JC Swift, Your Style Cultivator

It’s the wave–or maybe the cycle– of the future. Although these ‘bike trees’ have been in use for almost two years now in Japan, they are just beginning to gain popularity in the US. The idea is similar to a coat check for bikes. After signing up for a spot at one of the machines (in Japan it costs ¥ 1,800, or $20 USD), your bike is outfitted with an electronic tag used to easily identify it.

To store the bike, the user simply needs to roll it up to the machine, and the swipe of a card has it back to the owner in a matter of seconds. You can see a video demonstration of the system here. The storage machines can be placedabove or below ground, they save space and offer a highly secure area for bicyclists to store their modes of transportation.

JFE Engineering Corporation is the group that came up with the idea of and created the bicycle storage system. The company has three sites in Tokyo that can hold 756 bikes, 1,476 bikes and 6,480 bikes respectively, with other sites scattered across Japan. You can see a full list of their facilities here.

There are currently no plans to install such systems in the United States and there are still a number of factors to contemplate when considering putting them in place. For example, will security and tidiness be equal in value to the $20 monthly fee? Also, will there be enough users to be worth the while of the company? All in all, it is a very innovative plan and one that can sure improve the lives and living space of many fit urbanites.

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Additional Links:

crunchgear.com

jfe-eng.co.jp/

guardian.co.ukblog

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Monogramming adds a personalized touch to any gift you’ll give this season. And thanks to the Internet, backpacks and pens are no longer the only items that can be personalized.

Iomoi offers personalized coasters that offer far more than the traditional 3-letter monogram. With hundreds of styles to choose from, these are great gifts to give to a family, new-home owner or anyone else that has a surface they would like to preserve from the ravages of moist cups. The designs themselves are not highly customizable, but there are plenty of options and you may enter up to 32 characters.

Image credit: elenis.com

For a more delicious gift, head over to Eleni’s, a New York based cookie and cupcake maker. Their website offers monogrammed and personalized cookies in all styles, including holiday-geared themes, advent calendars and cookies for Chanukah. Many of the cookies can be personalized with names of multiple family members on different cookies.

It can be hard to shop for the person who’s seen it all. If you are looking for a gift for the well traveled, I recommend T. Anthony LTD. The sophisticated luggage can all be personalized. The company also offers wallets, handbags and desk sets.

Image credit: tanthony.com

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Motorola busts back onto the scene with their newest phone, featuring noteworthy improvements and using an open source operating system called Android 2.0. But how does it fare in the era of the iPhone?

The phone itself has a 5 megapixel camera, versus iPhone’s 3 megapixels, and offers users a lot more control over camera settings like white balance and focal length. The video camera offers shake-free recordings and crystal clear audio.

Image Credit: droidforums.net

It’s alliance with Google allows for conveniences like the automatic import of your Facebook and free access to Google-powered Maps. Besides a physical keyboard, the device is, overall, similar to iPhone 3GS– but hot ticket is the potential of the new operating system.

The real buzz surrounding the DROID phone is that it should allow for more applications and creative functionality changes that just aren’t possible with the iPhone (Apple’s OS is completely locks out developers). Android 2.0 is part of a series that will allow for more possibilities in the future.

Engadget.com provides a glowing review that breaks down the new device to the nitty gritty.

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Tina Lutz & Marcia Patmos are designers whose style and ingenuity match their commitment to environmental responsibility. These artists specialize in knit fibers and work on the principles of integrity and purity with hopes of creating products that work towards a fusion of modernity and tradition.

Lutz and Patmos have recently designed a set of pillow covers for West Elm, which creates and commissions custom furnishings specifically designed for small urban spaces. and Their products are increasingly certified organic, responsibly produced, rapidly renewed and non-toxic.

The textural masterpieces created by Tina Lutz & Marcia Patmos  are bound to bring a sense of warmth and tradition to any home. Created with a soft acrylic/wool blend, the bas relief of the cover creates a wonderfully noticeable pattern while the thread still allows for comfort while sitting. Available in heather gray or ivory, these covers are currently on sale. Visit the West Elm site for a great gift or a a fine accent for your own home.

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gourmettraveler.com

Pashmak is Turkey’s delicious alternative to classic cotton candy. Meaning ‘little wool’ in Persian, Pashmak is made from sesame and sugar and accompanies fruit, cake and ice cream.

With a variety of flavors to choose from, pashmak lends itself well to most desserts, and its whimsical appearance is perfect for Holiday entertaining. Gourmet Traveler has an excellent pashmak recipe that involves labne (strained yogurt), milk pudding and apricot. It’s delicious with fresh fruit, cookies… or on its own!

Purchase pashmak at Pariya.com, a Persian produce website. Based in Australia, the company sources all of their food from Iran and features a wealth of traditional Persian food including raahat and pistachio, rose petal and citron Turkish delights.

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The Christmas tree is often the focal point of Holiday decor, but that doesn’t mean it should get all the attention this season. There are plenty of Creative ways of using colorful ornaments to create unique decor indoors and out.

Wreathes are a wonderful standard, yet holiday baubles can be a much more colorful and exciting way to greet holiday guests. Cluster them and hang above door or on your door handle for a cheerful welcome. Look no further than Target to get your hands on some of these festive embellishments.

HGTV has an interesting spin on grouping ornaments, and gives us great DIY instructions on creating festive focal points. Those familiar glass orbs are a great way to put a new spin on old standards.

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Setting the Holiday table is as much a creative outlet as preparing the Holiday meal itself. Country Living reminds us that “colorful linen napkins or a family heirloom can inspire a whole look”. Place cards or untraditional items such as leaves can decorate plates before the food is served. Food and Wine reminds us that the table settings and place cards should be set the night before to make Holiday entertaining preparation flow as smoothly as possible. For table setting basics such as how to set the table and why, refer to this Style Cultivator post.

Anthropologie is often my go to source for beautiful table ware. I have my eye on the ‘Beast Feast‘ collection, a nice showcase for Holiday fowl. I am not one for alcohol shots per se, but I’m trying to work in this Boreal Beast Shot Glass into my table settings this Holiday season. I might flip the glasses upside down and use them for flowers.

Most publications will suggest goards, pumpkins, twigs and fall foliage as fitting table decorations- I prefer a polished seasonal bouquet. Although the colors have to be adjusted for fall and winter entertaining, confettisystem.com always inspires me to entertain.

It’s also a nice touch to give guests a little something to take home, such as a small box of chocolate, a tasteful candle, or even a small bouquet.

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Cookiemag.com has a vintage post on setting the stage for Thanksgiving or any Holiday for that matter. Warm spiced cider give the room a welcoming fragrance- when coupled with a fire, it’s hard to push guess out the door.

Hollister Hovey doesn’t offer Holiday inspired suggestions per se, but this is a great blog to view for decor inspiration.

Finally, a good glass of wine will help any table setting shine. The New York Times offers a Holiday wine guide.

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“A farmer’s feast has no menus (at least not the traditional kind); instead we’re creating multi-course tastings around the day’s harvest.”  Blue Hill

Tired of the daily grind? Look no further. Plan a visit to Blue Hill at Stone Farms, a working four-season farm just 30 miles north of New York City in Hudson Valley. Walk the grounds and sit down to a farmer’s feast! A quote from their website: “An easy drive or train ride on the Metro-North (so you can enjoy their stellar wine list) make this an ideal getaway to wind down and appreciate the simpler things- even if just for a day.”

X JC Swift for SPROUTINGEDGE.COM