BY Ted Worthington,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
Icons are icons for a reason: They connect with people at a visceral level, and in these challenging times, to see an icon fall is heartbreaking. We’re not talking about the death of Michael Jackson. In Chicago, where the locals take their icons very seriously (can anyone say “Da Bearsss”), residents are poised to witness the end of an era.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the Sears Tower will officially change it name Thursday. It will become the Willis Tower, after its new owner, London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, which will base 500 associates in the skyline-defining tower. Willis has done more than slap on a new name: The company spent $350 million in greening up the building and have plans to include a luxury hotel.
Read More »
BY Christopher Roy Correa,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
Sometimes you just get that craving. That deep, soul-scouring desire for something sweet and yet sinful. It doesn’t take a lot — just a dollop, a little island of confectionary manna — to satisfy the urge to savor one thing. And that’s cake. Our absolute favorite baker across the land is Warren Brown, whose chain of cakeries, called CakeLove, whips up the most delectable variations on the pasty you’re likely to try. The secret, you see, is the balance of air to cake, of sweet to tart, of creamy to crisp, in every pillowy bite. The Maryland-based CakeLove has been pleasing Beltway palates for seven years now. But anyone and everyone can enjoy the fruits of Brown’s labor with the click of a mouse. You’ll swoon over the chocolate, vanilla and mocha cakes, swaddled in a mantle of buttercream: pick from an assortment of lemon, lime, strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. And remember, once you’ve ordered your prize, to wait a moment. Eating these cupcakes at room temperature unlocks the flavors like decanting a good cabernet does. A bouquet of 13 will run you $39; prices per pan cake vary.
Read More »
BY Peg Samuel,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
Summertime means mandatory beach time for most everyone, especially for lucky corporate types who get summer Fridays where they can leave early and head to their weekend escapes. Whether you have a beach house or plan on renting one, take advantage of the great weather and plan a weekend full of relaxing, barbecues or fabulous frolicking depending on your mood.
Read More »
BY Robert Haynes-Peterson,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
Okay, these are cool: This October, Calvin Klein will release a new sunglass design that are not only classic in a Roger Moore retro way (graded lenses, rounded frames), but they conceal a kick-ass James Bond secret: pull the detachable arm apart and you’ll find a 4 GB USB port. Store and share images, music and all important spy data.
We’re not sure how these are going to make it through airport security, so be prepared to share your Megan Fox bikini photos with the matronly guard at O’Hare. $199, available in October.
BY Elena Radicati,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
Love was in the Manhattan air for your favorite teens this week on NYC Prep, in every way, shape, and form you can imagine. Of course, they are teenagers, so love/lust (they’re pretty much indistinguishable at that age) are basically always on their minds, but these aren’t just any teenagers. These are prep school teenagers, so, like everything else they do, their love is more ridiculous, more over-the-top, and far more entertaining than that of commoners.
Read More »
BY Christopher Roy Correa,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
The Burlington Coat Factory just started a sweepstakes in which the lucky winner will make off with $20,000 toward mortgage or rent payments for a year.
The “Live Free for a Year” if you’re not a New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco or Los Angeles resident, that is) sweepstakes is open to everyone with a home mortgage or a residential lease. Enter quickly, though, the promotion ends at 11:59 p.m. (EST) on September 8, at which point your house will turn back into a pumpkin, or something.
Read More »
BY Christopher Roy Correa,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
It’s finally in print. Green words are officially, well, words. That’s what Merriam-Webster says, anyway. Words relating to health and medicine were also featured. So what words will future iterations of Microsoft Word not consider typos?
Read More »
BY Christopher Roy Correa,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
We’re only talking about this because J.K Rowling will have our legs broke if we fail to acquiesce. She’s powerful, you know. And she could sic phalanxes of devoted, moviegoing tots on us like Elphaba directing her flying monkeys. Children of the popcorn. It seems that the latest installment in the Harry Potter series is going to be, uh, yooge. How big? It sold out more than 4,500 midnight screenings last night. We don’t know what’s in butterbeer and cauldron cakes, but the student body at Hogwarts will likely eat Transformers for breakfast.
