And I still think $10 is outrageous for a movie ticket.  Especially with the talkers, cell phone checkers, texters, seat kickers, etc., that add their special brand of annoyance to the movie-going experience of today.  While theater owners and managers are currently facing a dilemma in creating a positive experience for their patrons, a new brand of movie theater is coming to the U.S.  Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas, originally founded in Australia in 1997, are coming to America complete with all of their luxury amenities, along with a $35 cost per ticket.

Complexes will boast theaters that have reclining armchair seats with footrests, digital projection, a lounge and bar serving cocktails and appetizers, concierge service and valet parking.  And forget about popcorn, soda and Milk Duds; Gold Class Cinemas will serve made to order foods such as sushi prepared from on-site chefs, brought to your reclining seat by a waiter.

The plan is to construct 50 Gold Coast Cinemas across the U.S. over the next five years, with the first two opening in October in South Barrington, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, and the Seattle suburb Redmond, Washington. I’m certainly all for improving the theater experience, but at what cost I’m not sure. After spending $35 for a ticket, I’d certainly have to cut out my $4 Reese’s Pieces and $10 popcorn/Coke combo…or make that my (sure to be even more expensive) California Roll and Prosecco.

At its two locations in San Francisco and Los Angeles, Beckmann MooreYaki Studio displays the ultimate artistic expressions in lighting, textiles, upholstery, artwork, rugs and accessories.  Their top of the line items can be customized to meet any specific needs for the luxury homeowner looking to upgrade their spacious interiors.  Almost as impressive as their artistic creations is the studio’s list of clients which stretches around the globe and includes the Ritz Carlton in Beijing, Four Seasons in Costa Rica, Auberge du Soleil in Napa, and several of the top luxury resorts on the Las Vegas Strip.

One manufacturer that certainly caught my eye was Barbara Beckmann Designs.  Their textiles are a mixture of creative ingenuity and luxurious materials; and their system for hand-painting fabric has been developed over two decades, allowing for unusually beautiful results in coloring.  The photo above is an example of their fabulous Textile Jewel Collection.  Slightly higher quality than the “bed in a bag” I bought at the local big-box store.

Vacations can be stressful.  From organizing, to travelling, seeing the sites, planning excursions, time is lost to enjoy the one thing that is the purpose of many voyages — relaxing.  Lucky for the luxury traveler, Longitude 180 is helping to change that.  The boutique agency, located in Toronto, caters to busy professionals and offers luxury travel to premium destinations as a break from the hectic schedule.  What makes Longitude 180 unique is that they mix desirable destinations such as the beaches of Bora Bora or the wilderness of Australia with a relaxing itinerary meant to “rejuvenate” and “re-connect”.  Tours of exotic environments are accompanied by events such as oceanside yoga in the morning and/or nightly meditation.  With tranquil voyages like these, rejuvenation is a given and you may re-connect with someone very important…yourself.

It is the largest metropolis in the United States, a global center of commerce and finance, and a city filled with amazing luxury homes.  An extraordinary place that constantly has the watchful eyes of the media and the world’s citizens gazing upon it, New York City receives even more attention than usual on New Year’s Eve. The Big Apple is one of the globe’s top destinations for the annual celebration, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to the famous ball drop. This year, the luxurious Peninsula New York is offering two special packages for those who wish to bound through the merriment in style. For $2,008 (get it?!) you can experience the “New Year’s Eve Gala Package” that includes a one-night stay in a Grand Luxe Room, a five-course dinner for two and a spot on the dance floor at The Peninsula’s New Year’s Gala.

Those longing to see to see the Waterford Crystal ball descend the flagpole atop One Times Square may opt for The Peninsula’s “Ball Drop Spectacular” package. This includes an overnight stay in a Deluxe Suite, private in-room dinner for two, and private escort from the hotel’s prime Midtown Manhattan location to a VIP viewing area in Times Square; where you can see the ball drop and then join in a festive rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Just don’t forget to bring your complimentary bottle of champagne provided by the hotel.

For more info on the New Year’s celebration in New York, check out the official site of Times Square.

This unique cocktail shaker is one way to help your holiday party really take off.  The Dual-Fuel Cocktail Shaker has a body of nickel-plated stainless steel and brass that recalls the first romatic years of avaition design.  A lift off nose makes pouring the concoctions created in the turbulence-filled fuselage a breeze.  Each wing of the shaker doubles as a flask, perfect for the party host who wants to protect their personal supply.  The wings could definitely come in handy after a long night of serving up Cranberry Martinis to demanding holiday revelers.

…if by this you mean a luxury bed handcrafted with the perfect blend of cotton, wool, linen and hand-tufted horse hair.  Those are the materials that makeup the Vividus bed from Swedish bed manufacturer Hästens, and may be the ingredients needed to create an unmatched sleeping experience.  I’m sure I’ll never know- most people won’t, with the Vividus having a price tag of around $60,000.  Each bed is made to order and takes between 140 and 160 hours to make.  A lack of space (and my laziness- perhaps I’m suffering from lack of sleep on my much, much less than $60,000 bed) prevents me from going into all the details of the bed’s meticulous construction, but you can read all about it here.  Might I suggest a Vividus for your guest bedroom, so that I may enjoy it during my stay in your luxury home?  Open invite, right?

