Life In Style

The Box Rocks

Oh my.  This is appealing in so many ways.  Water in a box, otherwise known as Boxed Water Is Better is a brilliant little Michigan start up company that's getting a lot of buzz throughout blogland.  Boxed Water containers are made from 90% renewable resources and responsibly shipped flat to the filler at 1/5 of the carbon footprint used to truck empty plastic and glass bottles.  Of course the cartons are completely recyclable and the company has a give back policy of donating 20%  of their profits back to their resource - water and trees. 

Smart. Simple. So cool.  The only question is: why is this only available in Michigan? 

Check it out here and call your Whole Foods/Trader Joe's to spread the word.  We like the box!  reFRESH 

  

Miss Pettigrew Made My Day

This lazy Sunday was spent in all manner of laying low activities - making breakfast, making cookies, making lists, and making a dent in the corner cushion of the couch... all of which was quietly underscored by a marathon of movies playing in the background - Ferris Bueller, Sixteen Candles, Sliding Doors...just plain old good movies. 

In protest of daylight savings and the end of the weekend, the Ideal Husband and I headed to the movie theatre to see Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day.  And yes, Miss Pettigrew made my day completely. 

In the wrong hands, it could be one of those flimsy period pieces that gets described as "madcap" or "a parlor comedy".  But in the hands of old favorite Frances McDormand, new favorite Amy Adams, and spot-on Shirley Henderson - this is one of those plain old good movies.. 

And though my Husband is always Ideal, this winning little movie is perfect to see all by yourself.     reFRESH

Rock Chalk

Best scene in Mary Poppins...popping in and out of Bert's chalk paintings on the sidewalk.  Check out British sidewalk chalking for a whole new generation...

   

 

Photos and art courtesy of the incredible Julian Beever.  reFRESH

When you care enough to hit send...

There are brilliant people over Some E Cards who have tapped a genuine hole in the market with their hilarious and comprehensive collection of unexpected e-cards.  If you fear being seen as a Kathy comic loving Hallmark-er, you will welcome a new generation of intelligent, dry, "what I'm really thinking" e-greetings that are worthy of your smart friends.  Browse through their enormous canon of situational cards over your morning coffee and you'll find yourself smirking happily all day long. 

Cheers to the clever Ellen Shanman for bringing someecards.com to our Inbox. reFRESH

Monday Cheer

                                                            

A few bright little tiddliwinks to cheer up your Monday... reFRESH

Download the Down Dog

We love the yoga.  We hate the yoga.  We love the mental focus and zen high.  We hate the two hour- plus time commitment.  If you have fallen off the mat, or the classes are too long and too far away then it's time to bring a little "om" into your home. 

Check out Yoga Today for daily classes that you can download at home and skip the driving, changing, and scheduling stuff that tends to get in the way of your perfect vinyasa.  Created and taught by open hearted and forward thinking yoginis in staggeringly beautiful Jackson, Wyoming - what better way to get yourself back on the mat?

reFRESH

The Smell of Fall...

   

Even as indian summer (read: global warming) lingers, the smell of autumn is in the air.  Classics are best for fall...  reFRESH

David Duchovny, Why Don't You Love Me?

Californication.  If the cheap, dorky title has dissuaded you from checking out Showtime's newest fall show- don't be fooled.  This is the best new show on television and the first glimmer of hope for fans of Sex and the City, The West Wing, and the abruptly canceled Studio 60. Yes-it's that good.  Welcome to my fall television lineup, David Duchovny- why don't you love me?  reFRESH

The Bride's Guide Blog

Martha Stewart's Weddings Magazine is the bible for girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes.  Weddings is a goldmine source book for inspiration and ideas that goes way beyond flowers and tablecloths, providing sparkling ideas with spectacular imagery on everything "I do" related. For those of you who need a fix in between the quarterly issues, check out the newest blog on the block: The Bride's Guide.  Helmed by Darcy Miller, genius editor of Weddings, The Bride's Guide will surely become a daily check in for those with weddings on the brain.   

Also, take a look at the new BluePrint Blog at Blue Lines.  reFRESH

Dubious Mineral-izers

If you're a die hard luxury cosmetic devotee, you may be hard pressed to accept the current Bare Minerals/Bare Escentuals craze that is sweeping the nation. I first heard of this product on the east coast.when a very good friend confessed to buying it late one night over the phone after being completely engrossed by the- wait for it- QVC infomercial.  Not one to ever buy skin care products that are hawked on late night television, I ignored her recommendation. 

