Archive for June, 2009

After a 30 minute flight from Naxos, we checked into the Herodion Hotel, which I chose because of its ideal location, comfortable accommodations, and beautiful roof deck. The fifth floor of the hotel offers a spectacular view of the Parthenon, along with sweeping views of the city itself. There were many chairs and ample shade, so one could go and enjoy the scenery at any time of day in comfort.

While we were only in Athens for a day and a half, I think we saw more sites and covered more ground then most people could do in at least double our time. I literally mapped our most logical route through the city, marking museums, sites, boutiques, and restaurants which could not be missed.

Even though we arrived to our hotel in the late afternoon, we were determined to visit the Acropolis before sunset. Late afternoon happens to be an idea time to visit the Acropolis, as the heat isn’t as extreme and the  light is some of the best for photography. Embarrassingly, we rode the Happy Train and briefly toured the Plaka before disembarking at the Acropolis stop. While the Acropolis itself is a collection of structures dating back to the 432BC, the monument is best known for the Parthenon, built by Pericles in the fifth century BC. The Acropolis was one of the most beautiful sites I had ever seen, and it was surreal knowing that I was standing in history dating back thousands of years. Unfortunately, age and pollution have taken a tole on the Acropolis, and many parts of the sites have been replaces with replica casts. However, one can view many of the original pieces at the new Acropolis Museum, which we JUST missed the opening of! Disappointing to say the least, but I guess we’ll just have to go back! (more…)

Since coloring my hair, I’ve noticed that my hair texture has just not been the same.  Prior to coloring, I used to pride myself on having naturally soft, fine hair without even the use of conditioner!  But one shower spent trying to use my normal shampoo left my hair feeling everything opposite of what it used to be: non lustrous, non silky, and non smooth.

Thank goodness for my discovery of Redken’s Color Extend Shampoo and Conditioner, especially designated for color treated hair, with its blend of proteins, anti-oxidants Vitamin E, and sunscreens, which have treated my hair malaise.  This was the first time I felt instant results with a shampoo.  Immediately after using, my hair suddenly felt softer, more bouncy, and more manageable, especially after a liberal helping of conditioner.  My hair was easy to comb through, and felt light, and fluffy, advantageously showing off the layers in my hair.

As any experienced hair color junkie will tell you, sulfates are bad for color treated hair as they can easily strip away your color.  Redken Color Extend doesn’t contain any sulfates and extended my temporary box color beyond its 26 recommended washes to almost twofold.  It’s been about 2 months and only now am I beginning to feel like I should color my hair.

Redken’s Color Extend Shampoo retails for $16 and the Conditioner for $15 and can be found at drugstore.com.

I was cruising my favorite fashion blogs this morning when I happened upon these Bolling Zipper Sandals from Aldo featured on Nitrolicious.  Now Wendy usually uncovers cool stuff, but I actually stopped and stared for a while when I saw these.

Fashionistas will most likely have one of 2 reactions:

1.  Isn’t this kind of reminiscent of Christian Louboutin zipper sandals from a few seasons back?

2.  The zipper trend is in this summer, I love I love!

Truthfully, the second we saw this picture, I immediately thought of the Louboutins but the shocker is, I actually like the style of the Aldo shoes better.  Not to mention, waaay more wallet friendly at $110.  They are not quite so annoyingly similar that I’d automatically peg it as a knockoff and Aldo did unveil these a few seasons after Louboutin.  The only beef I have is that the material is entirely synthetic (which I kind of hate) but you can’t beat that price for that style.

Photo credit and for more images, check out Nitrolicious.com.

Rachelle Hruska is probably a familiar name to you if you’re one of the millions of people who visit GuestofaGuest.com, one of the most fun New York nightlife blogs on the Internet. Hruska is the widely loved founder and editor of the site – identifying hot spots before they’re even open, regularly hanging with (and reporting on) the city’s social and media influencers, and blogging before most of New York even wakes up so we can get our daily dose of gossip and glamour with our morning coffee.  We caught up with Hruska to find out the current obsessions of this pretty girl-about-town. (more…)

A friend one told me that one of the easiest way to encourage yourself to be motivated to go to the gym is to buy cute gym clothes.  After the discovering of Lululemon and stocking my gym wardrobe with plenty of their functional and stylish separates, I’m inclined to agree.  This may sound ridiculous, but I swear with each piece of Lululemon clothing I buy, the more I feel pressured to go to the gym to get some wear out of my new outfits.

