Monday, December 31, 2012

Goodbye 2012

2012 has been one of the most fun, amazing years that I have had in…. I couldn't even tell you when. And I can’t explain what made it so great, but it just was.

I am so excited about 2013 it’s ridiculous, because I don’t really have a reason. I just had a very good year and when tomorrow comes, I hope to keep the goodness going for the next 365 days. I’m happy and thankful and extremely blessed!

What I wrote in Goodbye 2011 was so on point and is still relevant in my life so I can’t top it, but here is a bit of what I am thankful for this year:

After A LOT of work and determination, I FINALLY got my driver’s license! I have only driven once since I got it, though. I don’t have access to a car and Zipcar wouldn't allow me to rent from them until I've had my license for a year (which is smart on their part, I guess).  I’ll be coming up on my ‘one year’ in a few weeks, so I’ll be seeing them then!  I’m still happy that the lessons are over and that if I needed to take a wheel (anyone’s wheel) in an emergency, I could do the job! (I can see all of you experienced drivers rolling your eyes at me, but you were all once where I am right now. So shut it!).

Relationships are what I live for and what make my life complete.

I am thankful for my mom who has become a great friend to me. Our relationship has definitely changed and I am extremely happy about that; and also that I've learned to see her not as my mom, but as another human being. When you humanize your parent you learn to let things go.

I am thankful that my little furry angel Baibe is still with me. This year she underwent surgery to have a tumor removed. Although Baibe is my cat, she is a part of my family. The recovery was worse than the surgery because I had to watch her be in pain and there was nothing I could do about it. I really think I suffered more than she did. That experience made me realize just how much she means to me.  I’m so happy that she is healthy and back to being her crazy, lazy self again.

I am thankful that I am employed and that I have good relationships with the people I work with and for. I’m not the best when it comes to meeting new people and my job forces me to break out of my reserved shell and interact with others. I've even made a few good friends in the process. The phrase, ‘Interacting with others’ sounds funny, but I really do have an ‘anti-social’ problem and I’m working on it.   
I am in love with my friends and I am thankful that my newer friendships are becoming deeper; and I am also thankful for my old friendships which are growing as our families expand making us one big unit of friend made families.

And last but certainly not least, I am thankful for the love in my life. I’m thankful that I've got one of the good ones. And even though sometimes he makes me want to shake him (very hard), Edward is one of the kindest, most good hearted, generous and compassionate people I know. Next to Gigi, he’s my bestest friend and one of the best people I've met in my life. I love him and I love you all for spending this year with me.

Thank you for reading!

Wishing you all the best in 2013!

Lots of love, 
~Louise C. 

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Fall 2012 – Grenada

(Technically, it was fall when I visited Trinidad, but I got confused because everything still felt like summer to me. Whoops.)

My stay in Grenada wasn't as eventful as my few hours in Trinidad only because I didn't participate in any of the tours that were taking place; and my reason for this was because I couldn't possibly part with the beach.

We stayed at the Grenada Grand Beach Resort, which is only 10 minutes away from the airport, and for the next two days, I did absolutely nothing. Actually I did do one thing; I pretended. I pretended that I was a rich person and that the Grenada Grand Beach Resort was my home and that this was my regular everyday life.


Every morning, I woke up to an amazing view of the beach. 




I rolled out of bed, barely got dressed (You don’t need much clothing because it’s so hot! I love it!) and stumbled sleepily downstairs where I was served breakfast.


When breakfast was finished, I went back upstairs to change into my beachwear in preparation for a really hard, exhausting day of relaxation.


As you can see, the beach is beautiful, the ocean water was nice and warm and the best part was that besides myself and a few others, the beach was practically empty. Well, except for the ‘beach salesmen’. I’ll get to that later.

When my stomach was ready for food again, I took a walk on the beach to Ali Baba for some really good Mediterranean food. I know, Mediterranean food in Grenada. I should have been trying to find the best of the local Grenadian dishes, but Ali Baba was a convenient walk from the resort and everything I consumed at this place was so freaking delicious! They served the best hummus I have ever had and because Grenada is known for its spices (particularly nutmeg) my tropical rum drinks were topped off with nutmeg sprinkles.

