Elena's
November Picks

New Balance 327. Check out the jumbo treads on these retro-style kicks by Boston’s beloved brand New Balance. They’re modern, with a little graphic punch. Whoever designed these gets major props for style, comfort, and unique design.

Maxasorb D3 Cream. Get 2000 IUs of vitamin D3 in every two pumps of cream. Many sufferers of psoriasis swear by adding a D3 cream to their regimen to keep flare-ups at bay.  

Taza Chocolate. Maybe I’m biased because Taza Chocolate is a Massachusetts-born brand, or maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for cool graphic packaging, but Taza is a personal favorite. The bite is super satisfying, but the gritty texture is what I love the most. Their dark chocolate comes in an array of different percentages.

Curio Spice Company’s Aegean Salt. This is another awesome Massachusetts brand with gorgeous packaging and quality product to boot.  I leave this adorable vintage tin of Aegean Salt with thyme, lemon peel, cypress sea salt, and mastic on my countertop, and use in any dish I can. Sometimes I simply pour a small amount into a tiny dish and dip cherry tomatoes or cucumber slices right into it. 

Ninth Street Women.  by Mary Gabriel. As a former art student, I was always drawn to the struggles women artists faced from many of the ego-driven male artists of their time. This book describes how Joan Mitchell, one of my all-time favorite painters, along with her colleagues Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, and Grace Hartigan, inspired future generations of painters by breaking away from the male-dominated art scene of the 1950s.