And You Shall Know Us By The Trail Of Our Vinyl

$25

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$25

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

A collection of thousands of vinyl LPs from attics, garage sales, and dusty archives that spans the history of Jewish recorded music from the 1940s to the 1980s, this book weaves an account that begins with sacred songs and ends with the holy trinity of Neil, Barbra and Barry.

French Madeleines

$42

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$42

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

Choose from a variety of flavors, including chocolate dipped in chocolate, or stick with the original. They’re all delicious and are fun to dunk in coffee or tea.

This product is sold by Donsuemor

Wool Shawls

Former Helmut Lang designer and Parsons grad, illustrator Virginia Johnson creates her textiles using watercolor paints on paper, resulting in eco-friendly, beguiling shawls sure to liven up any outfit.

This product is sold by Virginia Johnson

Model Three Clock Radio

$300

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$300

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

Compatible with iPods and other players, simply-constructed and battery-operated, this alarm clock radio boasts excellent sound and a tuner originally developed for cellular communications.

This product is sold by Tivoli

Clou de Paris Rhodium Silver Lighter

$1,300

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$1,300

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

The classically handsome Clou de Paris from Geneva’s Caran D’Ache combines Swiss craftsmanship with sleek styling. Each lighter is stamped and individually numbered at the base, confirming its origin and its pedigree.

This product is sold by Caran D'Ache

Bob Books Flickbooks

A wonderfully tactile keepsake, the Bob Books Flickbook takes your personal video clips and renders them as an old-fashioned pocket-sized flip book. The clever format makes for a fun way to share the ubiquitous videos shot on digital cameras and cell phones—both a curious novelty and a tangible document for the more ephemeral digital videos.

To create a Flickbook, convert any digital video into either .mov, .avi, .mp4 or .mpg format. The Flickbook generator allows you to select the best section, which needs to clock in between six and eight seconds and can't exceed the 30 MB size limit. After the painless upload process, you can use their software to design both front and back covers, along with the spine using new photos or stills from the video.

The end result comes in one size (125 x 65mm) with 70 printed pages of matte-coated paper and a sturdy binding. Each book costs about $20, plus shipping charges. Visit Bob Books for more information and to use the Flickbook generator.

RELISH Today

$12

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$12

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

Not specifically intended for ingestion, this little bottle is filled with honey and spices and everything nice, reminding us to savor each moment and relish the day.

This product is sold by Alyce Santoro

Travel Sewing Kit

$6

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$6

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

The ultimate on-the-go sewing savior, this ergonomically designed kit includes thread, needles, thimble, buttons, safety pins, scissors and glue.

This product is sold by DCI

Christopher Walken A to Z

$12

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$12

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

Learn what makes this actor, dancer, comedian, writer and director so mesmerizing. Known for his incredible comedic timing and his deadpan look, this book is the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates his raw talent.

This product is sold by Robert Schnackenberg

World’s Smallest Postal Service

Let Lea Redmond send your next birthday card or love letter by transcribing your sentiments onto tiny stationary using her tiny pen and enclosing it in a tiny envelope and sealing it with a tiny wax stamp.

Formerly only available in cafés and stores where Lea would set up shop and perform the service, she now offers her epistolary skills online—for $8 she'll write up a mini-letter and either mail it off to the recipient of your choice or to you for hand delivery. Maddeningly precious, yes, but the attention to detail (note Lea's custom uniform) is hard to resist.

Chanukah Gift Box

$90

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$90

width=”270″ height=”270″ />

This box from Ann Arbor-based Zingerman’s includes an awesome assortment of homemade Rugelach and Mandelbread, a tin of macaroons, buckwheat honeycake and a book of children’s Chanukah food tales.

This product is sold by Zingerman's

JimmyJane Ember Edition Of One Candles

Well known for their gold and platinum plated sex toys, JimmyJane is set to release a special edition of their Ember Natural Emollient Massage Candles. With a matte black porcelain container, each candle is a one-off featuring a unique one-of-a-kind composition of gesture drawings.

