LAID-BACK BEAUTIES. Take a fast look at what's happening in the swimsuit industry: cute skirts, short shorts with butts out, bras with push-ups, tanks with cutouts and cover-ups that show everything. Get the message? They're not swimming in these showoff scanties; these barely-there bikinis are reserved for those luxe cruises and be-cruised outings. It's runway on the deck and topless on the beach. There's no room for error and no room for that extra dessert, either. Tone up, slim down and act like this is all natural. But is it? Perhaps for the 20-somethings, but for anyone who's reached maturity, it's hard work getting into those Brazilian babies. Of course, designer Amir Slama from Rosa Chá ("The Chá Effect" page 34) takes it all in stride since most cha-cha Brazilian girls spend 24/7 keeping that perfect size two-to-four figure. As well, it takes a lot of special care to present all that exfoliated, moisturized, toned, tanned and waxed baby skin silky smooth for the showing. Check out the latest skin fixer uppers in our FYI Beauty roundups (pages 26 and 28) - they'll definitely help.
Overall, this tells us that May is the beginning of the real show time. Jackets, sweaters and whatever wrap you've been hiding under get tossed to the wind. This Body & Soul issue focuses on you and your bod. Page after page the FIM team offers you plenty of hints and tips on how to get in shape for summer. Even our cuisine feature by Margit Bisztray ("Healthy Eating 2007" page 130) brings you closer to "green-friendly" fare that not only makes you feel better, but some of which is actually good for the environment as well.
      Just yesterday, I took a walk on the beach and thought how lucky we are to live in a state that is surrounded by water. We tend to take it for granted, but think about how our real estate has become so precious. Where else can you get these many water views, miles of sandy beaches, boardwalks and sanctuaries of solitude like the Everglades and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens. It truly is paradise and you start to notice it even more when you get close with nature. Visitors seem to lap it up in the winter months, but the real people that live here year-round tend to savor the spring and summer in our own selfish kind of way. Quick getaways include some local upscale weekends at half price and attractions become even more attractive before school gets out and the snowbirds return to their nests.
May and June are my favorite months in South Florida - the shops on Worth Avenue have drastic reductions on everything before they pull in the sidewalks for the summer, Naples does the same, and sleepy towns all throughout the state become all the more hospitable. This is also the perfect time to try a spa. Our international spa listing pulls out all the stops to allow you to fantasize and regroup on a higher level ("World of Zen" page 110).
      I just finished reading French Women Don't Get Fat and thought that maybe it's time to get to Paris and really learn to live like the Parisians - a little cold soup, a tiny salad with fresh goat cheese, a crème brulee, and for exercise, maybe a walk to the museum, up several flights of stairs and down again, over a bridge or perhaps a stop at a picturesque café for some coffee and tart. Obviously my current regimen of beach walking, daydreaming and a "little" gelato to cool off isn't working; those 20 pounds are stuck to my mid-section like pate on brioche, and although I might not get into a Rosa Chá swimsuit, a pair of shorts would be nice.

Esther Q. Jackson
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief