Remember my friend, Artistic Aimee?  Well she's at it again, living that life only most of us dream of.  In late March she took off for Ireland, and in an email update she wrote, "I don't know a soul there, which is kind of wonderful and exciting." You've got to hand it to her for her A+ attitude.

Though she's in the midst of a residency at Flaxart Studios in Belfast, she's already planning her next adventure.  This time she'll be stateside, teaching Korean papermaking in August at the Morgan Conservatory, a papermaking center in Cleveland, Ohio.

I tell you about this for two reasons:

1) The conservatory has a limited budget and staff, and Aimee's actually donating her time and labor to teach the class so future students can learn Eastern papermaking (which if you haven't guessed, is an endangered art). You can pledge support (starting at just $11) to help cover her travel and lodging expenses, and in exchange she'll send you a piece of her artwork.

2) To remind you that her lifestyle is a choice (I have to remind myself of this, too).

Aimee Lee
www.aimeelee.net
moonaimee.blogspot.com
contact@aimelee.net
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Flip through any Pottery Barn-like catalog, and you'll find wall colors like "Nantucket Breeze" and "Sandy Beaches." Colors that are nice, you know, like that person your mother wants to set you up with. Unoffensive? Yes. Slightly boring? Mmm-hmm.

If you're ready for something to adorn your walls that is totally dramatic, original and cool, check out Kerri Ferrara's mural art. I met Kerri almost ten years ago through a friend (now husband) when we all lived in Brooklyn. 

I knew Kerri was an artist, but didn't know much about her work until recently when I received an email about one of the murals she painted in the home of interior designer, Thom Lindsley, which was showcased in Time Out New York, Issue 758. I fell in love with her work immediately.  It's completely urban, edgy and chic. It's unique, too, and totally identifiable, like a Pucci print or a Frank Gehry building.

For more on Kerri and all her fabulousness, visit her website and "Outfit of the Day" blog (wouldn't you know she's got a flair for fashion, too).

Kferrara Design
Phone: 917. 375.1715
Kerri@kferraradesign.com

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*Artwork via Kferrara Design.
 

I'll admit, I don't have a green thumb. Case in point, I buy plants knowing they'll last only slightly longer than cut flowers. But I do get a kick out of seeing little seedlings pushing their way through a crack in the cement. And a city without any green space?  It makes me sad just thinking about it.

So I was ecstatic when I heard about seed bombs. They sound slightly violent, but they're anything but. Rather, they're part of a guerilla gardening movement that aims to revamp grey spaces (abandoned parcels, parking mediums, sidewalks, etc.) into things of beauty.

They're fairly easy to make, and the ingredients are few---all that's required is clay, soil, seeds (native flowers and plants have a better survival rate) and water. Here's a recipe I found from Lush USA, if you'd like to whip up a batch.

Ingredients
5 parts* clay
3 parts* compost soil
1 part* seeds (its best to use seeds native to your land)
1-2 parts* water
Large bowl

Step 1: Combine all ingredients, except the water, into a large bowl and mix well until ingredients are combined.
Step 2: Slowly add 1-2 cups water and mix until thick (similar consistently to cookie dough).
Step 3: Roll the mixture into quarter size balls and let sit for 2-3 days until completely hard.
Step 4: Toss onto an empty piece of land and watch it grow!

Looking for something more turnkey? Find a Greenaid seed bomb dispenser coming to a location near you.  The company repurposes retro gumball dispensers so in exchange for some pocket change, you can purchase seed bombs that are ready to throw and grow. Bombs away!

Greenaid
info@thecommonstudio.com
www.thecommonstudio.com

*Photo via Lush USA.

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If you're like me and almost everyone I know, you've gone to Ikea before. And if you have, chances are pretty good that you didn't leave empty handed. Instead, you probably found yourself pushing one of their big metal carts to your car parked 1/2 a mile away.

I used to feel kind of guilty when I shopped at Ikea because I thought I should be investing my money in "real" furniture. You know, the kind that could someday be handed down. My Billy bookcase was certainly never going to end up in an antique shop. Turns out, I was investing in something else.

Ikea is a great company, both socially and environmentally responsible. Perhaps I never really noticed because I was too busy ogling their low prices, but I think they've been a little modest about their values. Maybe it's a Swedish thing.

So here's a short list of reasons you deserve a pat on the back for shopping Ikea.

• "Low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision and our business idea - but not at any price....we believe that taking responsibility for people and the environment is a prerequisite for doing good business."
• Ikea tries to minimize and refrain from harmful chemicals and substances that are harmful to the environment and people (this means no CFCs, lead-free glassware, and no halogenated flame retardants, among other things). **Halogenated flame retardants are a biggie---the chemical is linked to cancer and birth defects, even the EU has banned its use.
  
• Works with the World Wildlife Foundation to stop illegal logging. Has long-term goal of using wood only from certified managed forests.
• UTZ certified coffee means Ikea's beans can be traced back to the plantation, and workers there have access to reasonable housing, healthcare and school for children.
• No illegal child labor.
• Ikea also created the Ikea Social Initiative which is focused on "children's right to a healthy and secure childhood with access to quality education." Funds support programs across Asia, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe. Their main partners are UNICEF and Save the Children.

More on Ikea's responsibilities...

Ikea
www.ikea.com

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When I saw the necklace I ordered from my friend, Anna, of Anna's Jewlery Design, I knew I was going to have a hard time giving it away.  I mean, just look at it!  Anna's craftmanship is impeccable, and her style, well, I'll let the necklace speak for itself.

The silver charm, stamped with a passion fruit flower, is the newest botanical design to be added to Anna's collection. She embellished it with imperial topaz (doesn't that sound regal?) and 14k pink gold wire. The oxidized sterling silver chain is signature Anna.

Want to win this necklace? All you have to do is two simple things sometime between now and May 31, 2010.

1) Join our mailing list. 
2) Become a fan of our Facebook page. 

Easy, right? And now for the contest rules jargon...

No purchase necessary. Contest begins on April 7, 2010, at 12:01 AM, and ends on May 31, 2010, at 11:59 PM. You must be at least 18 years old as of the date of entry. Void where prohibited. Winner will be notified via e-mail, and may be responsible for any applicable taxes. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received. Sponsored by A Worthy Splurge.

P.S. - For current mailing list and Facebook fans, if you want to be entered into this contest, email me. Just make sure you meet both requirements. :)

Picture a financier.  Perhaps you envision a fat cat smoking a stogie in his wood-paneled office, feet up on his mahogany desk? Now picture me.  Yes, me!                        

Meet Kiva, whose mission is "to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty." The organization harnesses the power of the Web, allowing individuals like me, to lend money online to one of Kiva's entrepreneurs.

In honor of  healthcare reform, I decided to make a small loan to Nestor Filomeno Morales Quesada, an odontologist (think dentist), from Urubamba, Peru. As of today, his loan for $1200 is fully funded by me and 45 others. Our loan will be used to buy the materials he needs to meet his patients' dental needs.

Kiva makes it easy to give. You can select the entrepreneur you want to support by gender, region, sector (healthcare, food, retail, etc.), among other things. When your loan is repaid, you can choose to have your PayPal account credited, re-lend to another entrepreneur or donate the money to Kiva to support their operating expenses.

For just $25, you, too, can become a financier.  Bonus: No more feeling guilty when you say no to the 10th little tot pushing Girl Scout cookies on you.

Kiva Microfunds
3180 18th Street, Suite 201
San Francisco, CA
94110 USA
www.kiva.org

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