I'm not the best vintage shopper. At flea markets, I never seem to find the gems that everyone else does. Also, it smells weird.

So I was overjoyed to discover a growing collection of vintage shops on etsy marketplace. (Like eBay, but better.) The sellers scour flea markets around the world and sell the loveliest items.

My favorites are...

Ma Petite Amy, a Vancouver-based shop offering sundresses, 1970's secretary dresses and blouse-y tops. (She also uses belts to great effect.)

ShopGoodGrace, a shop from South Dakota that feels very 1970's Americana meets Parisian chic. (Not bad for $50 or less.)

Santoki Vintage, a Houston-based shop featuring dresses and tons and tons of boots.

Oh, Leoluca, run by Berlin-based artist Teresa Hu, who has a great eye for quirky-chic European vintage. (She also has an awesome star tattoo.)

Happy shopping!

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Like every girl, I am obsessed with shoes. After a recent closet clean out, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I own more than 60 pairs of shoes in my NYC apartment (not counting the less popular pairs that I keep at my parents' home in California). How do I fit these in my walk-in closet-less bedroom? First, I took a digital picture of each pair and created a shoes file so I can scroll through the thumbnails to remember what I have. I keep shoes that are out of the current season (like boots in the summer or sandals/flip flops in the winter) packed away in stacked shoe boxes inside my tiny closet until the appropriate season. I also have a shoe organizer hanging on my door that holds a surprising number of my shoes that I like to wear year-round. With a little organization, I can guarantee that I'll be well-heeled all the time!

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I love Wendy Mullins' retro-preppy designs for her Built By Wendy line, but the pieces aren't exactly easy on the wallet. So when she released Simplicity sewing patterns a couple years ago, I couldn't wait to try one out. After serious deliberation, I brought this coat pattern home with me.

But then I opened it up. Hmm. It had a lining. And quite a lot of pieces to cut out. Also, I wasn't quite sure how to make a buttonhole. (While I like to fancy myself a bit of a craft maven, I hadn't sewn from a real pattern since I was about 10 years old--and I was beginning to remember why.) The pattern sat untouched for months. Until I broke up with my boyfriend.

As it turns out, there's nothing like a breakup to refuel your creative ambitions. Suddenly all my free time was completely my own, and I was craving a new project. Taking a stab at the coat seemed just ambitious (okay, frustrating) enough to drown out the overanalyzing in my head.

I ripped out a few of the seams multiple times before getting them right, but after much duress, I'm pleased to say I ended up with something resembling an actual garment. The equestrian-print lining is my favorite part.

I've always wanted to play the drums. I used to practice on my friend's drum set, but I was terrible and I think after hearing the awful sounds I was making, he didn't want to share anymore. So, he and a few of my other friends got me a set for Christmas a few years ago.

Playing the drums is a good way to relax. Usually my mind is always running with a thousand different things, but I sit down I HAVE to concentrate so it actually forces me clear my head and focus on one thing.

I've been taking lessons for about three years, and my teacher is really great and knows it's a hobby for me, so he teaches me whatever I ask him (plus he comes on Saturdays so I can play in my pj's.) When I first started I didn't know anything, but now I can read music, which is a big accomplishment.

So far I've mastered all the White Stripes songs. (I could probably battle Meg White and win, but that's about all.) I don't get to practice as much as I would like to, but I'm getting there!

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A few days ago, my friend Kate called me with a pressing question: She's heading to Florida and needs a swimsuit to cover up her post-baby tummy -- stat! I whipped out my computer and google skills and, within an hour, scored what she needed: a list of swimsuits that call attention to all the right places (neckline, shoulders, post-baby breasts) and none of the wrong places (tummy, sides of tummy, front of tummy). Here are some lovely options:

Princesse tam tam's strapless one-piece (above).
High-waisted numbers from Toast.
Bright, cheery one-pieces from J. Crew.
Victoria's Secret's retro bikini.
Boden's boyleg swimsuit.
A sweet flowery suit from Italian designer Laura Urbinati.
Princesse tam tam's Audrey suit, inspired by a little black dress.
Pinup-inspired suits from Anthropologie.
The Magicsuit collection, made with a genius figure-shaping fabric.

