orange.juice

It doesn't matter how you drink it but everyone loves orange juice. There's my perennial favorite -- the mimosa -- but straight-up works equally well as a good picker-upper. The Castro in San Francisco has endless opportunities for brunch and most serve bottomless mimosas for under $10. My first experience was at the touristy (yet fun) Lime, which is an experience everyone should have. The restaurant/lounge looks like a Firby fanclub (pink... everywhere) but their food is unexpectedly good. The wait for a table usually exceeds an hour and there are many good alternatives but Lime is the best place for your first brunch in the area. Well-dressed, drunk and friendly describes everyone I experienced, which is beyond your typical brunch experience.

If you're going to buy the Cecilware OJ100 Automatic Orange Juice Machine by Zumex, I suggest replacing your typical variety with blood oranges.  Cafe Flore (about 300 feet away) does exactly this (but the mimosas aren't bottomless). They taste much better and the red tint more exotic. At the end of the day, if you're spending $4,738.00 for an automatic juicer, you probably know what you're doing. Processing 14 oranges/minute and capable of holding two gallons of juice, the machine expects you to regularly entertain a good-sized crowd.

pool.house

A pool by itself is a pretty good deal but an amazing pool house sweetens the experience. Created by Hariri & Hariri Architecture and featuring a kitchen, bar, and bathroom, the pool house is nearly 4,000 sq/ft and built with natural stone and Ipe wood. Check out the attached outdoor shower in the last picture; nice added touch. You better have a pretty incredible pool to compliment this pool house or time will be better spent indoors. Pair with the Mrs. White’s Unstung Hero to complete the experience.

lanvin.sneakers

By and large, I love Lanvin sneakers. I see them off and on in SF and they're always amazing. Considered to be the oldest fashion house still in operation, Lanvin suede sneakers were worn by Michelle Obama in 2009. When I featured the Lanvin bowtie earlier this month I mentioned my suede phase, which these shoes perfectly satisfy. Complimented with a patent leather toe cap, Barney's will hand them over for a cool $495. Lanvin pumped out a few similar styles with different colors and I encourage you to check them out if these don't quite hit the spot.

bug.spray

I hate bugs. Spiders are the worst but mosquitoes come in a close second. They're not scary like spiders but I always itch and their sting turns into a 4 inch patch of red hard skin. Bug spray is disgusting but I found Mrs. White’s Unstung Hero in the NYT's T-Magazine. Available for $30, the unisex lemon tea fragrance is available for £15 per 250 ml per bottle at Roullier White.

alexis.bittar

This gem-encrusted owl pin was designed by Alexis Bittar for Jason Wu (of Michelle Obama fame) and subsequently featured in the NYT T-Magazine. Described by Bittar as "combin[ing] opulence with early '90s grunge", the piece is available for $475 but all-but-impossible to find online.

rants.raves

• Congrats to Stanford for ranking #4 in GQ's "10 Douchiest Colleges in America". Apparently "old Gap jeans [and] Havaianas flip-flops" are pretentious.

• Malin + Goetz (previously featured) were also in GQ. Unfortunately, their "10 Essentials" aren't remotely interesting (or essential).

• It takes some cojones to design a dress like the one in this post. Featured in the A/W 2011/2012 Ferragamo campaign, the brand went black and white to create some great (and not-so-great) designs.

• Spokane bars need to up their game. After several attempts, I'm done looking for a Pisco Sour. I was chided at the Davenport's Peacock Room for mentioning raw egg. Caesar salad anyone? Congrats to WSJ for having a great article about the amazing drink.

• On the topic of disappointments, I'm tired of companies allowing me to buy their products online then sending a next-day email claiming the item is out-of-stock. Saks is a two-time offender but Duchamp was recently added to the list. No links provided.

the.irony

From: The Fancy
Quote: Leo Tolstoy

winnett.house

The 360 Winnett House by Altius Architecture, found on MocoLoco, is a beautiful home based in Toronto, Canada. With an interior almost exclusively in white, the house is a blank canvas waiting for the right art and furniture to add character and personality. The interior shots suggest the firm saved money by skimping on top-line appliances and accessories but a little money can bring everything up to the expected standard.

polka.dot

101 Dalmatians is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time (along with Aladdin). To the plurality who believe Lion King is the best Disney product: I apologize. These shoes from Sergio Rossi are arguably ugly (though Emma Stone in Elle doesn't look bad) but if a designer was asked to fashion a pair of shoes for Cruella de Vil, no other pair could fit the bill more perfectly. The most amazing part of the Polka Dot Booties, found on The Fancy, is their ability to match the elegance and extravagance of a fictional character. Perhaps Ms. de Vil would have been better served wearing dotted Napa leather but her pursuit of fur is hardly as sinister as the movie suggests. Check out the Sergio Rossi website to hear more about the Creatures of the Night collection and watch a video dedicated to their design.

modern.dolls

It's amazing that this is already my second doll house I'm posting on my blog. Doll houses aren't something I traditionally associate with modern design but designers have been pumping out some neat toys. The Bennett Doll House by Brinca Dada, found on The Fancy, is a lot more practical and realistic than the previously featured A Doll’s House for Clementine. I suggest checking out Brinca Dada's website for two additional house designs for sale, along with a furniture set and wooden people. The price on the Bennet House is TBD but their other houses are $149 and $299, suggesting the doll house will be within the range of rational and affordable.

lightening.shirt

The Digital Lup T-Shirt, available from Your Eyes Lie for £35 (about $56), is a fun t-shirt to pair with a nice pair of jeans. Unique and... err... electrifying?... the shirt is a piece of artwork that wraps to the edges instead of remaining framed in the center of the shirt.

gresso.time

iPhone's are popping up everywhere and the cases are all starting to look the same. Buying a unique phone might give a little individuality but it's nearly impossible to live without the convenience of Apple. To reconcile, check out the $6,000 modified iPhone from Gresso. The company offers a few phones of their own and, for the right price, a willingness to create a custom phone. The iPhone 4 Time Machine, found on The Fancy, is your typical iPhone with six clocks from around the world inserted on the back of your phone. Grab a couple stares when your phone is next to your ear but feel a tinge of regret when the next iPhone is released later this year.

sf.liquor

San Francisco is the latest city to be honored with an Absolut bottle designed after the city. I've seen them in stores but haven't bought any yet, though it'd be nice to have one for the sake of a souvenir. With flavors of grape, dragon fruit, and papaya flavor, it's worth grabbing a few extra to drink. Celebrating the best city in the country, pick up an SF bottle before they're sold out.

lanvin.bowtie

I'm going through a bit of a velvet/suede stage (specifically with shoes) and this bowtie from Lanvin fits the bill. The Double Bow Tie, available from Mr. Porter for $315, is the perfect shade of midnight blue. The two side-by-side shades add character but keep it low-key to fit any black tie affair.

ferragamo.sandals

Salvatore Ferragamo is a favorite for their ability to balance simplicity with individuality. I first saw the Gancio Bit Sandal in their Union Square storefront and was impressed by how comfortable they looked. The gray suede is padded to create a better feel than the typical rubber or leather. I'm sure the suede will get dirty quickly so it hardly rates high  for practicality but let them be your "formal sandals" (?) for casual but important events. Available for $295 on the Ferragamo website.