Shop 'til You Drop: Deck the Halls with Gifts from the East End
The empty storefront of 171 Main Street in Amagansett that once housed LaCarrubba’s clothing store has now been divided into two separate spaces. Ille Arts, a previously established cultural center and art gallery on the East End, is occupying the westerly half with local, accessible art exhibitions. The eastern side of the Main Street building has yet to be occupied, despite many potential applicants vying to claim the space.
When it comes to charity, shopping smart can have a big payoff. Amazon Smile donates .5% of any purchase to the charitable organization of your choice. Now it’s easier than ever to support your favorite local organizations, such as East Hampton’s Project Most. Project Most is an afterschool enrichment program that provides free tutoring and hands-on activities for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, regardless of their economic background. The funds donated to Project Most will pay the program’s monthly fees for children from low-income families, as well as support the expansion of the organization’s many specialty projects. If you’d like to help, sign up through Smile.Amazon.com to support the students of East Hampton every time you shop on Amazon.
If you’d like to give the gift of a getaway this winter, you’re in luck. Several local lodgings are offering gift certificates at discount rates in the off-season. Visit the Southampton Inn at 91 Hill Street in Southampton or log on to southamptoninn.com to pick up a gift certificate for a weekend getaway in their gorgeous Tudor-style hotel. The 1708 House is also offering gift certificates, at 25% off their normal rate. Stop by the front desk at 126 Main Street in Southampton or check out 1708house.com, for more info.
Now that we are undecking the halls and facing the grey skies of winter, our homes feel as though they could use a bit of a pick-me-up. You can take a trip down to your local Rumrunner or Home Goods and select some new pieces that strike your fancy, but sometimes its nice to find a whole new cohesive look for your home. If you’re not up to the task of redecorating on your own, check out the new Bridgehampton-based interior design company, Inspired By… Designs. The online full-service company can help you customize your space into something truly inspiring, ridding your home of the winter blues. Designer Alexandra Calame blends old and new, familiar and one-of-a-kind pieces, creating a unified, unique atmosphere for every individual space. Calame also runs a blog, inspiredbyblog.com, where she offers design tricks to her readers, and a compilation of the hottest interior design items for purchase. Stay up to date on Inspired By… Designs by visiting their Facebook page, or email Calame at [email protected].
Has all the stress of the holiday season got your down? Feel rejuvenated with a massage from John Dillon Salon and Day Spa in Southampton. Though masseuse Jodi Tillduster is new to the space, she has been practicing massage therapy for years. I took a long lunch a few weeks ago to check out the new offerings. The massage room is tucked away in the back, a peaceful space even when compared to the tranquility of a Hamptons offseason. Tillduster began the session by asking me the types of massages I preferred. Having received only a handful of massages in my life, she suggested we go with a full-body massage, whereby she would focus on what she found to be trouble areas. Tillduster started with my feet, a move that immediately relaxed me. She later revealed starting with the feet allowed her to discover where my problem areas might be. Employing the principles of reflexology, which dictate that the feet are the window to the entire body, Tillduster discovered that my shoulders held most of my stress. She was right. She worked on getting the knots out, expertly moving around my shoulder blades to the point where I couldn’t really tell where her hands were. A true sign of relaxation. Tillduster noted that I would be sore the following day, as a really good massage is akin to a workout in terms of its health benefits. But I instead felt rejuvenated and ready to tackle the week ahead.
If you’re really feeling down, Doctor Ilona Polak of Sag Harbor Medical Walk-In is here to help. Stop in at 34 Bay Street, Sag Harbor or call 631-808-3337.
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