Anne Metz
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Cocktail Pendant with Pearls
Picking out jewelry is not a simple process. If you select something too formal or too gaudy, you might not appreciate what it will say about your personality. For women with complicated personalities, buying a bangle can actually take on existential proportions. If you are a woman who doesn't easily fit into the category of "classic" or "bohemian," you should check out T. Cyia jewelry. One half traditional and one half rock and roll, the T. Cyia collection is jewelry that won't make you second guess what your accessories might say about you. My favorite piece is the Cocktail Pendant. The bold rectangular pendant rests on a strand of pink pearls with silver and oxidized silver chains, which is tied together with a signature T. Cyia silver snake clasp. According the website, this piece was inspired by Liz Taylor's pinkie ring. Price: $299.A Pop Art Original
When it comes to artists, no one is cooler than Andy Warhol. That having been said, no one is quite as expensive to buy, either. But don't let the price tags of those auction houses discourage you. Now, everyone can afford to have their own Warhol-inspired piece of original art. All you have to do is send a photograph to the people at Nic Norman, and they will turn your snapshot into an Andy Warhol-style piece of Pop Art to don the walls of your home or office. The artists at Nic Norman work one-on-one with customers to create unique prints. Each custom pop art design is printed on real canvas with museum-quality pigment-based archival inks. The prints are professionally stretched and gallery mounted with the highest quality white pine wooden frames.
English Rose Candles
According to my mother, good manners means never showing up anywhere empty-handed. Leading by example, she buys a ton of hostess presents each year. Her hostess gift of choice is always a lovely scented candle. Smaller than a wine bottle, but less perishable than chocolates, candles fit snugly into the category of something nice -- which everyone loves --no matter what their decor. Her candle of choice, Diptyque's Pink Rose candle, comes in a elegant pink frosted glass votive holder. The 50-hour burning candle captures the freshness of an English garden without any of the cloy usually associated with roses. It's the perfect hostess gift, so while you're at it, go ahead and pick up a few extras. The weekend dinner parties are just around the corner. Price: $52.
The Pet Murphy Bed
William L. Murphy could never have foreseen this. When Mr. Murphy patented his so-called "Murphy bed" in 1916, he intended it to be used as a space-saving measure by people of limited means and limited floorspace. Like a trundle bed (and, for that matter, tuberculosis and polio), the Murphy bed was an emblem of the early twentieth century.
Times change, however. Now that you've made it safely into the early twenty-first century, you can relive your nostalgia for that era by purchasing the Pet Murphy Bed by Midnight Pass. With the Pet Murphy Bed, your dog or cat (or ocelot or pot-bellied pig) can re-invent him- or herself as an immigrant, recently arrived from Ellis Island and now living in a small apartment on, say, the Lower East Side of Manhattan ... all for a mere $199.95 (plus shipping and handling).
Smoothed Over with Kiehl's
If anything you're like me, in the back of your bathroom closet, you keep a graveyard worth of half-used styling products handy for off-chance that you might, one day, use them all again. Pomades, mousses, sprays, gels, waxes -- if it goes in your mop, you can find it in my closet. But for all of my serial product usage, I find that at the end of the day, I always come back to my beloved stand-by: Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom.I don't exactly know what "Silk Groom" is, but I do know what it does: namely, it flattens out fly-aways and makes your hair look salon-shiny. Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom moisturizes, protects, and conditions hair with a formulation of Silk Powders and naturally-absorbed oils, which come from Wheat Protein, Soy Protein, and Jojoba Oil.
To be honest, what I love most about this Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom is the fresh rosemary smell. As it turns out that in addition to being a miserable pack-rat, I also enjoy smelling like focaccia. Price: $17.50.
