“What are doing for New Year’s Eve?”
“I don’t know. What are you doing?”
“Hitting up 21 parties.”
“Can I come, too?”
Check out our slide show of all the best New Year’s Eve fetes in town.
On Monday night, we told ourselves we were going to do the following: Waste 30 bucks on a useless item for an extended-family grab bag, stop by the Verizon store, clean the bathroom, and wrap three presents.
Instead we went home, planted ourselves on the couch, and stayed up until 2 a.m. reading a book we grabbed from the office freebie pile.
All told, we’re pretty sure we made the appropriate decision…because Still Alice by local writer Lisa Genova is great. (more…)
Thankfully, we have absolutely no patience whatsoever. You see, we had reconciled to wait until after Christmas to do our sale shopping, which is what we’ve done in years past, and we always cleaned up real nice. But a couple of days ago as we stared into our closet, wondering what we’d wear to these nonstop holiday soirees, and we got a case of that resolution-destroying I Have Nothing To Wear bug.
So scurrying to Barneys (Copley Place, 617-385-3300, www.barneys.com) on our lunch break we went. And we’re oh so glad we did, as the prices had already been slashed to levels they’ve never before sunk to pre January—and the pickins’ were already trending toward slim side.
If we had stuck to our guns, we’d have been too late to score the perfect-fitting Vena Cava dress we’d been eyeing for months (marked down from around $550 to about $175). We’d have missed out on the dark Rogan shift (pictured in white) that has just a hint of sheen, a subtle black and white plaid under layer, and a vampy exposed zipper in back (originally $264, now $159). Our closet would have hungered for the sophisticated burgundy sheath from this new Italian label that we can’t pronounce ($450, down to $150), and we would been forced to go nude from the waist up without the tunic-length white button-down by Vince ($195, now $59). The horror! (more…)
The coffee table book—boring old gift or inventive present? We like to think it’s the latter (and we’re excellent givers).
Here, a few of our favorites.
Our hair is a classic underachiever. (Well, just mine. Lots of fellow Bostonistas have wildly successful, popular, fun hair.)
I know I should coax it to greatness, but I am (mostly) busy and generally distracted and also somewhat conflict-averse, so I usually overlook its mediocrity. My patience, however, expires around the holidays. So our December interaction tends to go something like this:
Me: Hey! Holiday parties! Let’s get ready!
Hair: Meh. How about we stay home and make faux-healthy macaroni and cheese and watch Britney: On the Record instead?
Me: Come on! We’ll have fun!
Hair: Not feeling it.
Me: You know what? I don’t ask for much. I don’t force you to change. No highlights. Not much random goop. I even bought the special no-snag hair ties after that stylist accused me of trying to murder you with the regular kind. So will you please do me this one favor and behave passably for a few hours?
Hair: But it’s so hard. And I’m just not naturally good at looking good. So let’s just stay here, and I’ll remain messily stuck on top of your head, and you can wear the college sweatpants with the hole in the ass, and we’ll both be happy.
Me: You are, hands down, the worst.
And then I drag it to the party, where it sulks and demands to be put up in an artless and non-voluminous ponytail.
But, according to SalonCapri owner Nick Penna, our relationship doesn’t have to be quite so dysfunctional. He recommends three low-maintenance, party-friendly looks.
It has all the essentials of any trendy boutique: funky t-shirts, stylish apparel, fun accessories, fragrance sprays, fun toys, and hip bedding. But at Pawsh, it’s all for dogs.
Back Bay’s only dog boutique opened last month just a few steps from Newbury Street by Mike and Nancy Maida and their charming Boston terrier Balki.
A year ago, the couple noticed the increasing four-legged bodies strutting the streets and also the absence of options to buy food, warm clothing, and fun toys for these pooches—observations that soon cultivated into Pawsh’s very cute and semi-practical inventory. (more…)
At this point, we’re past Thanksgiving, and all that holiday’s typical accoutrements—unexpected relatives, post-turkey lethargy, valiantly trying to catch up with Great Aunt Agnes. And heading straight into late December’s more of the same…
Well, you heard it here first: This year can be different. Herewith, some of our party-saving favorites:
Bostonista loves going to the most exclusive parties at the sweetest locales in town, but every now and then, we love to throw a proper shindig at home with our best friends. For the holidays, we cooked up some unique ideas.
Every Friday, post-work, we’re going to meet up at a different friend’s place, each armed with a bottle of good wine, some takeout, and partake in the following activities: (more…)
Was the ICA first-anniversary bash really a whole year ago? (Man, we’re old.)
Believe it or not, the museum’s second-anniversary-party-slash-fashion-show is next week…and we have no doubt it’ll measure up to last year’s fabulousness. Coordinated by Debi Greenberg and art advisor Charlie Scheips, the event will celebrate major fashion presences like Tuleh, Sari Gueron, Ashley Olsen, and Brian Reyes. (more…)
Guess who’s turns one today? Yes, that’s right, we do! In the past 365 days—minus weekends, holidays, and our very occasional sick day—we’ve provided you with a steady fix of industry news, local gossip, party reports, fashion week happenings, and musings on every little odd thing we obsess about, just as we promised on day one.
Now, before you whip out the cake and gifts (you really shouldn’t have), take a nostalgic walk with us, will you?
