box

Yacht fans and gardeners alike will enjoy this handcrafted Yacht Planter. The weatherproof outdoor windowbox is molded from fiberglass and has the streamlined look of a real - albeit small, at just 40" x 12" x 9" - ship. The rub rail color and waterline strip are customizable, but the body will be white regardless of the accents. A final option, if you prefer to use the box indoors, is not to have the drainage holes included, which will prevent leakage onto the carpet or flooring if wall-mounted in a room (or cabin). Price: $230.

For the chocolate lover, MarieBelle has a new collection out that is ideal for holiday gifting because it is packed in a specially designed, reusable box. The box is made of red Italian leather and has two layers, each perfectly sized to hold six of MarieBelle's decadent chocolates. The chocolates are assorted and the flavors could include some of the chocolatier's top sellers, such as Dulce de Leche, Champagne, Pistachio, White Kona Coffee, Creamy Caramel, Saffron, Cardamom, Coconut or Lavender. Price: $150.

How much are you willing to pay for a crate? The answer is probably dependent on how nice of a crate we're talking about. I recently found a reasonably nice (free) one in a neighbor's garage, for example, but it must not be nearly as high quality as The Crate. This particular crate was "designed" by Jasper Morrison and is made out of Douglas Fir. The primary advantage of this crate over, say, one found at the back of a garage, is that this one is in pristine condition and has not been marred by use. That said, is it really worth $175?

The World Series is over and most of the Bowl games are barely on the horizon, but one thing that is just as important as who is playing is where you are going to be when you watch the game. Forbes Traveler has picked out the best skyboxes in North America. Their slideshow even gives you a sneak peek inside each and every location. Here is the list of the top spots, the price (per season unless otherwise indicated) and their home teams and, if you end up having to change team allegiances to get in to the top boxes, remember that your friends will forgive you as long as you invite them up, too.

• Luxury boxes at The Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays ($32,000 a game)
• The Pool Zone at Chase Field, Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,900 per game, pictured)
• Suites at FedEx Field, Washington Redskins ($75,000 to $200,000)
• Platinum executive suites at Air Canada Centre, Toronto Maple Leafs ($287,000 to $465,000 )
• The Lofts at Cardinals Stadium, Arizona Cardinals ($65,000 to $125,000)
• President's box at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, host of the U.S. Open ($12,000 to $25,000 per session)
• Luxury boxes at Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots ($325,000)
• Suites at Bank of America Stadium, Carolina Panthers ($59,000 to $100,000+)
• Luxury box suites at Busch Stadium, Saint Louis Cardinals ($105,000 to $185,000)

Musical jewelry boxes seem to be less common than the once were, but this one, designed by Kristen Hassenfeld for Cerealart is quite a beauty. The Treasury Box was inspired by artsy fantasy movies like the visually impressive Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal from the 1980s. The center "jewel" of the box opens, and the surrounding "crystals" serve as a base for it. The box is beautiful on its own, but would (of course) make a better gift if some jewelry is actually tucked away inside, too. Preorders are being taken now and only 2000 units of the limited edition design will be produced. Price: $350.

With all the great flat-panel televisions, most of which seem to have high-definition screens, that we've seen in the past couple of months, is anyone ready to go back to something a little more three dimensional? The Cuboglass is an unusual TV that is built into a black, nearly-cubic case. When the TV is on, you can see it clearly through the case, but when it is off, the unit does not bring to mind a TV and you might not even guess that it was a piece of electrical equipment at all, were it not for the cord extending from the back. It is 15" x 13.5" x 15" and comes with the aluminum flight case pictured below it. Price: $1,191.

[via SciFi Tech]

Artisan salts are the trendiest thing since cupcakes and, in much the same way that cupcakes replaced larger cakes and other desserts at bakeries across the country, the specialty salts are popping up in homes, markets and at high-end restaurants. If you're going to spend as much as $2 per ounce on salt (versus $.02 on regular table salt), you need some way to show it off - and a salt shaker isn't going to cut it, let alone fit the large flakes that specialty salts come in. This Cherrywood Salt Box is elegant, with a sliding let that allows for one-handed use and a full view of the Gray Salt that is included. One pound of salt, plus the 5"D x 3"H box, is just $89.

[via Cool Hunting]

The Christofle K+T Cylinder Box is a series of connected, stacking containers that solves the problem easily. The box was designed by Thomas Keller and designer Adam D. Tihany and appears to be one soild object when the compartments are not extended. It can be used for storing or serving snacks to guests or, if you are inclined to try cooking like Keller, as a way to introduce a few surprise items to a multi-course meal. The box measures only 4.25" in diameter by 4" high and comes packed in a gift box. Price: $450.

I'm not completely convinced that the Heart Bag from Diane von Furstenberg's H. Stern collection is a handbag that is meant to be carried by anyone, despite the fact that it is a clutch-sized container. The piece is a one-of-a-kind "bag," handmade by a master goldsmith. It measures only 6" in diameter and has a clasp concealed by the love knot detail on the front. Inside, the bag has black suede lining and enough room for keys, a lipstick and perhaps a cell phone. The short black silk strap ensures that you'll have the bag in hand, not over your shoulder, which is just as well given that it is priced at $36,000.

Timmy Woods is a Beverly Hills-based designer who produces "wearable art" handbags that are inspired by handmade wooden boxes. In fact, each of the purses is hand-carved from Acacia trees in almost any form imaginable, from pop art shapes to seasonal ones. The appeal of these designs is that they are very collectible and are produced in extremely limited runs. You can even commission a custom design, if you'd rather see Barbaro on a purse than Seabiscuit, for example. This Monkey Palm Crystals bag is one of the more glamorous bags, as it is adorned with sparkling, multi-colored crystals and just a touch more eye-catching than the plainer pieces even though it has one of the most conservative shapes of all the bags. It depicts a fun, tropical scene that wouldn't look out of place during a night out on some warm, romantic island. Price: $1,000.

Like Art for Chocolate combines a visual art with a culinary art, presenting 16 pieces of high end chocolate truffles in a custom-crafted wood box.  Each of the aspen boxes features an original oil painting on the lid, capturing a scene of natural beauty, done by artist M. Alexis Pichardo. The truffles are made by Albert Lauber, owner of Neuchatel Chocolates. Like Art for Chocolate is limited to 100 pieces, all of which were released specifically for Mother's Day, so they won't be available for long, though the painting is a piece of the gift that will certainly last. Each gift will be shipped in a micro-suede gift pouch and packed with artist profiles and a gift card. Price: $248.

[Thanks, Saul]