Sears means business when it comes to tools. ItsCraftsman 1,470-piece Professional Tool Set includes a 300-piece Base Essentials Set, 198-piece Professional Essentials Set, 189-piece Specialized Essentials Set, 204-piece Advanced Access Pro's Set, 106-piece Advanced Professional Tool Set, 89-piece Specialized Access Professional Tool Set, 83-piece Ultimate Fully-Polished Ratcheting Set, 77-piece Heavy-Duty Mechanic's Set, 94-piece Auto Specialty Professional Tool Set and 130-piece Professional Impact Set. It's available online, and via the Sears catalog (item # 34131), for $8,600. Save on shipping (since Sears charges by weight) and select store pick-up, if offered in your area, when ordering.
Use SeatGuru to search airplane layout charts before you select your flight seat so you'll never again be stuck with only partial reclining ability or in the back near the stale coffee. SeatGuru calls itself "the ultimate source for airplane seating, in-flight amenities and airline information" and it works -- I've used it. Even though the site is intuitive, there are directions right on the home page.
It's simple: Look up your airline. There's all kinds of info that you can navigate using the tabs that pop up, such as baggage rules, traveling with infants, policies regarding unaccompanied minors and travel with pets. Amenity info is listed, along with phone numbers that may be of use, all specific to your airline.
To get to the good part, the seating chart, break it down further by type of plane. A cool, color-coded chart assists you in picking the best seats for your needs (long legs, near the bathroom, not near the bathroom, etc.). First-class is included. Here's an example.
Thanks to my experienced travel buddy Laura for this tip.
Are you suffering from campaign fatigue? Tired of seeing Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama duking it out on TV? Me too. But here's a bright spot: You can support the Democratic Party and make a fashion and political statement with the Change tote bag from Alexis Hudson. Company designers Rachelle Copeland and Emily Ironi teamed up with Los Angeles artist Greg Miller to create the bag.
"The Change bag is designed for everyone who believes in hope, change and the Democratic party," said Copland. "It's a real statement piece!" Ten percent of proceeds from the sale of the bag will support either Clinton's or Obama's race against John McCain. The bag will be available at alexishudsoninc.com for $95 starting in mid-May.
Alexis Hudson offers a range of really nice bags, though much more expensive than the Change bag, in the Spring '08 collection (see a few below).
These products are a triple play -- almost 100% organic, luxurious, and free of animal testing/ingredients tested on animals. Using the tagline "Beautify Not Toxify," Luxe Essentials is a simple line with just three categories: body butter ($10 - $30), bath salts ($37), and bath and body oils ($20). Oh wait, two gift baskets are offered -- lavender and lemongrass ($55). I love lavender, just in case you're thinking of sending me one of these. Hey, I'm just saying, if you need an idea. Anyway ...
Luxe Essentials' founder, Nydia Norville, is based in NYC. Read more about her and the line on her MySpace page or her blog, which has some beauty tips to try at home.
Yacht owners often are too busy to use their boats for more than a few weeks each year. Another thing to consider, certainly, is the cost of ownership. Yikes. That's the theory behind Luxury Yacht Partners of N.Y. Purchase fractional ownership, rent a yacht for a day or sell part or all of your yacht.
Fractional ownership yachts are a Sunseeker 61' Predator 2003, 25% share, $335,000; or a Burger 81' 1972, 25% share, $195,000, with an optional Robinson R-44 helicopter, 25% share, $45,000. Depending on whether your yacht will stay in the Northeast or be relocated to Florida during the winter, you get 30 - 70 cruising days each year.
All the operational expenses are shared by the up to 4 shareholders, and of course you pay for your own consumables. Operational expenses include docking fees, maintenance, crew payroll, insurance, repairs and a management fee.
Sounds good, and economical, but hold on -- not thrilled about others using "your" yacht? That's why you pay a management fee: A concierge service will ready the yacht for your time at sea, such as stocking your preferred beverage or having available your special sheets. Summer's coming, so buy that share, and get out the sunblock!