After returning back to the resort, I picked up where I left off by continuing my beach laziness.


The only bad thing about the beach was the locals trying to make money off us tourists with sales of trinkets and reflexology massages. I understand that this is probably the only way that these people make their money, but it was a little annoying to be sitting on the beach and literally (LITERALLY!) every 5-10 minutes someone would be trying to talk you into buying something from them. And they won’t take no for an answer. I definitely didn't want a strange man rubbing me anywhere while I was in my bikini, Shooo… So after an overwhelming amount of offers for massages, we fled to one of the pools on the hotel grounds, where Patrick or Charley (Yes, we knew their names…) could not reach us. And we stayed there until it was time for dinner.


And then the next day, I repeated this day until it was time for me to leave and I had to stop pretending that this was my life. Sigh…

I wish I could say more about my trip to Grenada, but I really didn’t do much else besides sit on the beach and eat. And I have to say I loved and enjoyed each and every second of it.

~Louise C.

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Thursday, December 13, 2012

It’s the Little Things…

I am very (VERY) easy to please so when my friend Beverly sends me candy filled cards, like this...


...the kid in me gets really delighted and the adult in me gets warm in the heart.

The history on Beverly:

Beverly is the mother of my ex-boyfriend’s best friend (you got that??).

In my twenties, while my mother and I weren't doing so well with each other, without knowing it, this woman stepped in and became my mother.

She welcomed me into her home, fed me often, gave me her ear when I needed to unload and lent me her couch to sit on when I just needed to escape and be quiet. The day my relationship ended, I fled to her couch where I sat quietly for hours until I could get my shit together and go home.

Beverly offered me warmth, comfort and a safe haven at times when I needed it most. She gave me a family to spend the holidays with and included me in all important family events even though she had a family of her own to focus on.  

Beverly gave me something to be a part of when there wasn't a place for me to be.We don’t see each other or talk as much as we used to, but she will always be an extra mom to me. (You can never have too many moms.)

I feel so blessed to have people like Beverly, who were once strangers become family to me over the years. They fill the empty pockets in my life, by making me a part of theirs.


~ Love Louise C.

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Friday, October 26, 2012

Summer 2012 – Trinidad

Part of what made my summer more amazing than ever was reconnecting and spending time with my friends.

One of the friends I spent a lot of time with was my lovely friend Angie. She’s the pretty one on the left.


I almost went bananas when she invited me to take me on a four day, three night trip with her to Grenada. She would be going for work, and I would just be along for the ride…There was no way I could pass this up. My fear of flying would just have to deal.

The only issue with our trip was that we would have an eight hour layover in Trinidad. Angie asked if I would mind taking a tour during our layover. Would I mind?!?!?!  What better way to spend the hours of a layover than to take a tour of a country neither one of us had ever been to before!!

This has absolutely nothing to do with our trip, but we had a Vanessa Williams sighting while we were at the airport. She was so much littler to me than she looks on TV and I couldn’t believe she was just walking around the airport as if she wasn’t famous. Standing in line next to us ordering her breakfast… I really tried not to look, but she is so pretty… I cast as many quick (I’m not staring at you) glances her way until she was out of my line of vision. So pretty…

Anyway, once we boarded the plane and were in-flight, I spent more energy trying to keep my mouth closed while I slept than worrying about the flight. And although I tried to watch the in-flight movie (Snow White and the Huntsman, which I really wanted to see), I couldn’t keep my eyes open.

We landed in Trinidad, Port of Spain around 1pm.



New York City was chilly and dreary when we left, but the weather in Trinidad was great! Sunny and in the nineties, just the way I like it!

Our tour guide, Errol, picked us up at the airport and gave us a tour of the city and financial areas before taking us up the winding roads that lead to the green, mountainous scenery. He asked if either of us suffered from car sickness because there were many, many tight twists and sharp turns on the skinny roads that took us up the mountain.


