2010 November | Cuff Links Man - Blog

Archive for November, 2010

Cyber Monday Hot Deals, Gift Ideas, and Cufflinks

Monday, November 29th, 2010

Cyber Monday was coined about five years ago, to signify the largest online shopping day after Black Friday. In late November 2005, the New York Times reported that “The name Cyber Monday grew out of the observation that millions of otherwise productive working Americans, fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend of window shopping, were returning to high-speed Internet connections at work Monday and buying what they liked.” So to show our support of CYBER MONDAY, we are offering 25% off all orders $100 and up!! Type in “MONDAY” at the checkout. Discount ends at 12am 11.29.10. Yes, yes, thank us later… 

And NOW we present you with some great deals and stylish gifts for the whole family!

1. Gifts For Dad (or a special man in your life)

Izod Shirt, Striped Pinpoint Oxford, $19.95, from macys.com

Izod Shirt for men, $19.95, from macys.com

Sport Cufflinks:

Yankees Limited Edition Cufflinks, $52Yankees Limited Edition Cufflinks, $52

Stafford® Everyday Flat Front Pant, $24.99, JCPenney.com

For the humorous ladies man, give him these Drinking Hand Cufflinks:

Drinking Hand Cufflinks, designed by Sonia SpenserDrinking Hand Cufflinks, designed by Sonia Spenser

And to add some classic accessories, these Robert Graham Green Painted Wheat Penny Cufflinks will look great on any cuff:

Robert Graham Green Painted Wheat Penny Cufflinks, $167Robert Graham Green Painted Wheat Penny Cufflinks, $167

And for the man always on the go and in a hurry, we love this elegant, black dial watch from Citizen:

Citizen Mens Eco-Drive Dress Watch with Black Dial and Leather Band, $123, Sears.com

Citizen Mens Eco-Drive Dress Watch with Black Dial and Leather Band, $123, Sears.com

2. Gifts For Mom (or a special lady in your life)

This sleek peacoat comes in a variety of colors, ranging from red, yellow, and olive green. St. John’s Bay® Cashmere Blend Classic Peacoat from JCPenney.com:

St. John's Bay® Cashmere Blend Classic Peacoat, $49-59, JCPenney.com

The layered look is in, and so is saving money. These east 5th sweaters from JCPenney.com are only $9.88:

east 5th® Layered Look Sweater-Petite Only, $9.88, from JCPenney.com

And for the lady in action who loves a little bling, this Citizen Watch is absolutely stunning and seriously on sale:

Citizen Ladies Eco Drive Swarovski Crystal Watch w/Mother-of-Pearl Dial and ST Band, $187, from Sears.com

3. Brother/Sister

This year, give the kids what they want: video games. For that ornery brother of yours, get him a classic throw-back for the wii:

Nintendo® Wii™ Sonic Unleashed, Sale $18.99, from JCPenney.com

Nintendo® Wii™ Sonic Unleashed, Sale $18.99, from JCPenney.com

And for his Sunday’s best, add a little fun and color to his shirt sleeves, with these

Yellow Moto GP Racing Bike Cufflinks, $49.95Yellow Moto GP Racing Bike Cufflinks, $49.95

And for your sweet little dancing sister (or niece, granddaughter, etc), get her a game that will get her moving: Dance Sensation!

Nintendo® Wii™ Dance Sensation, $18.99, JCPenney.com

Personalised Children's Art Cufflinks, by Sonia SpenserPersonalised Children’s Art Cufflinks, by Sonia Spenser

4. Gifts for Grandma and Grandpa

Don’t be fooled by this hot lady sporting these Ambrielle Flannel Pajamas. Flannel Pj’s are for just about everyone, but especially for grandma. She will appreciate the comfort and the fact that you only spent $12.88:

Ambrielle® Flannel Pajamas, $12.88, JCPenney.com

And for that hip, nostalgic Grandma, give her these James Dean Cufflinks to remind her of better days. Maybe she can wear them will her over-sized blazers from the 80′s:

James Dean Cufflinks, $75James Dean Cufflinks, $75

And for the man who never likes to stop and ask for directions, this Garmin nuvi 265W 4.3″ Portable Bluetooth GPS is on sale for only $99 at walmart.com:

Garmin nuvi 265W 4.3" Portable Bluetooth GPS, $99, walmart.com

For the Papa who is always fixing stuff, even when “it ain’t broke,” give him these Handy Man Cufflinks:

Handy Man CufflinksHandy Man Cufflinks

And for the grandfather who is a proud veteran, these Veteran Stamp Cufflinks are the perfect gift:

Veteran Stamp Cufflinks, $75Veteran Stamp Cufflinks, $75

And every Pa-Pa loves comfort too, especially while he’s reading the Sunday paper and eating pancakes. These Route 66 Men’s Jordan Trapper Moc Slipper in Grey are only $9.99 at sears.com:

Route 66 Men's Jordan Trapper Moc Slipper in Grey, $9.99, sears.com

So don’t forget folks, Cyber Monday only comes once a year, so grab the deals while they’re here. Also remember we at Cufflinksman.com are offering 25% off all orders $100 and up!! Type in “MONDAY” at the checkout. Discount ends at 12am 11.29.10.

Stay tuned kids. Keep the economy going, keep shopping..

Simple & Delicious Recipes for Thanksgiving!

Wednesday, November 24th, 2010

Thanksgiving is only a day away, so if you need some extra help in the kitchen for ideas on how to impress your guests (or simply indulge yourself), here are some of our holiday favorites:

1. Hot Spiced Cranberry Cider

Hot Spiced Cranberry Cider

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts apple cider
  • 6 cups cranberry juice
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Directions

  1. In a large pot, combine apple cider, cranberry juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon slices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove cinnamon, cloves, and lemon slices. Serve hot.

