We love Sferra linens -- all that luscious Italian bedding, so handsomely designed, so soft to the touch, so elegant on the bed. It is the bedding of royalty, or at least you'll feel like a royal with a set of Sferra sheets. Yes, we know it can be a little pricey (although we hasten to add, the Sferra 1981 line is more within a scribe's budget), but today through Saturday, you can afford Sferra! And that is because there's a great warehouse sale taking place. 

There will be first-quality discontinued and overstocked items, including bed linens, matelassé sets, sheet sets, blankets, throws, towels, decorative pillows, and table linens. Prices are up to 75% off retail...how can you go wrong?  The only bad news is you have to drive to Jersey. Snag a friend with a car, and get yourself there!  It's taking place at the Raritan Center, 15 Mayfield Avenue (at the back of the building), in Edison, Nouvelle Jersey (see directions below).

Here are the times:  Today (the 11th) and Thursday, the 12th, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday, June 13th, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, June 14th, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.

All sales final; cash and most credit cards accepted; no checks.

(Here's how to get there:  Lincoln Tunnel to NJ Turnpike, South, to exit 10 (to Route 514 West). Then follow signs to the Raritan Center/Route 514 West. Merge onto Raritan Center Parkway (follow signs to Expo Center).  Make a right at the fourth light onto Mayfield Avenue and then turn left into the  Sferra parking lot.  Go to the back of the building for the warehouse entrance. Click here for a map.) 

Posted on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 @ 05:41 PM

Check Out More On: Sales/Sample Sales | Linens

We have been remiss in sending out sale info -- a combination of travel, an unexpected (and unnecessary) trip through America's healthcare delivery system, and so on -- but here we are, again, back on track, with a wonderful Christofle, Richard Ginori, and Temple St. Clair sale, all rolled into one. 

Tonight is the night! SOFA opens. That is to say, the show for sculpture objects, fine art. (Get it? SOFA?) This is a show we look forward to annually. For years, we covered the fine craft category for The New York Times and have followed the rise of museum-quality craft, elevated to its proper place in the pantheon of art and design. (That age-old argument of what is art and what is craft is a tricky, sticky wicket which we have no desire to enter into, thank you very much.) So as far as we are concerned, fine craft is art and the SOFA show underscores that year in and year out.  Yes, this is the Mecca show for serious collectors, gallery owners, dealers, and well, just plain interested shoppers. 

It is here that you will find extraordinary, contemporary decorative arts and unusual, superlative designs from more than 60 galleries, hailing from 11 countries, with many luminaries in their fields, like ceramist Bennett Bean (above left), furniture-maker Sam Maloof, and glass maestro Dale Chihuly, all exhibiting here. We have so many favorites, it's hard to enumerate, but we always gravitate to the jewelry of German designer Axel Russmeyer and to the presentation from the Charon Kransen Gallery (which represents many modern jewelers who work in unexpected media); we love the glass at Heller Gallery, which represents Lino Tagliapietra (above right), one of the finest glass artists in the world; we love the ceramics of Mara Superior, the photo works of Lucy Feller, and the sculptural, folded Japanese paper by Nishimura Yuko (below)...and on and on and on and on.  

If you've never been to SOFA, make this the year to get enlightened and see the amazing work -- ceramics, glass, metalwork, jewelry, woodworking, and so much more -- at the exhibition (and needless to say, sale, since this is capitalist America and the works shown here are for sale), opening tonight at the Park Avenue Armory, on Park Avenue at 67th Street. This evening, from 5:30 to 9 p.m., is the big-deal preview, with $100 tickets. It's a great gala (always with exceptional food and fare!) and we have never missed it. But if you don't want to spend a Benny, regular tickets are $25 for a single admission and $40 for a three-day pass. The hours for the show are Thursday and Friday (the 29th and the 30th), from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday (the 31st) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday (June 1st), from noon to 6 p.m.

Posted on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 @ 11:59 AM

Check Out More On: Art

The Jewish Community Center on the Upper West Side is holding its annual Mother's Day Gift Sale, Tuesday and Wednesday, May 6th and 7th, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., featuring the work of the Center's professional teaching staff, from its art/craft/design faculty. We always write this sale up, as we know that there are so many wonderful artists, designers, and craftspeople there selling great stuff...and the price is usually "right."

Here is a perfect opportunity to snag some exquisite jewelry, textiles, ceramics, and other professionally handmade items that are well priced and one-of-a-kind, the perfect gifts to say "I Love You" to Mom. There will be richly beaded necklaces, bracelets, and earrings; lavish hand-painted scarves and pillows; belts, hats, and other fashion accessories; as well as home furnishing items. Prices are from $15 and up. (Shown here: a lavish pearl bracelet from glass artist/jeweler Melissa Terman, whose work includes both beaded jewelry and blown-glass jewelry.)

