So it would appear that Todd Selby is branching out to them new fanggled talkies. All joking aside, Mr. Selby’s eye translates very well to motion picture. It sure doesn’t hurt to feature an amazing home and an equally gorgeous hostess, Lucy Chadwick. Who is Lucy, oh just some rad artist/curator/ex-pat/style sprite living the life in NYC – you know the typical Selby fare. Not sure why Zara is footing the bill on this short, but I thank them for it.

- Curt

Spotted on Man Made Lakes

Ugh, this watch is hot. It must be mine. And as a sub-$200 Timex this working man’s watch’s fancy older brother is well within my reach. Timex has been grinding it out in the lab for years to finally bring to their watches multiple complications normally only found in pricey Swiss made timepieces. This particular stunner has yet to hit the market, but it should be available at select retailers like Nordstrom in October. It will be mineeee.

- Curt

Spotted on Valet

I treated myself to a new pair of shoes this week since I got promoted at work. Yeah that’s pretty chicky, but whatev. I like my shoes! Anyway, I’ve been hurting for a new pair of Vans. I love Vans. Clean. Classic. Californian. I wanted something simple and understated with subtle details. I scored those gray Authentic One Piece lopros up top there from my favorite kicks spot: Undefeated. These babies are part of Vans’ Fall (ugh, I don’t even want to think about fall) California Collection, only released to a few select footwear retailers with sneakerhead cred. I was diggin’ the cream soles over the usual stark white. Despite their limited availability they still aren’t that expensive, $60 vs. the usual $45. The CA collection uses nicer materials than your typical Vans and includes incredible OrthoLite insoles that make you feel like you’re walking on memory foam. They also keep your feet extra cool and dry. It’s legit. Well worth the premium. I also included a few other pairs from the fall line that were close seconds.

- Curt

*images from High Snobiety and Vans

So while Beans was getting his ass kicked by a sociopathic cat (see previous post), we were working on getting a tan at our favorite beach in Laguna. Yes we are horrible parents, but at least we’ll be able to bring our kids to the beach with us – dogs, not so much.

After we filled our UV quota for the day we headed back up to the car, but on our way we popped into Thalia Surf Shop. I’ve always known and seen Thalia– it’s on PCH about a mile south of Main Beach and three blocks up from Cress St., our favorite sliver of sand– but I’ve never stopped in until last weekend. Man! I’ve been missing out. The shop not only carries some really great classic surf brands and clothing collabs, but their Thalia fashion line is really awesome too! Besides stocking really well curated clothing, the store is impeccably styled – picture Beautiful Losers strewn among a retro beach cabin.

And to top it all off, the staff is a bunch of nice dudes. None of that “I’m too cool for you” crap you can get at a lot of shops. They just seem happy to share the stoke.

There was also the beach equivalent of a Fleet Foxes member out front sewing on shop patches to anything you wanted. For free.

*6th and 7th images are from Thalia’s facebook page; the rest are mine.

P.S. sorry we’re slacking on posts. I was in DC for most of last week for work. I’ve got a few things from that trip I’ll try and get up here. You should also keep an eye on my Twitter. I’m usually throwing stuff on there that is interesting but not necessarily blog post worthy. Although, you will have to put up with some egregious auto-correct typos that may or may not completely ruin the meaning of my tweet. It’s raw baby!

- Curt

I’m totally digging these 70′s inspired boardshorts by The Break.

“At The Break, we’re a small shop sewing boardshorts the way they did back in the 70′s… better. It all started when a few locals set out to redesign the trunk with wetsuit functionality in mind–integrating snaps, zippers, and velcro. Our boardshorts are styled with an above the knee hem and bold prints that certainly do more than give a nod to the days of vintage California.”

These shorts, designed in LA and manufactured in the OC, are limited to a 100 “units” per design. So once they’re gone they’re gone. So jump on it! After the jump, check out a few more images from their summer lookbook shot at one of the most iconic OC beaches, Crystal Cove.

Glad someone else appreciates Trader Joe’s beer.

- Curt

I really love this J. Crew jacket. I’ve been looking everywhere for a nice lightweight summer jacket and this one totally fits the bill… but I don’t want to pay $128 for it. Any ideas? Or J. Crew insider hookups?

- Jessica

1. Murad Shave Cream: $28 6.75oz
2. Baxter Super Close Shave Formula: $18 10oz
3. Zirh Shave Cream: $22.50 8.4oz
4. Art of Shaving Sandalwood Shave Cream: $22 5oz.

I hate to shave. I’ve got pretty sensitive skin and it will break out if I shave more often than every third day. I typically shave every 5-6 days. Ironically, my skin also gets pretty irritated when my beard gets too long. 7-8 days in and my throat kinda aches and hurts from the beard – weird I know, but that’s how it goes. So I’ve been experimenting with my shave routine since high school. This post may not be all that applicable to the ladies, but maybe something in here will make your dude want to shave more often and we all know how much you wish that would happen. Check out my recommendations after the jump:

Nearly all the products shown in this post, I’ve tried. I’ve provided links on where to buy, but do your research first. I can’t guarantee that these are the lowest prices out there.

My routine is as follows:

First up, shaving cream. I’ve only been using the Murad shave cream for a month now, but it’s by far the best cream I’ve used, hands down. It smells a little funky, not bad, just not the typical manly notes that most of the others I’ve tried had – maybe it’s the mushroom enzymes. Anyway, the lather is super rich and smooth and a little bit goes a long way, which is something I look for. Baxter is my runner up. It’s also a really high quality shave cream and the best value, but the dispenser is pretty dumb. The pump is a crap idea for a shave cream bottle since it doesn’t work very well on the last inch or so in the bottle. I end up looking like I’m doing a shakeweight commercial in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to shake out the cream for a few more shaves. The Zirh* doesn’t have the greatest lather. The Art of Shaving doesn’t last very long since it takes a lot for full coverage and it’s the worst value. With that said, all four of these creams easily beat aerosol shave gels in my opinion.

