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Friday, 20 April 2007 |
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Buds are popping up, forsythias are yellow, Branch Brook’s cherry blossoms are in bloom. All good reasons to put a little spring in our steps!
First, we head for World Pottery (www.worldpottery.com) in Montclair. We love the colorful pots from South Africa and Mexico. We can wander through their indoor-outdoor displays and find something to fill every space in our garden or greenhouse. His still life looks better in real life… you need to see our friend Frank Diaz’s amazing floral photography at the Jacklyn Kling Gallery, also in Montclair. (www.klingarts.com/JKDF/gallery.html). He helps bring the natural world indoors year round. Buy a great spring dress with flower power. Shop at Princeton’s www.shopzoeonline.com and check out the Rebecca Taylor rosette mini. Or Rozae Nichols' red hot silk floral. Or get the authentic flower power look at the Hippie Shop (www.hippieshop.com), on-line or at their Fairfield warehouse. Petal over with the bikers at Branch Brook Park in Newark and Belleville (www.branchbrookpark.org) on Saturday, or drop by “Bloomfest 2007” on Sunday. More than 2,000 trees are blooming—more cherry blossoms here than in the nation’s capital! Make your own greens greener… hire an organic landscaper. There’s a list on www.nofanj.org, the group that represents organic farmers in the state. Finally, surround yourself with the romantic scent of those fine floral perfume bouquets at Floris (www.florislondon.com) in the Garden State Plaza. Remember... you never know who may stop by to help your garden grow. |
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Monday, 26 March 2007 |
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At Bograd’s furniture showroom (www.bograds.com) in Riverdale, there is one chair that you need to test drive. When you sit in it, you’ll understand why.
The retailer, known for quality, traditional lines, has set aside a corner of its vast store for a futuristic-looking cluster of leather chairs with built-in massage features, and a flat screen display to tout the product. Made in Spain, and shipped to only a few select retailers, these Keyton massage chairs (www.keyton.com) are not just vibrators for your back and butt. They remember your shape. They embrace you. Sink in, press your remote control, and these chairs scan your body. The massage is customized for you. Even for your head and neck. Close your eyes. Leather-bound fingers are kneading, rolling, or tapping. Then, pick the kind of massage you want. There’s shiatsu massage, an anti-cellulite treatment for your legs, or a lumbar rub that targets your lower back. And lots more. Marcia Bograd, the store’s leading lady, took a load off her feet and demonstrated the chair. She showed us a variety of leathers and microfiber covers. Hint: Pick the lavender, yellow and orange, and maybe you’ll keep the guys off your chair. There are basic browns and blacks if you decide you want to share. Better still, buy two, and rumble along, side by side! You can pay nearly five grand for the top of the line, with all the bells and whistles. But heck, it’s not just a chair, it’s an adventure. |
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Tuesday, 20 March 2007 |
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After last weekend’s snow (no más until next winter?) we’re thinking about sprucing up the house for spring.
Sprucing might be a good way of describing it. According to Rob Amend of Red Ginger Home, in Red Bank ( www.redgingerhome.com) the colors of nature are dominating interior décor. Cozying up indoors with the outdoors means the use of lots of unstained wood in accessories. Rob e-mailed us a picture of a carved burlwood vase, that really brings the outdoors inside. He also suggested a pillow with a motif of ostrich feathers. Surround these natural elements, he suggests, with colors like forest green, or ocean blue. He calls it “comfort decorating”… you use nature to create a habitat that inspires security and tranquility. It’s the opposite of what you face every day outside. That stress-less theme carries over to your new paint job. Amy Wax at Your Color Source Studios (www.yourcolorsource.com) in Montclair says neutral is the new neutral. Stone, taupe, beige, cream, ivory walls, highlighted by deep greens, dark reds, and orange. Amy’s crews paint up to fifteen homes a week. She questions homeowners to see which palette matches their personalities. Apparently, the more laid back type B’s are dominant. Or maybe Type-B wannabes. By the way, it’s time to pack it in for all you pack rats. Rob says clutter is out. Picking items with significance to surround yourself with, is in. It’s time to separate the good junk from the rest of your junk. So sort out your stuff, and after you’ve made the space, reward yourself with a new beige paint job, leafy pillow, or a carved wooden vase. And don’t get stressed over it; when life feels like a jungle, hang out in the woods. |
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