300th.post

So here it is! I'm reaching a new milestone with my 300th post and I'm pretty stoked about the steady rise in viewership. In fact, I received a record number of hits this past Tuesday and the blog has been regularly getting more attention (even after subtracting the positive outliers). We're approximately 2/3rds through August and the blog already has more hits this month than any other. Thank you to everyone who checks out my posts and I encourage you -- beg you -- to comment if you have any thoughts about the items I post (or suggestions for future items). Every comment or subscriber motivates me to improve the quality and update more often.

As per usual, I'm celebrating the occasion with jewelry. The 200th post celebrated Cartier while Harry Winston marked New Years but this entry pays homage to a style rather than brand. Black watches are a versatile accessory that often match both casual and formal. They're growing in popularity but still express greater individuality than their counterparts. The picture directly below comes from Timepiece Trends: Blacked-Out Watches, an article from GQ featured in 2010. I've added a few more of my favorites but there are plenty more great options. The perviously featured Hermes Carre H Watch is but one more option to deck out in black.

[caption id="attachment_3158" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Clockwise from Upper-Left: Timex $60 | Rado $2,400 | Panerai $8,000 | Movado $495 | Nixon $120"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3160" align="aligncenter" width="430" caption="Chanel J12 Chronograph"][/caption]

smoking.tobacco

Formally a shisha, the Porsche Design pipe re-imagines the centuries old hookah. Only available overseas and sporting a £2,000 price tag, you're not going to accidentally stumble across their controversial paraphernalia. Standing nearly two feet tall, the shisha will be available at the store-within-a-store Porsche Design shop in Harrod's London. Found on Uncrate, I'd also suggest matching the instrument with a few SossBoxes. Also seen on Uncrate, the containers are hermetically-sealed, magnetic, and conveniently stackable. Similar to the shisha, the boxes have obvious multiple purposes. The $200-$250 price-tag isn't cheap but you might as well go all-out at this point.

twin.homes

Twins: Houses in Five Parts are two home proposals found on The Fancy. The designs were created for brothers looking to build two nearby vacation homes for their families. O'Brien gives detailed theory to explain his polygonal approach but the nitty-gritty is too in-depth for this website (read more background here). The houses look beautiful with their modern lines and open spaces, providing a truly blissful retreat. The over-sized windows make privacy far from guaranteed but when you're in the middle of the woods, only forest animals (and the occasional stalker) will have the opportunity to sneak peeks.

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diving.boards

The 2012 London Olympics are around the corner and I'm excited. Sports aside, the new structures are bound to impress. The aquatic center and bird's nest stadium both received much attention leading up to and through the 2008 Beijing Olympics but the London Olympics Aquatics Centre by Zaha Hadid is an exciting masterpiece. Found on The Fancy, the modern design is incredibly impressive and I look forward to seeing its worldwide debut next year.

Update: I actually featured Zaha Hadid's work in late 2010 in my post covering the the National Museum of the XXI Century Arts. The beautiful building, located in Rome, features equally impressive architecture and I look forward to covering more works from Zaha Hadid Architects given their consistent eye for amazing designs.

piggy.bank

The Piggy Bank from Steuben, designed by Harry Allen, is a great modernization of the traditional concept. Conveniently featuring a coin slot at it's snout instead of underside, I don't think the crystal pig is entirely attractive. Instead, I find it charming in the same way an infant or pet might be homely (see pugs) but unexpectedly appealing. Available for $1,900 on the Steuben website, aggregate your coins scattered in the car and desk to a single location.

home.scents

A home that smells good is a place people gather. Whether entertaining guests or coming home after work, a good scent makes home a better and warmer place. Choosing the right scent can be as difficult as picking the perfect cologne but these box sets allow you to experiment and find the perfect match. Available for $195 from Barneys New York, the scents from Ex Voto Paris include Patchouli Musk, Leather Vetyver, Gaiac Wood, and many more. Once you find the perfect match, invest in their larger candles or room sprays. Reminiscent of Tom Ford's masculine Private Blend series, these sets work well for men and women.

gin.tonic

A gin and tonic, or even a simple gin and soda, has always been one of my favorite drinks when relaxing at home. It's sweet yet simple to make and the ingredients are always on hand. The Wall Street Journal's "Building a Better G&T" by Kevin Sintumuang replaces simplicity with quality. While highlighting high-end gins that I look forward to tasting, I was more interested in the tonics. A gin and tonic that's not clear? Apparently the proper connoisseur buys small-batch tonic syrup to take control of the flavor. Adding one ounce to soda water, you decide which natural flavors perfect your drink and adjust intensity to taste. I'm told a gin and tonic is hardly masculine but natural brown coloring might help its image problem.

This isn't the only article by Kevin Sintumuang that will help you upgrade your bar. Sintumuang is also a contributor at GQ and writes many articles specializing in beer ("Oktoberfest, USA") and cocktails ("The 25 Best Cocktail Bars in America"). Check out the latter article for great suggestions in SF or simply Google his name to find more great advice.

[caption id="attachment_3088" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Leopold's Gin | 80 Proof | $40"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3089" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Tonic | Photo by oliviaraejames"][/caption]

 Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Tonic photo by oliviaraejames