a new twist on the faves

A full week behind, I offer you the Chicago Tribune Magazine's Can't Live Without segment from 3 December 2006, featuring furniture designer Giulio Cappellini. For the first time since I began copying it here, the Trib's designee chose an item with which I concur! Read on, McDuff...

Giulio Cappellini's 12 Favorite Things

1. The work of Piero Lissoni. We met as boys at school, and he designed my house and pieces for Cappellini.
2. Strong opinions and strong ideas.
3. Glass, which I also collect. Czech glass from the 1950s and pieces by Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass and Alvar Aalto.
4. Eames furniture. I have it all over my home.
5. Forte dei Marmi or St. Moritz for vacations.
6. Simple food, such as rigatoni with small tomatoes from Sicily.
7. John Lobb shoes. Now they are part of the Hermes group.
8. I have two faces when it comes to music. Opera, and experimental rock. La Scala and Bruce Springsteen.
9. Of the pieces Cappellini makes, Jasper Morrison's Thinking Man's Chair, Three Sofa and Three Green Bottles; Shiro Kuramata's Revolving Cabinet; Marc Newson's Wooden Chair; Tom Dixon's Bird chair; Tom Ericksson's medicine chest; A.G. Franzoni's Franzoni '64 table; and all of the molded plastic pieces by Bouroullec Brothers.
10. Mies van der Rohe buildings.
11. Watches. I have an antique 1940s pink gold Tiffany tank, and a new Hermes tank chronograph with a blue strap.
12. Cars. They should be white or blue. My last car was a white Jag XJ8, I currently have a Maserati and I dream of getting an Aston Martin.

And now, Mine

1. Levenger. They design stuff for people who read. I've always wanted something like the Morgan Freeleaf Dispenser (in Tan). Over the years, a surprising amount of their stuff has crept its way onto my desk and into my work bag.
2. I agree! Strong opinions and strong ideas.
3. Open space, between all the crap that I collect. I'm seeking it in greater amounts, because I honestly do find it more fulfilling than all the stuff that preceded it. That being said, though...
4. Target furniture. I have it all over my apartment.
5. Miami or Norman for vacations. Keeping open the possibility that 'the Miami feeling' and especially 'the Norman feeling' might have been one-off deals that were more about the circumstances than the places themselves. For no understandable reason, I will likely head back to A2 sometime within the next year {shudder}. I would like to see the bay city again, but only if I could see Andy, too.
6. Boring but comfortable food, like mozzarella cheese toast made with hotdog buns and dipped in marinara sauce from a jar. Or maybe just cold cereal for dinner, again, because I have a migraine that's lasted four days and I can't stand the thought of deciding what to cook or waiting for it to finish, or I'm out of money and all that's left in the cupboard is a box of Cheerios.
7. My new Steven 'Badu' boots.
8. There is almost no music that I do not at least appreciate on its own merits, even if I don't choose to listen for enjoyment (some exceptions: [redacted], opera, and rap that is so heavy that I cannot distinguish the lyrics as words). This morning I pulled Better Than Ezra's Deluxe out of the CD player to put in Bach's Brandenburg Concertos--and their jewel boxes are on top of Toby Keith's How Do You Like Me Now?! and a mix from my friend Heidi that I can't seem to put away because I've listened to it almost nonstop since she sent it.
   
9. Of the things that have crossed my desk lately, this one has stood out: The Mystery Guest by Grégoire Bouillier. I checked it out on Friday and read it between then and yesterday. It is the most marvelous book I've even seen in a long time. A nonfiction account of his dealings with a former lover and her seemingly-inexplicable invitation to a party after a long silence, it is absolutely riveting. I went to the B's (Borders and Barnes & Noble, which in DeK are across-the-street neighbors) because I wanted to give it as a gift for Christmas; neither had it in stock, but both could order it. Do yourself a favor: order this book.
10. The Courthouse in my hometown. Besides the sentimental hooey that's attached to it (I served on a jury there, got my first driver's license there, applied for my first [ahem] marriage license there, and so forth), it is the first building of which I think when I ponder 'gorgeous architecture.'
11. Never wearing a watch. Were I an attorney, I would likely need to wear a watch--I certainly would not be able to be a slack-ass, showing up 5 minutes late everywhere I go. And I couldn't rely on my mobile as my primary means of telling time. Ditto if I was using the History degree, because if I was working in a library or a university, I would probably be required to be quiet, defeating the purpose of the mobile phone. I suppose I should keep that in mind when I bitch about my job. Anyway, I own at least 5 watches; they are ticking away on the file cabinet behind me. I just never, ever wear them. And I love that.
12. You know, I really don't "love" cars. I really could live without cars. Just yesterday, I was talking (to another living human, even) about what I would do with a big influx of money. If I were replacing my car, I would just get a newer version of the one that I have. It would have side-curtain airbags and a factory CD-player (so there wouldn't be the disconnect in the dash kit--you'd need to see it to know what I mean, it's just aesthetic and even that is very minor), and it wouldn't have 50,000+ miles. But I would probably even get a black one again, or at least a dark color. If I had tons of money and could get a second car for myself (which is completely stupid, since I live way too far north to drive a nice car for more than a couple of months a year anyway), I would be tempted by a Jaguar. I've never driven one, though--never even ridden in one!--so I don't really know whether that would come to fruition. In all seriousness, if I came upon enough money to cover two new cars for myself, I would probably trade in my current one for a new one of the same make and model, and pay off my remaining bills. Between student loans and credit, that would be a pretty nice car's worth of cash anyway. If there was anything left, I have some good friends, and Christmas is coming. And should there be something left over when that was done, I would get a not-too-big house on a very big chunk of land outside of town (but within the district, of course), a washer & dryer, a dishwasher, an iPod (80 GB, black) and Bose dock, and I'd be set.

Thus ends a very rambling version of Can't Live Without.