Product Appreciation: Uniball Micro

After my Pilot P-500 post I have had four separate conversations that have gone a little something like this:

Friend: "I read your blog."

Me: "Thank you!"

Friend: "Yeah, I saw the thing about pens. Have you ever tried the Uniball Micro? It's my favorite."

So, although I find the Micro to be a decent pen that's occassionally too scratchy, I thought it deserved some recognition because it has such a devoted following.

In Celebration of Things: Today's New York Times Book Review Cover

Speaking of covers...I'm smitten with the tableau Kelly Blair assembled for the cover photo of today's New York Times Book Review.

Methods/Systems: Considering the Cover

Tom Junod's Esquire article , "What's Wrong with the Cover Song?" describes covers as being "gifts and thefts at the same time, shouts of flattery and whispers of ambition — the court jester's plot against the king. They are evolutionary episodes in song. They are the sound of the world spinning; they tell you what the world is going to sound like when you're not around to hear it. They reveal the strategy by which youth plans to take over."

After reading Junod's article, John James, a former record-store owner submitted his list of 1,892 covers songs to the magazine. Although some might find the title of his article "1,892 Cover Songs Men Could Listen To" a bit alienating and the list to be a bit too Beatles-heavy, his devotion is impossible to ignore.

Resource: Movie Title Stills Collection

This website has a magnificent collection of movie title stills organized by year and genre.

Product Appreciation: Incase Double Combo Charger

One day we will live in a world where all electronics use the same charger but until then there's the new Incase Combo Charger for iPods and iPhones. It lets you charge one or two iPhones/iPods at home or in your car!

Product Appreciation: Albert Maysles Glasses

Seeing the world through Albert Maysles' eyes may be the only thing better than rose-colored glasses?

Ranjan's/Monsieur Hulot's Resources (Paris Week, best for last)

My friend Ranjan (pictured above, with pipe) is no stranger to the finer things in life, which is why it's such an honor that he's also the Order of Things' most vocal advocate.

While living in Paris, he discovered two historic shops and was kind enough to share them with us. He suggests Parapluies Simon, which has "some of the most beautiful umbrellas and canes [he has] ever seen." Ranjan describes the pipe store, Au Caid, founded in the 1870s, as "a wonderful shop" where he recalls the "proprietor's exuberant mustachio." That Ranjan, what a gem! Thank you!

How to: Dress like Jean Seberg in A bout de souffle (Paris week, requisite French New Wave post)

Jean Seberg's character, Patricia, in A bout de souffle is undeniably chic. Here's where to find shirts similar to the ones she wears in the film but, as far as the criminal boyfriend goes, you're on your own:

1. New York Herald Tribune Shirt

2. Striped Shirt (I know the shirt in the picture isn't quite right but don't fret they have ones that are navy with white stripes as opposed to white with navy stripes on the website)

Industry Standard: Laduree (Paris Week)

Few things are more luxurous than Laduree macarons in that signature gold and celadon box but why not make your own? Here's Martha Stewart's recipe for macarons. I made the chocloate with chocolate ganache filling and found them to be even more delicoius the second day.

Industry Standard: Deyrolle (Paris Week)

What's the only thing creepier than taxidermy? Antique taxidermy.

What's the only thing creepier than antique taxidermy? Charred antique taxidermy.

Deyrolle, a taxidermy shop, opened in the 19th century and is a Paris institution. From what it sounds like, there's truly no other place like it (I wouldn't know because I don't like to be around dead animals). In 2008, much of the legendary shop's inventory was destroyed in a fire. The haunting aftermath was captured by two photographers: Laurent Bochet (image on left) and Martin D'Orgeval (image on right).

Product Appreciation: Chanel No. 5 (Paris Week)

I don't wear Chanel No. 5, in fact, I don't really like the way it smells however, I love its history. A few weeks ago, I felt the urge to drop everything I was doing and make an enormous bottle of Chanel No. 5 out of papier mache. As I was looking for images of the iconic bottle, I came across this NotCot post which points out how the bottle's proportions mimic Place Vendome.

Here's my bottle. I hung it on the wall above my bed because someone once told me that when asked what she wore to bed, Marilyn Monroe replied "Chanel No. 5."

Methods/Systems: Umberto Eco's "The Infinity of Lists" at the Louvre (Paris Week)

"The list is the origin of culture. It's part of the history of art and literature. What does culture want? To make infinity comprehensible. It also wants to create order--not always, but often. And how, as a human being, does one face infinity? How does one attempt to grasp the incomprehensible? Through lists, through collections in museums and through encyclopedias and dictionaries." -Umberto Eco

Umberto Eco guest curated an art exhibit on the theme of lists, it is currently on view at the Louvre. Here's an article about it and here's another one.

Also, all of this week's posts will be Paris-related...

Resource: "The Visual Miscellaneum"

Mr. David McCandless of Information is Beautiful creates some of the most aesthetically pleasing and yet surprisingly readable charts, graphs, diagrams etc... that I've ever seen. His book, "The Visual Miscellaneum : A Colorful Guide to the World's Most Consequential Trivia" ($17.81) came out this week and is sure to be lovely.

Resource: The Triple Pier Show

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

The Triple Pier Show is unlike any other flea market, tag sale, antique show etc... It's huge and there are vendors from all over the world. My suggestion is to go not expecting to buy anything (it's lots of serious collectors so, things are priced accordingly) and instead think of it as a design museum (admission is $15) where you can touch everything.

How To: Remove Stains (Martha Stewart's Stain Chart)

Download Martha Stewart's stain chart and educate yourself on stain removal.

Product Appreciation: Love Letter Light

Molo's Love Letter Light shows it fondness for Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni by re-appropriating the left over marble cylinder that is cut out from the base of the brothers' classic Arco Lamp.

How To: Make Your Own Shaker Furniture... from a Kit

The Shaker Workshops website gives you the option of buying their furniture fully assembled or as a kit at a discounted price.

How To: Sharpen a Knife

In keeping with yesterday's topic, here's how to sharpen a knife.

Product Appreciation: Sweet Axes

I come from a very do-it-yourself, handy household (i.e. the drill has a nickname: Big Red). Yet, I've never used an ax, if you don't come from a place where you need fires for warmth, you don't need to chop fire wood etc... but seriously, get a load of these hot axes!

1. Collins Ax, MoMA Collection (currently on view )

2. Gerber Kick Axe (a folding ax seems insanely dangerous but it's so sleek!)

3-4. Best Made Company (you can't tell but the ones with the colorful handles have words like "fortitude" written on them)

Also check out the Brief History of the Ax, a companion guide for a two-part VHS entitled; An Axe to Grind (which, I couldn't seem to locate).

Product Appreciation: Buckyball

"Addictive" is the word that everyone seems to use to describe the Buckyball (the toy, not the state molecule of my native Texas). $29.95 seems steep for a toy that's a bunch of magnets but it looks like such fun.

In Celebration of Things: Pictorial Webster's

I saw John M. Carrera's book, Pictorial Webster's: A Visual Dictionary of Curiosities, a few weeks ago and was charmed by its collection of engravings from 19th century Webster's dictionaries. Then, I saw this video about the project and developed an even greater appreciation for the book and the decade of work that went into it... and the mean case of tennis elbow that Mr. Carrera most likely developed from all that printing.

Product Appreciation: Peacock Chair

Images Clockwise from right : GQ UK September 2009, Virgin Suicides, Al Green

Mark my words, the cheeky and slightly kinky peacock chair will come back into favor. In the age of Kelly Wearstler and Jonathan Adler, how could it not? Get one here.

Note: The Order of Things is not necessarily encouraging this trend, merely predicting it.