Resource: Vermont Country Store

On a recent trip to my cousins' house, I spent a good deal of time with the Vermont Country Store catalog and I was reminded of how much I love it (I like to think of it as SkyMall's slightly more directed and utilitarian grandfather). So, for the next week I will be drawing your attention to my favorite products from the VCS.

Resource: Ask Andy About Clothes

I'm fearful that this resource may be something my male readers have been reading for years however, while researching an upcoming post I came across Andy Gilchrist's Ask Andy About Clothes (AAAC). Have you see this website? It's really quite amazing and so comprehensive!

The content on AAAC has not been updated since 1997 and it is rather difficult to navigate but this only adds to the charm. The forums are still very active and include conversations which examine both men's and women's clothing and discuss hard-hitting matters such as "shoe trees vs. travel shoe trees" or "do jackets always have to be blue to be called a blazer?" Also, don't forget to look at Andy's FAQs where you will learn about the difference between a lamb's wool and a virgin wool sweater.

So, here's why Andy Gilchrist is my new favorite human:

1. He wrote his own Encyclopedia of Men's Clothes which is available for download or CD-rom, how quaint!

2. He has a color wheel for sale which he uses to explain matching and color pairings but he also has a page on AAAC called "The Simple Version of Color Theory & Matching" which is quite involved but very informative.

3. He attends something called the "Sartorial Excellence Show" which is a 2 day conference with discussions entitled "More than you ever wanted to know about: Socks" and "Correctly Sewing a Button." (I'm concerned that this event might actually be a thinly-veiled marketing camping but I'd rather live my life thinking that such a conference would exist with the strict goal getting the word out about socks).

Resource: Valet.

If I had a dollar for every time I wished that magazines for women were more like magazines for men, I'd be rollin' in it. {Please note: I'm making a distinction here between "magazines for men" (Esquire etc...) and "men's magazines" (Hustler etc...).} Of course, I'm not giving up on magazines for women it's just that magazines for men seem to be generally more well-rounded and informative and they take themselves less seriously... yet, I don't buy magazines for men because I'm, well, a lady.

That's why when Lauren over at The Art Object told me about Valet. I was smitten. Although they do have lifestyle/culture stories, I'm most interested in the clothing-related articles (pun) many of which have interesting historical facts. For example, they reveal the history behind that little "v" on the collar of sweatshirts and teach readers about how Paul Sperry's cocker spaniel, Prince, was the inspiration for his classic boat shoes!

Resource: Homemade Book of Useful Information

I spend a good deal of time asking myself this: "What would I do without the internet and being able to find the answers to my most trivial questions in seconds?" However, once I saw this homemade reference book (on Dull Tool, Dim Bulb) full of facts clipped from the newspaper I decided that this is most likely exactly what I would do.

Resource: Hollander's

I would love to visit Hollander's Decorative Paper and Bookbinding Supply store in Ann Arbor . Their selection of 1,500 different kinds of paper is truly exhaustive and their website is equally encyclopedic. One thing I especially like about the website is that you can see both close-ups and full page shots of the paper (I know this is a given for most products sold online however, the online community of paper sellers hasn't really caught on to this feature.... Hollander's has).

Resource: Brook Farm General Store

I would like to own every single item sold at Brook Farm General Store (75 South 6th b/n Berry & Wythe Brooklyn, NY). However, the item I want most of all, a necklace made from a real vintage tiger claw, is not available online!

Resource: History of the Push Pin

Edwin Moore started the Edwin Moore Push Pin Company in 1900 with $112.60. Read about it here.

Resource: Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Sale

So excited! Learn more here.

Resource: Movie Title Stills Collection

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

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!

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.

Resource: Apple Chart

Apple season is in full swing. Here's a reference chart that details the use, harvest season, texture and taste of dozens of apple varieties.

The chart is very comprehensive however, it does not include the oldest known apple variety: the Lady Apple. My suggestion is to use the extra line at the bottom of the chart to write the following: "Lady Apple, Eating/Baking, Nov-Dec, Crisp, Semi-sweet."

Resource: Colorful Images

"Colorful Images" sounds like it should be a post-modern art criticism journal but in fact, it's a catalog specializing in "unique personlaized products, stationery, home decor, & gifts." I would describe it as the Oriental Trading of the personalized products world. In my opinion, 95% of the products offered by Colorful Images do not need to exist (see Santa's Pants Treat Holders below) however, they do have a variety inexpensive personlized address labels and notepads. Also, their website allows you to shop by theme which I appreciate.

Resource: Beer Pairing Chart

On a recent Amtrak trip, I was flipping through the publication found in the seat-back in front of me, entitled Arrive: The Magazine for Northeast Business Travelers. I found a nice little chart about food and beer pairings as well as the Brewers Association's website, beertown.com (I think I met someone at a party once that was from Beertown). So, I went on down to Beertown and much to my surprise I found a chart about food and beer pairings that makes the one in Arrive look like something you might find in a plane's in-flight magazine. The chart is easy-to-read, incredibly helpful and you can buy a printed version for $1.