RTR Sample Sale & Manhattan Vintage

Rent the Runway Sample Sale (March 31st - April 6th)


Today Rent The Runway started their sample sale at 260 Fifth Ave. Their advertisement boasted gently used dresses marked down as low as 95% off, so I headed over there to search for some Cushnie Et Ochs, my sole mission. The sale started at 11am and by the time I arrived at 1:30pm there was a pretty good line that had started. And the line held strong, yet it was moving quickly (Max 20 min wait to get in the door)  

Overall I felt like the sale was overpriced, most of the garments had substantial wear and tear. I did wind up finding two Cushnie Et Ochs dresses and one Versace Collection dress, yet after trying them on I quickly discovered that they were wore in and had several imperfections, definitely not worth $200 per dress! If they dropped the prices it might be worth it, because you could invest in the repairs. It would have to be an extra 60%-75% off the sales prices for me to even consider that an option.

I wouldn't recommend this sale unless you have a specific mission, I suggest perusing the dresses on the RTR website and finding a particular designer that piques your interest. I would go into the sale with a mission to find those items that you know you like, otherwise it could be very overwhelming, as there's a fair amount of junk to sift through. Either way, the odds of someone walking out of there feeling like they got an amazing deal is slim, but not impossible.

Bottom line: I wouldn't recommend this sample sale based on the quality of the clothing and the prices. The items that are 95% off (not that I saw any) are not going to be wearable. On the final day they'll take an additional 30% off...not enough in my opinion. 


Manhattan Vintage Show (March 28th & 29th) 

On Saturday I attended the Manhattan Vintage show for the first time.  If you're into clothing I would highly recommend coming back to their next show in October. Obviously, some of the shops are better than others, but it's quite an experience to see so many shops in one place showing all of their best clothing. I got lucky with some very unique and glamorous items that are in perfect condition and were priced right. The key to amazing vintage is finding a buyer who puts a value on collecting clothing that's in phenomenal condition and selling it for a fair price. The thing that I've always disliked about vintage shopping in NY is the lack of quality and the astronomical prices, which deters me every time.

 My husband has taught me a lot about shopping smart when it comes to vintage, for the longest time I made poor choices by purchasing aged vintage clothing. Peter taught me that the trick to being successful in shopping/wearing vintage items is that they look like they were made yesterday. Dressing in period clothing can cause one to look like they're wearing a costume, so you want to do everything you can to purchase old items that have a fresh look. This tactic will allow you to easily and fluidly mix these garments with your modern clothing.

Bottom line: If you love fashion and clothing, this is a must see! The two shops that I purchased from were Regina McCrutchen and Leon's Vintage. Both of these shops only show at special vintage events like Manhattan Vintage. Leon's had some stand out clothing and stunning jewelry. Regina had gorgeous clothing in mint condition and she was more than willing to bargain with her customers, which I appreciate. You can tell that she's very passionate about clothing and after chatting with her I found out that she's a stylist and collector, she often rents her clothes out for photo shoots and events.

P.S. My husband is a saint for allowing me to drag him along on this vintage hunt, I couldn't do it without his help though, he has a refined eye for outstanding vintage pieces.  I can't thank you enough cutie, you're the best!! Thanks for always being patient with me :-)

Nymphomaniac Volume I

(Photo Credit)

A review and discussion of the much anticipated film by Lars von Trier, 

 

Nymphomaniac Volume I  

I would call this film a light hearted comedy compared to Dancer in the Dark, definitely one of his more uplifting projects...but that's not saying much.

After reading The New York Times and a few others reviews (more like synopsis), I've noticed that these critics are taking his films too literally. These films are meant to be dissected word for word, and you must search for the true meaning, which in this case has absolutely nothing to do with sex. 

Lars focuses on the same exact topics in all of his films, the beauty of his work is found in the inventive way he presents these points through various situations and stories. Never has he once portrayed life in a beautiful, soft, and happy light. In his art he shows life as torture, a string of cruel, immoral, evil, and unfair happenings. He uses sex as a diversion and a tool, and glorifies death as the ultimate salvation from life. For those of you who want to think deeply, read on.

