myretroperspective

What happens when your chocolate dreams become reality? You find yourself at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta indulging in an array of sweet treats satisfying your guilty pleasure. Trays of truffles, flourless chocolate lolly pops and almond joy treats are dancing on your plate as you move down the line at this all-you-can-eat buffet with 15 ever changing selections for just $20 per person. That’s right; the Celebrity Chocolate Buffet is back! Every Friday (through March 26th) Executive Chef Robert Gerstenecker invites a local celebrity to join him in the kitchen to share their favorite chocolate dessert along with other decadent creations on the Chocolate Buffet! Atlanta radio personality Frank Ski kicked off the annual event Friday, February 19th. The 2010 line-up of chocolate celebrities also includes: John McFall, the Artistic Director for The Atlanta Ballet Company; Xernona Clayton, President and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, which annually recognizes achievement among Af...

If you’re looking for the ultimate way to relax try aqua therapy. I love the Aqua Therapy Massage at the Stillwater Spa, tuck inside the exclusive Park Hyatt in Toronto. If you’re looking for a tranquil escape look no further than this urban oasis… where still waters really do run deep, in a place where soothing waterfalls and streams offer an amazing journey to wellness. On a recent trip, I decided to try the massage in my search for total relaxation. My therapist led me to a beautiful candlelit room designed around a pool. The session begins once you release control to the therapist. For the next 45 minutes, my therapist used pressure point techniques to stretch and move my body through the water in ways that just aren’t possible on land. It was relaxing, refreshing and rejuvenating. I felt the tightness of my muscles loosen with all tension simply floating away. It’s a beautiful way to start your day. Will you try aqua therapy to relax?

What happens when your search for sizzling spa treatments takes you to the best new spas in Latin America? You just might find yourself in sexy Rio de Janeiro also known as Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City) where the beautiful people let it all hang out. After spending time taking in the city’s most famous sights beneath the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Mountain and on the cable car ride up Sugar Loaf Mountain… it was time for a little pampering. In a city where rhythmic music and life blend together in perfect harmony, I was ready to surrender to total relaxation. My first stop, the exclusive Copacabana Palace Spa, along the iconic Copacabana beach. The spa is an elegant and sophisticated new addition to this legendary hotel. It’s housed on three floors offering seven treatment rooms, a fitness center, sauna, relaxation area and a steam bath. The spa is a mix of Hollywood glamour and traditional charm offering some of the most amazing treatments in all of Rio. As my th...

If the winter blues have got you rethinking just why you’re living in Chicago, New York or Washington, D.C right about now… then grab your best friend and head to beautiful Cabo San Lucas, Baja Mexico! On a recent trip with my good friend Leslie, I escaped the urban grind for sun, sand and surf. Now, getting to Cabo posed somewhat of a problem since my flight out of Denver, Colorado was cancelled! I spent another night, in the Mile High City, at the historic Brown Palace Hotel sipping on Evian water to stay hydrated and indulging with a massage at the hotel’s signature spa. I finally got to the airport and jetted off to paradise the very next morning. Since Leslie arrived an entire day before me, I was not surprised to see her sitting by the infinity pool, tanned and relaxed sipping a cocktail. After I dropped my bags off in the living room of our beachfront casita equipped with a private pool, at the exclusive Marquis Los Cabos Beach Resort and Spa, it was time for me to get ...

If your travel day suddenly hits a snag because of delays or cancelled flights head to a spa for a little shameless pampering. Some of the world’s busiest airports are the best places to relax and let go. Here are three airports that offer a ticket to stress-free zones. São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (Brazil) There’s no place on earth like exotic Brazil so when you’re in between flights make a beeline to The Traveller Spa for a soothing massage, reflexology treatment or a Brazilian bikini wax. This little gem is steeped in Asian aesthetics and carries a full range of L’Occitane products. But the great deal here is the price—treatments start under $20. http://www.travellerspa.com.br/ Once you’re feeling refreshed and stress-free head over to H. Stern, Brazil’s most recognized jeweler, for gems to go. Brazil is the gem capital of the world so why not indulge just a bit? You may find some great bargins on your favorite gemstones. http://www.hstern.com.br/site/home/default.asp T...

