Recently (ok, 6 years ago, but still…) we removed the beige wall-to-wall carpeting furnished by our condo developer and installed hardwood floors in the living room, dining room and kitchen. With our blue and white beachy decor we enjoyed the new feeling of lightness and openness. But the last 2 years, TBG has been asking for an area rug under the coffee table: he just thought it looked a little bare. Since we usually only visit the condo a few weeks a year, it was never a priority and we casually glanced at area rugs when we shopped, I checked out rugs in the mountains of catalogs the postman delivered, and I honed in on the flooring selections in my baskets of shelter magazines. Finally, a decision: flokati!

Flokati is a traditional handmade Greek rug made from longhair wool. I thought a white shaggy rug would be perfect for the living room: light and open, casual and fun, easy and clean. So the serious shopping and price comparing began. After being shocked by prices in the $$$ thousands (I decided I didn’t need it to be that authentic) we narrowed it down to choices at West Elm and Ikea. And because at that moment there was not a West Elm near our SoFlo condo and Ikea was only 30 minutes away, (and I had a sudden sense of urgency that I couldn’t wait 2 weeks for delivery!) TBG and moi made the short drive to Ikea, and $79.99 later, we finally had flokati.

Quickly installed under the coffee table, we stood back and admired our new area rug.

Too simple, right? What did we overlook?

Mignette.

When Mignette adopted us on a cold snowy day in Paris, it was mutual love at first sight. We’d never been owned by a Maltese before, and once she and all her Burberry accessories moved in, we were happy to learn that Maltese don’t shed and they are “hypo-allergenic”: because they have hair, not fur, Maltese don’t shed. Sure I find white hair on my black knit yoga pants, but no different than a human’s hair: when you brush her hair, some ends up in the brush. You should see moi bathroom after washing and drying my hair: it looks like a hair salon! Second, Maltese hair is considered non-allergic. Basically anything can cause allergies for some people, but TBG and both kids suffer from allergies, and for years we suffered through dog allergies with our great danes and golden retrievers. With Mignettes, no sniffling, no sneezes.

No problem, right? Wrong.

Mignette and the new flokati are the same color and have the same hair length. Fortunaltely Mignette is always decked out in a hot pink bow and collar or we’d step on her when crossing the room. Details!

2nd miss: Mignette doesn’t shed but flokati does: who knew?

So everyday I have to get out the electric Swifter and vacuum the living room, dining room and kitchen for little white fluff balls. How does it spread so far? In SoFlo the fan is on year-round, and the air-conditioning at least 9 months of the year, and all that air circulation keeps flokati fluff floating.

Doesn’t sound like such a big problem, does it? With less than $100 invested, it’s easy enough to find another rug.

Not so fast…Mignette loves to cuddle on the flokati. And what Mignette wants, Mignette gets. We just watch where we walk, and keep the swifter nearby.

I love riding my bike, but even as a kid my bike was primarily for transportation rather than recreational. School was over a mile away, and no bus service, so I when I was a grown-up 4th grader my bike got me there in 10 minutes versus the 30 minute walk…and I had a messenger bag slung across my shoulders when they were still called bookbags! During the summer, my best friend Carla and I rode our bikes 3 miles downtown to the Palatine Public Library – then a big old renovated house – for afternoons reading in an upstairs corner where no one ever bothered us, and to Janies or Benjamin Franklin for 25¢ bags of candy.

Biking in Holland

Later living in the suburbs with a family a car was a necessity, and bikes relegated to family nights cruising the neighborhood or hauled to the forest preserve to cruise the bike trails.

When we lived in Europe, TBG and I started taking 7-14 day bike trips through different regions of Spain and France and Italy, and riding our bikes around the Paris Bois de Boulogne (or taking our lives in our pedals and trying to keep up with the peloton at the Hippodrome!) Then we moved to Copenhagen, and bikes became an integral part of our daily life. TBG biked 5 kilometers each way to work. I rode my bike to the grocery, bank, public library, parks, and all neighborhood errands. We not only had baskets on our bikes (which I have always had and TBG has always mocked) but we also installed saddle bags to haul home our packages. The car sat in the drive way, and we became a part of the very organized, dedicated bicycle lifestyle.

