A weekend Pick Me Up

Visiting the Somerset House in London for the Affordable Graphic Art Fair, Pick Me Up is a must do activity for this weekend. If you are in the market for some new art for your abode or just want to check out an amazing area of London then you have no reason not to attend this show. With interactive areas for attendees to create their own graphic art this show is accessible to all.

Should you get ferociously hungry looking at all of the art, stop by Tom's Cafe or Kitchen for a bite to eat. I love the chef Tom Aitken's motto, "I want to encourage you to buy fresh foods, foods that are in season, preferably foods that are organic, and foods that are British."

Heart Copenhagen

My love is off on a business trip to Copenhagen today, so I thought that I would post some photos of this super stylish design city. Gotta love a city that has its own logo and design worthy food!

The Japan Society

I am a big fan of Joseph O. Holmes and I even own a few of his prints. If you want to donate some money to Japan and get something tangible in return you can purchase his gorgeous photo of Tokyo, seen below from 20x200. All proceeds from the sale go to the Japan Society, an earthquake relief fund.

JOY

There is a concept swirling around in the art and charity world recently that I am a huge fan of. A bunch of pieces are commissioned by famous and unknown artists and each piece is sold for the same price but the artist remains anonymous until the purchase is complete. This forces the purchaser to focus solely on the piece and not worry about the value or name behind a piece, and it also brings the focus back to the charity itself. The most important part about purchasing a piece of art whether it is $10 or $10,000 is that you as the owner falls in love with the piece and it really shouldn't matter if it is created by Jasper Johns or Joe from around the corner.

Ending today is a show at the Somerset House in London called Joy of Living which took on the anonymous art concept to raise funds for Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. For this fundraiser each artist had to us an A4 size sheet of graph paper and turn it into their own work of art. Each piece is being sold for £250 and most have already sold. Some of the well known artists who have contributed include John Pawson, Ella Doran, Rob Ryan, and Terence Conran to name a few.

A Blog's Day of Silence

I spend a lot of time on this blog discussing shelter. Unfortunately Japan has experienced a tragic and massive loss of shelter as a result of last week's earthquake and tsunami. The girls behind Utterly Engaged and Lydia at Ever Ours came up with a way for bloggers to raise money for shelter and emergency supplies for the people of Japan by announcing a blogging day of silence on Friday. In just a matter of days a small community of bloggers have surpassed their fund raising goal by over 100%! To help give Japan temporary shelter, you can donate to Shelterbox USA. Each green box contains the basic necessities needed for a shelter which include a relief tent for a large family, blankets, water storage and purification tools, cooking stove, and other vital needs that have been destroyed by mother nature. To donate or help out in any way visit www.forjapanwithlove.com

The Green Scene

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I have chosen some of my favorite shades of green for paint.

From left to right: Farrow and Ball Cooking Apple Green, Benjamin Moore Dill Pickle, Benjamin Moore Wasabi, Benjamin Moore Richmond Green, Martha Stewart Caper Berry, Farrow and Ball Card Room Green, Benjamin Moore Army Green

A bit of luck

Bring a bit of Irish luck to your desk with this crystal paperweight from John Derian.

A Transformative Landscape

I owe credit to the amazing landscape designs of Bridget Skinner. Her ideas for the exterior work to complement the interiors and give the entire home a finished feel. These before and afters highlight how she can take something so drab and turn it into a gem.

Tulip Season

The sun is out and shining in London today and it really feels like Spring with the amazing tulips, anemones, and daffodils in season everywhere! My favorite collection of vases are a grouping of milk bottles from Alyssa Ettinger and they look fabulous grouped with the tulips.

Spring Forward

In honor of Daylight Savings Time, here is a round of some of my favorite clocks of the moment.

1) This sleek alarm clock from West Elm will look great on any bedside.
2) Go mid-century mod with CB2
3) This simple square clock from Restoration Hardware is perfect for a kitchen.
4) Place your time right on the floor with this rug from Z Gallerie.
5) A lovely and simple bias clock from MOMA