The Art Store
Muses nonwithstanding, the Art Store sells everything your magnum opus needs, and at prices that won't leave the artist in you starving. Forget rummaging through piles of 200 pre-stretched canvases to find the size you want; it's all neatly ordered against the wall. Every shade of paint—oil, acrylic, watercolor, you name it—is represented, and the paper selection runs from handmade, violet-embedded sheets to plain foam core. Like to sit while you sketch? There's furniture here too, plus easels and mesh file boxes. Come to think of it, the large, open, and neatly arranged space may just inspire you after all—to organize your studio. 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA .
Boston Art & Framing
You know you've come to the right place when you read a sign that says "Unless constantly nurtured, nothing is as short-lived as a good customer." Abiding by that philosophy, Dave Poutre treats each customer—as well as each item brought in to be framed—with care. Whether it's a beautiful watercolor or a black-and-white family photo circa 1920, your print is in expert hands. With a huge selection of frames and mats to choose from, Poutre goes to work, offering you frame and mat combinations until you're satisfied. Soothing background music and Poutre's good sense of humor are an added bonus. Nestledin a cozy locale in the heart of Charles Street, Boston Art & Framing ensures your picture is worth a thousand words. 100 Charles Street, Boston, MA bostonframing.com.
Claire Dunphy
After a few years of aerobics and step classes, you realize there's just so much pounding the joints can take. Enter the Pilates method of exercise— a gentle-but-tough way to strengthen every inch of your abused bod. Professional dancers swear by this system, which involves a spring-loaded contraption called the Reformer to work every muscle you have, and some you didn't know you had. Clare Dunphy is certified by Pilates Studio in New York (not everyone who hangs out a Pilates shingle is certified), has all the right equipment, and will have you strong and flexible without the impact of most exercise classes. Progress at your own rate with an encouraging "Ahhh! Now doesn't that feel good?" from Clare. And it does. Dimensions in Fitness, 12 Station St., Brookline, MA .
Weloset Kennels
So it's a big far-flung. But if you're the type of person who recoils from the thought of tossing Toto into caged care, then this is your child we're talking about. Located in a woodsy setting with a knoll where you can stroll with babe before tearfully wishing him adieu, the kennel also has a fenced play area where the staff will take your pal for a few minutes of quality time. The pens are the largest we saw anywhere, at 80 to 100 square feet for large dogs, and have attached runs, bedding with heated floors in the winter, and constantly circulating fresh air. Grooming is also available, as is nondairy canine ice cream. Best of all, stays are reasonably priced at between $19 and $21 a day. Route 97, Boxford, MA .
Les Zygomates Wine Bar & Bistro
The muscles on your face that give you the ability to smile—les zygomates, as the French call them—get a good workout at this Leather District restaurant of the same name, thanks to its wine list of more than 200 bottles. And it's not just the obvious effects of the wine that make you grin. It isn't even the good French food, live jazz, and laid-back downtown atmosphere. It's the way the accessible, affordable wine list makes it easy to indulge in a bottle or two of your favorites. The lusty and juicy reds, crisp whites, and bubbly sparkling wines are available by the glass or in two-ounce tasting flights, and it will cost you only 20 bucks a pop for full bottles of Helderberg, Steen from South Africa, Château de Lavernette, Beaujolais-Villages from Burgundy, and Colosi from Sicily. Which is worth smiling about. 129 South St., Boston, MA winebar.com.
Khao Sarn Cuisine
Unlike the now-ubiquitous Asian fusion restaurants it resembles, this Coolidge Corner newcomer serves food that is authentically exotic. Fortunately, the knowledgeable waitresses excel at coaching diners who might otherwise steer past the Northern Thai specialties and play it safe with spring rolls and pad Thai. The miang kum appetizer (roll-your-own packets of baby spinach leaves filled with bits of lime, coconut, peanuts, fresh ginger, onion, and dried shrimp) reveals a different texture and flavor combination with every bite. The haw moak (chicken or salmon seasoned with red curry and coconut milk and steamed in a banana leaf) brings a hint of heat, but not too much. Spicy dishes—and there are many here—are rated on a scale of one to three chile peppers, and the kitchen doesn't sacrifice subtlety when adding fire. If you still manage to torch your taste buds, you've got an excuse to order the soothing mango sticky rice for dessert. 250 Harvard St., Brookline, MA khaosarnboston.com.
