VIV Says: Blog

With movies like The Devil Wears Prada and 13 Going On 30 portraying the catty side of women’s magazines, we’re thankful that our own experiences working on mostly female staffs have been generally positive, filled with smart, strong women who encourage and support us (one of the many reasons why we give back through mentoring today). We were reminded of that camaraderie while watching the premiere of the latest season of The Celebrity Apprentice, when the women’s team, led by Grammy winner Cyndi Lauper, remained stubbornly unified for as long as possible, struggling to lay blame for losing the first challenge. (Photo credit: Ali Goldstein/NBC)

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Whether it’s planting nursery seedlings of peppers and tomatoes in a spacious plot or tending to rosemary and thyme in a windowsill container, gardening always has been one of our favorite, soul-soothing pastimes. And while the grocery store snack aisle wasn’t where we expected to find inspiration for this year’s vegetable harvest, we noticed that Triscuit is giving away basil seeds with its original wheat crackers and dill seeds in its reduced-fat packages. The seeds are part of Triscuit’s Home Farming partnership with Urban Farming, a nonprofit that builds community gardens in unused city spaces.

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Shiny gold statues aren’t the only things handed out to Hollywood’s elite during Oscar season. For stars, stylists and members of the media, the week leading up to the big night is a whirlwind of gift suites and exposure to fun new products. We had the chance to check out the wares, which included one big-ticket item no one was taking home: a Chevrolet Volt, GM’s new electric car, on sneak preview at the Global Green event.

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We’re constantly entertained by Patti Stanger’s tough-love advice for the rich and romantically challenged on The Millionaire Matchmaker. When it comes to issues of ageism and chivalry, the brutally honest brunette — who claims more than 100 marriages to her credit with no divorces — isn’t afraid to say exactly what she’s thinking.

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With spring in sight, our thoughts turn to finding fresh produce and cooking with the cornucopia of in-season vegetables. One of the earliest spring veggies is the artichoke, which is actually the bud of a thistle. We discovered Gardener’s Pasta Salad, which calls for fresh or canned baby artichoke hearts, from fashion-designer-turned-garden-expert Dianne Benson in the American Fashion Cookbook (Assouline, 2009). The book, edited by Lisa Marsh, features recipes from 100 fashion designers, including Diane von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Naeem Khan, Derek Lam and Monique Lhuillier.

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One of the things we love about yoga is that it doesn’t require much gear. You need comfortable clothes and a mat — and maybe water and a towel. Props, such as mats, straps and blocks, are usually available at the studio. After 3,000 years of evolution, the discipline would seem to have little room for improvement, but we think the following are three accessories that might very well make your practice a happier one.

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Some of our favorite meals weren’t in the trendiest hotspots or five-star restaurants, but at friends’ dinner parties — feasts of mussels, venison, duck and other delicious items. Though most of the diners, including the host, have since dispersed throughout the country, we have fond memories of mouthwatering meals, great conversations and lasting friendships. Blogger Cathy Erway writes about learning to treasure intimate home dinner gatherings in the The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove (Gotham, 2010), a memoir of her two years of not eating out in New York City. Her narrative, punctuated with some of her recipes, is just one of the signs there’s a growing movement toward eating in.

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On a recent vacation to the West Coast, we were alarmed to note the number of plastic water bottles and disposable coffee cups we trashed. So when we arrived home, we were eager to try out two of the latest reusable bottle options: the Bobble, which filters water as you drink, and the new Klean Kanteen Wide Insulated container.

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We tuned in to the pre-Oscars shows Sunday to catch a glimpse of the gowns celebrities chose for Hollywood’s biggest night. Although showers threatened to dampen the Academy Awards, from what we could tell the only thing that reigned on the red carpet was all-out glamour, with metallic fabrics that glinted in the light, shoulder-baring gowns with ruffles, pleats and embellishments, and dramatic hair and makeup. This Super Bowl for fashionistas didn’t disappoint!

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We love a good underdog story, which is why we’ll be glued to ABC this Sunday at 8 p.m. ET to see The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow take on ex-husband James Cameron, director of the $700-million-grossing Avatar, for the Best Director statuette at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. A little-known Oscar fact: In its first 81 years, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences saw exactly three women nominated in the Best Director category — Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties, 1975), Jane Campion (The Piano, 1993) and Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation, 2003). None of these directors took home the prize on Oscar night, but we believe Bigelow, 58, will make history this year on the strength of her little-seen ($14 million domestic gross) war drama.

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