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BMW Z4 Silver Top Edition



If you live in Japan and have an extra 6 million yen just kicking around, you might want to contact your local BMW dealer, because the German automaker's Japanese importer has just announced a rather enticing special edition.

It's called the Silver Top edition, and is based on the Z4 sDrive23i. It's powered by a 2.5-liter inline-six with a six-speed automatic transmission, but what sets it apart is the color combination: A silver retractable hard-top (with matching door mirrors) contrasting the black body and a red leather interior. Gorgeous, but it's only available in Japan and only 15 examples will be made.

Pitcher Ted Lilly Lists Chicago Home

Last month we learned that Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ted Lilly was putting his Chicago home up for market. Now, Housing Watch led us to the listing. Lilly, who used to play for the Cubs is yet another sports star who may end up losing money on a home he bought in a town he no longer plays for; Housing Watch reports that Lilly bought the home in 2006 for $2.15 million bit it is listed for $2.1 million with Mike Lavorato of d'Aprile Realty.

The 5,500-square-foot Chicago home is located near the Chicago Cubs stadium, Wrigley Field. The brick home on a corner lot has four bedrooms. Lilly and his wife, Natasha did the decorating and the home has a modest, casual appeal. Key features include a wine cellar, roof decks and a heated garage. It also has a self-contained backyard courtyard.

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Burberry Plissé Leather Tote, Handbag of the Day

Burberry Pliss Leather ToteThe Burberry Plissé Leather Tote is a very pretty bag with a lot more character than you usually see in either a tote or in the white family.

Throwing the descriptor "simple" out the door, this bag is lavish in its complexity and style. There's one big pleat in this luxurious plissé leather, artfully balanced with a low logo tag. Rivets trim the edges of this bowler shape, adding both sparkle and strength. What you can't see is the luxurious black lining, as well as the protective metal feet (goldtone, of course). The 13"W X 13½"H X 6½"D bag has multiple interior compartments, and the generous width ensures you won't run out of space.

This "Trench" colored bag is so supple, you'll probably spend as much time stroking and hugging it as carrying it. It will look classic with jeans and modern with your work clothes. This could easily be your go-to bag for the entire season.

The Burberry Plissé Leather Tote is available for pre-order from Saks Fifth Avenue for $1,495.00.

Treasures from the Archives of Alfred Hitchcock

The archives of the late, great director Alfred Hitchcock were made completely available for the first time for the publication of a remarkable new book on his life and work. Hitchcock, Piece by Piece by Laurent Bouzereau from Abrams is of course packed with photographs, letters, memos, sketches and other ephemera, many never before published, with the innovative enhancement that facsimiles of several items can be removed from special folders and examined close up. Bouzereau, an accomplished Hollywood producer and director in his own right, provides a personal guided tour of Hitchcock's private life, oeuvre of fifty films, and creative process throughout his sixty year career working with stars like Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Ingrid Bergman. Hundreds of photographs reveal the many facets of the master filmmaker, famed for classics like North By Northwest (one of our all-time favorites) and Vertigo, dating from the days of his youth, along with a a comprehensive filmography and bibliography. As Hitchcock's daughter Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell notes in her foreword, the book is a veritable Hitchcock museum and a must-have for any film buff.

Forty Creek Launches Confederation Oak

Anyone who has tried Forty Creek Canadian Whisky knows that a distillery doesn't have to be decades old to produce a fine product.

In business only ten years, and already impressing critics with a Barrel Select, the Ontario distillery has just released a new expression, Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve Whisky.

The name comes from the fact that owner John Hall, who also produces Kittling Ridge Wines, aged his whiskey in barrels made from Canadian white oak trees about 150 years old--dating back to Canada's structure as a confederation. "As a proud Canadian whisky maker, I have always been curious what a Canadian whisky would taste like aged in a Canadian oak barrel, because most Canadian whiskies are aged in American oak," says Hall.

Each bottle will be numbered, and 16,800 are being released.

The nose on this whisky is maple-raisin-vanilla-fig, progressing to praline, banana, butter cream, honeyed nuts, marzipan, spice and orange blossoms. It is full-bodied on the tongue, with vanilla, butter cream and pepper spice. A long lingering finish with fading spice and white pepper.

Price: About $69.95 (Canadian) for a 750-mL bottle.

RSVIP: Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford at "Morning Glory" Premiere

In "Morning Glory" her most endearing onscreen pairing since she fell for Jack Nicholson in "Something's Gotta Give," Diane Keaton, right, teams up with Harrison Ford, who plays an intractable veteran news anchor, to host a troubled network morning show. Keaton, playing a former Miss Arizona, is pitted against Ford, and the duo give off an embattled chemistry that lights up the big screen.

At Sunday's premiere of "Morning Glory" at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, Ford's white hair had the Tinsel Town messy on purpose look. Up close, the craggy neck doesn't quite match the boyishly smooth face. Scars on his chin from a car accident in 1968 and a metal stud in one earlobe add machismo. The loafers and red socks were borrowed from his newsman character.

"The early mornings," Ford said, describing the news gig to reporters. "That's the easy part."

And while he made a sensational anchor on camera, he said he wasn't willing to try news as an occupation. "I like the job I have, thank you."

That said, Hoda Kotb, of the "Today Show," not in the film, mentioned that she'd love to work with Ford. "Can you imaging co-hosting with Harrison Ford? Nothing would be better. He's in my top five list."

