Dyna 70 Foot Yacht!

While at the Lido Yacht Expo I wasn't just mucking around the Earthrace boat, I also checked out the new 70 foot Dyna Craft yacht being brokered by John Beery sales. This boat has a very expansive feel with a spacious salon and four state rooms including two twins, a VIP and a master suite which has a Jacuzzi tub. The yacht was built in Taiwan and can hit a top speed of 28 knots but generally cruises around 20. The yacht sells for around $2.25 million. After the jump, join me aboard.

Renova Black Toilet Paper

If you are aiming for a unique look for your bathroom, perhaps after a remodel, there is one detail that every single person will notice, despite the fact that they probably never gave it more than a half-second of thought in the past: the toilet paper. Using Renova Black Toilet Paper, imported from France, instead of the ubiquitous white will draw comments and compliments from guests, not to mention that it just looks cool. The paper will not match an overly flowery bathroom decor, but if your tastes tend towards the modern end of the spectrum, this would be perfect. Price, for a package of six rolls: $22.

A Canine Boutique

We have seen bakeries for dogs that rival their human counterparts, but Zoomies is a store that has really gone to the dogs. It is a lifestyle boutique for canines. They stock a wide range of luxury products, from dog collars to dog beds, and offer gourmet dog treats, all in an environment that is relaxing for owners, in addition to being fun for the dogs. And if you want your pet's chew toys to match your accessories, try picking up some Jimmy Chew Shoes or a Chewy Vuitton Handbag while you're there.

Perdomo Golf Cigars

Golf and cigars go together like beer and football and with increasing smoking regulations indoors, the golf course may be the last bastion of the public smoker. This led Tabacalera Perdomo to introduce the new Perdomo Golf line. The new cigar line comes in eight sizes from a petit corona to the types of larger cigars that may take half a round of golf to finish. The cigars have a Connecticut shade wrapper and all the tobacco is grown in Nicaragua. The cigars retail from $4.50 to $10 and a golf pack called The Caddy which has four tubed Perdomo Golf cigars, four customized golf balls and a cigar cutter is also available.

Entry Upgrades

Hello everyone! An easy way to create and upscale appearance for an entrance is to upgrade it with designer wood moldings. This project was completed in 2 days. Visit Dykes Lumber for decorative moldings. www.dykeslumber.com.

