The Modern Materialist

May 2008 - Posts

• Week in Review: May 9

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  This weekend Modern Materialist turns three months old! We can't believe our baby is growing up so quickly. I guess that's what happens when you feed it plenty of Melona bars and chocolate covered bacon. Thank you to all of you who make MM part of your daily internet perusing and have helped it grow so quickly, and an even heartier thanks to those who leave comments, who Stumble and Digg us or pass along links to your friends, and especially to those who email with suggestions. It's hard work finding nearly 20 things each and every day to blog about, so the more you can share your awesome finds with us, the more time we have for what we like best: happy hour. So keep those emails coming (ModernMaterialist@nerve.com). And now, why you're really here — this week at Modern Materialist, we:   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 06:00 PM with no comments

• Prices Dropping On Warhol Prints...

  Posted by Steph Auteri

  Just the other day, Alex posted about Warhol pieces...for a mere $100! After the jump, check out what the Warhol Art Maker let me do for free! Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 05:30 PM with no comments Filed under: art

• Happy Hour: Mother's Day Cocktails

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  This Sunday is Mother's Day and if you're lucky enough to spend some time with your mother, do something really special for her this year and skip the crowded, over-priced brunch and have her over to your place — or head on over to her's — and whip up some Mother's Day cocktails for her, like the Strawberry Martini, which is so good it may even get you a little boost in the will. Recipe and link to other fantastic mom drinks after the jump:   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 05:00 PM with no comments Filed under: Happy Hour, mother's day

• Ooch Armchair Brings Multiple Pillows

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  Sanniadesign has created a fun and practical chair concept: take one frame; add four pillows; that’s it. So you have the option of having a princess and the pea style chair, or take the pillows out for up to three friends (I assume you wouldn’t want to sit on the frame by itself, though I guess you could).  The chair will be shown at an upcoming furniture show, though there’s not a lot of info on which one, or when. Sanniadesign also has a number of other concepts on their website, but the one that jumped out at me was this: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 03:00 PM with no comments Filed under: concepts, chairs

• Express Yourself

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  "Can you hear me now?" has never been a less important question than it is with this: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 02:30 PM with no comments

• Chocolate Covered Bacon + Video!

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  For a blog obsessed with gadgets and doo-dads, it sure took us a long time to figure out how to use our webcam, didn’t it? In any case, the all-text portion of Modern Materialist’s life-span is over, as we have signed up for a YouTube account (that took us a while, too). So now, we’ll be bringing you videos of some of the latest gadgets and products we pick up, with our impressions and pretty mugs, now in muddled, unfocused, moving format. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel over here, and be sure to leave us a nice comment! Or two! To kick things off, Luca Chocolates from Ramseur, NC was nice to make me a special batch of chocolate covered bacon, fulfilling a life-long dream of mine. Check out the video after the jump, and then hit back for more info, and pricing: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 02:00 PM with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Videos, Food and Drink, chocolate, taste test, bacon

• Who Would You Rather?

  Posted by Steph Auteri

  5 Heroes I Would So Get Down and Dirty With: Indiana Jones Luke Skywalker Nail Patrick Harris (What would NPH Do?) Legolas Robin. That's right, not Batman. Robin. I used to have such the crush on Burt Ward. If we had ever gotten together back then, in the days of his sidekicky youth, I might have asked him to snag these from Batman and meet me in the bedroom:   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 01:30 PM with no comments

• Tiny Art Packs a Big Punch

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  I’ve completely fallen in love with Brooklyn based artist Thomas Doyles’ pieces, which use model train miniatures and scenery to create, incredible, evocative scenes, like the one pictured above. They’re not all murder and terror, though let’s be fair, a good amount of them are. The pieces are all going to be available for viewing at several upcoming exhibits, and I’ll have all the info below. But first, Doyle himself was nice enough to give me a call and let me know that all of his pieces are available for purchase, either at the galleries on display, or by contacting him personally. Prices range from $5000 for the larger pieces, to $850/$900 for the smaller pieces. After the jump, a few more pics, and then info on where you can check ‘em out for yourself: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 01:00 PM with 2 comment(s) Filed under: art, miniatures

• Get Your Hands On Some Knickers

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  Oh yes, my friends: hyper-color is back. For those of you who don’t remember, hyper-color fabric was super popular about twenty years ago, for about twenty minutes. You would have a colored shirt, and when someone pressed against your shirt, the heat would make it change color, at least where the hand-print was. Find out a totally green secret, after the jump...  Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 12:30 PM with no comments Filed under: green, Underwear

• Pop-up Dinner Party

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  Question: How can these pop-ups make your dinner party more festive and fun? Answer after the jump:   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 12:00 PM with no comments

• How Exxxxtreme Are You?