The views down from the mountain were absolutely stunning and the air smelled so delicious!



Errol was very patient with us, stopping to allow us to take pictures and sometimes forcing us to take pictures.


It was apparent the he loved his job and that he loved his country because he was eager for us to get the full experience by making sure we didn’t miss a thing and that we went home with the memories.

Towards the end of our trip up the mountain, Errol stopped at a little market that sold local Trinidadian preservatives and sweets.


This stop also offered a view of Maracas Beach where we were heading to have lunch.


On Maracas Beach, we had lunch at Natalie’s Famous Maracas Bay Bake & Shark.


Bake and Shark is a native Trinidadian dish that consists of deep fried shark."Bake" is kneaded flour that is fried to make the bread.

I was very, very leery of eating shark, but I was willing to try it. There were about eight toppings laid out which you were supposed to put on your sandwich, but I don’t like sweet with my fish so I almost didn’t put anything on my sandwich. I don’t like to divert from the way I normally do things, but Errol was having none of it! He spooned a dab of chopped mango, cilantro sauce and garlic sauce on my sandwich and then topped it off with pineapple slices and lettuce. I am so glad he forced me to be adventurous with my food, because that Bake & Shark was one of the best things I have ever eaten and it wouldn’t have tasted the same without all of the toppings. And the bread! OMG the bread! Fried and crunchy. So bad for you, but so good on the taste buds.

Note to self: When a local tells you how to eat something in their country, you listen!



After lunch, which turned out to be more like dinner, Errol gave Angie and I a chance to relax on the beach alone before heading back to the airport.






With our bellies full, and the sun beginning to set, the windy ride down the mountain was so relaxing it almost put us to sleep.

Although we were only in Trinidad for a few hours, it was a fantastic experience and if I ever go to Trinidad / Tobago again, I will definitely contact Errol. It was great that he gave us the local Trinidadian experience instead of a touristy one.

He spoke so fondly of all of the people he had given tours to and he had a notebook that he passed around to his tourists so that they could leave something for him to remember them by. We were no exception. Errol handed the notebook to Angie who passed it over to me saying, “You’re the writer.” And although I didn’t feel like I had that much to say, I managed to fill more than half the page.

We really wouldn’t have had the same experience if it wasn’t for Errol. We would have ended up staying in the city, having lunch at a hotel and we wouldn’t have seen the breathtaking sights he brought us to.

Errol Hassanali - (868) 797-0397
Taxi & Tour Guide 

After hugging Errol goodbye and thanking him for the wonderful experience he gave us, Angie and I said farewell to Trinidad and headed into the airport to check in for our thirty minute, loud as hell, mini plane ride to Grenada.


The flight was supposed to take forty-five minutes, and after rolling her eyes at me, Angie talked me off the ledge by explaining why flights can sometimes be shorter than expected. Needless to say, we landed in Grenada just fine.

…To Be Continued.

~Louise C.

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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Summer 2012 - Fire Island

Dear fans and readers of Louise Cazley,

Please forgive me for not keeping up with my blog. I can't promise that I won’t disappear again for such an extended amount of time, but I'll try my best not to.

One of the reasons for my disappearance was because I was busy having an amazing summer. One of the best summer's I've had in a really long time. And I've also been busy reading books again (Fifty Shades of Grey and J.R. Ward's Vampire Lover Series...). Very serious reading as you can see. I hardly read at all while I was writing Undies in a Bunch and it feels really nice to be reading instead.

Anyway, on to the post...

In my blog post 'Summer's Coming' I detailed all I hoped to do with my summer. My summer really didn't kick off until July, but it ended up lasting longer and being much more than I’d hoped.

I absolutely love the beach; and although you have to get on a plane to get to the best beaches, I decided to try visiting a beach I'd never been to, being that I was trying to keep it local and inexpensive.

My first stop was to Cherry Grove on Fire Island. Although I would be staying the night with my Edward Lover, my posse joined me for the day.


