The Urbane Urbanite

View from my suite (Photo: S. James) If I could add an additional 1000 square feet to my apartment at home; swap out the hardwood for marble floors; throw in a master bathroom the size of a NYC studio apartment; and switch my drab view of Papa Johns with crystal clear blue ocean waters, my spot would look just like the rooms here at The Seven Stars Resort in the Turks and Caicos. I feel so at home here; it's less hotel, more home away from home. I soooo needed this getaway. The winter blues began to set in. I was starting to live in my feelings on a daily basis. Again. And just when I was on the brink of an inevitable wall slide, my beloved editor hit me up and asked me to review this beautiful resort. Take a look at some pictures I shot of the 2 bedroom 2.5 bathroom suite I'm calling home. Cheers! www.sevenstarsgracebay.com My welcome package! (Photo: S. James) Living Room (Photo: S. James) Master Bathroom (Photo: S. James) Master Bedroom (Phot...

Photo: S. James  Del don't do road trips. Usually. I have terrible childhood memories of being sandwiched in the back seat of an unairconditioned hooptie, riding down south in the middle of the summer. *Shudders*  So naturally, when talk of a road trip comes up, I'm the first one on the computer looking up a flight to said destination and making plans to meet my travel mates there. In my mind, by the time they get to the hotel completely aggravated, cranky and smelling of automobile, I'm already checked into my room, curled up with a Kindle and enthralled in a good book. Such was the case this past summer when my homies decided that a road trip from northern New Jersey to Toronto was in order for the 4th of July weekend.

My Room With A View Photo: S. James It's late October, but you'll be hard pressed to find anyone with the fall blues here in Clearwater Beach, Florida - including me. As I type this, I'm sprawled out on the balcony of my oceanfront suite at the Sandpearl, a world class resort and spa facility that calls The Gulf of Mexico its backyard. And I'm not the only one taking in this beautiful day. There are folks sunbathing on the sundeck near the lagoon swimming pool. The kiddies are playing in the sand. And others are getting their toes wet, walking along the shore. Photo: S. James I'm here on assignment reviewing the Sandpearl for one of the lifestyle publications I write for. Slave labor, I know. But someone's gotta do it, right?  I haven't been here 24 hours and I've already: Nibbled on shrimp, lobster and chocolate covered strawberries during a private food, wine and dessert tasting in Sandpearl's private standalone beachfront guest sui...

I don't know about you, but I've got the worst luck with plants. I see them in the store all pretty and gussied up, get them home and in a matter of days they're dead. Case in point: The cactus. I stumbled upon a prickly, little guy at Home Depot last year. Small. Easy. Manageable. Perfect! Or so I thought.  I gave it a home on my desk (pictured in the banner pic of this blog). And less than a month later... Who kills a cactus?! Guilt-ridden, flustered and confused about my latest botany blunder, I turned to Sandra de Ovando for advice. She is the founder and creative director of Ovando, a full scale floral and event design company, with two boutique locations as well as a production studio based in Manhattan’s flower district. Ovando's roster of New York tastemakers and influencers includes The Four Seasons, Hermes and The MOMA, as well as a host of large-scale event clients spread throughout New York and The Hamptons. Fl...

For the past five months, Paul Shaw, an internal consultant for a government agency in the nation's capital, has called a cozy row house home. Situated in Trinidad, a gentrified section of Northeastern Washington, DC, is his completely renovated two bedroom, two bathroom abode where African masks, chocolate browns and vibrant artwork pepper a sun-drenched open layout. Shaw, a native of St. Louis, MO and frequent entertainer, took me on a tour of his welcoming 1400 square foot digs, which includes a Club Monaco inspired friendship wall, a skylit bathroom - and an upscale kitchen that serves as the soul of the home.

Image: S. James An unseasonably cool breeze whips through my rental car as I zoom up I-80 on my way from the San Francisco International Airport to The Meritage Resort & Spa in southern Napa Valley. After a six-hour flight from New York City, the fresh air is a welcome reprieve. The one-hour drive, which features glimpses of The San Francisco Bay, grassy knolls and rugged mountainous terrain, goes by in a flash. And before I know it, I pull up to a palatial 158-room resort that looks like an estate plucked straight from a Tuscan painting. I can't wait to check in! Image: Courtesy of The Meritage Resort & Spa

I'm feeling quite actorly this week. Today, I take new headshots for the first time in five years.  My old ones aren't bad, per se. But it's time for a new look. I may still look the same, but I feel like such a different person now. When I look at these pictures, I don't see myself anymore. I've grown up quite a bit over the last five years.  I'm ready to bring some new experiences to the lens. And I'm sure my photographer, Antonio, will capture something special. We've got some fun indoor/outdoor stuff lined up that I'm sure will come out great. After my photo shoot with Antonio, I will rest up for a bit and then head over to St. Luke's Theatre to perform in Love Me Like This: The Parachute Plays . It's an evening of six staged readings of original one acts to raise awareness for LGBTQ youth. The proceeds go to The Trevor Project. COME ON BY IF YOU'RE FREE! While I'm not sure if I'm at liberty to tell you exactly wha...

