bLavish

Ecosse Titanium Series RR Limited Edition

December 30, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Tremendous Toys at 11:30 pm | Comments off

Ecosse is known for making some of the most spectacular motorbikes in the world. And the Titanium Series RR Limited Edition is nothing if not spectacular. This baby has a totally titanium chassis coated with carbon fiber. It’s incredibly fast 2150cc engine gets up to 200 horsepower. Just to give you something for comparison, a Mustang has a horsepower of about 210, and since at around 700 pounds, it is remarkably lighter than a car, you can just imagine how fast this baby can go.

Every inch of this machine is beautifully crafted. Even the timepiece is made by French watchmake BRM, and was designed to match the RR perfectly. What I love about this bike is its traditional styling. A lot of concept bikes go the way of the superbike, and they look more like something a superhero would ride than something that belongs on the highway. This Ecosse, on the other hand, is beautiful in a way that even Harley devotees can appreciate. At $246,000, it’s a pretty big investment for a hobbyist, but my guess is that since they’re only making 10 of them, not many hobbyists will buy.

The World’s Most Expensive TV

December 30, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as The Most Expensive at 11:12 pm | Comments off

HD isn’t enough for some people, they’ve gotta have HD covered in bling. This Supreme Rose TV by Stuart Hughes is bound to find a few takers, despite its $2.26 million price tag. Like most things that cost a lot of money, the Supreme Rose is all about packaging. In fact, while you might assume that it’s a giant wide screen, it’s actually only 55″!

The price tag comes from all the bling, my friends. Every inch of this baby is pure opulence. The inside screen layer is alligator skin and the frame is 61 pounds of 18 karat rose gold. It’s encrusted with 72 brilliant round cut white 1 carat diamonds, and all the nooks and crannies are filled with amethyst and sunstone. Only three of these babies were made, so you better get on the waiting list if you want one!

Lampe Berger Lucarne Ceramic Diffuser

December 29, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as For the House at 5:39 pm | Comments off

If you’ve never heard of Lamp Berger before, you really need this little lesson. Lampe Berger is a line of diffusers that use a unique stone burner that removes odors, purifies the air, and leaves a distinctive fragrance behind. The inventor, Berger, produced the first Lampe Berger burners in 1898 for medical use. The antibacterial properties of the lamps, however, are just one of their many qualities.

For one thing, the line features a variety of high quality scents. None of those drugstore chemically-smelling air fresheners. These come in scents like peppermint and amber. And the slow burning oil lasts hours and hours, and fills your home with the delightful fragrance of your choice. The lamps themselves come in a variety of styles and materials from glass to stone. This artsy, minimalist ceramic version is one of my favorites.

Pure Gold Tata Nano Celebrates 5,000 Years Of Indian Jewelry

December 28, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Fast & Furious Cars at 10:05 am | Comments off

Sort of a contradiction in terms, isn’t it?  To build a luxurious, solid gold car from one of the most basic and certainly cheapest cars, the Tata Nano.

But it looks like the Nano has won the best design to be worthy of celebrating 5,000 years of Indian jewelry.  From a total of thirteen proposals submitted, this is the design chosen to celebrate the austere anniversary.

The custom car will be built using pure gold provided by Titan Industries and will then go on display for all to see in India in the coming year.  Talk about showing off those jewels!

Luxury Shopping Fuels Economic Recovery

December 28, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Chasing the Greenbacks at 3:10 am | Comments off

If you spent Christmas day with an opulent pile of presents at your feet and you’re feeling kind of guilty about it, don’t. Analysts say that spending at luxury retailers during the holiday season helped spurn consumer confidence amongst all income levels.

What does that mean, exactly? It means that spending and consumer confidence, as evidenced by holiday shopping, are up to their highest levels since the beginning of the recession. The effect is across the board, but it all started in the luxury markets. The way analysts see it, luxury retailers saw increases first, and eventually the gains spread to mid- and uppertier consumer markets.

Part of the increase is due to what economists call pent up demand. In plain English, consumers have been waiting and waiting to buy, until finally, this holiday season, they’ve returned eagerly to the malls in droves. Increases surpassed even generous expectations. Seriously, is there any better Christmas gift than a stabilizing economy? That’s something we can all unwrap.

Louis Vuitton Fanny Pack

December 26, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Apparel at 11:00 pm | Comments off

Ah, the much maligned fanny pack, butt of many jokes, joke of many butts. The question is, is it possible to make one of these babies chic? Ironic, sure. Sassy, perhaps. But chic? I am the proud owner of an LV fanny pack and even I doubt its sophistication. But, in terms of convenience and accessibility, they’re really not to be beat. Seriously, there’s a lot to make fun of here, but seriously, this is a low maintenance answer to the oversized, overfilled totes that women are carrying these days.

