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January 29th, 2010
We are yo-yo exercisers. Every so often we’re taken in by some cute new yoga outfit and we get all revved up to try some trendy new routine. We’ve Turbo Jammed, TaeBo’d, and danced like a sweaty lunatic with Richard Simmons, hitting it hard for a solid week or two, and then we skip a day, our motivation plummets, and we crash and burn like a dieter in a Ding-Dong factory. Why, oh why is it so hard to exercise regularly? We know it’s good for us, we feel better when we do it, and yet we can’t commit ourselves fully. Why can’t fitness be more like eating, drinking, or shopping? Not to toot our own horn, but we are really good at those things. In fact, if eating, drinking, or shopping were recognized sports we’d totally be on the front of a Wheaties box in no time flat. We are that good. What can we say? It’s a gift. |
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Minneapolis Picks: |
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| 1 | Make Room for Style The winter is totally getting to us, and with the holidays a fading memory and our tropical Mexican escape still a few weeks away, we decided that we needed a little sparkle to while away the hours. So we did what any good shopper would do: we put on our parka, braved the sheer ice and the behemoth plow heaves, and hit the mall! Nestled neatly within the luxe Galleria shopping center, Three Rooms beckons style-hounds with a penchant for all things swank, offering up a noteworthy array of home décor items (and the majority of their eye-catching wares are handcrafted by artists). We flipped for Alexis Bittar’s stunning hand-carved jewelry, and Cic Le Page’s unique, hand-painted vases are perfect for revamping our pad! From gorgeous wall murals and captivating photography, to high-end soaps and heavenly scented aromatherapy candles, Three Rooms offers a bevy of treasures to suit any taste. Three Rooms |
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| 2 | All About Us We’ve never been a bridesmaid, and while you may be screaming “blessing in disguise!” while fist-pumping the air, we feel a bit slighted by our besties who have selfishly chosen to not marry, thereby depriving us of the b-maid experience. Don’t they know it’s all about us? The audacity! But recently we were tapped for big-day duties—finally! —and our first order of business was scoring a dress at Raffine Bridal. This lovely little bridal boutique boasts a stand-out selection of gorgeous wedding-day garb for stylish brides and their maids. Lines include Paloma Blanca, San Patrick, and the beyond beautiful gowns of Enzoani Couture that perfectly blend figure-flattering lines with ethereal embellishments for a modern yet timeless look. And gone are the days of bridesmaids being stuffed into gaudy, puffy-sleeved monstrosities. Thanks to designs by Watters & Watters and Jim Hjelm Occassions, bridesmaids can breathe a collective sigh of relief and don a frock that’s almost as stunning as the bride’s. Raffine can also bedeck flower girls, ring-bearers, and grooms, making it bridal bliss for the entire party. Raffine Bridal Boutique |
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| 3 | Constant Craving When our honey gets a hankering for Thai food, all bets are off, and it’s completely futile on our part to even suggest something else. Italian? Mexican? Pizza? Pshaw! What he needs is a night out at Nordeast hot-spot Sen Yai Sen Lek, so off we went. To our delight, the menu was replete with our favorite Bangkok fare, and we quickly realized we had a serious dilemma: How to settle on just one tempting plate to satiate our cravings. Ultra-delish Pad Thai? Lettuce wraps? Tom Yum? Our heads spun with the veritable bounty of choices, but we ended up happily indulging in the Khao Soi, a deeply curried dish laden with egg noodles and beef, along with a side of Po Pia Tod, their amazing spring rolls. A good selection of local microbrews kept us—and the man—extra happy, and Sonny’s ice cream rounded out our fabulous feast. Tasty Thai, microbrews, and a seriously happy hubby? Talk about date-night done right! Sen Yai Sen Lek |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Pillow Fight There are a lot of ways to “set the mood”—candles, sexy music, a bearskin run in front of a roaring fire. All great ideas, but ever since we saw the pillows from Alexandra Ferguson, we have a new way to get our point across. Her 100% post-consumer recycled felt appliqué pillows are stylish and quirky with sayings like “Be Nice or Leave” and “Let’s Make Out.” If being direct isn’t your thing, there are beautiful flowered ones too! |
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| 2 | Bookworms Unite Remember in middle-school when textbooks got covered in brown paper grocery bags and you doodled hearts around the name of your crush on the cover? Ahhh, the good old days. Book City Jackets has updated the paper-bag book cover—as a new art form. Printed on recycled kraft paper, they fold to fit almost any book, keeping the romance novel you’re secretly reading under wraps. You can even doodle your BF’s name on it with hearts—if you wanna. |
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| 3 | Banish the Granny-Panty Amidst our New-Year-New-You fervor, we cleaned out the old underwear drawer, and realized we were past due for some new underpinnings—we had far too many “laundry day” panties. It was the perfect excuse to stock up on the ultra-feminine, luxurious, romantic pieces from SiBelle by Sibel Mesta. We adore her Sweet Treats Gift Boxes with the 100% silk-chiffon sheer panties—not to mention the camis, garter skirts and stretch-silk bras. We love an underwear makeover—and so does our man! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | Shop for a Cause Do a little shopping while doing a whole lotta good at Key North’s Sale Away Event. A slew of fashionable must-haves will be on sale at 20–70% off, with 10% of profits from the sale going directly to earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. If you bring in your gently used clothing, it will be donated as well—bonus! What: Key North’s Sale Away Event |
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| 2 | Man-friendly Savings If your man has been looking a little rough around the edges then hog-tie him and get him to Martin Patrick 3’s man-centric winter sale! You get the fun of shopping and he gets to score up to 70% off a variety of their top-notch man-goods (excluding vintage cufflinks and books). What: Sale at Martin Patrick 3 |
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| 3 | Love, True Love Have you been looking for love in the wrong places? Try meeting that special someone at the Mystery Love Event. Benefiting the Ronald McDonald House, this romantic endeavor will introduce you to other sassy singles while treating you to live music, tasty apps from Crave, and our personal fave: Martinis! Registration is required, so don’t dilly-dally! What: Mystery Love Soiree |
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Keep spreading our shop local message! Sign up all your besties at www.MinneapolisPicks.com! |
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