Now that we've staycationed ourselves into a comfortably-cocoony bliss, many of us are ready to venture out again. But differently than before, meaning cheaper and custom-planned, a phenom dubbed the smart-cation. "Smart-cation is planning a vacation that’s right for your interests that uses all of the tools that are out there now to save money," explains travel writer Pauline Frommer. "If you plan your vacation smartly, you can literally shave 30-35 percent off compared to somebody who throws their hats in the air and says, 'oh we'll just go here.' Some ways you save are renting an apartment or a condo rather than doing a hotel. People save a good 30% that way, especially families when you factor in the cost of not having to eat every meal at a restaurant."
Interestingly, the planning part seems to combine the best of staycationing with the joy of anticipating the upcoming trip. Researchers found that when people decided to take a vacay, they were happiest when they were planning it & anticipating their upcoming break. Once they returned home, within two weeks the vacay-glow disappeared & their happiness levels plummeted back to the same levels as people who didn't get away. And within two short months, it was as if they hadn't ever gone away. The researchers advice? Skip the longer annual vacation in favor of shorter breaks spread throughout the year, each lasting around 2-6 days.
So the best way to get your vacay on starts right at home, with dreaming and plotting and planning. "I think the planning can be a lot of fun if you allow it to be, if you don’t stress about it," continues Frommer. "A lot of people spend time planning reading novels about the place they are going or histories or dreaming a lot." Be sure then to savor the trip-planning part as, in some ways, it doesn't get much better. My two cents, or actually, two words: cashmere chic. When you armchair travel making your pre-trip preparations, keep it cozy from your neck all the way down to your toes.
GET THE LOOK: leopard-print cashmere robe - Magaschoni; cashmere playsuit - Madeleine Thompson; cashmere slippers - White & Warren; cushion - FS Home Collections on JulesB.com; Kindle - Amazon.com; "Vacation Planning" via MexicoVacationRental.org
- Will clothes biodegrade? - Will our outfits monitor our health? - Will climate change refugees spread new fashion influences around the world? - Will a shortage of raw materials see us renting our clothes from libraries? - Will technological advances make it common to grow what we wear?
To try & answer these questions, Levi Strauss & Co. and sustainability experts Forum for the Future teamed up on FASHION FUTURES - a collaboration of fashion experts from every area of the biz, including manufacturing, design and retail, as well as universities, trade unions and NGOs. The mission? To think-through possible scenarios for the future of fashion, starting with the raw materials and following them all the way up the chain to use & final disposal. “The global fashion industry generates a trillion dollars a year. What
we wear –- and how it's made and sold –- can have a huge positive impact
on our society and environment, "explains Peter Madden,
Chief Executive of the Forum on how fashion could (and should) continue
to develop leaner and greener. “For the fashion industry to be
sustainable economically, it must be sustainable socially and
environmentally too,“ adds John Anderson,
(then) President and Chief Executive Officer of Levi Strauss & Co.
In "Someday" (right), Isabel & Ruben Toledoo predict: "Intelligent textile technology will allow fabrics to react to sensory cures; fashion will interact with its wearer and its surroundings." From left: fabric infused with liquid form-cells; fiber lights to make luminous clothing that lights up the night; fashions made from fibers that expand & contract, shaping your silhouette du jour on demand. (illustration: source)
This tweet inspired the first episode of #CandidlyNicole, a fun new docu-ality show by AOL featuring the social media musings of Nicole Richie about parenthood, friendships, marriage, showbiz, style...and trampstamps. And removing them, the focus of Episode 1, in which she visits a tattoo-removal clinic. "I was sixteen and an idiot," she muses. "Now I want a respectable spine." After discussing ink-related regrets and removal experiences with other patients in the waiting room, she sees all the hideous/scary/funny tatts the good doc has removed and decides what to do about her own.
Filofax recently challenged graduate students to design a striking "Cover Story." Beating out a tidal-wave of talent with this elegant & eyecatching design was Rebecca Mountain, who is now enjoying a paid work-placement with Filofax so that she could see her print being brought to life & sold around the world. How exciting! Congrats, Rebecca - your design rocks! :)
As monarch, what should one expect from one's subjects once cleansed and sparkly? An awesome scent! Preferably something as amped up & fabulous as you. Downy Unstopables is loaded up with scent-enhancing goodness - just shake on a little or a lot; during the wash cycle, the beads dissolve - turning your laundry room into your own private scent sanctuary. The fresh scent lasts either until you wear something or up to three months. To prove it, they're sending Jimmy the intern out on tour for 12 weeks!