All the teachers at the sale offer courses, too, at the JCC (that's the whole point, of course!), so inquire about signing up for the late spring or early summer semester if you are inspired and think you'd like to learn how to make beaded jewelry or paint on silk yourself...or whatever.

Cash, checks, and credit cards accepted.  For more information call Sigrid Orr at 646-505-5715.  JCC in Manhattan, The Samuel Priest Rose Building, 334 Amsterdam Avenue at 76th Street; www.jccmanhattan.org; www.jccartstudios.org

Brunschwig & Fils, one of the most exclusive names in luxury, designer textiles is having a blow-out sale of its textiles?everything form toiles to liserés, from damasks to silks, from prints to solid wovens.  All for a fraction of their regular price (i.e., up to 70% off list.) 

There must be some synergistic yin yang-y thing going on in the world, because just as Charlton Heston has died this past weekend, now starts a sale of Beretta clothing.  Yes, they, the makers, for nearly five centuries, of firearms and knives for hunting (and knives for gentlemen, as the company's web site delicately puts it), is having a sale of its outdoorsy, activewear clothing, whether the big game you're hunting is on the veldt in Africa, or on a clothing rack on West 33^rd Street, this is the company that makes the real deal, the whole gamut for those who are sharp shooters, recreational participants, competitors, and so on. 

Marchesa, a name to be reckoned with when it comes to fancy, after-five attire, is on sale at the Warwick Hotel this week.  Both the Marchesa Couture Collection and Notte by Marchesa are being sold?including gowns, cocktail dresses, and evening suits, sized from 0 (I swear, are there really women who are size zero!) to size 12.  Expect to see rake-offs as much as 80% off retail?so that means, you may even find a steal of a dress at $150! 

We'll be exploring more spring cleaning in the next few days -- facial cleaners we love and which we lavish upon our ever-grateful-to-look-improved-upon visage... but before we get into more pore-cleansing, we thought in honor of imminent Easter, we'd put our best face forward with some of Christian Dior's color finery. And Dior, as always, never disappoints us, with its multi-hued line of maquillage. What a gorgeous palette the company has put out for the springtime. 

For starters, we fell in love with pretty facial bronzers, then all the bright glosses for our lips, and of course, we could not forget the gorgeous ombréed shadows for the eyes.

Lips: Dior Addict High Shine translucent lip color -- so fragile, just a hint of a tint and so many colors from which to select ($25) and the Gloss Reflect ($24.50; below left), more color, more shine, more come-hither on our lips.  For cheek shine, we could not decide between the Poudre de Soleil ($42), that really does impart a kiss of the sun or the DiorBlush ($38; above), that is two blushes in one, a shimmer and a sheer, one velvety and matte; then a little eye excitement with the 5-color petite compact of stunning shadows, in "Mystic Jade" ($54; below right), the just-right tones for Easter, to match our bonnet. 

Et voilà!  Our face was finished for Easter.   

Posted on Friday, March 21, 2008 @ 06:28 PM

Check Out More On: Beauty: Makeup & Skin Care

No, not that kind of spring cleaning, but a facial spring cleaning -- getting all the goop and gook off your face and out of your pores, so you can start the season with a shiny, bright visage.  And boy did we have a spring cleaning the other day. New in New York:  Blue Mercury.  Sounds like something a little space age-y, doesn't it?  But that couldn't be further from the truth.  Au contraire, it's something VERY cosseting. 

We love sparkly things, and we love bangle bracelets, so when we stumbled across both those things at the fairly new Helianthus boutique in the Village, we had to share them. This cute little shop has a mix of American and European clothing and accessories, but what kept grabbing our eye were the stacks and stacks of bangles, which range in price from $22 to $42 -- hot pink, black, clear, silvery, white, and all twinkling with rhinestones and crystals.  The shop is located at 522 LaGuardia Place, between Bleecker & West 3 Sts., near Washington Square Park.  (212-677-6888; www.helianthusny.com)

We promised a Ralph Lauren HOME sale and here it is:    Today through Friday, 9 a.m. daily, through 7 p.m., save Friday, when it closes at 5 p.m.  It's a Soiffer Haskin sale, but NOT at the usual spot, on 33^rd Street.  THIS TIME, IT'S IN THE ALTMAN BUILDING, 135 West 18th Street (Between 6th and 7th Avenues).  The rest of the drill is the same:  No cash, no checks, CREDIT CARDS ONLY.  All sales final, no exchanges, no returns.  (And you also should know by now, no strollers on the sales floor). 

