It's Dad's special day coming up this Sunday, so we thought we'd focus on a few things for the grillmeister in him, and leave the ties 'til Xmas.  Cuisinart, one of our favorite brands for all things kitchen-appliance-y, has some fab accessories and products for the outdoor chef, starting with the 14-piece Deluxe Grill Set (for a sum that won't break the bank, $39.95). It's made from durable stainless and includes the vital tongs, basting and cleaning brushes, a spatula, and even (cleverly) four pairs of corn holders.  There is also an extra cleaning brush, a good idea, since we all know how disgusting the grills can get. Comes packaged elegantly in a sturdy aluminum case--very sleek, very James Bond, minus the car, sorry to say. But, what it does come with--a little something even Q wouldn't mind having--is an added goodie:  The smart marketers at Cuisinart and Omaha Steaks have tucked a lovely $20 Omaha Steak Gift Reward Card into the package....not bad.

A few years ago there were Chanel  rainboots-white rubberized jobs with 60-point, ebony, intertwined CC logos on the heels-and then there were Chanel snowboots-also appropriately labeled for the uninformed to quickly acknowledge that the weatherproof footgear was Chanel footwear, not just mukluks gone fashionista.  Then there were the Chanel snowboards.  (Could you resist?)  And now there are the Chanel skis, tagged at $4,055.

If last night's rain didn't cool you off enough, you'll be able to lower your internal thermostat and escape the pervasiveness of the week's heat tonight, and any Thursday this summer, at the Okeanos Club Spa at 211 E. 52nd St.  (212-223-6773).  For the rest of the summer, through the end of August, Thursday nights are free jazz nights.  The spa/club has a small lounge area where clients can relax between treatments and enjoy complimentary Baltika Russian Beer (the top-seller in the Motherland) and "fashionable" Zyr vodka -- although we suspect that ANY vodka is a top-seller in the Motherland, this one is a very trendy one here in the States. Petrossian is even supplying free hors d'oeuvres, although we rather doubt that they will be springing for the Royal Special Reserve Persicus that is $9,800 for 1,000 grams.

With a birthday of national importance upon us, today seems like the perfect day to check out early. “Gone Fishing,” a notion we like very much, works for us. But at the moment, we mean “fishing” in a different fashion. Our hook is from MacDaddy’s Fishing Lures and it’s wrought from solid platinum (30 times more rare than gold, thank you very much) and accented with a pink ribbon crafted from rosy sapphires. It’s an alluring little trinket, at a price that is also a bit of a lure (just a tad under $5,000) for those with some loose change in their pockets…and 10% of the sale proceeds goes to charities dedicated to cancer prevention and recovery.  Forget about trying to catch flounder with it.  Just wear it around your neck.  Available at www.macdaddysfishinglures.com and at fine jewelry stores nationwide.

A few years ago, Tokens and Coins hit upon a wonderful idea, particularly for nostalgic baby boomers: jewelry and gewgaws made from old typewriter keys. As you might guess, those “margin release” and “back space” keys struck a responsive note, and since then, Tokens and Coins has greatly expanded its line to include salvaged goodies from old Scrabble sets, watch movements, Monopoly trinkets, memorabilia from subways and from baseball parks, you-name-it. Among the best sellers are cufflinks made from old fountain-pen nibs (gold-plated sterling silver), Scrabble cufflinks, and assorted key rings. We think the coolest key rings are the ones that say "Floating Shift" -- and we’re sure that all these items are things that Dad will go for.  Prices range from under $50 to a few hundred dollars.

Dad has given us so much of his time over the years, so for Father’s Day, why not give some time back to him? We think that this desk clock from the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the perfect way to capture time and share it with dear ol' pop. It’s adapted from a 1905 art glass window by Frank Lloyd Wright, which was created for the living room of the W.A. Glassner House in Glencoe, Illinois. The $65 clock is constructed from a mineral glass panel and a solid wood base with a light cherry stain. (Measures 6 1/4" in height, 6 1/4" in width, and 2" in depth.) Available at the Metropolitan Museum of Art bookstores (800-662-3397) or online (www.metmuseum.org/store). Watch as tempus fugit with this gift!