*Recipe from allrecipes.com*

Gourmet CufflinksGourmet Cufflinks

2. Waldorf Salad

Waldorf Salad

Ingredients:

  • 3 or 4 granny apples, unpeeled, cut from the core, and chopped into bite size pieces (about 3 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 2/3 cup chopped celery
  • 1/3 cup walnuts (optional)
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/3 cup of marshmellows

Cut up 3 or 4 of the apples, until you get about 2-1/2 or 3 cups of chopped apples. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the apples. The acid in the lemon juice prevents the apples from turning brown. The raisins will taste best if you plump them first. Do this by measuring them into a cereal bowl and adding enough warm tap water to cover them completely. Allow them to sit for a few minutes, absorbing the water, and softening up. Drain them very well when you need them.  Chop up the celery, it should take about 2 stalks or so. Add walnuts. Mix everything together in a medium sized bowl with the mayonnaise and sugar, coating all of the ingredients with the mayonnaise. It is now ready to serve, or you can chill it overnight and serve it tomorrow instead. This recipe serves 6.

Big Apple Cufflinks, Designed by Sonia SpenserBig Apple Cufflinks, Designed by Sonia Spenser

3. Sugar Coated Pecans

Sugar Coated Pecans

Ingredients

  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 pound pecan halves
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Grease one baking sheet.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whip together the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. Bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

*Recipe from allrecipes.com*

4. Hot Crab Dip

Hot Crab Dip, Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 2 (6 ounce) cans crabmeat
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • paprika, for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Cheddar cheese, crabmeat, lemon juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer to a shallow 9×13 inch baking dish. Garnish with paprika.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
*Recipe from allrecipes.com*

5. Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole, Recipe by allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

    Designer "Potato of Doom" Cufflinks, by Sonia SpenserDesigner “Potato of Doom” Cufflinks, by Sonia Spenser

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, milk, salt, 1/3 cup butter and vanilla. Mix together and pour into a greased 13×9 inch baking dish.
  2. To prepare the topping, combine in a separate bowl the brown sugar, flour, 1/3 cup melted butter and pecans. Mix together and crumble over sweet potato mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 45 minutes.

Style Icons, Part II: Tom Waits and Al Pacino

Monday, November 22nd, 2010

1. Style Icon Number 1: Tom Waits

Known for his raspy, deep voice, which has been described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding “like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car,” Tom Waits is an iconic singer, actor, and composer. He always plays these seedy, shady characters in films such as “Down By Law” and Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” but is also known for his immense cult following:

Tom Waits, Photo by Henry Dlitz

Tom has been a trend setter for years, especially for Brooklyn Hipsters, with his cigarettes, whiskey, old beaten hats, and worn suit jackets. He is experimental in both his music and his fashion choices. Waits recorded Small Change (1976), which is more lyrically cynical and pessimistic than his previous albums, l with many songs such as “The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me) (An Evening With Pete King)” and “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart (In Lowell)”.

Tom Waits, Photo by Adrian Boot

Tom Waits, Photo by Adrian Boot

Tateossian Interlock Black Cufflinks

Tateossian Interlock Black Cufflinks

In response to the heavy drinking that ensued while making the album Small Change, Waits said that he “tried to resolve a few things as far as this cocktail lounge, maudlin, crying-in-your-beer image that I have. There ain’t nothin’ funny about a drunk [...] I was really starting to believe that there was something amusing and wonderfully American about being a drunk. I ended up telling myself to cut that shit out.”

Tom Waits, Photo by Danny Clinch

Tateossian Gear Gunmetal CufflinksTateossian Gear Gunmetal Cufflinks

Style Icon Number 2: Al Pachino

Al is best known for his horrifying role in Scarface as Tony Montana and Micheal Corleone in The Godfather Trilogy. He showed a much softer side in Frankie and Johnny, alongside his former co-star in Scarface, the beautiful Michelle Pfeiffer. Throughout the years, we’ve seen Pacino evolve as an actor, taking on the best of roles and giving it his all. Trained as a Method Actor, under the guidance of the famed Lee Strasberg, Pacino developed a passionate intensity in just about every role he played.

Photo of a younger Al Pacino

Cuban Cigar CufflinksCuban Cigar Cufflinks

A native New Yorker, Pacino dropped out of school at 17, and took on a series of mundane jobs in order to pay for his acting classes. At the Actor’s Studio, Pacino studied method acting, which is a phrase that loosely refers to a family of techniques by which actors try to create in themselves the thoughts and emotions of their characters in an effort to develop lifelike performances.

Al Pacino, playing Tony Montana, in Scarface

Brown Cigar CufflinksBrown Cigar Cufflinks

Director Francis Ford Coppola took a risk in casting the relatively unknown Pacino in The Godfather, yet Pacino’s acting earned him an Academy Award Nomination, which he boycotted because of his anger at being labeled a “Supporting Actor.”

Al Pachino (Michael Corleone)

So “Say hello to my little friend…” with these Pistol Cufflinks:

Pistol CufflinksPistol Cufflinks

Throughout all of his films, the man has a certain simple, yet poignant style that we all secretly admire. Women love him and men want to be him. He has played those dominant character types that men around the world wanted to imitate, and they loyally re-played their favorite scenes on VCRs at home, reenacting many famous lines and scenes.

Michael Corleone, and his transformation

The fascination with the mafia/mob world had become exponential after Pacino’s performances. He brought the underworld and grime of Mafia life out in the open, added a touch of sophistication and swagger; namely he glamorized the life of a mobster- something no one else could do.

Tateossian Red Ice Cube CufflinksTateossian Red Ice Cube Cufflinks

Al Pacino in NYC (1992) Photograph by Herb Ritts

Stay tuned folks for more icons..