Diamond of the Day
If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then this 7.03 carat platinum engagement ring is a girl's BFF! (That's best friend forever, for those of you who aren't good with acronyms.) Believe it or not, this spectacular rock, which has a retail price of $55,000, is actually on sale for $31,750 at FutureFashionista.com. (That's 42% off for those of you who aren't so good at math!) The Platinum mounting is set with 142 round-cut diamonds, which add up to approximately 1.50 carats. The ring size is 6.75, and the band is signed by the designer -- one Sophie D. Of course, $31,750 is a steal in comparison to the amount of money spent on your average celebrity's engagement ring. After doing a little research, I found out that Paris Hilton's engagement ring cost $4.7 million, while Jennifer Lopez's only cost $1 million. I guess cost is always a matter of perspective.
The name's Branson, Richard Branson
British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson is about to step into a new role: acting.Expanding the Branson empire from his Virgin brands (Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Mobile, Virgin Records), Sir Richard will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Bond movie, Casino Royale. Casino Royale will star the new Bond, Daniel Craig. Of course, Sir Richard will not be the only cameo actor in the film. According to reports, Branson will be accompanied by his 19-year-old son, Sam. Just in case you are worried about his acting abilities, keep in mind that this is not Branson's first appearance on the big screen. Sir Richard and Sam have both appeared in the film Superman Returns.
According to Branson, the film's producer Barbara Broccoli contacted him to see if he would be interested in appearing during a scene at the Miami Airport. Of course, the Branson boys won't be cameo-ing next to just any airline -- they'll only appear with Branson's own Virgin Atlantic. Talk about product placement!
Portia Clark Pearls
Over the weekend, I attended my older sister's wedding in Maine. It goes without saying that she was the most beautiful bride ever. And, of course, she was wearing the most beautiful pearl earrings ever.I know what you're thinking -- pearls are for sorority girls and ladies who play bridge. But Portia Clark's pearls, now those are something else entirely. Made from a variety of stunning freshwater pearls in a rainbow array of shades and shapes, Clark's handmade pieces are quite possibly the loveliest exception to the stereotype of the pearl. If you visit her website, you can see her most popular styles of earrings, bracelets and necklaces. There's even an option to create your own unique design.
When you're the most beautiful bride ever, you definitely need the jewels to match.
Your Own R2-D2
First there was the Japanese robot dog. Then there was the robot cat. Now there is a voice-activated robot R2-D2, the lovable little droid from Star Wars. R2-D2 is a motorized replica of the original spirited bot, which can respond to more than 40 voice-activated commands. Using an infra-red sensor, 'D2 can roll around your house, search for intruders, play tag, answer simple 'yes' or 'no' questions, and dance to the famous cantina music from Star Wars. He may not be able to help save the universe, but he can still blink his lights, swivel his dome top and blast those memorable happy robot sounds. Standing 15 inches tall, R2-D2 weighs in at 6 pounds.
Now that popular culture's most beloved android friend has been memorialized in the form of a workable replica, I have to wonder which robot will come next? Personally, I'm hoping for Rosie -- the Jetson's helpful maid robot, the perfectly-programmed-hausfrau who leglessly rolled about, dusting and tidying wherever she went. Ah, dare to dream, I guess. Price: $119.95.
Piloti Spyder Driving Shoes
When it comes to driving footwear, there are good ideas and then there are bad ideas. A good idea? Piloti Spyder SV Series Driving Shoes.
A bad idea? Manolo Blahniks.
The driving shoe of choice for car-world enthusiasts, the Pilotis are not like your everyday athletic shoe. With a sleeker tread and narrower sole sides, these shoes are designed to avoid getting snagged on car pedals. Optimized for stability and walking comfort, Pilotis boast thick, stiff soles. The trademarked Roll Control heel helps drivers ensure that they have precise handling and control over the amount of pressure applied to the gas or the brake pedals.
And while you might not want to stumble into Bungalow 8 wearing a pair (after all, the Manolo's are better for that), the next time you are zipping along the Autobahn or flying through the streets of Monte Carlo, be sure to bring your Pilotis. Price $74.95.
