Saddle bags are cool, we knew that.

Korean saddle and bag maker aiming for Brooks and Carradice

By Gary Boulanger, US editor

The US $159 Zimbale leather saddle. (Zimbale)

• 
• 

British saddle maker Brooks has owned the leather saddle category for decades, and now a Korean company called Zimbale is branching out into the lucrative US market via Hyde Park Cyclesports in Boise, Idaho.

"My own interest in Zimbale came about partly out of frustration with the unpredictable availability of similar products from existing suppliers and manufacturers," Hyde Park Cyclesports owner Jim Powers told BikeRadar. "I received an email from Zimbale and asked for some samples. I was impressed enough with the samples to begin a conversation about becoming the US distributor.
"We were able to come to an agreement, and now I'm working towards meeting their projections for sales in this country. Interbike is the first step."
According to Powers, the Zimbale brand was created by a small group of individuals with backgrounds in textiles, manufacturing and cycling who also saw the need for a more reliable source of fine leather saddles and leather and textile saddlebags. The group is in Korea, and the bags are made in Korea.

The US $79 Zimbale leather saddle bag

The US $159 Zimbale leather saddle is shaped like the Brooks Swallow model, made of Australian cowhide with saddlebag tabs. The US $79 Zimbale leather saddle bag comes in honey, brown or black Australian cowhide.
Powers is also distributing Zimbale's Carradice-inspired cotton saddlebags, starting at US $54 for the 2.3-litre seat pouch.

For more information, visit www.hydeparkcyclesports.com.

Introducing PHOTOBOOTH a fully portable, 11MP (that's eleven million pixels) digital photo booth that does more than just take pretty pictures

Indulge a bit of old-skool photography with this clever, partly inflatable, architect-designed photo booth. Actually, the old-skool bit isn't entirely true - this photo booth is fully digital and portable, so it's probably more accurate to describe it as high-tech. Created by two Melbourne based photographers, who believe it to be the world's first portable design, the photo booth is perfect for events where party goers are prone to a spot of exhibitionism after a drink or two. The booth can also be branded to transform it into useful marketing tool. Smile! - Lisa Evans

Lisa (at The Cool Hunter) forgot to mention the high resolution part. Also, password protected galleries of your event can be published online, ALLOWING EVERYONE  A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT WENT ON BEHIND THE CURTAIN (assuming you were at the event, and have the password). Perfect for the 'look at me crowd' and for bringing that shy executive out of his shell. The Gown Rack wants this at her next party! Read more here.

Don't forget to live while you're at it

At The Gown Rack, we do believe in living life to the fullest. The good, the bad & the ugly. Our recommendation for this month:  Don't be afraid to join a hip-hop class full of teenagers, even if you happen to be in your mid-40's. You are never too old to dance and lose yourself in the music.

Live well, and make friends. You never know when you'll need one.

Just for fun, see how many of these questions you can answer YES to:

Been arrested? --- YES

Been in the back of a cop car?--- YES

Kissed someone you didn't like? --- YES

Slept in until 5 PM? --- YES

Ran a red light? --- YES

Been suspended from school? --- YES

Experienced love at first sight? --- YES

Totaled your car in an accident? --- YES

Been fired from a job? --- YES

Fired somebody? --- YES

Sang karaoke? --- YES

Pointed a gun at someone? --- YES

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? --- YES

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? --- YES

Kissed in the rain? --- YES

Had a close brush with death (your own)? --- YES

Seen someone dead? --- YES

Played spin-the-bottle? --- YES

Had a one night stand?--- YES

Smoked a cigar? --- YES

Sat on a rooftop? --- YES

Smuggled something into another country? --- YES

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes? --- YES

Broken a bone? --- YES

Skipped school? --- YES

Eaten a bug? --- YES

Sleepwalked? --- YES

Walked a moonlit beach? --- YES

Ridden a motorcycle? --- YES

Dumped someone? --- YES

Lied to avoid a ticket? --- YES

Ridden in a helicopter? --- YES

Shaved your head? --- YES

Made your girlfriend/boyfriend cry? --- YES

Eaten snake? --- YES

Marched/Protested? --- YES

Had Mexican jumping beans for pets? --- YES

Seriously & intentionally boycotted something? --- YES

Been in a band? --- YES

Been on TV? --- YES

Shot a gun? --- YES

Skinny-dipped? --- YES

Gave someone stitches? --- YES

Ridden a surfboard? --- YES

Drank straight from a liquor bottle? --- YES

Had surgery? --- YES

Streaked? --- YES

Taken by ambulance to hospital? --- YES

Passed out when not drinking? --- YES

Peed on a bush? ---YES

Donated Blood? --- YES

Grabbed electric fence? --- YES

Eaten alligator meat? --- YES

Killed an animal when not hunting? --- YES

Peed your pants in public? --- YES

Written graffiti? --- YES

Still love someone you shouldn't? --- YES

Been in handcuffs? --- YES

Believe in love? --- YES

Sleep on a certain side of the bed?-- YES

Classic Lines

A popular Tiffany design, earrings in solid sterling silver. Available upon request, $56 plus shipping.

Aqua Earrings

Summer is almost at an end, but while there are still a few gorgeous sunny swimsuit days left, aqua is my accent color of choice.

Aqua looks beautiful with silver and amethyst jewelry, and black and white clothing. Here are a pair of earrings, handmade by a friend of mine, a designer in Amsterdam, who also runs his own small jewelry shop on the Leilegracht. These earrings are fashioned from solid silver and adorned with a bevel cut teardrop aqua blue gem. Available also in silver and pink quartz!

€69 ($98) - Global Shipping/Gift Wrapping included. Shopping with us is a breeze. Not only is our motto: "Return it if you don't LOVE it.", we also have a variety of payment options to choose from, including credit/debit cards, bank transfers and PayPal. Cash with local pick-up or delivery is also encouraged if you'd like to receive a substantial discount. The Gown Rack delivers free of charge to the Köln metro area.

To order, click on the "Pay now" button found on the left-hand side of our home page, and enter the item description (Aqua earrings) and the price in U.S. dollar format. (98.00)