Biking the Val de Loire

Back in the states, bikes became recreational once again: although possible to use a bike in NYC or Chicago as a means of transport, neither bikers nor motorists seem willing to adhere to the rules of the road. Bikers rightfully claim that drivers literally run them off the road, but the bikers blow thru stop lights, weave between lanes, and take short cuts down the sidewalks. Its a battle out there!

In SoFlo I think its even worse: along with all the other dangers, you have narrow winding scenic roadways which both bikers and motorists love to use and abuse. We frequently see large tours of bikers riding A1A, wearing all their official Tour de France gear, 3 abreast at about 15 miles per hour: so its impossible for motorists to pass, and encourages motorists to cross lanes in blind spots to get around the packs. However, if the bikers ride single lane, motorists try to squeeze past them frequently running them off the road and causing severe injury. No one follows the rules. And everyone blames the other guys. But it can work: we lived it in a country where a biker running a stop sign is heavily ticketed by the local police and a motorist not yielding the right of way to a biker could lose his drivers license.

Biking the Camino de Santiago

But still, we persist. We love our bike rides both in the city and in the small towns along the coast. So we forge on, fearful but enjoying the scenery and the exercise and the fresh air too much to give in.

Clearly we’re not alone. Last month USAToday ran an article about the increasing popularity of bike-sharing in the US. We’ve enjoyed renting bikes in the bike-sharing programs in Paris (Vélib’) and Copenhagen (City Bike) with our visitors, and now can easily enjoy biking in cities around the US.

In Miami Beach, bike-sharing is sponsored by KLM: love the tulips on the baskets! (Note the baskets: convenient and chic. KLM is the official airline of Holland, the world’s tulip capital!)

The DecoBike Miami signs, where you also rent the bikes, display area maps, biking tips, and some nearby attractions. (sorry, must be 18 to rent a bike!) With over 1000 bikes available, we easily find them available for rent around South Beach. The first 30 minutes is free, and you can rent by the hour, day or month. For visitors, prices range from $14 a day to $30 for 3 days – or just borrow for 30 minutes at a time: for free!

The basket is perfect for carrying your purchases…or Mignette!

Don’t know where to find a DecoBike? There’s an app for that! Or follow DecoBike on Twitter or FaceBook for the latest Miami Beach biking news.

A tweet from Saveur Magazine featured international candy bars that are hard to find in the US: British Cadbury Crunchie Bars, Swedish Daim Toffee Bars, and Indonesian Silver Queens. That’s the problem with being both a traveler and a grocery store junkie: you easily become addicted to foods that may not be easily available.

When I get a craving for  ethnic groceries I head to World Market, a one-stop global shopping bazaar for

• foods: Cadbury chocolates, German cake mixes, Italian olive oils, Indian curries, Dutch cocoa powder, spices of the world
• fashions: jewelry, purses, scarves
• beers and wines from around the world
• furniture and accessories including beds, sofas, candles, rugs and curtains, artwork
• kitchenware: platters, French coffee presses, grilling tools
• bed and bath: towels, soaps and lotions, storage units

My shopping list yesterday:

square Italian white plates? Check!

Christmas and Halloween candies? check!

Plus, a few packets of miso soup mix and Dutch salted black licorice.

Why shop World Market? Variety, good prices and fully stocked shelves. Plus, World Market offers a Rewards Program: World Market Explorer. Special discounts, $$ off coupons, and more.  I’m shopping now!

Sadly, World Market carries many mustards but not my favorite Handlmaier’s Sweet Bavarian Mustard. And I stock-up on Daim bars at Ikea: sometimes I enter Ikea from the exit and strictly shop the Swedish grocery store: a great little market!

Moi tip: World Markets (also called Cost Plus World Market) are found throughout the US, but if there’s not a store near you, shop online! Explorer members often have free shipping deals.

