Style with a conscience

Why not fight off the summer sun with a pair of shades from one of the following socially conscience companies? All of these companies subscribe to the 'buy a pair, give a pair' philosophy.

TOMS Eyewear - TOMS has expanded its market to sunglasses. Prices hover around $140.

Warby Parker - At $95 a pair, these are more affordable. They have sunglasses as well as prescription glasses.

4sight - You want even cheaper? These are only $89 a pair, but they have way less styles to choose from.

141 Eyewear - Not sure how much they run. Frames are all plastic. Name says it all.

Proof - All wooden frames - pretty cool eh? Prices range from $90 - $130. Only one specific pair is 1 for 1, but the company does donate a "large" portion of sales to an eye clinic in India.

"Bed Blend"

What a clever idea!

Doubt I would ever sit on the chairs but it's visually arresting. The headboard also looks like it'd be comfy to prop up against with a pillow, and lends itself well to different kinds of reading lamps.

Saving the planet one car at a time

One of my favorite things in the world is a very pedestrian city with a well-developed public transit system, especially subways and metros. NYC, Boston, Vancouver, Paris, Singapore, Munich....are just a few that come to mind. It's healthier for the environment, healthier for your body, and healthier for your bank account.

Of course, you can only carry so much and go so far with public transit. What if you wanted to make an IKEA run or if you're under a time crunch? There's always Zipcar. But I recently found out about a couple of other nice alternatives such as relayrides.com and getaround.com. These websites allow you to borrow cars anywhere from an hour up to a day directly from other car owners. Everything (gas, insurance, mileage) is included. Personally, they're more appealing than Zipcar because there's no annual fee and the cars are scattered throughout the city. Also, you can decide specifically which car you want. There are some 'exotic' cars on there, albeit for the appropriate 'exotic' charge. I saw a red Tesla convertible...just saying!

I can't take advantage of this in little Oxford, Ohio, but as soon as I'm moving to a larger city it's bubye car!

Whipping Post - rugged goodness

Another website featured this amazing product line, which is how I found out about it. It officially has two products (actually 3 if you count the guitar pick), both of which I love but way too rich for my blood and obviously designed for men...* sigh*

I'll post them anyway as eye candy.

Check out their website if you're interested. Pricey but lifetime warranty http://www.whippingpost.com/

Thank You Moleskin

No explanations necessary...

That Wasn't Me - Brandi Carlile (yet to be released)

Another from my favorite singer - Brandi Carlile! She has apparently completed recording on her new studio album but no news on when it'll be released yet. This is a somewhat decent live recording of her performing "That Wasn't Me" - her favorite song on the new album. The few I've heard were all phenomenal but I have to agree. It's just so melodic and introspective.

Cardboard = lifesaver?

Who knew cardboard was so durable and could literally be a lifesaver? Check out this corrugated cardboard helmet that they claim to be 4x stronger than the traditional polystyrene helmets. They're lightweight and durable - score!