Treat

Sneaky Sunday

Here's the inside scoop on a hot new site to check out for a night, or day, on the town. 

Summer's officially here, and that often means people are taking time off for vacation. There are some of us who globetrot and don't mind looking like a tourist, then there are others who would rather fit into the character of the city while oohing and ahhing in private. If you'd rather not look like a tourist while visiting a new city, then you should check out this new website by a fellow Portfolio Center alum, Sneaky Sunday. This website is like a cross between a Zagat guide and Time Out magazine, but more "boutiquish" and upscale. You'll find sneaky hot spots around town that only natives know about. The services are free, and no one pays to be ranked on the site. Check out an example of some of the videos you will find on the site to inform you of places to check out. The video below is about Tangerine, a Chicago women's clothing boutique.

How are the venues ranked? Sneaky Sunday has over 120 “Sneaky Reps” across the country who choose which venues should be listed, and how they should be ranked. In each city, there is at least one expert who maintains the site for that particular city.  “Sneaky Reps” fit the demographics of the venues which are 24-38 year old business travelers and young professionals who know their city well. 

Have a fab Thursday and a great weekend!

Trace magazine

Trace magazine focuses on transcultural styles and ideas through music, fashion, film, art, and politics. It was established in London in 1996 then moved to New York just two years later. See the cover of the current and past issues below. Click here to check out the Trace magazine blog.

The Great Debaters

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! I really enjoyed celebrating Christmas with my family. I have some design inspirations that I gathered from them and would like to share with you in the next couple of days. They sparked such excitement for me, particularly in the area of interior design. However, today, since many of us will be celebrating New Years today and tomorrow (I'm taking off tomorrow. Next post will be January 3), I want to share with you a fabulous movie that I saw with family during Christmas, and if you haven't already, I'm hoping you will see The Great Debaters during your time off. The movie was directed by academy award winner Denzel Washington and produced by Oprah Winfrey. It's a really inspiring movie with a cast that exhibited an outstanding performance. I wanted to know more about the characters, so I wish that the characters were more developed. Read this article from the Dallas Morning News to get a little more background on the characters. Despite that, the movie was nothing short of inspiring, elegantly directed, and truely authentic.

Akeelah and the Bee

If you need a little more inspiration, then you'll have to see Akeelah and the Bee. I saw this movie at the theater, and it was such a great movie! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. It may inspire you to learn every word in the dictionary! Okay, not quite that much, but close. Try increasing your vocabulary, by going to Merriam-Webster's website to have a vocabulary word e-mailed to you each day.