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!

How To Tell If Your Summer Fling Is The Real Thing

Summer is a prime time to fall in love. The days are long and the nights are warm. Your bronzed skin and beachy hair make you feel especially sexy. And, wearing skimpy clothing is perfectly dignified and socially acceptable. It’s no wonder that romance seems to particularly spark in this season. 

Is your summer fling meant to last?

However, not all summer loves are meant to last. Here are some tips to help you decipher if your relationship is built to endure through the fall and beyond, or if you should fling your beau to the curb on Labor Day.

It might be just a fling if: 

• You find yourself looking forward to your return to “real-life”
• You don't know his middle name, or other basic information about him
•  You can’t picture him without his tan and surfboard

It might be the real thing if:

• You have met his buddies, or better yet, his family
• You spend time together doing normal things, like cooking dinner or watching a movie on the couch
• You are already planning a couples Halloween costume 

So what are you going to do with your summer love?

Enjoy Romantic Dates With Cute Summer Items

Perfect for a summer day.

Summer is perhaps the best time to start dating someone new because there is an endless list of amazing things you can do together. Between June and September, you can ditch indoor movie theaters and catch a movie in a park at sunset. You can avoid over-crowded restaurants and instead enjoy outdoor rooftops and terraces. 

Days at the park and barbecues are all part of the fun of summer, and I have the perfect items to take with you to make these outdoor dates the best they can possibly be.

On OpenSky, I have a cute picnic basket, which would be perfect to take to the park, to the beach, or to surprise your beau with somewhere special. 

I also have a very pretty and very practical wine preserver. This will allow you to save some for later if you don’t want to drink the entire bottle at your picnic.

Katy Perry Movie: A Part of Me

A Teenage Dream

Katy Perry has gone from singing in churches, to selling out world tours, to starring in her very own biographical 3D movie. A Part of Me shares behind the scenes footage from Katy's Teenage Dream world tour, including her dazzling performances and candid interviews.

In the movie, we see the popstar at her most exposed. Yet, she is still real and relatable. In one scene, she is caught minutes before she goes on stage, hysterically crying from the pressure of the show and the pending divorce of her marriage to Russell Brand.

Through tears and laughter she reveals her true self to her fans, coming across as a normal, fun girl living in a magical popstar bubble.

Check out when and where you can see the movie.

What Are You Doing On The Fourth?

Happy 4th of July!

If you are looking to get away with your loved one this Independence Day, why not head to Washington to celebrate the holiday at a huge party. The W Hotel is hosting ‘Boom with aView’, from the roof terrace, with performances from cover band BurntSienna and a spectacular view of the city and the National Fireworks Display. 

You could also head to ‘Red, White and Boom’, to dance the night away at Kastles Stadium on the Southwest Waterfront Wharf with dancing to DJ Ricky Schramm, Drew Dixon Line, Yacht Rock Revue and the Morrison Brothers Band and an open bar. Great Meadow will be a great family spot where there will be pony rides, face-painting and clowns all day for the kids, and then a fireworks display and live music kicking off at dusk. Tickets to these events and many other events for you and your loved ones to enjoy, can be purchased here.

If you are staying in the city, Pier83 (West 42nd St, 8th Ave) is having a Rooftop Party – with a BBQ, a bar and a perfect viewing platform for the Macy’s Firework Display over the Hudson River. Tickets for this can be bought here. And tickets for the Freedom Fest Party at Pier 81, which also offers food and a cash bar, can be bought here.

The performers at Macy’s holiday show this year are Katy Perry and Kenny Chesney and the fireworks show can be watched for free on 12th Ave, between 24th and 49th street. From New York there are also boat trips, dinner and luxury firework cruises to go on with your honey; check them out here.

Summer Nights At The Movies

Enjoy a romantic movie with your loved one

The best and most romantic way to see a movie is under the stars, cuddled up on a blanket, with your date. And lucky for you, between June and August, Bryant Park shows classic films, out on the grass. You can see some of your all time favorite movies, like The Wizard of Oz, and Roman Holiday, here this summer. Also, on Wednesdays in July, the Hudson River Piers hosts Riverflicks 2012  where you can watch a free movie while seeing a lit up view of the river. And don’t forget the Central Park Film Festival runs for a week in August showing movies in Rumsey Playfield. Grab a blanket and enjoy the movies!

Samantha's Book Pick- Steamy Beach Read

Fake Perfect Me

Cari Kamm's first novel features Isabella Reynolds, a party girl who lives a life of luxury in New York City. For most people, she seems to live the perfect life; she has a rich, Italian boyfriend, lots of fabulous friends and started her own successful skin care line. As you read on, cracks appear in the surface of Isabella's seemingly perfect life. Isabella learns the truth that nobody is perfect and nobody can have it all. Isabella's experiences represent something to which every reader can relate. Once you pick this book up, it will definitely be hard to put it down!

Samantha's Dating Thought-Go "Outside" To Dinner

When it comes to cooking in the summer, it is all about the BBQ. What better way to spend time with your date than staying at home and having a BBQ of your own! Not only will you share plenty of laughs, you won't dig a hole in either of your pockets. Set up a table in your backyard and enjoy the beautiful summer night. Here is an easy and delicious balsamic barbecue steak or chicken recipe from one of my favorites, Giada De Laurentis. Afterward, snuggle up to watch the sunset while feeding each other a sexy and refreshing summer dessert like chocolate covered strawberries and bananas.