Rima Suqi

I am a big fan of  Miraval – have been there five or six times. The only things about the Tucson-area spa that I  don’t like are the on-site shop (don’t get me started), some of the rooms (a bit dark, but the 600s, are modern, lighter and have awesome views of the Catalina mountains).

And the look of the spa. It definitely needed an update – I mean, this place has amazing treatments, and a great staff but the overall design was very 1970s. Today the new spa debuts, courtesy of Clodagh Design. I haven’t seen it live and in person but I got these shots. MAJOR difference. Another major difference – the addition of many treatments developed with and using products by Clarins.

I don’t really wear make-up. But I don’t leave home without something on the lips – could be Burts Bees lip shimmer on one end of the spectrum, or my once-favorite, now discontinued, perfect blue-red Chanel. Recently I left home without my makeup bag. On a day full of meetings. I absolutely cannot CANNOT go through an entire day with naked lips. I should have gone to Duane Reade. I was in SoHo, I went to Sephora. Long story short: YSL Rouge Volupte. The creamiest lipstick ever that also stays on forever – not sure how that’s possible, but trust me, it does. I bought a red, I bought a neutral. LOVE. Not cheap but so worth it.

I used to think that if it was one of those days/weeks, a lip gloss would make everything better. But if it’s one of those months/years, you gotta upgrade. You need a shoe. Especially when it’s only $49 at Zara. And you’re about to embark on foreign travel. And fretting about packing.

Here it is (there are other options, of course. this was my personal choice that arrived today).

Buy it here, because its already sold out in stores.

Athletic companies traditionally don’t know how to make a V neck. It sounds ridiculous, but if you’re someone who prefers a V to a crew, it can be frustrating to find one that goes any lower than your clavicle.  Smartwool now makes this one, which I just got and LOVE. You get all that awesome wicking from the microweight wool, plus a real, dare I say stylish, V. Perfect for layering in this weird weather we’ve been having. Comes in various colors. I, of course, have black.

What’s new from Alexis Bittar for fall. Just another reason the months June-August should be banished – need to get to fall deliveries!

Think BIG — big earrings, big necklaces, big big big -

and stacks of the lucite + white metal situation, which i love:

and also a lot of green stones – i love green so i’m psyched:

and a leopard/cheetah situation that WILL be on my wrist:

the cat also made a comeback in this really amazing necklace – one of Alexis’ favorites (and mine).

Although I’m more likely to have it perched on my desk so I can look at it all day.

i wish i had someplace to wear this (the neck part):

and the balls to wear these:

I might be able to figure out a use for these. chic oyster shucking?

Growing up in a household with a non-practicing Catholic mother and a non-practicing Muslim father was fine until major Christian holidays rolled around. My mom was often into a tradition (a Christmas tree, for example) that my dad wasn’t having.

Except Easter eggs. There were never fights about Easter eggs. My mom, who is  from Lithuania, would make traditional Lithuanian Easter eggs called Margučiai. She’d dye the eggs a gorgeous reddish brown by boiling them with onion skins. Then she’d sit for hours, using a razor blade to scratch Fair Isle-esque designs into the eggs.

They were really cool looking. I don’t have a picture of the ones she did, but I found this picture – same idea and technique.

People who say they don’t like gin are, in my opinion, misled. There are almost no rules to gin production, so you can undoubtedly find one you’ll love. The problem is that most people mix gin with tonic, and traditional tonics are awful. Try it without any booze and you’ll see what i mean.  Lately I’ve been on a bit of a tonic quest and I’ve settled on two which I love equally for different reasons (and taste delicious sans gin or vodka): TomR and Q.

The former is a bit heavier, and must be mixed with seltzer for the right result. It’s $11.95/bottle (it’s a concentrate), buy it here.

The latter you can drink right out of the bottle, it’s $2.95 here. Either way, your boozing ways will be forever changed. That’s not a bad thing, btw.

You can also buy a sampler of 3 different tonic waters here. Warning: it can easily become an obsession.

Last time I was in Arizona I had my first-ever rattlesnake sighting while on a hike. This time, en route to Arizona, I had another snake sighting in Houston. They’re now on my wrist:

They’re these awesome bracelets by Presmer. Some think I went overboard but I say more is more – that’s what 6 looks like on my wrist, and here’s what they look like stacked on my desk.  They also come in colors.  I feel like everyone needs these.

Best gift received this holiday season (from a dog, no less. A real dog, not someone behaving like one): Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir cologne. I’d never recommend giving cologne to someone, unless you know they wear it or want it, but my friend nailed it. This officially replaces my favorite Frederic Malle.

The site describes it thusly: “combines the sweet fruity notes of raspberry, plum, pink pepper and pomegranate with patchouli, frankincense and spicy woods to create a scent that’s sensual, totally sophisticated and utterly compelling.”  I agree on the spicy wood part, that’s what sold me. Makes it very unisex. There’s also a candle.

Door stop as hook. Love!