The smell of a beautiful woman as her scent lingers in the air...jasmine, rose, sandalwood, topped by notes of the ylang ylang flower. This is what Earnest Beaux smelled when he created Chanel No. 5 in 1921. A forerunner in the field of mass-marketed perfumes, Coco is no longer one of only a few options. With over hundreds of brands today perfume has become like wine, available in such variety that you need to be an expert to distinguish them. Average women in this study (at a median age of 30.7) seem to follow this brand mania, preferring a set of perfumes to fit mood and occasion. Youthful experimentation is truly is a product of the 21st century.

This does not mean that Chanel, YSL, and other couture fragrances blend into the masses. Every 55 seconds a bottle of Chanel No. 5 is sold and continues to be one of the top grossing perfumes in the world. There is timelessness in their characters. Their musky blend has a history synonymous with luxury. Worn by French and English nobility as early as the 14th century Eau de Parfum became so desirable that ladies like Catherine de' Medici had a personal perfumer and perfumery. So secretive did the formulas become that her perfumer had an apartment connected to hers through secret underground tunnels. While few may go to the extent of hiding their recipe, personalizing your scent still has its niche. Bond No. 9 and Le Labo are just a few perfumeries that continue this luxury service.

Only issue with my silver space age boots from Kenneth Cole were the scuffs marks on the toe. Determined to wear them I scoured the internet for home remedies. One site suggested white toothpaste. That failed. Another suggested acetone, the main ingredient in nail polish remover. Anything that has the power to remove acrylic I was wary of trying but it seemed to have enthusiastic support on forums. So taking a q-tip I applied a small amount to the effected area and scrubbed. It worked! My moon boots look as good as new.

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl cream butter and sugar until light and frothy; add egg yolk to this mixture. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Once mixture starts to look like crumbles add small amounts of milk. Using your hand gather the batter together to form a ball, adding small amounts of milk as you go to make it adhere. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

When firm from refrigeration make 1 inch balls from the dough and place them on greased pan about an inch apart. Using your thumb (this is where the "Thumb Print" in the recipe's name comes from) create a crevice by pushing down at the center of the ball. Fill with strawberry or another fruit jam. Bake for 15 minutes at 350F. Voile!

• 1 1/2 cup (10 oz) flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup (6oz) sugar
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl cream butter and sugar until light, adding eggs individually and whipping well. Mash the bananas (you want just ripe bananas, none of this overripe nonsense which produces soggy cakes) to the desired consistency. In this case I prefer them to be slightly chunky, although they are dissolved in the batter when baking.

Grease a glass dish or other baking pan and bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until testing utensil comes out clean.

Kitchen: $99.36

Utensils: $27.93

• Ikea Mug $2.99
• Small Plate $2.49 (2)
• Bowl $2.99 (2)
• Cutlery Set $9.99
• Knife Set $3.99

Pots and Pans: 41.95

• Frying Pan $12.99
• Saucepan with lid $8.99
• Saucepan with lid $9.99
• Glass dish $4.99
• Serving Bowl $4.99

Miscellaneous: $29.48

• Dish towels $2.49
• Tupperware $1.99
• Brita Water Filter $25

Bedroom: $47.97

• 5 headed lamp $18.99
• Pillow $13.99
• Box Fan 14.99

Decor: $18.98

• Curtains 14.99
• Tealights $3.99

Cleaning: $17.97

• Swiffer Sweeper $7.99
• Swiffer Refills $6.99
• Paper Towels $2.99

Prices based upon 2010 school promotions

It is easy to see where most of my expenses and effort are concentrated by looking at my purchases.

A buffet served by weight (por kilo) is the most common way to experience regional cuisine, in my case the cuisine of Sao Paulo state. Besides the staple rice, beans, and farofa, one is sure to find mayonnaise-based salads, beets, fried bananas, mandioca, palmito, roasted meats (carne assado), and bottles of local spring water or guarana soda. Pictured below is a buffet at a roadside park and petting zoo near Sao Sabestaio that served roasted pig, fish, and beef. A little disconcerting to see the pig in its holistic state.

There are few aspects of the Brazilian culinary experience that I dislike and many more that I wish to integrate into my cooking repertoire. Of these there are a few that I can not replicate due to the restraints of products or equipment necessary to concoct them.

Chopp

This has to be one of my favorite beers. Arriving in the country with the Portuguese Royal Family, it was consumption was originally limited to the court. It was not until massive European immigration in the early 19th century that the beverage received widespread notoriety.

There are two types of this unpasturized draft beer served under high pressure, obscuro (dark lager) and claro (a light lager). The pints pictured below display chopp obscuro, a dark brown beer with a low alcohol content of 5%. The large head in the image does not represent the correct proportions, as this was just poured (in truth it represents 15% of the pint). Children as said to love when their parents pass over this sub-zero, normally kept between -4 and -8 degrees celsius, beverage.

