outsidevoice

There are these winter nights with a quiet that hangs over the streets, a cold that robs your chest of breath and are the reason fireplaces and cashmere throws exist. They are filled with time to kill or friends for dinner or some quiet reflection on the year to come. These are the nights for [...]

Photo credit: Bob Hiemstra via Real Simple There is a feng shui concept that says clutter of any sort blocks positive energy from swirling about the space.  My father has always said, “As goes your home, so goes your life.”  Our lives and space get away from us from time to time – that’s okay.  [...]

I will admit that this was a trend I approached with a raised eyebrow. Visions of street thugs and Rocky Balboa flashed through my head when a multi-knuckle and multi-finger ring was described. But, my lovelies, these rings have more street style than street gang. I love the idea of pairing some badass with an [...]

Please meet, Maurice, Chloy, Howard and Pearly. Are they not the cutest? These little creatures are Swarovski crystal-encrusted 4GB USB drives that also double as charms. While they remind me of days spent spending allowance money in the Hello Kitty store, these are most decidedly not for children. I think you should only store your [...]

SWAGG is a free mobile app (download here) that lets you shop smarter using your mobile phone. Buy, send or swap SWAGG GIFTS and organize your old school plastic gift cards. For every download of the app between now and Dec. 31, 2010, SWAGG will donate $1 to Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) , up [...]

On my list of dream jobs is being on the team that names OPI products. Seriously. I still giggle every time I grab my Friar, Friar Pants on Fire. For Spring/Summer 2011 OPI has taken their punny inspiration from the Great State of Texas. Yee haw, y’all! It seems this collection is not only centered [...]

Now THERE’S a breath of fresh air as many of us are burrowing in for the winter – Honeysuckle Pink. Pantone believes this is THE color for 2011 after exhaustive research – and a lovely color it is. A bit retro in its tone, many are referencing lipstick shades worn by our mothers or grandmothers [...]

Author’s Note: This is long, and sadly has no pictures, but stick with it.  It’s a good one. Because of my mom’s involvement at our synagogue when we were growing up, somehow our family always had a special relationship with the head Rabbi.  The Rabbi was called by his first name in our house, but [...]

Admit it. The days when you open your mailbox and there is a hand-addressed envelope your heart skips a beat. You open those first. We may use the web for keeping in contact, managing minutiae, work and all sorts of the mundane, but the important things that need to be said – they are said [...]