Good Things: Rainbow Slum

To celebrate Ike and Connie's shared birthday, I'm setting aside my usual irreverence and posting something... nice. It's such a magical day that I can almost feel the corners of my mouth turning up as I type that. Almost. Sure I'm delirious from planning a first birthday party for a kid that won't even remember it, but I could swear that there are unicorns with sparklers dancing across a rainbow right outside my window...

But seriously, check out the work of Jeroen Koolhas and Dre Urhahn, two dudes who turned a frown upside down by painting a slum in Rio de Janeiro with the brightest palette imaginable. By painting favelas (Brazilian/Portuguese for slum), Koolhas and Urhahn transform communities through color as well as education. Locals are provided with training and pay while reworking the favelas.

To learn more about the Favela painting project or to donate, click here.

Back in black on Friday so enjoy the rainbow while it lasts...

[Link via Arch Daily]

Castles Made of Sand

I don't know about you dudes, but I am not going to spend my holiday on the computer. Nope. I'm going outside to enjoy some quality time with The Huz and The Babe, and I'm going to enjoy the bleep out of it. So, I apologize for the thin post, but this little window of golden opportunity won't last forever. Some beautiful visual aids to illustrate my point:

These blink-and-you'll-miss-it sand drawings by Jim Denevan recall works by the late, great Robert Smithson. Truly sublime.

Have a great holiday, everyone! We'll be back Tuesday.

[Link via Marvelous Kiddo. Thanks, Karly!]

We've Got a Winner For the Wally!

Lots of you loved the Woolly Pocket giveaway, and with good reason -- those little guys are mind bendingly awesome. I plugged your sweet comments into the random number generator and bop bop bing blam ka ching, we have a winner: #6 -- Jyll, come on down! Apparently you did all the right cheerleading stunts, wore an appropriately tacky t-shirt, and screamed until your throat turned hoarse, because Wally is coming home with you. Lucky girl!

For those of you who are crushed by a bitter sense of defeat, turn that frown upside down by ordering your own Wally right here.

Many many thanks to the super nice people at Woolly Pocket, who go above and beyond in their quest for the green life. How so, you may ask? Well, just check out their school garden initiative:

For $1000 schools can order an entire gardening system, complete with a curriculum. I love this idea because it's so important for kids to learn the magical joy that growing things from tiny seeds brings. This in and of itself makes WP uber rad, but they just have to one up themselves by helping to raise money for schools who need it. I think my runty black heart just grew two sizes. If yours did, too, you can go here to vote for Woolly Pocket, which will them a chance to win big bucks from Pepsi for the Woolly School Garden.

But the giving doesn't stop there -- if you go here and tweet Woolly Pocket's message, WP will donate $1 to the Woolly School Garden on your behalf.

Just look at those happy faces!

Ok, dudes, back later with some goings on at Casa Erin... the dust be flying round here.