This one happens to have a lot of bells and whistles. I might take that front tassel off, but that’s a personal preference. It might cut down on some of the throwback jokes. But, hey, Rhianna has a giant LV fanny pack and no one makes fun of her (okay, a few people do). And, really, I’d say that mine is one of the most envied items in my closet. And for $2k, you can take it with you.

Glamping Is The New Eco-Chic

December 26, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Luxury Travel at 10:00 pm | Comments off

What with the recession and everything, even the wealthy are paring down their vacations. Even people who don’t have to are looking for ways to explore the wilderness minus a personal guide and hot tub. Not that there’s anything wrong with having a spa nearby, but if you’re looking to try something new this year, camping just got way less rugged.

This Eddie Bauer Edition Airstream is a 25 foot trailer with all the comforts of home. Okay, well, with most of them, anyways. It sleeps four people and has a queen-sized bed outfitted in Eddie Bauer quilted down fabrics. The kitchen area is done up in soapstone laminates, and the trailer has a sport hatch that allows easy loading of kayaks and bikes and what-nots.

The EB  edition is one comfortable, convenient way to do up your camping trip, although at $73,000, it significantly raises the cost of a backpacking trip and it’s not exactly the Plaza. But, on the bonus side, you can always park it really close to a resort.

Favorite Gifts: Czech Crystal Nail File

December 26, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Personal Care at 8:39 pm | Comments off

It’s the day after Christmas, and I just thought I’d share one of my favorite gifts with you. Not a gift I gave, a gift that I received. I know, I know, you’re really wondering why I would bother writing about a nail file, but if you get your paws on one of these babies, you’ll wonder no more.

Can a simple manicure tool be luxurious? Well, if it can be, this one is. The one I received was bought at Harrod’s in London, but you can get them at high end department stores the word over. So, what’s the big deal? Besides the fact that they come packaged in an understated velvet pouch, the files themselves are really beautiful. The frosted crystal doesn’t look like something you want to push to the back of your cosmetics drawer, it deserves its own spot on its vanity.

But not only are they beautiful, they’re totally practical and basically indestructible. They smooth beautifully and then you just give them a quick rinse off and they’re just like new. It may be too late for me to fill all my girlfriend’s stockings with these, but there’s always next year.

Bellagio Chip Heist

December 23, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Just For Frivolous Fun at 11:00 pm | Comments off

Ladies and gentlemen, we have genuine heist news. I was talking to a friend the other day about how long it’s been since I’ve heard about a big robbery. They mostly seem to take place electronically these days, so watch out. Actually, I’m picking your pocket right now.Just kidding. Anyways, last week a lone motorcyclist pulled a gun on the dealer at a chips table in Vegas and emptied out all his chips in $100-$25,000 denominations. While the Bellagio, which is owned by MGM, hasn’t released any firm numbers, estimates about the value of the chips range from $1-$2 million.

Law enforcers state that the majority of the chips are also embedded with radio devices that make them easily traceable and, essentially, valueless. Unless, that is, the bandit decides to cash them in at one of the Bellagio’s sister resorts. Most chips are only redeemable at the casino in which they’re used, but Bellagio chips are famously transferable. Other speculations are that the thief was working in cahoots with another robber, who stole some very valuable Confederate money that was on display in the hotel. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but this is probably the last time I’ll get to use cahoots and bandit in the same post.

Williams-Sonoma Finishing Salts

December 23, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Expensive Eats at 2:19 pm | Comments off

I have this aunt that’s a total foodie. While I know my Sal de Mer from your everyday Morton’s, my knowledge of salt is pretty paltry. It’s not one of those things that I think of as being particularly flavorful, except, of course, that it’s obviously salty.Once I saw the six dishes of salt beside the stove top that my aunt regularly uses, it set me wondering about the differences. This fabulous set of four salts from Williams-Sonoma is a great gift for a beginning salt connoisseur.

The set includes Haleakala red sea salt from Hawaii, which has a nutty flavor and goes great with fish and pork. The Kilauea black salt, also from Hawaii, takes its color from charcoal, which is known as a digestive aid. The Australian pink salt is a flakey salt with a soft flavor that’s good for seafood and vegetables. And the pyramid-shaped Cyprus flakes are perfect for salads. With this set, you pretty much have the whole salt gamut covered, at least in terms of everyday meals. Now when someone says, “Pass the salt,” you’re going to have to ask them to be a little more specific.

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