The only downside to Fire Island is that if you are looking for a place to rent, you have to start early, as in before the summer season begins. Otherwise you won't be able to find anything to rent and if you do it will cost you.

Fortunately I found a place (Dune Point) and rented a one bedroom apartment with an ocean view. Unfortunately that shit was expensive, but it was totally worth it.

The beach area, near where the ferry docked, was very crowded, but the beach area near our rental was less crowded and very peaceful. The rental was so cozy and had direct access to the beach and the ocean view was amazing.

Having a friend on the scene volunteer to be our chef for the evening was awesome because we didn’t have to worry about spending a huge amount of loot at a restaurant. Instead we had a nice Sunday dinner on the deck, facing the ocean, then went out for drinks and watched the sun set by the ferry dock.




We had a few interesting sightings. There were deer grazing on the beach, a parrot next door who repeated ‘Hey Momma’ over and over again and lots of naked people. Because we were on the gay side of the island, everyone was more laid back and free with themselves, so I saw a lot of penises… which was interesting, but wouldn't stop me from going back. Everything was too perfect for me to be turned off by a little nudity. The rental was way too nice and convenient, the beach was so relaxing and you can’t beat waking up to the sound of the ocean in the morning.



The next day Edward and I took a water taxi over to Ocean Beach.


This side of the island was so adorable and quaint to me. Ocean Beach is more of a family oriented town and I see myself making multiple trips when I have my own family.








I had a Groupon for the Clegg’s Hotel which was where we stayed that night. I was a little scared to stay at this hotel after reading some of the reviews, but because I knew some of what to expect my experience wasn’t bad at all.

The location was great! Less than a minute’s walk from the ferry and right in the middle of all of the bars, restaurants and shops. It was about a ten minute walk from the hotel to the beach, but it was a relaxing, scenic walk.

What scared me about the hotel was that there were no bathrooms in the rooms. There were four bathrooms which were shared by all of the hotel guests, but the bathrooms were so much cleaner than I expected. I guess it depends on how everyone cleans up after themselves and everyone was pretty clean.

Breakfast was served around 9am so not having to go to a restaurant for breakfast was a plus.
Some people don’t need television when they are on vacation; I am not one of those people. I like background noise before I go to sleep. This hotel didn’t have televisions in their rooms, but they provided free wifi. Honestly, with the beach, the restaurants and each other, we really didn’t need the television. Hanky panky is so much more entertaining…. Just saying.

All in all, I had a wonderful time and I hope that we can make Fire Island yearly vacation tradition. I can’t wait to go back to both sides of the island, only next time, I hope to lock down a rental on Ocean Beach so that we can stay more comfortably and for a longer amount of time.

Man, when I win the lottery, I am so buying me a beach house.

~Louise C.

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Friday, June 15, 2012

Honoring All Fathers this Father's Day

I dedicate this blog to: Dwight S., Florent D., Ed O., Donnell W.
~ Thank you for the part you have played in my life. It means the world to me.

When I was sixteen a man from church became infatuated with my mother. I don't know whether she liked him back or not; I'm going to say she did because my mom doesn't keep company with people she doesn't like. We (my mom, brothers and I) spent months hanging out with him and I became very attached to him; which isn’t saying much because I become attached to anyone who is good to me.

Although this man had no reason to, he treated me like I was his very own daughter and I wished and hoped that he and my mom would get married because he had the magical ability to make the giant stick that was lodged in her booty disappear.

He was silly and kooky so put a smile on all of our faces. He was a little rough around the edges and not cut from the same cloth as most Christians which is probably why I liked him.

He was inappropriate in a decent way. For example, there was an issue which I couldn’t discuss with my mom because she wasn’t the easiest person to approach and I found it hard to talk about certain topics with her. Something was wrong with me and it needed fixing. Because my face is so easy to read, he read the worry on it and after prying the issue out of me, he forced me to go with him the pharmacy and fixed what was wrong.

