Hello Kitty Sculpture Exhibit in New York

Lucky New Yorkers get to see artist Tom Sachs debuts his newest iconic--or ironic-- art statement: a 21-foot tall Hello Kitty and a nine-foot tall Crying Miffy enshrined in bronze on 53rd Street plaza in Manhattan. Artist interview and photo gallery seen at Wallpaper.

California Dreaming

Jetting off to L.A. for a long weekend stay. Have a good Memorial Day weekend!

Japanese Package Design Spotlight

How dear are these matchsticks cases? Talk about cute design work. I love that the mini-face sketches are dotted on the matchsticks. Japanese package design work spotted at my latest blog-read at graphic design blog, The Dieline. 

Mmmm...pancakes, b*tches

If Prince (ala Dave Chapelle) served me these sweet teddy-bear treats -- mmm, pancakes -- I'd die happily with a maple-smeared smile on my face. With a non-stick surface, this Mini Bear Smile Skillet, $18 at Fred Flare,  is easy to cook and clean with. For $18, buy yourself some culinary happiness, for yourself or for a friend as a cute housewarming present. 




Prince would approve.

Mother's Day Gift (to be proud of): Charity Water Bracelet

Shopping for a cause can often be fun -- who doesn't love to purchase a pink item in support of breast cancer awareness month?--but often times, as a savvy shopper, I'd wonder how much of the proceeds go back to the charity cause, monetarily and results wise. 

That's why when I saw Saks Fifth Avenue's collaboration with Charity : Water, I had to tip a hat to the immediate impact of their Mother's Day advertising/shopping campaign. 

Charity : Water is a non-profit organization which builds fresh-water wells in developing countries. In areas like Africa, many women and children walk for miles to collect water --often from contaminated sources--for their daily needs. According to Charity : Water, unsafe water and unsanitary practices cause 80% of diseases in the world and kill 2.2 million people a day. 4,500 children die daily due to restricted access to clean water. 

Here's the kicker: buying one logo bracelet (in fashionable black!) will provide clean water to ONE PERSON for FIVE YEARS.  Now that one mother/child doesn't have to lug around a 40 gal. jug miles out to some dirty stream back home. Charity : Water states -- on their website -- that these products are earmarked for 100% construction purposes only (they raise adminstrative costs through other means). Now that's an immediate impact right there that I can visualize, justify, wear, and pay for.   

Charity Water Bracelet, $5 at Saks Fifth Avenue

If you're feeling more benevolent -- or hate wearing cause-bracelets -- the Saks and Charity Water collaboration promotes other gift options such as:

$20-$100 Mother's Day e-cards - Let mom choose which area in the world her donation should go to build fresh wells. 

Sponsor a Fresh Water Well  - $5,000 donation can provide drinking water for 400 people for 20 years.