It’s just a matter of time before Apple and Google spy planes make maps so high-tech we can zoom in to see what our pets do when no one’s watching (fingers crossed).
For now, there’s Inside Story, our video series in which cool people invite us into their personal living spaces. In today’s installment, fashion designer Rebecca Minkoff opens the door to her Manhattan loft.
Included in the tour: her ginormous closet, a massive collection of taupe booties, a close-up of her wedding invitation, and an introduction to her sweet baby, Luca (by far our favorite part).
Her hot-as-he-is-talented husband, Gavin Bellour, shot the video.
Now that’s what we call insider access.
For more information, go to rebeccaminkoff.com. For more Inside Story videos, check out dermatologist Sherry Shieh’s home beauty cabinet and designer Kaelen Haworth’s ridiculous apartment.
When it comes to meeting guys you wouldn’t mind introducing to Mom, bars don’t exactly have the best track record. So where’s a girl to go? In this edition of Ask the Office Guy, Dan’s got the answer.
Got a question for our office guy? E-mail him at theofficeguy@dailycandy.com.
Photo: Joe Shlabotnik / Flickr
It’s not every day you find yourself in the backseat of a glittery blue 1979 station wagon with a former child star-turned-amazing singer/songwriter at the wheel.
Lucky for us, Jenny Lewis is a good driver — even with a camera in her face while being asked about her new record with boyfriend/musician Johnathan Rice.
In today’s video (one of the duo’s first media appearances together), Jenny and Johnny — as they’re calling the act — tell us all about their album, I’m Having Fun Now (out August 31), from the front of their $900 ride. Even better, they agreed to give our readers (that means you!) an exclusive free download of their unreleased song “Big Wave.”
As you’ll see and hear, their chemistry is palpable. And we’re not just saying that because they manage to pull off jackets that have their names painted on the backs.
To preorder the album or buy tickets to their sure-to-be-sold-out nationwide tour, go to jennyandjohnnymusic.com. If you’re still craving more, check out our gallery of their five favorite things.
Up to 55% off Wren
Remember Wren? Our editors sure do. Join them in loading up on designer (and DailyCandy Sweetest Things winner) Melissa Coker’s patterned dresses, silky camis, and preppy blazers — available now at up to 55% off on our sample sale site.
It’s okay to dance like Elaine Benes — if you’re imitating her. But what moves should you bust? Is there one that guys find more attractive than others? Dan’s got the lowdown on getting down in this edition of Ask the Office Guy.
Got a question for our office guy? E-mail him at theofficeguy@dailycandy.com.
Photo: Fuyoh! / Flickr
Shockingly, South America is out of the World Cup. But it’s not out of the limelight.
Nuela, a South American restaurant and cevicheria, is soft opening next Monday in the Flatiron District after almost a year of delays — and we think it’s been well worth the wait.
For proof, check out today’s video featuring a simple and refreshing salmon ceviche recipe from chef Adam Schop. All you really need are a handful of Key limes, salt, apples, and onions (all the celery-based ingredients are optional). And, perhaps, the magical touch of a chef schooled in the cuisines of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Or you could just visit the restaurant, a 200-seat space dreamed up by fashion designer Angel Sanchez, where you can find dishes like smoked brisket arepas with plantains and black beans and pork and rock shrimp empanadas. With more than fifteen types of ceviche — mackeral, hamachi, tuna — it’s a great place to share.
So everyone comes out a winner.
Nuela, 43 West 24th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, Flatiron District (212-929-1200 or nuelany.com).
Up to 50% off Gustto
Graced with sophisticated hardware, designer Agathe Planchon’s lush leather bags are the perfect accessories for seizing the day (or night). Go for the Gustto — at up to 50% off — on our sample sale site.
If you get poked, should you poke back? If someone pokes you, does it mean he or she has a crush? Should you poke more often — or never? Dan gives his take on the mysterious Facebook function in today’s Ask the Office Guy.
Got a question for our office guy? E-mail him at theofficeguy@dailycandy.com.
Photo: Noodle93 / Flickr
Nothing cools the senses like crisp cukes. We made this recipe with low-fat sour cream, and it still tasted like something unhealthily delicious. Bingo.
For more easy-as-pie ideas, buy Reynolds’s book online at amazon.com or check out her blog.
What would an alfresco fete be without sweet, juicy melon? Adding tangy feta proves our theory that cheese makes even the best things better.
For more easy-as-pie ideas, buy Reynolds’s book online at amazon.com or check out her blog.
Who says you can’t drink in the park? Immerse figs and peaches in rum, and you’ll be, in Reynolds’s words, “all the wiser.” We like her style.
For more easy-as-pie ideas, buy Reynolds’s book online at amazon.com or check out her blog.
It may not be the prettiest finger food, but it’s a universal picnic-pleaser. We like to think of it as nonfried French fries that won’t get soggy in the sun.
For more easy-as-pie ideas, buy Reynolds’s book online at amazon.com or check out her blog.
Shiny forehead, freak grimace, bulging eyes — you’ve got an uncanny ability to ruin a photo. And thanks to Facebook tagging, the entire world can witness your awkward mugging until the end of time.
You could avoid cameras altogether. Or you could just watch today’s video, with its simple tips for looking great in pictures.
Our expert, Sardi Klein, longtime NYC photographer and professor at The School of Visual Arts and Pratt, has seen it all, from mothers of the bride who peer skyward to avoid double chins to businessmen whose phony smiles turn head shots into mug shots.
Follow her advice, and the next time someone tags you in a photo, you might just share instead of hide.
Is there something you want to learn to do? Submit ideas to easydoesit@dailycandy.com.
Let’s be friends — on Facebook.
Up to 55% off Coralia Leets
Jewelry designer Coralia Leets knows about staying power. Made of chunky stones and hammered metal, her necklaces and earrings are modern heirlooms. And since they’re up to 55% off on our sample site (with free shipping through July 5), they’re pretty and practical.
We love cats (especially when they ask, “I can has cheezburger?”). But not everyone feels the same way. So how many dates should you wait before you tell a guy you own, ahem, six purring fluff balls?
Got a question for our office guy? E-mail him at theofficeguy@dailycandy.com.
Photo: cloudzilla / Flickr
You’ve heard of triple-threat talents, but what do you call a supermodel mom who’s married to a rock god, co-owns a vintage store, and has a standout set of pipes? That’d be Karen Elson.
The impossibly porcelain-skinned, flame-haired cover girl released her debut album, The Ghost Who Walks, in late May. Naturally we wondered, Is she worth all the hype?
So when we found out she was in New York for a concert with Band of Horses and Grizzly Bear last weekend, we set out with camera in tow to see how she sounded without fancy audio equipment, backing vocals, and musical accompaniment.
The result is today’s video, in which Elson performs an acoustic version of her song “Cruel Summer” in a room at Ace Hotel. Ignore the sound of our jaw hitting the floor as her dark and mesmerizing Nashville-inspired voice fills the room.
For more information and to buy the album, go to karenelson.com. If you want to keep listening, check out our videos with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Josh Ritter, and Freelance Whales.
There’s a well-known positive correlation between number of hours worked and level of attraction among coworkers (the longer you type, the hotter they get). But should you act on the urge to take the relationship outside the office? In this Ask the Office Guy, Dan weighs in.
Got a question for our office guy? E-mail him at theofficeguy@dailycandy.com.
Photo: Sfdavidz/ Flickr
Tonight will probably be filled with bad decisions (that last glass of champers, for starters).
Ring in 2011 with at least a little dignity by avoiding the drunken late-night ponytail. You can stay classy all night long with the perfect messy bun, courtesy of NYC’s Fox & Boy salon (and one of our favorite how-to videos of the year).
Because even if you want to be a hot mess, your hair doesn’t have to be.
Not feeling the messy bun? Try out the around-the-head French braid, modern beehive, or pinned-up curls (for shorter hair).
If you’re like us, you left side ponytails the same place you left The Baby-Sitters Club and Debbie Gibson: the ’80s. Modernize the asymmetrical style in seven steps, with help from Heather Olexa of Fox & Boy in Manhattan.
Is there something you want to learn to do? Submit ideas to easydoesit@dailycandy.com.
In this Ask the Office Guy, Dan dissects the common belief that men prefer Bettys over Veronicas.
Got a question for our office guy? E-mail him at theofficeguy@dailycandy.com.
It sounds like the beginning of a bad Jeff Foxworthy bit: What do you get when you put three handsome Southern boys in an old trailer home on a dirty corner lot?
But Goods, a Williamsburg restaurant where all the food is prepared in a shiny, refurbished 1946 Spartan trailer, is no joke (and the 3rd Ward guys behind it are mighty clever). Chef Alex McCrery, the star of our video, turns out tasty, south of the M-D line fare that’s almost all locally sourced or made in-house.
Starting today, he’s serving breakfast (egg, bacon, and cheese biscuits; beignets) and lunch/dinner (hot dogs, burgers, fish and chips) from the window. Ten days from now, you’ll be able to eat in the adjacent garden, a complete overhaul of the lot that’s been vacant for years.
And with everything priced at less than $11, we predict it will become your go-to in B’burg. That is, if you’re smarter than a fifth grader.
Goods, 571 Lorimer Street, at Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg (347-763-1622 or goodsfood.com).

Up to 50% off E.vil Tees
E.vil takes basics up a notch with sparkly details and cheeky phrases. Pick up the label’s sweet-meets-badass tees while they’re up to 50% off on our sample sale site.
It’s the ultimate temptation: You open up Gmail and see that your significant other forgot to sign out of his account. So you give in. But should you confess? In this video, Dan gives his two cents.
Got a question for our office guy? E-mail him at theofficeguy@dailycandy.com.
Photo: Guillermo Esteves / Flickr