I’ll admit it, I love researching online. Any reason to peruse the Web in search of that golden nugget of crucial information and I’m there! My latest excuse has been DDI’s very own Color & Materials Specifiers’ Conference (which is right around the corner). Scouring the Web, I’ve come across some interesting material usage. Tons of projects out there are experimenting with bizarre, creative and unexpected materials–and just when you thought cardboard boxes had no re-usable purpose other than sitting in storage until the next time you move! The best part is that many new materials being used are both beautiful and sustainable. Continue reading →

Dining out in New York these days may bring on a critical case of sticker shock. Restaurants in the Big Apple have always been expensive–but prices have soared in just the past few months. The $15 breakfast is now the $25 breakfast. The $20 lunch is now the $40 lunch, and the $50 to $60 dinner is now the $80-$100 dinner. That glass of wine that used to be around $8 is now $12 to $15. And that $6 dessert is now $9 to $12. What’s worst: portions have been reduced in many cases, as well. Dine at one of those fancy-smancy, small plate restaurants, and you can drop a bundle trying to leave well fed. Continue reading →

Going to a spa is SUCH a pain. Last time I went on vacation
I couldn’t even bring myself to traipse all the way to the spa, so I ordered an
in-room massage. Now, don’t roll your eyes and act like you have no idea what
I’m talking about. Apparently, there are a lot of people like me, at least in
the Westin Hotels & Resorts focus groups. The mega-hotel-leader has taken
our laziness and desire for relaxation to a whole new level with the design of its
custom in-room spa experience. Now, when you visit a Westin Resort, you’ll find
two beds in your room: the one you sleep in and a massage bed. Continue reading →

Ah, summertime. The season of capris, Coronas, and the Caribbean. Until of course, you find yourself in a hotel filled with bed bugs and a view of the ocean you can only see if you stand on your tip toes. Thanks a lot Internet photos! Turns out, I’m not the only one frustrated by false online hotel advertising. So, to help the travel challenged, Expedia released "Insiders’ Select," complete with a ranking system and reviews of the best hotels throughout the world. Travelers can now find the best hotels from Budapest to Bolivia. And that means I can book my trip to Cozumel with confidence knowing that the Cozumel Palace All-Inclusive has a 91.01 rating and makes for an "awesome honeymoon!" (per the traveler opinions). Continue reading →

You wouldn’t expect a major grocery retailer to keep quiet about a new venture. So, Safeway broke a lot of rules when it opened a standalone eatery, Citrine, located in Redwood City, Calif., in early June. The company is calling this newest enterprise an "experiment," and I’m wondering of what–food quality? PR viability? Or, are they tricking us with reverse psychology and thereby generating more press by not saying anything? You got me, but either way, I’m interested.

Apparently, Safeway realized they were missing out on a huge chunk of the money pie by not investing in the restaurant business. Continue reading →