The Disclaimer

Ok, now would be a good time to admit that Lars von Trier is one of my favorite directors/writers/artists. From the very first time my best friend Evan introduced me to his films, I was riveted. Something about the way he made movies spoke to me in a very deep and personal way. I always walked away with so many existential questions and thoughts.

The way he sets the mood in the opening of this film caused me to close my eyes and shutter in anticipation of what was to come, he makes you face the worlds discomfort of silence and darkness, perfectly complimented with heavy metal, that slaps you in the face. The way he uses music in his films is so enchanting to me, no one can do what he does with music. He has impeccable taste, and he knows exactly when and how to use music in his art form.   

 I make it a point to go into the theatre to see his films with absolutely no background on what they're about and who is in them, I love being completely floored and shocked by everything. I highly recommend this tactic when seeing a Lars film.

Lars von Trier is not for everyone. For most people, going to the movies is about letting go of all thoughts, not having to think and just simply being entertained and transported for a few hours, away from the stress of life. If you are one of those people, don't ever see a Lars von Trier film. Ever! His films force you to think, feel, laugh, cry, and sometimes you don't even know how to react. It has nothing to do with entertainment and everything to do with creating an artistic expression through film. 

 Praise

The way that this man connects dots is pure beauty. I've always found that the art that speaks to me the most is through an artist that can connect the most simple and obvious elements, whether it be colors, ideas or sounds, yet in a way that no one else had ever thought to connect them before. He is an artist of analogy. His analogies are spellbinding.

This film is genius and poetic and it speaks to my soul, but like I said his films are not for the faint of heart. For me, I love when an artist such as Lars can bring out an emotion or feeling that I've never tapped into before, or something that has been repressed or stored in the back of my mind. 

Only Lars could make a film called Nymphomaniac and it would have nothing to do with sex, not to mention sneakily humorous.  He puts genitals in his audiences face, and somehow makes it artistic, almost like in the grand scheme of the universe, what does it matter, it's just a body part.
 
I appreciate the way he describes sex addiction through Bach polyphony, fly fishing and Fibonacci numbers, truly poetic.

 The Creative Process

When I think about  Lars Von Trier's creative process, I imagine him creating a feeling, he digs deep into the intricacies of that feeling, the various complexities that piece it together like a jig saw puzzle. Then he begins creating a scene around that feeling. He forces his audience to feel exactly what he wants them to feel, as uncomfortable as it may be. 

(Photo Credit)

The best example of this is from the now infamous Uma Thurman scene. Wow. He takes a situation that happens all over the world everyday and all the emotions and feelings that are wrapped up in that situation and exploits it to the point of laughter, gut busting laughter. In that moment I completely understood that situation, he rubs it in your face. I hear his thoughts in this scene, loud and clear. He's saying 'how can this situation happen', it's so unfair and cruel that it's actually laughable. He pokes fun at life and sees death as the ultimate romance, that's Lars.

 

What Does It All Mean?

In Volume I, I feel like he's asking the question, do men have any control? If all women acted like men, what would the world be like? These are some deep and terrifying questions. The fact that he uses a woman as his subject of sex addiction, doesn't go unnoticed. What about the man who plays the devils advocate in telling her that she's not evil, nothing is 'wrong with her', and she is not a sinner...what does it all mean?? Is he trying to tell her that she's simply acting like a man, not a sinner, and she has nothing to feel bad about? 

"If you are not religious how can you be a sinner?" He asks in the very beginning of the film.
 If you're not religious and you call yourself a sinner, than you are a masochist.

This question Lars poses reminds me of some similar Kanye lyrics:

"Human beings in a mob. What's a mob to a king? What's a king to a God? What's a God to a non-believer who don't believe in anything?" 

'Not only is the non believe not ruled by God, to him he doesn't even exist.'(credit) Things only have meaning to us based on whatever we individually choose to believe. This extenuates the power of the mind, mind over matter, power derives from belief. 'That is the only reason why the mob is less powerful than the king, because they believe that they are less powerful. The same can be argued for the other two comparisons, that political and religious systems thrive only as long as people believe in them.'(credit) Without belief, nothing matters. If we didn't believe that money had value than it wouldn't have value. This is a slippery slope, we could get in to Noam Chomsky philosophy and start questioning why a tree is called a tree, but I'll stop there.