Another thing I loved about him was that he was just a regular down to earth guy. For example, some Christians won’t go to the movies because in a sense, you become what you fill your mind with. Most of what is in the movies isn’t made for prudes, but he enjoyed movies so he went often and he would take me with him. He even took me to see The Craft (a movie about four witches doing lots of witchcraft; and although I can’t understand why, The Craft is one of my favorite movies). A movie like The Craft goes against everything Christianity stands for. I don’t think he knew what the movie was about before seeing it though, because halfway through, he leaned over and whispered, while shaking his head at me, “I can’t believe you have me in here watching this!!” He had his limits though, because when I tried to get him to take me to see Evita he drew the line saying, “I am not watching ANYTHING with that woman in it.” Not a huge Madonna fan!

He only spent time with me when my mom was busy with one church activity or another and when she was done he would be there waiting to take her coffee or to Barnes and Noble on 68th Street or wherever it was that she wanted to go.

One day a concerned woman from church pulled me aside to warn me that it wasn’t safe to be spending so much time alone with a man. From the outside looking in it was odd that a white man in his forties would be hanging out with a black girl in her teens. But he wanted absolutely nothing to do with me in that way. He really only had eyes for my mother.

My teen years were dark, but during the time this man was with us, he brought so much light into all of our lives. He treated me to so many good things and for that short time he made me and my family very happy.

Eventually he stopped spending as much time with my mom because, in his words, ‘he didn't think she was interested in the type of relationship that he was interested in.’

In a big church, people come and go and come back, so when I didn't see him as much I thought nothing of it. From time to time, he would cross my mind and as the years passed I always meant to ask my mom if she still heard from him. He really had no idea how much he meant to me and I always wanted to thank him for all he had done for me. One day I finally remembered to ask my mom if they still kept in touch and was shocked to learn that he had passed away. I try not to take things for granted, so I’m really sorry that I never got the chance to thank him for the way he treated me and for all that he gave me. Because he had his own children, he didn’t have to do anything for me, but I am so grateful for everything that he did.

I didn’t grow up with my father in my life and honestly I didn’t miss the presence of a dad because only having my mom was all I knew. But through the years I have been blessed to have many good men in my life who have been great father figures and big brothers to me.

So today I would like to honor the fathers, the men who aren’t biological fathers, but spiritual fathers; and also the single mothers who do the job of both parents.

Happy Father’s Day to you!

PS: To those I dedicated this blog to. It’s funny that you say I have no black friends, when each and every single one of you is one of my “black friends”. Please stop racially judging me :-). Loving you!

~Louise C.

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Monday, May 21, 2012

Committing to Shaping up my Shape

Exercise has never been a huge part of my life. It’s something that I think about quite often and there have even been a few occasions when I have actually worked out, but my work out stints have always been a short lived.

Growing up, my mom wasn’t much of an example because the woman never worked out a day in her life and had the nerve to look like she did. I’ll never forget how she looked when she left the hospital after giving birth to my brother. She didn’t even look like she’d just had a baby! She is very active and she eats healthy, but she never committed to a workout regimen. Due to good genes, she never really had to think about it.

I’m thankful that I inherited healthy eating habits from my mom because that is one less thing that I need to change about my life to make my body better, but I’m not an active person at all.

The closest I have gotten to a continuous workout regimen was when I used to attend dance classes. Dance is a full body workout, but I never looked at it that way because I was having so much fun and the time when by so quickly.

There was also one summer when I went bike riding in Central Park every weekend. I didn’t consider this working out because I was only riding once a week. I looked great that summer, though; and my thigh muscles were strong like bull!

I’m very short so I need to keep my weight under 130lbs. The second the scale even nears 130 I begin to panic. I’ve weighed 137lbs before and I didn’t feel good about myself because, for a small person like me, it’s too much. I promised myself that it would never happen again and I have been able to deliver on that promise by changing my eating habits. Too many Restaurant Picks and not enough home cooked meals is no good for maintaining.

Because I love to walk, I try not to take the train when the weather is nice if my destination is in walking distance. So on one of those nice days last week, I decided to walk to one of my restaurant picks because I had an hour to kill.


