Spa Grace’s Jeremy Grace will have you at hello

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
He had me at “Miss Ellen.”
Had Jeremy Grace greeted me any other way—“Hello!” “Ellen?” “May I help you?”—I’m sure it would have been fine (the man defines charm), but it was a simple “Miss Ellen?” that brought a wide grin to my face, always [...]

Cosmetics for a dollar? It’s true
A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a friend that sounded too good to be true: a cosmetics company by the name of e.l.f. had recently been purchased by Nordstrom and was now unloading all products—blushes, foundations, eye liners, powders, etc.—for just one dollar. (Yes!!! $1.) The reason? [...]

Can $80 even buy you breakfast at Tiffany’s?
There are many things $80 won’t get you at Tiffany & Co.—a $1500 sterling silver and green jade Elsa Peretti Sevillana wrist cuff, for example, or the 18k gold Jean Schlumberger butterfly clip brooch with pink tourmalines, pear-shaped amethysts and round diamonds, which runs $30,000. But when the [...]

The Kids Are Alright: When you just can’t buy it for yourself

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Oh, this stupid, stupid recession. (Or is our economy still just taking a power nap?) I’ve listened to the experts. I’ve made budgets and learned to stick to them. No purchase is unconsidered, no penny left in the change bowl. And [...]

Your money is no good at the Long Beach Public Library—It’s free!

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Imagine, if you will, a greaser winning a lifetime of free tattoos or a drunk finding a bar that’s never closed; that’s how I feel about the Long Beach Public Library (LBPL), which combines two of my favorite things: literature and [...]

Splurge into Spring at Big Lots!
Whether your buffalo roam on a sprawling garden or a miniscule enclosed slab of concrete, it’s likely you’re ready to replant and restock for spring/summer fun. My situation happens to be closer to the latter, but the $100 budget I allotted for back patio renovations should work for outdoor areas [...]

Nails by Christy: A hidden retreat for your hands and feet

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Who says that getting a manicure or pedicure can’t be as luxurious as going in for a facial or massage—that they can’t be just as comfortable, relaxing and refreshing? Like a lot of women, I used to find the mani/pedi experience to [...]

Heavenly Couture has you covered
Maybe you’re trying to clean up your act. Maybe you just got a job as a student teacher and have to look “respectable” by Monday. Or maybe there’s only 40 bucks in your pocket and you have to make it work. Try Heavenly Couture in Belmont Shore, offering designer jackets, shirts, [...]

Veg-O-Rama’s vegan cupcakes will find a home in your belly

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
I’ve been a vegetarian for 10 years and a vegan for nearly five. In that time, I’ve realized that ordering new dishes is usually much more exciting than eating what’s placed on the table—not that it’s bad; my taste buds just seem to [...]

Beware the Etsy addiction
Fans of Etsy.com—the online buy/sell community for crafters, artists and the like, pronounced “et-see”—know how terribly addicting the website can be: Once you sign up and start to shop, it’s nearly impossible to stop. (Especially for PayPal users; careful, or your credit card will transform into something like Monopoly money.) What’s worse, [...]