Read More »
BY Robert Haynes-Peterson,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
You might not want to access this during the Monday morning strategy meeting, but invite-only private shopping site ruelala.com has added an iPhone app. The new feature ensures you’re at the virtual door each morning when the site’s boutiques open, even when you’re away from the computer.
Read More »
BY Christopher Roy Correa,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
A lot of us weren’t even alive to see Paul McCartney and his fellow Fab Four take to the stage in a drafty New York theater before a crowd of squealing fans. The Beatles were introduced to America that night in February in 1964, by the legendary Ed Sullivan. The rest, as they say, is Beatlemania.
Read More »
BY Robert Haynes-Peterson,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
It’s bound to happen: Something or someone gets too popular, and soon enough you’ll have backlash. Currently being battered about like President Obama is the Twitter nation. We reported on the possible Twitpocalypse. We told you last week that teens are so over Twitter already. Now comes a “Twitter Security Meltdown,” the hottest buzz right now on the heavily self-referential site.
Read More »
BY Robert Haynes-Peterson,
Wednesday Jul. 15, 2009
There exists a world of pink Vaio computers, even pinker Vado camcorders (a portion of the sales benefit breast cancer charities), floral Facebook gifts and quizzes investigating “Which Disney Princess Are You?” RedEnvelope.com and Mint.com are hugely successful among female consumers, as are BlackBerries and iPods. As in fashion, however, having access to all the latest bits of stylish tech does not make you an expert at any of them. And while 14-year-olds seem inherently able to assimilate each new iPhone app and Whatever-Follows-Twitter social network sans “Dummy” guides, there’s been precious little written for the Wired Woman to make sense of it all. Filling that void, Christina Tynan-Wood.
How to be a Geek Goddess: Practical Advice for Using Computers with Smarts and Style& (No Starch Press, $24.95), by Tynan-Wood, host of the blog geekgirlfriends.com, wrote the book to guide the everywoman through the mazes of USB interfaces and Online Parental Control software, all presented in a casual, approachable style and a dash of humor.
Read More »
BY Christopher Roy Correa,
Tuesday Jul. 14, 2009
He’s just the sort of oily guy who’d have a pin-up poster made of himself. And now you can own it! Artnet is handling the sale of the print, taken in the 1980s by renowned photographer Yousuf Karsh, for an estimated $3,000-5,000. This kind of thing is only for wealthy weirdos of the Hannibal Lecter stripe (read: so outlandish they’d have to be fictional, or at least unrealistically eccentric). Are you such a collector? Then, by all means, make a bid! Just look at how Bernie’s eyes stare at you no matter where you stand in the room. Bleh. [Artnet]
BY Christopher Roy Correa,
Tuesday Jul. 14, 2009
Banana Republic is getting in the Mad Men business. From July 21 through Aug. 11, some lucky spender will have a shot at appearing on the Emmy-winning AMC series. Interested? So are we. During your shopping session, pick up a ticket to enter to win a walk-on role in an upcoming episode, as well as a $1,000 gift card from the store. Use the ticket code found on a Style Guide you’ll be given profiling the characters to enter the casting call at madmencastingcall.amctv.com. How flippin’ cool is this? And trust, us, Banana Republc (Gap, Inc.) needs all the help it can get.
Read More »
BY Virginette Acacio,
Tuesday Jul. 14, 2009
The Mixtape is our weekly music pick of an act currently on tour that appeals to all ages. This week’s pick is British singer-songwriter, James Morrison. Morrison broke out onto the British music scene in 2006 with his chart-topping debut album, Undiscovered, which hit the top ten in six other countries, with the singles, “The Pieces Don’t Fit Anymore” and “You Give Me Something.” Since then, he’s collaborated with Jason Mraz and more recently with Nelly Furtado on this latest album, Songs For You, Truths For Me. Inspired by Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding, Morrison would have to attribute his own distinctive style to a childhood case of whooping cough. The insidious bout was so severe that it nearly took his life. Instead, the result is his trademark coarse, bluesy voice. Reminiscent of Rod Stewart, it’s the raspy quality that kind of makes you want to tear your hair out and yet still listen in transfixed wonder. Take a listen and let us know what you think. You can send inquiries and music tips to mixtape@halogenlife.com.
Read More »
Are you a member?
