• by Kelly Samardak , November 1, 2010

DailyCandy 10th Anniversary Party, Gansevoort Park Avenue, New York
October 28, 2010

The last couple of weeks have been insane.  I never could have predicted that this year October and November would be hot party months, based on simple things like the economic barf-fest.  A quick glance at my headlines gives a bizarre snapshot of what my life with you is like.  Combined, last week looked something like this: hairy dudes, hot dogs humping, sea legs, meat butter, women on top, ninjas, and a human sake cask.  Sounds just like your week, right?

The final event of last week's bizarro fest was the 10^th Anniversary Party for DailyCandy, which I had been looking forward to all week.  Every woman in NYC has a DailyCandy story.  Mine began before I lived here, reading about sweet deals, tummy-tickling eats, and designer trunk sales from my apartment in Mount Kisco, N.Y., dreaming of when I would finally get my life transferred to NYC.  When I finally arrived to test my bright lights, big city never-ending path of pizza-staying power, DailyCandy was still my #1 read.  The bright and sassy watercolor illustrations that accompanied each inbox present were unique little treats: literally eye candy, daily.

Since I began reading it, DailyCandy has expanded from Seattle to DC to Miami and even deeper online with their latest little wallet helper, Swirl, an online sample sale site with glittery things for your wrists and supple leathers for your shoulders (and your butt, I suppose).  DailyCandy accomplishes the perfect tone for the savvy, frugal, and also spendy urban gal across their touchpoints.  I guess you could call me a fan.

The party was high atop the Gansevoort Park Avenue, which I had been to earlier that day for the Marie Claire Women on Top Awards.  This time the tables were gone, silver balloons and red lights dipped the rooms in a festive coating, and the deck space was open for those still choosing to drape their lungs in cancer-causing fumes. 

I found Meredith Howard, Director of Communications, DailyCandy and Swirl, almost immediately.  She was like a little present herself, busily flitting around in her black-bowed party dress.  By the elevators within seconds after finding Buddy Media's Joe Ciarallo and his ladyfriend, Meg O'Brien, Senior Publicist and Online Media Specialist, Random House, I ran into Melissa Neto of DailyCandy.

Around the corner from familiar people I found the ladies from Urban Cannibals, which by name alone is my new favorite place to eat.  The "Head Cannibals" I found were Doria Roberts and Calavino Donati --AND they also happened to be finalists in DailyCandy's Start Small, Go Big Contest, a contest where the winning creative entrepenuer won 10K and a trip to (or to stay in) NYC and attend DailyCandy Academy, an intensive small-business workshop with sessions led by risk-taking entrepreneurial superstars. 

The Head Cannibals spotted the same dude I  had spotted earlier: a slender fellow in a suit that made him look like a human sake cask.  He was Shail Upadhya, a stylist.  I assume his bag of tricks extends outside the "look like your favorite alcohol storage device" realm.

Towards the center of the penthouse I noticed two big dudes.  In a town full of body-conscious, skinny-jeans-splitting man-boys, it was kind refreshing to see big burly dudes.  They're warmer and less cranky -- which makes sense, since men were never meant to wear tights masquerading as jeans. 

These two breaths of fresh air were Diego Miranda, Real Estate guy, and Jarrod Guy Randolph, VP and Director at Brown, Harris, and Stevens.  I also briefly got to catch up with paidContent's David Kaplan and prolific art blogger and creator, Cat Weaver. Both always bring the gift of sharp, witty, sometimes stomach-bustingly offensive conversation, so I was disappointed I couldn't hang with them longer, but, you know, the night tugs us in many directions.

But really, the highlight of the night had to be the one obliterated fellow -- the only person who seemed out-of-his-mind wasted.  He approached my lovely +1, Nithya Rajendran, and said something that sounded like Yoda backwards.  When Nithya gave the "Say what?" reaction, he jerkily waved her off as if to say "Feh, forget you and your inability to understand my superior intelligence!"  We later saw him barely standing in a doorway, shoveling a small piece of food into his mouth while very slowly teetering from side to side. 

The DailyCandy goodie bag is always a lucrative little bundle.  They did not disappoint! Perfumes, lotions, a soft scarfy thing, and discount coupons for the Swirl site and Cardigan New York (which I still can't afford, even with the discount) tumbled out of their special edition Maptote as Nithya and I decompressed with some Shack Burgers and cheese fries at Shake Shack.

I'm sure with ad:tech looming, this week is already harboring brain-frying surprises, with events spanning the NYC nightlife gauntlet from Avenue Lounge to Hudson Terrace.  I guess I can't break up with Red Bull just yet...

Photos are up!