Deepathukral:
A look at this Treadwall and my memories of being stuck midway while rock-climbing, as a kid, comes flashing back. Gosh, I wonder how I managed to climb up half way and then couldn’t budge upwards or downwards….out of fear. But I’m sure a bit of…

Deepathukral:
Music seems to be smitten by the bling bug too and there’s no doubt about it. In recent times we featured a collection of crystal-studded guitars on Bornrich that, I’m sure, dazzled most of the music aficionados. But those seeking pure bling can…

Filed under: Apparel

Leonardo DiCaprio’s gorgeous Israeli model girlfriend Bar Refaeli has landed the fall ad campaign for classic California surf company Hurley. The ads (above) which showcase Refaeli’s ample charms will debut in magazines this fall, and she will also appear in the brand’s Spring 2009 runway show during Los Angeles Fashion Week in October. You can watch a video of her shooting the campaign here. Refaeli, the first Israeli model to appear in Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue, was also recently named Best Body of 2008 by Arena magazine, and will appear in Tommy Hilfiger’s Iconic America TV special this fall.

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Filed under: Auctions, Real Estate Developments

Last week , I mentioned a condo auction in Anaheim, California now here comes another Southern California auction. On August 24 at the Hilton Long Beach, 39 condos at West Ocean Two ill be auctioned by Citi Property Investors as part of the tower’s grand opening. The condos on Ocean Boulevard in downtown Long Beach are located in a high-rise that includes a large lobby, concierge service, exercise studio, swimming pool, media/club room, wine storage room, game room, guest suite, outdoor entertaining area and more. The starting bid for nine one-bedroom residences will be $275,000, the 25 two-bedrooms will have a $350,000 starting bid, and five three-bedrooms will start at $795,000. As Curbed LA reveals, condo documentation for the auction says that the one bedrooms were previously listed at $534,000 which seem fairly inflated.

[via Long Beach Press-Telegram]

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Filed under: Wine

Yesterday I mentioned Crushpad but they aren’t the only ones in the make your own wine business. Another make-your-own wine business has launched, this one in Oregon. Grand Cru Estates is a 13,000 square-foot winemaking facility breaking ground this month in the Yamhill Carlton AVA. Partners Domaine Danielle Laurent and Bailey Estate Vineyards have created Grand Cru Estates as an exclusive winemaking club that lets members create a barrel (25 cases) of their own premium Pinot Noir. Each membership offers interaction with the winemaking team both in the vineyard and in the winery and includes winemaking seminars, winemaking dinners, a biodynamic garden for member use and personal access to the winery for private events and personal concierge.

Club membership is available immediately beginning with the 2008 fall harvest with an initial membership fee of $5,000 for the first 30 founding members, along with a $20,000 fee for each member barrel.

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Filed under: Journeys

Former Yugoslavian dictator Marshal Tito’s lavish villa on Slovenia’s beautiful Lake Bled has been refurbished and turned into a top-drawer hotel under the auspices of the famed Relais & Chateaux group. The white Dalmatian marble mansion, called Vila Bled, on 12 landscaped acres surrounded by the dramatic Julian Alps, was visited by the likes of Liz Taylor, King Hussein of Jordan and Prince Charles when it was the former president’s retreat in the ’50s and ’60s. Now it’s divided into 20 luxe suites with a vintage feel, with a newly-added spa featuring both Turkish and Finnish saunas and food prepared by the first Slovenian chef to earn a Michelin star. See the gallery for more.

[via UrbanDaddy]

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Naveen:

Your special events require very special consideration on your end. If you want to make it an unforgettable experience, then it would be best to give it everything you have to make it really special. A limousine for such an occasion would be the just…

Cavale: What say about a table that sends ripples across its corners and may help you look into the infinity of space within those ripples? Lee J Rowland, the acclaimed designer, who also happens to be an aerospace engineer, has designed an astonishing piece of…

Filed under: Journeys

Last year I wrote out about hotels getting rid of the Bible, now it looks like some are ditching another standard hotel item, the phone book. Omni Hotels has announced that they will eliminate phone books, recycling their current stock of 30,000 phone books will be recycled. The hotel chain found that no one uses the phone books and they just take up drawer space. USA Today also notes that Hyatt hotels, Hyatt Place, Kimpton hotels and several chains operated by Starwood Hotels, Westin, Sheraton, Aloft and Element, have also stopped having phone books in the rooms and instead offer them by request at the front desk.

These days travelers are more likely to look up what they need on a laptop or smartphone. Unfortunately Omni only offers free WiFi in the rooms for its loyalty program members, guests who aren’t loyalty program members still have to pay $9.95 per day. I think it’s fine if hotels get rid of phone books, I just wish they’d give us free WiFi instead.

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1959 No. 1 Barbie
The first Barbie dolls were introduced by Mattel, Inc. in 1959. Produced in Japan, their clothing was hand-stitched by home workers. Creator Ruth Handler based them on a German doll called Bild Lilli, which was itself based on a comic strip character. Since then, of course, the Barbie doll has become a […]

Filed under: Estates

What does $33 million buy you in Franklin Tennessee? Let’s find out with today’s estate of the day. This over 20,000 square-foot manor house is on nearly 700 acres. The main residence with its porches and Corinthian columns was built in 2002 but aspires to an antebellum style. Because the land is mostly flat, the huge home can be seen from most parts of the property. The entry foyer is dominated by a grand staircase which rises to the 4000 sq. ft. master suite under twin Waterford chandeliers. There are 12′ ceilings on the first floor, and 11′ on the second floor. How’s this for a figure, the window treatments for the 59 windows boast over 2000 yds. of imported fabric. The lower level is includes a billiards room/cafe,a columned surround sound movie theatre and a nine-car showroom garage/workshop. As you might expect, the home has state of the art surveillance and alarm systems. There is also a climate controlled kennel for your canine guard. There is a pool and the property also has a large maintenance shed, caretakers house, covered picnic area and a dock.

