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Do you like stuff? So do we! Stuff for the mind, for passing time, for sharing, for yourself, for fun. Mariva's Guide brings you interesting, innovative, beautiful, entertaining and useful products, web sites, articles and images -- in other words, this, that and the other thing.
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April 1
In the mood for romance? Or various other tomfoolery?
Oh, by the way: don’t forget to spring forward tonight. No foolin’.
Posted April 1, 2006 by Mariva in fun, holidays, news
gravity-defying bootsWhoo-hoo! Happy spring.
Posted March 20, 2006 by Mariva in fashion, fun, gadgets, gifts, health, holidays, innovations
Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Mardi Gras is a bittersweet celebration in New Orleans today. If you’re not there, you can vicariously experience the sights and sounds through the All Things Considered New Orleans radio diary and make yourself a traditional Mardi Gras king cake. You can also listen to my friend Farai Chideya‘s moving News & Notes piece, "New Orleans Resident Revisits Levee Break."
Laissez les bons temps rouler.
Posted February 28, 2006 by Mariva in arts, community, edibles, holidays, news, travel
Valentine’s Day alternatives
Some people love February 14, in all its pink-blouse-and-red-sweater glory; others resent its existence and wish it would just disappear from the calendar. For those not celebrating romantic love today, I offer some alternatives:
Posted February 14, 2006 by Mariva in community, edibles, holidays, music, resources, social
the best love songs
If you’re looking for romantic audio material for Valentine’s Day, you can’t go wrong with the standards performed by the great jazz vocalists of the mid-twentieth century (and a few songs by "modern" artists as well). I’ve compiled my recommendations below, which are available via iTunes — or you can try your luck with Pandora.
Posted February 13, 2006 by Mariva in holidays, music
Groundhog Day
If you’re not in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania today, you can celebrate the annual tradition with the next best thing: watching my all-time favorite comedy film, Groundhog Day, which is said to be — believe it or not — one of the greatest Buddhist allegories ever.
(Background info about the movie is fun, too.)
Posted February 2, 2006 by Mariva in education, entertainment, holidays, movies
Vermont Teddy Bear
I can’t imagine a sweeter Valentine’s Day gift than a personalized teddy bear — especially one from the Vermont Teddy Bear Company (sister company to the PajamaGram Company), which makes high-quality, hand-crafted, fully jointed huggable friends that are guaranteed to last a lifetime.* As the company name indicates, each teddy bear is made in America, specifically in the Green Mountain State of Vermont.
To make your gift even more special — now that the original "-gram" communications service has ended — consider sending a Bear-Gram, which includes a bear of your choice, delicious gourmet chocolate and a personal message printed on a colorful gift card — all encased in a fun gift box, complete with an "air hole" so that your bear can get fresh air on his or her journey. You can choose from over one hundred Valentine’s Day Bears, including the "Heart Throb" bear pictured here.
Posted February 1, 2006 by Mariva in decor, edibles, fun, gifts, holidays, home
Macy*s Valentine’s Day pretties
I love Macy*s. So chic, yet affordable. Get your sweetie a nice gift for Valentine’s Day — or better yet, get something for yourself! Jewelry, lingerie, fragrance, gourmet gifts, ties and cufflinks, electronics — it’s all here. Plus, you can find a nice selection of pretties for under $25.
Posted January 26, 2006 by Mariva in edibles, fashion, gifts, holidays, jewelry
an American hero
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)
Posted January 16, 2006 by Mariva in community, education, holidays
New Year’s Eve versus New Year’s Day
Hey, you know what else occurred to me about New Year’s? You have to decide what your intention is for these highly anticipated couple of days. Is your focus on the night of December 31st or the morning of January 1st? Are you going to stay up late on New Year’s Eve, drinking and partying (and therefore waking up with a hangover the next day), or are you going to go to bed at a reasonable time, lay off the sauce and get up bright and early on New Year’s Day, so that you can exercise and prepare a traditional meal? In other words, you can either celebrate the past or get a head start on the future; you can’t effectively do both, at least within the space of this 24-hour period. Witness Dagwood Bumstead and the introduction to this article.
Posted January 2, 2006 by Mariva in holidays, social
