[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RG8vBTjzaNc]In the remake of The Thomas Crown Affair,  Rene Russo’s character, Catherine Banning — a high-class bounty hunter for stolen art– is shown in a few scenes drinking a special green juice.  It’s unclear what exactly was in the mysterious, gloppy concoction (her character swears by its curative properties for jet lag). But with her dark Jackie O sunglasses or, as in the scene here, perfectly mussed bed head, the gorgeous Russo makes downing the liquid greens– as one Go-Getter Girl friend of mine has observed– look impossibly glamorous!

Have your own morning boost, and channel your inner Catherine Banning (minus the whole art-thief-on-the-lam ending of course!), by mixing up a glass of green veggie juice. There are a few different brands on the market, but I like Amazing Grass Green SuperFood, available at Whole Foods, which has a slightly sweet, nutty taste and smooth texture. Take a one of the individual packages, and pour about half of the powder into a large glass, then fill with water and stir. Packed with ingredients like organic wheat grass, spirulina, spinach, alfalfa, and broccoli, it gives you concentrated dose of nutrients and vitamins. Particularly energizing before a workout or an early morning flight.

I know, it doesn’t look quite as glam as Russo’s drink– but you can use your imagination!

In Costa Rica, the sun rises early– and it makes you want to get up and go. At the hotel near San Jose, people were trotting away on the treadmill before 5:30 a.m, and the gorgeous natural surroundings on our weekend trip to the coast (shown left) inspired sunrise walks and jogs on the sand, beachside yoga, and morning swims.  Ah, pura vida, as the saying goes in Costa Rica.

Back stateside, working out in the a.m. can be more of a challenge.  Sometimes it’s just so hard to get out of bed! But, if morning workouts are your thing, it’s a great way to jump start your day– and metabolism.  Go-Getter Girl Bonnie Fuller, the former editorial director of American Media and also a mother of four, shared for the book that she currently works out five to six days a week– always in the morning, to “get it out of the way” lest a work crisis mess up her plans later in the day.

Thinking of taking your workouts morningside? Try these tips shared by GGGs*:

1. Make it a routine. There’s a theory that it takes 21 days to form a new habit– so make a commitment to working out in the a.m. for at least three weeks straight.
2. Try a morning boot camp. Whether it’s an “army-style” or yoga/pilates boot camp, having an appointment each morning will help motivate you– and also assist with making a.m. workouts a routine.
3. Make sure to eat something. Not a huge breakfast– just a carb/protien-rich mini-breakfast for some energy. Think wheat toast with natural peanut-butter, a small nutrition bar, etc.

*Of course, I’m not a physician, so check with your doctor before starting any new fitness program.

Sure, you could be all edified and tote your new copy of Outliers or the Andrew Jackson book down to the shore.  But this Mem-Day weekend, go breezy and escape with one of these fabulous and smart beach-friendly paperbacks.

Love the One You’re With, by Emily Giffin

The fourth novel  from bestselling author and bona fide Go-Getter Girl Emily Giffin tells the page-turning story of happily-married Ellen, whose so-called perfect life is turned upsidedown after a chance encounter with an ex. Bonus delights for Atlanta readers: the book takes place in our town, and is packed with Giffin’s witty observations on the social scene.

Star: A Novel, by Pamela Anderson

Pamela Anderson’s extremely entertaining roman-a-clef follows small town girl Star as she tries to make it big in Hollywood.  A total guilty pleasure,  with lots of thinly-veiled gossipy bits about “Star’s” relationships, plus many-a-juicy sex scene.

The Undomestic Goddess, by Sophie Kinsella

For any Go-Getter Girl out there who’s survived a “billable hours” world, you’ll chuckle through Kinsella’s tale of Samantha Sweeting, a British attorney who thinks her career is ruined after a missed deadline, so she ditches law altogether and, naturally, becomes a housekeeper.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Forget pashminas, rugs, and candy. If you visit Istanbul, make sure to bring home another Turkish treasure: Zeki Triko bikinis.  This swimwear brand is practically a national ambassador for Turkish fashion; even my cab driver en route to the store knew about them: “Oh Zeki Triko, very tasty!” (yes, something was lost in translation there).

These are the kind of bathing suits that make a statement, with their rich, sophisticated colors, wild designs (especially the maillots), and organic touches (like the faux citrine  details on the one at right). The pic doesn’t quite do it justice! Check out their “collection” catalogue pics online.

The tops run slightly small, though there are many style options within each design scheme.  Bonus points:  the triangle tops have a clasp in the back of the (normally flimsy) ‘string’ that goes around the bodice.  A little pricey (about $120 and up), but a well-worth-it, less ordinary token to remind of your exotic Istanbul journey.  And as they say, when in (New) Rome…

Every Go-Getter Girl  knows her “beauty priorities” — that is, the handful of grooming/primping procedures that are must-dos given our individual preferences, schedules, and budgets.  Since I have relaxed hair, tops on my priority list – as many of you know!– is getting my hair blown-out/flat-ironed. My aversion to rain/humidity/doing-my-hair-myself leads to some interesting experiences when traveling abroad– not the least of which is the international search for a decent hair blow-out (preferably at a salon that won’t give a lot of attitude). 

Well, today I can say mission accomplished– and for cheap! I made an impromptu stop at Luxe-recommended salon Ebil in the beautiful, hip little town of Bebek in Istanbul (scenes from Bebek at right). This gem of a salon is apparently a favorite of the “high-society” in Istanbul, but the staff was young, cool, and surprisingly laid-back.  Sure, I sense they may have been talking about me in Turkish, trying to figure out exactly what type of hair I had and how to attack the task at hand– but after lots of smiling, banter in broken English/Turkish, and of course Turkish tea,  it ended up being a very enjoyable visit.

As for the blow-out itself, they did the round brush, sans any product (I was skeptical, but it ended up fine). The weirdest thing was that there were two people doing the blow-dry: an assistant who held the sections of my hair (why not just use those little clips?) and sometimes wielded the blowdryer, while the main stylist manuevered the brush. Then, after some prompting from me (‘I promise, those cowlicks won’t be tamed without some heat!’), they brought out the flat iron and did a once-over.  And finally, a little bit of glossing paste on the ends.

The results are great– of course, not as fab as my place back home (miss you, Bianca!), but a quality blow-out nonetheless –  for only 30 Turkish Lira! That’s about 19 U.S. dollars. 

Bravo, Ebil!

Ebil Bebek Subesi, Cevdet Pasa Cad. No. 69, Bebek. / IST., Telephone: (212) 257 55 70, www.ebilacademy.com