Hurry up and get over to our friends at Soiffer Haskin, for the Pratesi sale--fabulous Italian linens, domestics, sumptuous sheets, towels, and assorted accessories.  Two days only and half of today is gone already. alas.  (As usual, we're late.)  We will get there tomorrow ourselves, and as we always advocate, if you have the hope in your heart to pray for a better price and the patience to think that the item you want will still be there, then go a little later, toward the end of the sale?the next-to-the-last day, or whatever, but not the first day, not the day when the doors open.  We find the better price always wins out as the sale winds down, but....it's also a slight gamble, of course, that the merch you want will stil be there.  When we have the time, we scope out the sale the first day and then wait for the fourth day to do the damage to oru plastic.  This has served us well over the years.

There must be something to being a cartoon character and loving to clean.

During last Sunday night's Oscar Telethon, actress Amy Adams reprised her "Happy Working Song" from the delightful fairytale Enchanted. In the film -- with the help of some of her cartoony friends -- she seemed downright thrilled to be cleaning while singing. She is not alone: Let's not forget about Snow White, who is a veritable Cleaning Dervish, crooning "Whistle While You Work" as she and a brigade of cute chipmunks and birds put her home in order.

So, we got to pondering, What would make us sing and be so cheerful while cleaning? Especially since spring is a mere three weeks away and we'll be starting our spring cleaning soon. Snow White instructs us, courtesy of Walt Disney, "...as you sweep the room, imagine that the broom is someone that you love?" and we thought we could go one better than that: We'd like to imagine that we are just in love with the broom, period.

Well, we don?t have to imagine it; we are in love with a broom. The new ECO-FRIENDLY bamboo broom from Casabella, which just happened to win an award itself, at the 2008 Housewares Design Awards a few weeks ago. (O.K., so it?s not an Oscar.) But, we love it because its head is made from sustainable bamboo and its bristles are natural, hardy, water-resistant palmyra, from a very plentiful palm found in the Far East, not petroleum-based nylon. The handle is a lightweight aluminum that won?t rust, and it's priced at an affordable $34.99. We liked it so much, we actually bought its sister products, a floor duster (also constructed from sustainable bamboo, with a natural cotton dusting head, another plus -- no poly-anything here and two scrub brushes (more bamboo with palmyra). (You can find them all at Casabella's Web site, www.casabella.com, from $14.99.)

After you've got your EARTH-FRIENDLY cleaning tools, hit iTunes to download the right work vibe. 

O.K., two things you must do tomorrow (Tuesday, Feb. 12): First go to the dogs, i.e., the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Madison Square Garden. (We are, of course, partial to the Golden Retrievers and will be there at 9 a.m. for the judging of the Goldens.)  And, if you cannot get to the Garden, at least watch the show on TV tomorrow night (and tonight, too) to see the winners of the seven group categories. Then hop across the street (after all, you are in the neighborhood), to Soiffer Haskin (317 West 33rd Street, just west of 8th Avenue) to the Asprey/Baccarat sale. We suppose, in one form or another, going there is like going to the dogs, too, or at least going to hell in a hand basket fast...because we always find things to buy at that sale.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the last day, so we're hoping the already 75% off will be even sweeter.  It's the best time in the world to stock up on so many things we don't need, but want.  True, the sale started Saturday, and runs until tomorrow, so some things will be gone, but there will, undoubtedly, be good deals on what is there.  Today until 6:30 and tomorrow from 9 a.m to 5 p.m.  As usual, credit cards only; no strollers, no children under 12.

Here's hoping we all come back with a bundle of good stuff to bark about!

If you are having a lazy Martin Luther King Day here is quickie errand you can run, while hopefully, not running up too large a bill on your charge card:  Yes, it's another Soiffer Haskin sale.  Today, tomorrow (Tuesday), and Wednesday (the last day).  Stuart Weitzman (one of our favorite shoe manufacturers (because, yes, we wear a size 10.5 and nobody makes that size, but we can always find something at Weitzman that fits just right and is stylish, too).  And Krizia, too.  And we don't need to embellish about Krizia, do we? 

