the function key

I just got home from the movie theatre. My girlfriend and I took the opening-weekend plunge and caught an afternoon showing of Sex and the City. Despite the pans from various industry reviews, we both left the theater pleased as punch — and a little cramped. We sat in the second row staring up at the screen and watching the phenomenon that put high-fashion on the lips of middle America for two-plus hours. 

I’ve always watched SATC, but I have never, I repeat never, identified myself with any of the four ladies — Carrie, Miranda, Samantha, and Charlotte. I do not take magazines quizzes like, “Which SATC character are you most like?” Nor would you catch me reading the SATC Guide before the movie, like the two fanatics in the row behind me so dutifully perused before the show. The cult following behind the HBO series leaves me severely jaded, and when anyone pontificates about an episode, I immediately lose interest.

And yet, I am hypocrite, because as I spent the afternoon among a sold-out audience of designer handbag-toting, high-heel wearing, Carrie Bradshaw empathizers, I too, willingly indulged my inner girlfriend and loved every minute of it. The writers wrap up every loose end from the series and present it to fans in a pretty little package, tied with a fashion-filled ribbon. And by the end of the film, after crying on more than four occasions, laughing hysterically, and wishing out loud that Carrie would just marry Big already, I immediately thought, I can’t wait to see this again. 

Think you knew everything about SATC? Read this.

Bodega, Boston’s (formerly) super-secret sneaker-head haven, is teaming up with Reebok to realease a very exciting, highly limited package they’ve dubbed “The Escape Pack.”

The project is inspired by the infamous transportation method known as The Chinatown Bus, and the lost weekends that usually result from a trip on the bus. Any familiar rider knows that both the Fung Wah and Lucky Star bus lines are famous for providing an insanely-cheap, life-risking ride from Boston Chinatown to NYC Chinatown, and it’s the way to get out of this city, to that city, for the weekend!

The centerpiece of the Escape Pack (due out tomorrow, May 31) is this newly designed Reebok Omni Pump Lite, which features a crisp jade and charcoal color scheme, accented by the BODEGA logo in a warm red. The ankle collar is also detailed with a map, displaying the route taken by The Chinatown Bus.

While I don’t find the sneaker itself to be particularly exciting, it’s the contents of the Escape Pack that I see as pretty cool. Limited to an edition of only 100, the Escape Pack includes everything BODEGA knows you’ll need for a wild weekend in the big city.

Inside you’ll find rolling papers and a lighter, fat caps and paint markers, mixtapes, a whiskey nip, condoms, and some toiletries, (just to name a few items!), and an assortment of other goodies and good luck charms! With all of your basic needs covered, you can hop on the Fung Wah worry-free and enjoy yourself for the weekend.

One very lucky person’s Escape Pack will include a Golden Ticket, a la Willy Wonka. The winner of the Golden Ticket will receive airfare to anywhere in the continental US, as well as a suitcase filled with past limited edition releases from Reebok!

When I first discovered these objects, I wasn’t quite sure what they were. Obviously they look like cd’s, but I found myself wondering, why on earth would anyone take the time to screenprint intricate designs on cd’s and sell them? I wondered if they contained music, a film, anything at all. Turns out, they don’t. They’re just blank cd’s that Chicago-based 5inch, individually screenprinted, so that you(?) could burn music or video, or anything at all onto them. I’m baffled.

I thought about the concept for a minute, would I buy them? They are pretty cool to look at, and I guess it’s an interesting, although totally unpractical concept. I suppose you could use them to burn mixed-discs for your friends . . . or something. Then I checked the price and quantity — 10 discs for 12.25 — and decided, I wouldn’t buy them but instead share their idealistic charm with you.

I haven’t written a lot about menswear, in fact, probably not at all. But, I had to share these ties by Sovereign Beck of Brooklyn. Their obvious beauty aside, each tie is hand-silkscreened on lightweight cotton for summertime attire. So, if you’re in need of some neckwear, or if you just want to buy one for your dad for Father’s Day, try this collection on for size.

You probably use salt everyday, but where do you keep it? In a salt shaker? In the store-bought container? Well, I keep my salt (sea salt that is) in a salt pig. Since salt doesn’t ever go bad (unless of course the dreaded moisture invades), the salt pig keeps the mineral on-hand at all times, perfect if you need a pinch or a tablespoon, and its unglazed interior keeps moisture out.

Salt pigs: Emile Henry, France

I’m really digging “Geto Boys” by Glass Candy. Click the link below the picture to groove.

Listen to the tuneage here.

Did you know that contact lenses were invented (well technically it was only a sketch) by Leonardo Da Vinci? No? Neither did I. Interestingly enough, LensShopper.com highlights both the history of contacts and comparison prices on contact lenses from around the Web on its Internet site. So, if you wear contacts, or if you’re just interested in switching up your eye color for the Summer months, check out these coupons from LensShopper, and learn a little something about those things you put in your eyes every day.

Click here for more coupons.

Despite the rising fuel prices and decreasing value of the US dollar, it is still entirely possible to take a European vacation — you just need to know where and how to skimp.

My boyfriend and I are going to Paris and Amsterdam in the fall. Instead of staying in a hotel, we decided to rent an apartment during our stay in the Netherlands. Not only does this option allow us to integrate with the city’s culture and experience life as a resident, it also affords us the luxury of staying in the city center without fleecing our pockets. The rental process is easy: you book your flat, pay a retainer fee, and then pick up your key upon arrival. If there are special instructions, such as specified arrival times or preferred methods of payment, the rental company alerts you upfront.

We found our apartment through StayAmsterdam.com — which also rents apartments in other European cities like Paris, Dublin, Marbella, etc. For our stay in Paris, we used Paris35.com. This Web site features, hotels, hostels, and holiday rentals starting at 35 Euros/person. Most of the rentals are centrally located, and each description includes a map of the lodging location in relation to popular Parisian destinations.

In the months ahead, I predict that many travelers will turn to apartment rentals as an affordable lodging solution and a way to keep traveling during the looming recession.

How do you know when the economy is in a downtrend? When the price of SPAM tops out at $2.89/can. This picture, published in the Metro, was recently taken at a Braintree, MA grocery store. Unbelievable.

Are you looking for some fresh ways to liven up your tootsies and nails this summer? Forget what the magazines are saying, put away those soft pinks, and save the French manicure for your neighbor — these are my recommendations for the hottest nail polish hues for Summer 2008. All available (and very reasonably priced) at Head2Toe Beauty.