Bob’s Your Uncle is one of those companies that, as true-blooded American Anglophiles, we have no choice but to love: The Fort Point-based home goods company is run by a lovely British couple! The name reflects a Briticism (meaning “everything’s fine”) that’s almost as much fun as “sod off” or “bangers and mash”! (more…)

Typically, it’s we here at Bostonista who dole out the style advice. We’ve helped you with blue cues and collar capers and even cleared up a few personal hygiene issues. Rarely are we at a loss during fashion 911s. But our current situation has us flummoxed.

Last week, one of us had reconstructive knee surgery. (We’ll spare you the visuals and vivid painkiller-induced dreams.) Being house-bound for a week was alternately horrid and therapeutic, the latter thanks to lots of TLC from the littlest Bostonista. But now that we’re up and working again, we’ve hit the biggest roadblock of all: Accessorizing a monstrous leg brace and crutches is no easy task. We have entered into precarious fashion territory a fellow editor has termed “gimp chic.”

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After sartorially struggling with a month of ambiguous weather, we’re relieved to finally ditch our (questionable) in-between-season ensembles.

However, the arrival of legitimately sunny 60+ degree days presents new challenges. As we were only recently convinced that spring might actually show up, we’ve completely failed to switch out our closet. Now, each morning requires 10 minutes of sifting through merino turtlenecks in the hopes of finding something brightly colored and cotton.

Similar problem with purses: In our attempts to swap the brown leather for something more fun, we repeatedly forget rather crucial items (our favorite lip balm! hair ties! and, uh, our wallet).

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Our unrelenting quest for self improvement took a hair raising turn this week when, after two years of trusty service, our ionic Vidal Sassoon short circuited mid-dry Monday morning. A mangled updo ensued, followed by many “late night?” comments at the office. Bostonista is all for tresses au naturale, but this half-winter, half-spring weather is playing havoc on our half-curly, half-straight hair. A quick lunchtime trip to Sephora was in order.

Turns out, the mega beauty emporium only stocks a couple of blowdryers, none for under $130. (Our aforementioned tool cost a mere $15.99.) As frequent beauty masochists, we’d read all about the pros of owning a “salon quality” dryer— faster job, fewer split ends, sleeker finish—though a poll of local pros revealed it’s all marketing hype. Nevertheless, after a lengthy consultation with a black-clad, well-coiffed Sephorite, we found ourselves handing over the Amex for a $200 T3 Bespoke Featherweight.

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You love Joanie. You got to know Tyra. Now, it’s time you meet the newest member of Bostonista’s feline family, Margie.

We first fell in love with the 8-month-old tabby (with orange highlights) on a Saturday afternoon visit to the Animal Rescue League’s South End shelter. Though all of the cats were cute, when the Chelsea stray reached her paw through the metal cage and picked us out, it was love at first sight. She was the one.

Margie’s been home with us for a week now. And though we suspected it since the moment we laid eyes on her sassy short-haired coat, Margie is proving to have terrific taste.

A few of her favorite things: (more…)

We’ve been known to succumb to Kit-Kats and bald Britney while awaiting checkout at Target or Stop & Shop. But with Amazon’s recent launch of TextBuyIt—a service that allows customers to find and buy Amazon.com products from any mobile device via text message—our impulse buying is no longer safely confined to the bad chocolate and ratty tabs found in superstore checkout lanes.

Tech-savvy shoppers can now make purchases from Amazon.com anytime, anywhere, with a few quick taps. All you have to do is send a text to “AMAZON” (262966) with the desired product’s name or code and, the company claims, within seconds you’ll get a response with the matching product or products, along with the prices. To buy an item, you simply reply and the whole she-bang is locked down following a short call from Amazon confirming the purchase. (more…)

One of the major highlights of our grade school existence was a fundraising program that let parents purchase gift certificates to major retailers with the understanding that a small percentage of the sale would be kicked back to the school.

As a result, our anti-television, anti-preteen-nonsense mother suddenly started handing us certificates to Blockbuster and The Limited Too. And we weren’t the only lucky ones: All over the building, our slack-jawed classmates began clutching pre-gift-card-era paper money like dozens of little Charlie Buckets with golden tickets.

Clearly, this fundraising thing had made our parents crazy. And we had no idea what we did to deserve such a miracle.

Fast-forward 15 years, and the founders of Boston Community Change hope the same insanity will be a boon to area stores.

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Back when it was perfectly acceptable for a kid to spend hours in front of the television, I was an incredibly dedicated Smurfs devotee. Why it took the Hanna-Barbera people 17 years after the show went off the air to issue The Smurfs, Season One, on DVD, I can’t imagine. Anyway, I bought it, and the daily lives of Papa, Brainy, Vanity, Jokey, et. al. are as compelling as I remembered.

One Saturday morning and a few bowls of Froot Loops later, I am totally brainsmurfed. I’ve never been one to fall for a trend I see on TV or in the movies — in fact, as far as I’m concerned, once Rachel Bilson makes an appearance in anything, it’s pretty much jumped the shark. And yet, how else to explain this weekend’s extravagant, and eerily Smurf-like, purchase?

The platform slingback Jimmy Choo heels I took home from Gretta Luxe yesterday measure in at 4″ tall (about the height of a Smurf), and are a Smurfy shade of royal blue. These shoes are completely fantastical — not unlike Smurfs. Also like the Smurfs, they may remain a well-kept secret. (more…)

Our lives simply are not poignant enough to make millions of people tear up in unison. That’s why we’re not waiting by the door for Oprah or that spiky-haired dude from ABC to come knocking and “extreme makeover” our homes.

Instead, we’re left to fend for ourselves when it comes to decorating our house. What we’ve discovered is that choosing the right furniture is often a battle between what’s practical (this cement table is tragically unattractive, but it’ll last forever!) and what makes you swoon (so what if you can’t walk on it, a white alpaca fur rug is so chic!). That’s why we were thrilled to discover the ultra-versatile yet utterly stylish Tripolina Chair at Diseño—a local design store which, unlike some national chains (ahem, Design Within Reach) is more interested in filling our homes than emptying our wallets. (more…)

I’ve been having a hard time lately—as anyone who’s seen me around town in the same outfit again and again can attest to—and, as a result, have lost quite a bit of weight. Now, avid readers of Bostonista know we’re typically open to healthy diets, but there’s nothing flattering about baggy jeans and sagging dresses. Fortunately, my fellow editors always look out for me (and my occasional fashion hiccup) and quickly came to the rescue with the newest way to add a little junk back into your trunk.

The brainchild of Newton-based entrepreneur Susan Bloomstone, it’s called the Booty Pop (yes, really) and consists of underwear reinforced with two 1-inch-thick malleable posterior pads. Basically, a padded bra for your butt. (more…)