Selectism recently highlighted the Spring/Summer '08 Collection of John Varvatos amped-up Converse Chuck Taylors and Purcell Vantages. Apparently styles are veering away just a bit from the popular laceless Chucks, although they're not gone, with a return to the more traditional laced Chucks. Varvatos also styled hi-tops and added the Purcells.
This collection features shoe-like sneakers (you won't be playing basketball in these) made from a mix of leather and canvas. Hi-tops are lined in a material that resembles mattress ticking, but with better colors.
Try as I might, I could not find these on the Varvatos site, but Zappos sells a few dozen of what might be last season's styles for between $95 - $145. Converse also featured about the same number of styles, although, again, not from this collection. These ranged from $110 - $145.
Looks like you need to find a Varvatos store to be so very this season.
Thanks, David, for this tip.
Gallery: Converse Chucks and Purcells With a Varvatos Touch
Designer Matt Carr found found two vintage coffee tables and was inspired to create a bookrack for his own home. Earning points for recycling and keepin' it green (possibly saving the tables from the landfill), he configured them into the Biblioteca Bookrack, offered by Umbra.
The shelves have a natural mahogany top and black lacquered legs. Dimensions: 44" x 37" x 11" (111 cm x 93 cm x 20 cm).
$525 on the Umbra site, but pssst, Unica Home offers it for $500.
The Polaris Floor Lamp is more like a piece of art than a lamp. Made of lacquered nylon that has been rotationally molded, it's a modern, clean piece that would work well in a corner or next to a bed or sofa. The lamp pivots, "revealing a different fluid vertical form on its satin steel footprint base." No fancy bulbs required, just one 300-watt halogen bulb (included). For atmosphere, use the floor dimmer.
A 2008 design by Marco Acerbis for Fontana Arte, it's available in glossy white, glossy black or glossy amethyst (aubergine/eggplant). Retromodern.com sells it for $1,840 (a 20% discount from the list price of $2,300). Measures 11.8" W x 76" H. Delivery in 2-4 weeks.
Orbino Luxury Cases recently debuted the Arista case for Apple's MacBook Air. This bag is so clean and classic that I'd love to carry it even without a laptop, and with the rich color choices, I might even be persuaded to break away from my traditional black. Handmade by a single artisan in Orbino's Naples, Italy, workshop, the case is made from vegetable-tanned Tuscan leathers. Features include plush padding to protect your laptop, a gusseted front pocket, an iPhone/cell phone harness and an adjustable shoulder harness. The case is hand lacquered and has buffed, four-coat edging and hand-stitched detailing. Custom options to up the luxury quotient include being able to order a case made-to-measure and/or in limited edition skins such as crocodile, snakeskin and ostrich.
Knowing that I'm on the lookout for luxury items, my friend Cliff told me that I just had to look at Frontgate. So I did! Now that al fresco dining season is here, I decided to peruse Frontgate's grill offerings and came upon this 405-lb. beauty: the Barbeque Grill Island, made with O.W. Lee craftmanship. The wrought iron body has a black suede finish, the feet are cast iron and ceramic briquettes are included. The cooking-related facts:
Start saving now ($6,667) for the winter gift-giving season, and order early -- shipping takes 8-9 weeks, and the grill is only available online. You might be a little late for Father's Day, but if your grilling guy has a late summer birthday, you might get one in time.
William (Bill) Stubbs, a Houston-based designer and one of Architectural Digest's top 100 designers, shares his knowledge and philosophy in 13 half-hour episodes of the new PBS series A Moment of Luxury. Presented nationally by WLIW New York, the series premiered nationwide this month (check local listings for your channel and broadcast time). Its aim is to make "the experience of luxury -- excellence, comfort and high quality -- accessible at any budget with transformational tips inspired by international locales and top experts. The website has lots to read, such as an episode guide, a list of Stubbs' travels and of course, a blog, so you can "create your own interaction with luxury." Don't we all want that?
Garden and outdoor company Smith & Hawken is offering, for a limited time, free shipping on its premium teak chaise collection when you order online. That's a savings of 11% of the final price of the item plus an additional savings of $50 per item for the chaises in this collection. This means you can buy an additional piece so the family's not fighting over who gets the teak chaise by the pool. The more you spend, the more you save!
