If you live in or near Mercer County there’s a good chance somebody in your family bought a major appliance from Mrs. G. Your kids, if they stay in the neighborhood, will probably be shopping there too. 

Bev Beveridge of Eatontown is not your typical fashion designer. She’s a mom who launched her career on an idea: swimsuits from Peru could be the next big thing. Bev and a friend who was Peruvian decided this a few years back as they sat on the beach at the Jersey Shore.

We predict in a few months you or your kids will want a handbag made out of Capri Sun juice bags. How do we know this? Because we saw hundreds of them being assembled at TerraCycle, the upstart Trenton company that finds creative uses for the things we know as garbage.  

To some of us ice cream is, well, so over. Gelato is the new ice of choice — tastier, smoother, creamier. And we like to think it’s better for us, because it is lower in butterfat.

If you still haven’t made your plans for Easter Sunday, consider a brunch down the Shore. More great restaurants are putting an emphasis on brunch, and we came up with some offerings to satisfy your appetite and help you celebrate in style.

From London to Newark, they will be dancing all night at NJPAC, which brought to New Jersey the 50th Anniversary London production of My Fair Lady, with original British cast members Christopher Cazenove and Lisa O’Hare — Professor Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. Through Sunday, www.njpac.org for show times and tickets.

Architect Stephen W. Schwartz wants to build you a downtown.

When the special events planners hold a special event for themselves, you know it’s going to be special!

Armand Cucciniello of East Hanover is a witness to history. The 28-year-old Seton Hall prep graduate is a press officer at the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, working for the State Department.

We can think of nothing more important than helping kids beat cancer. And we can think of few things more fun than a good meal. So…do good and eat well Monday night, when the state chapter of the International Special Events Society sponsors Dining Spaces 2008 to benefit the Valerie Fund. New Jersey’s top event planners, event designers, florists and caterers will be at the Pines Manor in Edison for this benefit. You can be there too, if you register at www.njises.org.

We’ve given you plenty of ideas. Now it’s time for you to give us yours. And you have: restaurants that keep you going back for more.

Are you happily addicted to the on-line designer sites? But tired of the same old stuff on the racks at places like www.bluefly.com or www.net-a-porter.com? Today, we bring you a new world of on-line shopping, for members only.

The girls of Clifton had a party on Friday.

The occasion was a celebration of being a girl; all shapes and sizes were welcome. The party at the Boys & Girls Club of Clifton was thrown by Unilever.

Think “psychic,” and you imagine somebody in a polka dot schmatta with a crystal ball, calling up the spirits. That’ll be $29.99 for the first ten minutes, please. Credit cards accepted.

February is not even over, but we already feel a wee bit of Irish spring in the air.

Here are some restaurants where our food editor Rosalie Saferstein has dined recently and recommends that you try:

Bob Foley of Morristown is known as “Bamboo Bob.” Visit his home — or his homepage, www.idigbamboo.com, and you’ll know instantly the reason.

Until recently, we were satisfied with our traditional cupcake. A light cake capped with a sugary hat of frosting. Decorated with nothing, or some sprinkles. Happily devoured in several quick bites.

The new Boss of Asbury Park has four legs. And he couldn’t be more eager to show them off, striding through the rapidly improving downtown shopping district, eyes bright with excitement.

Cuba has been in the news this week, and one way to begin understanding what is happening there is to see what Cuban artists have to say. Go look at the Hunterdon Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Cuba! Artists Experience Their Country.” The show includes painting, photography, drawing, multimedia and sculpture. Through March 30 at the museum in Clinton; more at www.hunterdonartmuseum.org.

Nothing takes the gray chill out of a February day like a steaming plate of comfort food. That cheesy, buttery, carb-laden platter of something that makes you feel warm, secure, and very full.

Wendi Browne gives her clients Shiatsu, Swedish, and the other standard massages at her Hibiscus Therapy Center in Montclair  But this masseuse, who retired from the U.S. Army, has one interesting technique that sets her apart.

Franco DiGangi has been cutting hair for 50 years in Caldwell. 

There’s one exhibit at the Liberty Science Center that will make grown up visitors take notice.