*I put the picture of the Zirh Shave gel up instead of the cream, but it looks the same just “cream” instead of “gel”

1. Merkur Classic Safety Razor: $31.50 – cost per blade (cpb) 80 cents
2. Gillette Mach 3 Power: $12 – cpb $2
3. Gillette Pro Fusion: $14 – cpb $3

Next up: the blade. I’ve been rocking the olde tyme safety razor since Christmas and love it. It’s a bit scary at first and requires a more gentlemanly finesse, but the results are worth it in a razor burn free (and cheap) shave. Pinky up really does make you hold the razor lighter and lets the blade do the work instead of you scraping the blade over your skin. Given that the single blade doesn’t cut as close, you’re more likely to end up with your shadow sooner than with a 3-5-6 blade razor, but my skin is much happier afterward. I’m glad I made the switch to 80 cent safety blades. I was so sick of being gouged by Gillette for stupid Mach 3 blades and being treated like I’m buying hard drugs every time I needed a new 12 pack at Walmart. I preferred the Mach 3 over the 5 blade Fusion – and really what other choices are there? But despite the billion dollar ad campaign, I sure thought the Fusion had more tug and pull than the “archaic” 3 blade alternative. At least the Fusion made my Mach 3 blades cheaper at Costco so there’s some upside to its existence.

1. Art of Shaving Badger Brush: $55
2. Baxter Badger Brush: $50
3. Tweeserman Badger Brush: $12

After the razor, most say the brush is the most important component of a quality shave, and I’d have to agree. I’m not even sure I’d know what to do anymore if I was just left with my hand. I’ve been using the Art of Shaving (Aos) Badger fur brush since high school. It’s served me well. It came in an AoS intro gift pack back before it was the Gillette-endorsed shaving powerhouse it is today. The handle isn’t the greatest, and I do not take care of it whatsoever, but the bristles still work great and help lift my beard. The other two brushes shown above would be two alternatives I’d be interested in trying. The Tweezerman brush is pretty cheap, which may be a good entry point for anyone interested in trying out a brush shave. I’ve got my eye on that Baxter brush, it’s pretty hot.

1. Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil: $3.74 20oz
2. Art of Shaving Sandalwood Pre Shave Oil: $21 2oz
3. Anthony After Shave Balm: $19 2.5oz
4. Art of Shaving Sandalwood After Shave Balm: $28 4oz

Last up the pre and post treatment. Granted, most of my regimen is a derivative of the Art of Shaving’s setup from the travel kit . Honestly, I’ve just been experimenting with ways to phase out their products with something hopefully cheaper/more valuable since AoS is positioned as a “luxury” experience. AoS sells a fancy pre-shave elixir, but I’ve found J&J’s baby oil works just as well. AoS’s post shave balm is nice and smells good, but I think Anthony’s after shave balm is more soothing and helps prevent ingrown hairs and redness a lot better.

So there you have it. I figured with all the time I’ve spent typing to figure all this out, you might as well benefit from my trials. What’s your routine? Do you have a favorite shave combo or brand? Got any tips for me? I’d love to hear them.

- Curt

*Update: I’m silly. I totally thought today (4/18) was Earth Day. It’s actually on Friday 4/22. Oh well!

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Mother Earth, Poketo has launched a line of upcycled leather goods. These beautiful pouches, clutches, wallets, and passport holders are all made from vintage leather sofas that were on their last legs (no pun intended), and they are all completely one-of-a-kind. How cool is that?!

Here’s what the peeps at Poketo had to say about the collection:

“Rescued from the waste stream, every handmade (not manufactured) accessory was made from furniture that was nearing the end of its own lifecycle. With no two alike in color, texture or material origin, every accessory features a different combination of soft, supple, leather fabrics that will never be replicated again.

The line predominantly features shades of cream and brown paired with other earth tones and black leather swatches in a variety of textures. A colorful variant featuring pinks, cool blues, mint greens paired with earth tones (and sometimes metallics) are also available for the more adventurous. Unpredictable as they are delightful, each accessory is a unique statement of sustainable design.

‘Each piece is high in style and low in impact, which make them perfect for a young generation of more conscientious doers and thinkers,’ says Ted Vadakan, Co-Founder of Poketo.”

See some more leather lovelies after the jump:

- Jessica

P.S. last year’s Earth Day post

I don’t know much about Jason Wu other than he’s a Taiwanese designer wunderkind that made some really nice dresses for Michelle Obama. But these detail shots of his recent show from the gorgeous Fashionista site JAK & JIL are amazing. Check out more beautiful details that I shamelessly ripped from JAK & JIL beauce they’re just too cool.

- Curt

How are y’all feeling about last night’s Oscar winners? We only watched bits and pieces (I heard Anne Hathaway and James Franco were pretty boring as hosts, which is unfortunate)… but I have to say I was very pleased that The King’s Speech gathered so many honors. It’s an incredible film and if you haven’t seen it yet, you really should. Colin Firth is just kind of adorable.

His wife Livia looked lovely in a Gary Harvey gown created from–get this–eleven vintage gowns from the era of The King’s Speech (1930s). It was part of her “Green Carpet Challenge” (she also wore fair-trade, eco-minded gold jewelry). I love that she chose to go against the grain. And I guess her eco-influence has had an affect on her husband… even Colin’s Tom Ford suit was made from all organic materials.

- Jessica