Pairing aphrodisiac scents, the new candle smells like a blend of Cocoa and Fig fragrances. Each candle is made by hand using only natural plant extracts and a drawing is paired with the candle according to the makers mood. The use of cosmetic-grade wax allows the more adventurous to drip the wax on the body for use as a massage balm which nourishes and hydrates the skin.

Each Ember one-off candle is available for purchase for $65 at JimmyJane.

Salt Plates

$25+

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$25+

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

These slabs of Himalayan Pink Salt make attractive serving platters and also imbue the food served on them with a rich flavor. Available in various shapes and sizes, the plates and bricks are great for serving sushi, salads, meats and more.

This product is sold by Dean & Deluca

Wishpaper

My favorite part about eating a whole chicken is the wishbone and although I'm not suppose to say—I usually wish for more wishes. An alternative is the Wishpaper, a notepad that doubles as a paper wishbone offering 100 wishes.

Featuring a wishbone on every 4" x 5" page, each sheet has a 1" cut at the bottom. Just remove the page from the pad and pull the paper apart from the bottom corners. Whoever gets the bigger piece of the bone wins their wish. You can also write your wish on either side of the paper. We're not convinced it's completely fair—we've noticed whoever starts pulling first usually gets the larger end—but it's a fun and interesting dual-purpose note pad nonetheless.

Purchase 100 wishes in the form of Wishpaper at Pardoxy Products for $5. They also make Lovepaper and Decisionpaper which work off the same design concept.

MiniJet Lighters

Browsing the newly revamped Colette recently, I spied these sleek little lighters called miniJets. From the 135 year-old maker of fine lighters S.T. Dupont, the miniJet's compact size (it's just over two inches tall), punchy colors, and technology are meant to introduce the brand to a younger market.

In spite of its minimal weight (for nomads), the miniJet's satisfying heft and smooth surface makes the lighters playthings for nervous types, perfect for distractedly spinning on a counter top. And we think the slender silver button that ignites the flame is worlds more chic than flicking a Bic.

But as a tool, it rates high too. Thanks to an electronic ignition, the blue-tinted flame stays straight in any position and won't blow out in even the most blustery of situations — its intensity even had us worried for our eyelashes at first. The flame is adjustable of course and a window handily indicates the butane level.

Though we're not quite writing off the all-American, James Dean appeal of a Zippo just yet, the miniJet would coordinate well with a vintage Vespa. Pick one up from Colette for 90€, buy directly from miniJet (in France only) or find a retailer on the S.T. Dupont site.

American Spoon

American Spoon has been in the business of making artisinal fruit preserves for nearly three decades. While many commercial manufacturers pump their jellies and jams full of sweeteners, American Spoon makes every effort to use as little sugar as necessary to create a fruit-forward product while preserving the natural flavors that often get lost in big batch production.

Based in Petosky, Michigan, American Spoon is ideally positioned to tap into a wealth of locally harvested fruits. Despite its picturesque locale—a quaint Main Street American town on the northern shores of Lake Michigan—the region can feel rather remote. Company co-founder Justin Rashid comments about his home, “There are two things you need to bring with you when you move to Petosky—a job and a wife.†Having left New York City in the late 70s with the aim of harvesting the region’s bountiful produce, Justin fulfilled the first prerequisite quite readily by supplying foraged foods to New York Chef Larry Forgione. With Larry’s brunch business in full swing, it wasn’t long before Justin found himself making preserves from Michigan fruits.

What sets American Spoon apart is their ethos. “We’re in the business of selling authenticity,†Justin declared. Authenticity means not only making natural preserves, but preserving varietals through strategic partnerships with regional farmers. While national distribution dictates the need for more hardy (read: less flavorful) fruits, American Spoon works with farmers to save heirloom varieties like its Red Haven Peach Preserves ($8 / 9.5 oz.) that might otherwise be lost from cultivation. American Spoon is one of the last companies to hand-peel this fragile fruit, known as a “melting flesh†peach variety. Despite the intensive labor, it yields an extremely succulent preserve loaded with large fleshy chunks.

