Back in 2010 when the blog was first nominated for the Boston A-List awards my incredibly supportive parents sent the link to vote to every single one of their friends. As a result, and much to my pleasant surprise, many of my parents' friends have become loyal readers.
One of my father's friends, a pal from architecture school, not only reads the blog, he frequently sends me emails about things he thinks I might enjoy. He's like my very own, personal Amazon.com or Netflix recommendation engine. The best part? He's always dead on.
Last week he sent me a link to a website called AHALife. The site was started by a twenty eight year old named Shauna Mei. In an interview with the New York Times she described her primary goal for this venture:
"Men go shopping when they need a pair of boxers. They find you in a department store, they buy it, and they leave. For women, shopping is about discovery. Girls go shopping as a pastime, not because we're looking for something in particular. We buy things because our stylish friend recommends them. Take something like a hand-blown glass paperweight from Italy. You don't search for that on the Internet, but when you find it, you're inspired by its beauty or craftsmanship. We're trying to recreate that aha! moment, as if you'd stumbled upon something in a street fair or out-of-the-way place."
I created a log in and immediately began exploring. My favorite part of the user interface is the AHALife cube, which focuses on the individual user and what you'd like to discover. The blocks in the cube read things like "Dress Me" or "Nourish Me."
You can also search by categories like "Gifts for Him" or "Wedding."
Where does Shauna find the items she recommends? From the site's curators. Shauna has built a fantastic network of what she calls, tastemakers, who select the items that are featured. The list of curators in residence includes: Carmindy, Bobbi Brown, Jill Zarin, Daniel Boulud, Donna Karan, Petra Nemcova, Tim Gunn and Tina Brown. Check out the full list here.
In my first fifteen minutes on the site I had four of "aha" moments!
The first is this Kotur black, lace clutch. Swoon.
Though I have avoided the feather hair extension trend, I found myself lusting after these Lisa Levine feather and gold chain earrings. Hello, girls night out.
I've been searching for a condo for the last eight months and as such, I've had my eyes peeled for great home decor. This Afghan rug by Arzu Studio is elegant with a sense of whimsy.
My attraction to this next item is a perfect case study for Shauna. I found myself wanting these stainless steel water bottles by S'well. I wasn't looking for water bottles. I don't even really need them. I just want them.
It's your turn to get lost in the treasures of AHALife. Sign up here.