Wally's Café
Nowhere else in this town are you more apt to find pink Izods and gangsta colors in such proximity. This joint, nestled between the gentrified South End and Roxbury and opened in 1947 by Joseph "Wally" Walcott, is a classic treasure. And nowhere else in New England will you find finer jazz in a venue with more soul. Bands gather in the corner of the bar each night—from national acts to aspiring stars still studying at Berklee. The music is played loud enough that you can hear every seductive note, but not too loud for conversation. Don't like jazz? Check out an Afro-Cuban band. If you don't find yourself tapping your foot, it's time to check your pulse. 427 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA wallycafe.com.
Boston Children's Museum
The Boston Children's Museum has been mobbed since it unveiled its 23,000-square-foot expansion and accompanying renovation in April, so chances are good you'll arrive to find a long queue snaking from the door. Try to tough it out: Your reward is just inside, in the form of a corkscrew-shaped three-story contraption that the museum calls the New Balance Climb, and grateful parents might regard as the mother of all monkey bars. Even if your kids don't hit another exhibit, a scamper across, up, through, and under its twisting platforms will leave them too exhausted to do anything but go home and watch their SpongeBob DVDs until the clouds part. 300 Congress St., Boston, MA 2210, bostonchildrensmuseum.org.
East Coast Grill
To endorphin addicts, East Coast is the place to go for a dose of intensely spiced, pan-tropical dinners, but brunch fanatics know it offers something more: It's also home to a truly spectacular Sunday brunch. Be sure to eat light the night before: You'll want to save room for the soul-satisfying fresh fish tacos, avocado and black bean omelets, and (in case you need it) hangover hash. The bloody mary bar lets you make up your own glass, preferably loaded with fresh lime. Tabasco, fresh tomato juice, Absolut, and a zap of Worcestershire sauce. The rest is simple. Kick back to the room's low buzz in your spacious booth with a friend or two, and dig into plates of grilled fresh pineapple wedges and smooth-as-custard grits. It just doesn't get any better. 1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA eastcoastgrill.net.
Sky Salon
Elizabeth Smith to the rescue: When we rang needing immediate attention for our graying tresses, the stylist fit us in the next day—and matched our brunette locks perfectly, all while maintaining an intuitive balance of chattiness and quietude as we lounged on a couch, waiting for our color to develop. The best part? The salon’s gentle, ammonia-free dye meant we didn’t leave with a burning scalp after color correction—just glossy, shiny hair. skysalonlincoln.com.
Fresh
There's skin care, and then there's skin-care shtick. Thankfully, lab coats and "cosmeceuticals" have no place at Fresh, which keeps our lips pucker-ready and our skin smooth and smelling divine. With products that get rave reviews and staffers who never resort to let-me-rub-this-on-you pushiness, this place fulfills all our pampering needs, beautifully. 121 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, fresh.com.
Rinaldi's Park Square
One of the best things about Boston is its walkability. The downside, however, is our oft-abused footwear. So when the insoles of our beloved boots begin to wear and the heel caps of our oxfords start to disintegrate, we lug them to this small shop in the Park Square building, where they're consistently refurbished to good as new—just in time to hit the pavement again. 31 St. James Ave., Boston, MA .
Newbury Tailoring Company
When the tower of too-big thrift-store finds and too-long jeans in our closet threatens to topple, we head straight to Flavio Antonio Rivas and his affable team, who nip and tuck our pants and pencil skirts to perfection, taking the time to answer our questions about fit and fabrics. Add to that the host of modern conveniences offered (They're open past 5 o'clock and on Saturday! They take credit cards!), and Newbury Tailoring Company has this category all stitched up. 116 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, .
Michelle Lee, Salon Eva Michelle
When we showed Michelle Lee our hair inspiration—a shot of actress Kate Mara’s chic and shaggy shoulder-length bob—she nodded knowingly and got to work. As she snipped, she explained that razor-cutting the ends would create a perfectly imperfect base for her volumizing vertical layers. And she wasn’t kidding. On our way out, our tresses bounced with vigor, proving that you don’t need to be a superstar to look like one. 118 Newbury St., Boston, MA 2116, salonevamichelle.com.
AAA NE Electronic Services
Kind and gentle to your treasures. 870 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA .