bLavish

Cisco Redfines Video Chatting With The Umi

November 24, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Gadgets at 1:12 am | Comments off

Web chatting is nothing new. Most tech-savvy people have used it at least a few times to conduct long-distance business meetings or keep in touch with loved ones. Honestly, I used to think Skype and the like were kind of creepy, what with the sometimes mismatched audio and visual elements and all, but I eventually came to embrace the idea. Cisco is really upping the ante with their new Uni, a device that turns your HD TV into a video-chatting  system.

All you need to use the Umi (which is pronounced “you-me”) is an HD TV, a broadband connection, and the willingness to pay $24.99 for Cisco’s service plan. Seems a small price to pay to stop squinting down at your netbook for a peek at your best friend in London. You can chat with anyone with a webcam, and they can even leave you video messages if you’re not available. Cisco is making the videophone fantasies that we all had ten years ago into a definite reality.

Phantom III Vintage Luxury Car Goes On Auction

November 23, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Fast & Furious Cars at 9:18 am | Comments off

The vintage Phantom III featured in the film Pan’s Labyrinth and interestingly enough, the very first Phantom III ever to be sold to America, is going up for auction this December.

At the Mercedes-Benz World at Brooklands in Surrey, England on December 6, this 7,340cc V12-engined Rolls-Royce will hit the auction block for somewhere between $95,000 and $111,500.

The first Phantom III to be sold to the States, it arrived in New York City on December 2, 1936 and features 5-person seating with original interior.  Quite the luxury car masterpiece!

Lanvin Starts A Shopping Frenzy At H&M

November 22, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Apparel at 9:36 pm | (1) Comment »

When H&M announced that they were pairing up with Alber Elbaz to create the limited edition Lanvin Hearts H&M line, fashionistas across the globe rejoiced. The only thing better than getting to live out your high fashion fantasies is getting to live them out at a fraction of their usual prices.

The line finally hit H&M stores on Saturday, and dedicated fashionistas camped outside the 5th Avenue outpost of H&M to be the first in line. Some fans arrived as much as 13 hours in advance, huddling together at the stores entrance overnight. At 8 am, the store opened for throngs of impatient shoppers. H&M controlled the crowd by allowing in groups of twenty shoppers at a time, and roping off the coveted line in the women’s section.

The highest ticket item was a faux fur coat at $349, and the lowest priced items were jewelry and accessories, which disappeared quickly. If you’ve ever taken a peek inside one of Lanvin’s boutiques, you know that it would be hard to walk out with a pair of socks for $349, much less a coat.

H&M expects to sell out of the Lanvin Hearts H&M line within days, if not sooner. If you want to get your hands on any of those precious baubles, you’re going to have to fight it out on eBay and be prepared to pay up to three times the original prices.

UCF Student Wins Home & Garden TV Luxury Grand Prize

November 22, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Tid Bits & News, Wheels at 9:22 am | Comments off

University of Central Florida engineering student Adam Venckauskas has just entered the world of luxury by winning Home & Garden Television’s grand prize giveaway.

Entering the contest at his mother’s behest, HGTV showed up at Venckauskas’ apartment to break the news, and revealing he had actually won a 900-square-foot, fully furnished luxury condo in New York’s high-end financial district, along with a brand new fast and furious Acura ZDX.  The grand prize in total is valued at over $1.5 million and it looks like Adam’s mom might now be off the hook for a graduation present!

Man!  Why didn’t we enter this one?!

Marc Jacobs Cheeky Shearling Scarf

November 21, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Apparel, For Her, Holiday Gift Ideas at 10:00 pm | (2) Comments »

If you’re in the market for a fabulous holiday gift for a fabulous fashionista, look no further. This is one gift that will score major points. It’s part luxury, part sass, and warm and cozy all over.

In all honesty, I’ve never seen anything like this Cheeky scarf. It’s got all the opulence of a fur stole with none of the stuffy, middle-aged aesthetic. The navy and white polka dotted tie gives it a 40′s retro look that will be fabulous with everything from a smart cocktail dress to jeans.

The Cheeky scarf totally solves the problem of how to stay warm and fashionable all at the same time. And at $280, it’s so reasonably priced that you could use it as a stocking stuffer.

Internal Cleanse Of The Stars: The Blue Print Cleanse

November 21, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Health at 6:09 pm | Comments off

I don’t need to ask if you wonder how celebrities stay so thin, I know that you know at least part the answer. They work out hours each day and have personal chefs that make sure their caloric intake stays reasonable. But even stars indulge in giant holiday dinners and want to bounce back to their working weight immediately. Celebrities like Jessica Szohr and Megan Fox swear by The Blue Print Cleanse.

