Nicolas Cage's financial woes continue apace. In his spendier days he had two main weaknesses, expensive houses and pricey cars. We've seen what has happened with the houses, most have either been sold off or have headed back to the bank. Now TMZ has papers showing that Cage's love of cars got him in financial hot water too.

A leasing company, Premier Financial Services has threatened him over breach of contract. He signed a five year lease on a 1964 Rolls Royce SCIII back in 2007. He paid $7,663.02 per month on the car which was worth at least $550,000. One Rolls was not enough, he also leased a 2002 Rolls Royce Corniche, a car worth approximately $245,000 and carrying payments of $3,630.71.

When Cage began to feel the financial pinch last year he turned in both cars but because the leasing agency had to sell the 2002 Corniche it has wants money for upaid bills as well as a penalty for having to sell the car wholesale. TMZ reports that Cage's people are trying to work with the leasing agency. There is a third category that Cage liked to spend a lot of money in, collectibles, so far that category has brought him some money, perhaps it's time to sell off the comic books and old dinosaur bones.

This Mixed Leather Tote by Miu Miu is all about texture as it blends bunched glossy leather in mixed shades of blue on top of a solid blue matte leather base. Short, double plated handles add yet another texture, while a little ruching on the sides and goldtone hardware jumps out as the only other adornments. The bag has a zipper along the top for closure as well as a hinged clasp fastening, plus there's an adjustable and detachable shoulder strap if you want to switch things up. The interior is lined in black and features one interior pocket with zip closure, and the bottom has four goldtone metal feet. $1,750

At first glance this strappy Jimmy Choo doesn't look all that special, but underneath all that shiny black leather and trendy color block accents is something you'd never guess: a tiny electric switch and lights. Yes, lights.

Now it's a shoe fit for a superhero.

The Zap Sandal will be available sometime this spring (although you can pre-order them now) and is made of patent leather and suede with a chunky platform, 5.1" heel, and 'light up detail' that is sure to make every step unforgettable.

I just love it, although I really want to know exactly where it lights up -- if anyone finds out let me know in the comments. $2,495

Via Fabsugar

Upon entering Ann Arbor-based Grange Kitchen & Bar on a recent evening, Chef Brandon Johns greeted me at his door with a plate of confit of pig, heart-sugar-cube sized bits of the muscle that kept a certain locally raised Tamworth pig's chest beating for several months before it wound up on Johns' prep table.

It isn't a typical amuse-bouche in this university town, or in most other High Street neighborhoods in the U.S. But as chefs like Johns, San Francisco's Chris Cosentino (whose next Nose-to-Tail dinner is March 24 at Incanto in San Francisco), Cleveland's Michael Symon and Boston's Tony Maws do more to popularize the eating of heirloom pork, a by-product of the trend is the advancement of sensible, and at times fanciful, offal eating.

On this particular night some 27 diners descended on Johns' restaurant, having booked in advance to dine on the Tamworth pig he had selected months earlier at Back Forty Acres in nearby Chelsea, MI.They followed the plates of confit of pig heart to a table where it took its place of honor next to a platter of crispy pork skins and a dish of chili vinegar for dipping.

It was for good reason that Grange's 7-course dinner required advance booking and a bit of special promotion among the restaurant's Facebook fans. A menu that features pork liver torchon,"Extremities salad," and bacon ice cream with a slice of bacon dipped in chocolate requires a certain kind of foodie to commit for $60 per head, and $90 with matching wines.

Johns kept the brains, cheeks and some of the other tasty bits on the sidelines for special guests. Rounding out the menu, though, was crispy belly confit, Grange-made Hunter sausage (spiced with mustard seed, ginger and coriander and smoked over applewood).There was Bo Saam (think Asian burrito) roasted shoulder, roasted without liquid, wrapped in a lettuce leaf along with raw oysters, kimchee and/or a condiment of sherry vinegar, bean paste and chilis. An Asian burrito with perfectly roseted pork and raw oysters makes anyone feel kingly. The final dish was pork loin, peppered with domestic black truffle and served over a white bean puree with a side of glazed carrots that tasted as if they were pulled from a July garden rather than a February larder.

