Do you keep the boxes?

Seriously... with, like, malaria and poverty and racism and gun-crazy assholes running around, you'd think I had bigger things to worry about, but here's my concern of the day:

Do you keep your shoe boxes?

I used to work in the shoe business, and my boss - a guy with a sick collection of Prada and the like - was a box-keeper through and through. I am presently a box-keeper, too. I like the glossy feel of the YSL box, opening it to reveal my Tributes (which I can't seem to wear to work because while they look very glam on net-a-porter models, they make me look like a wobbly hooker). I love handling the oragami-like and brilliantly engineered Te Casan boxes (while lamenting the end of that innovative label). And I am grateful for the metal gromment on Kors boxes, which makes it easy to pull those shoes from the stack. But I am about to overhaul my office/closet and am considering ditching all the boxes in favor of just shelving them. But seriously... dust. I mean, let's be honest. As often as a girl wears glitter Loutoutins (read: only for one Christmas party a year, at best) shouldn't I keep them boxed? Putting them out on open shelves seems a little too Mariah Carey, right? A little above my pay grade?

How do you store your shoes, shoe whores?

"Some people said they did not own televisions."

Late Friday night, a long line wrapped around the Mission Theater. People waiting hoped a space would open up inside, where the first episode of “Portlandia” was about to be shown to a packed house. Some people said they did not own televisions — or that they did not get IFC.

“It’s got to be a little elitist, you know,” said Tony Robinson, working as the doorman. “That’s part of the Portland thing, too.”



Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!! Of COURSE a bunch of them don't have televisions. Totally brilliant.

There is so much to love about this show (especially as a Portland native), and so much to love in this article, especially the TV line. Oh, Portland. You are so cute.

Portland... where young people go to retire.


HERE.

“It felt really suburban to me."

Eve and Rich Kessner left the West Village for Park Slope with their daughter, Avi, last March. But after six months, they found themselves looking for a new place to live. “It felt really suburban to me,” said Ms. Kessner. “Park Slope has puppets and guitar strumming for kids. In Williamsburg, it is like rock ‘n’ roll for kids.”


You're so special!!! You should live in a more special neighborhood! You should make sure your kids are cool like you! Go on with your bad selves, hipsters!


I don't know why I keep reading this shit in the NYT. It just gives me a major fucking headache.

HERE

Quality problems.

HERE.

I didn't even realize bad coffee was causing problems in Paris. Who knew? Glad the NTY is on it.

Drucker out at Town & Country

(The new guy.)

HERE.

Kind of a major bummer because the cover of the current issue is HILARIOUS. It's like, "What your husband really thinks of your plastic surgery," and I think it covers divorce, etc. I saw it and thought, "This is AWESOME. It's like Town & Country as read by people who watch the Real Housewives franchise." (AKA, me.)

Sigh. Bummer. Wonder what he's up to next.

One of the Top All Inclusive Family Holidays to Cuba

Choosing an all inclusive family vacation to Cuba can be tricky with so many to choose from, but by all accounts the Hotel Playa Pesquero in Rafael Freyre is worth close examination.

There are huge differences in opinions about hotels in Cuba, and they all have their critics, but it is important to realise that a Cuba Vacation isn’t the same as most parts of the Caribbean. A visit to the decaying majesty of Havana, and the gratitude of hotel staff for small gifts makes you realise the scale of the poverty that exists, and the run down state of the economy. The large number of all inclusive holidays to Cuba is an indication that there isn’t that much to be had outside the hotel complexes, and the overall standards here, whilst a number are classified as five star, aren’t really comparable with the same or equivalent in the rest of the Caribbean.
Leaving that aside the satisfaction ratings for the Hotel Playa Pesquero in Rafael Freyre are high, and it is a very popular choice for an all inclusive family vacation. It sits on a lovely white sand beach, and is a great holiday destination both for people who want to do nothing but relax, but plenty of facilities for the energetic luxury family vacation as well.
The rooms at the Hotel Playa Pesquero are laid out in blocks each containing five or six units. This makes the hotel like a village, with all the apartments scattered around the beautifully maintained gardens.
The rooms themselves are a good size, and you can book Standard, Superior Standard, or a Suite, and in total there are over 900 units, making the Hotel Playa Pesquero absolutely huge. Now there are advantages as well as disadvantages to an hotel this size, but if you choose Hotel Playa Pesquero for an all inclusive luxury family vacation a hotel like this has such a huge number of facilities for the children, size has to be an advantage.
The pool at the Hotel Playa Pesquero is huge and kept very clean, with a pool bar at one end, a bridge across the middle, and plenty of sun beds around. The beach is private, the sea is beautiful, and very convenient for snorkelling. There are a number of beach activities to take part in for all the family, and a grill and bar right on the beach.
In terms of activities which is very essential on any luxury family vacation, it is true to say that just about anything goes. You can go cycling, play tennis, play pool, table tennis, squash, go kayaking, and whilst the list isn’t quite without limits, there’s more than enough for all the family.

“We wanted a variety of concepts in fashion that reflects the coffee we prepare,” she said.

Note to everyone:
Stop overthinking it.

HERE.

Book lust.

It's crazy to think people "style" their books, but sometimes the execution is quite clever.

More HERE.

Best Beach in Argentina – Mar del Plata

For a country with a coast as big as Argentina, you know there must be a killer beach somewhere in the mix. There are a wide range of beaches, some near bigger cities and some in desolate parts of the coast. If you’re a beach-gower and visit Argentina, you will want to make time to go visit Mar del Plata.

Mar del Plata, which translated means Sea of Silver, is an old town established in 1847. This makes it the oldest beach community in the country and it hasn’t lost its charm over the years.

The countryside here looks like Italy; rolling hills that take you dreamingly down to the seaside. When you get there, you’ll see the gentle sand caressing the waterline as it’s done for centuries, all 10 miles of it.

Best months here are during the Southern Hemisphere summer, January – March, when Mar del Plata is busy. If you like quieter months, but maybe a little cooler, try August through September. It can snow here in the winter.

One of the easiest ways to get to Mar del Plata is to take a bus (Retiro) from Buenos Aires. It’s about a 5 hour trip in a very nice bus with comfortable seats. If you want to bypass the craziness of the big city, get the shuttle from the International Airport (EZE) and ride it out. And once there, you can visit the beach, or walk around town. Everything is accessible by foot.

After January 1, the town gets crowded, but that gives it a lot of life and activities almost round the clock. Everything is open and you will see a lot of families with kids, but couples and singles as well. And there is a good deal to do there, shopping, dining, gambling, entertainment, sports, tours, museums, and let’s not forget the beaches!

Many of the areas along the beach at Mar del Plata have dues where you pay a daily fee to get a cabana, table and chairs. You can get service right on the beach, and these areas are probably a bit more secure than the public areas.