Do I like Louboutins and Leather?

As I said to Mamadukes just seconds after this story happened, the following is such a “me” type of event. Let’s recap: after 22 years as an extreme nail-biter, I reward myself for kicking the bad habit with weekly manicures at the NY Nature Spa in Times Square, a spot just a hop, skip and leap over the subway grates away from my current office—and conveniently just a few extra struts away from my new digs at ELLE. Anyhow, yesterday, while Sookie (yes, that’s really her name, but no, she does not resemble Anna Paquin’s vampire-lovin’ Ms. Stackhouse on True Blood) painted my nails an awesome shade of army green (Essie’s new Sew Psyched), I welcomed the smile of the woman next to me, who was rewarding herself with some navy blue acrylic tips.

So rather than wondering were she was from, I asked! (Why not, right?) I should have guessed by her suede boots and glamorous scarf that she’s fresh off the boat from Milano, living in New York for a few months to learn English. Daniella, as I learned, has been here a mere two weeks, and has picked up more English in her brief time here than I could ever dream of learning in fourteen days. (I took Spanish for seven years, and all that remains is a love of tapas and a knowledge of the question, “Donde esta la sangria?”)

We got to chatting—clearly my New York-style speedy chatter had to be slowed down to the basics, but we had a great discussion about our mutual love of leather and Louboutins. And when she said she’s desperate for some friends in New York, I of course took her under my wing! From my amazing week in Italy back in 2008, I know the Italians like their vino quite a bit—so what better way to welcome my new and exciting European pal to the states than with some shopping and wine? I’m determined to show her New Yorkers are as friendly and fabulous as those who welcomed me to Europe’s delicious boot way back when.

Salute!