VIV Says: Blog

Many of our friends work in the nonprofit sector and in arts organizations, and we’re always inspired by their creative drive to improve their communities. We know that many other people around the country have equally fantastic ideas for causes close to their hearts, but simply lack the funding. So we were thrilled to hear about the Pepsi Refresh Project, which is awarding $1.3 million in grants through January 2011, based on votes gathered on its website. The project accepts up to 1,000 ideas per month in six categories: health, arts and culture, food and shelter, the planet, neighborhoods, and education.

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We adore Asian food and often make it for guests — veggie maki rolls, spicy shrimp stir-fries and steaming noodle soups. So one day when our gluten-intolerant friend came to visit (she can’t eat anything containing wheat proteins), we ditched the soy sauce because it uses wheat in the fermentation process and grabbed the tamari. Now we’re hooked and use the substitute all the time.

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While most New Yorkers wore their wellies in the ankle-deep slush pervading New York City for the last two weeks, many of the city’s fashion editors (including us!) stubbornly insisted on braving the elements in their heels. However, we did make a few adjustments, forgoing our velvet Louboutin platforms that we had planned on wearing for snow- and salt-friendly patent-leather Chloé sandals worn with thick tights.

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We love a bold, red nail color — especially when it benefits a worthy cause! In honor of American Heart Month, 10 percent of February proceeds from Np2 red shades go to the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and the association’s mission is to reduce coronary disease and stroke by 25 percent. Every Np2 chip-resistant nail lacquer ($22.50) includes a separate topcoat of nail hardening and nourishing treatment, and the two bottles snap together for easy storage.

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With chilly temperatures outside, we’re on the lookout for healthful, satisfying soups that will stick to our ribs, but not to our hips. So we were delighted to procure the recipe for V Eight Soup at the opening party of Balade, a new Lebanese restaurant in New York City’s East Village. Because the soup uses eight vegetables, the soup was renamed from its traditional Lebanese name to V Eight on the restaurant’s menu. The simple dish takes about 20 minutes to prepare and can be made with seasonal ingredients; simply substitute one available vegetable for another, using the same measurements every time.

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Fashion Week is all about the clothing, but we also love seeing the hairstyles the models sport for each show. (Our own hair during Fashion Week was a bit damper than we would have liked, thanks to wet snow blanketing New York City.) Luckily, the hair gurus at Aveda invited us to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at some of the runway looks created by legendary French stylist Odile Gilbert and Antoinette Beenders, global style director for Aveda.

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Years ago, when we spotted our first silver hair defiantly sticking up, a fellow brunette told us she colored her sporadic grays with a Sharpie. Deterred, however, by the threat of marker fumes, we plucked each one instead and named them for their potential causes (Mortgage, for example, was joined by Company Downsizing and Health Insurance Dispute). Now that we’re older, wiser and more gray, we let a colorist handle it — but in between appointments, that Sharpie looks pretty tempting. Thankfully, the new Oscar Blandi Pronto Colore Pen Root Touch-up & Highlighting Pen ($23) is designed precisely for this purpose — to cover stray grays and unsightly roots.

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We recently joined the stars in search of Valentine gifts, awards season outfits, accessories and the latest gadgets at the Valentine Romance Sneak Peek Oscar Suite at Café La Bohème in West Hollywood. Yummy food, an open bar and free stuff? Not even a torrential downpour — or worse — could keep celebs (or us) away from this party. Actress Maria Conchita Alonso, who broke her ankle six weeks ago, even showed up with a cast and cane!

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We love New York City’s Fashion Week, when we spot other stylistas rushing from show to show, many in precariously high heels. But the shows are fraught with other dangers as well — arriving in the same dress, being splashed by chocolate fountains and becoming ensnared by a purse strap in a carefully constructed show set. (Only the latter has happened to us so far.) So we’re pleased to report that an increasing number of designers are streaming their shows live on the Internet, giving access to what previously was only for the eyes of invitation-holders.

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Although it’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed a romcom at the theater, it seems we’ll be able to make up for lost time with today’s opening of Valentine’s Day (New Line Cinema), Garry Marshall’s star-studded film that follows several romantic storylines (whether we’ll want to, based on the onslaught of scathing reviews, is another issue). The frothy feel-good comedy stars a veritable Who’s Who of Hollywood heavyweights, including Jessicas Alba and Biel, Bradley Cooper, Patrick Dempsey, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner (left), Anne Hathaway, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine and Julia Roberts. We caught up with Roberts, 42, and Garner, 37, at a recent press event.

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