It was a great 2.2 mile walk and I asked myself why I wasn’t doing this more often. Especially since I have no excuse.

A few years ago I got caught up in one of those Bowflex infomercials which influenced me to buy a treadmill. (The Booty Slide is another infomercial that almost got me). My intention for the treadmill was a 20-30 minute daily walk/run to burn some calories and help me to stay in shape. I’ve used the treadmill sporadically, but never on a consistent basis.

Although I don’t work out at all, I do fantasize about it just about everyday. Fantasizing will not help me get into shape, so I decided that in April I would begin working out… Psych! Yesterday was the first time I finally, FINALLY put on my workout gear, unfolded and dusted off the treadmill. There was A LOT of dust on it.

I’m embarrassed to say that it’s been so long since I’ve used the treadmill that I couldn’t remember where the on switch was and it took me 10 minutes to find it. So sad.

My treadmill is preprogrammed with six 30 minute workout sessions (another reason why I have no excuse not to be working out). I chose the easiest one which consisted of a five minute warm up at 2mph. The speed then increases to 3mph and then 3.5mph. The incline rises and falls at levels 3, 4 and 5 about every minute throughout the workout and then cools down.

During the first five minutes of the workout I asked myself why I wasn’t doing this every day, but with 13 minutes left on the clock, it got difficult and I wanted to call it quits. Walking the incline on level 5 at 3.5mph was tough for me, but Daisy and Melissa could probably do this workout in their sleep.

I had the nerve to have my cell phone on the dashboard of the treadmill thinking that I would actually have a conversation while I was on there. I wasn’t out of breath, but there was definitely no breath left for talking.

Although I really wanted to hit the stop button, I didn’t. I toughed it out and I plan on toughing at least three times a week. I want to say that this will be something I do everyday, but I just need to be real with myself. I’ll aim for everyday, but I plan on working out no fewer than three times a week. Three times a week is definitely something I can do.

My goal is to make exercise a part of my life so that it’s not just something I do to get in shape for the summer. Eventually, I want to be in shape everyday and all year. The only way that’s going to happen is if I make a real commitment to myself. My track record hasn’t been so good, but some of my pants are getting snug so not working out is not an option.

To shaping up my shape!

~Louise C.

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Friday, May 18, 2012

Summer's Coming!!

It was close to 9pm when I walked home last night and it was STILL light out. Summer is coming! I yeay!


As summer approaches I begin to feel a restless spark, which eventually becomes a full on burning desire to go on vacation. This happens to me every year on the first day that the temperature rises above 80 degrees.

I really don't understand why I can't sit my ass here in NY, one of the greatest cities in the world, like normal people and be happy and satisfied. No, I always seem to want more.

Growing up I was poor so there were no elaborate vacations. What gave me the travel bug and spoiled me for life were a series of trips with my church which took place every couple of months. In the winter I went skiing and in the summer I stayed at cabins in the Pocono’s or spent the nights or weekends at someone’s house who had pools or beaches in their back yards. I was poor but I lived a rich life, which gave me a rich mentality for rich dreams. And although I still don't have the money to live out my rich dreams, a girl can surely try.

Although I’ve never had to spend this much, my spending limit for vacation (including flight and hotel) is usually $1000 and under; but this year I just can't spend that type of money. I’m trying to save so that I can live out another of my high life dreams, so my limit has to be $3-400. Amazingly you can find some great vacation packages in this budget, but the problem is that everyone is also trying to save so there is no one to travel with. Waaah!! And although I had a fantastic solo vacation in Puerto Rico last year, if I could I would rather travel with someone this year.

I have Edward, but his feet are buried and cemented so deeply in the sidewalks of New York that it takes a lot of energy and a jack hammer to get him out. I just don’t have the patience for that type of reluctance. We both hate flying (HATE IT!!), but he does not share my zeal for exploring the unknown. My zeal is what propels me to take my shaky feet and put them on a plane.

Either way, vacation or staycation, I’m thrilled that summer is on its way!!

