For those looking to discover their inner artiste, a new public art exhibition right in the heart of the Big Apple guarantees not one, but 300 smiles. European artist Agnes Winter’s first US exhibit promises to be a truly magnificent, inspirational and uplifting homage not only to our great city but also to that too-often neglected idea: the joy of living. So if you’re feeling somewhat doubtful about the Zen of Manhattan, or if you seem unable to find that elusive “happy place” within yourself, no matter how many ’10 Easy Steps to a Happier You’ books you read, then don’t miss what promises to be one of the highlights of the cultural calendar for those with a fashionable savoir-vivre.

Monument to Smile will take the form of a large-scale projection of photographs of smiling New Yorkers, all of whom the artist randomly stopped in the street and asked to smile specifically for the camera, regardless of their original mood or expression. (A quick word of advice – this type of collaboration with the public is inadvisable unless you are either (a) an authentic, successful artist or (b) prepared to deal with the remarkably colorful characters who roam our streets). The cascade of portraits will be projected 50 stories high onto the facade of 30 Rockefeller Plaza every night from 8pm until midnight, beginning May 31st and running until June 9th, transforming this New York City landmark into a colorful montage of hope and happiness.

Still not convinced that braving the hordes of art-starved tourists is worth it? Then consider the fact that this public art exhibit is sponsored by Cartier…mmm…pictures of gleaming luxury fill your mind, right? Now hold those images, and remember that it’s all in a good cause. Yes, that’s right. This is no mere celebration of joy and vitality; it also reflects Cartier’s philanthropic aims, doubling as a promotion for its second annual “Love-Day” celebration on June 8th. On this date, 10% of all sales of its LOVE bracelets will go to charitable organizations, each one supported by a prominent celebrity – we hear Julianne Moore and Faith Hill are involved. So this is art with a message, a purpose and a heart. What more could you possibly ask for?

Wishing that someone will throw pebbles at your window in the middle of the night asking for your hand in marriage? Well, sorry to tell you: it ain’t gonna happen. In order to find the yin to your yang, the ketchup to your french fries, the cheese in your macaroni, you have to go out and make your presence known. Here are some interesting places to meet a guy.

1. Poetry Cafes

Poetry has come a long way from the finger-snapping, all-black wearing, bongo-drum beating classification. If you want an intellectual guy who has more than one way with words, this is the ideal place. Deep thinkers from every borough converge on Friday nights at historic spots such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on East 3rd Street.

2. The Village Underground

Talent stains the walls of this well known open mic venue. Only the most amazing singers and musicians visit the “dress to impress” atmosphere, and a countless number of artists have been picked up by major record labels by just getting on the stage. For a guy who’s super talented or who appreciates really good music, this would be a good choice. Or if not, maybe you could end up being the next big superstar.

3. School/Classes

For all you bridezillas-to-be, you’re probably obsessing over the aesthetics of your big day: you’re thinking about your hair, your gown, your weight (and that one bridesmaid’s weight – yeah, I said it), the cake, the décor of the reception hall, and then some.

But lookey here, we all know you want to look glam and for every detail to be just-so, but the truth is, most of us aren’t just looking forward to seeing your picture-perfect self prancing down the aisle – we also came for the food, the dancing, possible dates, and the BOOZE. (Actually, if the only good thing you had to offer was the booze, then you’d be good to go in my book).

You find yourself staring at yet another take-out menu. You’re mid-dial. You catch a glimpse of your gym card lying on the counter. You shout in agony. Defeated again by General Tso and that chicken of his. Damn him.

Lauren Slayton and Caren Feingold Tishfield

Enter Mindful Menus, the brainchild of nutritionists Caren Feingold Tishfield and Lauren Slayton. The idea is simple: break it down, the menu, that is. So before you go hollering, “Over the lips and through the gums, look out stomach, here it comes!” and hope your hips agree with your dinner decision, stop. There’s a better way.

While the gray and orange color scheme is less than comforting, the inside information Lauren and Caren gleaned from hitting up and tearing apart the food from dozens of NYC joints ranges, leaving you with responses from “I knew that was bad for me!” to “Heh, heh, oops, but it tastes oh so good!”

With the warm weather making its debut, we CP gals are gonna bask in it and unwind. Instead of spoiling you with the usual two mailings per week, we’re gonna take it down a notch for the summer and instead, send you love just once a week. This short adieu takes effect today so make sure you look out for us every Thursday, or you might just miss out on a week’s worth of adventures!

Recently, alice + olivia’s yellow striped sequined mini-dress has been seeing double. The dress was recently worn by small screen sirens Eva Longoria and Hayden Panettiere, and practically every tabloid and celebrity blog out there has been running the photographs together in a “Who Wore it Better?” face-off.

Things must be happening in twos for alice + olivia these days, with the opening of their second NYC location at 219 Mott Street in the heart of the chic Nolita neighborhood. The huge 700 square foot boutique will feature the brand’s flirty, feminine signature pieces that everyone (including lots of celebrities) has come to know and love, along with an expanded collection of evening wear, yoga clothes, candles, the Mickey Avalon t-shirt collection and selections from the men’s cashmere sweater collection, anthony + mo.

The shopping experience at the new Nolita store will be just as decadent and chic as the clothes it will house, with ornately-detailed high ceilings, a hand-painted black and gold crystal chandelier and even a chair covered in dark black lacquer and crocodile upholstery.

