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Shop Alert: Brooklyn Industries Opening on Newbury

Gorgeous in Boston today.  So nice that i went outside – TWICE. Really needed some air and movement after spending this rainy spring break on the sofa, fingers glued to my Mac.  Not only did I enjoy the sunshine, I got a blog post out of it.  Brooklyn Industries is moving in on the last block of Newbury, amidst Puma and Madewell.

Looks similar to Madewell and Spitawell for that matter, but hey, there can never be too many options for on trend affordable clothing, in my humble but ever fashionable opinion. I checked out the site and here’s what I came up with:

Design Alert: Patch NYC x West Elm

Don Carney and John Ross, the talented, now Boston-based, duo behind Patch NYC, designers of jangly charmed jewelry and contemporary graphic pillows and other stuff that you don’t realize they’re the design brains behind (like chevron plates at Anthropologie), have teamed up with West Elm.

A Williams-Sonoma Home publicist contacted me with the news today, having stumbled across my blog due to my having included their plaid blankets in a “Hunting Lodge Chic” post last week. She clicked through and discovered the “Shopping Trip: Patch NYC” post from when I visited their design studio. But I digress.

Here are the goods – framed repros of their metallic letterpress prints, foil print pillows, black and white ceramic plates. The collections launches in stores and online next Tuesday.

Patch NYC for West Elm

Beauty Break: Vitamin Ultrasound Facials

I heart Natalie Maibenko.

Natalie Maibenko, whose business is called Unique Verve (530 Tremont St., South End), is THE best facialist and massage therapistin Boston. I can say that with authority, having written three years worth of “Best Of Beauty” awards for Improper Bostonian. (Natalie won three times, twice for massage and once for facials. She also was the massage runner up last year for Boston Magazine’s “Best Of”, which I did not write.)

Anyway, Natalie just got herself a brand new machine, and is wanting to spread the love. She is now offering Vitamin Ultrasound Facials using Environ products. I love the line – I’ve had a number of Environ facials with Natalie and also with Crystal Morgan (another Improper “Best Of” winner) at Sports Club/LA.

I’m not going to delve into what a vitamin ultrasound facial is (click the link for the full explanation)… all too scientific… but I think it uses a machine that emits sound waves to help vitamins penetrate the skin. Bottom line, your skin will look fresher and dewier immediately, and probably visibly better in the long term after multiple treatments. I’m plan to try it out soon; just need to find a spare hour or two.

The lovely Natalie is offering a special deal to fans of Unique Verve on Facebook through April 21st.

Active Vitamin Treatment with Mask 50 minutes – $85 (reg. $135)
Active Vitamin Facial 80-90 minutes – $110 (reg. $160)
Add-on to any other facial – $35 (reg. $100)

If you are even thinking about a facial and/or crave a massage, you should take her up on it. She is my absolute favorite, favorite beautymaker, and believe me, I’ve been to MANY.

PS – Her organic aromatherapy oils, which she incorporates into all her treatments, are sublime. My favorite is the “aching muscles” blend (writing is hard work) made with lavender, rosemary, and ginger.

Save the Date: Urban Showhouse

Ricardo Rodriguez, total hottie and sweetheart realtor and TV personality here in Boston asked me to get involved in this showhouse he is organizing to benefit the Pine Street Inn. I’ll get the scoop this week, but looks like it will be amazing. Jonathan Adler is designing one of the spaces, along with local stars Andrew Terrat and Dennis Duffy, plus up-and-coming Boston designer Lisa Kreiling. Stay tuned.

Flowers & Gardens: Seed Bombs

With any luck, this year it will be March showers that bring May flowers. We’re on our fourth day of rain in Boston. At some point it will stop raining and warm up. Julie Baine, owner of Pod in Brookline Village sent over this fun and easy garden solution, the Seed Bomb ($7.50). Each muslin pouch contains five compressed balls of soil and compost that have been impregnated with East Coast wildflower seeds. Simply chuck it into a field, abandoned construction site, barren hill. That’s my kind of gardening.