A Very Special And Colorful Delivery...

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."-Tom Hanks as Joe Fox in You've Got Mail

I could watch that movie over and over again. Tom Hanks charm eventually won over Meg Ryan in that famous 1998 chick flick, and now a Social Design, a division of Felismo Design House in New York can make that Tom Hanks moment come true with their latest project 500 Colored Pencils. Social Designer has created a set of 500 colored pencils, each with a name and a story. No offense ROY G BIV, but these pencils have characters, and great names as well. There is a Belisimo lilac, a Pumpkin Spice Orange and a Barbados Blue.

500 colored pencils is a huge commitment for your Jane Doe, so Social Designer has "designed" (no pun intended) up a subscription program to receive 25 pencils every month for 25 months. Who wouldn't want a nice colorful delivery of new pencils delivered to their door each month? Click here to sign up for your subscription now. And once your first set arrives, visit the Museum. Our new Fusion exhibition opened up yesterday. The vivid colors of all the Latin American Art on display are sure to inspire you.

I'd hate to close this entry without further explaining to you the scale of fabulousness of the 500 Colored Penciles Project. 1 set out of every 100 sets sold is donated to the UNESCO DREAM Centers to support arts education for underprivileged children around the world. Social Designer, the group heading up this project, is an online community born from Felissimo Design House, is dedicated to promoting social awareness through design. The group holds design competitions to create products for sale that support meaningful causes. You can submit designs for contests, vote for your favorites and then shop for the goods. A percentage of all the profits for to the charities the goods are supporting.

Funny Things in Art Museum Gift Shops

Forget those canvas tote bags and post cards, museums are ramping it up in their gift shops with creative gifting. I had to share with you one gift being offer at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Ladies and gentleman, meet the Hot Man Trivet.....

Any lady in the hot kitchen could use a real man to help out.... with open arms of course. He'll sit on your fancy marble counter tops and protect them from your hot hot lasagna. Since his mouth is forever open (don't worry he won't touch the casserole) you can hang him up on a hook. It's not too early to start your Christmas shopping with this guy for only $24. If you're really up for some VISA charging (and I mean only if you're up for it) go to MOMA's store.... you'll never want to close your browser.

And doesn't the say go.... "if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen" ??

There's a little Guggenheim in All of Us.

That is, if you actually carry a peice of the Guggenheim on you. In case you didn't know Frank Lloyd Wright's most recognizable masterpiece, the Guggenheim, has just undergone a little nip and tuck in exterior restoration. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark, the Guggenheim took fragments gathered during the restoration and presented them in hand-crafted acrylic and sterling silver forms of jewelry- called "Restoration Rocks."

California-based jewelry artist Cara Tilker has created nine different designs including earrings, pendants, bracelets, a ring, and cuff links each containing fragments of the Guggenheim. So if tote bags or coffee mugs are not your style to distinguish yourself as a museum patron, visit http://www.guggenheimstore.org/ and pick yourself up some rocks, literally.