Below is what would have ran in the Times:

Bomb:
Gay Marriage Finger Puppets, $55
“We commissioned these puppets – two men, two women and a minister - from the same woman who made the terrorism finger puppets for us. We thought that since gay marriage was so newsy, it would be perfect for explaining this new era to your children. We were very wrong, and very shocked. But when you think about it, gay marriage is not a hot button issue in New York. I mean, gay couples have wedding announcements in the New York Times, so I think it’s just boring for our customer.”

Best seller:
Terrorism Finger Puppets, $55
“On the other hand, terrorism is hot hot hot. It’s horrifying and frightening and uncontrollable – and here’s a little piece of cloth making fun of it. So it gives you a way of dealing with it. Granted, a way that’s totally out of left field. We had to re-order these 3 times.” The set was made up of tiny finger puppets resembling Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong Il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and George Bush.

Run, don’t walk. It’s a great read. It’s $18.45 on Amazon. Here’s the link: Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster

So I got the scoop - they’re by Bally (one of my favorites) and they’re around $575. Not super cheap, but not so awful considering our dollar is at an all-time low. Here’s a picture of them, for your shopping reference.

And, if you didn’t attend last week’s DOD event, I’m wondering if there’s anyone else who would challenge Laura’s comment about not being able to enjoy a glass of wine in the shower? I do it all the time. A little ingenuity…a bench…a windowsill…and maybe an improvised lid to cover the glass? Thoughts or comments welcome.

So, I unofficially nominate Vosges new bacon bar - chocolate and bacon. Together. Unbelievably delicious. A Vosges boutique is conveniently located just a few blocks from the Davis & Warshow SoHo showroom on Spring @ Mercer (there’s also one on Madison in the 70s), so on my last DWNY visit I popped in and bought a few bars for the guys.They were a hit all-around.

Who says chocolate + bacon doesn’t equal award-winning design?

I recently had the opportunity to stay, for the first time, at a “green” hotel. My maiden voyage took me to the Orchard Garden in San Francisco, a LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified property in a great location - just a 1/2 block from chinatown and close to good shopping. Yes, the room was small but hey, as a 17 year veteran of New York studio apartments, I feel comfortable in less square footage than a gigantic suite. Especially when that square footage is stylishly decorated and comes with an iPod speaker/dock (seen in the photo above) and good bathroom amenities - which this particular room (number 1004 if you must know) did.
There was just one little thing that bothered me: the toilet did not have a lid. Now, I am not a germophobe by any means. I am completely lacking in household cleaning skills and there are times when my shower might look like it belongs in a frat house, not a design writer’s apartment. But the one thing I am adamant about is that the toilet lid must be down before flushing, thereby securing that the contents of my bathroom (hello toothbrush!) are protected from whatever might be swirling around in there. The lack of lid freaked me out enough to make it an albeit odd topic of discussion at some meetings with colleagues. Most of them were grossed out. The most common comment was that a toilet without a lid is something you’d expect to find in an airport, not a hotel room.

What about you?

Where do you stand on the “toilet lid up or down” discussion?

Let us know.

And the next time you’re in San Francisco and want a reasonably priced room, try theorchardgardenhotel.com.

Just know….no lids!