The football games are coming, and it’s time to start thinking about beer. Not just the beer you’re going to drink, but what you’re going to serve it in. Toss the plastic cups. It’s time to upgrade. You could go with some basic but classy glasses, like the assortment at PubGlasses.com, where you can pick from a variety that can be personalized for $15 a glass (or get the special football game glass for $10 each). CocktailVibe has the Oslo beer glass ($32 for a set of 4); Pottery Barn has a solid-looking set of six British pint glasses for $28; and at Williams-Sonoma you can find a set of four glasses and have them monogrammed with your initials for $59. If you want to have a bit more fun, consider a pilsner glass with a color-changing LED base or a set with a witty saying (”Half Empty? Half Full?”) in Italian from Sur la Table for $39.50 (pictured, set of four). Uncommon Goods always has amusing and interesting items, like their artful set of glasses that make the beer look suspended in mid-air, or the set of four glasses with your “house rules” for football game parties. Or go all-out for your team with a crystal freezer mug complete with team logo (3 for $12.99). Want to really get fancy? A pair of Lalique Louvre beer glasses will cost you $142, or a handsome set of four Waterford crystal beer glasses will run $250. But aren’t your friends worth it? Now that we’ve got you thinking about beer glasses, why don’t you just go all the way and buy real German beer steins? At BeerSodaSports.com, there are all kinds of steins such as a Bavarian beer ceramic stein with a metal lid, for $38. Or go straight to BeerGlasshopper, where the selection is as wide as your new HDTV: from a real ox-horn with a pewter lid and base ($285), a 3/4-yard glass (with stand) that holds 68 oz. for $80, a 40-oz. Hofbrauhaus Octoberfest dimpled glass mug (pictured), a Swiss hand-carved colorful stein complete with fancy lid for $130 or - and yes, they really do drink from these glasses - an 80-oz. Hofbrauhaus glass drinking boot for $70. And, when your friends have had a boot or two, and shatter your precious purchase on the floor, just remember: That’s what friends are for.

When is a book a head scarf? When is a dish towel a souvenir? Not often, granted — but these cute textiles fit all the descriptions above and more. They’re humble but lovely cloths made in Japan, where you might find them worn in street festivals or hanging on the wall. In case their multi-functionality confuses Western shoppers, importers have folded them up and stitched them so the make a kind of book of fabric, each “page” highlighting a different part of the larger illustration. (To use them as originally intended, just snip the two threads that keep the sheet folded up.) While the fabric’s maker, Hamamonyo, offers a huge selection of patterns in Japan (see them at this foreign-language site), the American company Compact Impact is testing the market with only three styles, which it sells in this bundle for $15.50. More varieties featuring illustrations of pets are on their way in October, the retailer says.

We’ll be thinking a lot about politics in the next few weeks: Obama and Biden, McCain and . . . whoever his running mate will be. But plenty of Americans’ are going to get worked up over something much more intense and competitive: political buttons. Collecting them is a passion of thousands that has given birth to publications, books, auctions and The American Political Items Collector, the largest group of button groupies. There’s no way to begin to dissect the complexities (and lucrative nature) of this hobby, so we’ll give you some fun facts and sites to check out. The buttons (known as cellos) were first issued for the 1886 presedential campaign. Among the most popular are Harry Truman and John Kennedy buttons, according to collector Jeff Figler.  Mark Warda, the author of 100 Years of Political Campaign Collectibles, told MSNBC  that hard-to-find buttons can be very valuable. Ron Wade, another major collector, says that a 1920 James Cox/Franklin D. Roosevelt button recently sold for more than $100,000. (more…)

You can’t buy love. But you sure can surround yourself with beauty that is good for the heart and soul. That notion would seem to be the organizing principle behind the eclectic offerings at Rian Rae Interiors & Gifts, which specializes in unique but comfy home décor pieces that make use of elements found in nature and are, quite simply, beautiful to behold. They’re also so sensually and texturally alluring that you might just long to reach out and touch them, like these geometrically shaped hand-crocheted pendant lamps ($224; pictured) or this French crinkle pendant made of white glass ($379). The Bamboo Cloud chandelier was designed by a Thai artist using traditional bamboo-weaving techniques in a nontraditional way ($690). The roof of this handcrafted lantern ($1,898) is covered with oyster shells. Cuddle up on the couch with this crocheted wool throw ($148), and put a cup of hot tea on this coffee table made from an antique Fench pigeon basket ($1,385). (more…)