Rick Younger, who plays a producer in the film, told Luxist that Ford was generous on the set. "One day, he shared something he had learned from Marlon Brando," said Younger. "As an actor, a lot of times we think that things going on under the surface can't be seen. And Brando had told him that that the camera sees all."

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Lakeshore Drive, Estate of the Day


We were recently in Austin, Texas to check out another Lake Austin property, the home of Andy Roddick, now were are back for another gorgeous lakefront home that belongs to a young success story. Today's home is owned by 31-year-old Douglas Jaffe, III, CEO of Horseshoe Bay Resort in the Texas Hill Country, which is owned by his prominent San Antonio-based family.

This home is a six-bedroom property that was renovated a few years ago, giving it a sleek, contemporary feel. Outside there are terraces with lake and city views, a negative-edge pool that cascades over the bluff into Lake Austin, and a lakeside lawn leading to the water's edge where the home has 100 feet of waterfront and a dock. A three-car glass-front garage also has additional guest quarters with a kitchen and bath. Other features include an exercise room, a media room, a game room with a wet bar and a master bedroom that has a fireplace, walk-in closet and dressing room. This home is listed at $3.995 million.


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Baume & Mercier Diamant Watches For Women

This holiday season Baume & Mercier releases their new Diamant watch collection for women. With 13 models in the range, each will have a signature "diamond oval" crown. What does that mean? Will the crown will be shaped like an oval, and have a diamond in it.

Each watch will have a rectangular case with interesting curved lugs and a dial with a lot of highly angular elements. The design does not feel extremely original, but it is satisfying. The watches contain Swiss quartz movements, and have optional metal bracelet or various straps. Baume & Mercier would not have called the collection "Diamant" if it was not for the large amount of diamond decoration options, as well as optional gold for all or part of the case and bracelet. Note the dial is available either in mother-of-pearl, or with a textured pattern. Not too sure about other details, such as size or price. Though Baume & Mercier is correct that this conservative collection will do well this holiday season as the Diamant collection is an easy gift choice for women of all types and ages.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Giorgio G Ltd. Edition Cognacs from Giorgio Gucci


Giorgio Gucci, grandson of the man who founded the famed Italian fashion house Gucci in 1905, has launched an exclusive new line of limited edition cognacs for those who appreciate the finer things in life. Giorgio worked in the family business for over five decades building the Gucci brand into a global powerhouse before selling his interest in the company and launching his own fashion label, Giorgio G, now expanded with the line of cognacs. The rare old ultra-premium spirits, sourced from scores of eaux-de-vie from France's famed Grande Champagne region selected for their characters and softness and aged in oak casks, come in three different expressions: Giorgio G XO, Giorgio G Grand Cru (above), and Giorgio G Grande Champagne Premier Cru, set to be distributed by Emperor's Brand.

The XO is over 35 years old, fruity and spicy with a deep mahogany color accented by brilliant glints of red flames. Rich, concentrated and powerful, it has notes of buttery vanilla and chocolate with wood and leather undertones. The Grand Cru is 50 years old, glowing and coppery in color. Its fragrances include notes of grapes, prunes, apricots, smoky oak and vanilla in addition to jasmine and honeysuckle. The taste is powerful and well balanced with a slightly spicy bouquet and peppery overtones. And the Grande Champagne Premier Cru is over 50 years old, shiny gold in hue. Notes of prunes and elderflower complement light vanilla, jasmine and honeysuckle aromas. The taste is soft and full-bodied with a mixture of nutmeg, vanilla and licorice notes.

Luxist Giveaway: Flor Carpet Tiles


Carpet tiles aren't exactly the sexy topic around. Certainly the idea of trekking across town to attend the opening of a carpet store isn't generally my idea of a fun Thursday night but there was wisdom to be had at the new Flor store on Broadway in Santa Monica. The store, located near the popular Third Street Promenade shopping area is only the second bricks and mortar store for the online brand in the U.S. (the other is in Chicago). This one is literally bricks and mortar, full of exposed brick, concrete floors and open light-filled space.

What is Flor? It's a system of carpet squares designed to work in a modular system that lets you design the size of floor covering you want as well as choose from a variety of mix and match colors, patterns and styles. The squares assemble together quickly and easily using special non-toxic, adhesives that stick to the back of each square and not to the floor. You can remove and move your squares, pulling up old squares to refresh your design with new ones or to relocate your rug to another room or take it with you when you move. The squares are also washable and replaceable. They come shipped in flat, recyclable boxes and you can even send in your old Flor tiles for recycling. The squares are made with varied degrees of renewable and recycled materials including natural, un-dyed wool and post-consumer waste like plastic soda and water bottles. They are also non-toxic and contain an antimicrobial that inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.

Part of the magic of Flor is that the head of the parent company, Interstate, Ray C. Anderson, is committed to running businesses that respect people and the earth. In fact the wrote the book on it. His "Confessions of A Radical Industrialist" details his decision to overhaul his business in selling industrial carpet tiles into a green business.

At the event I received a Flor press bag that I'm passing on to on Luxist reader. The bag contains Ray C. Anderson's book "Confessions of A Radical Industrialist" as well as a gift certificate for a six square (3'x5') Flor rug in Fedora (a total value of $120). To enter, leave a comment below letting us know which of your rooms could use a little Flor.

Additional details:
* To enter, leave a confirmed comment below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before November 16, 2010 at 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Flor gift pack--a mini Flor tote bag containing Ray C. Anderson's book "Confessions of A Radical Industrialist" as well as a gift certificate for a six square (3'x5') Flor rug in Fedora (total value $120).

* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia.

See complete giveaway rules here.

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