Does that mean if you can make someone believe something, it is the greatest power that could exist? We have the power to define everything around us based on our beliefs, we can paint whatever picture we want. Both empowering and frightening.  

Getting back to the first questions I posed about the film: You know how the story goes, if a man leaves his wife for another woman, it's the other woman's fault, not the man's fault. She's a home wrecker and should know better than to mess with another woman's husband, because we all know that men have no choice in the matter, they have no control over themselves. This is what Lars is undoubtedly saying. I mean, is it Frank Underwood who is taking over the White House... or Claire Underwood? Maybe the secret that Sheryl Sandburg is not telling us is that women already have all of the power, we're just not so obvious about it...that is a theory I can get behind. In this film the lead character (Joe) manipulates men into believeing they're in control, when really she's pulling all the puppet strings. What are you saying Lars?

(Photo Credit)

This is every man's worst nightmare, and maybe even every woman's worst nightmare. The thought that someone can so flippantly play with other peoples lives and emotions with the roll of a dice, literally. I know that this behavior does exist in the world, I've seen glimpses of these traits in other people and it is absolutely terrifying. 

He compares existence to being a caged Lion, just pacing back and forth in this cage of life, until we're allowed to die. Lars sees death as the ultimate adventure, he sees death as beautiful, like Justine (Kirsten Dunst) in Melancholia, the end of the world is her salvation and happiness. Life is a maddening cycle of feelings, lack of feelings, love, lust, manipulation, sex. Death is romance. 

The Bottom Line

  
- You can't rebel against love; not feeling anything is still feeling something. 

- "The secret to sex is love."


I leave you with some food for thought by two of my favorite thinkers...


"Why should we take it to be obvious that if I let go of a ball, it goes down and not up? Learning comes from asking, "Why do things work like that? Why not some other way?" The world is a very puzzling place. If you’re not willing to be puzzled, you just become a replica of someone else’s mind. Visual experience is just simulations of the retina, but we impose an extremely rich interpretation of it. We see the world in terms of trees and dogs and rivers and so on, but then the question is, "Well, what are those concepts?" People are just not satisfied to think, "I go from dust to dust, and there’s no meaning to my life." - Noam Chomsky

"Romance is abused in all sorts of endlessly dull ways in mainstream products." - Lars von Trier

This week on Broadway | NYC Fashion Blogger Samantha Angelo

 It was a week filled with entertainment, on Wednesday night we went to the premiere, Of Mice and Men, James Franco's Broadway debut.  And on Saturday night seven of us went to A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder. This was my sister's first Broadway show, ever!! I was thrilled to have a hand in making that happen.

Both shows were spectacular and had outstanding performances. The level of talent in these productions was absolutely superb. The gold star goes to... Of Mice and Men, our favorite of the two shows.

Of Mice and Men

 I'll  keep this brief since we've all read the novella. first of all you can't go wrong with John Steinbeck's classic tale that we all vividly remember reading in high school. During the performance, Peter subconsciously recounted the novel word for word, like one does with a song listened to over and over again at one point in life, and then hear again many years later.

The chemistry between Franco (George) and O'Dowd (Lennie) was a thing of beauty, they were perfect and they brought the story to life. The New York Times referred to their chemistry as a "Broadway Bromance" and I would have to agree. They acted the story the way it should be imagined. It was so much fun to watch the two of them interact, Peter and I left Longacre Theatre thoroughly impressed. This is one of the best plays I've seen on Broadway in awhile, I highly recommend it. Great cast! The stars of the show include three Broadway newbies James Franco, Chris O'Dowd, Leighton Meester, and one Broadway veteran, Jim Norton.

Best Performance:
The over all chemistry between Franco and O'Dowd was my favorite part of the production, by the end of the play the two of them had me in tears. However, my favorite all around performance goes to Chris O'Dowd (Lennie), he completed nailed it.