Did you make it to Lollapalooza last weekend in Chicago’s Grant Park? Were you in the crowd for Wilco, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails or Kanye West? No? Sigh. Neither were we. But that’s fixable. Read the Blogapalooza, take crib notes from the 2008 set lists, buy the shirt and say you went. The Lolla Coat of Arms women’s T (pictured) would do the job nicely, with its black and gold eagle stretched above a Lollapalooza banner ($20). You can get that same coat of arms on a Lollapalooza onesie ($15). A little more cash will get you extreme eye candy with the limited-edition custom-made Lollapalooza skateboard by Element ($95). If you’d rather be the center of attention for having not attended the CMA Festival, you can accomplish that with the 2008 official event shirt, which splashes the logo across your chest and lists the musicians down your back ($20), or even the official 2008 CMA shooter glass (and yes, that is its actual name) for $10. Wishing you’d gone to Bonnaroo? The 2008 limited-edition silk-screened event poster will help with that, since it’s got cool funky art and lists all the musicians who performed ($30). You say you’re more of a Coachella kind of girl? Then it’s the “Sound Waves and Heat Waves Unite” Hula Hula T that is calling your name ($35.) And if you’re really holding out for the music itself, you can still get single-day passes to the 2008 Austin City Limits Music Festival Sept. 26-28 ($80 per day) or grounds tickets to the 2008 Monterey Jazz Fest Sept. 19-21 ($35 Friday, $45 Saturday or Sunday). The longest-running jazz festival in the world already has its own official black, electric blue and gold 2008 event shirt online as well ($25), so regardless of whether you go, check it out. It’s as cool as Coltrane. — by Diane Porter

Multicolored anodized aluminum is back and as sleek as ever for the home. First popularized by the Art Deco movement, the process of making the metal’s surface harder and less reactive with acidic substances resulted in beautiful objects for the home like these rare English Art Deco anodized pink ($375) and green ($175) aluminum vases from Decollect. For the noncollector, we found a set of six tumblers at Sur la Table ($30) just right for outdoor entertaining. And for keeping the ice cream cold, Betty’s Attic has a retro aluminum ice cream bowl set ($18). For cocktails, Target offers sets of colorful martini and margarita (pictured) glasses ($30 for a set of six), and for nondrinkers there are juice tumblers ($20 for a set of six). Each one features a different color on the outside (like turquoise, eggplant and olive), and a mirror finish on the inside. Pour the beverages from a huge 98-ounce retro pitcher ($20). And if you’re in the market for a bud vase, TVA has a charming example of anodized aluminum that comes in your choice of red, purple or silver. Hand washing is recommended for all items.

What do you get the science fiction fan who has everything, up to and possibly including a $50,000 life-sized Robby the Robot replica? The fine folks at Boing Boing Gadgets, who are fascinated by what the futuristic world looked like to designers in the fifties, spotted a creation right up their alley. Available through the professional glass blower Jeff Burnette’s Joe Blow Glassworks, they’re whimsically beautiful Raygunz — ray guns that are so colorful you’d hate to imagine them being used to make an old black-and-white Buck Rogers movie serial. Each is made of clear blown glass with bits and strands of colored glass attached and silvered highlights to make the whole thing more gun-like; they don’t light up or make sounds or anything, but when they look this cool, who cares? An assortment of the glass creations can be seen here — since each is a one of a kind creation, you’ll have to contact the artist to request a price.

Holy credit card, Batman! The Dark Knight sure does make you want to shop. The film, starring Christian Bale and Heath Ledger, scored the biggest opening in Hollywood history with $155 million. And while you may have already spent $10 on a movie ticket, there are superhero-sized amounts of Batman-inspired goods to keep the spirit of the movie alive. The official Warner Brothers Batman Store is a good place to begin. The general consensus is that Ledger steals the show as the Joker, so no doubt the black Joker T-shirt ($20) or the white “Why so serious?” Joker T ($20) is a good addition to any collection. A lunchbox with a Batman emblem is the perfect accessory for back to school ($14), while The Dark Knight limited-edition Batman bust ($66) or Joker statue ($165; pictured) could adorn the mantle of any comic-loving fan . At Target.com, fans can purchase The Dark Knight, a book featuring character sketches, director Christopher Nolan’s original shooting script and personal behind-the-scenes material created during filming ($27). Buzz is already growing for a possible Oscar nomination for the film’s music; pick up the movie’s soundtrack at Amazon ($13). Kmart offers fun Batman decor for youngsters. The Warner Brothers Batman rough bat valance ($12) goes perfectly with the Batman dark bat comforter ($25). Sweet superhero dreams!