PopSugar

Desire/Acquire: Cafe Tables

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 06:15:19 -0700

As I think about warmer weather and less rainy skies, I'm excited to spend more time outside at a sidewalk cafe. However, it's sometimes hard to get to a cafe to lounge at one of their outdoor tables, so I'm hoping to get one for my own house. I adore this Pensi Cafe Table (shown here), but at $692, it's a little out of my budget.

To see a more economical alternative, read more.

Leave it to my favorite cheap and chic standby, Ikea, to carry a similar table. The Billsta Table ($119.99) has a very similar look to the Pensi, but at a much more reasonable price point. You could even repaint or decoupage the table surface in silver to get closer to the Pensi's look.

Lil Links: Monty Hall Has a Few Pointers For Parents

babysugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:30:26 -0800

The Monty Hall school of parenting - The Poop
There's no brotherly love for Julie Bowen's boys - Celebrity Baby Blog
Dogs teaching kids to read - Momformation
Do you really need a nursing bra? - CafeMom
TLC has a new family to love in "Table for 12" - ParentDish
It's a boy for Ashley Jensen - Celebrity Baby Scoop
How Christian Scientists deal with a sick child - MomLogic
You might be a mother if... - The Laughing Stork
Keeping kids healthy - Momversation

Cool Job: Nina LaCour, Author

SavvySugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:00:27 -0700

Whether you love heading into work every day or dread the alarm each morning, hearing about people who love what they do is always inspiring. In our new Savvy series, Cool Jobs, we’ll talk to real women who have turned their passion into a very cool career.

Oakland native Nina LaCour always knew she wanted to be a writer, but over the past two years, she’s made that dream a reality. Nina’s debut young adult novel, Hold Still, was released by Dutton (a division of Penguin) last week, and she’s already signed on for a second novel.

Tell us what a typical day looks like for you.
I teach high school in the mornings, so my workday begins at 7:45. For a few hours, I sit around a big table with between 10 and 14 students per class and talk about books. When I get home I need a little while to wind down from teaching, so I use that time to answer interview questions for YA bloggers and get in touch with my agent or the people at Penguin about book stuff. They are all in New York, and I'm in California, so these calls have to take place early in my day.

No matter how often I do it, it takes me a little while to settle into writing. Usually I'll begin by reading over my newer scenes or notes. I also keep an ever-changing outline up on my wall, so I keep track of what I've written and what I need to write, and I'll cross scenes out if I decide that I'm taking a different direction. And then, finally, I start typing. I'm a slow writer, so on a good day I'll get one or two pages written. On a slow day I might just end up revising existing scenes or writing a bunch of notes, or working forever on one important paragraph.

To hear more about Nina's cool job, keep reading

Do Tell: What Was the Worst Pickup Line You Ever Got?

TresSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:00:00 -0700

Our friends at Em & Lo have listed the 10 rules of the pickup, some for men ("Never look someone in the boobs while talking"), but some which are addressed equally to women ("Do not wordlessly dry-hump a stranger from behind on the dance floor"). Damn! There goes my main move.

When I was an undergrad, I was assigned Venus in Furs for a literature and psychoanalysis class and was reading it intently at a cafe. Now, the book is an erotic tale about a man obsessed with a dominatrix, and the cover had an arresting image of a woman in a red fur coat. A guy kept walking back and forth past my table, and finally, when I looked up, he gave me a creepy look and said, "That is my favorite book. May I sit down?"

Needless to say, the answer was no, but that probably wasn't even the worst pickup line I ever got - just the one I can remember. What was the worst pickup line you ever got? What was your reaction?

Awkward! Straight Stacy Asked on a Friend-Date

TresSugar — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:00:00 -0700

So my friend, let's call her Stacy, was dating this guy that she was really into. After five dates (who's counting) he does the disappearing act. A few months go by, and Stacy runs into the disappearing dude at her local cafe . . . and he's with a woman.

They have that awkward exchange, but the pair ends up joining Stacy at her table to eat their lunch. When Stacy asks them, "How do you know each other?" they answer in unison, "We have something in common. We both like women." Free from the potential embarrassment of eating with a guy who disappeared on her and his new girlfriend, Stacy ends up enjoying the conversation and hitting it off with both of them.

Fast forward a week. Stacy gets a friendly email from the disappearing dude's lady friend saying: "Did you miss me?" and asking her if she wants to check out a museum exhibit with her. Now Stacy's in the position of not knowing what to do - should she decline and pass up a potential friendship, or accept and take the risk of sending the wrong message?

Do Tell: Ladies Who Lunch, Kitties Who Brunch?

PetSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 03:00:35 -0700

On my way to grab some bagels over the weekend, I passed by a popular cafe, typically featuring lines out the door and full sidewalk tables every sunny afternoon. In addition to the eight dogs (not that I was counting), I also spotted a gray cat on a harness and leash! My friend and I were shocked 'cause, not only was this kitty just relaxing calmly, there were tons of dogs, people and noises sure to spook most felines I know. Now while some love leashed walks in the privacy of your own backyard, but would any cat you own sit still for a weekend meal outside?

Source

You Asked: Does He Just Want a Friendship?

DearSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:30:00 -0800

Dear Sugar,

I met this guy in college and developed a major crush on him, but nothing ever happened. After graduating we kept in contact via email, then after a couple months, we met for coffee. We got to talking and he told me that he's been attracted to me for some time now, but informed me that he was in a relationship with someone else. He said he needed to figure things out on his end before getting me involved. I let him know that I too am attracted to him, and that I still wanted to maintain our friendship.

He emailed me about a week later and suggested we meet up again - I agreed. This time we went to a cafe in the evening and talked for several hours. I know he is with another girl so I wanted to be respectful, but the whole time we were together I was thinking about how much I like him. When we left the cafe, he told me he wanted to do it again sometime, but what does all this mean? Does he just want to be friends? Is he keeping me around just in case he and his girlfriend break up? Am I setting myself up? Please help! - Unclear Claire

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Unclear Claire,

Since you've both been open about your attraction for each other, I'm left wondering some of the same questions myself. He wasn't very clear as to whether or not he was planning on ending things with his girlfriend, so I assume he's just trying to get to know you and decide if that's the decision he wants to make. This is a classic example of why the line between romance and friendship is so thin - I bet his girlfriend wouldn't be too pleased if she knew her boyfriend was sitting at a cafe admitting that he's attracted to another woman!

The only way you'll know what his intentions are is by asking him. You deserve to know what he's feeling so you can prevent being led on. I'm sure you enjoy his company, but if you have a different idea of what your relationship is all about, you're bound to get hurt. Be proactive and talk to him about where he stands with you, his girlfriend, and his intentions for the near future. Hopefully getting everything out on the table will make it easier for you to decide how to proceed. Good luck!

Source

Lil Links: Hair Color: Roots vs. Embryo

LilSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:00:49 -0800

Hair color: roots vs. embryo; can I take care of both? - Alpha Mom
Bear Grylls has sons named Marmaduke, Jesse, and Huckleberry - Celebrity Baby Blog
Hotel For Dogs is a must-see! - PetSugar
David Banda gets a lift - Celebrity Baby Scoop
A meal that will get your tots to the table! - CafeMom
Nine ways to stay in shape on a budget - Health
How bad is TV - really? - Momversation
Nine-year-old carries hurt friend to safety - Parent Dish
One mom's perspective on her special son - Momo Fali's

Crave Worthy: Time Occasional Table

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:00:07 -0700

Designed by Prospero Rasulo in 2006, the Time Occasional Table ($1459) comes in a variety of glossy lacquer finishes, but I'm partial to this candy apple red shade. I'd love to see these flanked by black chairs in front of some gorgeously designed Parisian cafe. There's just something so compellingly cinematic about this table's eye-catching ruby shade and elegant, willowy stem. Wouldn't it be très magnifique as a set piece in a movie - perhaps a remake of An American In Paris?

What's It Worth To You?

YumSugar — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 11:13:26 -0800

Every so often a new trend will pop up in the restaurant game. In both Salt Lake City and in Denver the new trend is "pay-as-you-can." Yep that's right. You walk in, you order, you eat and when the bill arrives, you pay what you can, or what you think it's worth. Think of it as the "Robin Hood" method of dining. If you're rich, maybe you want to pay more so the less fortunate can eat the same thing as you. To learn more about this new trend, read more

The One World Cafe, in Salt Lake City, lacks a set menu and set prices. They do, however offer daily selections using seasonal and mostly organic ingredients. There are no prices, but there is a donation box where customers can pay what they felt their meal was worth.

The cafés' business models have won fans among the city's well-to-do residents, many of whom regularly dine there. At One World, patrons have given Cerreta [the owner] a car, bought new dishes, arranged to professionally clean her carpets, supplied new tile for the restaurant bathrooms, and donated property for an organic garden and funded a new irrigation system for it.

Inspired by the One World Cafe, Brad and Libby Birky opened up a similar operation in Denver called SAME (So All May Eat) Café. Now both One World and SAME have created non-profit groups to help others replicate similar cafes.

However, this new non-pricing method isn't working for everyone. In New York's Babu (an Indian restaurant) the pay-as-you-feel-fair method is resulting in too many free meals.

One Friday night, a rowdy group of 10 young Indians walked in and took over the restaurant's large central table. Their response to no prices was to leave no money; not even a tip for the wait staff. Babu now states their prices.

What do you think about this pricing scheme? Is it too good to be true or do you think it could work?

Source