Tarsian and Blinkley: Socially and Fashionably-Conscious Bostonians

Have you heard of Tarsian and Blinkley? It is a womenswear and accessory company based in Kabul, Aghanistan that makes beautifully-cut and originally-designed organic clothes. Sarah Takesh is the founder. If you have not already heard of this company, you must go online and look at all of the beautiful creations. Afghan women hand-embroider, bead and crochet the silk, cotton and wool womenswear. http://www.tarsian.com/catalog/home.php

Kotobukiya, The Japanese Market for Boston

I just came back from Kotobukiya, the Japanese grocery store located in Porter Exchange. This is one of my favorite places to go to in the Boston-area (it's located in Cambridge). If you're feeling a little sad to be back from your recent trip to Japan or if you just want to try out some fantastic Japanese products, including food (excellent seafood and Japanese rice), magazines, cosmetics, then head to Kotobukiya. You will be inspired by the fresh foods and the cool fashion magazines not to mention the candies and chocolates. If only the shop were bigger! It's as if you were back in Tokyo...

Steve Santagati: A Guy Speaks out about Understanding Relationships

If you want to have a little laugh at first then learn some serious relationship tips then I recommend going to Steve Santagati's website http://www.askstevesantagati.com/ or reading his book, The Manual, on relationship advice and how men think about women. Steve is an entertaining guy and has some insights for everyone. Check it out. Single or married, you can learn a thing or two. He's not wrong! Couldn't we all use some expert guy advice?

Bastille Day Celebration at the French Library Boston

Hello Boston! I missed you for the past month and a half. Well, I am here to write. There are so many exciting things happening in this beautiful city. I wanted to share with everyone the news about the Bastille Day celebration that will take place this coming Friday, July 13th at the French Library on Marlborough Street. The event is from 6 PM - 11 PM. You can dance to the live music and eat delicious French food. Cha Cha and Mmm!

More details: frenchlib.org/events/event.cfm?id=550&eventcategory=26

The Beehive: Jazzin' up Boston

The Beehive is a new restaurant, bar, and performance venue that has just opened on Tremont Street in the Boston Center for the Arts complex. So excited! 6,500 square feet divided into several dining areas, two bars, and an outdoor terrace and Mediterranean-influenced food by chef Adam Halberg (you may remember him from Via Matta).

The Beehive offers live music seven nights a week, early on Sunday through Tuesday, and late--until 2 a.m.--the other nights. The Berklee College of Music is involved as well. Wednesdays will feature a Berklee faculty jam. Tuesdays will offer Berklee Emerging Artist showcases. R&B, Afrobeat, Latin jazz, bossa nova, and blues...

Check it out for yourself: beehiveboston.com

Museum of Fine Arts Summer Party

If you're in Boston on Saturday, June 16th, you must come to the MFA Museum Council's fourth annual summer party. It's a black-tie event and guaranteed to be so much fun. Support young artists in the silent art auction. The theme this year is influenced by the painting Bacchus and Ariadne situated in the museum's Koch Gallery. DJ Deja--one of Boston's finest DJs!--will be there to inspire party-goers to dance. The menu, catered by the museum's own restaurant, Bravo, will create delicious Greek finger foods and desserts. Open bar. Best of all? The proceeds from the tickets go towards the building of the new wing. mfa.org/master/sub.asp?key=1854&subkey=2426

Larry Poons: Lyrical Abstraction this Weekend

From tomorrow until Sunday you can see Larry Poons' paintings at the New England Conservatory in Jordan Hall. You can also meet him this Saturday at 2 PM.

This may not be the first time you've encountered his work. His paintings are exhibited at the Tate Gallery, London, Whitney Museum of Art, NY, Guggenheim Museum, NY and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.

newenglandconservatory.edu/reunion/

Antonio Puleo: Contemporary Los Angeles Artist from Watertown

Birds & Beasts (Heaven & Hell), 2006
Oil, acrylic, fabric, paper, enamel and dye on linen
66 x 82 inches

Antonio Puleo, one of the hot stars of contemporary art lives in Los Angeles. Antonio grew up in Watertown and received his BFA from Mass College of Art, Boston. He moved to California where he did his MFA at UCLA in painting and drawing. I've always loved Antonio's work and it would be great to see more of him in Boston. If any of you are going to the Los Angeles area you should definitely stop in to see a group show that features Antonio. The show, curated by Brad Eberhard, is called Time Machine and is up from May 16th - June 16th at High Energy Constructs. The painting above is from his recent solo show with Cherry and Martin gallery, Los Angeles (cherryandmartin.com/artistDetail.php?id=7). Press articles on Antonio include ArtLtd., ArtReview, Nylon, the New Yorker, LA Weekly and Las Vegas Weekly.

