCarter boasts that the show has more “ho-ho’s than Ho-Ho-Kus, plus Triangle’s infamous all-male kickline in which our own Jersey boys pay tribute to the ultimate Jersey girl. High kicks! High hair! Hi-larious!”

The show will only run this Friday, November 9th and Saturday, November 10th and can be purchased from McCarter Theatre’s website.   The show starts at 8 pm on both nights.  I am travelling for business in Pittsburgh and will miss both performances and I am truly disappointed.  So, if you go - please let me know what you think!!

UPDATE: Word on the streets is that the Triangle Club is bringing this production back in May.  So if you miss it this weekend, like me, you will have another chance to see it!!

Boy, I wish I had a lot of cash to burn!!  I just got back from the “Style on the Square” fashion show in Princeton.  It was so much fun!  I hope some of you were able to make it out there.

The fashion show was held at the Nassau Inn this afternoon and was the culmination of Princeton’s Fashion Week.  Participating stores included Aerosoles, Au Courant Opticians, Banana Republic, Bluemercury, Bucks County Dry Goods, Chico’s, Cotton Company, Dandelion, Design Within Reach, Ici Fashion for Children, Lace Silhouettes Lingerie, Nine West, The Papery of Princeton, Pawtisserie, Salon Vis A Vis, Stacy Gemma, and Talbots Kids.  The stores provided clothing for the models (women, children, dogs and one brave gentleman - all volunteers), who shined as they strutted their stuff on the runway.  Refreshments were provided, and a few raffles were held. 

With the fashions broken into career, weekend and evening sections, each participating store showcased their hottest styles for the fall.  The big crowd pleasers were the two young boys who hammed it up for the crowd with winks and muscles, the young girl models, and one lady who braved one of her runway passes like the best of them with shoes too big for her feet.  The common fashion themes included grey sweater dresses, opaque tights, chunky high heels, and green and brown anything.  I personally am obsessed with an adorable green jacket from Banana Republic.  I might have to splurge and buy it!

Were you at the “Style on the Square” Fashion Show?  Let me know what you thought!! Here are a few pictures I snapped at the show… Enjoy!

Animal Friends for Education and Welfare will host its 4th Annual Wine and Food Pairing and Art Auction on Saturday, October 20th.  A.F.E.W. is a 501c3 organization which aims to raise public awareness of animal issues by promoting public education in fostering respect, understanding and care for all animals, as well as placing special emphasis on spaying and neutering to help stop pet overpopulation.  A.F.E.W. established a network of foster homes that provide housing and socialization for animals until a permanent home can be found.

The Wine and Food Pairing will take place on Saturday from 5 pm to 8 pm at Enterprise Firehouse on Klockner Road in Hamilton, NJ. Hor d’oeuvres by Chef Ken Martin of Wegman’s will be featured alongside wines from around the world. Tickets are $40 and are not sold at the door, so be sure to purchase them ahead of time. All proceeds will benefits A.F.E.W.’s furry friends.  Call (609) 448-5322 or go to http://www.afewpets.org/index.php for more details.  Join A.F.E.W. next weekend for a purrfectly good time! 

Warm temperatures filled the Princeton University streets with people wearing shorts and flip-flops this past October Saturday night. And what better way to enjoy the oddly warm weather but to enjoy it at Thomas Sweets Ice Cream & Chocolate. As usual, there was a line outside the door as always right up until winter. But one of the great things about the line is that it moves rather quickly…it’s just scooping ice cream after all, isn’t it? Well…no, it’s not just about scooping ice cream. There’s more to it than that. Thomas Sweet offers perfect scoops of indulgence blending family and friends together and topping it all off with another delicious treat – music.

Right outside the side entrance to Thomas Sweet there’s a space reserved for musicians to play. One of Thomas Sweet’s regular musicians, BRIZ, played Saturday evening as he usually does on weekends. I happened to catch his performance while enjoying time with the family and a lip smacking “Blend-In” with vanilla ice cream, heath bar, m&ms, and kit kat (try it, it’s a MUST). We caught a good portion of Briz’s set, taking in every beat. He soulfully sang a string of rock covers, with just the right gravely touch in his voice and had laid-back edge. He paid homage to popular musicians by slightly changing his voice to sound like the artist he was playing. Strumming his guitar, sounding his harmonica, and keeping the rhythm with his left foot, Briz didn’t miss a beat with the audience who couldn’t help themselves but join in and sing with him. On this cozy October Saturday night, the air echoed with the blissful sounds of people singing together “..bye, bye Miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry…”

You’ll find Briz is a lot more than just a one-man band. Check out his websites at www.brizsongs.com and www.myspace.com/brizsongs.

And of course, spoil yourself before winter spoils you! Visit Thomas Sweet today at:

Thomas Sweet
179 Nassau St.
Princeton, NJ 08542
Ice Cream, Chocolates, Ice Cream Cakes

Thomas Sweet
29 Palmer Square
Princeton, NJ 08542
Chocolates only

Thomas Sweet
55 Easton Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Ice Cream, Ice Cream Cakes, Candy, Chocolates

McCarter Theatre Center is one of my absolute favorite things about this area of New Jersey.  The folks over there know how to do it right.  With three performance spaces, McCarter can offer an eclectic array of the arts that is unsurpassed in this region.

The theatre is located in the heart of Princeton, at 91 University Place, just off Nassau Street.  A perfect evening would start off with dinner and drinks at one of the many lovely Princeton restaurants (my personal favorites include Teresa’s and Winberies), catching a great performance at McCarter and then ice cream at either Halo Pub or Thomas Sweets.  Sounds good, right? 

