Must-Haves for the Kitchen per the NYTimes

Love this article. Olive oil in a hand-pumped sprayer instead of mystery oil in an aerosol can. Simple concoctions instead of bottled salad dressing. Lemons. Dried beans. Frozen vegetables. A variety of different grains. Maple syrup. It's the kind of stuff people would be buying anyway if advertising didn't exist. Simple, inexpensive.

Watches

Here is the watch I wanted:The Cartier Tank Francaise watch. (I have great taste.)

Here is the watch I got:

The Victorinox Alliance. This was significantly less than the Cartier version, and the lady at Nordstrom said the face wouldn't scratch, which is what I was aiming for- something that would last.

About Grout

Added to my short list of most-excellent home-repair people: About Grout. They re-grouted and re-caulked my shower to a lovely, gleaming, uniform whiteness. Perfect lines abound. Cute to boot.

Euro Street Style

From Lucky Magazine: Parisian street style.

Update: The New York Times Magazine this week has an article on "street-style photoblogs", and from the sound of it, they like Garance Dore as much as I do (which is to say, a lot).

Besides Garance Dore, they also list many other street style blogs they like.

Shea Butter

100% pure Shea Butter. There is no better moisturizer, this from someone with very dry, sensitive skin. All natural, so it doesn't irritate. Great for lips, too, and as a hair gel.

Zagat

A Zagat guide is indispensable for urban dining, so it's really not surprising that the good people who created the Zagat guides, the Zagats (in the photo above- photos by Nathaniel Brooks for the New York Times) have a really cool house.

It was featured in the New York Times on October 9, 2008.



Just look at this kitchen. First, there is a gas stove. Enameled cast iron pots and a lovely tea kettle sit on the stovetop. The butcher-block counter has a warmth to it. And then there is the cupboard full of cookbooks, and a counter full of wooden salt and pepper grinders and miscellaneous cooking supplies. All the ingredients one needs for the good life.

Norma Kamali Swimwear

If this isn't the most gorgeous swimsuit ever made then I don't know what is. It has that old-time glamour thing going for it, is slimming, and covers up the important stuff while still managing to be sexy. Apparently Miranda wore a red version in the "Sex and the City" movie (but I so love it in black!). At $350 I'll be saving my pennies to buy this one.