The joy of trolling through blogs of friends-of-friends-of-friends: You’re bound to run into something you never would have found otherwise.

From Lori MacBlogger to Go Nicole Yourself to Steph Sklar … and, suddenly, I found myself at the Nissan Cube site that lets you create your own T-shirt — pick the color, pick the saying, pick the shirt style — for free and pay just $5 to have it shipped. (The Cube is a car the company will introduce in November.)

The phrase I chose: “Have a secret crush, and a secret admirer.” Because I always have at least a few crushes going at all times — boy crushes (numerous) and even a girl crush or two (right now, one of Albert’s sisters) . It makes life a lot easier. And fun.

Warning 1: They tack a little Nissan line on there, too — c’mon, it’s not FREE-free, just free of price — but still, $5 for a shirt you pick?

Warning 2: For a while it looks like you have to pay for the shirt, but a spot on the checkout page lets you drop the price back down to nothing.

ammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 7/23/08
The shirt: Sueded slub-texture short-sleeved shirt by BC Ethic (Last Chance)
The pants: Jeans by 1969  gap.com)
The shoes: Goodyear sneakers by Adidas (Last Chance)
The scent: Visit eau de toilette spray by Azzaro
Listening to: “Paradise” by Ana Laan (YouTube link here)

sammit

Now online merchant Weselleverything offers bags “guaranteed to cure ugliness.” Apparently it turns you into Olivia Newton-John, circa “Xanadu” (headband not included). And lest you think they’re being sexist, a men’s version also exists, although his role model appears to be a ’60s-era actor in a gladiator movie.

Of course, both note that for extra-ugly people, two bags may be required in case one breaks. $1.85 each.

And I would like to thank Francesca for sending me the link without suggesting I needed one. (Probably because once I told her it would be interesting to find out how much adorable baby boys like hers could fetch on the black market.)

A good shave cream really can turn the never-ending task into a more enjoyable experience – fewer nicks, less irritation, better skin care to boot. You forget how nice you have it until you forget – say, on a trip to Denver – and have to make do with a cheap, last-minute drugstore brand. It was awful!

A few years ago I asked barbers at V’s Barbershops to rate a half-dozen shaving gels, creams and foams on their own faces. Their universal favorite was one by Lab Series – and I carry a travel-size version of their Maximum Comfort shave cream ($12.50) in my dopp kit when I go on vacation. Lab Series is sold at Ulta, Macy’s and Dillards stores.

I happen to prefer mentholated creams and gels – the subsequent topical numbness helps prevent shaving irritation and redness. Kiehl’s Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream ($15.50-$18.50), below left, was the first such one I ever tried. It’s spiked with camphor, too, so it really knocks your skin out during the shave. (It’s relatively hard to rinse out of the razor, though. You do a lot of fast swishing in the sink.) It’s sold at Nordstrom at Chandler Fashion Center, Neiman Marcus at Scottsdale Fashion Square, and Scottsdale Jean Co.

The good thing about hoarding: If they decide to discontinue, say, your favorite shave gel – as Sharps Barber Brigade ($5.99), below right, did when they pulled their line from Target last year – I was lucky enough to already have five tubes stashed away in a bureau drawer to tide me over. (As it turns out, they recently began selling the products online, so I just ordered four more tubes today.)

I’m also a fan (although not quite as obsessive) of ZIRH Shave Cream ($14-$20), below left – the big tub o’ shaving cream does last a really long time. When my friend Jess’s house burned down in 2004, I greeted him the next morning with a whole emergency kit of grooming supplies, including this shave cream. He still uses the same brand today, although he likes to switch it up with ZIRH’s aloe vera-based shave gel sometimes. It’s available at Dillard’s and Sephora.

By the way, the barbers at V’s use products by The Art of Shaving, below right. (And a straight razor.) TAoS shaving creams ($14-$22) come in four formulations: hypoallergenic unscented; lavender for sensitive skin; sandalwood for dry skin; lemon for oily skin. The line is sold at V’s shops, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus at Chandler Fashion Center and Scottsdale Fashion Square, and specialty stores like Cos Bar at Kierland Commons and Romeo at The Shops at DC Ranch.