Dear Economist Column: Great Advice for Boston

I would like to share with Boston a great Financial Times column, Dear Economist, written by Tim Harford. You can read this column along with his other writings here: timharford.com. I have been following Dear Economist for years and like his candor and humor all from an economist's point of view. Here is one that you will enjoy!:

Dear Economist,Will having more money make me happier?-- Karl Johnston, Glasgow

I have been asked the secret of happiness before, but your question is rather specific. To answer it we need to turn to economist Andrew Oswald.He has worked with numerous collaborators to calculate a “happiness equation”, based on analysing thousands of people’s responses to questions about their contentment. His conclusion is that, assuming nothing else changes, more money makes them happier. He backs it up with a piece of work studying what happens to people who unexpectedly win lotteries - they, too, become happier.
This is what economists expect; not because we believe that people value money for its own sake, but because money can buy all kind of things, and if none of them brought you any pleasure you’d have to be an exceptionally incompetent shopper.So the simple answer to your question is yes, more money will make you happier. But be careful - simply pursuing money will not, if your relationships, health or job security suffer. Oswald shows that these are vastly more important than money. Getting married produces £70,000-a-year’s worth of joy, although given the cost of weddings these days that’s not much of a bargain. Staying healthy and employed are more important still, worth tens of thousands of pounds a month.Envy plays a sinister role. Oswald shows that happiness increases with higher income, but it falls with higher expectations. The higher the income of your peer group the more depressed you tend to be. This is not good news for you: since you ask smart questions and read the Financial Times, you must expect a lot out of life. Oswald suggests that you are likely to be disappointed.

Goethe Institut

If you are looking for an interesting and exciting cultural event in Boston one night then you should head over to the Goethe Institut on Beacon Street (goethe.de/ins/us/bos/enindex.htm). Last Thursday I attended the beautiful duo violin-piano concert of Ariadne Daskalakis and Miri Yampolsky. You don't have to speak German either. The institute sponsors innovative discussions, concerts and parties. Come see what the young Berlin fashion designers are doing next Wednesday, May 23rd.

Angelato: Most Delicious Cold Boston Treat

If you are craving the most delicious gelato in Boston and are simultaneously looking for something lighter than Ben & Jerrys or Haagen Daz, then head to Angelato Gelateria (angelatofoods.com/) in Belmont, fifteen minutes from Boston. You will be thankful for the short drive! Ice cream is my favorite treat and I have searched the globe for the finest flavors and brands. Many times ice cream can be too heavy, too chunky, or without much taste at all. Angelato gelato is a perfect combination of lightness and smooth flavor. There are many flavors to choose from. My favorites are Mint Oreo and Mocha Crunch. A simple delight!

Nespresso in Boston: Wake Up!

As I was dropping my berocca in the water-filled glass this morning, I suddenly remembered that I must share my second morning ritual: a nespresso coffee. I owe this discovery (along with berocca) to my brilliant Swiss friends who have all the necessities of life in their kitchen.

Nespresso coffee is not just any coffee. It is simply delicious. It is how coffee should taste! One sip and you imagine yourself sitting on a piazza in Milan or an outside cafe in Vienna (with or without George Clooney--the spokesman for Nespresso--by your side). Silky smooth and so aromatic. You can order the machine and capsules (one click!) online: nespresso.com/. And you are not limited to one taste or one intensity. I ordered the 250 capsule set and love to match the capsule to my mood-of-the-moment. There are 12 blends to choose from. My favorite are vivalto and capriccio.

I have the Essenza machine but there is an array to choose from as well. They are not cumbersome machines either. The Essenza is compact and minimalist in design. Perfect for even a small kitchen. For a fancier touch, you can buy the automatic frother and wow your guests with a cappuccino or latte. Who needs Starbucks?

So go ahead and invest in a Nespresso machine and hear yourself go, "mmm!"

Berocca: Staying Sharp in Boston

There are certain products that you just can't live without. One of those for me is Berocca (berocca.co.uk/). Discovered last month while staying with friends in Zurich, I am hooked on Bayer's multivitamin and mineral supplement. What is Berocca exactly? The effervescent tablet, containing B vitamins, vitamin C, essential minerals, magnesium and zinc, has been around in Switzerland since the '60s. Smart Swiss.

Throw out the Red Bull! Berocca is good for you and tastes good too. I can't imagine a morning without it. Pour some water in a glass and add the tablet, and you have a tasty orange-flavored drink. Helps you stay alert the whole day! Lovin' it. You can order online or fly to Switzerland.

