Samantha's Event Pick: Super Saturday

Last weekend, I attended one of my favorite annual events in the Hamptons, Super Saturday. It's a shopping event sponsored by several notable designers, and there are always amazing buys to be found. Not to mention, it's all for a very worthy cause, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. This year, they raised over 3.5 million dollars. Pretty incredible.

Glam.com wrote a great piece on the event, and I had a fun time contributing my memories. Here's an excerpt: 

"Samantha Daniels, celebrity matchmaker and president of Samantha’s Table, has been attending Super Saturday since 2000. She began coming as a volunteer, once working the Valentino booth, and afterward was allowed to buy a pale pink handbag for $50 that she still owns to this day. This is just one of many fond Super Saturday memories for her: “I discovered Christina Perrin for the first time. I wound up buying 2 floor length beaded skirts for $75 each when they retailed for over $2000. And I found myself chatting with the designer that day. She invited me to her showroom thereafter and I wound up doing a photo shoot for the New York Times! It doesn’t stop there; the same year that Daniels’ best friend won two sets of golf clubs and a weekend getaway at a golf resort, she won a trip for two to London, including airfare, a two night hotel say and a digital camera!"

Read the rest of the article here.

George: Which Eligible Heartthrobs Share This Name?

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
introduce Prince George

(Originally appeared on The Huffington Post on July 30, 2013.)

Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have finally announced the name of their royal son: Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. And already, the world is in love with him. Prince George has many years to live up to the name carried by many a royal and many a celebrity, but we all know he will inevitably become a heart-throb in his own right. Here's a list of our favorite heart-throb George's of all time; it's only a matter of time before this newly admired George tops the list.

George Jetson: Our cartoon George was ahead of his time jetting around in a flying car, working 1 hour a day, 2 days a week and having robots as housekeepers. What lady wouldn't have wanted to live such an A-list lifestyle?

George Washington: Our historical George, he was a giant in his time. Towering at 6'2, he was much taller than the average colonial. Who wouldn't be attracted to the tallest man in the land who just happened to be the first leader of the United States?

Babe Ruth: Our George "undercover." Most people don't know that this sports legend was born a George, but he was. He was definitely "a catch" in his day; after all, who wouldn't want to be with one of the greatest sluggers of all time?

Who Should These Hollywood Bachelors Date?

I recently helped contribute to a really fun article for The Nest, "9 Celeb Match-Ups We Wish Were Real" by Kristin Koch.

If you'd like to know why I would match up these celebrities, click here to read the article!

Samantha's Dating Thought: Can Vacation Romances Last?

If you're single and heading out of town for vacation this summer, you might be crossing your fingers for a passionate vacation romance. Vacation romances occupy a special place in our hearts. They thrill us because they have a set expiration date. When we're in the midst of one, we can already feel it metamorphosing into a precious memory. And once one is over, we feel teased by what was an impossible love, however, knowing that it was the impossibility that gave it its heightened sense of meaning.

If you decide that you don't want your summer romance to turn into a memory, and instead want to bring it home with you to real life, there are a few questions you should first ask yourself:

• Are you sure that your new love is single and available? People will often use vacations as excuses to cheat on their partners. Make sure this isn't your love.
• Would your lives fit together? Do you have common interests, values, and ways of life? While you're away from home, you may allow yourself to overlook these important commonalities, and not see the potential flaws in your new lover. 
• If your love doesn't live in your area, are you willing to put in all of the labor that a working long-distance relationship requires? 

If your answer to these three questions is"yes", it is definitely worth exploring this relationship at home in real life. If not, it may be best to relinquish this romance, knowing that it will always live as a treasured memory.

10 Fashion Don'ts For Dating (You Will Be Surprised By Some)

If you can't walk in your stilettos,
leave them at home.

(Originally appeared on The Huffington Post on June 17, 2013.)

Dating is hard enough, and when you have to throw in the age-old question of "what should I wear" into the mix, it can become downright maddening. The truth is, what you wear does matter because you only get one chance to make that good first impression so that you can get to that second date. I have spent some time asking men (I have thousands of them in my database) what turns them off about what woman wear on a date. And from those opinions, I have constructed this "Don'ts" list. Please don't shoot the messenger...

Don't wear black. I know that you prefer to wear your little black dress on a date. However, men just don't like women in black because they think it makes women seem older and unhappy. If you absolutely have to wear your LBD, then, at least, complement it with a colorful pashmina or a bright necklace to add some life into your look.

Don't wear a trend if it doesn't look good on you. I know you read Women's Wear and Vogue religiously, but a date is not the time to test out that new Alexander Wang look unless you absolutely know it looks great on you. A guy would rather see you rockin' your old standby than the trend of the moment that doesn't do justice to your figure.

Don't choose anything too va-va-voom to wear. Trust me, this will sends out the wrong message. You are better off teasing him with a hint of sexy and then leaving him wanting to see more.

Don't choose an outfit that looks like it came out of his closet.

Samantha's Dating Thought: Jump Start Your Summer Dating

If you're looking to get into a relationship this summer, I have some good news for you: summertime is a fantastic time to meet new people. The days are warm and the nights are long. Everybody is always out and about enjoying the sunshine. If you want to really jump start your summer dating, here are four tips:

Check out an outdoor movie screening
in your area, like this one in Bryant Park.

• Buy a new, flirty colorful sundress that you love. It will boost your confidence, not to mention the fact that men love women in sundresses. 
• Use this time to get back into that exercise routine that you let slide during the winter months. Try  joining a biking club, join a softball game, or even just walk around your city with a smile on your face. You will feel better about yourself, more fit and you might even meet someone this way.
• Keep an eye out for fun summertime events happening in your area, such as outdoor movie screenings or concerts in the park (check out Summerstage or the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival if you're in NYC). The more places you go, the more chances you have to meet someone great.
• Sign up for a group trip or outing to someplace you have always wanted to go. Best case scenario, you meet someone on the trip and worst case scenario, you make some new friends and get to see that place you have been dying to check out.

Samantha's Rooftop Bar Picks: Summer 2013

It’s definitely summertime in New York City, and you know what that means: tis the season for rooftop bars. Here are five of my favorite high altitude, open air hot spots for those long summer nights: 

Upstairs at the Kimberly Hotel

• Martini Bar at the Metropolitan Museum: Sophisticated yet understated, the Martini Bar at the Met has some of the best panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline. Drop by the Punk exhibit (through August 14) and then head up to the fifth floor for a very classy martini. 

• Sky Terrace at the Hudson Hotel: An oldie but a goodie. This 15th floor terrace has great little nooks with couches for lounging, as well as ten speciality sangrias. Could you ask for more for a summer night?

• Upstairs at the Kimberly Hotel: Towering 30 stories over Midtown, Upstairs at the Kimberly has a stunning interior design (part Louis XIV, part goth) and a very creative cocktail menu. Tres chic for an evening al fresco.

• Pool Lounge at the Dream Downtown: Make a splash in Meatpacking at this swanky poolside lounge. From the hotel lobby ceiling, you can see into the pool. How cool is that? 

• La Piscine at Hotel Americano: Sit back in one of the cozy cabanas at this pool bar and restaurant and enjoy the luxurious views of Chelsea and the Hudson River. It’s the perfect locale to watch the sun go down. 

Happy rooftop hopping!