- Lesley Scott
[Note: This was posted in partnership with P&G. The words are mine.]
Bottega Veneta has once again collaborated with NYC-based artist Nancy Lorenz, known for her Japanese-inflected Post-War abstraction, on a series of 25 boxes crafted from leather and suede - each one-of-a-kind and an extension of the brand's tradition of blending the artisanal with the artistic. The lids in the "Skies and Beyond" collection, in particular, are fabulous: inlaid with mother of pearl, they are polished to a high shine designed to feature cracks and other natural markings on the raw materials used, which include white gold, blackened silver, palladium and moon gold leaf. Measuring 28x20x10.5 cm, the boxes are just the right size to keep small treasures close at hand such as letter, photos & jewelry. "I've always followed Nancy Lorenz's work and felt the time was right
for us to introduce this long awaited third collection," adds Bottega's Creative
Director Tomas Maier. "I appreciate her refined technique, textural
work and overall artistic sensibility, and am delighted to work with
her again on this unique project."
In fact, they traveled to Bridgehamton and East Hampton, NY, specifically to find out from striaight from those in the know - including Real Housewife (NYC) Countess LuAnn de Lesseps & celebrity stylist Lauren Rae Levy - as to what exactly constitutes this fabled Hamptons chic & how it differs from Manhattan style. For additional eye candy, this helpful video primer also Includes footage from the 2012 Bridgehampton Polo season as well as the 2012 Longhouse Reserve Benefit.
For more on Gotham's insider style secrets & tasty lifestyle dish, be sure to check out New York Insider TV.
- Lesley Scott
[Note: This was written in partnership with New York Insider TV. The words are mine.]
The man behind the iconic crocodile, René Lacoste, was sporty, colorful & French - just like the new namesake Lacoste L!VE collection which gives the brand's distinct blend of sporty-elegance a sassy & fun update. For the new campaign, lensed by photographer Peter Sutherland, they headed to Tokyo - arguably the global capital of crazy. But peek behind the insane energy, comical sports and wacky artists & you'll discover an almost obsessive-compulsive respect for tradition & heritage. Which makes sense. After all, if you don't know where you've been, how can you know where you're headed?
- Lesley Scott
[Note: This was written in partnership with Lacoste L!VE. The words are mine.]
Just as you probably wouldn't consider buying a landline phone any more (other than for making a statement...of some kind), you want to choose from the latest, greatest, best & of course, coolest. Preferably From people who specialize in such matters. "We don’t sit around camp fires singing songs," note the experts at Phones 4 U, "but we do have some basic principles to make sure we’re always doing things right." Including staying large & in charge (when it comes to negotiating deals on networks & upgrades, size matters); offering boatloads of exclusives on name-brand handsets; and focusing on good customer service. "We invest significantly in the training, development and motivation of our staff." Plus keeping tongue firmly in cheek. "Have you seen our recent campaign? One of our new ads features a bunch of prison guards. Even though they have a serious job to do, they can't help being distracted by the features of the mobile phone we gave them to play with for a week. Our new ad shows what they got up to with the phone, whilst they should have been minding their prisoners."
- Lesley Scott
[Note: This was written in partnership with Phones 4u. The words are mine.]
Illustration at top by Andrea Laliberte via source.
After celebrating its 50th anniversary last year, San Francisco Zen Center (SFZC) is kicking off another 50 years of spiritual engagement and community building when the new guest season opens on April 26th at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Nestled in a mountain valley inland from the Big Sur coast in a remote part of the Ventana Wilderness, Tassajara was chosen for its resemblance to mountain temples & monasteries in Japan & established as the first Zen training monastery outside that country by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi - founder of San Francisco Zen Center and author of the popular Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind.
While Tassajara is closed to the public eight months of the year for private Zen practice, when spring blossoms and its gates swing open, it attracts yoga lovers, hot-spring enthusiasts intent on getting their soak on, zazen (meditation) seekers & artisan foodies - all looking to unplug, head off the dirt path (14 miles worth & 4-wheel drive accessible only) & soak up the serenity, taking a chance at self-discovery and indulging in second helpings of vegetarian cuisine.
Tassajara's new eco-retreat center - designed by architect Helen Degenhardt of JSW/D Architects to raise the bar on green development - will host disciplinary retreats in six specialty areas: Body Mind, Mindful Living, Spiritual Practice, Practice, Engaging Earth and Creative Expression.
For 2013, the Tassajara guest season dates are April 26 - September 9.
