4fo6r Tbhree Caokuinrgie rn eSwuNs •v iMsAitY w21w, 2w0.1t5im e s n e w s w e e k l y . c o m f o r b r e a k i n g n e mwasy v 2i1s,i 2t0 w15w w •. c touimrieerssu n3.c5om victoria’s secrets VICTORIA SCHNEPS-YUNIS [email protected] tweet me @vschneps Fabulous at 50 weekend celebration Dynamic $1000 off Lumineers $500 off Invisalign DENTAL WORK Free Whitening included the inViSiBle WAy to Some excluSionS Apply StrAighten teeth third generation dentist 175-15 Jamaica avenue, Jamaica 718-297-4100 • 718-297-4106 This past weekend we celebrated my late husband stu’s daughter Mimi’s 50th birthday, and what a glorious time it was with the gathering of the clan of children and grandchildren. Mimi is a remarkable person who personifies the modern woman. She is a brilliant professional heading a preschool; the mother of three magnificent, accomplished boys; and a wife extraordinaire to her husband Jim. If ever there was a role model for the multitasking power of a woman, it is Mimi. She superbly runs two homes and is forever organizing family gatherings with calmness and class and competence, making each one more memorable than the last. I’m so grateful my children and Stu’s have become one extended family with loving feelings toward each other and, for me, it’s a huge bonus to have 14 grandchildren! Fifty is a great age. I felt that at 50, life began again. I was in a new relationship after my divorce and my children were in a wonderful place. My memory of my 50th birthday party was of joy and love. And so I felt keenly that, for Mimi, turning 50 was a powerful time for her, too. The party rocked at sidebar, a party space above the famous and legendary P.J. Clarke’s on Third Avenue in Manhattan. As expected, the menu including sliced steak and sliders were delicious and juicy. Mimi glowed in her sparkling crystal embroidered dress, perfect for dancing the night away, and that is what we all did to the DJ’s music. I had decided to spend the weekend at my favorite Manhattan hotel, the Parker Meridian on 57th Street off Sixth Avenue, to extend the celebration with my stepson Jon and his family, Hillary, Josh and Jillian. They came up from Sarasota, Florida for the weekend. On Saturday, I enjoyed my early morning swim in the indoor rooftop pool and had my breakfast poolside, then I took a taxi to meet them at the East 73rd Street entrance of the Central Park Zoo. We visited the seals, bears, penguins and birds. But we were all entranced by the 4-D movie “rio,” an animated adventure of colorful birds captured by villains in Rio de Janeiro. It was enchanting and fun as water splashed on me and air blew onto my neck as the birds flew off into the sky. It was a great experience for 3-year-old Jillian, but I think I enjoyed it more because I just visited Rio a few months ago and appreciated the technology! From the zoo, we walked down Fifth Avenue to take a horse carriage ride into Central Park. What fun it was to see Jillian sit in the red velvet seat of the carriage like a little princess. I love being a tourist in my own city! The carriage driver left us in front of the Plaza Hotel, so we went into their food court for some ice cream. But what we found first was an enchanting shop for little girls, eloise, who the story books say roamed the Palm Court and whose portrait sits facing the charming palm-tree-filled dining room. As soon as we entered the shop, Jillian saw a pink tulle party dress and fell in love, saying, “I’ve always dreamt of having a dress like this.” So what does a caring grandma do? After all, she looked like a princess in it, and her smile was brighter than the sun. Sunday brought breakfast with Jon and his family at norma’s in the lobby of my hotel. It’s been voted the best breakfast place in New York City. After all, how many places offer a “Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata” for $1,000 loaded with 10 ounces of caviar? It wasn’t in my budget, but the Breakfast Pizza for $27 and Breakfast Dumplings for $24 were. We enjoyed Norma’s endless pot of coffee on the table and remarkable multigrain toast. Not only are the food choices creative, the presentation of each dish is a work of art. After our sumptuous breakfast, I sadly said goodbye to Jon and his family as they left for the airport, a treasured weekend came to a close. I stopped on the way home at the LiC flea, food and beer garden and had the best treat of all: my 2-year-old treasure, Hudson, was there with his mom tracey, only weeks away from giving birth, and Josh who was watching over his bustling market. I was impressed with the “grass” carpet that he had installed covering the ramp next to the beer garden surrounded by tables and umbrellas. It was a sight to see every inch of it filled with people eating and drinking, laughing and having a wonderful time. It was a fitting ending to a spectacular weekend! Mimi and Tracey at Mimi’s 50th birthday party Jillian loved her ride on a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park Hudson at the flea People lounged on the new carpet at the LIC Flea, Food and Beer Garden Eloise at the Plaza, where Jillian found the dress of her dreams for all the news 24 hours, 7 days a week go to www.timesnewsweekly.com
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