All posts tagged: travel

OstrichPillow Hood

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If you’ve ever wondered if ostriches really bury their heads in the sand when they are scared, the answer is, sadly, no.  According to the San Diego Zoo, when an ostrich senses danger and can’t run away, it merely flops to the ground and remains still. The newest member of the OstrichPillow family of products, the OstrichPillow Hood, might not help you avoid danger, but it does help keep your head and neck cozy while looking cool. You might be familiar with the first product in the OstrichPillow line, a soft helmet with holes for your hands to let folks more easily nap in public. For those who want some privacy, but don’t feel like wearing a giant pillow on their head, there is now the OstrichPillow Hood. Available in one size and two colors — Ocean Green and Night Black — the cotton/poly/spandex hood works as a modern Riding Hood-type accessory to any work out or casual outfit. I imagine it can also be used in open offices when you want to show your …

Travel Dice by Walnut Studiolo

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Walnut Studiolo‘s line of handmade accessories and games are produced in the company’s Portland, Oregon workshop. The latest addition to their growing line of travel games is a lightweight, portable set of dice ideal for players of any game using six or less die. The dice are secured inside the brass tube with a brass-beaded chain that can be worn as a necklace or carried as a keychain. The solid brass square tube perfectly houses six (6x) 7mm travel dice. A chain secures the dice in the tube at one end, and inlaid walnut wood closes the other end. Over time, the brass will develop a patina from hands and scratches. The die are available in either white or black and the chain comes in two lengths. $25. All images courtesy Walnut Studiolo.

Dream of Venice

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Dream of Venice is a beautiful new book for Venetophiles and dreamers alike edited by JoAnn Locktov with photography by Charles Christopher, a New York native who currently works in Hollywood as a motion picture and TV still photographer. Printed on luxe Italian Garda Silk paper, the 96-page hardcover includes photographs by Christopher that have been carefully paired by Locktov with the words of writers, actors, poets, singers, and others who have fallen in love with this near-mythical city. I am one of them in fact. My poem Leaving Venice appears in the book alongside a forward by novelist Frances Mayes, and contributions by Woody Allen, opera soprano Sylvia Sass, and Venetian cookbook author Marcella Hazan, among others. I first visited Venice as a undergraduate in the early ’90s with a group of Italian language students attending a three week mini-session during our winter break. It was my first trip out of the country and the longest I had ever been away from my family. It was January, a time when the city belongs to the Venetians rather than tourists. One misty afternoon I remember walking through a campo (a …

Capsule Collection of Travel Gear by Tom Dixon for Adidas

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For his first collaboration with Adidas, British design icon Tom Dixon created a collection of clothing and accessories intended to double as a “survival kit” while you are traveling the road for business or pleasure. Called The Capsule, the unisex collection centers around two types of luggage (one hard and one soft) that each unzip to reveal layers of clothes and accessories for a seven day stay. Included are pants, shirts, jackets (including a parka that turns into a sleeping bag) and three types of shoes, all with lovely details such as copper shoelace tabs and bag zips. Good news for the shorties out there like me: hemlines on the pants and shirts can be cut to size and do not require further sewing or tailoring.

Unusual Tea Bags from Atta Creative

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During last month’s London Design Festival, the folks from Atta Creative displayed these lovely tea bags as part of a collaborative of Korean designers. The T-Point tells you when your water is at the proper temperature for brewing through color changes of the leaf that is produced by thermocolor printing. Just pop a leaf out of the container and hold it above the cup to see if it’s ready. Teapop Travel bags have paper cut-outs of famous icons to create souvenir tea bags. Finally, Tea for Two is an engagement ring shaped handle that would be a perfect favor for bridal showers, engagement parties, or just for the bride and groom to use on their special day.