Pastel

If there is a fryer you're sure to find pasteis. Derived from the Chinese spring roll, these cheese filled snacks are a favorite on the street, in bars, and restaurants. Although the origin of these pastries may be Chinese, it was Japanese immigrants after World War II that appropriated and sold them in bakeries.

Observing the preparation at a street market, the thin rectangular dough is cut by 6 inch increments, condiments are placed inside, and the dough is fold in half and crimped at the ends. It is then gently laid in a vat of hot oil for 30 seconds on each side. The resultant pastry contains pockets of air and is light and flaky. Just be careful on that first bite when all the steam and boiling cheese comes oozing out.

Fruit Juice (Sucos)

As the world's largest citrus producer, Brazil is full of fruits. Every bakery, seaside kiosk, bar, and restaurant offers freshly squeezed or blended sucos. Among my favorites are coconut, abacaxi com hortela (pineapple with mint), orange, and maracuja (passion fruit). That's not to say I don't also like papaya, melon, lemon, or mango.

Cafe Completo

Whether eaten for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or even dinner cafe completo is one of the most satisfying 'meals' offered. Consisting of espresso, toasted baguettes with jam, butter, or cheese, and cake or cookies the communal nature of this menu item follows with Brazilian sociability. I found that besides Brazil most South American cafes offer this delicacy.

The day we visited the complex it was damp, overcast, and generally undesirable for outdoor activity. Regardless of the conditions, the display of modern architecture was very impressive. The Ibirapuera Auditorium and Oca, both designed by Oscar Niemeyer, present gargantuan facades faced with white painted concrete. Then there was the Biennal Pavilion, a long arcade that encircles the architectural setting.

The Museum of Modern Art contained the most thought provoking set of exhibits of artists from across the world. There are two rooms, one arranged in a traditional wall display around the circumference and the other as an open floor plan with pieces scattered throughout. My particular favorite was Danish team Superflex's Flooded McDonald's, a video featuring the restaurant being flooded as civilization comes to an end.

Expoe exemplares do mobiliario dos seculos XVII ao XXI, enquanto, paralelamente, abre espaco para mostras temporarias do que se produz na atualidade em objetos e design pelos quatro cantos do Brasil e do mundo.

Displaying examples of furniture from the 17th to 21st century, while, in parallel, opens space for temporary shows that are produced in actuality in objects and design by the four quarters of Brazil and the world.

When we visited, half of the museum was under renovation. So although we were able to view the armarios, duvets, bed frames, and chairs, there was few objects of modern design. The one exhibit that did was entitled "100 years of Brazilian design" and was accompanied a coffee table sized book documenting the history of Brazilian designers from the last century. My one qualm with the space was both the size dedicated to it, far too small for any larger group...like a school group, and its lack of cohesion, chairs 100 years of age were next to those not a few years old.

Yet again the reason I enjoyed this museum was not for its contents but because of the experience in the building. There is a small cafe in the complex which serves a wonderful cafe completo and modern ambiance with a touch of the antique.

Designed by Tommaso Guadenzio Bezzi in 1884, the edifice and its gardens were modeled after the Renaissance palaces such as of Versailles.

O Museu Paulista foi inaugurado em 7 de setembro de 1895 como museu de Historia Natural e marco representativo da Independencia, da Historia do Brasil e Paulista.

The Paulista Museum was inaugurated on the 7th of September, 1895 as the museum of Natural History and representative mark of Independence, of the History of Brazil and Sao Paulo.

The core of the collection comes from Colonial Joaquim Sertorio, the donator who begin the acquisition of now 125 million objects. You would not be able to tell this entering the museum, as many of the rooms contain displays void of real content. For example, there was a display case dedicated to home entertainment which contained a child's ceramic tea set and cardboard cutouts of a family and another with shards of teaware. Seeing this we jokingly remarked that families who had been in Brazil for more than two generations had a better display of colonial home decor.

We concluded that the content of the museum was not as engaging as the complex itself. With its Portuguese aesthetic for vibrantly colored facades and multistoried solid geometric architecture the display provided plenty to view. The most intriguing aspect was the shields of arms and the pediment on the facade, both of which contained no design. The shield resembled the Portuguese coat of arms except the initials of the reigning king were missing, no coincidence for a country with a history of imperial government (Dom Pedro I declared independence but gained the formal title Emperor of Brazil).

A missao do MASP e "Incentivar, divulgar e amparar, por todos os meios ao seu alcance, as artes de um modo geral e, em especial, as artes visuais, visando o desenvolvimento e o aprimoramento cultural do povo brasileiro.

The content of the museum are truly as diverse as its website states, containing Western photography, painting, drawing, sculpture and decorative arts across a broad spectrum of time. This also seems to be the main issue with the space, as there is no unity in the exhibitions, marble Greek statues are placed in direct proximity to Flemish lithographs without an apparent reason. It seems that the approach is to give the viewer a breath of knowledge about Western art without depth of knowledge.