A Penny For Your Thoughts

Remember when you wanted something so much but couldn't afford it so you painted a picture of it? No i don't remember doing that either, but Christine and Justin a couple in New York do that. Their website Wants For Sale illustrates paintings the couple paint in hope for the genuine object in exchange. So you can have their cartoon style painting of a slice of pizza if you buy them a slice of pizza in return. Sometimes you may not need to buy them something for the painting, for example a painting of a "good joke" will require you to simply tell them a good joke. This is such a wacky idea but the couple have collected a fair amount of cool stuff.
Take a look: Wantsforsale.com

StyleSpotting: Summer Translated

A few tips on how to create summer looks off the runway.

Alber Elbaz created a ruffled electric blue one shoulder dress for Lanvin S/S 08 this can be translated with Topshop's ruffled bib top, £25. Topshop.com

Amanda Wakeley for her S/S 08 collection designed some floaty shaded maxi dresses, this can be translated with the shaded halter neck dress from French Connection, £75. Frenchconnection.com

StyleSpotting: Cartooning Around

Graphic Tees have have certainly become very popular. With it's youthful energy, graphic tees range from bizzare shapes to famous cartoon chracters. An online store that does them particularly well is Lazy Oaf. Lazy Oaf was established in 2001 by designer Gemma Shiel who describes the fast growing company as an "illustrative style that is likely to make you smile and sometimes spontaneously dance with joy". The cute and girly cartoonlike illustrations evoke such an innocence.

Sailor T-Shirt £25

Sonia Rykiel's Spring/Summer 08 collection uses this cartoonlike graphic print and the designer is of course known for her upbeat tone and models dancing down the runway.

Sonia Rykiel Spring/Summer 2008 Collection

So dance and be graphic with your tees this summer with the help of Lazyoaf.co.uk.

Check out these other sites for similar funky tees.Truffleshuffle.co.uk Spunky.co.uk Noflysonus.com

Soaked in Champagne

The erratic British weather cannot be tamed, but that's not to say we can't be stylish. Invest in this handbag sized lush umbrella. With a hint of vintage and champagne in colour, this umbrella is a fashionista must have!

Champagne Umbrella £15.75, Valentine and French

Let this dress from Sonia Rykiel's Spring/Summer 08 collection be a trend indicator for this sultry champagne colour.

Sonia Rykiel Spring/Summer 2008 Collection

The online boutique Valentineandfrench.co.uk have got lots of gorgeous girly gifts. So check it out.

StyleSpotting: One Shoulder

A trend coming out Autumn/Winter 2008 runway collecitons is the one shoulder. Used in Proenza Schouler and McQueen the one shoulder gives a soft and extrememly feminine look. Jaeger uses the one shoulder on maxi type dresses which create a floaty grecian look.

Not just a show

Fashion houses are adding extra flair to their shows and making them extravagant events. The shows, apart from the clothes are making important brand value statements. The venue, set design and music all reinstate the ideas behind the collection. But fashion being so ambigous it would not be entirely suprising if all these elements were carefully constructed to simply juxtapose the collection at hand. Diesel for their Spring/Summer 2008 collection stretched the boudaries of the catwalk and used halographic technology to create floating 3D fish and people to walk the catwalk with the models.

Diesel Spring/Summer 2008 Collection

Diesel standing for all that is urban and youth created a multimedia event showing it's techno-futuristic edge. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCcTRjxP-Fc

Chanel for its Autumn/Winter 2008 collection used a carousel at the end of its runway adding a tremendous focal point. The models having walked the runway would find a spot on the carousel and sit until all the models had aborded, the carousel started going round giving the show a fantastic finale.

Chanel Autumn/Winter 2008 Collection

Being distinctly french, the carousel was a perfect match for the Chanel show. Adorned with pearls, purses and bows it epitomised everything Chanel.

Rockin' Lullaby

Does anybody even sing lullabies anymore? Rockabyebabymusic.com makes bedtime for children and moreso for their parents much more enjoyable. Using renditions from some of the most classic rock bands ever, Rockabyebabymusic have recreated their almubs into soothing instrumental lullabies. Whether it's The Beatles, U2 or The Rolling Stones you enjoy, this is truly an ingenious idea and worth checking out.

StyleSpotting: Tights

Count on wearing tights in the next season, as the autumn collections from Chanel and Proenza Schouler have proven to be big hits with thier choice of tights. Chanel has created a twin colour pair of tights, this monochrome and silhouette is a classic Chanel look.

Chanel Autumn/Winter 2008 Collection

Proenza Schouler shows wearing deep and rich colours together works incredibly. Tights don't always have to be black ladies, try a deep red or berry for a cutting edge look.

Proenza Schouler Autumn/Winter 2008 collection

A Green Thought

Polar bears are becoming so rare,
So lets be fair and not pollute the air.

Wallpaper Redefined

What's the first thing when you think of wallpaper? 60's? Retro? Grandparents? Wallpaper has certainaily evolved with a new desgin ethos. Painted walls can't give that quirky edge like that of well designed wallpaper. See if you can imagine any of these in your home. Wallcollection.com showcases wallpaper designed by artists who use a fusion of graphics and photography to create an entirely new landscape for wallpaper.

Vintage Car By Casper Balslev

Landscape 4 By Mette Løber

Interiors-europe.co.uk has an extensive collection of wallpaper whether it's glamour, retro or contemporary you want I.e...wallpaper is not to be overlooked. These vertical stripes are uber contemporary.

Raffles Stripe, £51

Isak.co.uk design beautiful happy things for your home and make great gifts. Designer Sandra Isaksson has created a very lively brand. Owls, tulips and apples are a few of her muses from which she has developed into cards, tea cups and wallpaper. Wouldn't this look adorable in your child's bedroom?

Brid Wallpaper, £20

The Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple in Delhi is a vivid symbol of peace and harmony. Initiated by the Baha’i, an international community embracing all faiths and races. The temple highlights a move towards unification. The monument was opened in 1986 and took ten years to build with the help of 800 engineers. Designed by architect Fariborz Sahba who used the idea of a lotus to manifest ideas of harmony and unity.

The stunning builiding is made using marble, dolomite, sand and cement but as a temple in India it looks very unconventional in comaparison to others. The sleek lines of the petals and clean finish gives the monument a modern look as it has steered away from fine carving and detail.

When visiting you will experience a sense of multiculturalism and not just from the variety of tourists but more so from the volunteers. I heard an American, British, Australian accent, to mention a few from the student volunteers as they guided the visitors. Avoid visiting during Christmas as you may not experience all the peace it has to offer. sahbaarchitect.com