The Succulent Wife's Favorite Things

Vosges Chocolates - Exotic Chocolates and More

When friends visit us in Las Vegas, we like to parade around The Strip to hear their oooohs and ahhhhs, vicariously feeling that we had a hand in creating all this crafty overload of sensorial experiences. Alas, I'm not that brilliant and my input is confined to knowing "all the good places".

Indeed, when Pierre visited recently for Toronto, Canada, I made the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace one of our obligatory stops. Besides the Forum Shops unbelievable collection of upscale and luxury shops, nouveau/ancient roman-like environment, the curved escalator is one of its main attraction. But the Forum Shops are not the subject of this post. Indeed, the subject is a shop that the curved escalator led us to: Vosges Chocolate...

Agreeing to indulge my endless faiblesse for good, real chocolate, Pierre agreed that this shop was a necessary pit stop. Refuelling, you know... We sampled. And sampled some more. And eventually, we walked out with the totally indulgent Exotic Caramel Collection. OMG!!!! As my good friend Audrey would say, "a real M.O.". If you can't figure out what that means, you'll need to email me. No, it's not Modus Operandi. The M stands for Mouth...

Anyhoo, I love, love, love the novel mix of flavors, adding bona fide spices with sweet tastes. Just brilliant combinations. If you drop by Las Vegas, you must pay a visit, otherwise, you might find a retailer or Vosges Boutique in your area.

Darling Back-to-School Accessories by Branching Out Creations

Remember when you were little and contemplating those the last days of summer? You were anguished over seeing your lazy days come to an end and, at the same time, you were filled with a sense of trepidation for your return back to school. Yes, and you remember that looking good was primordial.

It is this whole sense of Back-to-School anticipation and excitement that Debby Jewesson of Branching Out Creations was channeling when she created these very cute items. The monogrammed tote bag is perfect for carrying those very first reading books, notebooks and crayons that will fit in the charming matching pencil case. The Branching Out Creations signature wool felt barrettes will perfectly complement your little girl's new back-to-school outfits. And there could not be a more adorable way to pack wee snacks and lunches than in this too-cool-for-your-shoes yellow zebra mini tote.

         

These items are offered at a special price, in limited  quantities, till September 4th only.
And yes, there’s more! Buy two or more items  for an additional 25% off.

         

See the items here at The Succulent Wife's gift shop. Enter code "cute4skool."

         

Who gets the A+ now?

         

Photoshop & Social Web Sites - Buyer Beware

Reminiscent of the Dove commercial where the "plain Jane" young girl becomes transformed, through the good work of innumerable beauty stylists and Photoshop experts, this particular clip tells of the ubiquity of the photo retouching tool. So, what you see probably ain't what you gonna get! Tragic! Except that these Photoshop scammers are pretty good! Hey, I should retouch my photo. Can someone fix that droop, lift the eyes, plump the lips?

PippingTooth's Curlin Reed Sullivan's Cutest Vases

I just got an email this morning for Curlin of PippingTooth Studio announcing her cutest ever flower vases. I love that these adorable, handmade vases come with their own storytelling props. These hats, as Curling calls them, may bien sur,  be substituted at any time for fresh colorful flowers.  The vases, like all of Curlin's PippingTooth work are spirited pieces that convey energies of bliss and child-like innocence.  I've been a fan of her greeting cards as well. I love sending these as they always cause a smile at the very least and irrepressible giggles as a standard. Check them out here.

Charles Shaw Wine from Trader Joe's is an Award Winner!!!

Hahaha. I knew it!!! Just saw this story and had to share, for all the people who look at me funny when I say that I buy - and drink!- this wine, Charles Shaw's Three Buck Chuck ($2.99 here in NV) Chardonnay is an award winner!!!

Here's a sweet excerpt. You can read the whole story on ABC.com:

Charles Shaw Chardonnay, beat hundreds of other wines and was named the top prize in a prestigious tasting competition in California... The characteristics that we look for in our gold medal winner … a nice creamy butter, fruity … it was a delight to taste," said 2007 California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition judge Michael Williams.

 

The affordable wine beat out 350 other California chardonnays to win the double gold. Second place went to an $18 bottle, and the most expensive wines at the event, at the price of $55, didn't even medal.