Seating Recommendation:
I would recommend getting a closer seat in the orchestra for this show. It would make a big difference, because you'll be able to pick up on the most subtle of facial expressions and nuances that will really add to your over all enjoyment of the production.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

 A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, (based on a novel by Roy Horniman) is a light hearted comedic musical. One review said that A Gentleman's Guide was the funniest musical since Book of Mormon...I wouldn't go that far. It was fun and cute, but NOT a gut buster as some reviews stated. From a laughter stand point I wouldn't say it was funnier than Book of Mormon or Kinky Boots. My favorite tunes/scenes were "Better With a Man" "I've Decided to Marry You" and "I Don't Understand the Poor". I really appreciated the thought and creativity that was put into the staging of this musical. We all left the theatre humming/singing the finale tune.

Synopsis:
The story of a man (Monty Navarro) who discovers that he is heir to the D'Ysquith throne and fortune. The only thing that stand between himself and becoming the Earl is seven D'Ysquith's, and in the funniest way possible he creatively picks them off one by one.

Best Performance:
Jefferson Mays was outstanding and impressive as he played 8 different roles (The entire D'Ysquith family)!!! He was a master at the quickest costume/character changes, which was extremely entertaining.

Seating Recommendation:
Walter Kerr theatre is very tiny and quaint, yet surprisingly had the most leg room that we've seen in awhile on Broadway. The only seats that were available for 7 people happened to be very back row of the orchestra, which wound up being quite close to the stage due to the intimate size of the theatre. You really can't go wrong with any seat in the house, since it's such an intimate setting. 

 "Just like heaven. Ever'body wants a little piece of lan'. I read plenty of books out here. Nobody never get to heaven, and nobody gets no land. It's just in their head. They're all the time talkin' about it, but it's jus' in their head." - John Steinbeck, Of Mice and Men

Spring Trend: The Bomber Jacket | NYC Fashion Blogger Samantha Angelo

The sporty look of the bomber jacket is taking over this Spring...if the season of rebirth and renewal ever arrives that is...

I'm digging the polished look of a sleek light weight bomber (silk or jacquard) paired with a feminine skirt.

Stella McCartney is killing it with this lovely Pink Python Jacquard Bomber with matching skirt, exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman. 

Favorite bomber of the season - This jacket incorporates two of the hottest trends this spring, bomber and python. 

 We're totally borrowing the bomber from the boys, making this feminine and tailored ensemble that much more unexpected and fresh.

 Personally, I might pair Stella's jacquard bomber with this flowy white leather skirt from Club Monaco, seen below.

Bomber jacket and leather skirt; two pieces that should be quite masculine in theory, yet in reality are re- imagined as ladylike, whimsical, and modern, the perfect surprise. 

Photo courtesy of www.clubmonaco.com

Photo courtesy of www.clubmonaco.com

    A few other stand out bombers of the season are coming from 3.1 Philip Lim (Tattoo Embroidered Organza Jacket) and Scotch and Soda. Philip Lim, taking it to the next level of dainty with this  sheer/transparent tattoo jacket, completely non functional and gorgeous.

Photo courtesy of www.31philiplim.com

Again, this Philip Lim jacket is combining two spring trends into one look, the bomber jacket and the cloth tattoo...as seen on the runway for Maison Martin Margiela.  (Photos courtesy of Style.com)

 

I just ran out to Scotch & Soda and purchased this silk bomber, just for this post! I saw it a few days ago and they only had one left (not my size). Apparently there are only two of these jackets left nationwide. It's a beautiful bomber, especially for the price point. I'm not sure why they didn't make more of them. For a similar style that's widely available, click here.

I've noticed a few designers taking the bomber collar and putting it on a over sized/boxy tapestry coat, like Scotch & Soda and Stella McCartney, as seen below.

Photo courtesy of www.scotch-soda.com

Photo courtesy of www.scotch-soda.com

Photo courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman

Stella's version of this type of coat is called the Natural Croc Aiden Coat,  which I've only seen at the Soho store. Here's a similar Stella jacket called the Amelia Croc Jacquard Cady-Sleeve Varsity Jacket.

