Roasted.

I am, admittedly, a big fan of coffee. I drink it straight up, caffeinated. (No sugar or cream, thankyouverymuch.)

My husband is a wine expert, so drinking almost any kind of beverage can sometime take on an added level of analysis, although I certainly don't want to talk about the "bouquet" of my beloved coffee before I've had at least a mug-full to wake me up.

But that's why, when I discovered Citizen Bean, I knew it would make a great anniversary gift: it's a gift-subscription coffee-roaster of the month club that offers coffee from small roasters all over the country. We got our first bag of special beans the first week of July, and we've been rationing it, saving it mostly for weekends, because it's so good. Can't wait to see what our August roast has in store for us (and hopefully my husband will share it with me!).

Citizen Bean subscriptions: four months for $79.99, six months for $119.99, one year for $199.99.

In Retro Specs: Lurrrving Vintage Eyeglasses

As I sat in the waiting room at an urgent care on Sunday sans air-conditioning with my left eye watering and twitching, I wondered to myself why I even bother with contact lenses. Some of the most fabulously fashionable people I know (Lisa Loeb, anyone?) have made their eyeglasses part of their trademark look. I love vintage clothes, so why not give vintage eyewear a try?

Don't be fooled by the name of their website -- EyeGlass Boy offers an array of vintage glasses for men and women. Plus, they are very reasonable compared to the designer frames you see at your optician's office. Of course you don't have the benefit of trying them on before you buy them, but if you can return them within 10 days or if you're feeling daring...



Well maybe not that daring. I'm more into these:



And these:



Or maybe these:


They even offer detailed directions for measuring to make sure you get the right size. And even though they're vintage, none of the glasses sold on their site have ever been worn (mostly unused optometrists' stock).

Go ahead and see for yourself!

Charge it!

I am so excited about these rechargeable (and therefore eco-friendly) batteries from USBcell -- they're the only ones I've seen that don't require some sort of clunky, easily-lost charger. Instead, you plug them into your computer's USB port, and voila! Charged!

$17.49 for a two-pack at USBcell.com

They come in AA, 9-volt, and even some cell phone/device batteries (how awesome to be able to leave the cell phone charger at home when you travel?). Plus, it doesn't hurt that they're pretty.

Go ahead and see for yourself!

Puppy lurrrve: The Eco Nap from West Paw

Having a home with all hardwood floors and two big dogs means a lot of sweeping and mopping, but it also means I need to make sure my pups have a cushiony oasis where they can rest without putting any strain on their hips. But every time I buy a dog bed with a cover that's washable and easy to remove, it's never easy to put back on again. That's why I lurrrve the Eco Nap from West Paw Design. It comes in several cool color combos and I can throw the whole thing in the wash when it gets icky. And in between washes, it lays flat enough to vacuum. Not only is it great for my dogs -- it's also great for the planet, made from post consumer recycled soda pop bottles. It's amazing that something so soft comes from plastic bottles (a large mat saves 26.45 bottles from landfill limbo). We've had ours for almost two years and it's still in great shape... and I can't say that about most things that come into everyday contact with our dogs.

$27.90-$93.90, westpawdesign.com.