
Photo Credit: Sabrina Chapman
On Saturday August 28, 2010,
Hamptons Magazine hosted the Closing Day of the
Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge at Blue Star Jets Field with NBA Star
Dwyane Wade in the
SWAGG Mobile Application Lounge.
When I got invited to this event I figured that it would be the perfect time for my very first trip to the
Hamptons or "
Hammies" as I call them. I rounded up my publicist,
Sabrina Chapman, my friend slash fab and fun plus one, Publicist Lauren Rich, and friend Alec Cohen and away we went (Shout out to Alec for being the driver and navigator for the day)!
Above: Jonathan Valdez and fab friend Lauren Rich of Rich PR hanging out in the celeb filled SWAGG tent at the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. Photo Credit: Lauren Rich
When we got to the
Bridgehampton Polo Club we parked our car and the one and only
Alex McCord from The Real Housewives of New York happened to park right behind us with her husband Simon and their children joining her. They really are a lovely family even when the cameras are not around! Alex looked great as per usual.
Above: Alex McCord poses for the Camera upon entry to the SWAGG tent at the Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge. As we mixed and mingled and watched my very
first polo match, more and more celebs
started to fill the
Swagg tent (Get ready for this crazy list)! On hand for the event was
Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union,
Wilmer Valerrdama, Jeff Gordon, Beth
Ostrosky Stern, Stella
Keitel, Dr. Ruth
Westheimer, Richard Jefferson, San Antonio Spurs, Paul Wharton and Dan
Lembo.
ALL I could think about when I saw Gabrielle Union was "BURR, it's cold in here! There must be some Clovers in the ATMOSPHERE!" You know I loved her so very much in
Bring It On! But that was not the
only Bring It On Alum in the house! OH NO! The celebrity DJ at the
SWAGG Mobile Application Lounge was none other than
Solange Knowles! Remember her in Bring It On: All Or Nothing with Hayden
Panettiere?! I
could not
believe the
epicness that was before me but it gets better, trust me!
Above: Gabrielle Union Chats it up with Wilmer Valderrama at the Swagg Tent. Below: Solange Knowles spins the old school picnic jams for the guests of the SWAGG tent. Photo Credit (below): Sabina Chapman

So anytime a DJ is really amazing I like to go
up to them and I
give them props. I am going to be honest and tell you that I did not recognize
Solange at first and I did not even think that she would be
DJing. I went up and gave her props and she then told me that she loved my hat and my outfit and that I really captured the
Hamptons! I was honored because she looked very fly herself! I told one of the
publicist that I loved the DJ and she said, "Yea
Solange is great." That's
when I was like, "Oh snap I knew she looked
familiar!" So special thanks to
Solange Knowles for killing it in the DJ b
ooth and for being really
sweet to me!
All in all I would say that my
first trip to the
Hammies was a success! You
never know who
will pop up on a gorgeous
Saturday in the
Hamptons! I am so glad that I got to go before summer ended. Next year I am going to go more often for sure!
Above: It was so nice meeting the founder of TheBudgetFashionista.com, Kathryn Finney! I loved her hat and told her we HAD to take a hat pic. Get it Kathryn! Photo Credit: Sabrina Chapman