Curiosities: Metroship Houseboat

The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book came in the mail the other day, and the first order of business was to skip all the clothing and look for those notoriously expensive pipe dream gifts. Enter the Metroship Houseboat. Now, boats have held a certain charm for me since I saw the movie Houseboat starring Cary Grant and Sophia Loren. The Metroship Houseboat...well, it sort of (get ready for the pun) blew the other one out of the water. For $250,000 you get a sleek, modern vessel, replete with hardwood floors, double paned glass windows, a W hotel bed, and a gourmet kitchen. It's not huge (48' x 12', with 7' ceilings), but it's a cozy getaway for two. Just don't forget to bring the credit card or bricks of gold.

Found Objects: Kabuki Color

Imagine if you could package the art and intrigue of Kabuki theatre in a mini bento box. Francois Nars, make-up maven and founder of Nars Cosmetics, has tried to do just that with the creation of his limited edition "bento box." Captivated by Kabuki make-up, Nars brought home  a small pot of Kabuki lip color from Japan as inspiration for a new product that's been years in the making. There are run-of-the-mill lipsticks, and then there's this: two glorious, brightly colored lipsticks poured by hand into small cups that rest in a little black box (special lip brush included). Ideal for the lover of theatre, make-up, or anything beautiful, really. Note: The race is to the swift.  Only 1,000 sets will be sold in the United States, available beginning November 1.

Beautiful Bargains: Pincushions

I've been meaning to pick up sewing for years now About twice a year, I do some serious hunting and gathering in several fabric and bead districts. To be surrounded by all that fabric and all those notions just makes me want to pick up a needle, thread it, and...know what to do beyond that! Anyway, if I ever do get around to it, these would be a must-have accessory for me: Hable Construction pincushions. At the very affordable price of $10, you can have a cute and stylish sewing accessory for your table.

Bookmarked: The New Ikea Cookbook

Carl Kleiner does such a quirky job of photographing these ingredients that it makes baking seem way less intimidating than putting together an Ikea dresser!

Of Note: Girl Of All Work at the Emmys (well, sort of)!

One of the cool things about my job is that you never really know what's going to come up. This year, we had the opportunity to contribute to the 2010 Emmy awards swag bag. A random mix of 700 page flags were shipped off and slipped into celebrity goody bags. It was rough work, as we here at the studio had to stick them individually onto special little placards for the event. It was work that took us into the night (luckily we had Top Chef in the background to lift our spirits)! We spent the next day basically goofing off and working in slow motion. A necessary break from all the craziness. Congrats to all the nominees and winners this year!

Eatables: Sweet Leaf Tea

Where have I been all this time? Ironically, now that the summer days are waning, I've finally discovered a bottled iced tea that I love: Sweet Leaf Iced Teas. Well, more specifically, their Sweet Tea. I haven't had the chance to sample the other available flavors. But in a mad dash to get refreshments for a game night with friends, I snatched a bottle off the shelves in Bristol Farms (don't worry, I paid!). While others dipped into the bottled root beers and sodas that night (I guess tea isn't a big thing at night), I had the whole bottle of Sweet Tea to myself and was pleasantly shocked. Mellow sweetness with just enough flavor to capture the essence of summer in a bottle. It must be the organic cane sugar that they use.  And, of course, there's a caricature of a smiley grandma on the label to give it some serious tea cred.  For those with a more adventurous, grown-up palette, their website offers recipes for mixers.

Found Objects: Modern Sheds

Whoa. Sheds have never looked so cool. I'd be perfectly happy living in one one these! Made with green and sustainable materials, these prefab sheds start at $3800+. Available at Studio Shed.