The National Institute of Social Sciences to Honor Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb

Peter Gelb and Yanna Avis

The National Institute of Social Sciences (NISS) hosted a cocktail party at the home of Yanna Avis in honor of Metropolitan Opera general manager Peter Gelb, who will be honored at the organization's 105th Gold Medal Dinner this December. At 7:00PM sharp, Fred Larsen, President of NISS, with his wife Michele at his side, said, "We honor those individuals who made distinguished contributions to humanity and society. We thank Peter Gelb, who made time during his workday to join us, and who has to run off and supervise a production of Orfeo." Replied Gelb, "If I was chosen for this distinguished award because of my position at the Met, I guess the study of social sciences certainly would apply to the Metropolitan Opera House. We have more than 3,000 people who work there and they certainly exhibit every form of behavioral science. Sometimes I feel like I work in some kind of social science laboratory. Maybe that wasn't why you decided to give me this award, but I am very grateful to be receiving it."

Guests included Vice President and Assistant Treasurer Angela Cason, Trustees Michele Jeffery and Barbara Tober, Honorary Trustee Geraldine Kunstadter, as well as Dr. Lisa Airan, Debbie Bancroft, Dr. Karen Burke, Christina Cote, Sharon King Hoge, Elizabeth Jacoby, Henry Larsen, Edith and Philippe de Montebello, Mr. Frederick W. Peter, Jonathan Piel, Julie Sagoskin, and Pepita Serrano.

The NISS 105th Gold Medal Dinner will be held at a private club in Manhattan on Thursday, December 5.  You may purchase tickets here

Yanna Avis


Yanna Avis and myself

 Myself and Michele Jefferey

 

  Sharon Hoge, myself, and Madelaine Piel

Photos courtesy of John Sanderson/AnnieWatt.com

 

Free Beauty Events: November Giveaway

FreeBeautyEvents.com is back this month with another amazing giveaway!  For anyone not familiar with FBE, the site is a great tool for all beauty addicts.  It helps you stay up to date on the latest beauty happenings in your area and serves as an awesome way to snag killer free samples. Each month the site gives away a bundle chalk full of the industry's best must haves, and this month's is worth a whopping $125.00!  Let's check them out! 

This month's basket includes industry favorites from L'Oreal, Maybelline, CoverGirl, Simple, EVA NYC, Splat and more!  The contest runs from now through 11/30/19, winners will be chosen on 12/10/19 and notified by 12/15/19.  Entering is simple!  Visit FreeBeautyEvents on Facebook (don't forget to like them!) or enter directly on their website.

Besides the monthly giveaways, the site also offers great beauty advice and product reviews on their blog.  Like any of the products you read about?  Keep your eyes open for your chance to stock up!  Easy as 1-2-3, just enter your zip code into the site's search bar to find out which locations in your area might be handing out samples.  It's a helpful way to keep up to date with the beauty events happening in your town.  

  

Get more FBE info here

Have you attended an event listed on the site? 

French Heritage Society Hosts Book Launch

 

Ann Van Ness and Elaine Sciolino

French Heritage Society board member Ann Van Ness and her husband William opened their Upper East Side townhouse to launch Elaine Sciolino's new book, The Seine: The River that Made Paris. A contributing writer and former Paris bureau chief for The New York Times, she opined, "The Seine is the most romantic river in the world. She encourages us to dream, to linger, to fall in love, or to at least fantasize that falling in love is possible." Audience members who won impromptu quizzes on French topics received an illustrated map of the Seine. In closing, French Heritage Society's Chairman, Elizabeth Stribling, a longtime friend of Elaine’s, shared, “I see young lovers from my Paris apartment window overlooking the Seine. I see old lovers, too. In Paris, there are a lot of old people just as amorous as the young ones. It's one of the things I love most about the river.  Elaine, I love you, too!"

Guy Robinson, co-chairman of the New York Chapter, made elegant introductions and pointed out the upcoming FHS events- The Black & White Ball, and a Thanksgiving dinner in Paris, “where the turkey, or dinde, is twice as small as the American counterpart - and twice as delicious." 

 

Elizabeth Stribling and CeCe Black

Guests included CeCe Black, Special Events Chair, Jennifer Herlein, Executive Director, Judy McLaren, board member, George Sape, board member, and Jeri Sape, as well as Susan and Gerald Baker, Caroline Bassett, Rick Boldini, Odile de Schiétère-Longchampt, Luis Garcia, Mai Hallingby, Kathy Irwin, Helen King, Caroline Lareuse, Catharine Macdonald, Nadia Martincic, Friederike Moltmann, Paul Rankin, Carole Bellidora Westfall, and Lisa Witomski.

FHS's upcoming Black & White Ball will be held on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at a private club in Manhattan. The honorees are interior designer Geoffrey Bradfield and philanthropists Margaret and Gregory Hedberg.

 

To purchase tickets click here

 

 

 

Photos courtesy of John Sanderson/AnnieWatt.com