Item Of The Day!!!

This is the start of something brand new on this blog. From now on I will be posting one item a day that I have found and you may want.

The pick of today is a great belt buckle. Now I'm not really a gun guy, but this buckle is so rad I had to share it with you all. It's called 300 Winchester Magnum Nickle Silver Tip. A really straight forward name for a buckle that is definitely not shy! You can pick up this one, or many other buckles, at Bad Ass Belt Buckles right on etsy.

Personally I love the silver tips. Not sure they'll help you stand a chance against that neighborhood werewolf, but you'll get noticed by your peeps!

The World's First Portable Espresso Machine

We all know that the average adult lives on way too much caffeine. Well now it has been made even easier for you to get your fix! That's because the clever people at mypressi have come up with the world's first portable espresso machine. That's right, I said PORTABLE!!! This is perfect for when you don't have time for those coffee runs.

This sexy gadget, named the Twist, weighs about a pound and is just under a foot long. You can just throw it in your bag with some ground coffee or espresso pods and you are ready for your weekend get away.

You can pre-order it now for $129. And since most of you probably spend more than that on coffee in a week, this is a bargain!

Pre-order at mypressi

What is the future of chocolate???

We all know about the regular chocolate bars we grew up with. The kit-kat, Snickers, Milky Way and of course the classic Hershey's Bar that we all knew and loved. Well with the world ever changing in terms of cultural melding and the never ending growth of technology, what happens to our old friend chocolate? Well like all of us, chocolate didn't want to get left behind. I have scoured the Internet and found some fantastic melt-in-your-mouth chocolate treats that prove chocolate is not going anywhere. In fact, at some points it may even be ahead of it's time.

Now of course there are still the classic milk, dark and white chocolate bars out on the market, and I believe, like a good black suit, they will never go out of style. But here are some exciting new ways to enjoy our old friend.

1) Single Malt Scotch Bar - This adult take on the traditional chocolate bar is being made by a company that really knows their chocolate, Bon Bon Bar. They promote the bar by saying "This candy bar is bold enough for Scotch lovers and smooth enough for all chocolate lovers." Scotch and chocolate seem so right together I don't know why these weren't out years ago.
2) Dagoba Lavender - I know what you're thinking. Lavender? Really? But trust me you will not be disappointed! I have always been a big fan of Dagoba Organic Chocolate and they did not let me down on this one. This is the kind of bar that you'll want to enjoy while you sit and relax after a long stressful day. Pop a piece into your mouth and feel like chocolate heaven is melting into you.
3) Hibiscus Flower Chocolate Bar - This flowery bar is being hand made and sold by Black Flower on etsy. The description given to the bar is short and right to the point, "70% dark chocolate blended with organic dried hibiscus flowers. Dark and fruity."
4) Gnosis Pomegranate Acai Bar - This is a great and healthy bar that packed full of anti-oxidants. To top it off, it's vegan! That's right, it really is raw, organic, handmade and guilt-free. The healthier take on our old friend is being sold on etsy by Gnosis Chocolate.
5) Dagoba Xocolatl Hot Chocolate - OK I know it's not a chocolate bar, but sometimes you just want to drink your chocolate! Dagoba Organic Chocolate has resurrected the ancient drink of the Aztecs with this recipe. It is definitely not like the hot chocolate my mom used to make for me. This orgasmic drink is a blend of chocolate, chilies and cinnamon. Now I know chilies don't sound like a fun treat to everyone, but Dagoba has really mastered the perfect way to marry the sweetness of chocolate with a slight kick from the chilies.
6) Le Whif - Chocolate has just been propelled into a future where it no longer needs to be eaten. Now it can be inhaled! That's right, INHALED!!! This futuristic take on chocolate can be purchased at Le Labo Shop. And as if the idea of being able to breath chocolate wasn't enough, it is also ZERO calories. I think that might be healthier than the air I breath for free in Los Angeles! You will also be able to buy these babies in 4 flavors, - mint chocolate, raspberry chocolate, mango chocolate, and plain chocolate.

Now of course I couldn't write about all the different kinds of chocolate bars that are on the market now. A whole book could be written on all of them. But feel free to go searching on your own and report back on new and exciting flavors. I know Vosges makes bacon chocolate bars and lots of other exotic flavors. So go out and show chocolate that no matter what he changes into, he'll always have a place in our hearts!

What Could Men Wear To A Gallery Opening???