I like the Saranac Chaise. Designed by Frederic Spector, it's fitted with a four-position backrest and three-way under-knee support. Wheels make it easy to move from lawn to poolside, and a pull-out tray holds snacks, beverages or reading material. Ecologically farmed teak will withstand rain, snow and sun. Assembly required; $1,499.
Most pet crates don't look so nice in the home, with their plastic casing, metal gates and colors that don't always match the decor. Unless you want to keep your pet and his or her crate in the basement, there's an alternative, if you have a woody decor. The Pet Crate End Table from Improvements Catalog is solid pine with a chestnut color, and doubles as an end table. It comes in two sizes and is priced a bit more than many of the basic plastic and metal models found at a conventional pet goods site, such as Doctors Foster and Smith, but certainly is nicer looking as well as multi-functional.
Because the crate looks more like furniture than, well, a crate, you can easily set it up in the living room, den or bedroom. The pivoting block "lock" keeps the door closed. The description states that the crate also is a good place for a kitty litter box. And I bet my 3-year-old nephew would enjoy hiding in there too.
Large Pet Crate End Table, 25" x 36" x 30" tall, $259.99; Medium Pet Crate End Table, 21" x 30" x 24" tall, $199.99. See the gallery below for some of the other attractive pet products available from Improvements Catalog.
Sub-Zero recently announced an overhaul of its line of built-in models, to be available this fall. What's especially interesting and appealing is that all the air in the line's models will be "scrubbed" by a purification system an average of once every 20 minutes to eliminate odors, viruses and bacteria that can lead to hastened ripening and, ultimately, spoilage. Additionally, the products offer something Sub-Zero states no refrigerator ever has -- a water filter that reduces viruses and bacteria, in theory reducing contaminants while keeping water and ice tasting fresh.
Other new features: brighter lighting, crisper drawers that have an improved glide system, an easy-to-use digital control panel and adjustable door shelves that can be moved in one-inch increments. The exterior can be customized, too, using one of these options:
Flush Inset: Flush with surrounding cabinetry. Has a smaller profile and facilitates inset installation. Available in Classic Stainless, Platinum Stainless or Carbon Stainless Steel panels, or can be fitted with custom panels.
Stainless Steel: Finished in Classic Stainless Steel, ready out-of-the-box. Works with any commercial-style kitchen. Redesigned with a new ventilation grille.
Framed: Consumer may slide a custom cabinetry panel into an existing frame so that the door better matches the kitchen. Has a new extruded handle and redesigned louvered grilles.
Overlay: Consumer may incorporate cabinet panels and custom handles into the doors and grille.
I have a Sub-Zero integrated model (similar to the model in the photo, a current Sub-Zero product) with an overlay that blends in so well that when the real estate agent was showing me the kitchen, I had to ask her where the refrigerator was. But buyer beware -- a Sub-Zero costs quite a lot, and definitely delivers on its promises, but can be expensive to repair. I learned this the hard way last year when my motor burned out because I hadn't "serviced" the system. Who knew a refrigerator required a yearly tune-up? It seems I have the Mercedes of refrigerators -- lovely to look at, performs like a dream, but even a simple oil change can set you back $300 (or, in my case, $1,000 for a new motor and yearly servicing).
Those who buy Sub-Zero appliances likely can afford any repair work on them, but why waste money? If you get one of these new models, be sure to ask the sales rep about yearly service.
As a longtime Zappos fan, I love the free shipping and returns, ease of ordering and fantastic selection. I knew Zappos carried high-end items, but just discovered its Luxe Life branch. Here you can find couture shoes (natch), jewelry, apparel and bags for women and men, as well as kids' shoes.
Let's do a quick search, shall we? Criteria: women's shoes, size 8, medium width, any heel height, any price, black. The results? More than 530 styles that range from a high of $1,114 for Cesare Paciotti t-strap pump made of haircalf and accented with a crystal vamp ornament to a low of $79 for an adidas by Stella McCartney slide with a rubber sole.
You can browse by designer, too, that is, if you haven't fainted from sticker shock or spent your whole month's apparel budget on sandals for your children.
Selectism