The Wild Thimbleberry Jam ($17 / 9 oz.) is another delicious and rare product. Found only in some of the most remote regions of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the thimbleberry is similar in resemblance to a raspberry, however it bruises far more easily, making it unsuitable for mass cultivation. If the fruit falls to the ground, it's all but lost from the damage. Foragers can only pick a couple pounds in twice as many hours but the rewards are an incredibly aromatic jam, punctuated by the thimbleberry's miniscule, nutty seeds. For breakfast, we'd recommend using this jam in a crèpe.

Every American Spoon store—there are six in Michigan—features a tasting counter where customers are encouraged to both sample every product available and learn about its history. Look for our inclusion of American Spoon gift boxes in this year's upcoming holiday gift guide. American Spoon can be purchased online, through mail order or at gourmet retailers such as Dean & Deluca in New York or Surfas in Culver City.

Baxter “Flammable” Candles

Baxter of California, a premium men's grooming line, are heating things up just in time for Father's Day. "Flammable" is a new series of scented candles and Baxter's first foray into the realm of home fragrance. For Baxter's president, Jean-Pierre Mastey, this was a perfectly logical step. He explains, "our sophisticated consumers perceive Baxter as a lifestyle brand that already goes beyond basic grooming".

We love "Flammable" because it represents a striking olfactory take on how men should represent themselves in their environment. "Flammable" appeals to Baxter's targeted male consumer but its scents are anything but limited to their olfactory palette. The first three scents in the series are described as "dark and mysterious floral scents paired with bright citrus".

My personal favorite is "Jasmin Noir." With notes of grapefruit and white jasmine blossom it is the lightest and cleanest smelling candle of the series.

Each nine-ounce luxury candle (burn time roughly 70 hours) will be sold individually with a custom designed matchbox for $45 at Baxter starting this weekend.

Also on Cool Hunting: Baxter of California.

Cube Alarm Clock

Get a mental kick start from the moment you open your eyes in the morning with this alarm clock inspired by the classic puzzler. After it wakes you up, the cube clock becomes a treasure trove of knowledge—a bodhisattva of data, if you will.

By twisting the cube you will gain access to boundless jewels of wisdom including the time, the date or even the current temperature.

The '80s cube clock is three x three inches, so it's small enough to throw into your drawer while cold lampin' with your homies so they don't call you McFly for having a Rubik's cube. But then again, it's big enough to be conveniently displayed on your bedside table to impress the betties with a subtle yet bodacious sign of your trippendicular intellect.

Twist it the right way and it might just show you the meaning of life. It's $22 from Fled Flare.

Capitalist Pig Chalkboard Piggy Bank

by Mat Lyon

Had too much of the collapsing world economy? Fear not, the Capitalist Pig will help you aim for brighter days.
Floundering savers can stay focused by listing or drawing object(s) of desire on the blackboard surface of the bank. Don’t think this is a one-off investment, this little piggy will encourage saving time and time again as it features a removable stopper so you can put the hammer down and gorge on the fruits of your savings without mindless piggy-based destruction. Value for money doesn’t stop there, this piece of wonder comes with four sticks of chalk.

It's £13 from Giftlab.

Penhaligon’s Luxury Crackers

For a truly fabulous way to ring in the New Year, Penhaligon's crackers feature a surprise that far outdoes the usual plastic tchotchke fare. The esteemed British purveyor of grooming products hides a small leather notebook, keychain or other gift (as well as a New Year's resolution) inside a package tied with sumptuous red velvet bows.

A set of six is £90 from Penhaligon's or $180 from London's Bathecary.

Also on Cool Hunting: Angry Christmas Crackers

2007 Gift Guide: Last-Minute Gifts

With precious few shopping days left before Christmas, holiday panic is almost palpable. We've highlighted several selections from our 2007 Gift Guide that are still available for delivery by 24 December 2007.