There may be snow on the ground but spring is in the air: Today pitchers and catchers report to training camps, and the New Jersey Flower and Garden Show opens.

Looking for a new place to dine? This week our food editor Rosalie Saferstein tells us about the recently opened Tabor Road Tavern in Parsippany.

It’s not too late to order a batch of Sonya Newton’s Red Velvet Cupcakes for your Valentine.

It really was nine o’clock on a Saturday when the regular crowd shuffled in. We were at the new Piano’s Bar and Grill, in Bloomfield for an evening of drink, food and song.

On Valentine’s Day, show your better half that you really care, with a great gift from some of the state’s finest establishments. Or maybe just treat yourself. 

They say chocolate warms your heart, and heats up your passion. There are plenty of places to fuel up for free on this pre-Valentine’s Day weekend!

Our food editor Rosalie Saferstein recently had a memorable dinner at the newly opened Stone House at Stirling Ridge, in Warren. Here’s her report.

An event on your Main Street may not make the top story on WWOR’s 10 p.m. newscast, or the front page of the Star Ledger. But in some places, the news you really can use comes from independent websites and blogs that cover your hometown like a blanket.

My Flat In London handbags are not for all women. They are for women who want to feel like girly-girls. Or even Jersey girly-girls.

Super Bowl Sunday is great no matter what. If you love football, you got it made. If you don’t, stores and restaurants will be empty and waiting to take good care of you.

Looking for a restaurant to take your loved one? This week our food editor Rosalie Saferstein tells you where to have a romantic rendezvous for Valentine’s Day.

Before iTunes and MP3 players, digital sound and electronic keyboards, there were hand-tooled instruments capable of sounds that rocked the house. Literally.

This could be the ultimate wedding gift for your other half! A set of photos of your beautiful self, in your barest and best lingerie.

For decades, Dad has had his poker night out with the boys. And now, over the last couple of years, Mom has been having her Bunco night out with the girls.

The King would have turned 73 this January. His fans need only turn to Red Bank’s Count Basie Theater for The Elvis Birthday Bash, Friday at 8 p.m. Elvis impersonators will pay tribute to the man and his legend, and there will be prizes for the best Elvis costume in the audience. 

Everyone knows where the CEOs eat in the city. The Four Seasons, Smith & Wollensky, Oceana, Per Se… But where do they eat in New Jersey?  Here’s a hint: they eat where they live.

Want to make this a Valentine’s Day to remember? Check out some of New Jersey’s better bed & breakfasts — no, they’re not all  in Cape May — and enjoy a weekend retreat, just the two of you, with a little help from us.

A funny thing happened when Willie — a romping, wriggling bundle of pure Maltese energy — slipped  into his Puppy Purse and was hoisted beneath his owner’s arm.

If you are of a certain age, and hung out with a certain clique in high school, you might remember a rock group you have most likely not thought about for years: Grand Funk Railroad.

So many restaurants, such little time. This week our food editor Rosie Saferstein tells you about a few restaurants that she never got to in 2007 and are on her “must try” list for 2008.

New Jersey may be the most misunderstood state in the nation. Certainly the most maligned. But those of us who know our home state can see the beauty in everyday settings.

You might not think of hitting the Jersey Shore in the dead of January, but this might be exactly the right time to spend a day in your favorite resort.

Adrienne Richardson was pregnant with her first child when she was laid off from her job as a publicist in Philadelphia. It was right before Christmas, 2005. But the sudden unemployment turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to her.

Recently our food editor Rosalie Saferstein participated in a cooking class, “Date Night: In The City,” at Viking Culinary Center (www.VikingCookingSchool.com) in Fairfield, operated by the makers of the high-end kitchen equipment. Here are her thoughts.

The fur was flying in Iselin last weekend. Hundreds of cats from throughout the Northeast made the pilgrimage to the Central Jersey Cat Fanciers Cat Show (www.ticama.org/).

Travel is stressful. This time of year, especially so. But if you’re grounded at Newark Liberty International Airport  you’ll find plenty of ways to kill a few hours — and, shockingly, you might actually enjoy your terminal time.

…and the xylophone, and shake the maracas, and scratch the güiro.