Girl meets boy.  Girl marries boy.  Boy is Hoover (as in vacuum) heir. Girl writes book. Girl is from Nashville and will be in Nashville for her book signing in a few weeks.  OK, so here's the story.  Former Nashvillian Tatiana Boncompagni has a new book called Gilding Lily (Avon Books) coming out on Sept. 1.

If you're an online shopper (such as myself), and you're busy (aren't we all?), then you need a little help when you can get it.  Instead of spending hours online scoping out wardrobe deals, let shopittome.com do the dirty work.  Sign up for an account (it's free!), select the type of clothing you're on the lookout for (men's, women's, children's), choose which brands you like, and you're finished.  You'll begin receiving emails (you determine how often) that spotlight current sales and the hottest deals for the items that you're interested in.  Time saved, fashion prese

OK, going out on a limb here.  Don't fail me, ladies.  I know a lot of us have what my friend calls a “Fu Manchu,” aka a little peach fuzz on the top lip.  Some more than others, but hey, that's how we're made.  Deal with it.  Or wax that business right off, right?  That's what I'm sayin'.  Anyway, aforementioned friend always waxes hers, and I had always used the Sally Hansen cream.  Until recently, that is, when I discovered Sally's new line of  honey wax naturals.  I picked up a box of the Naturally Bare Honey Wax Hair Remover

Nothing says "I care" like a "Bravery"-print Ann Veronica tote.  For the un-ordained Ann Veronica folk, the company is based in Port Elizabeth, Maine, and the product line showcases the true artisanship of hand-crafted textiles.  While Ann's line of bags run the gamut of both patterns and styles, the thick canvas Bravery handbag shows support and optimism in the ongoing, widespread battle against breast cancer. 

Pets.  They are full-on, whole-hearted, great-to-love family members ... like children without the diapers and backtalk.  Some people carry their dogs around in their purses, other people let their cats share their dinner.  Whatever your thing is, everyone can agree that pet portraits are sweet. Grab a professional shot at the Beveled Edge 25th Anniversary Pet Portrait Day on Saturday, Aug.

Nothing ruins a fun night out with the girls like a DUI. A night in jail? No thanks! Safety comes first with Drive James, a new driving service offering safe, pre-screened, background-checked drivers to take you wherever you want to go ... bachelorette parties, Chippendales, anywhere ... all in the comfort of your own car. And, if you start out with sober intentions but fail to maintain them, James will come pick you up, too!  Get your own James for a fraction of the cost of a limo at drivejames.com or call 730-9688.

I had lunch with a business gal this afternoon.  We dined at Bronte's in Davis Kidd.  A Bronte's virgin, I decided I'd stay away from the could-go-either-way type dishes ... chicken salad, tuna salad, other salads ... and go with a standard, hard-to-screw-up type meal instead.  The Barefoot Contessa Mozzarella Panini.  Despite the fact that a panini it wasn't, it had the key ingredient that I hold near: fresh mozzarella.  Nothing beats the smooth, slightly rubbery texture of a slice of fresh mozz.  Coupled with the fresh (salmonella-free) tomatoes and pesto?

Nothing screams all-American like hotdogs and french fries. Precisely why some co-workers and I kicked off the July 4th weekend a day early with lunch at Hot Diggity Dogs (www.hotdiggitydogstn.com). For the uninitiated, HDD is the popular weenie shack on Ewing street just off Lafayette and Eighth downtown. The menu is packed with weenies made every way possible - top 'em with chili and cheese?

I've been toting around a gift card for the past eight months - $100 to use at Blue River Canyon (BRC) Day Spa in Brentwood. Never one to pay for self-indulgence, I've been hanging on to this golden ticket for the perfect occasion. Being that we just put out a brand new magazine last week, I decided it was time to pop the cork on the Canyon and head down for a massage. I was a BRC virgin, but Kitty, massage therapist extraordinaire, de-virginized me with what was the best, most stress-relieving, incredibly relaxing massage this mamacita's ever had.

Favorite things are not only guilty pleasures, but often they're solutions to problems that we didn't realize were affecting us. For instance, clear deodorant may have slowed the issue of white stains on black shirts, but deodorant stains are not extinct by any means. Enter Tuckinz. When wearing a tank top, the re-usable, washable flaps tuck into your shirt under your arms and protect your clothing from glide-on, roll-on, whatever. Now, put on your deodorant and let it dry while you do your hair, makeup, etc.