Giving Good

I'm Back...kind-of

2008-04-02T20:36:00.004-04:00

I know, I know. I've been missing in action for awhile. My apologies, I've just been so tired between work and the graphic design classes I'm taking at Moore College of Art and Design that I've been neglecting my blog. After next week, I'll be free (for three weeks anyway until my next class starts). I promise to catch up then. In the meantime, you can always e-mail me. I look forward to reading them!

Photo: Saatchi Gallery

te casan

2008-03-14T11:17:00.010-04:00

I like actress Natalie Portman. If you've seen V for Vendetta (or any of her other works), you know why. She doesn't get type-cast like a lot of other actresses. She has a wonderful range. She's a vegan. And she is one of the designers for the Spring 2008 collection of the new line te casan. Literally meaning "a woman's path," te casan offers beautiful shoes made of alternative materials.

Okay, I'm not going to drop $250 for a pair of shoes, but maybe somebody will... In the meantime, I'll live vicariously through you.

Here are a few pieces from her collection:

Petra

Pippa

Poppy

I've been feeling red patent leather shoes for the longest. Yum :-)

All pics taken from the te casan website.

Quotable

2008-03-12T23:10:00.007-04:00

I enjoy many of the guilty pleasures of life - mostly food, tabloid magazines, and fashion. But I also enjoy great books... more than those aforementioned. Yeah, I'll sneak some fashion and other goodies here and there on this blog, but I mostly want to service your inner, not outer, world (of course unless it's for our planet).

That's why I'm featuring Paulo Coelho's new book, Life. If you don't know, Coelho is the international critically acclaimed author of The Alchemist, a simple tale about following your dreams. It's one of the best books I've ever read.

I absolutely love quotes. There's something about a few words or lines that have the capability to make you think or want to change. So it was only natural that I was drawn to Life, a compilation of quotes taken from Coehlo's books. Here are a few that were included that were taken from The Alchemist:

- Every moment of searching is a moment of encounter.

- Your heart is where your treasure is, and you must find your treasure to make sense of everything.

- A blessing rejected becomes a curse.

- Only one thing makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure.

So if you're inspired, you may want to pick up a copy. And for all you Will Smith fans, here's a link to the episode of the Tavis Smiley show when he appeared last December and just so happened to mention The Alchemist. Enjoy :-)

Cool T's

2008-03-10T11:34:00.007-04:00

Hope your weekend was fabulous! Here are a few tees I found on CafePress.com that I thought were too cute. And there are many more on the site. Enjoy :-)

Green is the New Black
Find Your Heart, Use Your Head, Vote Your Conscience

Peace Love Recycle

Find Your "-Ness"

Yeah For Me!

2008-03-07T15:04:00.006-05:00

Okay, I had to add one more post before the weekend. That's because I just received an e-mail from Emily over at VIX Emporium (cool photo of the spot to the left) stating that someone bought my merchandise! I'm excited because this has been the first time I ventured out of my comfort zone of the internet and into an actual brick-and-mortar business.
If you're in the Philadelphia area, you should definitely check out VIX Emporium. It's a vibrant spot (you know, the kind you wish was on your block) filled with all handmade goods, now including mine. And you can check out some of their goods on Etsy.

Just want to say thanks to my supporters :-)

Gratitude Journal

2008-03-07T13:52:00.008-05:00

We all have not-so-good days. We wake up with a to-do list that somehow never gets accomplished, we rush out of the house to a job that we may not love (or even like), only to turn around eight hours later to rush home and attend to our personal lives. And that's a whole other story.

It's times like these that it may help to have a gratitude journal. You may have heard of it, or it may even sound corny. But after a rough day, all it takes is one minute to grab a pen and a piece of paper and jot down at least 3 things you were grateful for on that day.

Personally, I love blank books. Can't wait to fill them with my thoughts, sketches, and quotes. Usually, I spend way too much time in the aisles of bargain department stores looking for marked down, leather-bound journals. But these Floral Spiral Notebooks by See Jane Work are simple, but colorful and reflect nature (just like I like it). The best part - they're eco-friendly! There's a whole line of environmentally conscious goodies on their website. I like the clipboards, too.

For those of you that are interested (why wouldn't you be?!), I sell handmade cards on Etsy. You can check them out here. But this isn't a shameless plug. I support my fellow crafters and artisans, and I absolutely adore these blank notebooks by Jennifer Eng. You should definitely check out her Etsy site, Jengs Shop.
And if you want to share 3 things that you're grateful for, shoot me an email with your name and hometown, and I'll post them. Have a great weekend :-)

Rihanna Does Good

2008-03-07T13:27:00.005-05:00

You don't necessarily have to like her music (though I don't know many who haven't caught themselves singing "Umbrella ella-ella-eh-eh") but give kudos when they're due. Pop sensation Rihanna has used her celebrity status to bring awareness, and a bone marrow, to a good cause. She's done work with an international donor network, and after hearing of a woman's prognosis of 4-6 weeks to live, she set out to campaign and help her. And it worked. Read more about this story here.

I don't hear of many 20 year-olds these days with her status actually concerned with something other than Louis Vuitton. Kudos indeed.

Green & Gorgeous

2008-03-06T16:46:00.006-05:00

I like my Trader Joe's bag. I do, I really do. I take it with me every time I go there, or Whole Foods (gasp!) for that matter. But this Green and Gorgeous tote by Scoop NYC is pretty cool... a little more versatile (okay, and chic). For $28, you can help the planet by not choosing paper or plastic - "I'll take Green and Gorgeous, thank you very much!"

Spring time is coming. I can see me now, prancing around the local farmer's market... in all my green glory.

You can purchase one for yourself (and your mom, your BFF, or anyone else you can think of) at Vivre.

Gotta Love Her

2008-03-06T16:01:00.005-05:00

AP Photo

I absolutely love Oprah. I can't help it. I tried, and there's no use. If you live under a rock and haven't already heard, Oprah and best-selling author of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle, are teaching a 10-week class on his new and rapidly selling book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose.

The first class was this past Monday, and more than 500,000 people around the world were logged on to watch it. If you're interested in expanding your happiness and exploring how to end conflict and suffering in your personal life and in the world, you may want to pick up a copy of A New Earth.

For getting more than 500,000 people interested in wanting to better themselves, Oprah is cool with me. Log on to oprah.com to find upcoming classes and times. You can also view Monday's class or even download it onto your ipod!

Giving Good

2008-03-06T12:37:00.001-05:00

I know it's common to hear how the world is in such a poor state right now. War, poverty, abuse, dis-ease, inadequate health care and schools... the list goes on. Call it optimism at it's best, but I believe there's more good than not-so-good. I don't know about you, but I'm truly inspired by reading and hearing stories about the good that others are doing. That's why I created this blog.

I want to hear from you! My wish is for this space to be filled with words and pictures that inspire. Helping to build a new house with Habitat for Humanity? Traveling and doing good deeds in a third world country? Helping to re-build your local community's library?

What about the horrible day you were having until a stranger flashed a million dollar smile? Ever stand at the checkout line in the grocery strore, and was just $1.00 short until someone kindly offered it to you... never to be seen or heard from again? Have you started a campaign to help your neighborhood go green?

These are the stories I want to hear. If you have a picture that says a thousand words, send it! I may be new to blogging and all, but I am utterly enthused to see where this may go. Let's grow together!