Prada Perfection

Have you been shopping lately? I have and Resort/Cruise Collections are out in full force.  Pastels (particularly mint green & pale pinks), Whites/Neutrals, graphic prints and..... neon (yes, still).  Sidebar: I'm all for neon as workout wear; high visibility is important:

Puma Windblock hoodie, on sale for $70 right now; I have this and LOVE it

This leads me to my point today.  I have been on the hunt for the perfect purse lately, and have been waiting for my current one to fail me any day now.  Resort collections do NOT help to find the classic black perfect purse, but offer a plethora of orange, teal and pale pink.  Not exactly classic. I'm at the point where I'm ready to make an investment in the right piece, I just have to find it. Correction, I have found it but Prada is not quite on my level yet, so here we have the original idea and the attainable possibility:

Retails for about $1700 @ Bergdorfs

Retails for about $230

Anyone who's ever searched for the perfect purse knows this is the struggle; ideal vs reality.  But I digress. Since Resort season is upon us, let's talk vacations.  Where's you're ideal getaway? Maybe just a weekend, or a true 2 week decompression trip, what helps you relax?
For me it's Sonoma, but I'll take a solid day of wine tasting in Woodinville in a pinch.

Golden Tidbit:

There are a lot of things that you should pack for vacation, but sunglasses are the #1 must-have. These Gold Helene Aviators from Banana Republic fit the bill perfectly! ($98 and come with a leather case)

Golden Quote: "No matter what happens, travel gives you a story to tell." -Jewish Proverb

Lighting Trends 2013: Gilded style

I was lucky enough to spend the last 3 days at the Dallas Market Center for International Lighting Market.  Every year this is the largest event for the lighting industry and their opportunity to release the newest products to the largest audience (comprised of wholesale buyers from just about everywhere).  Now let me say that the DMC is impressive all on it's own, but the lighting portion is over a million square feet of lighting resources.  Imagine Mall of America, but bigger and all lighting; each showroom is basically the size of a department store (some smaller, some bigger) with the largest being over 30,000 sq ft.

View from one end of the Trade Mart in the DMC

 Luckily my coworkers warned me and I was well prepared with multiple pairs of flats, but after 3 days of walking on concrete, my feet definitely need a rest today. (for more info on the DMC, click here, we stayed primarily in the Trade Mart portion). Wishes for next year: Better wi-fi and vendors who offer power outlets; I took about 1,000 pics on my iPhone and live Tweeted & Facebooked while I was there, but absolutely would have done more if I hadn't been concerned about my battery life & where to find the next outlet. Also, they had a giant Social Media board that featured tweets with the hashtag #lightingmkt, and I ended up on the board a few times, pretty cool to look up and see your own tweet on a huge screen like this:

Now that you have some background, onto the fun part! There were some definite trends in lighting, including: Whites, Spheres, Gilding/Metallics, Historic, Natural Materials, Bold Colors, and Fururistic design.  I'm going to focus on Gilding, because everyone needs more Gold in their lives.

1. Ion Chandelier (Hinkley) 2. York Sconce (Hudson Valley) 3. Ecran Pendants (Tech Lighting) 4. Infinity Chandelier (Eurofase) 5. Spectra Chandelier (Hinkley) 6. Veubronze sconce (Elk)  7. Hugo Chandelier (Feiss)  8. Uni Chandelier (Troy)  9. Ombrello Chandelier (Eurofase) 10. Bronx Pendant (Eurofase) 11. Novello Chandelier (Eurofase) 12. Houdini Chandelier (Corbett) 13. Manchester Semi-flush (Maxim) 14. Amytis Chandelier (Schonbek) 15. Muse Pendant (Corbett) 16. Camelot sconce (LBL) 17. Poetry Chandelier (Corbett) 18. Gold dusted Crystal (Capital)
Gold Notes:
#3 Is made using a silkscreening process that actually puts gold and silver ON the glass
#7 The inspiration for the design came from vintage extendable sewing machine lights
#8 Inspired by a Sea Urchin (and not the only version I saw, just the only gold one)
#14 Used Swarovski crystals that don't show as well in the pic, but sparkle in person
#16 It's actually gold brass chain mail, but inspired from another fixture that uses swarovski crystal in gold mesh

