Felix Doolittle

Throw out your toaster oven: Fu's illustrated papers warm hearts faster

Perhaps, in the thick of sending internets all day with unblinking rapidity, we've lost something significant found only within the realm of the handwritten, the hand-drawn. How else to explain the instinctual gravitation toward the cheeky, detailed, simple-but-witty drawings festooned on creamy paper goods from Felix Doolittle? From note cards and invitations to labels and bookplates (how, exactly, have you been living without bookplates?), the illustrated series oozes with colorful charm without a drop of saccharine.

Smells like Tom of Finland

Homoerotica in a bottle at Motley

"Most leather guys won't wear a scent," says Doug Palardy, owner of Motley, with a smile. "You go to a leather bar, and it smells like ... armpit. The guys just want to smell like guys." As savory and sticky as that sounds, this hypersexual gang is precisely the niche market (or at least in spirit) that a new fragrance, exclusive to Motley in the US until an official launch in June, aims to tap.

Moroccan Moisture

Fair-trade Argan oil arrives at Kiehl's for great justice

Every day can reek of Earth Day with Kiehl's recently launched Superbly Restorative collection. These Argan oil-based skin savers are hydrating godsends and are 100 percent fairly traded, come in PRC (post-consumer recycled) packaging and are perfect if you don't like wearing perfume but still want to smell good enough to be, well, smelled. Available in three forms of slathering (lotion, oil, salve), there is a moisturizer consistency for everyone.

Shake the Tree

Goodies staple replants in North End

Two weeks ago, Marian Klausner moved her store Shake the Tree literally down the block from 95 to 67 Salem Street. The motivation for the relocation appears absent of any drama or massive reinvention. "Honestly, we got a really great long lease," admits Klausner. "The North End is really hopping; I love the energy down here. Business is great—we wanted to stay [with] long-term security."

Chic Nautic

French apparel ships up to Boston

Nautical themed clothing has been huge in high-end fashion for years, but Chic Nautic, a new online store offering authentic French maritime designs, transcends the mainstream. "It's more about spirit than trendiness," says Vincent Geffray, who launched the site (back in December) with his wife, Elisabeth. "It's a way of life."

The classic sailor stripes that we all know today originated from Geffray's home of Brittany, France. Geffray moved from Brittany to Boston in 2001.

Brix on Broad

Message in the bottles

It's like stepping into a glowing, inviting, extremely organized library; running your fingers along dark wooden shelves, examining the many titles on display, coming upon the one that makes your heart race—yet you're surrounded not by books, but by a dizzying matrix of wine bottles.

Heavy metal

Bicoastal jewelry rocks out at Topaz

Perched along Mass. Ave. halfway between Harvard and Porter Squares, Topaz seems like a diamond (or perhaps some other gem?) in the rough. In this haven of precious things, you'll soon find your bearing—but if you're still unsure, titles scattered about like Boyfriend-training Flash Cards, Girls' Guide to Wine and 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways in North America will set things straight. Nevertheless, the goods at Topaz prove more remarkable than merely girly.

Scrubya

Suds for your Bush

Finding herself weeping after every episode of the Daily Show post-November 2004, Cambridge-based filmmaker Kavita Pillay knew that something had to be done in this time of need to combat the chaos that President George W. Bush was unleashing onto the world.

40 South Street

Back to the future with a revamped spot for vintage

For those who dig and dig for the best in vintage, there was not a more hidden gem than Gumshoe. For the longest time, Otto Johnson would run his shop, near Jamaica Pond, just on weekends, cash only. It was the kind of spot people would prioritize their schedule to visit. This month, Gumshoe expands to become 40 South Street, a shop that caters not only to men, but now to women, thanks to former Honeyspot maven and Punk Rock Aerobics co-founder Hilken Mancini.