Brew everything
I thought I was seeing things when I saw there is a company called Gay Coffee (www.gaycoffee.com). I thought I was also hallucinating when I saw flavors such as Red Hanky Roast, Weekend Pass, Second Date, Good Morning Mary! and Stone Butch ($13 each). However, the company and the tasty flavors certainly do exist—and think of the delicious names they could come up for future ones.
Bracelets for a cause
Renee Trikolas, the mind behind Isabella Rose Designs (www.isabellarosedesigns.com), has come up with the “Be Aware” collection, handmade bracelets with Swarovski crystals to benefit three different causes—breast cancer, HIV/AIDS and scleroderma. However, there are also other stunning designs in other collections (such as Couture, Luxe and Glo), with bracelets such as the Alexandria, Beverly Gold, Diamante and Josephina.
Kitchen duty
Williams-Sonoma (www.Williams-Sonoma.com) has a variety of items that will make even the most boring kitchen chore seem pleasurable. The Kuhn Rikon Melon Knife ($24.95) has an extra-long microserrated blade that slices through even the toughest rind without bruising the tender flesh. Reward yourself afterwards with Whammies ($19.95-$34.95), a crunchy-chewy-salty-sweet candy that combines pretzels, peanut nougat, salted caramel and milk chocolate.
Being part of the Military
The company 2 (x) ist introduces Military (www.2xist.com; $20), a line of men’s underwear modeled after modern combat uniforms and body armor. Military features a series of bindings and accents that create strong lines to reinforce masculine features. Depending on where you walk around in these, you might need extra reinforcements.
Danger zone
Peligroso Tequila (www.peligrosotequila.com; $39.99-$49.99) is no joke—in fact, it’s name means “dangerous” in Spanish. Peligroso is a smooth, 84-proof blue agave tequila, grown and harvested on a private estate in Jalisco Mexico, and each bottle is corked and numbered by hand to certify its authenticity. Remember: Tread carefully.
Feeling saucy
The Chicagoland business Teaspoon Willie’s (www.teaspoonwillies.com; $99) features Everything Sauce—which is a fitting name, because it goes on hundreds of your favorite foods, from tacos to tofu. Also, for the health-conscious, there are only 15 calories per serving and its gluten-free. By the way, this sauce has a little kick—but there’s also Spicy Sauce. Have fun with that.
We are family
Family Matrix (www.familymatrix.com) allows you to be creative. Most people are fine with personalized gifts—but everything from mugs to T-shirts can sport the names of family members and/or friends. Just be ready to explain to your stingy cousin why her name isn’t on the family tee.
Hat’s entertainment
You can’t be a wallflower and wear Jg Hats (www.jghats.com; $360-$380 each). Designed to catch attention, the hats come with feathers, ribbons, bows and other details—and come with names such as “Christine,” “Samantha” and “Victoria.” Kentucky Derby, here we come!