Golden Feature:

One thing I learned this week, when you're taking as many iPhone pictures as I did, surrounded by rooms full of lighting, it gets hot and the likelihood of your iphone slipping out of your hand gets exponentially higher.  I dropped my phone a few times and my case did it's job and sacrificed itself to protect the phone. Cracks and chips just aren't attractive, and the case looses ability to protect the phone every time it happens. my BF was thoughtful and I came home to this Para Duo case in gold, the black is rubber and the portion on the front wraps around the phone (important for me, I'm most afraid of cracking my screen) Available on Amazon for $28.90

Golden Quote: "When Thomas Edison worked late into the night on the electric light, he had to do it by gas lamp or candle. I'm sure it made the work seem that much more urgent" -George Carlin

Technology & Plumbing Collide

After 11 weeks, I am finally publishing my first plumbing related post.  I'm in the plumbing/construction industry so plumbing products hold an allure to me, which some people find strange. When going out to eat, I'll always be sure to note the toilet, sink and faucet in the restroom.  I will know if that kitchen faucet on Cribs really is top of the line or not. But most of all, as a semi-tech geek, I love when plumbing & tech collide.

This week I had the opportunity to use the Kohler Moxie Showerhead.  

The speaker in hand, charging port shown

It is essentially a bluetooth speaker in a showerhead. Music in your shower, streaming from your phone.  (This is the kind of innovation that really gets me excited about my industry!)

 Moxie was introduced in December and was actually on quite a few tech blog X-mas lists, but not yet having the opportunity to test it myself, I wasn't ready to put a recommendation out.  Function for me is huge, i.e. if the shower head can't get conditioner out of my hair, the head probably won't pass my test.  There needs to be force behind the water, not just good looking exterior design.  The Moxie is not the best spray I've experienced out of a Kohler head, but passes the test just fine.

The spray is only on the outside of the head since the speaker has to be placed in the middle. I'll allow a little leeway in function here to get to the point; it's a speaker in a showerhead. The speaker insert has a 7 hour battery life, is water resistant, is bluebooth enabled up to 32 ft away and can be used separately from the rest of the showerhead.  I've heard of waterproof speakers for a full sound system inside your shower, but the idea of literally combining the 2? True innovation.

 (Kohler, Retails for $199 - See video here)

Golden Tidbit:

Obviously you'll need some body wash to use with a new shower head, why not some infused with 24k gold? (Available at Bath & Body Works, on sale for $8.25 other scents also available)

Golden Quote: "Everyone who's ever taken a shower has an idea. It's the person who gets out of the shower, dried off and does something about it who makes the difference." - Nolan Bushnell

New year, new Golden opportunity

I'm not big on New Years resolutions.  I hate the obligation to stick to something I think will make me a better person that I probably should be doing anyway.  The whole feeling of it hanging over my head leads me to hate the idea.  Instead I thought I would do something that I WANT to do and think will make other people as happy as I am to get it. I love getting mail.  Real-in my mailbox-with a stamp on it-bonafide snail mail.  I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one; who doesn't like discovering that little golden envelope with a stamp on it mixed among all the bills and ads and junk mail?  So this year I am committing to send 52 letters/thank you notes/birthday cards/care packages to the people in my life.  I know that Mail seems to out of date in this online era (says the bloggger) but  I hope my recipients enjoy receiving as much as I enjoy sending.
And yes friends, I have of course found a place online to make custom Gold Postage (www.zazzle.com)

Golden Feature:

These hand engraved Gold cards from Crane & Co are a perfect way to say Thank You!

($19 for a box of 10)

Golden Tidbit: "I've always felt there is something sacred in a piece of paper that travels the earth from hand to hand, head to head, heart to heart.” - Robert Michael Pyle

Local Liquor

I received a fantastic belated Xmas gift from my brother; a bottle of Sun Liquor Co. Gun Glub Gin:

This resulted in one of the best G&T's I've ever had, which of course made me research this amazing liquor.  Turns out Sun Liquor Distillery is one of the only distilleries in the US that has a full service bar  & restaurant (with Brunch!)