Moi tip encore: Need a gift? World Market has a variety of giftable items from wines to soaps to table linens to chocolates to toys to dog treats: and wrapping paper and cards to complete the package!

From moi Chicago condo we have gorgeous views over Lincoln Park and onto Lake Michigan…on a clear day you can see… nothing but water! Along with the beauty of Chicago’s spectacular free public park, known for its lakeside location; sandy beaches; walking, biking and running trails; golf course; marinas and boat docks; outdoor art; museums; and the beloved Lincoln Park Zoo.

The downside? Mignette is not welcome in Lincoln Park Zoo: no dogs allowed. I understand why, but it would be so lovely to stroll through the zoo instead of always around it on our morning 4 mile walks. But over the last 2 years, the Zoo has been a construction site and we are excited that our morning walks now include:

The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo has completed a $12 million renovation of the South Pond, turning a once neglected and ignored corner of the park into a easily navigated wildlife preserve with breathtaking views of nature and the Chicago landscape. The Boardwalk is designed to be a classroom venue with:

• daily wildlife tours
• hands-on children’s activities
• yoga classes
• family camping programs
• educational signage and displays

Best of all, Mignette and all her doggie pals are welcomed on the Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo!

There’s a new kiosk at Columbus Circle Times Warner Center in NYC: Canine Caviar of Manhattan. Yes, the name caught Moi attention too, so I had to stop and check it out: Mignette might need something.

Not only are there the typical tres cher (very expensive) gourmet doggie dinners, treats, California Rolls (yes, you read that correctly) and sweet potato chews, but Canine Caviar also will make and deliver Doggie Gift Baskets to your favorite petite chien.

Canine Caviar says they are “holistic” and “perfect pet food with naturally preserved allergen free food.” This is their first stand-alone store, their website lists other retailers where their pet foods can be purchases, they also sell online.

the details

Moi tip: they also sell products for cats.

Friday I made a field trip to Chelsea to personally check-out the much hyped Limelight Marketplace: a former Episcopal church turned trendy and exclusive Gothic nightclub, now reincarnated as a bubble-gum bright and squeaky clean mini-mall whose doors are open to everyone. Calling themselves New York’s Festival of Shops, squeaky clean is definitely the image they’re trying to project.

All the PR is paying off: open just  a week, and Limelight was packed with trendy New Yorkers and tourists.

Limelight definitely has the cool factor: the developers kept many of the original architectural details: stained glass windows, swooping stone archways, dark and hidden stairways.

Glitzed and glammed up with chandeliers and glossy marble floors, there are still signs of newness: blue tape holding mirrors in place, workers crawling on the floor measuring and cutting, big smiles and greetings on all employees faces. Note to management: Needs more signage.

The shops are definitely fun and trendy and eclectic and small: I browsed outposts of Havianas (I was a little disappointed in Haviana’s booth: I’d heard they were there, and hoped they’d have the cool Haviana’s Bar like Galeries Lafayette in Paris, but no, same old flip flop display), Hunter Boots, Petrossian Caviar, Le Sportsac. The air was perfumed with scents from Soapology and Caswell Massey and The Avery Perfumes. And if you managed to avoid the many food booths, It’s Sugar will lure you in with their displays of retro candies and giant gummy bears and bins of brightly colored sweets.

Several jewelers represented local artists: Old Hollywood and Tina Tang. Baby gifts were well represented with Silly Souls and BookSmart. And Mignette and her doggie friends would find something to drool over at Sophie and Teddy’s Doggie Delight (they say they’re eco-friendly: no idea what they mean by that!). Zakka is a must-stop: unusual and retro Japanese gifts and artistan pieces including t-shirts and toys.

Even the famous J. Sisters is opening up a waxing salon! Brocade Home had 2 spots: a small booth on the ground floor (with no staff when we were there) and a hard to find larger store upstairs. They were open…but not really, we just took a brochure. They were too busy unpacking to talk. Maybe next time?

