Jed Foundation Afterparty featuring The Fray

If there's one wonderful thing the eggblog has brought into my life it would be the DannyHong.

If there are three wonderful things then it would be the DannyHong and his best friends from HBS, Noopur and Zameer.

Noopur has a fabulous job at MTV and always knows where the party at, and, more importantly, can get you in.

So Wednesday night I landed at JFK from LAX and the first thing I see in my inbox is that there's this awards-banquet afterparty going on and it's featuring the Fray and it's open bar and Get Here Now.

So I dropped off my luggage and booked it over B.B. King's in Times Square (where we last saw Boyz II Men) to meet up with all of them.




We walked into the venue and there were all these beerwenches just lined up begging us to relieve them of their beverages.



It was fantastic.



There may have been some double-fisting...




Wilmer Valderrama came onstage to introduce the band and to talk about the Jed Foundation.



We had a great spot right up against the stage.



Seriously I was so close to Ike Slade I could have slapped him.



So yeah, the main benefactor of the whole event was The Jed Foundation which is an organization aimed at preventing emotional distress and suicide among young people.

The Fray was an interesting choice of headliner for a suicide fundraiser, since their music is kind of...well...depressing...



But whatever, it was a blast.



And I bumped into my buddy Charlie and his pal Jon Oliver from the Daily Show!



Also there were a ton of hot young Marines present.



Hmmmmm....



Noops befriended a gorgeous Brazilian-looking modelman.



And I went and made some new Marine friends.



And of course we double-fisted our faces off. Yay.




Thanks again for the invite Snoopy!

Smileywine Party @ the Bel Air Vineyard

So the morning after Halloween (yes I am seriously behind in blogging) I rolled out of bed off the couch still wearing my taco costume and tried to get myself together for the Annual Brown Gala at the Bel Air Vineyard.

The wonderful family that owns the vineyard (which produces Smileywine) also happens to be family of Brown alums!

Their home (which is also the vineyard) was gargantuan.



Honestly these pictures will never do the property justice, but here goes.

You walk in through the main entrance...



And you're in the grand foyer...



Walk through the foyer, through the dining room...



Through the kitchen...



Out onto the back patio...



Once out on the back patio there's the pool and an incredible view of the vineyard.



Also there's a pond of very happy Koi.



Beyond the pool lies the tennis court...



And beyond that lies another elevated terrace, beyond which finally lies the vineyard.



We brunched to the music of a delightful string quartet.



The food spread was epic.



Finger sandwiches...



Tuna-cucumbers.



Smoked salmon thingys...



And of course, MEATBALLS.






YUM.

Lots of Brown alums from all years attended.






And though there was no Smileywine in sight (they opted to break out the nicer, pricier varietals) there was plenty to drink.



I love Browns!






In the late afternoon there was a raffle, with prizes ranging from fancy dinners to a trip to Hawaii to a photo session with a really amazing photographer (me)...



My friend (and super-successful voiceover artist) Amanda ended up winning the photo session.




Yay! It was such a great Sunday. I really wish there had been Smileywine because everyone was all smiles all day long.






We did, of course, have to take at least one obligatory fierceface picture because (a.) we are assholes and (b.) fierce-facing is FUN!



Best week ever!

Yaya on Ugly Betty!!!

I know this is super old news but I didn't start watching the show until last night.

Yaya, who is Brown '04, and whose headshots I took eons ago, is on Ugly Betty this season playing Nico Slater, Vanessa William's daughter.

She looks amazing.



Watch the show on Hulu before they start charging!

SO EFFING JELLY

LA Models sent Matt & Kelli to the Grand Opening of Hyde at the Staples Center last night.

Celeb mania.

I could not be more jealous.

OMFG