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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ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE.

Happy Friday! And hopefully, there are no crazy snow/thunder/apocalyptic moments today during rush hour. But here are this week's Friday favorites, full of things that inspire us and that we want you to go and check out:

FRANK BUCHWALD'S MACHINE LIGHTS. The series is comprised of 12 steampunk lamp designs, handmade in extremely limited quantities and that definitely look like they could have come straight from the set of Blade Runner. The main structures are made of raw brass and steel, which then are hand burnished - this creates a unique antique black and brown hue. Prices are not for the meek (from $3,800 to $5,900, and all the way up to $15,500).

HELVETICA COOKIE CUTTERS. What is really wonderful about these cookie cutters (besides the fact that they encourage cookies and cookies are, well, delicious) is that they're incredibly cool and incorporate the neat, clean lines that the Helvetica font brings to any form of design. But of course, they're cookie cutters and they bring cookies - don't worry, I haven't forgotten.

NOON STUDIO. Noon studio is a London and Avignon based design office, created by two designers, Gautier Pelegrin and Vincent Taïani. Their philosophy is all about the use of honest materials, the simplicity of execution, and forward thinking and innovation. As their site says, "a new dynamic which results from a relationship between people and physical objects." A favorite? The compas lamp, a leaning floor and wall lamp that can be moved and set to different heights. Or the tripod side table, a beautiful ceramic side table supported with birch cantilevering tripod leg system.

ACME DYNAMITE. Jeremy Wolf is an Industrial Designer and besides doing some pretty incredibly things, he has a really cool website that you should take the time to navigate through for a few minutes. I'm in love with the re-routed radio - which Wolf says the goal of the project was to "re-purpose a conventional radio into an interesting form and interaction." His inspiration came from old mystery movies. BUT the real gem is his ACME DYNAMITE candles. And yes, the Acme from the old Looney Tunes cartoons. They're absolutely cheeky.

MASSIVE BOUNCY BALL INSTALLATION. This incredibly installation was designed by Australian artist Nike Savvas, “Full of Love and Full of Wonder” represents the very atoms that are the fundamental structural units of all things. Just gorgeous.

CHOLOCHAIR. Furniture vandalism! No, we're completely serious. Street art meets your everyday, standard chair. They’re of all designs - some cool art, some really cheeky art, and absolutely beautiful all around. They're great for showing off and transforming any sort of room.

DAMAGES. The new season is here! The new season is here! Damages is by far the best television show on right now, if not for the last three years. Starring Glenn Close, Rose Byrne, and Tate Donovan, the series revolves around the brilliant yet ruthless lawyer Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), her protégée Ellen Parsons (Byrne) and the law firm Hewes runs in NYC. The show is especially noted for its narrative (completely nonlinear) and season long storylines as well as the strength of its cast. Do, do, do check it out.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS, HEADS WILL ROLL. It’s Blitz! was definitely one of the best albums of 2009. It’s a force, from start to finish, and again, shows the tremendous presence the band has. But their videos from these albums are also a force to reckoned with – take the video for Heads will Roll which not only shows how much of a presence the incomparable Karen O has, but the knack the band has for putting on a performance. They are always colorful, always fun, and it’s always a show.

STUART HAYGARTH’S SPECTACLE CHANDELIER. Haygarth’s design projects revolve around the collection of objects, all normally collected in large quantities; these objects are then assembled in a way that not only transforms their meaning but surprises you. The finished work can take any form such as chandeliers, installations, and functional and sculptural. Spectacle is one such project, using 1000+ pairs of discarded prescription eyeglasses that all link together into a gorgeous chandelier.

COLLETTE DINNIGAN. An Australian-based fashion designer and the first Australian designer to show during the Paris ready to wear presentations. Her RTW Spring 2010 line is stunning, full of vivid colors that are ready for spring and all about showing off shoulders.

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THIRTEEN.

The Paris-based designer Hervé Van der Straeten is best known for his extraordinary work in the design world. Still an art student in Paris, he began making and then showing jewelry to some of the greatest fashion houses: Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Lacroix, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Today a major powerhouse, he has expanded his mark not just in jewelery but into exquisitely-made, and often romantic, furniture pieces where he showcases his experience with materials such as bronze, parchment, marble, lacquer, and other luxe materials.

Van der Straeten is, without a doubt, designer whose work should definitely be shared and explored. For further reading: a recent, quirky Elle Décor article allows some personal insight to the extraordinary designer with his twelve favorite things. He is also featured in several wonderful New York Times articles, discussing his incredible contribution to both the fashion and interior design world.

For more samples of his work, check out this gallery.

TWELVE.

Ever wonder who's responsible for the great SNL portraits?
New York based, photographer Mary Ellen Matthews is
responsible for all of these great, classic images.

SIX.

Television. The very bane of our existence, with the abundance of reality-based shows, to your grandma's stories, and the very few series that makeup the always changing primetime face.

Of course, we really don't think about commercials until the Superbowl, where it's about who has the funniest ad or the coolest, or the ever-favorite most expensive that leaves everybody talking for days - mostly with "What were they thinking?" as the first question on their minds.

So very rarely, we stumble upon an actual commercial that is both intelligent and sharp as the two spots running from the new Levi's ad campaign from Wieden & Kennedy.





Arguably, it might be too intelligent and too romantic for the masses. People are mostly uninterested in any commercial, too impatient and wanting very much to get back to their shows. But there's something about these two spots that have make you stop and watch, and with such a brilliant use of color and language and mood, the campaign is nothing short of being visually stunning. For sure, it embraces the iconic spirit of the Levi's brand.

And let's be honest. Sometimes it's just nice to stop and watch.