I get asked this question all the time. Usually by my female friends that want to dress up their men or by my single guy friends that aren't used to going to places like gallery openings or trendy restaurant openings. So I have made a couple selections of pieces that I feel would make a man stand out in a great way. Of course season, time of day and specific event will always play a role in dictating your outfit, but there are a few key rules that will almost always apply. And those rules are:
1) Black is classic! It's always in style and is a safe bet when you're not sure.
2) Don't be afraid of color! It could be a bright tie or one daring option is bright shoes. Men do it all the time in Europe. Solid dark or muted colors for the outfit and then BAM!- bright orange shoes.
3) Wear clothes that fit you! Too many times do I see men wearing clothes that do not fit. Too big or too small is just not good gents. Our bodies come in all different shapes and sizes and not everything we buy will fit perfectly. Don't be scared of your friendly neighborhood tailor. There was a time when men would take all their clothes to a tailor and this is a tradition that needs to be resurrected.
4) Jewelry! Don't be scared to show some bling bro! There are tons of great choices out there for men now. They can be found in many retail jewelry stores now as well as indie places like etsy.com Figure out what metal looks good on you and don't be afraid to experiment with different materials like fiber, glass, wood or rubber.
5) Hats! Somewhere along the way, men wearing hats became less fashionable. Well that time is over. Dudes should not be scared to wear hats. Now I'm not talking about your grubby Mets cap. I mean real hats. The kind you can tip to someone when you say hi. Or a really nice beanie can be pulled off if done right.
6) Scarves are not just for the winter! Women have known for generations that a good scarf can transform any outfit. Well dudes are finally catching on to this. There are tons of scarves on the market for men now that are meant more as a fashion accessory than a utilitarian object to keep your neck warm. Look around for these. I have found great ones in our local Little India but many major retail stores and indie online shops are also carrying them now.
7) Shoes are in! I remember when you would go into any men's department store and all the shoes looked the same. They were black or brown and just a few variations on the same style. Well now the world has woken up and we men have options! Granted the women still have more options, but we are catching up. So go in to the stores and look around. And TRY THEM ON!!! Nothing is worse than spending a whole night in shoes that are uncomfortable.
8) Scent is key! Luckily there are tons of cologne options for men now. I recommend setting aside an afternoon and going with a friend that can be honest with you. Smell as much as you can and remember to ask for the coffee beans to clear each scent out from your nose before moving on to the next. I also recommend getting more than one scent. It's always nice to have variety and different occasions could call for very different scents. You could also have your own custom scent mixed. A lot of times it's cheaper than the commercial stuff and it's your own signature scent so you will always stand out. Check out your local holistic shops and see if anyone does custom blends.
9) Be fashion forward! There are so many great men's wear designers out there that aren't getting the media attention they deserve. If there is some new concept out there and it speaks to you, don't be afraid to go for it. Every trend started with one person wearing it. Maybe you could be a new trend setter.
10) Be you! Don't try to be Usher or Brad Pitt. Let people see who you are, reflected in your style. If you're a little more rock, then gear your outfit that way. There is nothing wrong with injecting personality into clothing. Just remember not to overdue it.

Here are just a few samples of things guys could wear. Explore dudes! And don't be afraid to ask questions. If you're not sure what looks good on you, ask for opinions.

1) Ray Vincente Eclectic
2) Necklush
3) Joseph Cuevas
4) Eve Shan
5) FORZIERI
6) Lotus Jewelry Studio
7) Wendelart
8) FORZIERI

My very first one....

Well I kept saying I would do it but I kept putting it off. So I decided to take advantage of this flu/cold/sinus thing I have and sit down to get it done. That's right, I finally made a youtube video of my work. It's nothing fancy but I am proud of it. Let me know what you think of it.

Love you all!!!

Felicity Kind of Mood....

So being born in 1982, my teen years were all about the WB network. I was a WB whore. I watched every show they came out with and loved every second of it. I learned all my big words from Dawson's Creek and all the shows taught me how to be overly dramatic when it came to matters of the heart. But there was one show that always touched me. One show over all the others. That show was Felicity. Something about Felicity always touched me. From the very first episode, she took the biggest leap she ever could. She followed a guy to NY. A guy she didn't even know. And as the show progressed, she progressed. She grew into this amazing person and challenged everything she had always held true in her heart. She quit pre-med. She loved two guys. She embraced her art. She over thought everything and yet still managed to follow her heart whenever possible.

My life paralleled that of hers in a lot of ways. When I started college I was pre-med. I did that for a couple of years and I was good at it. But there was always something missing for me. I wanted to work on my art but I didn't have time with all the labs. I over thought every situation and weighed out pros and cons before acting. Till oneday I was tired of it. I was tired of feeling like my whole life had been planned out. So I quit pre-med and I jumped on a plane destined for California. I had never been there, I just knew I needed to find myself in a completely new place. See felicity had used following Ben as an excuse. She really just wanted to break away. She wanted to find her own life somewhere else. Well my life not being a TV show, the road was a lot bumpier for me than it was for her. I had to live out of my car for a while and there have been really good times and really bad times but all in all I am happy I made the leap. I am finally working on my art full time and I love it.

But let's get back to Felicity. In the last season of the show the creators did something amazing. First they gave you what would have been an incredibly perfect ending to the show at mid season. She graduated college and ended up happy with her life and Ben. She became her own person after trying to find herself for so long. But the show went further. They decided to show us what could have happened if she had made a different choice. See Felicity had always loved two guys, one was Ben the guy she followed. The other was her best friend Noel. Well the writers wrote in a plot that had Felicity unhappy with her life a few years after graduation. She was wishing she had chosen Noel over Ben all those years ago. So her Wiccan friend Megan casts a time travel spell and sends her back in time so she can choose Noel. We got to see how different everything would have been if she chose Noel over Ben.

This was amazing to me because, as I've descibed in a previous post, I often sit and wonder how life would be different if I had made a different choice in even a small way. She was incredibly unhappy with the way things turned out when she chose Noel. She realized she was happy before. Would I not like my life if things had been different? What if I had waited a year to move to California? What if I had started working with glass earlier in life? What if I hadn't taken back my husband so many years ago when we split up for a bit? Even the small stuff. What if I hadn't been late to class? or What if I took an earlier train?

Every choice we make has so many reprecussions and we never think about it. So is it better to follow your heart?

Haha wow I started with felicity and gave you guys a lot of info about me. Hope you enjoyed it! I'll leave you all with a youtube video of all the theme songs they used on Felicity. Senior year was my favorite. Listen to them all and enjoy!

Everyone should see this!!!

OMG I love this video. It has got to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It was made in response to the "Gathering Storm" commercial that is being aired. Tell all your friends about this video. Everyone needs to watch this!!!