If you’re looking to add a little spice to your love life let Pillowtalk Intimate Greeting Cards do it for you. These provocative cards are designed to flirt, tease, and tantalize by saying something naughty and nice to your sweetheart. The company sent me a few cards from their product line designed to charm with little notes in black with white script or white with pink script. It’s up to you to decide who gets the cards saying you’re so sexy or it’s always been you . The next time that you want to share intimate moments with sophisticated thoughts about your romantic needs try a little pillowtalk for about $3 each… now that’s haute! To Learn More Visit http://www.pillowtalkgreetingcards.com/ What do you think about the PillowTalk Greeting Cards?

Today, M•A•C Cosmetics and the M∙A∙C AIDS Fund introduce their new Viva Glam spokeswomen: Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper. The two music trend setters are rarely seen without lipstick or eye catching fashions… and now they’re part of the “From Our Lips” campaign. The cosmetic giant created Viva Glam Gaga and Viva Glam Cyndi lipsticks, in a light blue pink and red coral, each retailing for $14 with 100% of the selling cost donated to the M•A•C AIDS Fund. “I think it’s absolutely insane that some people have fewer rights than others, and I’m grateful that M•A•C has decided to focus on women while I’m a VIVA GLAM Spokesperson. I have so much to say and so much to share, and I’m going to let my lips and lipstick do the talking!” Cyndi Lauper, M•A•C VIVA GLAM Spokesperson “I’ve been familiar with the campaign and have been wearing M•A•C since I was ten years old. To be joining the likes of iconic former VIVA GLAM spokespeople is an honor. My new VIVA GLAM lipstick colour is amazing. It’s very me...

Would you like to see your fast food in designer containers?

There’s a new portable jewelry travel system that keeps you organized and protects your valuables, while helping others at the same time! If you’re like me… protecting your jewelry and keeping up with it may not be as easy as it seems particularly when you’re going through airport security and jumping in and out of taxi cabs. But thanks to one stay-at-home mom in Georgia, traveling with my baubles and bangles has never been easier.   Keli Hazel says she tried everything to stay organized during business trips even resorting to ziplock bags. But that’s so not sexy! Besides we’re already forced to use them for our carryon size toiletries. So she created a travel case with the busy woman in mind. “I visualized a portable jewelry case with accordion expansion that holds individual pads to secure and protect several jewelry ensembles to keep necklaces and pendants from tangling,” exclaims Hazel. She gave me one of her Diva Deluxe™ organizers to try out. It’s designed for the stylish and...

Drawn by bright colors and the sensual textures of India, Blumera creator Mehera Blum says her passion and love for travel inspires her designs. “I am inspired by the world around me, and most particularly by nature,” explains Blum. Haute Travels caught up with Blum in Atlanta during the High Museum of Art’s fundraiser, Catwalk Meets Canvas at Mercedes-Benz in Buckhead last week. I had to ask Blum about her love for travel and her haute travel bags. “Travel is one of the biggest components for my inspiration to create because it has given me the exposure to see inside humanity at large. Since I was a little girl, I wanted to travel the world, learn new languages, eat exotic food, and hear music native to foreign lands. Traveling in and of itself to me is a creative process. I never want to be a tourist; wherever I go I become a local and it is from this vantage point that I design. I assimilate into the culture and design from whatever the talents and skills of that land are. I seek t...

If you love jewelry and being a girl there’s a new line of baubles, bracelets and beads designed with you in mind. Kimberville Accessories launched its “I Am Kimber,” spring and summer collection last week, at Midtown Atlanta bakery, Chocolate Pink. "I Am Kimber", features “urber-cute” pieces made from a creative mix of pearls, chains, leather and Swarovski crystals ranging in price from $50 to $200, each containing small remnants reminding its owner of her playful childhood memories of yesterday. “Kimberville gives us permission to let our imaginations soar," explains creator and senior designer, Monica Leaphart, self-proclaimed child of sparkle. Leaphart says her own quirkly, child-like spirit gave birth to Kimberville and inspires her creations. "I wanted to create pieces that remind us of the days when we were little girls dying for something shiny and sparkly,” says Leaphart. Her girly girl sense of style has taken this twenty something business woman from bout...