Personally, I don't like chardonnay, but really enjoy the Charles Shaw Cabarnet Sauvignon and their Sauvignon Blanc. I would say that one out of every 12 bottles doesn't quite cut it, but at three bucks  a pop, who cares.  I am a snob in many, many things, in wines for one thing, having a semi trained palate influenced from the days when my dad had his winery. May I share that Dad blind-tested the Charles Shaw wines and that they won his approval as well. They well compare to $12 and $15 bottles any day.  well, know, I may even serve these at my next casual dinner party without causing too many frowns of disapproval. Woohoo!

Get a REAL person on the phone - Love this Cheat Sheet!

From WikiHow, as highlighted in today's iGoogle "How To of the Day", you must read this article on How to Talk to a Human when Calling a Business.  And, here is the wonderful cheat sheet by GetaHuman.com. It gives you all the shortcuts to get a real person on the phone when calling the top 500  megacorps.

Love it!!

Pamela Anderson Saves the Day for Magician Hans Klok - Las Vegas Show Review

I was invited to see the “Hans Klok – The Beauty of Magic” show just a few days ago. I had never heard of Hans Klok before, but since he managed to snag Pamela Anderson, the Grande Dame of Silicon, as his special assistant, I thought he must be, well… somebody?

Many Las Vegas shows have little substance. So I went, with little expectations, equally ready to be delighted or to roll my eyes.

I like this Las Vegas theater where Hans Klok performs. It’s smack in the center of the Miracle Mile mall at the new Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. I’ve seen a few shows in that theater and found that there is hardly a bad seat in the house. We entered to theater accompanied by music which was probably meant to evoke the eerie sounds of a horror house B-movie. I guess that this is presumed to set the mood for drama, fear and awe. To get us on the edge of our seats before the performance even begins. Right. The visual: a set of huge (inflatable) hands on either side of the stage, each grabbing round video screens. The effect was interesting and the screens quite helpful for close up views, ‘cause no one wants to miss Pamela…

Show begins. Hans appears, under the sound to thunder cracking, jumping out of a smoke-filled glass cage. His manicured blond mane shining under the spotlights. I just know that someone told him that his hair was one of his greatest assets and that he needs to play it up. He does, running his hands through it every 15 seconds.

And so, with The Hair, the posing begins, during one disappearing act after another. But there is no Pamela, as Hans makes sure to clarify for us. Not for a while yet anyways, he assures us. So more posing, dancing and disappearing acts. I wish he did not dance. I felt uncomfortable looking at all this posturing. Same kind of discomfort as when I watch the exaggerated acting on telenovelas. Yewwww! 

The obligatory dancers are featured too. They’re actually not bad at all, some of them professionally trained, you can tell. Their costumes are well designed, but someone (me) needs to let them know that the bad, bad wigs are just not cutting it. The choreography? We don’t need to get into that, do we?  The dancers are given some “supporting” roles, but mostly, they provide filler-entertainment, lots of it. Not sure why, since we all know that Hans, proclaimed as the fastest magician in the world, doesn’t need all that time to change costumes backstage.

There is a loose storyline that portrays a “Hans” as a little boy (a child actor with another horrid wig and a permanent-dictated-by-the-director look of awe on his face) learning about magic through his father and traveling the world to perform. Well, something along those lines…

Through their travels, they end up in Paris with the Eiffel tower as the backdrop, Flamenco dancers and an evil queen witch ready to guillotine Hans. Huh? Alright, going along for now, though there is still no Pamela.

Why the interest in Pamela, you ask? No, I have never even watched a single episode of Baywatch nor have I ever followed details of her career or family life. I guess that it was just plain morbid curiosity. When she does appear, in the teensiest costume, I can’t help but be jealous. She looks quite fantastic. Not a single dimple of cellulite. Not one! A couple bruises that are attributed to the illusion tricks. The only imperfections discernible from the third row. So not fair!

More disappearing acts ensue, in varying contraptions each time, some times featuring Pamela who doesn’t yet seem quite as ease with this new role. Unfortunately, Pamela or not, none of the illusions are new. We have all seen it before. However, Hans does have the courtesy to credit several magicians for the tricks that he is replicating. Among them are Houdini, Harry Blackstone and Kevin James who also shows his art in Las Vegas.  But Kevin James is not quite as pretty as Hans Klok, nor does he have Pamela as an assistant. Therefore, he does not get his own show. Well, that might just be my theory.

