Happy And Not So Happy Valentine's Day Gifts.

Valentine's Day gifts for both those who are head over heels and those who have loved a heel.


Great and hip Valentine's Day gifts for those in love:
Here are over 100 gifts that truly are unique, memorable, hip or collectible. Many are custom, one of a kind and all are romantic. No crappy gold-filled jewelry or heart soaps on here. Just the good stuff.


Shop for the gifts above and over 100 romantic gifts from my Seriously Good Valentine's Gifts list here

Anti-Valentine's Day gifts for those who'd rather celebrate the massacre:
Valentine's Day isn't all hearts and candy for everyone. With the single population higher than ever, divorce rates increasing and those who's hearts are on the mend, here are some products for those who'd rather celebrate the St. Valentine's Day Massacre than the holiday.


Shop for these and see over 30 Anti-Valentine's day gifts on my I Hate Valentine's Day list here

A Huge Loss To Fashion, Art & Undoubtedly Friends. Alexander McQueen Takes His Own Life.

Just breaking this morning, was the very sad news that incredibly talented 40 year old fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead at his London home. Early news reports say the designer took his own life in an apparent suicide. In 2007, one of his dearest friends and mentors, style icon, Isabella Blow, took her own life, impacting him greatly. And his mother just recently passed away on February 2.


If you are not familiar with this incredibly talented London designer, be sure to check out the links below. You'll quickly see what the world will now be deprived of.

See his collections on NY Mag here

See his collections on Style.com here


And see a post I wrote on his amazing knuckle duster clutch bags, one of which is shown above, here

Alexander McQueen

Here you can see his several photos (his life in pictures) from the BBC News

For The Giant Chess Fan. Or The Fan Of Giant Chess.

Some people put a tennis court in their backyard. Others, a pool. But for those who like to engage in a game of Chess, there's another option; Nomi Klein's oversized fiberglass chess pieces and boards.



For use indoors or outdoors, the large pieces are crafted of fiberglass and then hand painted by Nomi in various finishes. High gloss, matte or custom colors to work with special designs or environments are available.



Some of the finishes:


The pieces range in size from 43" tall for the King to 33" tall for the Pawn and each weighs approximately 12 lbs. The board guidelines for the chess sets measure 16' by 16'.

Gallery:







The Chess sets have even been highlighted in the Robb Report...



...and several exist in commercial spaces like hotels, spas, shopping malls and even MTV Real Life houses.

These do not come cheap. A full set of 32 chess pieces (not including the board) will cost you $11,250.00 USD. You also have the option to buy individual pieces for $500.00 each. Prices do not include shipping and handling.

Ah, the games rich people play. Literally.


Visit NomiKlein Design for more information

Here Lies Love By David Byrne & Fatboy Slim

HERE LIES LOVE by David Byrne & Fatboy Slim

Here Lies Love – A Song Cycle deals with the life of Imelda Marcos, co-ruler of the Philippines in the 70s and 80s, as well as the life of Estrella Cumpas, the woman who raised her.



Through a series of songs written by David Byrne, with musical contributions from Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook), Songs from Here Lies Love presents Imelda Marcos meditating on events in her life, from her childhood spent in poverty and her rise to power to her ultimate departure from the palace.



In particular, the production looks at the relationship between Imelda and a servant from her childhood, Estrella Cumpas, who appeared at key moments in Imelda's life.




To be released April 6th 2010 on Todomundo/Nonesuch Records

“The story I am interested in is about asking what drives a powerful person—what makes them tick? How do they make and then remake themselves? I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great if—as this piece would be principally composed of clubby dance music—one could experience it in a club setting? Could one bring a ‘story’ and a kind of theater to the disco? Was that possible? If so, wouldn’t that be amazing!”

—DB, from the introduction

The album is available in multiple formats (MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, and CD/DVD).




The Band:
David Byrne – guitar, vocals
Joan Almedilla – “Imelda” vocals
Ganda Suthivarakom – “Estrella” vocals
Paul Frazier – bass
Graham Hawthorne – drums
Mauro Refosco – percussion
Thomas Bartlett – keys
Production:
Mark Edwards – Production Manager
Terry Pearson – Sound
Kris Umezawa – Monitor

Contributors:
David Whitehead – Manager
Frank Hendler – Project Coördinator
RZO – Business Management