The fashion line, which was started in 2002 by the now-famous designer Stacey Bendet, was first sold at the flagship location in Bryant Park and will continue its retail expansion with its third store opening in South Hampton next month and then on to additional locations in Malibu and Las Vegas.

So when you visit the new Mott Street store, be sure to check out all the new pieces from their Spring 2007 collection, like their adorable button-down jumper, the yellow and white Grecian-style “Paris” dress, or any of their super wide-leg dark jeans. Maybe you and one of alice + olivia’s many celebrity followers will be pitted against each other for wearing the same bright yellow kimono knit dress in the next “Who Wore it Better?”

The typical theatrical experience for an audience member is simply to sit back, enjoy the performance, and then go home. Sure, they may learn about the history and details of the show with the help of the program and can Ooh and Ahh at the set, costumes and some cool technical voo doo. That’s just about all there is to experience…well, not any more…

Beginning Friday, May 25th the Metropolitan Opera’s Gallery Met will be presenting Opera by Design, a unique exhibit displaying the inside workings of what goes into the design of the seven upcoming productions of the 2007-08 Metropolitan Opera season. Handmade set models will portray the plans, designs and details that the Met’s carpenters, painters, costumers, stagehands and craftspeople create for each individual show. The seven productions in the upcoming season are the most the Met has ever presented since their first year at Lincoln Center and contain a wide variety, ranging from Macbeth to Hansel and Gretel. The diversity of shows this season produce some diverse sets and costumes, which can be seen at the exhibit before they even take stage. Think of it as an exciting preview to the season!

The exhibit gives viewers the chance to truly observe the inner workings of what goes into creating an opera from the inside out and how the technical elements shape a performance. What you’ll find is that the stage isn’t all glitz and glamour; the exhibit demonstrates the logistics that go into producing a show as well as how these practicalities are used to create “magical visions for the stage,” says Dodie Kazanjian, Gallery Met Director.

The seven new premieres for the season have been designed by world renowned, award-winning production teams, so it can only be assured that the detailed and unique Opera by Design exhibit will enchant and delight viewers the same way an opera does!

Have you ever seen a fusion between African spirituality and House dance expressed through a theatrical dance performance of ancient African mythology?

Didn’t think so. “Afro-House,” a phrase coined by Dance Spirit magazine, has become popular within the last five years and is still developing. A crusader in the movement is Santiago Freeman. After hosting a dance event in 2005, Freeman decided to gather a group of the self-taught House dancers at the party to take their club/streets/park-bred art form to the performance stage. “A lot of the dancers who were coming to the party were so talented. They would dance all night in the “cipher” (a circle that forms around dancers), and I thought they were so amazing. I wanted to form a dance company that would bring these freestyle dancers together in an organized studio setting with the idea of trying to transition this art form to the concert stage,” he says. And so he became the Founding Director of the Dance Warrior Project – a Brooklyn-based Afro-House, theatrical dance company.

Afro-House blends traditional forms of Afro-Caribbean movement rooted in regions of the Caribbean, South America and Africa with the high-energy, improvised movements of House dancing that emphasize fast footwork and acrobatic styling (some moves are called “jacking” and “voguing” a la Madonna). The music is a fusion of African and Afro-Caribbean instrumentation with a house beat. Freeman further explains: “Afro not only describes a place of origin, it describes a state of mind that can be experienced through connection to the music. Afro-House, unlike other music I have heard, connects the dancer to his/her ancestral past. When I catch the ancestral spirit through dance, the feeling can only be described as ecstasy.”

Do you ever have those days when it feels like the whole city is against you, in a coalition of rudeness just determined to ruin your day? You know, when you’re already running late for the meeting and then that guy at the coffee shop has the audacity to cut in front of you with his self-assured “one grande semi-skimmed organic latte with an extra shot – but not too hot please.”

But how to react? A typical response would probably include a liberal amount of shouting, hand-waving and perhaps even a few expletives thrown in for good measure. After all, if the cab drivers can, why can’t an intelligent NYC Miss delve into her inner rudeness from time to time? Well, the answer is pretty simple. Yes, New York City is notorious for rudeness in all its glorious forms, but that does not give you carte-blanche to become a tourist’s cliché. So here it is: ideas on how to make those manners work, girl, work!

On the subway:

Rush hour crowding seems to bring out the worst in even the best of our cosmopolitan counterparts. Perhaps it’s the combination of the dank air, the crush of bodies, the newest It-bag that you’ve been on the waiting list for thrust mockingly into your side by that impossibly tall model-type, and that unidentifiable but distinctly unpleasant smell wafting around the carriage (cheap perfume? left-over takeaway? hygiene-challenged person?). Whatever it may be, most of us end up pushing, shoving, jostling and swearing in a way that puts an angry mob of Italian soccer fans to shame.

Far better than joining in with the general fracas, why not concentrate on smiling benevolently on anyone who resorts to rudeness, à  la Mother Theresa? Not only will you demonstrate your maturity and sophistication by refusing to respond in the expected manner, but with any luck, the offender will be so freaked out by your attitude (how dare she smile at 8:30 on a Monday morning – and on the 4 of all places!) that he/she will begin to slowly retreat, no doubt fearing a certain level of mental derangement on your part; a small price to pay for a little breathing space, n’est pas?