You definitely do NOT need us to tell you that everything is on sale now.....but we just want to remind you to not miss out on all the Christmas goods, the wrapping papers, the gift bags, the ornaments, the trinkets, and the tinsel, and the Lord-only-knows-what.  We made a killing this a.m. at our neighborhood Papyrus, and now we have the most charming gift bags set aside for next year, along with cute Xmas cards (with marabou trim, no less) for '08, as well.  So, in case you woke up today brain dead from the turkey's tryptophan, we hope you got out to Bloomie's (or just fill in the blank, with the name of any one of your favorite department or speicialty shops) to what is left of the Christmas department--because the early bird gets the worm.  And, trust us, tomorrow we are going worm-shopping again.  Hope to see you there Thursday bright and early, unless you beat us there today!

Darn, we missed the Krug tasting last Friday night, but you don't have to miss out on the Dom Perignon tasting tomorrow, Friday the 21st from 4-7pm at 67 Wine and Spirits. It's a perfect way to get ready for the holidays and stock up on the bubbly that you will assuredly need in the next ten days. (For the record, we'd like to note that we need Champagne all year long, although we recognize that there are some who buy it solely for these ten days...misguided souls!) In case bubbly isn't your cuppa', there is a tasting of a St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur tomorrow as well, and on Saturday the 22nd there is a tasting of Codorniu Cava and Scala Dei from Priorat; for those unfamiliar with these, the latter is basically a Spanish red; the Cava is Spanish sparkling wine. The tasting is free and what's even better, it's fun! 67 Wine and Spirits is at 179 Columbus Ave. at the corner of 67th St., 212-724-6767; www.67wine.com.

We would normally say that we think Century 21 is a good place to shop for discounts, and discounted designer ties among those bargains. Or Hermès, definitely, for classy ties, distinguished ties. Ties that any knowing eye would recognize as readily as one recognizes an Hermès scarf. And what other destinations? Bergdorf Goodman's Men's Store for variety. Or Barneys for the colorful displays...so many ties, so few -- only 365 -- days to wear them.

Portolano has the absolute BEST gloves in the world.  They also have the license for a few wonderful big designer brands, like Moschino, which makes the CUTEST gloves in the world.  If you need more gifts for Xmas, more stocking stuffers (although some of these gloves, even at the Portolano sample sale can be pretty $$$), get over to 15 West 37th Street, 11th floor, for the NIFTIEST glove stash in the city!  The prices are always billed as wholesale and below, and we've always walked away with an AmEx tariff that is scary and above?.that is to say, we buy a lot!  Snazzy gloves with buttons, or bows, or coordinated stitching details; or extra-warm cashmere gloves, ideal for hours in the dog park; or smart leather gloves for that guy in your life; or driving gloves; or skiing gloves; or just-walking-in-the-city gloves.  In other words, all the gloves you can imagine.  (And Portolano Kids, another division, puts out lots of gloves for the small fry.).  NO refunds or exchanges, so buy smart.  Credit cards accepted.  212-719-4403 x 112 for info.  Daily:  Today, tomorrow, and Friday (the 21^st), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Go get 'em, Girl!

Anyone who's ever heard anything about best-selling author and celebrity dermatologist Dr. Nicholas V. Perricone knows that he has based his skincare philosophy on a three-pronged approach, including an anti-inflammatory diet, supplements, and topical antioxidants. But if you're not an adherent and have no time for the regime, at least drop by the newish, posh salon and treatment center (not his office) and avail yourself of the miracle Electro-Stim Lifting Facial -- because you might just find it delivers the same result! We've had many a facial in our lifetime and have to say that this facial, at least as performed by master esthetician Estela Gilboe, is an hour-plus of sheer heaven, and the results are, well, utter magic.

This is not your mother's facial, that's for sure. There's a cutting-edge machine involved that delivers some type of electro-stimulation technology that promises rejuvenation -- the non-invasive "facelift," if you will. The literature says it stimulates facial muscles, which in turn results in greater facial contour -- and a more youthful look, which the staff says can actually be measured by complexion analysis using VISIA technology. We don't know about all this, but what we do know is that Estela works miracles and that we saw lots of dead skin cells come sloughing off our face and we saw a more youthful visage a few hours later.

We also have to say that the time we spent with Estela was like visiting with an old friend. She is one of the most seasoned estheticians in the city...with an impressive resume and credentials. It's no wonder Dr. Perricone snapped her up from the Louis Licari Salon. Louis' loss was Nick's gain -- and ours. We cannot wait to go back to test drive the oxygen facial. The N. V. Perricone, M. D., Flagship Salon, 791 Madison Ave. (corner of E. 67th St.), 866-791-7911 and 212-734-2537; www.nvperriconemd.com

Posted on Monday, December 17, 2007 @ 09:00 PM

Check Out More On: Beauty: Medical | Beauty: Makeup & Skin Care