Photo courtesy of Bergdorf Goodman

                                                                                                  




A few cute options by Club Monaco that caught my eye...

Photo courtesy of www.clubmonaco.com

Grey bomber cardigan w/ white leather detail

 















              


                                      

Photo courtesy of www.clubmonaco.com 

Photo courtesy of www.clubmonaco.com

 And for the gentlemen I found a cool reversible bomber by J. Lindeberg, for work and play.

Photos courtesy of www.revolveclothing.com

 For a pop of color try this red suede bomber by J. Lindeberg, as seen on Bradley Cooper.

Photo courtesy of www.zimbio.com

You may not want to preemptively buy any of these jackets for your spring wardrobe, as it seems there is a good chance we're going into another ice age.

Until then, we'll keep dreaming of Spring...

Forever 30 | NYC Fashion Blogger Samantha Angelo

When trying to find the words to describe how excited I am about turning 30, I'm left speechless.

Only a 90's Whitney can adequately relay my inner most emotions on this impending decade of my 30's. And the supreme love, joy and excitement I feel!!!

 
On the eve of my 30th birthday, I couldn't help but reflect on my 20's.

It actually hurts my brain to think of how much could happen in my 30's after all that took place in my 20's. Ouch!

Here are 10 life lessons that I've learned over the past decade, that have brought me to this joyous day of celebration! 


#10

This lesson is from my father, he had me read the Desiderata all the time growing up, and he continues to tell me to turn to it when I need to. This is the greatest mantra for life I've ever read. One of my favorite lines - " If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself."

#9 

Always remember the 4 D's of success. Determination + Dedication + Drive + Desire = Success/ Something Awesome, and you can even throw in Desiderata for good measure.

#8

 So many people in the world are filled with pain and they wish to have all the people around them feel how they feel. Whether they set out to or not they drain those around them of joy and happiness...to make themselves feel better. Wisdom: It wasn't the fault of the evil, it was my own fault for associating myself with them. Hone in on and sharpen your intuition, go with your gut reaction. Learning how to be more perceptive is the key. Know who to associate with and who to stay far away from.

 #7

Compassion is a beautiful thing. Exercise compassion everyday.

#6

We adapt, we survive. This week I saw two blind people walking down the busy streets of Manhattan. Talk about fearless, now that is inspiration. Have faith that we adapt. 

#5

 People can not be rescued by anyone but themselves. 

#4


There were times in last decade when I questioned whether I was too nice, too good to others, only because of the treatment I so often received in return. I thought, maybe there's no place in the world for people who are genuine and good, who are too often stepped on by the majority of people in the world who are takers and those who have deep seeded problems, who find enjoyment in the torment of all that is good and righteous.

In the end I decided that people would have to adapt to the good, the genuine, not the other way around. I won't be influenced by evil and facades , I will be a leader of all that is good and righteous. 

#3 

You'd be surprised at how much you can handle and recover from. Get out of your head. Sometimes when things are awful in the 'Now' it's hard to see anything else, but you have to repeat to yourself,  "things will change, things will get better." That's the one guarantee in life, change. Embrace it, don't fight it.

#2

Things don't just happen, you have to fight for the life that you dream of and envision every single day.

#1

The greatest lesson learned from during my 20's is most definitely perseverance. Don't ever give up on your own personal beliefs and values, even if they aren't the norm , especially if they are not the norm. The unique love or ______ that you crave and deserve is out there, go find it and don't rest until you do! 



Again, I'll let  80's Whitney describe how I'll be feeling tonight...

Thanks for the help Ms. Houston!!We're gunna party like it's 1984!

"Inexhaustible variety of life"

Living next to this park is like winning the entertainment lottery and having a little piece of Paris right at your fingertips...

Photo courtesy of Gawker.com

I'm taking full advantage of these next two months living in this location and taking in as much of WSP and its people as I possibly can. With the opportunity and privilege to spend a chunk of my time at WSP everyday, I would like to share with you my personal observations. 

On Sunday I met Lily in Washington Square, where we were entertained by the crazy piano guy who rolled out a baby grand and performed Rhapsody In Blue (twice as requested by princess Lily, as he called her.)  He also performed Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy with a very special commentary (which I loved), I caught it on my iPhone. 

