Valentine's Day Gift Guide 2009, Part Two

by Ami Kealoha

Part two of our Valentine's day guide brings more treats for the sweet. From exceptional chocolates (no heart-shaped box required) to itty-bitty polka dot boxers, these gifts are refreshing takes on traditional picks.

DL & Co. Lady Rhubarb Perfume With red mandarin, sandalwood, grapefruit and perilla (otherwise known as shiso), one of our favorite brands makes a scent that balances freshness, femininity and a little something sultry. The roll-on makes a chic accessory for ladies on-the-go. The 8.5 mL vial is $50 from Bestow.

Love Nuts
Compartes Chocolatier's Love Nuts come in a crocodile case with and signature blue ribbon, requiring no other wrapping except for a card. Enclosed is a half a pound of their habit-forming sweet and salty, nutty goodies. You can buy it for only $21 at Compartes Chocolatier.

Ball Point Pen with Heart Stamp
This pen is made of plastic and steel, featuring a heart-shaped stamp on the end which makes it easy to proclaim your love for the occasion or any day of the year. What's more, the pen-stamp is a result of a collaboration between Shachihata out of Japan, who have been producing stamps for nearly one hundred years, with designer Fukasawa. For more information visit Cooper-Hewitt and purchase for $50 dollars.

Acne Boxa Underwear
The cropped and fitted cut of Acne's polka dot boxers are perfect for skinny jeans-wearing bfs. Italian cotton makes for an extremely comfortable and more breathable experience than your average Hanes pair. Purchase for $70 at Acne Studios.

Petrossian Edible Chocolate Box
We don't have anything against heart-shaped boxes but you generally can't eat them. Petrossian's edible box makes for a lovely presentation of the delicious hand-painted chocolates it contains. It's $70 from Petrossian.

Yoon Jung Yun: Inner Message Ring
What better way to proclaim your love than with a ring? This one, designed by Yoon Jung Yun features a hidden message on the inside that stays imprinted after the ring is removed. While the outside might be plain, it's a gift that literally leaves a lasting impression. Standard messages include "Always" and "Marry Me," but custom versions are available as well. Visit Yoon Jung Yun for more information and instructions for purchasing. Prices start at $120.

Bespoke Chocolates
Hand-crafted from fine ingredients in NYC, each Bespoke chocolate is a little universe of taste and texture unto itself. Whether dripping caramel down your chin from biting into one of their award-winning Pretzel-Covered Sea-Salted Caramels (pictured) or letting the balanced blend of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves of their Chai Spice melt over your tongue, you'll be glad you didn't opt for Godiva. Chocolates are $2.25 each and ordering info is available on Bespoke's site.
image via Time Out NY

Espa Private Spa Suite
The gift of relaxation may be the ultimate in these times. A CH favorite is the new spa at NYC's Peninsula which offers a private spa suite to indulge in the treatment of your choice and such luxurious amenities as a steam shower and double bath. Get more info from the Peninsula's site. Prices start at $1,250 for three hours which includes a meal, two hour treatments and access to all the facilities.

Seagate FreeAgent Go
Seagate's drive is one of the thinnest out there and comes in a variety of colors, if that's your thing. (Us Mac users are stuck with silver.) An optional dock keeps things easy and organized both on your desk and in your computer. Nerd love is real love too. Prices start at $129 for the Mac version and $99 for non-Macs.

with contributions by Bailee Wolfson

New Image Gallery Anniversary Show

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

With curators waking up to all-time low sales in the art market, we're always happy to see an independent gallery that's thriving. One of our favorite small galleries is L.A.'s own New Image Gallery. Founded in 1994 by Marsea Goldberg in her 10x10 design studio, the gallery has since grown to be at the forefront of fine art as well as to showcase the best in skate, street and surf scenes. New Image has launched pivotal shows for artists including Shepard Fairey, Ed Templeton, Neckface, Faile, Bäst and many more.

To celebrate, on 24 January 2009, New Image hosted a 15-year anniversary party, featuring new work from a multitude of their favorite artists. The gallery was jam-packed all night long with supporters, guaranteeing New Image's place in the L.A. art scene for a long time to come.

And while you're there, be sure to visit their latest show, Cleon Peterson's "The Occupation." From afar, the bright paintings and cartoonish figures seem to draw you into a friendly animated world. But once up close, Peterson's sinister worlds come alive through its characters' struggles between power and submission. It runs through February 14th.

Anniversary Show
Through 20 February 2009
New Image Art Gallery
7908 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90046 map
tel. +1 323 654 2192

McBride Charles Ryan Architects: Klein Bottle House

by CH Contributor

by Kelsey Keith

Applying the logic of a mathematical principle—called "Klein Bottle," a continuous volume with no inside and outside—to architecture, this breathtaking private residence is the work of Australian firm McBride Charles Ryan.

Nestled among the trees on the Mornington Peninsula south of Melbourne, the principal architects on the project thought an "origami version of the bottle would be achievable and hold some ironic fascination," while still functioning as a family home. The house revolves around a central courtyard as a sweeping staircase connects the various levels, creating a sense of both unity and distance between the public and private quarters.

via World Architecture News

Orly Orbach

by Leonora Oppenheim

British artist Orly Orbach produces dark, mysterious illustrations of mythical figures and rituals. Her works are gathering acclaim in the UK film and theater industries, attracting attention for their atmospheric otherworldliness which lends itself brilliantly to imaginative storytelling.

Orbach, a Royal College of Art graduate, works within the enchanted world of narrative, taking inspiration from writers and poets as diverse as Edgar Allan Poe and Maya Angelou. The common thread lies in the soulful, but mournful and slightly haunted images that emerge on the page.

Orbach has produced work for album covers and theater productions, such as the innovative The Masque of the Red Death by the company Punchdrunk . She has also produced artwork for films including the upcoming British production The Sea Change.

A solo show of Orbach's work, entitled Underworlds, recently opened at London's 00. Hackney Empire Theater this week. The series is described as focusing "on the state of liminality, drawing upon a collection of traditional and modern tales. The drawings offer a glimpse into the darker dwellings of the soul, from where it can emerge transformed. Her drawings depict enchanted worlds in which characters transform and stories mutate, inviting the viewer to explore and interpret the visual narratives she constructs. The theme of the exhibition Underworlds is based on SpongeBob Squarepants, a stage production at the Hackney Empire Theatre."

Orly Orbach at The Marie Lloyd Bar
Through 17 February 2009
Hackney Empire
291 Mare Street London E8 1EJ map
tel. +44 (0) 20 8985 2424

Nom de Guerre x Redwing: Trench Protection Boots

by Tim Yu

Red Wing Shoes has been turning out heavy-duty footwear at its plant on the the banks of the Mississippi River since 1905. The Minnesota-based company that shoes factory workers, soldiers, ranchers and increasingly urbanites alike teamed up with the designers Nom de Guerre to pair durability and function with style.

The result is a sleek gray six-inch workboot (£289) which has the aesthetic of military function that's becoming a statement in itself. Waterproof and made of durable Nubuck, it features Redwing's white TractionTred sole.

Availble at Nom de Guerre's Manhattan store or online at Oki-ni.

Nom de Guerre

640 Broadway
, Lower Level

New York, New York 10012
 map
tel. +1 212 253 2891