Adventures in Candyland

So, even though it’s 2008 (where has the time gone?!) I am going to sound very early ’90s right now. Here goes…The Internet is the coolest invention ever!!! I think most people hold that belief in some form, but now we take it for granted as it has become so embedded in almost every society and we’ve already even moved past it in its purest sense. But truly, it allows for such amazing information sharing that sometimes I just get newly excited by its concept. I think we should take a second to remember how hard it was to get information before we had this unbelievable global source available to us 24 hours a day. Of course, some people may believe that this has created a societal decline in a number of ways, mais pas moi.

Anyway - I only bring this up because today, I became overly enthused by three things I bumped into.

1) I have always loved metromint water - so refreshing - been buying it at Whole Foods since the first day I saw it (along with my favority energy drink, Inkos White Tea - so good!). Yes, it’s only spearmint and water and , yes, I could make it on my own or drink it hot (Isreali-style), but of course I often choose the convenience path and pay the price. During the last few years, they have extended their product line with peppermint, orange and lemon, but OMG - I have no idea what to say about this next iteration. If you know me or even read my yelp reviews, you might realize I have a strong predilection for chocolate and mint, together that is — since I was a little girl. To me it’s one of the most refreshing and luscious pairings. Today, I come to find out that MetroMint is launching ChocolateMint water. Yes, chocolate water may sound a little scary, but I’ll be trying it as soon as I can get my hands on it at my mecca, Whole Foods. I mean no sugar, no preservatives, no CALORIES - this is January 3rd - so I will take my dessert calorie-free thank you - at least for this month that is (well, let’s be honest, maybe this week).

2) Okay, along the same vein, if you like food, if you like cooking, if you like pairing flavors, but sometimes you feel like you don’t know what would compliment what, you must check out Foodpairing. Yes, we all know that gruyere is phenomenal in potatoes, but did you know it also can pair with licorice? Not being trained at le Cordon Bleu shouldn’t prevent you from trying unique flavor combinations for friends and family, but it also might be good to have a the pizza menu handy — sometimes experimenting with weird stuff can end up, well, weird, so it’s a good idea to have a back-up plan. In any case, I think this is so cool and I will definitely be a frequent visitor here.

3)Now, this one doesn’t have to do with food (I know, shock), but it does have to do with two of my other obsessions - Japanese minimalism and architecture. Toyo Ito is one of my most favorite architects and Sendai Mediateque is such a unique and breathtaking structure. I can’t wait till the day when I get to experience it in person. Here is my newest fave -Kengo Kuma. Check out the Lotus House…..amazing.

See why I love the Internet.

Update..got to add one more - this one from Danielle, but I had to include it as belongs in the same Asian modern minimalism/nature category as the above, is beautifully subtle yet exquisite and one of the collaborators is another amazing Japanese architect, Tadao Ando. Check it out…

Here are a few of Sweet Talk’s favorite things this week:

First, the countdown to Halloween begins!  Only 26 days left.  If you don’t have your costume yet, check out the extensive collection of costumes, props and decor at HalloweenMart and save 15% by entering MYSPACE as the promo code when checking out.

If you’re looking to make a career change, we’ve got the expert for you.  Well, actually, who isn’t looking for a little career advice?  Tune into Maggie Mistal’s career segments on Martha Stewart Living Radio (Sirius 112)…she’s on Thursdays at 10:30AM EST and 3PM EST. 

Really, what gal wouldn’t want this bag for a weekend away?!  The Savoy Hatbox from FRENCH 1946 luggage really makes a statement.  This is grown-up luggage.

And finally…we were at a conference a few weeks ago that was partially sponsored by flip.  We checked out this palm-sized Pure Digital recorder that plugs directly into a usb port, does not require any tape and only uses two AA batteries.  It seemed so convenient and necessary to bring along on our Adventures in Candyland, that I went to Target the next day and bought one.  Sweet Talk hasn’t benefited from my flip yet cuz I’ve absconded with it and have been capturing all of my son’s adorable antics.  (Full disclosure: Much to my delight, a package arrived for me at our office this week…turns out I had won the flip contest at the conference and they sent me a free one!)  Now Sweet Talk has a flip too, so hopefully you won’t be subject to anymore horrendous cell phone videos embedded in these posts (see Lauren’s NextFest post below). 

What were your faves of the week?  Let us know so we can check them out…

This article in Marketing Week struck me as bizarre. Coke is creating a new Sprite that will launch in the UK next year called “Sprite Super Chilled” that includes a mechanism, that when opened forms ice in the drink. And how is the ice created and what is it made of? None of those questions were answered in the article. But even stranger is the fact it’s being developed for urban youth who prefer super cold alcholic drinks, particularly beer. What’s the difference between super cold and cold? Obviously I’m not an urban youth, but pray tell, who is it that likes their beer or their soda warm? What do you guys think? Wierd or cool? I think both.

Last weekend I attended AltBuild at the Santa Monica Airport featuring manufacturers of green building materials, green architects and other businesses that make it possible to build sustainable homes.   It was packed.    

Green living has become so mainstream, an amazing thing, but I sometimes I have to wonder is it’s all a  result of a massive marketing campaign primed for a backlash, or will this finally become an everyday reality for Americans.

For decades, green living has been the norm in Europe.  There’s an article in last week’s New York Time Magazine talking about just that. “Why Are They Greener Than We Are?” which talks about how sophisticated green architecture is completely common in Germany and the Netherlands. So with all the technology, talent and incessant talk, why is it so hard to make our buildings sustainable too?

Once again, it seems as America has somehow made it more difficult than it should be by creating bureaucracies and impeding the creativity of architects by almost mocking their innovative ideas.  At this event, I was also struck by the high cost of materials that are made from recycled elements and earth minerals.  Shouldn’t building with these kinds of materials be less cost-prohibitive? 

I hope that the mean green media machine taken over, but that we continue on this path towards awareness of our surroundings and the movement becomes more of a way of life than a trend.  That it won’t seem life an effort to make changes, but that it’s just the way it is.