As the ski season starts to wind down on the East Coast, I often find myself daydreaming about how or where I might scheme in just one more snow day. When I learned last month that the Heavenly Resort in South Lake Tahoe extended its season until May 4th due to record snowfall in January, I planned a trip out west immediately. The gigantic mountain resort, which typically shuts down in late April, is extending its season with some enticing deals.

I have both good news and bad news about shopping in Helsinki. Here’s the good news: a new generation of designers are creating some of the most stylish and innovative housewares, furniture, and textiles in Europe. Whether designing a chair or a dress, hip, young Finnish designers remain focused on timeless style, clean lines, and high-quality materials.

The bad news is that many of the shops that sell these beautiful things tend to keep unusual hours. If you don't plan ahead, you'll be doing more window shopping than actual buying. A few shops were closed Monday - Wednesday. Most shops close between 4-6PM on Saturdays. Many are closed on Sundays.

In many ways I found shopping in Chiang Mai to be far more enjoyable than Bangkok. The city's small scale and rich history of craftsmanship- minus the choking pollution and crowds- all chalk up to one stellar shopping experience. Chiang Mai may not have the glossy mega malls with aquariums and Ferrari showrooms that you'll find in Bangkok, but what it does have is plenty of independent boutiques where it feels as if you're shopping in someone's home. We found ourselves buying way more items here than in the capital. Some of the best buys include ceramics, silks,  lacquerware and silver. Read on to find where to shop and what to buy in Chiang Mai.

Compiled by Hotel Teatro Concierge Carolyn Bartel

Shops 

Cry Baby Ranch
Roxanne Thurman opened her doors in 1990 but moved to the north side of Larimer Street a few years ago in order to expand her “homestead.”   Turning the term “western wear” on its ear, this boutique offers cowgirl boots, irreverent tees, outerwear and fabulous accessories.   From panorama rawhide lampshades to custom jewelry; designer scarves (created by the family of the “dickie” inventor!) to vintage cowgirl home furnishings and bath products, this eclectic shop is a treat for the inner-cowgirl in all of us.  Catering to Denver's more upscale visitors, Cry Baby Ranch also does a bang-up business on line and is a favorite for mail orders from Hotel Teatro's more high profile guests.

If you have ever been shopping in New York and sworn that the woman behind the cash register at Blue Tree looks exactly like Phoebe Cates, well, you're probably right. Cates is one of a handful of celebrities opening their own boutiques. And surprise, surprise- most of them-  like Lisa Rinna, Cates and Niki Taylor- are actively involved in every aspect of their shops, from hunting down the coolest new designers and buying the clothing, to occasionally putting in time behind the till. (But one thing most of the celebs need to do is hire someone to create a decent website for them). Here is a look at some of our favourite celeb boutiques.

Most teenagers spend their summers scooping ice cream, hanging by a

If you leave your house early enough in the morning from New York, you can be under a straw hut in Aruba by 3:00 PM, drinking rum.  You won't need to change your watch, exchange currency, or fiddle with electricity voltage converters. Just about the only thing that needs changing when visiting the island is your shoes.

Since celebrities are always dressing themselves in the latest Prada, Dior and Marc Jacobs, its no surprise that they want their offspring to look just as stylish. Chic Hollywood moms like Kate Hudson, Katie Holmes and Heidi Klum dress their kids like little mini-me's, and hit the hottest boutiques in LA, New York and London to stock up on the best- and most fashionable- baby clothes. If you want your kid to dress like an A-list baby, read on to see where the celebrities shop for baby clothes.

Hong Kong used to be the place where we people travelled to buy cut-rate suits. Although you'd be hard pressed to find a decent suit for under £200 here (if that's what you're looking for, go to Shanghai instead), there are a million and one better reasons to come to Hong Kong than suits. We love the city for its juxtaposition of old alleys next to shiny new skyscrapers, shopping, culture and sleek restaurants””not to mention its frenetic buzz.  Hong Kong is also one of the most elegant metropolises on the planet; when you want to escape the chaos of the city, take the tram to Victoria Peak or do like the ex-pats do, and take a boat to a neighbouring island and chill out on the beach. When it comes to shopping, Hong Kong truly has it all, from upscale designer boutiques to little stores in random office buildings where a little digging will unearth designer bargains. And if you're really serious about shopping in the city, time your trip to visit during Hong Kong's shopping festival, where even more bargains can be found.

My friend Peppa is a true California girl who lives for action sports: she is a breakdancer, sk8ter, snowboarder, stunt woman, and surfer, in alphabetical order.  Every winter, when we'd catch up on the phone, she would tell me about Mammoth Mountain, in central California. Peppa is what you call an “early adopter.” As a general rule of thumb, if Peppa says it's cool, then I find out later that it's usually pretty darned cool. For years, I had been determined to check Mammoth out for myself, and last month, I finally got my chance. I found breakdancers, sk8ters, stunt people, and surfers, grandpas, moms, dads, fearless children, and everyone else dragging their snowboards across this massive mountain resort.