Anticipation ran high for the dessert: a scoop of bacon infused ice cream,

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Most of us treat ourselves with aromatherapy without even thinking -- ever taken a whiff of your coffee as it's brewing and instantly felt more energized? Or lit a scented candle after a long day's work to help yourself relax? The world is full of fragrance, and aromatherapy is the art of harnessing specific smells and using them to improve a person's health, mood, and overall well-being. Here's a basic guide to which aromas are relaxing, which ones are energizing, and which ones can help give romance a boost.

If you want to relax:
Lavender, Chamomile, Vanilla, Rose, and Sandalwood all have calming and soothing properties, and especially when combined with relaxing activities can really help relax muscles and eliminate headaches. Try lighting a candle scented with one of these oils next time you sit down to read a book or take a long soak in the tub.

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A little note for the stagers of America Ferrera's Los Angeles home, white covered books don't make a study look cozy, it just looks weird (see also, blank rectangles to indicate where the flatscreen televisions go). The star of Ugly Betty and of the new movie "Our Family Wedding" has been trying to sell her Los Angeles home for a while. The Real Estalker noted last year that she bought the three-bedroom home in the Beachwood Canyon area in April 2008 for $1.415 million. It's not known if she ever lived there for long, she moved to New York City for her television show shortly thereafter. She listed the home at $1.685 million last year but as Move Trends reports, it is back on the market with a new low price.

The 3,500 square foot house is fully wired for sound. The master suite takes up the entire upper level with a large balcony with views, an adjacent office, master bath, walk-in closets and fireplace. There is a dining room with a sliding glass door, leading out to the patio. This home is now listed at $1.599 million.

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New for 2010. Hautlence is giving its "TV screen" style watch line a redesigned face. Inside the watch is the HL08 manually wound movement that features a dial for the hours, retrograde minutes dial with a really unique hand, and a small seconds dial (the most traditional dial of the bunch). The HL08 seems to play with three dimensionality. Everything seems to have height to it. Much of the dial is actually the movement, all nicely hand-decorated for a unique look which is all Hautlence. The case is in 18k white gold and 43.5mm wide by 37mm high (not really as large as it looks). Hautlence has made a great name for itself with these unique looking dials and ways to indicate time, but I think that have boxed themselves in a bit as it is hard to innovate or add complications based on what they have designed. Nevertheless, I look forward to what the brand will release next.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

The relationship between fashion and jewelry design is one that works in two ways, jewelry can often inspire fashion design and haute couture also provides inspiration for jewelry designers. Jewelry designer Temple St. Clair tells us about the fashion designs that have influenced her work:

Designer Influence – Where does inspiration come from?

The source of inspiration is personal and particular to the individual. I have made the act of being inspired part of my life. I am constantly open to ideas and things or concepts that catch my attention. I am not merely in the business of making jewelry just to make a ring, bracelet, or necklace. I have to be amused, interested, caught in an imaginary world that I can then translate in to a jewel.

I enjoy the work of other designers particularly those that seem to create their own themes in worlds of color, pattern and design, those that create a journey in their work that tells a story.

I love fashion. A few of my favorites captivate me with their creativity and sometimes, outrageousness. Perennial favorites are Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Alexander McQueen who we have recently so tragically lost. I also love Valentino for his romance and undying attention to detail. Each one of these designers creates for a new world. They create treasures that become collectible "works" that can be worn for decades.

Each of these designers has a strong point of view. At Comme des Garcons, Rei Kawakubo artfully deconstructs the classic idea of clothing to create something whimsical and new. I have collected pieces from Comme des Garcons for years. I pull them out time and again and they still feel fresh and fun to wear.

Jean-Paul Gaultier plays with iconography and big themes. One of my favorites from years ago was his Tibetan collection. He created a Parisian chic crossed with the garb of Tibetan monks from the high Himalayas. It was a rich collection whose imagery has stayed with me.

