Ack. It’s supposed to be the coldest night in a while here in NYC tonight! I guess it’s a good thing i just hopped the train down from Boston and got settled into the Bowery Hotel in NYC… definitely sounds like it ought to be a room service kind of night… lows of 5 degrees do not sound fun! Be it through laziness or busyness or indecisiveness, i’ve recently begun trying out the GoldSmith services of the fabulous Mr & Mrs Smith… it’s quite magical really, they’ll introduce you to your personal consultant who will take care of you when it comes to booking at any of their destinations as well as automatic room upgrades, airport lounge passes, loyalty plan and more… the part that has been the most fun so far, is it’s been far too fun emailing with my GoldSmith concierge, Jasmine. She’s made my life and inbox easier AND more amusing. While i’ll be testing things out more throughout the year, it’s already been a pleasure having them help me extend my stay in Boston last night at the XV Beacon (i’ve even ended up with a XV Beacon CD upon check out because of the Mr & Mrs Smith connection), and now they’ve worked out a press rate for me at the Bowery Hotel.

But i digress, back to the Bowery Hotel, my new home for the next few days, it’s adorable, and you simply must see the design details… i love their logo! And that they have a big calendar i can scribble on as i try to plan out the upcoming week… It’s so cold out, i totally got in and hopped into the comfy bed to work on the macbook air right now… SO cozy! And love the dark hardwood floors as well… go check it all out on the next page!

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Today has been kind of amazing in socal, 70 degrees and sunny in LA, and the perfect day to cruise down to San Diego to meet up with Mercedes-Benz AMG… came down a few hours early wanting to skip rush hour and get some work done… but it’s hard not to relax when you pull into the world of Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Santa Fe. So between conference calls and emails, how could i not share this HOUSE of a “room” i just checked into? So very california bungalow; comfy, cozy, and far too much space to have to myself! And truly, the perfect weather for what looks like it will shape up to be a glorious weekend to drive around with the new CLS 63 AMG. Take a peek inside my bungalow on the next page…

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Happy Friday! Where will you be spending the weekend? Get some getaway inspiration from NotVentures. To find out more about each destination, click on its individual image.

Freshly back from vegas, and already lusting after where to head next! Where will your travels take you this year? Get inspired with NotVentures. Click the pics to find out more, or share your inspiring destinations of choice too!

Our final 2010 roundup, comes from our newest site of all, and perhaps the most fun to help us look forward into possibilities for the new year… even though only 2 months old, NotVentures is my daily wanderlust, making it harder and harder to stay put when there are so many places and things to see in the world! I can’t wait to see what adventures await in 2011… and what wonders we’ll all find and share! Please feel free to share places that either spark your wanderlust or that you have visited and would recommend to inspire others!

Here are just a few of the beautiful destinations showcased on Notventures this week. Where will you be off to next? To be taken to each post, just click on its image.

Whether you’re after a wintry wonderland and tropical paradise, Notventures can inspire your next expedition. To find out more about each destination, click on its image.

Where will your next adventure take you? Get carried away with this gorgeous roundup from Notventures. To find out more about each destination, click on its image.

This is Part II of Justine’s LAX-LHR contribution to Operation Window Seat ~ Part I was the Tiny Planes! Now it’s a look at the stunningly snowy winter edition as she flew into the VERY snow covered UK. It’s really so amazing to see the patterns cut so crisply into the white snow, layered with the fluffy clouds! Check it all out on the next page!

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Plan your escape this weekend with a few inspirations from Notventures. To find out more about each destination, click on its image.

Justine seems to be taking over my Operation Window Seat addiction… and is taking it to a whole new level. Armed with her new Canon 60D, on her LAX home to LHR flight, she has started taking some amazing TINY PLANE SPOTTING pics! Found these in my dropbox shortly after she got home. You have to see how incredibly tiny they look! Then let yourself imagine how many people are in there! They are pretty amazing, almost surreal, and i swear i didn’t photoshop them in! So very fascinatingly tiny, check them out on the next page!

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Holiday season is officially here! Happy Black Friday! In addition to the NOTCOT Holiday Coupons and the many Holiday Giveaways that will be unfolding daily… here’s a gift guide inspired by the latest addition to the NOTCOT family ~ NotVentures. I can’t believe it’s been merely a month old already, and since it’s launch i’ve been from LA to San Francisco, Germany, Italy, Japan, and off to New York Monday! Beyond inspiring us with things to see and places to go… it’s also inspired some fun products, perfect for gifting your favorite jetsetter! See my picks on the next page…

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It’s definitely Notventures Friday here at NOTCOT! Whether you’re after polar bears or scuba diving between tectonic plates, you’ll find all the inspiration you need for your next adventure at Notventures. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.

Blackbox Case has just launched! Beautiful wooden Macbook Pro cases hand made in Colorado and just sent over an awesome email with some great pics! Weighing in at a mere 1.5 pounds, its pretty light, AND apparently hard to crush… but most intriguing of all are the stunning details you have to see up close on the next page! Each is hand numbered, comes with a typographically stunning card welcoming you to their family by their Chief Dreamer! Each case is hand oiled with high end Tung oil finish that takes four days to complete. “It just feels velvety smooth.” Each case is precision cut, hand sanded, hand rubbed, and personally inspected throughout the crafting process. “Your case starts as two pieces of hardwood that are milled on our CNC machine. This means that your computer will fit in your case perfectly. Not tight. Not loose. Just right every time.” Stunning, right? Sadly only available for macbook pros right now, i could really use one for my air!

Here’s an excerpt from the email i received:

Why the name Blackbox?
~Because I am a flight instructor in my spare time and it will keep your computer safe like the infamous blackbox in an airplane.

Who the heck are you? Do you really make these?
~Yep. We’re serious. We have engineers, woodworkers, and artists handcrafting these full-time. We’re making these with love in Golden, Colorado.

What’s with the branding-iron-logo?
~I’m from a small cow town in Eastern Colorado, so I thought it was fitting. That and it just looks sexy.

Can it really survive being dropped from an airplane 20,000 ft. in the air?
~I’m pretty sure it couldn’t but I can’t wait to try.

What computers does it fit?
~It is designed to fit a 15 in. and 13 in. MacBook Pro. You could try shaving the sides off that old PC laptop, but I don’t think that’s gonna work.

Take a peek at more details of the new Blackbox Case on the next page!

P.S. Use code “givethanks” will get $20 off at Blackbox Case.

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Justine just flew over to LA from London ~ and sadly the upside to terrible turbulence turned out to be amazing clouds! The type that look like a world of their own hovering above ours, as i cleaned up the pics, i couldn’t help looking for care bears in cloud cars. Then again, in the last pic, you will see the bizarre object she looked up to see flying by… turns out it was another plane! But the most fascinating part about this flight was seeing all the ice! And the fractal like patterns and twists and turns of the roads jumping out so crisply… not to mention watching the layers of clouds making incredible shadows on the ice! Take a peek at it all on the next page!

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