November 15, 2006
I'm at that time in my life when my friends are planning to say "I do" and "'till death do us part...blah, blah, blah" to each other. So I'm in desperate need of perfect wedding gift ideas, because I really don't want to be the lame person that gives them their sixth blender.
That's why I was so happy to come across Architectural Mailboxes, because nothing says "I love you and wish you bliss" like a pretty and practical metal box. The company’s letter stashers, like this brass Peninsula wall box, are classical enough with their clean lines to go with almost any architectural style, yet dapper enough with their understated gold rope gilding and raised patterns to make a home stand out—without the need for bringing in the clowns or gnomes or any other scary apparition painted to a metal box. The locking compartment, also available in the company's post mailboxes, helps deter mail thieves after your credit card numbers and social security information. And I'm figuring it'll work just as well at keeping out a child in search of a bad report card…should that day eventually arrive for my buds. (No rush guys, I really don't think I'm up for the babysitting duties yet. Seriously.)
The courier containers are also rather spacious with 1.5-in x 13-in slots, which might make installing them a chore, but I think my friends will ultimately be grateful for the extra room. It’ll be that much easier for the mailman to deliver their monthly dose of TOH magazine goodness without crinkling the corners. (I figure giving them a subscription along with the mailbox would be a nice little touch).
So that's one gift down…anyone out there have any other ideas for unique, but practical items to give new homeowners?
Architectural Mailboxes; (800) 464-7491; architecturalmailboxes.com
—Natalie Rodriguez
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November 10, 2006
There’s nothing funny about being caught in the middle of a natural disaster or terrorist attack, just like there's nothing funny about putting a plastic bag over your head and strapping it nice and tight to your neck with a couple of rubber bands. But when either of the first two things happens, you can bet I'll be doing the last one.
Wait, let me explain: The plastic bag I'd put over my head is no regular old freezer bag. It’s the Breath of Life Emergency Escape Mask and it could actually save my life. It’s got a four-layer charcoal filter that goes over my mouth and is effective against acids, alkalis, gases, microorganisms and mustard gas. What makes it different from a traditional surgeon-like breathing mask is its charcoal filter and the fact that it protects your eyes, skin, ears and mouth from dangerous stuff flying through the air.
Now, I don’t think for a second that this is as good as a military-issue gas mask, but it’s an effective air filtering hood that comes in a pouch about the size of a Pop Tart. Stick one in your bag, in your desk, and most importantly, in the nightstand drawers of the people in your house.
So, while you might feel like putting a plastic bag over your head is going against everything your mother told you, this one is actually a life saving tool. And, admit it, it looks funny. I walked around the office with one of these on just for kicks. And it got a lot of laughs, but then everyone wanted one—just in case.
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November 5, 2006
The Japanese azebiki saw looks like a kitchen spatula with toothy edges. It can cut a straight-sided hole out in the middle of anywhere, perfect for letting HVAC ducts into a hardwood floor.
I know you’re probably going to want to use a jigsaw or a recip saw for this, but I dunno, I’ve never been able to steer either of them straight when I’m trying to hack through a thick sandwich of oak flooring on particleboard. The blade tilts and wanders, making an erratic and sloping hole that’s almost impossible to straighten up. And while I’d want to saw right up to the joist, I definitely do not want to saw into it, but with the machine juddering and screaming in my ear I really can’t tell what is happening.
Like all Japanese saws, the azebiki cuts on the pull stroke. You hold it two-handed, same as you’ve seen samurai hold their swords. The saw is small enough and sharp enough to operate one-handed, but with two hands it is much easier to steer straight. The saw edges are curved, so you can begin to scratch a line without having to drill any pilot holes. You just start working the blade back and forth on your layout line and you will be surprised by how quickly it sinks down into the wood. You’ll start out with the handle nearly horizontal, and you’ll finish up the corners with the handle almost vertical.
The steel is hard enough and sharp enough to make a sink cutout in a laminated countertop, something you’d only ever need to do if there was no power for a jigsaw. But it is nice to know that you could.
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