The extremely talented, Alexander McQueen, had only shown us the tip of the iceberg of his creativity. His shows are pure theater yet many of his pieces are timelessly classic. He was truly a young master. I will treasure my pieces by him.

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Call it grilling or barbecuing, either way, it is fun and seems to bring together family and friends like nothing else, and the end result can be the tastiest ever if you follow these five grilling and barbecuing tips.

Choose your grilling method
Depending on what you are grilling, your cooking method will be different. Direct heat, where the coals/heat are directly under your food is used for quick cooking such as steaks, chicken, fish and veggies. Heat temp is high, usually around 450 degrees. Modified Direct is when the firebox is lower, this is used for larger cuts of meat or whole chickens that need more cooking time. Indirect is where the fire is not directly under the food, it is to the side. This is used for longer cooking times, up to 10 hours or longer, for very large cuts of meat or those that need longer cooking time to be tender such as brisket and whole pork loins. Smoking is for a very low cooking temperature, 250 degrees, and is used for items such as whole pigs, large racks of ribs and for smoking fish or making jerky.

Choose your fuel
You can use gas, charcoal or wood. If using wood, soak for at least 20 minutes before using. This will help keep the flames down and the heat high. You can mix your fuel by adding chunks of wood in a foil pan to your gas grill for extra smoke, or combine chunks of wood with your charcoal. Smoking uses only wood, preferably hickory, oak, mesquite, apple or cherry. Never use soft woods, or wood treated with chemicals

Prep your grill and other utensils
Make sure your grill is clean. You will also need long tongs to turn your food, meat thermometer to check the internal meat temperature, water bottle to contain flames, oven mitt to remove the food, foil for wrapping veggies, brush or mop for the sauce and a plate or platter to place your food on. Start your grill and make sure it is up to temperature prior to placing food on the grill.

Grill Placement
It might sound simple, but grill placement can be critical. If grilling several items at once, don't let them touch either to make sure the heat gets to all sides. Also, place items that take longer to grill closer to the heat source and items like veggies further away.

Heat control
You need to make sure you maintain the proper temperature. If you are cooking hot and fast make sure your grill stays hot. Opening the cover can reduce the temperature by 50 to 100 degrees quickly. If using a slow cooking method your grill needs to not get too hot. If it is too hot the outside of the meat will burn before the inside is done. You can cool it down by opening the firebox and letting out some of the heat. For wood flare-ups only, spray the fire w/ water from your water bottle. You should never use water on a gas grill. Wood will also have to be added during slow cooking to maintain the temperature. Most grills and cookers come with an external thermometer so you can monitor the temperature without opening the cover. If your grill does not have one, you can simply drill a hole in the top and use a meat thermometer inserted into the hole.

This post was contributed via Seed.com, AOL's new platform for freelance writers.

Even with a full, detailed tour of everything from leaf to ash, much of what occurs in Jose "Pepin" Garcia's My Father Cigars operation will remain a mystery. Of course, you'll never master the details involved in farming the tobacco (unless you're in that business already) ... and have a willingness to guide oxen through the fields in lieu of heavy machinery. As you walk through nearly every building in every room in the factory, you will still be constrained by the act that key details are hidden, even if in plain sight. Watch every step in the process used to manufacture My Father, 601, Tatuaje and several other cigar lines, and you'll never have a chance to appreciate the operation as a whole ... and there's a good reason for this.

The creation of any premium cigar always involves a dose of "secret sauce," and Pepin's business is no different. From the farm to the factory, only four people in My Father Cigars know exactly what goes into each stick. Trade secrets are portable, and this knowledge is maintained only by those who have both proven themselves worthy and have a clear business need for the information.

Yet, even if you won't be able to replicate in your basement what Pepin has created, it's still a fascinating process to watch. From La Finca Estrella to the nearby factory and out the door, Pepin's cigar business is a local affair, involving mostly the staff from Esteli, Nicaragua.

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