Using Google Calendar and your phone's note-taking application is the easiest to remember things for most occasions but sometimes it's nice to write things down. The F27 Notebook by Freitag provides a stylish way to keep track of your thoughts and carry small items. Made from recycled tarp, the Swiss notebook is good for the environment but costs 111.50 CHF (almost $110). Found on MocoLoco, the notebook is available in 25 different colors on the Freitag website.
The price of an alligator belt can buy you a round-trip airline ticket across the country; a matching suitcase can buy you 50 of those tickets... first-class. The $53,000 Alligator Suitcase from Bottega Veneta is a beautiful traveling addition for frequent fliers with cash to spare. Found on Luxist, the matte finish is furnished with burnished metal hardware and complete with an alligator handle. The suitcase beats phony croc embossed detailing and comes with it's own garment bag.
I know apothecary jars are nothing new but these bottles from Design Within Reach have a modern touch available in four different sizes. Ranging from $20-$34, the jars are perfect for the bathroom (Q-Tips and cotton balls), kitchen condiments and small snacks (M&Ms?), or anything else you can think of. DWR even suggests using carrot sticks but that's just dumb. Additionally, the apothecary jars are available in an antique brown in case you want to be your own pharmacist.
I really enjoy designs that use alternative materials to give modern products an industrial edge. Much like the MetroFarm Benches I featured earlier, Makr's Studio Work Stool uses rough components to create a minimalist masterpiece. Found on Uncrate.com, a White Walnut seat tops off the hand-welded steel body and makes a perfect compliment to the concrete and glass tumblers posted previously.
Created by Brian Borrello, "New Orleans Skyline" is made using oil collected from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The skyline composition benefits the St. Bernard Project, a non-profit working with the LSU Health Sciences Center Department of Psychiatry to help those impacted by the BP oil spill. According to Luxist, Borrello has a history of mixing "toxic components" to produce skyline pieces but his most current creation donates 20% of the $290 price-tag, though with a limited run of 100 pieces, time is short.
For $45, the Fresh Traveler by Arian Brekveld features two compartments for your parfait to avoid lunchtime sogginess. The double-walled stainless steel bottle keeps the upper chamber cold and the bottom half screws in to keep the dry food fresh. Uncrate mentions it would be good for mixed drinks but I'm not quite sure why you wouldn't mix your drink before hand, or why it's appropriate to travel with a big cup of alcohol when a flask is usually more appropriate. Whatever you decide (cereal and milk?), the container will help you get there. If you want a matching cup to drink from, check out the Tkara Water Bottle.
If you can't afford a Bentley, a Ducati is a good way to look sporty and fresh without shelling out enough money to buy a small home. The Ducati 848 EVO, found on Uncrate.com, is a beautiful black-on-black bike that features an 140 horse Testastretta Evoluzione engine and curb weight of only 369 pounds. I don't know much about bikes so we'll leave it at that but the vehicle comes in Ducati red for the traditional and a stealthy black to hide from cars that will now sideswipe you when changing lanes.
The Kalamazoo Outdoor Pizza Oven beats the heating coils at Domino's but the $6,495 poolside appliance doesn't come with an employee to staff the machine. I'm sure the food tastes great but you're going to need some spare time to buy and prepare all the ingredients to turn dinner into your own. Found on Uncrate.com, the oven gives the option of using a composite baking stone or integrated wood trade depending on the goal of your taste buds for the night. There's also a digital thermometer but without a pizza box to tell you what temperature and how long, there are going to be a few trail and error runs before it's mastered.