Below is a listing of what McCarter Theatre Center has cookin’ for the month of October. Visit their website for this information and much more!

Theater:

Stick Fly Sep 7 - Oct 14 2007 There may be skeletons in the closet of the LeVays’ genteel beach house. When the younger son’s fiancée, who has not had wealth to cushion her color, arrives at the family’s home in Martha’s Vineyard, it ignites a dance of class, territory and duty, and explosive family secrets.

Tartuffe or THE IMPOSTER Oct 7 - Oct 28 2007 Tartuffe is the epitome of a houseguest from hell. Under a cloak of piety, he works his way into Orgon’s household and tries to run off with the family’s fortune and beautiful daughter. Everyone but Orgon sees through Tartuffe’s pose, but is it too late to save them from ruin?

Music:

Joshua Redman Trio/Brad Mehldau Trio Oct 15 2007 For 15 years one of the most compelling and fearless saxophone voices in jazz, Joshua Redman returns to the classic sax/bass/drums acoustic trio format. Pianist Brad Mehldau has subsequently forged his own path which embodies the essence of jazz exploration and pop allure.

Richard Goode, piano Oct 16 2007 Richard Goode’s reputation as the “pianist’s pianist” is widely acknowledged, He has long been admired as one of today’s leading interpreters of the Baroque, Classic and Romantic repertoire.

Taylor Eigsti Trio Oct 19 2007 Another of the current crop of jazz wunderkinds, Taylor Eigsti just turned twenty-two - and already has two Grammy nominations! Like Eldar (who’s a year younger), he dazzles on the keys, offering a varied palette.

Itzak Perlman Oct 23 2007 Itzhak Perlman will return to McCarter for the first time since 1982 when he joins with twelve string players from the Perlman Music Program for an evening of chamber music, including Mozart’s String Quintet in g, K. 516 (two violas) and Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence for String Sextet, Op. 70.

Andrew Manze, violin/Richard Egarr, piano Oct 29 2007 Two conductors lay down their batons and take up their instruments in this joint recital: violinist Andrew Manze, the renowed specialist in baroque music and his longtime collaborator, Richard Egarr.

Dance:

Tango Buenos Aires Oct 30 2007 Who can resist the tango? This troupe of 20 dancers and musicians from the dance form’s very cradle showcases its roots, richness and passion, from its early beginnings more than a century ago, to the social dance that has become a worldwide passion.

Georgian State Dance Company Oct 31 2007 A Russian cousin to the mighty Moiseyev, the Georgians are an 80-member troupe that has performed to over 50 million people in 87 countries. This enthralling company preserves all the ceremony, comedy and acrobatic feats of traditional Georgian folk dance.

We ate, I danced, she laughed - we had fun…

Last night, my friend Jill and I checked out the Italian-American Festival at Mercer County Park. As reported previously on this blog, entry was only two dollars and there was much to see and do. Jill and I first stopped by the retail booths. Vendors were selling olive oil, jewelry, Italian-pride branded clothing and more.

Food was our next stop. We each bought a pasta dish from Massimo’s, but there were plenty of other restaurants represented. Jill wanted a cannoli for dessert while I wanted a festival-favorite, fried oreos. Both were delicious!!

We watched some bocce ball, saw performers (a Marilyn Monroe impersonator!), and checked out the rides. The festival featured a ferris wheel, a jumbo slide, swings and many more, although we ended up not taking a ride.

The great thing about the Italian-American festival is the people! We had a few of our friends meet us there, and ran into a lot of others we haven’t seen in a while. The festival will run all weekend, and it is a beautiful day. So get up, get out and go!! For more information and directions, visit the Festival Website.

It’s true ~ it’s time to wear your loose fitting pants and put on those dancin’ shoes… the 8th Annual Italian-American Festival has arrived!  You know what that means, don’t you?  Lots of delicious food, fun entertainment and bocce ball!!

The festival will run all this weekend, Friday, September 28th - Sunday, September 30th.  It is being held at the Mercer County Park in West Windsor and admission is only $2.00.  Yes, two bucks!!

Stop on by and enjoy the culture, the food, visit the dancing tent, and enter one of the raffles!  I am heading out there on Friday night, so I will be sure to report back on how much fun I had and how full my belly is!

For more information and directions, visit the Festival Website.  And no, I am not Italian-American, just a fan and friend to many who are!

New Jersey Young Professionals will be hosting a tour of Hopewell Valley Vineyards this Sunday, September 30th at 1:30 pm.  The vineyard is located in Pennington and features a wide range of award winning wines.  You can register for the event here.

If you can’t join NJYP this Sunday, I highly recommend getting to Hopewell Valley this Fall!  It is a beautiful time of year to tour the vineyard, learn about how wines go from grape to bottle, and enjoy a sampling of their most popular wines.  Private tours can also be arranged. Make sure that you bring a DD and your credit card - after sampling all those delicious wines, you will definitely want to bring some home with you! For more information and directions, visit their website.

Interested in NJYP? New Jersey Young Professionals is about getting out and making friends! There are thousands of members and a whopping 20-30 Official Events per month. Members meet at restaurants, bars, in coffee houses, at comedy clubs, and even outdoors. So, if you are single or married and 21-39 years old, New Jersey Young Professionals is ready to help you “Get out. Make friends.”

Address: 657 Ithaca Place Hightstown, NJ 08520 Contact: Rachel Goldstein Phone: (609) 371-5276 Fax: Website: http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org Interest Area: Arts & Culture, Children & Youth, Community, Health & Medicine, Homeless & Housing