 I adore how he screams,"Yay!!!", after everything he plays. Colin literally would push this piano through the streets of NY to get it to the park, now apparently he uses a Uhaul, but I like to believe that he pushes the piano everywhere he goes. It seems more whimsical that way. Also, can we please push another baby grand into the park and invite the crazy piano lady, Annamaria Mottola, to show him how its done. I don't think I can rest until I see AM playing a baby grand in WSP. PLEASE!! Crazy Piano showdown!!

Lily and I, per usual, made a scene in the middle of the park as we hugged and jumped up and down in each others arms, which lead an NYU orthodontist student to tell Lily that she has the most "infectious smile he's ever seen." That's one of the reasons I opted for adult braces, so that I can have a smile more like Lily's :-) 

Yesterday morning I was walking through WSP on my way to Soul Cycle and all of a sudden I found myself in the middle of a Pharrell Williams Happy flash mob, everyday should start exactly like that. It made me smile. That's not the first time I'v seen New Yorkers on the street dancing to Happy, a few days earlier a woman was dancing and belting out the viral tune in Hudson River Park. I love seeing people so happy that they feel the need to break out into song and dance. Which brings me to the throughly entraining scene outside my front window on Saturday night, who needs a TV when you have a huge Juilet balcony that opens onto a bustling West Village Street? It was a warm one so you can just imagine how happy people were, literally every other person walking down my street was singing or humming a tune, groups of people singing together, it made me happy!!

An hour later I was walking through the park to get home and bumped into my new friend Dusty, who I had met a few days earlier. He had walked up to me in the park while I was taking in the varieties of life and asked me if I could call his friend for him, since his phone ran out of minutes/batteries.

Dusty is strictly a street musician, he plays tenor sax, so of course I helped him out! We chatted with his friend on speaker phone, and at the same exact time there was a man teaching a group of teens how to get a pigeon to land on their head...

This time I finally had the opportunity to hear him play. I sat on the steps of the statue as he serenaded me. Dusty insisted I bring my clarinet next time to so that we can jam together. And then right beside us...

Later that day I came back through the park for a third time and it was the most packed I had ever seen it, of course it was, its the warmest day of the year so far AND it's still light out at 5pm, which = pure unadulterated New York joy. I sat and watched...

The students. more specifically the girl next to me that was sitting with her mother we must have been visiting with her thick southern accent. 

The Asian man with a shaved head, headphones in and pad in hand sitting with his legs crossed with perfect posture, taking notes every few moments. Eventually he puts his pen behind his ear, puts his bag over his shoulder and walks away with intent, wearing all brown. Analyzing him made me feel like I should sit up straighter. Maybe he realized that I was taking notes of him taking notes. Pen to paper. 

And then there's the man walking briskly, wearing a teal V neck sweater, holding a thick novel and talking to himself. 

Followed by the old Rabbi with his grey curls and his endearing walk that’s really more of a side to side movement than a forward motion. 

Straight ahead there are two young men, born agains, walking around the circle with their yellow sign that reads,"Why are we here?" And as if timed perfectly the skater boys come out and start doing their tricks, as a little boy so desperately tries to emulate them but keeps falling and getting back up, falling and getting up.

Just as i'm watching the little boy my ear is drawn to the right corner of the park where a man begins playing bag pipe, glad I wore my all tartan outfit today! By this point I was feeling as though I had enough amusement for one day and I got up and started to leave..and was instantly drawn in again by the sound of classical guitar and the sight of a man that I recognized rolling a glass globe beautifully from one arm to the other in sync with the strumming of the strings.

" The following day it was rainy and cold and as I walked through the park I felt the stark difference and lack of life that made a statement almost as powerful as when the park is completely over taken by people. I stood in the middle of the park with not so much as a sole insight and it was profound, where there was music there was silence, where there was motion, stillness. Its emptiness made it seem larger than life. The love bubble had been washed away as if it had never been. I looked around on the exact benches and grassy patches where there was so much noise and movement,and there was nothing..." - S

Singita: Sabora Tented Camp

(Continuing my journal on our trip to the Serengeti)

An hour after we embarked on our hot air balloon safari we landed in the flat grasslands right near our next destination, Sabora Tented Camp.

