Wednesday, January 2, 2013 at 9:00AM 
Take a journey through 6 cities in this magical snowglobe. Called ‘Around The Globe’, this time-lapse video was created by filmmaker Colin Mika and design company Evoke Solutions. It took two weeks to shoot in six different cities—Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Québec City, Montréal and London.
(via DesignTaxi)
Thursday, November 22, 2012 at 9:00AM Happy Thanksgiving!
If you happen to be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, look out for a new 40ft balloon this year by one my favorite artists, Kaws.
“I think this is a first for the parade,” says Macy’s lead designer, John Piper, standing in a roomful of brightly colored clay prototypes at Macy’s 75,000-square-foot parade studio in New Jersey. “It’s the first time we’ve had a character that’s shy.”
Read more at The High Definite.
holiday 
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 9:00AM When you want to get a gift for someone that you know already uses a specific brand but you want to make it special for the holidays what do you do? Well, Kiehls has solved the problem for you. When you put together that Kiehls package for him or her this holiday, it won't look like the usual white label. They've teamed up with artist Kenny Scharf to put his spin on the label of one of their most popular products, Creme de Corps.
And guess what? 100% of Kiehl’s worldwide net profits, up to $200,000, from the sales of this limited edition Kenny Scharf product will support children’s charities worldwide. See the inspiration here:
Check out Kiehls' site, it looks like Kenny Scharf has taken over!
Kiehl's has done this before with artists like Kaws and Jeff Koons. They always seem to pick my favorite artists! Hmmm, I guess I'm in their target market.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012 at 8:00AM So every year, the much anticipated Neiman Marcus Christmas Book gets sent out to it's InCircle members and if you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, they make a nice coffee table book where you can secretly stash wish list notes for your loved ones to find. What makes the NM Christmas Book memorable each year is the selection of gifts for the Fantasy Gift Section. These are extravagant gifts that leave you to drool and wishing you were a 1 percenter. Prices range from $30,00 - $1,090,000 with a percentage of each sale going to a specific charity. Here's a glimpse of a few favorites...
Yes, that's right. This is a Tailgate Trailer - for tailgating the games...what else. There are only 2 that are made.
"Designed by interior designer Brad Ford, it's impressive on the outside, but what's on the inside truly astounds: sleek leather furnishings and details from Moore & Giles, rich wood finishings (handcrafted from reclaimed Bulleit Bourbon casks), elegant glassware, and a top-notch entertainment system, including a flat-screen TV, Blu-ray Disc™ player, and a state-of-the-art sound system, plus a one-year supply of Bulleit Bourbon and Bulleit Rye*."
But hey, 10% of the proceeds will go to amfAR™, so why not?
Raising your hens is all the rage right now and it's booming with the whole urban farming trend. So if you have the space or the perfect roof garden, $100,000 for a few pet hens, a luxury hen house, and fresh eggs? Totally worth it!
"Package includes a multilevel dwelling, nesting area, "living room," broody room, library with books, two Heritage Hen Farm pasture grazing trays, waterer, feeder, and chandelier. All other props and furnishings not included." Does this mean the hens are extra?
"For every Heritage Hen Mini Farm purchase, NM will donate $3,000 to The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that protects genetic diversity through the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds."
Haven;t always dreamt about flying with a jet pack. It's so Jetson's chic! You'll be the talk of the marina when you jet pack in and out. This thing goes 32mph and you can skyrocket 30ft!
"Package includes jet pack, boat unit in NM Exclusive color with graphics, hose/control cable assembly, jet pack stand, 2 helmet radios, 2 FRS radios, remote throttle-control transmitter, CFI 1 Pilot Certification Training & Safety course, and operator's manual." Phew! They give you a training and safety course.
"For every JetLev R200 sold, Neiman Marcus will donate $2,500 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, an organization that helps young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens."
For the rest of the amazing gifts available, check out the Christmas Book online.
Friday, October 12, 2012 at 9:00AM From the grocery stores to department stores, hardware stores to drugstores, toy stores and gift shops, holiday decorations and gift ideas are beginning to take center stage. Halloween isn't even here yet and the pumpkins and skeletons are being shoved to the side. Seeing what's out there, this is going to be the "throwback holiday season". What do I mean? Retro-toys and games are making their come back in full swing. It has been for a couple of years, but this season may top it all. All of this happens for a reason – companies are targeting the parents of young children who grew up with these toys and games. The parents with kids under 10 are mostly kids who grew up in the 80's and toys from the 80's are now getting a techie update and making a comeback. Here are a few examples...
It's cheap, it's frustrating, it's competitive and it's addictive. It has all the elements of being the perfect comeback stocking stuffer this holiday season. The NYTimes reported that, "Judging by the crowd at the 2012 World Cube Association’s United States National Championship last weekend in Las Vegas, that excitement may be building...children of the 1980s began seeking out cubes for their own offspring — who, unlike their parents, were more likely to enjoy a fruitful relationship with the puzzle thanks to the online resources. In some places, the cube is now a schoolyard fad."
Lego lives on! Lego is everywhere and every kid I talk to has Lego sets on their holiday list. And I'm not kidding you, kids have started their lists already. A 10 year old girl I know in LA is hoping to get a set from the "Monster Fighter's" collection. When I asked her about the "Friends" collection which is geared towards girls, she said, "eeew, no." Note to marketers...this proves that you can't just throw pink at girls and think they will like it.
TMNT first appeared in 1984 in comic book form. It was so popular there were trading cards, figures, a Saturday morning cartoon and even a film in 2007. Well, their back...with another round of Saturday morning cartoons on Nickelodeon and this is sure to make them a hot item for the holidays. And if you aren't at NY ComicCon right now, you just missed the news that Lego is introducing a TMNT set for the holiday! See how it all comes back together so perfectly?
Remember Furby, the Mogwai looking toy that spoke Furbish? It was the must-have toy in 1998 and by January the novelty wore off and you were ripping it apart to take the batteries out because it wouldn't stop Furbing. Well, it's back! And it's a lot more interactive and high-tech now. Check out this video from Mashable.
These are just a few for your consideration this holiday season. Who knows, you might have more fun then the kids with these throwback 2.0 toys! The adult in me is telling me to stop now before I add more of these to my wish list but the kid in me can't stop! Check in as we post more trends we see happening for the holidays in the coming weeks.
Monday, May 28, 2012 at 9:00AM 
(Photo: visuallee.com)
Did you know...Memorial Day
- was originally observed on May 30 until 1968 when Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend for federal employees; the change went into effect in 1971
- it was originally known as Dedication Day
- May 5, 1862, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance
- People were to "Decorate" the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion with flowers and flags
- it started with remmebering those who lost their lives during he Civil War and now, it is a day of remembering all fallen soldiers from every war fought
- in 1966 the federal government declared Waterloo, NY as the official bithplace of Memorial Day
- became a federal holiday in 1971
- observations of the holiday include visiting cemetaries, family gatherings, barbecues, parades, and flying the American flag
- it is also the unofficial start to the summer!!!
If you want to know more, visit History.com
celebration, facts, holiday Monday, January 23, 2012 at 9:00AM Xin Nian Kuai Le Gong Xi Fa Cai! That would be... Happy New Year and To a Prosperous Year to All!
asia, celebration, china, holiday Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 11:13AM Have you been to your LinkedIn account today to see who has been lurking at your profile? Nice surprise from the following independent consultant...very clever indeed! Go check him out.
Technology, holiday, linkedin, lol, social media 
