Marfa: Lineaus Athletic Company

A couple of years ago when I was in Marfa for a photo shoot, I met this wacky guy on a the Marfa Food Shark bus and he told me about these handcrafted medicine balls he makes. 

The chrome tanned leather that's used to make these medicine balls, footballs, and medicine bags just gets softer and more supple after years of use and regular oiling. 

 They are so well-crafted and beautifully designed that I consider them heirloom-worthy. 

 Click here to buy what I think are some of the best gifts for men around.

San Antonio: Acequia

I was working in San Antonio last Monday so I had to stop in sloan/hall to say hi to Marcus Sloan and get updated on what's new in-store. 

 He told me that in the fall, sloan/hall will begin carrying more clothing including - get ready - Balmain.  Then he led me over to some of the apothecary items and told me about bath and body line, Acequia. Based in San Antonio, the company has created some of the loveliest scents for their products.

 Granada was by far my favorite with its leather and tobacco notes, while the Pepper Basil was a fresh counterpoint. The line is made with shea butter, goat's milk, and aloe vera which leaves your skin not greasy, but thoroughly moisturized. 

And I love that the name, the Spanish word for aqueducts, pays homage to San Antonio's water wells which brought life to the earliest settlers of the area.