All in all, although there is hardly any original material in the entire show – to the point of predictability - it was still, somehow, a good show... for a magic show. I did roll my eyes, but I also appreciated the talent. Hans is a professional and every illusion was performed to perfection. He is indeed amazingly fast and seems genuinely proud and excited after each illusion he performs. That’s very cute. And if nothing else, the show makes for good eye candy. Hans is pretty. The dancers are handsome, even sexy, as are the assistants. And then there is Pamela. For all of her 12 minutes on stage, she is clearly the draw for 90% of the audience members . Blond ditz or not, she’s the one with the magical power to save Hans Klok from vanishing into the pool of Las-Vegas-performers-who-never-quite-make-it. Where would this show be without her, I wonder. 

If you catch the 7:00pm show, it makes for a fun, light pre-dinner show that will certainly get you in the mood for all things Las Vegas: in-your-face kitschyness, big boobs and big hair, sprinkled with a good dose of magic dust. Children under 8 not allowed. 

 

 

Volksware - a New Perspective in Consumer Goods

I love the flux of creativity that our eco-challenges are creating. Take this Dutch brand (this is what they call themselves, a Brand, not a company) that is making us look at consumer products from another angle. Literally.

VolksWare means "people's product" or "product for people". The form of the product depends on the idea and concept behind the project. Volksware explores the function of today's consumer goods.

The Volksware carpet questions the effect of the over supply and mass production on the consumer. the cloth carpet represent a person's lifetime consumption of clothing. By, for convenience, it is sold by the yard.

Via Inhabitat.

In Praise of Tap Water - New York Times Editorial

As a follow up to the May 27, 2007 article in the NY Times on the subject of bottled water and to my related blogpost, Wednesday's  editorial reinforces  the ecological inappropriateness on this consumer good. Here is an excerpt:

In Praise of Tap Water:

On the streets of New York or Denver or San Mateo this summer, it seems the telltale cap of a water bottle is sticking out of every other satchel. Americans are increasingly thirsty for what is billed as the healthiest, and often most expensive, water on the grocery shelf. But this country has some of the best public water supplies in the world. Instead of consuming four billion gallons of water a year in individual-sized bottles, we need to start thinking about what all those bottles are doing to the planet’s health.

Here are the hard, dry facts: Yes, drinking water is a good thing, far better than buying soft drinks, or liquid candy, as nutritionists like to call it. And almost all municipal water in America is so good that nobody needs to import a single bottle from Italy or France or the Fiji Islands. Meanwhile, if you choose to get your recommended eight glasses a day from bottled water, you could spend up to $1,400 annually. The same amount of tap water would cost about 49 cents.

Click HERE for a link to the online article on NYTimes.com (free registration required).

Cheers to ordering iced water in restaurants and to packing your own when you head out the door.

Pink Ladies Taxis - For Women Only!

It isn't always safe being chauffered around!  In London alone, 10 women are attacked each month after getting into an unlicensed mini-cab. No wonder that many women feel safer taking a taxi driven by a woman. Pink Ladies spotted a business opportunity, and created the UK's first women-only private car hire franchise. The Pink Ladies drive Renault Kangoos that are pink inside and out, making them highly visible. Passengers sign up as members, and fares are either pre-paid, paid by credit card or with a 'pink account', which is convenient for members and safe for drivers. Booking is done over the phone, and a text message is sent to the customer to let her know the vehicle is approaching, which means she doesn't have to wait outside. Drivers are trained in self-defense and will wait outside a customer's home after a drop-off to ensure she gets in safely.

The phenomenon is spreading globally: there's recently launched Forsche in Bombay, whose taxis include conveniences like wet wipes and perfumed talcum powder to freshen up on the way to a work meeting, nail polish remover and nail clippers and women's magazines. Nice detail: Forsche's female founder is former amateur rally driver Revathi Roy. Expansion to Pune, and starting a driving school for women is next on her agenda (no website yet, unfortunately). In Moscow, Pink Taxi and Ladies Red Taxi are vying for female business. Still leaves a lot of cities to bring this service to!

via Trendwatching