Photo: S. James Sometimes, being a writer has its perks. A couple of weeks ago, my brilliant-phenomenal-stupendous-wonderful editor sent me on an assignment to cover the culture on the beautiful island of St. Croix. *Swoons* I couldn't wait to escape the frigid temperatures here in the Northeast and trade in my peacoat for a tank top and flip-flops.  But St. Croix has so much more to offer than a balmy year-round climate. The island is rich in culture and tradition with a bountiful, well-documented past.  The locals are warm, friendly and welcoming. The views are breathtaking and drool worthy - and the food is out of this world. Backed by the soothing sounds of Corinne Bailey Rae, is a four minute montage of images and video of incredible views, century-old landmarks and upscale seafood cuisine - all photographed and captured by yours truly. So.  Sit back.  Relax - and enjoy St. Croix. Click here to enjoy the video.

Did they do a great job here, or what? Halloween is less than a week away, and folks in my neighborhood have pulled out all the stops when it comes to decorating their homes for the holiday.  On practically every other house, there are creepy looking scarecrows on the lawn, bushes laden with fake cobwebs and bright, orange pumpkins lining the walkways to the front door. But the house pictured above steals the show! I had to actually pull over to admire (and snap a flick) of this house that has had its entire front lawn turned into a gigantic spider web with the life-sized, red tongued spider to match! I don't know about you, but if I were a kid, this would be the first house on my trick or treating itinerary.  If they go this hard during Halloween, I can only imagine what Christmas will be like. Can't wait!

Bumper to bumper traffic. Swarms of people. Random celebrity spottings. A plethora of free booze and cupcakes. Women (and men) wobbling on cobblestone streets in sky high heels. Those were the sights and sounds of Fashion Night Out.  Fashion industry insiders, devotees and onlookers took over several sections of NYC (SoHo, Meatpacking District, Fifth Avenue) to kick off the start of NYC's Fashion Week. I spent the evening with my favorite Fab Chick , Misha. We had a fun night of event hopping in SoHo.  Some of the spots we hit up: Paige Curve Hugo Boss Nicole Miller Betsey Johnson French Connection Some of the spots we missed out on: D&G PiperLime Ralph Lauren Patricia Field But there's always next year! I'm a lazy photographer, so this is only a fraction of the available photo ops that were at my disposal. But you get the picture. And check out the footage I captured of the pandemonium that broke out after producing superstar Pharrel...

Jona Biddle is a busy man. The 29-year-old Atlantic City, New Jersey native and current resident of Harlem manages a dance team called The Professionals. In just six short months, the team (ages seven to sixteen) have won numerous dance competitions, performed at the Apollo Theatre where they won first place and beat out 27 dance crews to win Hot 97 Dance Crew of the Year - and a whopping $25,000 cash prize. Biddle recently choreographed a show for Disney artist Lauren Legato and performed on BET's Blaze The Stage with Clarisa Rose. And this week alone, his dance team is taping an appearance on MTV's Made, performing in Connecticut and entertaining guests at a sweet sixteen party. And if all that weren't enough, Biddle also runs the dance department for two public schools in Washington Heights. Although inspiring children through dance keeps him more than occupied, Biddle still manages to do it all while looking impeccable. I breakdown some of Biddle...

On the top floor of a four-story walkup in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn is one eclectic apartment. Robert Fuller, a visual merchandising director in the fragrance and beauty industry has thrown all inhibitions to the wind, turning his one-bedroom apartment into a chic, bohemian wonderland full of crisp, white linens and eye-popping puppets. Fuller invites me into his home to talk about the agony of choosing paint colors, his love of nostalgic pieces and his obsession with a 5-foot pig on Ninth Avenue.

(Photo S. James) The moment I arrive at Riu Sante Fe, the sprawling, 902-room pueblo-style resort in Cabo San Lucas ( www.riu.com ), I'm greeted with an icy welcome: A cold glass of rum punch. Ahh, let the all-inclusivity begin.