But are they buying or browsing? One vendor said the locals are gawking and the tourists are buying. We had one very excited middle-aged guy in grungy jeans and dark shades run up to us and tell us he used to stand outside the club trying to get past the bouncers and rope and gain admittance. Another story told to us in the food court was too yucky to retell: sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll!

There were several food specialty areas already opened, with more promised in the near future: everything from Baci Gelato to Miss Tea to MarieBelle Chocolates (3 shops: 1 on every level!) to Cupcake Stop to WannaHavaCookie (think whoopie pies in every flavor). More deliciousness awaited in the Gourmet Food Court: baguette sandwiches and cheeses and pastries and salads; Cana Winebar and Grimaldi pizza to open soon. Right now there are only take away food places: nowhere to sit and eat (other than the hot chocolate bar at the upper floor of MarieBelles 3 booths)  We were told a courtyard for eating is coming soon, but it’s not there yet. We actually walked over to nearby Chelsea Market afterward to grab a sitdown lunch at 202.

Is it worth a visit? Definitely: it’s a fun and bright shopping experience, and the perfect place to take visitors who are looking for something special to buy. And maybe a few things to buy just for Moi…

the details:

Moi Tip: From what we could see and were told by employees, Limelight is NOT handicap accessible; lots of metal staircases must be transversed to go above the main floor. We were told there is not an elevator.

…it was time to move in…

TBG, Mignette and I flew to Florida on a cold November morning to close on our new condo, and a couple days later, accept delivery of our scarily huge shipment of household soup-to-nuts that had been in storage up North for over 6 years. We brought a couple suitcases of summer clothes, and purchased a blow-up mattress to use until our shipment arrived. We had 10 days vacation to get organized and settled, before we had to return to Europe. As we landed at the Palm Beach airport, we waited at the baggage carousel for our new life to begin.

And waited, and waited. Moi bag did not arrive. As we prepared to head over to the claims department and try and track down my missing suitcase, TBG suddently realized he knew where the bag was: in the trunk of our car, parked at LaGuardia airport in New York City. Most of the bags had fit into our back seat, but my extra-large suitcase was stuffed into the trunk. Mignette was my carry-on. I had not one item of clothing, nor cosmetics, no books: nothing. (But TBG had both his carry-on and his suitcase, and his briefcase; even Mignette had everything she needed for the next 48 hours). Dilmena.

As usual, when faced with a dilemna, I took 2 steps:

1. go to Starbucks
2. throw money at the problem

So we drove into downtown Delray Beach, parked our rental in front of Starbucks on Atlantic Avenue, and TBG went inside while I waited outside with Mignette. And found immediately next door my new bff, Native Sun. Native Sun is a women’s boutique that carries every item needed to get by in Delray Beach Florida for the next 72 hours, except cosmetics. So while TBG was buying 2 frappucinos, Mignette and I were in the friendly hands of Christine and Kathy, and the pile next to the cash register was growing by the minute.

Typically, I don’t try clothes on. I prefer a slightly loose look, so I can usually eyeball for fit. And in a pinch, I’m a fast shopper. When TBG emerged with his hands full of foaming cold drinks, he quickly saw us through the huge picture window, and joined in the selection process. 30 minutes later, I had clothes to last the next few days, until I could get to Target and a mall and organize a slightly more extensive wardrobe.

To date, j’adore and still wear the outfits I bought on that first visit to Native Sun. But I have been back many many times. And so have my friends. And at Native Sun, we all buy.

The details:

No caffeine for Mignette! She loves to cuddle up to this Starbarks chew toy, and it even barks! We found it at dog-a-holics on Southport in Chicago. $14.99.

a decaf as big as me

Are you familiar with the Southport shopping area? There are some great boutiques (Krista K!) and restaurants  like local fave Ann Sather, where you can carb and sugar up on world-famous cinnamon rolls… and my personal fave, Anthropologie, where you can check out some Man Shops Globe finds. Yesterday I saw the beaded animals Keith shopped in South Africa. You can catch Keith Wednesdays on the Sundance channel at 9pm est or on the internet. Tonite he shops Turkey.

Moi’s DVR is set!