Today is All Hallows Eve eve, the final day we have to prepare ourselves for the intense horror of Halloween.  By “intense horror” I mean costume parties and trick-or-treaters.  While I’m not big on Halloween, I do agree that this time of year is great for enjoying scary stories and movies. There’s something about a howling, crisp fall wind blowing dead brown leaves down a lonely street that lends itself to the fantastic and the frightening.

I watched 1408 the other day- a rather underwhelming film that didn’t live up to the promise of the Steven King short story. Another King adaptation that, in my opinion, could never be considered underwhelming is one of the greatest horror movies of all time…The Shining. While Kubrick’s classic was filmed at the Timberline Lodge on the south side of Mount Hood in Oregon, King’s original inspiration came from the elegant Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado.  The historic hotel was built in 1909 and has hosted numerous notable guests.

The Stanley is a grand getaway in a spectacular setting and provides a wide range of accommodation, including the luxurious Overlook Villas.  Be warned, however, that staff and registered guests may not be the only ones inhabiting The Stanley on your stay. The hotel is famous for its numerous tales of strange sightings and occurrences. The ghost of F.O. Stanley himself, the hotel’s builder and namesake who died in 1940, has been seen lingering in the lobby, billiard room and at the bar (sounds like my kind of spirit).  The Stanley offers an up-close look at its haunted history during daily ghost tours. And of course, I highly recommend a viewing of The Shining at least once during your stay…it plays in a continuous loop on the guest room TVs.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of cigars and cigar culture?  Is it fossilized mammoth tusks?  No?  Well now it can be.  XIKAR has combined the romance of smoking a fine cigar with the recovery of 10,000-year-old preserved mammoth remains. The Xi3MI Fossil Mammoth Bark Ivory Cutter is a fine piece of equipment that boasts stainless steel construction, powerful cutting action, and a striking teardrop design.  Of course the most unique feature is the fossilized ivory, which makes each cutter a one-of-a-kind. 

Do you want to experience riding your bike through a rugged forest or the serene countryside without taking your bike to the forest or countryside? Well, you can’t…but the Expresso Fitness S2 Exercise Bike is probably as close as you can get while in the comfort of your home gym.  The Expresso bike provides a virtual and interactive training environment with integrated fitness and computer systems.  You can follow your progress through 30 interactive routes on the 17-inch LCD monitor.  Resistance of the bike automatically changes with the terrain, and the handle bars move to create a realistic feeling as you negotiate curves or other riders.  Yes, other riders- the Expresso allows you to race against a ghost rider that replays you best performance on a route, or you can ride side-by-side with other Expresso owners, as machines can be networked together.  Finally, a peaceful and scenic ride without having to constantly scream or hear “on your left!”.

The bike has a multitude of other features and functions that you can check out here.

Speaking of tea, I just found a home that actually has a tea house!  As I began daydreaming about hosting Mighty Leaf tea parties (with scones and clotted cream, of course) in this English manor’s tea house, I read more about the property and discovered there are even more things about it that I love.

First, it’s in my hometown, Summit, New Jersey.  Allow me to wax poetic about this perfect town:  It is the best place in the world to raise children, with some of the highest-ranking public schools in the country (read: Ivy League breeding grounds), a non-existent crime rate, a warm sense of community and a picturesque downtown with boutique shops and fine restaurants (chains are discouraged).  Perhaps more importantly, Summit is close to New York City - just a comfortable 40-minute train ride to Midtown Manhattan - and all its cultural offerings.  My childhood friends and I are always amazed at how lucky we were to grow up there - and many of us plan to move back someday with our own children.

…But back to the house.  It was built in 1930 by the original owner, C. Henry Jagels, as a bridal gift to his daughter.  He wanted it to be a beautiful, secluded haven for her - and he certainly succeeded.  Gorgeous formal gardens with patterned brick paths lead up to the home - a great space for quiet contemplation or lively outdoor fêtes. It’s the kind of picturesque backyard in which one might have a wedding - following the bridal shower in the tea house, as I like to imagine.

The inside of the home is also full of lovely surprises - such as the living room with antique pipe organ, or the exceptionally designed cook’s kitchen with painted hardwood floors, Dutch tile wall, granite counters and butler’s pantry.  The bright and spacious master bedroom suite has vaulted ceilings, a fireplace and French doors that lead out to a mahogany deck overlooking the gardens.  And of course, what luxury home would be complete without a temperature-controlled wine room (perfect for all those wine-tasting parties, as I like to imagine)?

This one-of-a-kind manor is listed with Lois Schneider Realtor.  Read more about it here - and for more photography, click here.