SOFA New York is a wondrous annual show of fine craft art; the acronym stands for Sculptural Objects and Functional Art, and if you've never been to SOFA, you must head over to the Park Avenue Armory (on Park at 67th St.), Friday through Sunday (June 1st through the 3rd) of this week. There will be nearly 60 international galleries displaying some of the most amazing, refreshing, beguiling work: jewelry, fiber art, glass, wood, ceramics, paper, and who knows what else. This is a serious show for collectors, it’s true, but it’s also a show for browsers who want to be educated, the curious who want to see outstanding, exciting art, and for shoppers, too. (There are many price tags that are very friendly to a pocketbook that isn’t bulging.) WE have never been disappointed by this show: It’s awe-inspiring and actually thrilling to see just what creative minds and hands can do with paper or yarn or molten silica.

Twelve more shopping days 'til Mom’s special day. Have you made a list, checked it twice? Oh, dear, that’s the wrong holiday. But actually, it’s not, as we are eager to get you to write something...and to use that instrument as a jumping-off point for a gift for mom. Russell + Hazel has just come out with (they’re so new, you’ll be able to get them ONLY at the Web site, www.russellandhazel.com, but soon, they’ll be in stores) the world’s most magnificent pencils. Sleek matte black, they’re crowned with a brilliant, luminous Swarovksi crystal. Oh, O.K., we know: “Hasn’t’ the world seen enough Swarovski crystals?” you’re sneering. But no, it's never enough…and you’ve not seen them like this, anyhow. Besides, we really love sparkly things (we wouldn’t turn down a tiara, you know) and we’re sure your mom will just adore these sparkly things, too. Big deal -- so you can’t get her the Kohinoor Diamond, or the Hope, but get her a basket of these beauties. And, by the way, they’re not that cheap, either; she won’t think you chintzed on her gift. Three pencils are a mighty $20, but they are ever so worth it. They come in three different colorways -- the orange-y/red group is nice, we think, but the celery/light blue group is even nicer, and then there’s the orchid/pink group that is just splendid. Oh, they also come in gold!

Now that the Scots have hightailed it out of Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall (Tartan Week, if you remember), a very insightful and moving photography exhibit will be opening there starting Monday the 16th. There will be a three-day window to see Fight HIV Your Way, sponsored by Bristol-Myers Squibb. Over 50 photographs (accompanied by words from each photographer) are on view; these pictures are the winners from a competition -- selected from hundreds of submissions -- that invited people to photograph the things that inspire them to fight HIV on a daily basis. The results are very affecting. It’s on view through the 18th and admission is free; from 7:30am to 8:30pm. (After the NYC showing, the exhibit will travel to Washington, D. C., South Beach, Venice Beach, and San Francisco. Click here for more information.)

We love the “stuff” at Papyrus. All the beautiful gift bags, the clever cards, the gift-wrap accessories that we absolutely don’t need and yet fall for each and every time we see them. Every trip to one of the 17 Papyrus stores is always an exploration into soul-pleasing fun, albeit financially ruinous soul-pleasing fun. It’s not that the merch is pricey (it’s very well priced, in fact), but it’s just that we want it all. The stores are an outgrowth of the Marcel Schurman Company, known for years for its fine papers and party products. Today, Papyrus stores are merchandised so cleverly and festively, it’s hard not to want to bring everything home -- for whatever celebration we’re painting the town fuchsia.

So get there now for all your Easter needs. The little chickie baskets are darling, as are the bunny baskets ($19.95).  We loved all the shopping bags trimmed in marabou and we were salivating to light up the half-dozen “eggs” in the crate -- —they are actually sorbet-colored candles in “eggshells” ($14.95). If there is no store near you, check out the site: www.papyrusonline.com.
 

HARK! All ye MacKatzes, MacMartinellis, and MacKrakowskys: Brush up on your Scottish burr, get out your kilt, and pour a glass of velvety, single-malt Scotch -- an inch or two neat of The Glenlivet should do just perfectly…and why? Because it’s TARTAN WEEK! Starting tomorrow, and for one week, New Yorkers will once again embrace Scots for this yearly extravaganza of all things Scottish, exploring and celebrating the vibrancy of Scottish culture, both past and present. Sunday in Central Park, along with the bagpipers and the drummers, there’s the 10K run (what are those loony guys who run the marathon in their kilts REALLY wearing sub-Black Watch?); there will also be dancing, singing, and kid-friendly activities. All week, starting tomorrow, there’s more than a wee bit of Scottish retail at Grand Central’s Vanderbilt Hall, featuring tartan T-shirts (this is something we definitely want), gourmet items (we’ll skip the haggis, thank you very much), and cashmere, cashmere, cashmere. To get the entire list of all the lively and educational stuff planned for the entire week, log on to www.tartanweekny.com, and to learn about the kilt-frolicking, plaid-tickling fun you can have on April 5, on Wear a Kilt to Work Day, log on to www.wearakilt.com.