About a year later, I realized that every woman in the Midwest is carrying around three to four little vials of Bare Minerals products in their bags and swirling their brushes like mad as they apply the highly pigmented powder foundation, concealer, bronzers, and blushes. I also noticed that the Bare Minerals store is ALWAYS PACKED with customers.  From my department store snob perch, I thought to myself, "silly fools".

Then on a glamorous weekend adventure in Napa, I was getting ready with two of my savvy girlfriends, both of whom live in Los Angeles, and was dumbfounded when they each pulled out their jars of Bare Minerals and started swirling and tapping.  At this point, I realized that I was clearly out of this loop. 

When I returned from said getaway, I broke down and made my way through the packed store and forced myself to try the line.  Friends, we have been missing out.  This is a lovely augmentation to your existing makeup routine.  The bronzers and blushes and foundation powders are weightless, flawless and the color palette is truly inspiring.  The other attractive quality of this line is the price.  The incredible Tom Ford Bronzer from Estee Lauder will run you close to $100, while the Bare Minerals bronzing powder rings in at under $20.00.  The low-maintenance one brush approach will appeal to those who shrink from the complicated counters of Armani and Chanel.  More to the point, Bare Minerals does give the skin a luminosity that's hard to come by past your twenties.  One word of caution: don't overdo it.  It's easy to get carried away with the glow of this magic dust.  Keep the Bare Minerals to a bare minimum and you'll be very happy.

All reluctant Mineral-izers can check it out here.  reFRESH

Rice Dream

Why be dull?  Ever?  For inspiration, take a look at the incredible artistry and innovation of the native farmers of Inakadate, Aomori.  Since 1993, the residents have created mind blowing works of natural art in their rice paddies by growing purple and yellow-leafed kodaimiai rice alongside the common green leaf variety.  This year's homage to Hokusair's 36 views of Mount Fuji will be visible until the rice is harvested in September.   Kind of makes those home improvements that you've been putting off seem like a snap...

Photographs and information courtesy of Pink Tentacle.   reFRESH

Laundry Day

Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean- perhaps you're not so clean after all. We've all grown up with Tide and Downy and Snuggle Soft, but wait: those tricky little phosphates and fluorescent chemicals that bleach our T-Shirts are exceptionally hard on our skin, toxic to fragile aquatic life, and furthers our dependence on oil.  Yes, much to our dismay, we now know that  most common laundry detergents are made from petroleum based cleaners which use oil. This is both completely ironic and also disgusting, not to mention a completely non-biodegradeable substance with a huge output of greenhouses gases.  So it's time to scrub organic everyone..You can buy vegetable based detergents which are renewable, and they don’t leave a residue that can irritate sensitive skin. Happily there are companies committed to products that are safe for us and for the planet.  Look for Seventh Generation, Ecover, Caldrea, and Meyers- all of their products are made with plant-derived ingredients using essential oils to provide natural freshness and cleaning potency.   Yes - it's  two dollars more to buy the organic detergent, but come on, you have two dollars for the earth. 

"In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”
For more information, check out  www.seventhgeneration.com , www.ecover.com, www.meyers.com and www.caldrea.com .  Many thanks to MY MOTHER, author of this post,  who is single-handedly making the red state of Kansas green with her indefatigable efforts.

Custom Kleenex

Calling all allergy sufferers, wedding criers, and creative minds.  If you can believe it, there is an innovative and totally personal new way to keep Kleenex handy.  Who wants a generic Kleenex box taking up visual space when you can opt for a custom conversation starter like this?  For $4.99 each, you can add your own photo, logo, or artwork. It's perfect for the powder room at a wedding or seasonally for the holidays.  Hilarious.  Check it out at www.mykleenextissue.com. reFRESH

Spring Awakening

The sky could not have been bluer today.  The always too-short window of perfect spring weather is open and we all should be outdoors all the time.  There is nothing more luxurious than a meandering walk in the sun on a Sunday morning, except maybe the enlightening walk in the April rain on Saturday afternoon.  Is it just me, or do great moments happen in the rain? 

Whatever the forecast, all lunches should be al fresco this week.  All erranders should take the long way home by the shops.  The trees are pink.  The breeze is warm.  April has arrived and all children and dogs have come out of hiding.  Take your laptop to the park and go fly a kite.

re:FRESH.