And lucky for us, was just up the hill (514 E. Pike, Seattle)

 We ended up with some pretty delicious Biscuits and Gravy, a damn good Moscow Mule for me and a refreshing Greyhound for Jeremy (with fresh squeezed Grapefruit - fresh squeezed really does make all the difference).  We also tasted their original Gin (Hedge Trimmer) as well as their Vodka, which we ended up purchasing (the vodka); any restaurant/bar where you can also purchase booze is a pretty good deal, really.

Not only is Washington blessed with an abundance of wineries and craft beers, but we are actually a home to quite a few local distilleries. Along with Sun Liquor, there is also Sound Spirits (Interbay), Mischief (Freemont), 2 Bar (Sodo), Oola (Cap Hill), Batch 206 (Interbay) and that's just a few of the local ones within walking/Uber distance for me.  (Let me know if I forgot any others in the DT Seattle/Cap Hill/Interbay area; I count Woodinville as a separate "distillery district").

Golden Feature:

A gold flask seems like a pretty good way to transport new distillery goods as needed, and this one's on sale on Overstock for $28.49

Golden Tidbit: "I drink Champagne when I win, to celebrate... and I drink Champagne when I lose, to console myself." - Napoleon Bonaparte

A Kitchen Sink Christmas

As a Frequent Flyer during the work week (especially after 5 straight weeks of travel or visiting managers) it's nice to start my vacation by NOT traveling and staying local.  In a time when so many people are traveling to be with their families we were lucky enough to be in town and spend some quality time with some of our best friends this weekend.  Inspired by a dance off (adults against children) at a recent dinner with friends, we decided to rent a dance game of our own using Game Fly;  "Everybody Dance!" for Playstation 3.  If you are a DDR fan, or just never played a dance game, take the next step and try it.  What an entertaining night we had and discovered our friends are incredibly talented dancers!

Today we got to see even more friends and they came bearing gifts:

Kitchen Sink white wine - what a perfect backdrop! (Picture courtesy Charles)

 We've had the Red before and I highly recommend it, I've heard the white is just as good and we can't wait to try it! What a perfectly fitting gift, thanks Stephanie & Charles!

Golden Feature:

Gold Banded Wine Glass

Is there a better way to enjoy wine that out of a gold rimmed glass? Probably not.  These are actually on sale right now at Williams Sonoma for $95.99 for a set of 4

Golden Tidbit: "Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized." - Andre Simon

Treasure this Season with your family and friends, and I hope you all enjoy a very Merry Christmas! 

A golden guide to gifts

Happy Holidays! I figured it was time to join in (yes there are a few shopping days left, don't worry!) and give you all a little gift guide. And yes, it's a Golden Themed gift guide. Some of these are items I own so I feel fully comfortable recommending them (find the Gold *) and others are just good Gold ideas.  Happy Shopping!

Golden Feature - Gifts for her:

1. Gold Scarf  - by Target $14.99

2. Gold Nail polish - Felicity by Julep $14.00*

3. Gold Lotion (with 24k gold!) - Oro Gold Body Butter $25.50 *

4. Gold Heels - by Ivanka Trump $129.95

5.Gold Wallet - by Kate Spade $100

6. Gold Druzy Necklace - on Etsy $53.00

7. Gold Earrings - by Tory Burch $78.00

8. Gold Chocolate - by Godiva $15.00

9. Gold Journal - by Grandluxe $11.47 *

Golden Feature - Gifts for him:

1. Gold Shave set - by Erbe $186.95

2. Gold Cigar Cutter - by Xikar $49.95

3. Gold Watch - by Bulova $450

4. Gold Earbuds - by Nixon $75.62

5. Gold Cufflinks - by Cufflinks.com $100.00
6. Gold Pen - Starwalker by Montblanc $470

Golden Feature - Gifts for the Home:

1. Gold Bar Cart - by Society Social $515.00

2. Gold Ornament - by  Starbucks $4.95 *

3.Gold French Press - by  Bodum $69.95

4. Cougar Gold Cheese - by WSU Creamery $20.00 *

5. Gold Champagne - by Armand de Brignac $269

6. Gold USB Drive - by Kate Spade $50.00

7. Gold Dinnerware - plates by William Sonoma $39.95

Golden Tidbit: "Anyone who believes the competitive spirit in America is dead has never been in a supermarket when the cashier opens another checkout line." - Ann Landers