  Posted by Steph Auteri

  The Five Most Extreme Things I've Ever Done: White water rafting (except that it wasn't white water season, and there was barely a ripple on the river, and all my screaming was precipitated by the misconception that the seaweed was "attacking" me) Parasailing (which is not incredibly extreme — more like sitting on air — except for the time we thought our boat driver was going to drop us on a house) Horseback riding (I became terrified when the horse sped up into a canter) Zip line (oh crap, that's right; I was the only one out of my entire group too afraid to do the zip line!!!) Riding on a jet ski in Mexico, which really was the biggest rush for me. In fact, it leads me to believe that I should get one of these babies for myself: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 11:30 AM with 1 comment(s) Filed under: vehicle

• Inflatable Iceberg Keeps Things Cool

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  So most of us don’t have a swimming pool. I mean, maybe some of you do, but I live in an apartment in NYC, so if I got a pool installed, I think my downstairs neighbors would kill me. However, if we did all have pools, I bet we’d also like to have this 14’ tall inflatable iceberg/climbing wall. You can climb up, slide down, and the whole thing is made from durable PVC. Which is really fun and cool (pun intended), until you find out how much it costs: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 11:00 AM with no comments Filed under: gadgets, toys, Sports, pool

• Ten Under Ten: May 9

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  [$9.95, Gorey Store]  I went through a tarot card phase in my early 20's — who hasn't? — and I only wish I had these cards back then. Somehow, a bad fortune just seems less daunting when delivered in darkly humorous Edward Gorey fashion. More great finds for under ten bucks after the jump:   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 10:30 AM with no comments Filed under: Ten Under Ten

• Bird-Electron iPod Recycling Speaker

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  I think you can be forgiven if you have no idea what this thingy is, based on the title. Is it for birds? How does it recycle? And what’s the deal with the electron thing? Good questions, everybody, and now, here’s the explanation:   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 10:00 AM with no comments

• Laptop Bag Saves Users From Speeding Bullets

  Posted by Steph Auteri

  [$80, Built]  CORRECTION: This laptop back is water-resistant, but not buller-resistant. After the jump, the pack in action: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 09:30 AM with no comments Filed under: storage

• Foodie Fight Trivia Game

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  Hey all you foodies out there, here's a trivia question for you: Why was the animal crackers box designed with a string handle? Answer after the jump.   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 09:00 AM with no comments

• Quick Tip of the Day: Reupholster your MacBook

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  Heading over my S.O.’s sister’s place for her b-day, I was flabbergasted to see something that looked like a MacBook, but was clearly not a MacBook, because it was made out of wood! I eyed it suspiciously, until it turned out that what she had done was take some cheap, $2 self-adhesive shelf lining paper, and layer it carefully onto her laptop. Then, also carefully, cut a hole in the shape of the Apple on the back of the book. Quick, easy, and you have a whole new (old) computer! Some more pics, and then a link to paper of your own: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 09 2008, 08:30 AM with no comments

• Festival Survival Kit

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  For those of you who read this blog regularly, it won’t come as too much a shock to find out that I love clubbing. I like going dancing in clubs, and partying, and hanging out with all the cool… Okay, fine, I’m a NARC. Find out why I won't NARC you out, after the jump...  Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 06:00 PM with 1 comment(s) Filed under: Music, toiletries

• Designer Perez Hilton

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  Oh, good — Perez Hilton's coming out with a fashion line (to be sold at the always classy Hot Topic). I've totally been wondering where I could find turqoise shirts with pistols and clouds and rocker-kittens and heart-shaped sunglasses. Read all about it after the jump. Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 05:30 PM with 1 comment(s)

• Happy Hour: Ravi Wine Chiller

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  Here’s a pretty cool little item, pun entirely intended. The Ravi Wine Chiller is a wine (or other liquor) bottle attachment you store in your freezer. When it comes to time to have a nice glass of wine, all you do is snap the frozen part into the included bottle plug, and then pour. Is there more? Why yes, there's more after the jump...  Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 05:00 PM with 4 comment(s) Filed under: gadgets, Happy Hour, drinkware

• Love It or Leave It? BBQ Sword

  Posted by Steph Auteri

  [£14.95, Luckies] I have trouble understanding myself...ah, well. Vote after the jump. Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 04:30 PM with no comments Filed under: Love it or Leave it

• iAlternative

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  Things I hate about iPhone Users: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 04:00 PM with 2 comment(s)

• Geek Out: One Terabyte of Matryoshkus

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  Trust Art Lebedev Studios to make the geekiest Russian Nesting Dolls of all time. The awesome studio has built these “dolls” out of Russian linden tree wood, and each has a steadily decreasing amount of memory, from terabyte, to gigabyte, megabyte, kilobyte, byte, and bit. Hit up the jump for a totally awesome pic of the dolls in “motion,” as well as pricing. Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 03:30 PM with no comments Filed under: toys, Geek Out

• Father's Day Will Sneak Up On You, Too...

  Posted by Steph Auteri

  ...and then you'll end up rushing to the AMC the morning off and getting a movie theater gift card, or something equally lame and not-well-thought-out. Instead, overwhelm him with your generosity: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 03:00 PM with 1 comment(s) Filed under: seasonal

• Round Up: Outdoor Accessories

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  [$24.95-$47.95, Home Infatuation]  Now that the weather has gotten nice, I've been spending a lot more time on our rooftop. I do a little yoga and various exercises up there in the morning and in the evening, Drew and I enjoy a cocktail as the day winds down. It's really peaceful and relaxing to be so highand away above the busy city street below, but so far, I'm ashamed to say, aside from moving a dinette set up to the roof, we haven't really done anything to make it as much as an oasis as it could be. So, this post is dedicated to those of us who could use a little push in sprucing up our outdoor spaces for the summer. These beautiful rugs pictured above are not only water-proof, they're resistant to color fading and soft enough to walk on barefoot. At less than $50, they're really reasonably prices, too, leaving enough cash for these other great outdoor accessories:   Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 02:30 PM with no comments Filed under: home decor, outdoors, round up

• Smart Shoe Kinda Dumb

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  Well, at least the website is kind of dumb. If you’re willing to slog through confusing navigation, and multiple shots of a cityscape, eventually, you might be able to find out what you’re watching an ad for. And that ad is for a $700 Smart-Shoe, which automatically syncs with a computer to adjust the comfort and thickness of the shoe, based on how you walk. In addition, it communicates contact and other info with other people wearing $700 sneakers. Now, here’s another wrinkle on that, and it’s a little bit of a surprise given that the very, very long splash animations throughout the webpage indicate that this is an extremely sexy shoe that will get you sex with sexy women: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 02:00 PM with no comments

• This Umbrella Sale Will Save You From Drowning (In Debt)

  Posted by Steph Auteri

  Okay, it's really only one umbrella, but I think it might be worth it. After all, if you're caught unprepared, you'll be soakced for the duration of the day, and your nips will be showing, as in the photo above. Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 01:00 PM with no comments Filed under: gadgets, tech

• Sometimes a Cigar is a Big Fat Dong

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  I’d like to formally thank our Big Sis Scanner Blog for, essentially, doing our job for us, by posting purchasable penises. Now, granted, we delivered dick diatribes just yesterday, but who wouldn’t want wangs out the wazoo? So without further alliteration, here’s a bunch of trouser snake stuff: Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 12:30 PM with no comments Filed under: gadgets, sexy, NSFW

• Floating Nightstand

  Posted by Wendy Atterberry

  Steph may have found the perfect nightstand for some people, but what about people like me who don't actually have any room on either side of the bed for a nightstand? As you can see from the picture above, our bed is wedged between a closet and a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, with not an inch to spare. I've tucked a few things into a about half a foot of space on the shelf closest to the bed, but that's so makeshift and I'd love for something a little less cluttered. So, what do you guys think about these:     Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 11:30 AM with 2 comment(s)

• Pet Tanning Bed

  Posted by Alex Zalben

  This is how the world ends; not with a bang, but with a tanning bed for pets. Yes, you heard me… A company called Sunspa has decided that your cats and dogs aren’t orange and leathery enough, so they’ve decided to create a tanning bed specifically designed for pets. A caveat, after the jump...  Read More... + DIGG + DEL.ICIO.US + REDDIT Posted May 08 2008, 11:00 AM with 2 comment(s) Filed under: gadgets, home, Pet Products, tanning