There are several other great brands of shaving cream out there — and Men’s Ultimate Grooming, a shop at Superstition Springs Center in Mesa, stocks most of them, from êShave to Woody’s, aMENity to Baxter of California and Jack Black.

ammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 6/12/08
The shirt: V-neck T-shirt (Old Navy)
The pants: Jeans by Seven for All Mankind (Last Chance)
The shoes: Flip-flops by Sanuk
The scent: Mat; by Masaki Matsushima

sammit

Wives and girlfriends, it’s time to take a hint from the newly minted Mrs. Jay-Z. In “Upgrade U,” Beyonce offers to introduce her boyfriend to the finer things in life – Audemars Piguet watches, Purple Label ties, Hermes briefcase. …

But we’re going to start on the inside: Underwear.

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Green may be the trend in homes, but in men’s fragrance it’s all about blue. Especially during summer months, scents that evoke cool water (including, but not limited to, Cool Water) do particularly well.

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I found a great Father’s Day card this morning at the drugstore when I was picking up some bandages. And that one sentence explains the two! Two! TWO! recurring themes in some of this week’s posts:

(1) Father’s Day gift suggestions, and (2) I’ve declared June 9-13 “Sandals Week” because I ended up falling into a swimming pool yesterday (amazingly, no liquor was involved, just misjudging how much pavement was left when I was backing up moving pool furniture) and shredding the sides of my feet on the concrete. So shoes hurt.

And, in a serendipitous move, today’s Father’s Day suggestion is … sandals!

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My parents called the other day and asked what I want for Christmas. My mom reminded me that I used to be really “good” about this — I’d send them a list, even listing the stores that sold the items. But every year I get more and more in the mindset that I really don’t need anything — unless someone wants to treat me to a 10% down payment on a cute little ranch-style house, and really, if I can’t get around to saving it myself, why should I ask my parents to help?

“It’s not what you need,” my mom said. “It’s what you’d like.”

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My mom and I have always had polar opposite tastes: I remember one year buying her some dangly vintage-looking earrings, which she didn’t like because they made her earlobes swing. She asked me to return them for something else, so I did … and she didn’t like those, either, and asked me to pick something else out. (Which is when I suggested she exchange them for something she liked, to save me a few more trips to the store.)It’s true with jewelry, clothing, accessories … which leaves me with skin care products. She doesn’t like many perfumes, since she believes they "grow" on her and morph into something else, and you can only buy a woman so much Chanel No. 5 before she’s set for the next decade. She can’t justify using Kiehl’s Creme de Corps when she thinks Keri Lotion works just fine. These are the things that make me wonder if I’m adopted, and make her wonder what kind of child she’s raised.Until I come through with a gift like the Chocolate Fix set from Lather ($32). I get credit for two separate presents: (1) Dutch Mocha Body Buff, which satisfies her requirements of a body scrub that won’t make the shower slippery and my requirements of smelling good, thanks to the ground arabica coffee beans, and scrubbing without leaving you raw. (2) Belgian Chocolate Body Whip, a rich cream that lets her indulge her chocolate fantasy without putting on any pounds. Both include real semisweet chocolate in the ingredients.My only concern: What if this just whets her appetite for the real thing? Then she’s going to blame me for helping her gain weight. …Got a challenge? Put me on the case: Give me the particulars and I’ll try to find a great gift.

The challenge: A birthday present for Mark, a laid-back lawyer in his 30s who lives and breathes the Texas Longhorns, loves retro-rockabilly music, makes his own spice rubs for grilling steaks and agreed to name his second son Sam after a beloved ancestor me. He arranged a trip for his parents to Las Vegas, complete with a surprise renewal of wedding vows. (Elvis officiated.)The decision: This T-shirt has a hint of Texas-lawless flavor — without that damn steer head! (They get enough of that in Austin, anyway.) $26 at Defunker.Got a challenge? Put me on the case: Give me the particulars and I’ll try to find a great gift.