Touch of Genius at Chanel
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Ever since the story broke that the 123-year-old Henri Bendel flagship would be closing in January 2019, nostalgia buffs, visitors to the city and fans alike have been streaming through the doors at 712 Fifth Avenue, hoping to walk away with a last-minute purchase from what had been an iconic store. The cry of the crowd has been: Sell me something to remember you by! Unfortunately, the once swanky icon with one-of-a-kind designs is long gone, and nowadays you’d have to content yourself with commercial pieces. It’s the end of an era.
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It was a week to celebrate! For starters it was the 2nd Anniversary of the publication of Veronica’s Grave. These past three years, including that leading up to publication, have been an amazing learning experience with a steep learning curve. Every bit as difficult as, say, earning a doctoral degree. So, you want to write a book? As the late Joan Rivers would say: Can we talk?
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Walking Madison Avenue, I discover a très chic jewelry shop with the unusual name of AUrate. Thinking it might be French, I step into an elegant space with white-washed walls and gold jewelry set out on white counters. Scattered throughout the shop are books with intriguing titles and towards the back some photographic equipment.
What gives? Is AUrate a jewelry shop? a photographer’s studio? are they getting ready for a shoot? New York is such a photogenic city that as a resident one is accustomed to visitors snapping photos of the city, from any and all angles, and accustomed to the super-long silver Haddad cast and makeup trailers lining the streets.
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I love Groupon! The deals are amazing, covering categories as diverse as Food and Drink; Things to Do; Health and Fitness; Home Services; Goods; Travel and so much more. This morning, for instance, in ‘Beauty and Spas,’ Groupon has flagged twenty-two deals for me, all within easy walking distance. Were I willing to venture afield and leave the Upper East Side, there are a total of 2212 deals in that one category. But why leave my home-turf when the classy Warren Tricomi salon on Madison Avenue, known for topnotch stylists and colorists, is offering a shampoo, hair styling and blow-dry for $99 (a $250 value). Indeed, before leaving for Paris last year, I took advantage of that offer to have my hair styled by Angelique, a native born Parisian. Having spent many years trimming tresses at Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door on Fifth Avenue, she had recently packed her scissors and moved them to Warren Tricomi. Thanks to a Groupon coupon, I got a fabulous, fresh-'n'-flirty haircut from a French stylist at a fraction of what it would have cost me in Paris.
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Sailing from the Port of Miami on Oceania’s newest luxury ship, the Riviera, we are following in the footsteps of the Maya, looking to explore the remnants of this ancient pre-Columbian culture, its temples and villages. This particular sailing, Mayan Mystique, will take us as far south as Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. Places with large indigenous Maya communities, many of whom still worship the gods of the ancient Maya. If not the ideal trip for someone desperately seeking Paris, it's of great interest nonetheless.
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The outfits from the 2015 Resort Wear Collection in the windows at Haute Hippie on Madison Avenue make me do a double-take. Straightaway, the word ‘Haute’ triggers thoughts of haute couture and of Coco Chanel--especially since I'm reading Rhonda Garelick’s incredibly well-researched and engaging biography: Mademoiselle: Coco Chanel and the Pulse of History.
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New York is treasure trove of unforeseen pleasures and serendipitous surprises, not least of which is a chic boutique, Niquea.D on the Upper East Side. It seems that in this great city, all you need do is turn a corner to find a store you’ve never laid eyes on before or a bakery that's an offshoot of its Parisian parent. So it was with Niquea.D.
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Searching for beauty at Bloomingdale's, I meet Miss Dior and Coco Chanel. The day had started out damp and drizzly, and with nothing pressing on my agenda, I thought it would be fun to stop by Bloomie’s to check out what the designers were showing for fall. But before I could do that, I stopped at Pink Nail on Lexington for a manicure, knowing full well that no self-respecting sales person would pay any attention if I showed up with chipped nails. Flipping through a few fashion magazines while waiting for a manicurist, I learn that the must-have color for fall is burgundy. I’m in luck.
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There's no need to go looking for Paris today, not when Paris comes calling so early. An email arrived from the Grand Palais that magnificent Beaux Arts structure on rue Winston Churchill, a few steps off the Champs Elysées. They want me to book tickets now for their fall 2014 exhibits, not to wait. My first thought? Well, why not? My second, how did they find me?
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