So I’m wearing one of my favorite dresses today, from one of my favorite catalogs — Boden, out of the UK. They’re big on patterns and dots, especially, and my dress today is polka dots … white ones on red and brown. Totally cute and fun.

Except that when I was waiting for the elevator this morning, one of the guys in my building told me he thought my dress looked like a tablecloth!

It’s also empire-waisted, which I love because, well, you know why. Covers a multitude of sins. But some of my girlfriends in the office tell me that they’ve had people ask if they’re pregnant when they wear an empire waist.

So here’s my question: On what planet do you say stuff like this to someone? Isn’t saying, “I like your dress” good enough? Or, God forbid, keeping your mouth shut?

What should I have said to Tablecloth Man?

Because I don’t already have enough to worry about, I’ve decided to read Dr. Oz’s latest, YOU: Staying Young, his anti-aging book, and see if I can slow down what he says doesn’t have to be an inevitable decline. Actually, there’s all kinds of fascinating stuff here, even for those of us who keep up with health and nutrition news and try to take care of ourselves. I’ll be writing about my adventures in staying young, and Dr. Oz’s 14-Day Plan, in the coming weeks. (You’ll also want to look at RealAge.com, a companion site to the book with all sorts of cool quizzes, blogs, and info on everything from better sex to flossing the right way. More on my RealAge discoveries later.)

But today, I’m thinking about green tea. As you probably already know, green tea has powerful anti-oxidants, which help fight bad cell growth and can keep LDL (that’s the bad kind) of cholesterol down. Dr. Oz recommends drinking as much as you want. So I’m trying, but here’s the problem: To me, most green teas I try don’t really taste like much (except bitter). I’ve tried Lipton and Constant Comment. Like the Tazo version they serve at Starbucks, but I’d really like to brew this at home.

What green tea do you like, and how do you drink it? 

I guess I’m the last person on earth to hear about Lush, the maker of “fresh handmade cosmetics,” born in the UK. I was at a pal’s house last week, and she — and her incredibly hip daughter — already had a bagful of bath bombs, creams, etc. The good news: They bought them here in town; Macy’s at Oak Court has opened its very own Lush boutique, and you won’t want to miss the grand opening party. Stop by Saturday, Jan. 19, from noon until 3 pm, for free facials, prizes, and to check out the products (that’s the Sex Bomb in the picture … mmm). Oh yes, and you’ll get a free goody bag with a $45 purchase, but supplies are limited, so come early. For more Lush at Macy’s scoop, e-mail oakcourt@lush.com or call 901.767.1003.

The search for a Wii for the perfect Christmas surprise has reached fever pitch for lots of the people in my life. I listened this afternoon to a co-worker talking to a friend who is driving to North Carolina and stopping at every Wal-Mart on the way to see if they have one. (My idea of the perfect nightmare.) But evidently they can be found, even if in Jacksonville, NC.

Or can they? Where have you looked for a Wii? And why is this the gift of choice this year? Weren’t they around last year?

Signed, Game-impaired Diva

It happened again yesterday: I took off my coat and sat down to talk, and the woman I was meeting instantly said, “You got that sweater at Target, right?” Well, yeah, though I was reminded once again about my Target Ambivalence (TA). Yes, the clothes there are surprisingly fun (and wildly cheap), though the downside is that EVERYONE wears them. And though I also shop Macy’s, Dillard’s and some expensive boutiques that I feel too guilty to name, the truth is that I find myself at Target more often than not.

Has this happened to you? Should I work harder to disguise my TA, or should I just concede that Isaac, Michael Graves, and the others have got me in their spell?