TWO HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX.

Finally a Friday feels like a Friday, and June is actually fantastically gorgeous - can't complain at all today. It's such a great day to be able to share some of our favorite things with you, as always it's all about the things that we love and inspire. And if you have a favorite thing, never hesitate to let us know - we're always on the look out.

TRAVELING. AND POLAR BEARS. Small LOST reference and no, no apologies. I feel like this is the most appropriate of appropriate starts. This new Hermès travel belt accessorizes convenience and function in a cool way. It may not be for everyone, but let's face it, traveling sucks. Packing sucks even more and so, why not make convenience cool and stylish. Maybe it's time they make tool belts cool too.

WHEN THE WEATHERMAN IS ACTUALLY RIGHT you need a great pair of sunglasses. Speaking as one of the legions of people with terrible, terrible eyesight, finding that pair seems to hold a little more weight - yes, there's where your mother's supposed to think you're crazy. But there's something too a classic, if not sleek set of frames, like these from Oliver Peoples. It definitely puts into practice the idea of less being more.

TWO OF A KIND. File this under things that you should desperately want to see. Because that's how I feel about it. "Two in the Wave" is a documentary from Emmanuel Laurent that focuses on two of the biggest names in French cinema, Truffaunt and Godard, and their incredible contributions to film history itself. Godard also just showed his film at this year's Cannes, which is another on my list of things that I want to desperately to see. But the NYT has a very cool article on the film that you should definitely check out, if you're interested.

PHOTO HISTORY. While we've been talking about our first photo show, coming up in a couple of weeks, it's also kind of cool to be talking about the latest in Kennedy history - the only photography of Marilyn Monroe and JFK together is now being put up for auction, expected to generate somewhere around $23,000 or more. The photo is from a party, thrown after Monroe's famous birthday serenade for the young President in NYC. ABC has a cool video about the photo as well.

ROLEX TOWER SOUNDWAVE. There is nothing that isn't surprising about design, of all disciplines, and how incredibly innovative people can get. This sculpture stands at the business entrance of the Rolex Tower in Dubi; it's by sculptor James Clar, and it all came together from Clar simply recording himself saying: "Rolex Tower" which transformed into a soundwave. Once that was done, the soundwave was transferred into a 3D modeling program and then completely transformed to create a physical sculpture and installation piece. So cool.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG. We talked about Charlotte's album, way back when it was released. She's definitely a favorite and so, to touch on her again, her video for her new single "Time of the Assassins" has just been released. If you don't have the album, you should. And if you haven't seen Charlotte in any performance capacity, you should - in fact, I'd start right in the middle with I'm not There. But "Time of the Assassins" is such a gorgeous video, such a rich and subtle play on sound and space and people, transformative even; it goes to show what film, in any medium, can do.

COOL HUNTING. We love Cool Hunting, which is basically design at its best - dedicated to bring the latest and the coolest, Cool Hunting touches on their favorites in art, technology, interiors and installations - and incredibly good at making me incredibly jealous with all their cool iPad stuff.

THE STRANGE VORTEX HOUSE. Aptly appropriate title is aptly appropriate. Sculptors Dan Havel and Dean Ruck have transformed this Texas house into a living, breathing neighborhood installation before the demolition crews dropped in. No, Mr. Rogers isn't going to walk out of the vortex, smile on his face and whistling while he works, but it's a cool way of seeing something that we consider everyday change in such an eerie and interesting way. Check out the photos. They're ridiculously cool.

CATBIRD NYC. Nilda's recent trip to NYC brought us this Friday Favorite, where there are some really amazing pieces. Everything is so delicate and charming, and full of personality. Nilda is getting a custom nameplate made and wanted to share the very cool sketch that she just received. Also, follow their blog!

UMBRELLAS. Everything is full of surprises, useful ones at that. Sometimes we tend to think that transforming something or someone starts when you throw a number of elements together, whether it be objects or color, floral or a series of really great chairs. We tend to forget that a "traditional" object, a tricycle, a plastic bottle, and even an umbrella, holds every bit the potential as everything else. Take the umbrella, for example. As you can see here, it's something that can be easily used as a cool lighting fixture to an installation that sort of blooms into a space. It goes to show you - all details are important and all objects are unique.

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