Previously in the blog, we've highlighted some remarkable French castles and Italian castellos.  Today, while looking through some historic residences in the USA, I came across this amazing castle located on my side of the pond.  The Frederick Faulkner Castle took six years to build and is constructed of pink granite from the coast of Maine that was barged down the Merrimack River to Lowell, Massachusetts. After being carted by ox to the hilltop setting, each granite block was hand-fitted with precision by stone craftsmen.  I've seen a large number of luxury trophy properties, but few can match the story of this momentous residence that features eight bedrooms, an impressive 40-foot foyer, a finished walk-out basement and several original and period details.

The Frederick Faulkner Castle can be found in the National Register of Historic Places and is listed by William Raveis Real Estate & Home Services.

In my post about "The World's Most Expensive Computer Mouse," I mentioned the possibility of a solid gold or silver mouse pad.  That would just be silly - a slick metallic surface wouldn't be any better than the top of your desk.  The Formula 1 Collection mouse mat is much more practical.  It's made in England by technicians who create the metal structures for Formula One cars.  Features of the mouse pad are - wait, "features of the mouse pad" sounds weird, doesn't it?  Anyway, it's made of polished carbon fiber with inlaid leather mouse area and an Italian black suede backing.  And it's much cheaper than gold or silver - only £260, or about $525.

One of the first things I do each morning is work the kinks out of my neck. Luckily, I have a new bed that has helped my back tremendously, but I'm still "resting" my head on a limp pillow that gets wadded up and punched countless times during the night. Surely, a Contessa pillow would be at the receiving end of many less knuckle sandwiches, and may even end my pillow-boxing career forever. Scandia Down manufactures this pillow comprised of European white goose down stuffed into a strong, elaborately woven fabric. Unfortunately for me, however, I'd have to return my new bed to pay for a pair of these luxury comforts, which would leave me on the couch with an ailing back...looks like my nightly ten round battles are going to continue!

The cleverly titled "The World's Most Expensive Computer Mouse" (TWMECM, for short) features 59 brilliantly-cut diamonds and is available in yellow, red or white gold with white or black trim. The diamonds can be arranged into any pattern of your choosing, including personalized initials. This luxury mouse was created by Swiss mouse manufacturer Pat Says Now and is available for order through Fabstuff.net. As far as I can tell, TWMECM certainly lives up to its title - the price tag is $24,180, which makes it about $24,160 more expensive than the mouse I picked up at my nearest electronics store. No word yet on a solid silver or gold mouse pad...but they probably wouldn't have enough grip anyway.

Being a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, I'm a little soured by my team's not-so-super performance yesterday. As the game was slipping through the Bears' fingers and into the hands of the Colts (quite literally, Grossman), I sank further into my couch and attempted to find solace in an endless supply of taco dip and mini sausages slathered in barbecue sauce. Unfortunately, my gorging didn't affect the outcome of the game and left me with nothing but heartburn. Perhaps the loss would've been easier to take had I been lounging in a Dreamseat recliner. These luxury leather chairs allow you to show support for your team while experiencing an extremely high level of comfort at the same time. They also provide a classy alternative to face-painting.

Our current, very image conscious era that has seen virtually every consumable find its way into the super-luxury market, now brings us Bling H20. The bottle shown here is a limited release cobalt blue version adorned with Swarovski Crystals and a neck charm. As of now, only 1,200 of these bottles have been released for consumer enjoyment. If the cobalt blue bottle of water is a little too ostentatious for you, Bling H20 also offers their "standard" variety...which comes in a limited edition, corked, frosted glass bottle decorated with Swarovski Crystals. Maybe it's not so standard after all. And what about the actual water within these designer bottles, you ask? Well, apparently it's award-winning water that comes from a natural spring in Dandridge, Tennessee and undergoes a nine step purification process to ensure quality. And, oh yeah, the bottle has crystals on it.