This is quite possibly my favorite photo from the trip, by Peter Ostrega :-)

   This time we had a warm Singita greeting by Apollo, who would be taking care of us for the next three days. As we walking into the main camp Apollo brought us over to a beautiful brass basin and poured warm water over our hands out of a large antique brass vase. The tour began out on the main deck over looking the Grumeti plains, where most of the meals take place. The first thing you see as you walk onto the main deck is the bar, made of a vintage hot air balloon basket that is split in half. This was my favorite piece at Sabora, so original. Then he showed us the indoor tented lodge, dipping pool, and tennis court where zebra are known to enjoy rolling around on the red turf.

P+Apollo+S

Tent No. 4

Next stop was Tent No. 4, our home for the next 3 nights. As we unzipped our front door and parted the canvas we were immediately absorbed in a 1920's explorer's paradise. This tent takes glamping to a completely new level, it's no wonder Travel and Leisure magazine named Sabora the best hotel in the world two years in a row!

Don't let its canvas exterior fool you, inside is an ultra luxurious time capsule of a Serengeti oasis. Complete with warren in vintage leather chairs, Persian carpets, plaid pillows, and a canopy bed with an army green linen comforter. Off to the right of the bed a stack of vintage leather luggage and trunks.

The water closet featuring a clawed tub with a view, an outdoor shower surrounded by tall and slender tree branches, and a dressing area with a large mahogany dresser, complete with a silver horsehair brush and matching hand help mirror. They know how to set a mood at Singita, that is a fact. With every detail they take you back in time. This is not a hotel, it is an experience.

At any give moment I would gaze out of tent onto the plains and see herds of impala, zebra, giraffe, buffalo, warthogs, baboons, and hyena. They would basically come right up to the tent! It definitely took me a night or two to get used to the sounds of the moaning buffalo and roaring lions that cut straight through the canvas every night. I felt a different electricity in the air at Sabora, it was the most laid back and casual of the three lodges, and in that way I liked it the best.

Tented Library

Mahler Morning

When I woke up on my first morning at Sabora, I hear Mahler's first symphony in my mind (Movt. I & Ia, on repeat) as the darkness slowly turned to light and it was so quiet on the plains, the air was perfectly crisp and a single bird chirped just as the first ray became viable.  You could feel the sadness and struggle still lingering in the air from the previous night, and the glimmer of hope for the new day. 

 When the cellos come in (Movt. Ia.) the sun is up, it is officially morning, everything is in perfect harmony, the gazelles running and playing with each other, it's a peaceful time in the wild.

Now when I listen to the piece I envision the Grumeti plains coming alive, and the hot air balloon hovering over the pristine land. I only wish that I could have seen this before I performed the piece.

The original program notes attributed to the first performance:

Part I: From the days of youth, "youth, fruit, and thorn pieces."

1. Spring and no end. This introduction describes the awakening of nature at the earliest dawn.

Sabora Plains -

I loved the idea that you could walk out of your tent and frolic among the animals on the  plains. At this point in the trip I had never felt better in my life. I woke up every single morning feeling healthy and vibrant.

 

Serengeti Slumber Party - 

Buffalo Bombed!

Sabora Sunset Game Drives -

 With each lodge we got progressively deeper into nature, and it was magical. I couldn't imagine a more perfect way to celebrate our marriage. The striking beauty of nature in its purest form, just opens the eye to the wonder and limitless possibility of the world we live in. I'll never forget sitting by the open fire and laying back on our day bed staring up at the flickering darkness of the Serengeti ceiling. Rarely do you ever have the opportunity to see a sky so unspoiled and removed from civilization. It's hard to think about anything else when the intense beauty above is staring down at you, just commanding your undivided attention. Your mind naturally leads you in an existential direction, and you must consciously prevent your thoughts from getting lost in its infinite complexities...

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky and for everything which is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." - e. e. cummings