The Blue Print Cleanse takes a systematic approach to internal cleansing. It’s basically a juice fast, but includes some nut milks, as well. There are six juices for each day of the cleanse, conveniently labeled 1-6. There are staggered levels of cleansing, each of which takes into account your health goals and lifestyle. The cleanses run from three to twenty-one days. One reviewer lost 4 pounds on a three-day cleanse, which seems healthy, reasonable, and believable. Even if you don’t lose weight, juice fasting is a great way to jumpstart your immune system, and the Blue Print system seems like an healthy way to juice fast without having to do all the juicing yourself.

Thomas Keller’s $835 Menu

November 20, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Expensive Eats at 8:00 pm | Comments off

Thomas Keller is one of the most famous chefs in the world. Both of Keller’s restaurants, French Laundry in California and Per Se, are both rated three stars by the foodie bible, The Michelin Guide. Well, Keller is taking his seven man team on the road this winter for a brief appearance at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong.

For four days only, Chef Keller will be serving their contemporary American Fare at the hotel’s two restaurants, The Mandarin Grill and The Krug Room. Seating at each of these dinners is extremely limited. The 11-course dinner menu is $835 a head and includes a hearts of peach palm salad and butter-poached Maine lobster. Keller is even bringing radishes from the garden at The French Laundry. A smaller menu will be available at lunchtime for $466, including wine and service.

As pricey as this dinner is, it doesn’t compare to the one the Mandarin hosted in August. Six chefs from around the world came in for one night only. Each chef presided over a table of eight celebrities and heads of state. The cost was $1,550 per head, plus a ten percent service fee.

Heritage Jewelry, Handbag, And Timepieces Auction

November 20, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Auctions at 3:24 pm | Comments off

This gorgeous 35cm Birkin bag by Hermes may be one of the finest handbags ever made. It’s made of matte black Porosus crocodile skin, the most luxurious skin that Hermes offers. The palladium hardware beautifully offsets the subtle sheen of the surface of the bag. This is the kind of bag that you have to wait years on a waiting list to purchase, even if you’re rich, famous, or both. It’s estimated to be valued as between $40,000 and $50,000. As of this posting, there are no bids on the bag, and the minimum bid is $38,000.

Heritage, the third biggest auction house behind Christie’s and Sotheby’s, offers live online bidding, which makes it convenient to purchase heirloom luxury items from the privacy of your own home. This particular auction offers a plethora of opulent objects, including several other Hermes bags, and several stunning pieces of David Webb jewelry.

Lotus To Build Engines For Indy 500

November 19, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Fast & Furious Cars at 8:00 pm | Comments off

Lotus made a lot of Indy car racing fans happy this week at the LA Car Show when they announced that they would be providing engines and aerodynamic kits to racing teams in 2012. Lotus dabbled in Indy racing this year by sponsoring driver Takuma Sato.

IndyCar boss Randy Bernard said, “Lotus is a renowned name in racing, with a long association with some of the greatest names of motorsports. We’re honored Lotus has chosen to serve as an engine manufacturer for the first time with us. We are excited about the future of Indy car racing with the addition of Chevrolet and Lotus as well as the continued involvement of our longtime engine supplier Honda.”

Enthusiasts are taking the announcement as a sign that IndyCar racing is becoming more popular. Lotus hasn’t been heavily involved in racing since the 1960′s, but even then their designs were considered revolutionary. In fact, it was a Lotus Type 38 that won in 1965. Let’s see if they can make this much-anticipated comeback an extraordinary one.

Tiffany Keys Petal Pendant

November 19, 2010 | Posted by bLavish as Bling Bling at 5:36 pm | Comments off

Tiffany has been making the most covetable jewelry for decades. They are the only American jeweler to reach mainstream icon status, and their designs spawn more knock-offs than any other jewelry house. Some of their designs, like Elsa Peretti’s classic open heart emblem, become so ubiquitous that it seems unusual if someone doesn’t own a piece from the collection.

Tiffany’s key collection is one of their latest mega-hits. Pieces range from small silver keys to luxurious pendants like this. The Keys Petal Pendant is a gorgeous combination of clean minimal design and elaborate, extravagant embellishment. It’s made of pure platinum and adorned with 1.18 carats of sparkling white diamonds.

Tiffany diamonds aren’t just any diamonds, either. For one thing, Tiffany has a long track record of buying only fairly mined diamonds, unlike many of the other big jewelers. Not only that, but Tiffany is also notoriously finicky about the diamonds they choose. They choose stones of only the highest quality and clarity, and they tend to retain their value longer over time than others.

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