Clarins Cosmetics: Self-Bronzed & Cellulite-Free in Boston

As one of three girls, I have always been obsessed with products. Cosmetics. I am thrilled when new beauty products come out on the market. My sisters and I love to compare our findings. Working for Clarins (us.clarins.com/) at their Travel Retail Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland after graduating from college was an ideal "job." As one of the employee perks, Clarins generously allowed us to try out all the latest cosmetic launches. To this day, I am loyal to a few favorite products that I would love to share with all the Boston cosmetic-philes (not just women, guys!).

The number one Clarins beauty product on my list is without contest: Total Body Lift (us.clarins.com/main.cfm?prodID=556). I cannot put in words how incredible this contouring / firming product is. I have to this day never found a competitor. Hands down! The texture is light, smooth and cooling. The smell is fresh. And it works! It certainly helps reduce the appearance (no, it doesn't eat away the cellulite) of your legs. You will love it. I have converted countless friends to this Clarins bye-bye cellulite ritual!

My second favorite Clarins cosmetic is the self-tanner. It is natural and bronze. How is that possible you may ask? It just works. Everyone always asks, where did you go to achieve such a lovely tan? Well, there are 3 different Clarins self-tanning products that you are sure to love (at least one). The first is the Liquid Bronze Self Tanning (us.clarins.com/main.cfm?prodID=560). I would use this ultra-light liquid for a touch-of-sun-from Red Sox Game-look. The second choice is the Sheer Bronze Self Tanning Hydrating Gel

(us.clarins.com/main.cfm?prodID=466). This is the one I am currently in love with. It is for the face and smells great. The texture is also very smooth and you can always build on applications to achieve a more bronze look. The latest arrival is very exciting: Intense Bronze Self Tanning Tint (us.clarins.com/main.cfm?prodID=838). The name says it all. It just hit stores. What are you waiting for? Run to the closest Sephora or favorite department store. Stop dreaming!

Hylexin: Wonders in a Tube

I have to admit that the product, Hylexin (bremennlabs.com/hylexin/), is absolutely wondrous. And I don't usually fall for miracle cosmetics. I was also a skeptic. But in Bloomingdales recently one day, I decided to give the product for "serious, dark circles and chronic puffiness" (I love drama) a try. There is nothing more satisfying than investing in a product...that works. So I bought one for my mother as well. Who can't use a little brightening up under the eyes? Tap, tap, tap, twice a day.

From day three, I noticed an improvement. After two weeks, it was as if the entire under eye area were lit up! You have 30 days to try it out and if you're not satisfied, you will be refunded 100%. Hylexin is not cheap at $95 but it is worth every cent. And how can you put a monetary value to disappeared dark circles? I certainly can't.

Insolia: Boston Pot-Holes Pain-Free

Apparently it requires rocket science to figure out that a woman doesn't have to struggle down the rough Boston streets--either in her Jimmy Choos or DSWs. I rushed down to a nearby CVS to buy my first pair of Insolia inserts (insolia.com/) and wanted to share with suffering Bostonians who can't bear the pain of high heels. You know the feeling, right? A forced smile although you are suffering 100% in those sexy shoes.


I did a test drive with my highest heels and walked the pot-holed streets of Boston. I couldn't believe how much the Insolia inserts help. It was almost as if I were wearing my favorite naturalizers. Insolia works by shifting the weight off of the ball of your foot to a more balanced position towards the heel. However it works, it works! So before CVS runs outs of your size, go out and pay the $10 to save your precious tootsies...

Apriplum Phenomenon

Can't decide if you're hungry for apricots or plums? Well, try the delicious Apriplums.

Walking into Wholefoods (www.wholefoodsmarket.com/)

this morning, I saw them from afar. The petite, beautiful hybrid fruits called Apriplums caught my attention. The aroma is sweet. They did not disappoint me in taste either. The juicy fruit reminded me of the luscious sweetness found in the Antibes market. So if you can't wake up in the South of France tomorrow, don't fret! Bite into a Apriplum and your senses will transport you close to the Mediterranean...

Smart fortwo: Mini Honk with so much style

Finally! I am so excited for DaimlerChrysler's

Smart car US arrival. Yes, that's right. In the first quarter of 2008 the lucky ones will be driving in their super cute Smart fortwo mini car. You can reserve one online (smartusa.com) with a deposit of $99. Well worth it.

Starting at a price less than $12,000 with 40 miles per gallon, the Smart provides the saavy consumer with economical style and is better for the environment than the monstrous Hummers I see clunking around town. And finding parking on Newbury will never be easier--you can park horizontally or fit two Smarts in a normal space. For the curious-minded Bostonians, you can test drive a Smart fortwo this summer from June 30th - July 4th.

Soon the stylish few will be honking their horns at all the passers-by!