G. Jackson

Diamond Education

Diamond education is actually harder to come by than you might expect. If you go to the mall (affectionately known as the maul in the industry) I guarantee the salespeople will not educate you about diamonds. The few who appear to be educating you are very slanted toward pushing their products, so what you get for an “education” is nothing but a bluff. One maul store tried to sell very poor quality rocks with their “proprietary” cut that was really nothing special, but it gave them justification for inflating the price on very cheap rocks. There are four main factors to consider with a diamond: Carat Weight, Color, Clarity, and Cut. To that I personally add Commission, Commodity Value, and Cost, because as a man I want to get the best value for my commodity, while at the same time valuing the emotion involved.
Buying a diamond involves a lot of trade-offs, and each person wants something different when it comes to carat, color, clarity, cut, and cost. Taking those five “C’s,” pick 4 and we’ll talk.
Carat Weight
Carat weight is easy to understand – the bigger the diamond, the more carat weight it has. For an engagement ring, your woman will look at it several times a day for the rest of her life, some estimate a million views in her lifetime, and let’s face it, size matters. A one carat stone where I come from is basically ridiculously enormous, but the effect shoud be to really pamper communicate that someone is ridiculously special to you.
Color
Color is easy to understand as well. The scale goes from D which is completely colorless and for normal jewelry ranges to about J, which has a noticeable yellow tint when you look at it carefully. Go with something in the GHI color category, because these are colorless to the naked eye, but some color can be seen under magnification. If you don't exect to put your ring under magnification or using special equipment most of the time, this is areasonable trade-off.
Clarity
Clarity has to do with inclusions. Inclusions is an industry word which simply means natural imperfections in the stone. A stone graded as IF is “Internally Flawless” and has no imperfections. VVS1 is Very Very Slightly Included Level 1, VVS2 is slightly more inclusions, VS1 has more, etc. VS2 is the lowest grade at which you definitely cannot see any inclusions with the naked eye. SI1 is the highest grade at which it is possible to see an inclusion, but it’s definitely visible under 10X magnification. I prefer to choose to shop between VS1 and SI1 for clarity. However, the SI1 end of the scale makes me little nervous, and since that’s where I often end up buying, let me explain why.
Cut
The cut is the only human-regulated part of the diamond. A diamond cutter gets a raw diamond stone from the mines and has to figure out how to make a masterpiece out of a chunk of carbon atoms. The important factor in the cut is how the cut affects light return. When you look at your ring, will you see something dull and un-amusing, or will it shock you with its brilliance and sparkle? Thankfully, there is science involved in the cut which helps in locating a well cut stone. You can find information about table percentage, pavilion depth, polish, and symmetry anywhere on the net, but I’d like to share some things which really made a difference to my decision. The crown and pavilion angles are not commonly reported on a diamond, but they have an important impact on the light return of a stone. A picture says 1000 words:
When a diamond cutter decides to go the extra mile, he can create an “Ideal Cut” diamond, with proportions within very exacting limits which should cause the maximum light return possible. When you start shopping for Ideal Cut diamonds, some things become apparent. The discount stores rarely deal in Ideal Cuts. The healthy wealthy stores like Tiffany’s and Co. do not deal in Ideal Cuts. Depending on where you live, local retailers are not dealing in Ideal Cut stones. This leaves the consumer to surf the net and try to find a needle in a haystack of options.Even though there is a bit of a premium on Ideal Cut stones, because they take about twice as long for a diamond cutter to produce as a non-ideal stone, personally, I like to choose to maximize on the cut.
Cost
Everyone is working with some type of budget. When you decide what you’re going to spend, and which parts of the other 4 “C’s” equation are important to you, it starts coming down to nickels and dimes. Should I buy a D color, VVS2 clarity, ½ carat stone, or for the same price should I buy an I color, SI1 full 1 carat stone? Each person must answer this question for himself, and that’s why you need the knowledge. There are a few sites on the web that sell diamonds from a list of available diamonds in the country. They don’t carry the stones in stock, and they’re all selling from the same list. These sites include bluenile.com and dirtcheapdiamonds.com. You can find some smokin’ deals on these sites, but there is a very important drawback to consider. Service! There’s a world of difference in buying a stone that has all the mathematical proportions correct from a list, and buying from an experienced jeweler who has the rocks in stock and can provide extremely detailed information on light return, as well as the mathematical proportions. In my shopping experience, I did not find this service with list sellers, I did not find this service with Costco’s wholesale jewelry program, and I did not find it with Tiffany’s and Co. Where I found this level of personal service and support is http://www.ExcelDiamonds.com with Barry (Baruch) Gutwein. Barry takes the time to help you understand the parts of the diamond market that were more confusing to me and make recommendations based on my needs and desires. For each of his SuperbCert branded Super-Ideal Cut diamonds, he takes the time to provide all this information:
GIA grading report MegaScope report BrillianceScope report Actual Hearts and Arrows photo Actual ImageScope photo Actual Inclusion photo Additional diamond photos Many sites will show photos of a “similar” stone, which isn’t what you’re buying! Don’t be fooled by this, be very careful as to what you’re looking at in the picture. Once you finally settle on a stone, make sure you put it into something beautiful. Take time to pay attention to the setting. Tiffany’s and Co. invented the classic diamond solitaire setting that is the epitome of elegant style in engagement rings. The classic knife-edge ring in platinum is very beautiful and does an amazing job of setting the stone in a way to maximize the effect of all that light return. Unfortunately, Tiffany’s sells mandatory blue boxes with each ring, and those blue boxes apparently cost as much to produce as the diamond and setting put together. I found that a frugal shopper could spend about ½ the dollars to get a perfect stone and setting without the blue box. Not all replicas are created equally.

Luxury RV

This luxury motorcoach motorcoach from Volkner Mobil has a mobile garage between the axles that can hold a small car such as the BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK and the MINI Cooper. Up top it is a traditional luxury RV with a dining room, bedroom and bathroom. The new RV, which is being shown off at the International Caravan Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany has a slideout platform for the car.has a mobile garage between the axles that can hold a small car such as the BMW Z4, Mercedes-Benz SLK and the MINI Cooper. Up top it is a traditional luxury RV with a dining room, bedroom and bathroom. The new RV, which is being shown off at the International Caravan Fair in Dusseldorf, Germany has a slideout platform for the car.

WIRELESS HDTV!

Flat panel TVs look great, sleek and far less bulky than any ordinary TV, especially if you choose a large screen size. Unfortunately, unless you have a niche in the wall carved out for the screen - which is a good idea, but can be a hassle - there will be wires along your wall connecting the cable, DVD and any other relevant equipment. The Samsung SPD-50P7HDT Wireless is a 50" flat screen that solves these problems. It comes with a wireless AV center to which all of your extra equipment can attach. The center then transmits the signals to the screen, hanging wire-free (except for the power cord) on the wall. It's only available in Korea at the moment, and is priced around $5,000.

