I'll show you my city if you show me yours

A stunning panorama sketch of Toledo, Spain. The labels let you pick out an old cathedrals and a mosque.

This is just one example of the many sketches from Urban Sketchers, a blog which encourages artists to sketch and share their cities.  

[marketplace] sale at IC

My dear dear friends at Invisible Children are having a "back to school" sale!
Stock up on hip IC swag and help former child soldiers & Northern Ugandan students get an awesome education.

(messenger bag, bracelet of your choice, and tee at the store)

I wear my Sunday (black) bracelet all the time, and it reminds me of the people in Uganda who worked to make it, their children, and so many others in Africa and in the states inspiring and pushing for change. 

Truly such a great organization with amazing people. 

I'll leave you with some amazing shots of the Brooklyn Bridge when we participated in IC's worldwide event, The Rescue.

(photo by Eric Min)

coral gardening

I'm currently watching Wild Pacific on the Discovery Channel. One inspiring clip highlights a project in Fiji that has local Fijians (?) transplanting coral. Reminding me of my last post on vegetable gardening, this is gardening on a whole new scale. Helping the reefs grow not only helps to preserve these beautiful specimens, it also increases the wildlife and fish populations, which benefits local fishing communities in the South Pacific islands who still rely on subsistence fishing to survive.

We know how we're damaging our beautiful oceans. Hopefully, it's not irreparable.

Coral nurseries (screenshots from the show).

don't mistake carrot leaves for weeds

I think I'm taking up gardening. It's such a joyous activity, and you really feel productive after a long day in the fields, well gardens...patches really. 

RCCC, a church I attend in New Jersey, has volunteers out about every other week to tend to a vegetable patch. Called Giving Gardens, this project provides fresh veggies to food banks in Somerset county and fruitful exercise for us. We've recently harvested cabbage and broccoli, planted pea and bean seeds, and we're still waiting for those carrots. 

See? Easily mistaken.

[marketplace] mr. and mrs. panda enjoy recreational sports

Something cute for a bon weekend!

Whimsical! Find this sporty couple as well as other creatures at papersparrow.

Also, let me introduce you to a not so sweet panda, Herman, by my friend idrawsometimes. At least he's talking about fair trade.

watercolor people

By Swedish artist and designer Stina Persson. And she has a show coming out in New York next month!
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Edit: Whoa so pleased that I posted this before Oh Joy! It's nice knowing that the things I like are also the forefront of trendiness...maybe?

creole gingerbread voodoo

(from Time)

Colonial shutters, tropical colors, and decay.  Victorian architecture in the hands of a voodoo priestess. 

The old "gingerbread" houses of Haiti, featured throughout Port-au-Prince, are creaky, worn, but enduring. All in all they've survived. Many of its residents have lived there since the 20s and 30s, infusing these fairy tale houses with even more character and history. 

Now when considering the rebuilding of Haiti after the earthquake, Haitians are turning to the original blueprints for these houses because they are so sturdy--not only would they be investing in solid structural homes but they would preserve this unique, national heritage. I'd love to see more of this French, Victorian architecture with a touch of dark magic that is truly Haiti, wouldn't you?