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I traded my four-inch heels for sneakers a few years ago. Vanity gave way to comfort, and I refused to be That Girl trekking to and from work in cross trainers with her heels in her tote (but no offense if you are That Girl!). So, I went on the prowl for sneaks that were stylish enough to wear to work (thankfully I have a creative job). My rubber-sole collection began with Chuck Taylors and Vans. But, when everyone and their grandma started wearing them, they felt too mass-market for me and I moved on to custom-designed Vans. I loved how unique they looked, but my custom Vans weren't ideal for hip-hop dance, a big hobby of mine. Meant for skateboarding, Vans get stuck on the dance studio floors. So, my Vans phase ended, and I moved on to Nike Dunks (smooth for basketball courts and cuuuuute), Punkrose skate shoes and Converse slip ons, all in crazy patterns, stars, colors and graffiti. Now my sneakers don't match anything I wear, but oh well! At least I'm comfortable all day, and that means everything to me.

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I don't have kids and, therefore, am able to spend too many Saturdays watching a backlog of horrible (yet highly entertaining) reality television that my TiVo has saved for me. I realize that my hours clocked in front of the tube aren't really worth boasting about. But, it does allow me to pick apart the trashy-yet-enjoyable shows from the rot-your-brain ones. If you're looking for something to watch during one for those fleeting moments to yourself, I'm here to break it down.

To See Real Competition
Top Chef
(Bravo, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST)
You'll be annoyed by host Padma Lakshmi's shiny hair and clothes and dull personality, but there's something extremely satisfying about watching super food talents dice vegetables while you critique dishes from your couch that you can't taste and could never even attempt to make yourself. This season -- set in Chicago -- is just seven episodes in, and there's a marathon practically once a week, so it's not too late to get hooked. So far there have been lots of delicious meltdowns--thanks to all of the "team" challenges. Keep an eye on Dale, Antonia, and Richard.

To Feel Better About Your Own Life
The Real Housewives of New York City
(Bravo,Season 1 marathon starts Saturday May 3 at 12 p.m. EST)
Ok, I was going to try to keep myself from being sucked into this sequel to the Real Housewives of Orange County because I'm pretty sure it took my IQ down a notch or two. But this season was actually...well...kind of good. There's ex-model LuAnn who regularly leaves the nanny to mother her kids while she gets drunk in the Village (because it's her right, you see), super insecure Alex with a potentially gay husband who hopes her money will get her friends, brassy Jill who has no problem sending her pubescent daughter to "detox" on Martha's Vinyard to lose weight, dippy Ramona who can't do anything right, and chef Bethanny who has a job and isn't married but is for some reason still on the show. They all seem to hate each other but air kisses abound. It's fantastic. And I just learned that Real Housewives of New Jersey is next. Hmmm...

The countdown begins...12 days until my high school 10th reunion! Preparing for the momentous event has been a two-part process, I've found: self-reflection (always a blast) and retail therapy (to soften the pangs of part one).

The self-reflection phase was fairly predictable: I'm still single (boo-hoo) and "challenged" when it comes to balancing my checkbook; it's quite possible that I was smarter in high school than I am now; "friendly" creases have since nestled around my eyes; and I have a dead tooth that I didn't have then. But hey, at least I have my health! (Not counting the tooth, of course.)

The subsequent shopping spree was slightly less typical. I wasn't in the market for a full-on makeover. What I craved was a few pick-me-up pieces to punctuate the stuff I already have--inspiring accessories to lift me out of my dressing rut and transport me to a place where I could pretend to be that girl. You know who I mean: the one who was born chic (as others are born brunette), the one who makes plain jeans and tees look glamorous just by putting them on.

It took me a month (and a good part of a paycheck) to find the contents of my 10th Reunion Hope Chest, but I did succeed! Click below to see my loot.

Friday, March 28
7:30 pm / I should be swan-diving into bed for my customary TGIF nap, but instead, I'm with some acquaintances for post-work drinks at an uptown bar that's taking it's best shot at "trendy" (read: surly hostess, pricey drinks and low back-killing banquettes). A few drinks and half a week's pay later, I'm scanning my brain and exchanging glances with Boyfriend, calculating a polite exit strategy.

