On Our Radar: Let the Good Times Roll!

We love when the mere acts of shopping and eating out help a community. We remember on the first Sex and the City episode post-9/11 how Carrie said it was her patriotic duty to shop downtown. That’s how we felt on our recent trip to New Orleans—we practically wanted to give our money away. As it was, the prices are SO cheap down there, it seemed to us like they were practically giving things away to us—a night at the luxe Windsor Court is only a little more than $200 and this is an Orient Express Hotel we’re talking about; our bill for margaritas and gauc was only $13 (it was happy hour), so for the first time in our lives, we left a 100% tip, and there are plenty of bargains to be found in the boutiques along Magazine Street. At the adorable Ah-Ha boutique, we got a cute, over-sized metallic clutch for only $38, which combined two of our favorite things in one must-have piece.

The bars on Bourbon Street are a little less crowded than they were pre-Katrina and you can walk into Emeril’s NOLA without a reservation, but New Orleans is still a party town. And to echo Carrie’s sentiment—it’s practically your patriotic duty to go.

Don't Drink and Shop!

We know you would never drink and drive, but do you know you’re just as likely to have an accident when you drink and shop? Before you laugh and scoff and think, “That would never happen to me,” let us point out how easy it is to fall into this retail trap:
*In Vegas, there are people whose job it is to conceive of new ways to get you to part with your money—and they’re good at it! Now shopping in Vegas is fabulous and you could spend weeks in the shops at Caesar’s Forum and still not get bored, BUT be particularly vigilant with your cold hard cash and Amex after you’ve had a cocktail or two. That $200 bra at Agent Provacatuer may prove suddenly irresistible.
*These same smart people who work in Vegas are starting to spread their evil talents to other cities: shopping may be the last thing on your mind as you head to Nobu in the Shore Club. But it doesn’t take reservations. You’ve probably been cocktailing before you went out and now you’re stuck with an hour to kill. What’s to do? Shop at Scoop for that sexy $150 tank top you don’t need.
*Stores are offering cocktails to you while you shop, impairing your judgment on the spot. Last time we were at Ted Baker's, we succumbed to a free cosmo while browsing and left with one slinky shirt too many.
If you do shop and drink, follow a few rules:
Set a budget. A $15 tank top that says “Off the Wagon” can be laughed off the next day. A $300+ pair of Lucite stripper shoes cannot.
Always shop with a friend. The more the better. If everyone unanimously agrees that it’s a good purchase, go ahead. If there’s even one nay vote, put that peacock patterned coat back on the rack.
Make sure you can return the item. If it’s your last night, leave your credit cards at home and take only the cash you need.
Remember friends don’t let friends drink and shop!

Cougars in Kenya

We've been hearing a lot about Cougars--women of a certain age--taking vacations to Kenya in hopes of hooking up with young men. The NY Post reported on a 64-year old British woman who showers her temporary, 23-year old Kenyan beau with gifts like sunglasses and fancy dinners. In reality, it's not that much different than an old geezer who picks up a PYT in Vegas and does the same thing, but for some reason it's cast as being so much more unsavory in this case.

We'll reserve our judgment, except to say we hope we're still getting it on when we're in our 60s and beyond (not paying for it, of course) and that we're still making time for girls' getaways--that one's a safe bet!

What do you think about "Cougars on Hunt In Kenya"?

Pack It Up!

While we lust after the T. Anthony Rawhide leather collection--at $1,700 for the makeup case alone (shown above), we can't quite afford it or the valet we imagine required to pack such a piece of art. In the meantime, we'll stick with shopping at stores like Loehman's and Marshalls. This adorable Diane Von Furstenberg bag (shown right) is only $70 at SmartBargains.com, the online outlet for Loehman's. We've had good luck going into the stores as well. Santa, are you listening?

Celeb Spotting

The other night, JSG were at NYC's Socialista. We were hanging out at the bar when hottie Benicio del Toro walked by (he's even sexier in person, if you can believe that!). The girl to our right could barely contain herself and stared at him the whole time, while the two guys to our left started talking about how he's one of our generation's truly great actors. Now with all this attention being paid to him, we assumed our friend saw him too, or at least noticed all the commotion around us and decided we would play it cool. Unfortunately, that was not the case and she missed out on seeing Benicio in all his dark, broody sexiness in person and was angry with us for NOT getting all aflutter and pointing him out.

Would you have fawned over Benicio if you were us? What's your best celeb sighting? Did you play it cool around them?

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