Dorm Room Luxuries

Dorm rooms, even the nicest ones, are not luxury accommodations by any stretch of the imagination. If you fill them with luxury furniture, install some wall panels and have all the latest gadgets, it's a good start. Unfortunately, this isn't really an option for most college students. Forbes has put together a guide to some affordable luxuries that are appropriate for a dorm room. The music-lover (or the heavy sleeper) can try the Portable iPod Travel Alarm Clock ($99) and a gadget-loving student might enjoy a miniature drink vending machine ($150), with a built in refrigeration system. And, to make the communal bathroom experience a little more bearable, try a monogrammed Horchow robe ($190).
Check out the whole list for a few more ideas.

Caressa K Yacht Launched!

We talk quite a lot about yachts here, as they are one of the most luxurious things that money can buy. This week, the Wall Street Journal took a look at some of our favorite ships, dubbing them McYachts(subscription req'd), due to the constant competition among enthusiasts for the biggest and best boats with the most luxury features. They also put together a convenient pricing guide, defining how much you can get for the amount you're willing to pay. Keep in mind this is just a ballpark, but it's a good place to start if you're thinking of getting into the game.
$2 million - 60-ft yacht with two staterooms, a salon and a dining area
$20 million - 140-ft yacht with 3 decks above water, 5 staterooms and an aft deck
$50 million: 190-ft yacht with 4 decks above water, a sky lounge and an elevator
$75 million - 250-ft yacht with a gym, pool, helicopter pad and garage (helicopter may or may not be included; pilot extra)
$194 million - 450-ft yacht with a theater, spa, salon and a wood burning fireplace, in addition to everything listed above and a good deal more.

Luxury Tipping Guide

Forbes has answered a very interesting question pertaining to tipping. With all the luxury services that new hotels offer, there are many more people that you will come into contact with than just the porter and the maid. How do you know who to tip and - more importantly - how much to tip?
The first lesson is that some resorts are all-inclusive and will have a "resort fee" added to the bill (15-20% against the room rate) that is to be distributed as tips for the employees; no additional tipping is necessary here, and many employees will not accept them. If this is not the case at your hotel, employees who should be tipped include the concierge, doormen, drivers, pool attendant and those who offer special services, like masseurs. See the full guide for details on who gets a dollar, who gets 20% and what you should expect in return.
And don't forget the maid. Leave a few dollars a day, depending on the size of the room and the size of your mess.

1016 Madison Ave NY, A Grand Estate

This latest blockbuster piece of real estate to hit the market in New York City is located on upper Madison. The seven-story 12,000+/- sq. ft. townhouse has its original architectural details. Inside there is a large central staircase and elevator. The home has investment and retail potential. It has been home to a high-end rug shop and an art galley. This amazing property is listed at $48 million. After the jump, just a tease of the grand scale of this home.

Pitt Bulls are Vogue in LA

Vogue may have picked the Dandie Dinmont Terrier as the top dog for the summer, but celebrities and celeb-wannabes in Los Angeles all seem to be picking up Pit Bulls instead. Jamie Foxx has two and one even has a staring role on the TV show Veronica Mars. The dogs are being welcomed with open arms by the dog-loving community in the city, and registrations have doubled in the past few years. But unlike the toy dogs that can be simply tucked away in a bag if they misbehave, pit bulls require excellent training and many precautions in their care before they make safe pets - and hopefully the trendy pooch lovers will keep this in mind before getting their own

Ralph Lauren Joins the Hotel Bandwagon

Lauren of Nature
DONATELLA VERSACE did it. Bulgari are about to do it. And now style legend Ralph Lauren is planning to join the fashion hotel bandwagon. The white haired designer is currently putting together plans to move his international company into the hotel industry, and allow his fans the chance to take their holidays in true style. The designer hotel fad was originally kicked off by Donatella Versace, who opened the suitably extravagant Palazzo Versace on Australia’s Gold Coast last December. Bulgari followed suit by hooking up with US hotel group Marriott and promising to scatter their own version of the high fashion hotel all over the world over the next five years. But for Lauren, it is still very early days. “He just had the idea,” says an eager rep. “It would be really amazing if it comes off but really it has hardly even got to the planning stages yet.”

The Shave of Beverly Hills

Where is the best place to get a shave in Los Angeles? Los Angeles Magazine just chose The Shave of Beverly Hills to their best of Los Angeles list. The Shave of Beverly Hills is an updated version of the old barbershop, complete with the revolving barber pole. They do the classic shave routine complete with the straight razor and the hot towel. The shop also includes a retail store and the place is decorated with an Old Hollywood theme that includes black and white photos of icons. The plethora of flat screen TVs make it just a bit different from the old-fashioned barbershops. A classic shave takes 45 minutes and costs $65.