For more prime properties and lush locations, see Luxury Homes and Mansions.

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Originally released in 1952 as a collection of body parts and accessories that could be attached to a real potato (or many other fruits and vegetables), Mr. Potato Head has become one of the most widely recognized toy brands in the US. It was more than ten years before a plastic potato body was added […]

Cavale:

If you thought people who are hooked to video games are fat, flabby and lack exercise, think again. Exerbike Pro, the Game Bike is a unique commercial grade exercise bike that lets you play your favorite video game while you pedal. In fact, the…

Cavale:
If expensive yachts and houseboats have become commonplace among the yuppies, you definitely would want to buy something that is more quaint and unique. And what is better than a cruise on a placid river on a canoe that is wind-powered? The Caillou…

Nandini:
We have told you about tanning beds for your home at many instances. But, let’s give it to Hapro for designing Glamour Editions of Luxura X7 and V7 which comes detailed with sparkling rhine stones and eye-catching violet top lighting to make your…

Filed under: Apparel, Children

Move over tie-dying…painting polo shirts is the new birthday party craze. Ralph Lauren took the scrambling through the craft-store out of the equation for your little one’s next bash by offering the Paint Your Polo kit for $45. The kit is intended for kids age six and up and includes a boy’s or girl’s white polo shirt in varying sizes, bright non-toxic paints, sponge brushes, a stamp, and instructions all in a festive paint can. 100% of the proceeds will support the Pediatric Art Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. On their website you can see other kids’ creations as well as download tips for throwing a paint party. Kids wearing their own fashion — now that’s a sweet statement.

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Filed under: Estates

How’s this for a price reduction? The Normandy-style estate in Oyster Bay, New York is finally under contract for $18 million. That sounds like a lot of money until you consider that the property was originally listed in 2006 for $43 million. The home was built by famed architect Charles P.H. Gilbert in 1906 and has ten bedrooms, staff quarters, a bowling alley, wine cellar and more. The grounds include a Tudor-style coach house, 12-stall stable, tennis house, both indoor and outdoor tennis courts and a pool. The property is listed as having approximately 26 acres surrounded by 114 preserve wooded acres. The listing back in 2006 described it as having sixty plus acres surrounded by 80 acres of conservation land and Newsday reports that last year, Nassau County purchased 33.5 acres of the estate for $11 million for preservation purposes. So it’s more like a $32 million listing went for $18 million. Still, that’s quite a price chop.

Northwood was once a 900-acre estate owned by banker Mortimer Schiff. Schiff built a massive 120-room Tudor house on the site but his son John replaced it with the comparatively modest home that is on the land today in 1948.

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Filed under: Jewelry

The U.S. ban against the importation of rubies and jade from Mynanmar is now official. President Bush signed legislation Tuesday hoping to send a strong message to Myanmar’s brutal ruling regime. While many jewelry companies including Tiffany & Co., Cartier and Bulgari already have had bans in place for a while, this bill makes it official. The U.S. government was particularly motivated to move after military junta’s reaction to the cyclone that hit the country in May. The regime was slow to accept help and and the country is still in recovery from that devastating event. First lady Laura Bush has spoken out on the issue of a ban against rubies from Myanmar before and she accompanied her husband in the Oval Office as he signed the bills, which extend and harden sanctions Congress first passed in 2003.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, produces some of the world’s most beautiful rubies. The rubies from the Mogok region have a deep translucent color often described as pigeon’s blood. As the AP article notes, many stones are currently being laundered through nearby countries such as Thailand to get around sanctions. Myanmar also does a brisk business in jade and jadeite which is continuing to be bought merchants coming from China and Hong Kong who purchase the stones in state-run auctions held periodically.

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Filed under: Estates

Today’s home is an architectural treat in the Cleveland Park area of Washington D.C. The Slayton House’s unique triple vault design comes courtesy of I.M.Pei & Associates which received an award for the design in 1964. In 2001, ,architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen was commissioned to enhance the original concept. The project was designed for the family of Pei’s colleague and friend William Slayton and features three poured concrete vaults.

Of course my eye is immediately drawn to the center vault space that contains a library lined by bookcases. The library separates the two master bedroom suites on the top level and overlooks the great room and onward to the pool.

The home has two bedrooms, three full baths and a gourmet kitchen. The front exterior features an alee of white crape myrtle trees around a pool surrounded by Turkish travertine which is also on all floors except the two bedrooms which are carpeted. This home is listed at $4.25 million.

[via Modern Capital]

[Thanks, Victor]

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Deepathukral:
From today onwards, the countdown for the 2008 Olympics starts from 10, 9, 8…..and will end on the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics that is on 8/8/08 at 8pm. And for the very same moment, diamond jewelers from London, De Vere, are unveiling…