One of my favorite places to visit in the summer is the beach, but after I experienced beaches where you can see your feet in the water, I lost interest in NYC beaches. When I think of the beaches in New York the words, dirty and ghetto come to mind. I won’t even bother to share some of the things that I have seen wash ashore and right over my feet as I stood in the water.

I have heard that there are nice beaches in Long Island like Robert Moses, Fire Island and Montauk beaches, so maybe I’ll make my way to one of them this summer.

Central Park is also one of my favorite places to visit. I used to have at least two picnics in Sheep’s Meadow every summer, but I didn’t last summer. I don’t know why I fell off, but I am way overdue so there will be at least one picnic this year.

I’m really excited that New York will be implementing bike share stations. Because I don’t want to clutter my apartment with a bike, when I go bike riding I always rent one from those vendors outside of Central Park. It sounds like the bike share will be the more cost effective way to rent so I plan on taking full advantage. Great Hill, here I come… out of breath, shaky legs and all.

I love visiting with my homies, especially homies who live in far away places because it’s like going on a mini vacation. The best thing about this is that I have great friends who actually treat me like a guest so I never have to lift a finger. I plan to visit Chateau Quackenbush (which is the house of a friend of mine who lives in New Jersey. Not very far away, but mentally, I’m away) Visiting Chateau Quackenbush is like going on a spa vacation. Casa de la Torres is another up and coming friendly retreat which I also plan on visiting often.

We all know how much I love a restaurant and because of outdoor seating, I am looking forward to summer dining with my homies.

My birthday is in the winter so I live vicariously through friends with summer birthdays. Dais and Bea and Jude, make it a good one, okay? Because your birthdays are all about me… if you didn’t know, now you do.

I love street fairs, and wine tours, visits to Spa Castle and weekend getaways… Listing all of the things I love about the summer is just a way for me to talk myself into staying local and continuing to save my money. But because I’m so antsy, I may break down and book a tropical vacation… soon. I just can’t help myself.

What makes summer fun for you? Whatever it is, make it a great one!

~Louise C.

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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Danfredo Photography

A few months ago I had a boudoir photo shoot with the fabulous and talented Danielle of Danfredo Rivera. Due to the overwhelming amount of sexiness radiating from these photos (cause I am that sexy; wink) I felt a little squeamish about sharing them. But I HAVE TO promote her so here are a few of the safe photos:




I was amazed at the outcome because I really didn't expect to look as amazing as I did.

Danielle is not limited to boudoir photography; she also does family portraits, weddings, engagement, maternity, newborn…and just about any other type of photography you can imagine. See her flyer: 


I know I will DEFINITELY be requesting her services in the future, and until then, it would only be right to recommend her to everyone I know. 

Contact her!
Email: danfredophotography@gmail.com 
Phone: 646.470.7734

See more of Danfredo Photography  HERE

Enoy! 

~Louise C. 

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Follow me on Twitter @LouiseCazley

Friday, April 27, 2012

Louise’s Restaurant Picks – Pio Pio

My fourteenth featured Restaurant Pick is Pio Pio.

There are a few locations, but the location on 34th Street is the one I frequent the most:


210 East 34th Street
(Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
New York, NY 10016
Cuisine: Peruvian

Pio Pio was introduced to me by a friend who shared my devotion to eating, drinking and being merry. She and I spent many Friday nights sipping Pio Pio sangria and talking about naughty things that made explode into alcohol induced laughter. Good times!

Until I visited Pio Pio last night, I’d forgotten just how tasty and savory their food is. Flavorful, moist rotisserie chicken, rice and beans, tostones with a mouth watering garlic sauce for dipping, French fries and sausages… Mmmm. I’ll let you see for yourselves.




And you have to (HAVE TO) try their green sauce. My tongue, my stomach and I can’t wait for our next visit!

Visit their website for more of their menu options.

Enjoy and until next time, happy eating!
~Louise C.

Follow me on Twitter @ LouiseCazley
Photos from piopio.com