9:00 pm / Boyfriend and I settle into a booth at Blockheads, a lowbrow Mexican chain that he loves for the cheap margaritas and that I love for the liberal application of cheese in the quesadillas.

11:00 pm / Next,we swing by The Auction House, a gem of a bar that's decked out in antique mirrors, dusty crystal chandeliers, and tin ceilings. A few pints of dark beer and we are ready to call it a night. After all, I have to save enough energy to climb the SIX FLIGHTS OF STAIRS to Boyfriend's apartment. Six. Flights.

I've officially become obsessed with this home video from YouTube. The two little brothers are so sweet, and they have the cutest British accents. I watch it every morning, and my boyfriend and I have even started randomly turning to each other during the day and saying, "Charlie bit me!" or "That really huht, Charlie. And it's still huh-ting."

Apparently, the video has a cult following in England, where it was taped, and it has even inspired a bunch of YouTube spin-offs of adults mimicking it. (Check out a few here and here.) How funny that this relatively normal home recording got such a frenzied reaction, but it really is addictive. Just try to get through it without smiling, I dare you!

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Fleeing the craziness of Manhattan for Ecuador's muddy forests and undeveloped towns might not seem like a vacation to most. But, as I learned on a recent trip to Ecuador to visit my younger sister, it was a vacation in the truest sense: complete escape from everything that is my city life.

Instead of grabbing a salad from the work cafeteria, I spent hours lingering over six-course lunches of shrimp ceviche with popcorn and plaintain chips, freshly fried empanadas, and native fruits.

Hiking to the subway was replaced by hiking long rain forest trails, and instead of napping on my couch in front of the TV, I napped on hammocks at a hummingbird preserve and dangled my feet in Andean hot springs. I also embraced the custom of haggling at sprawling outdoor markets and marveled at children peddling their wares (rather than attending school) so they could provide a few extra dollars for their struggling families.

Unlike other trips I've taken, this experience gave me a glimpse into what it's like not to be a New Yorker and not to be an American. I came back with a whole new appreciation for the things I don't have here and, of course, the things I do. Here's a photo of the outdoor market and another one of me and a new acquaintance.


Check out travel guides to Ecuador and other South American destinations on concierge.com. Bonus: Compared to Europe, South America is still an affordable vacation option for families.

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Confession: I'm not cool. Just when I think I'm (somewhat) up on the so-called "hip" bands, along comes another musical outfit that I've never heard of with a vaguely ridiculous or irony-steeped name (i.e. Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip, We Are Scientists...). Keeping abreast of who's new, who's great and who's overrated requires a dedicated, incessant trolling of music blogs, which is impossible for me since, well, I have a job. Now I leave the work to The Hype Machine, an amazing Web site that scans hundreds of music blogs every day and posts the latest tracks online so that I can sample new tunes (and rock out to old faves) before buying a CD.

The best part? It's completely free and legal. The files aren't available for download, but there are links to purchase the songs on Amazon or iTunes, so your conscience is in the clear - as is your bank account and rap sheet (no RIAA fines for illegally - and embarrassingly - acquiring Bon Jovi's greatest hits).

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Lately I've been infatuated with Frank Lloyd Wright (for no reason in particular-it's not like he's breaking news), and reading Nancy Horan's novel Loving Frank has only heightened my intrigue. The story is based on his love affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney, one of his (married) clients. The two ran away together, and the media circus that resulted was of Brangelina proportions. I kept going back and forth between loving and hating this woman who essentially traded her husband and kids for this quirky cape-wearing architectural genius. And the ending...wow...still gives me goose bumps.

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I was equal parts excited and terrified when I started training for my first marathon a few years ago. So, obsessive online researcher that I am, I scoured the Internet for exercise routines, advice - anything to make the prospect of running 26.2 miles (in a row!) less daunting. I happily discovered Active.com and, three marathons later, it has become my favorite resource for running, tennis, and the nine other sports it covers.  The site features training schedules, performance tips, and information about local sporting events (which has been super helpful to me since I moved to New York from D.C. a few months ago). I'm also a fan of the discussion boards, where fellow athletes share ideas like iPod workout playlists (Cake's "The Distance" is a fave). After all, when it comes to exercise, we could all use a little rallying.

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