Lululemon might not be a new brand name to some of you, but I was slow to catch on since there haven’t been many stores in the Tri-State New York City area until recently.  I first heard about it from TDO Editor Carolyn, when I asked for recommendations on a cute and useful yoga pant (Lululemon was responsible for the pair of pants she wore while trekking in Peru.)  Then, came the opening of the new store in Union Square.  One day while walking home from work, I strolled in and tried on their infamous Groove pant and it soon became on of my gym staples. (more…)

It’s an unfortunate reality that Boston lags way behind other major cities comes to dining trends. There was the cupcake trend, meticulously crafted cocktail trend (Milk and Honey, Teardrop Lounge, and Boston’s Drink), and now the tart yogurt trend. You know, Pinkberry, Red Mango, and all those trendy froyo destinations which pride themselves on famous customers, trendy interiors, and tart treats topped with fresh fruits, nuts, granola, and mochi.

Last summer, I discovered Berryline, which at the time was the Boston areas only tart yogurt establishment. Berryline is the brainchild of two longtime friends who recognized the need for a yogurt shop in Boston. Located on Arrow Street in Harvard Square, Berryline serves up two or three flavors of tart yogurt, as well as all the fixings you’d ever want. Since last summer, at least four other establishments offering tart yogurt have opened in Boston, and I’ve obviously made it my mission to try every single one of them. However, when all is said and done, Berryline is king; allow me to break it down for you: (more…)

With a long laundry list of tasks to do each day, taking a few minutes for myself often gets pushed aside and regretfully forgotten. Recently, I have been trying to make a conscious effort to pamper myself. After all, it is summer break (break being the key word). My newest means of hassle free TLC is Sothys Energizing Bath Essences.

Drop just one of these bath pebbles into your tub after a hard day at work for a completely revitalizing experience. Made from a blend of essential oils like eucalyptus, nutmeg, and red thyme, this bath bead not only hydrates your skin, but creates a light energizing scent that sticks around even after bath time is over. As the bath pebble fizzes away, so does your stress (until recently I had forgotten just how therapeutic a good long bath could be). As a plus, Sothys bath essences come in individually wrapped packs, so throwing one in your bag is always a cinch. Now at the end of each day, I make sure to put a few extra minutes aside for me, my bath, and Sothys.

To check out the full collection, head to Sothys-Usa.com or order via Amazon.com.

Lately, I seem to be buying a lot of baby gifts for many new mommies in my life. I love shopping for baby showers (who can resist mini everything?), but I really dislike shopping off registry for the most part.  Typically, I find them all listing the same thing in boring pinks and blue designs that seem not to have changed much since I was a baby.  While I appreciate why a registry exists, I also want to gift something that reflects a bit of my own personal style, yet still fitting within the needs of the new mom. So I admit it – more often than not, I’m the rebel who will buy something off-registry. (I know, I know…)

Still, I love to find practical yet gorgeous pieces for the new baby.  That’s where I turn to Right Bank Babies.  This delightful LA label has been on my radar for some time now and it’s my little secret that I’m now sharing with you.  In fact, I would say that the majority of newborn gifts that friends and family have received in the last couple years have come from this brand. Inspired by a combination of Parisian flair and the boho vibe of Los Angeles, this label churns out some of the most beautiful children’s pieces on the market today. Below are some of my current favorites from their line: (more…)

Like it? I was in a hurry to get to the Farmer’s Market before they ran out of fish (so glamorous, I know) so I reached for these little gems. I was so pleased with the results I had to share. Follow the steps on the jump for product info, and stay tuned for a future post that uses green makeup alternatives to get the same look! (more…)