Goodbye, Lovely Readers

Dear Readers,

As we wrap things up here at What We Covet, we'd like to take a moment to thank you for your support throughout the past three years. This has been an interesting journey and we appreciate the time you took to read our (sometimes excessive) posts about everything from video games to triple-platform heels to lemon cake, and we hope you've enjoyed everything along the way. This isn't the last you'll hear from the three of us, we're sure, but the time has come to lay our covetousness aside and branch out into other endeavors. As always, you can find us on Twitter.

Happiness and deadly sins,

-Cate, Maureen, and Bonnie-

Use Your Brain

First, I want to apologize for missing last week. The thing I was coveting then was so crazy I didn't even want to talk about it: broadband Internet access in rural areas of the United States. That's nuts. I know.

But this week, this is my grand finale. I am coveting something that can be used no matter where you are located on Earth. What I want is a pen. The Montegrappa Brain.

This pen is inspired by the human brain! The top of the cap is a cross-section of the brain, the clip is a spine, and the rest of the cap is decorated with neurons. I'm not sure you can see it in this picture, but there's a seahorse on the nib--or, shall we say, a hippocampus. Clever! It's an unusual pen, but I'm really digging it.  What do you think?

Buy through Pen Boutique for a mere $49,500.00.

Image via Pen Boutique.

Peace out, everyone!

Maureen

"Here the Frailest Leaves of Me"

There is a truth universally acknowledged: if Walt Whitman is there, I will show up for the party. But how can that be, you may wonder? He's been dead since 1892. Ladies and gents, this is how:

It's difficult to tell from that tiny picture, but what you see before you is a first edition of Leaves of Grass, that seminal text of American letters. This is a rare book indeed, and one treasured by generations of readers. You all remember how I feel about Whitman, I'm sure. If you've never read Leaves of Grass, get to it pronto, and I promise it'll unlock some of life's mysteries. And if you can afford it, snap this up now, and maybe send it my way, because this book is one of those I covet most.

Buy through Bauman Rare Books for $165,000.00.

Image via Bauman Rare Books.

-Cate-

Drop a Line

One thing everyone should have on hand at all times is stationery. You never know when you're going to need to send a missive to a friend or simply dash of a quick thank you note. Personally, between my stationery collection and Maureen's, we could probably open a shop. But I've always wanted some of the really good stuff--personalized, classy, and high-quality, much like this sheet from Crane:

I can't even stand how good this looks. Can I please have some? Pretty please? If you buy some for me, I promise to send you a letter.

Buy through Crane. Starts at $3.64 per sheet.

Image via Crane.

-Cate-

Junk in the Trunk

My pen collection is growing fast. Sure, it mostly consists of cheap Chinese pens and Pilot Varsities, but it's growing, and I need places to put my pens! My mother likes to get me cigar boxes when she passes by a JR's, but until I get a Cuban cigar box, I will not be satisfied. (I only mean that if it's illegal to have Cuban cigar boxes? But then not really because breaking the law usually makes me intensely uncomfortable.)

Anyway, today we're talking about something made to hold pens: a fancy-pants burlwood pen trunk!

It holds ninety pens! And it's fancy! Just imagine that sitting on my desk, or a special pen-trunk-holding table. Like a candle stand, for my pen trunk. I'm not sure my little heart can handle these pen dreams, you guys.

Buy through Pen Boutique for $2,080.00.

Image via Pen Boutique.

Maureen

Rose to the Occasion

Tesler + Melendovich, a pair of designers from Tel Aviv, run an Etsy shop that has me absolutely entranced. They make these amazing clutches out of wood, such as the one seen here:

They carve and bend their wood into submission, turning it into works of art. The innovation here is astounding, and the craftsmanship superb. These have a timeless look about them, and I think anyone would be happy with one for years to come.

Buy through Etsy for $400.00.

Image via Etsy.

-Cate-

Seahorsing Around

Remember that time I coveted that unicorn pin I should have saved for today? Linking to that is going to ruin the effect of what I am about to show you, but I don't care. Have a look:

It's a seahorse! Made out of a bunch of crazy gemstones! And gold! I like it, okay? It's super pretty, and seahorses are really cool. And it's wearing a crown. This seahorse is so fancy it has been crowned King of the Ocean. I like fancy seahorses in crowns. And I want to wear one on my person. But only for a few seconds and then I want to put it somewhere safe because holy cow. I don't know how people who aren't rich only in their imaginations survive; I'm sad for the rest of the day if I drop a slice of pizza on the ground.

Buy through Tiffany & Co. for $54,000.

Image via Tiffany & Co.

Maureen

Greenery

Estate jewelry is the best, am I right? For example, check out these babies:

Although I love my own birthstone, the emerald, the peridot is also an amazing gem. These are set off nicely by the diamonds (but what ISN'T set off nicely by diamonds?), and their size makes them a great conversation starter as well as the perfect pair of earrings to wear with a classy black ballgown at, say, the Academy Awards. Not a frequenter of the award-show circuit? Not to worry! I'm sure they would look good at any formal function.

Buy through Shreve, Crump & Low for $19,500.00.

Image via Shreve, Crump & Low.

-Cate-

The Ultimate Scrapbook

Of course, if you feel scrapbooking is too irreverent for something like this, then maybe it would be a suitable place for your centuries-old secret society member list or a written record of your Dungeons and Dragons campaigns:

This, I'm told, is a reproduction of early sixth- and seventh-century books, but I'm not really concerned about history here.  I just want this and a nice book stand and someone with really good handwriting, and my life will be complete.

Buy through Epica for $4,900.  It's on sale!

Image via Epica.

Maureen

The Final Countdown

Dear Readers,

After much consideration, I've decided that it is time to bring my covetousness to an end. 

For those faithful few who have been with me from the start, I thank you. My partners in crime, Maureen and Bonnie, have been indispensable in this journey, and I would like them to know how grateful I am. This has been a fun, interesting ride, and I'm happy to have shared it with all of you. 

In order to give What We Covet a proper send-off, the three of us have agreed to blog for one last month, starting tomorrow and ending on our three-year anniversary, April 6th. We all hope you'll tune in, because we're going all out and intend to bring you the most outrageous posts yet. 

Yours in commandment-breaking,

-Cate-