Giftable

For those with an insatiable curiosity, plug the EyeClops Bionic Eye into your TV to see objects blown up to 200x their size. It's available through Wednesday, 19 December 2007.

The Mix Tape USB Drive is perfect for music lovers who have nostalgia for mix tapes but would rather create them using today's technology.

Edible

These delicious chocolates from John & Kira's can be ordered through 3pm EST Wednesday, 19 December 2007 (free upgrade to two-day express shipping).

The lovely Hand-Pressed Chocolate Ornaments from Garnet Hill are available for next day and two-day shipping.

As a gift that keeps on giving, the Cheese of the Month Club subscription sort of lets you off the hook if you don't have an actual wrapped bundle at gift-swapping time. An appropriate card notifying the recipient of the their forthcoming fromage should make quite an impression.

Dean and Deluca's test-tube Spice Rack is available for next-day delivery.

Readable

Books make great gifts for everyone. For non-readers, consider it a charitable act in increasing literacy (even if they only end up appreciating its decorative qualities). Our 2007 Gift Guide has a great selection of books that are still available for one-day shipping.

Great for technology-lovers, Core Memory profiles 35 vintage computers including the Eniac, Crays 1 3, Apple I and II.

Playboy: The Complete Centerfolds comes packaged in a handsome briefcase with a velvet lining and a combination lock.

For both dandies and the sartorially-challenged, theABC of Men's Fashion features information all aspects of men's fashion.

Designer Mike Perry's Hand Job: A Catalog of Type makes a great resource for designers and typographers.

For the kids on your list, The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls offer advice and activities to keep modern kids busy and creative and both are getting rave reviews.

Wearable

The Billykirk Belt Pouch for cameras, iPods or phones is available with next-day shipping.

Luxurious and warm, Lumi Sheep Leather Mittens are available with next-day and Saturday delivery.

The Le Punk Keyfob Charm from Hayden Harnett can be guaranteed to arrive by 24 December if ordered by the end of the day on 19 December 2007.

The clever M&Co Watch, 10-One-4 is available for express shipping if you place your order by 21 December 2007 at 9am EST.

Bird Cage Mobile

$65

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$65

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

Adding Victorian flair, these Birdcage Mobiles are like having “a pet without the mess.” They’re laser cut from museum board so they’ll last longer than a pet too.

This product is sold by Ige Design

Hot Chocolate-on-a-Stick

$18

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$18

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

Besting Swiss Miss by a long shot, Petrossian’s hot chocolate-on-a-stick is a cube of premium dark Belgian chocolate that makes for a delicious winter treat when stirred into a cup of hot milk (or, for the truly decadent, cream).

This product is sold by Petrossian

2007 Gift Guide: CH Exclusive Discounts

There is no doubt that holiday shopping is taxing on the wallet. Luckily, a few Cool Hunting friends offered up a few discounts in our Gift Guide. Every little bit helps, no?

429
429 Life makes the softest t-shirts around and recently they've started a more comprehensive line including sweaters, henleys and hoodies. Featuring nice cuts with small details, they are always imminently wearable. Order strategically as the sizes run a bit small. Enter CH07 at checkout to get a 30% discount.

Behance
Behance Action Pads are a must-have for any creative professional. Strategically designed to maximize organization resulting in increased productivity, they are the perfect stocking stuffer for OCD types or anyone that likes to make a list.

Watchismo Watches
Our long time friend Watchismo has quite the watch collection. From the oldest vintage pieces to new and futuristic models, he probably has it. If he doesn't I bet he could find it for you and the re-released LIP line will wow any mod out there. For the first time, he's giving readers a special discount from his own collection. Just mention Cool Hunting at checkout for a 10% discount

Action Journal

$6+

width=”100″ height=”100″ />

$6+

width=”300″ height=”300″ />

The Behance Action line of products helps productivity by strategically spacing out and separating aspects of the creative thought process on paper. Featuring suede like covers which add durability and comfort, they are the perfect notebook for any creative professional.

This product is sold by Action Journal