Some weeks ago, we wrote up, for New York magazine’s Best of New York issue, a piano tuner…and in doing our research, we felt a bit wistful for yesteryear, when we used to play the piano. Well, if you’ve ever wanted one yourself, this is your lucky week.

Every year, Lincoln Center enjoys, as a letter to our mailbox puts it, “the benefit of new Yamaha pianos made available for our use through an ongoing arrangement with the Yamaha Corporation of America and their agent Frank & Camille’s Keyboard Centers...At the end of the year, these pianos are made available for purchase to the public.”

Starting tomorrow, Thursday the 29th and continuing through Saturday the 31st, you can view the pianos Lincoln Center is now parting with. The selection will comprise not only those loaned to Lincoln Center but also those loaned to the New 42nd Street Studios, and includes Yamaha baby grands, concert grands, professional uprights, decorator vertical pianos (we have no clue whatsoever what those are, but could hazard a guess), and in addition there will be some “pre-owned” and “like new” pianos from Baldwin, Steinway, and others….

This is a must-go-to sale if you have ever wanted a piano.

The general sale, open to the public, is Sunday, April 1 from noon to 5pm.  For further information and to schedule a viewing appointment for the next three days, call 800-667-6960.  The location of the sale and viewing is New 42nd Street Studios, 229 W. 42nd St. btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.

Yesterday, we promised you several more "springy" items over the next few days, to at least acknowledge the arrival of prima vera and perhaps coax the gods into sending us more lovely weather. And, yes, today is warmer than yesterday -- and (hopefully) the thermometer will keep going in the right direction -- but we still have not seen the crocuses trying to push through the slush. However, one look at the work of Isabelle de Borchgrave and you’ll think "spring" and feel peppy and upbeat.

This gifted Belgian designer has created some amazing projects, all from paper (yes, she also designs in fabric and other materials), including floral kimonos for a Marshall Fields flower show, shop windows for Hermès and LVMH, and a collection of mind-blowing, life-size gowns and dresses, all modeled after the frocks of the legendary and much lauded Ventian designer, Mariano Fortuny.  Not coincidentally, these whimsical paper concoction-constructions are on display -- a visual feast, truly -- in the aptly named Fortuny Bar at the luxurious Hotel Cipriani in Venice.

So, what spring-like things can Isabelle supply you with?  Her chair covers and tablecloths, designed for Target, are so pretty (and they could not be any cheaper!), you’ll find it hard to believe that the table cloth is made from paper and the chair covers are made from a paper-like, non-woven, polypropylene, spun-bounded material -- in other words, plastic paper, if such is possible. They are astonishing -- and practical.  The “Nasturtium” tablecloth is $5.99 and the leaf-patterned chair covers are $3.99 each. (They fit over a standard dining-table chair or bridge chair; also available in a rose pattern.) For more Target locations, call 800-800-8800 or visit target.com. 
 

Uh-oh. We’re in deep cocoa trouble. Chocolatier Jacques Torres has just signed a lease to open his third Gotham emporium right across the street from -- dum-da-dum-dum -- our residence. Bring in the guys in the hazmat suits for damage control.  The new shop will be on Amsterdam Ave. just north of 73rd St., within punting distance of the 72nd Street subway stop and Verdi Square.  It will be 1,000 square feet -- in other words, just large enough to sell more chocolate than you could eat in a year. Stay tuned; we’ll be getting more particulars and an opening date...so you can mark your calendar and we can start the diet -- so we’ll all be ready for the maestro when he starts tempering that chocolate on the UWS.

Some people whistle while they work, right? Well, we think snoozing while you shop is a much better idea, and so did Nicolas Ronco, the founder and CEO of Yelo. 

Valentine's Day made us realize that there’s a lotta “hooking up” at our local dog run: You hang out with your dog, shoot the breeze, sip your morning coffee, and before you know it, the dogs are frolicking in pairs and you're networking for a freelance gig -- or, better still, the next thing you know, you’ve got a date for non-canine cavorting with the cute guy with the Boxer.  So, to help speed up the process, Planet Dog (we love their stuff, ya know, and so does our dog) came up with a few cute and clever T-shirts for humans that you’ll want:  “Got woof?”, “Who’s your doggie?”, and “You had me at woof.” (We said they were cute.) Available in pink, blue, and white at $19.95.  Check 'em out at www.planetdog.com or in NYC get them at Petropolis or Beasty Feast. Woof.