for the love of elephants - The Elephant Art Gallery

What a unique and creative idea...Elephant paintings! These 9000 pound elephants create rare and striking works of art at The Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) in Lampang, Thailand.

The TECC is 19 years old and works in elephant conservation science. They are focused primarily on the care and wellness of Thailand’s elephants, 2,700 of which live on private grounds. They operate an onsite hospital and Thailand's first mobile clinic, which treats sick and injured elephants free of charge.

Asian elephants are an endangered species. If something isn't done to halt the rapid decline in numbers, it is likely that within the next 50 years, this amazing creature will be gone forever.

The TECC in conjunction with The Elephant Art Gallery (TEAG) found a genius solution with Elephant art...selling paintings in order to raise awareness and funds for the preservation of this endangered species.

While the elephants are painting, they are unaided in the creative process by humans. Elephants understand spatial awareness and are able to apply strokes within the confines of the paper.

Each piece is original...and a blessing.

This painting was created by Thanwa. Glorious. This painting being sold through Design With Benefits.

These are cool. I am Smitten.

a splendid union - Stella Artois & Water.org

This is just a no brainer of a post for me. I grew up in Minnesota, where we are practically bred on beer. When I didn't know any better, I drank Coors...I now drink Stella Artois.

When I heard that the Belgian beer makers had officially announced a partnership with Water.org at the Sundance Film Festival in January, I literally jumped out of my chair. 

Women in developing countries spend a combined 200 million hours a day walking for miles to collect clean water for their families. To raise awareness of this issue and to help provide solutions, Stella Artois has launched its first global social impact campaign, “Buy a Lady a Drink."

With the support of Water.org and its co-founders Matt Damon and Gary White, “Buy a Lady a Drink” aims to help put a stop to this global water crisis.

These entities have come together to tell the stories of women around the world who take these long journeys for water. The stories focus on what it is like to live without water...and the betterment of life with it.

All videos currently take place in India. However, you can buy a limited edition Stella beer chalice with patterns that represent India, Ethiopia or Honduras. For every chalice you buy, Stella gives an extra $6.25 to Water.org - enough to provide one person clean water for five years.

Stella has made an outstanding $1.2 million donation to Water.org to date.

Love this partnership. Totally Smitten.

inspired neckwear - The Able Scarf

It is a rare occasion that I am not wearing a scarf...and I don't discriminate seasons either. From the grocery store to the gym, to frigid movie theaters and drafty flights, I love them! And now, this stunning white, 100% handwoven Ethiopian cotton, emblazoned with jet black screen printing, designed by Erin Loechner of designformankind.com...perfect!

In 2005, Barrett Ward founded the revolutionary themochaclub.org. The idea was to give up the price of just 2-3 mocha lattes a month and forge change in Africa - using that money to create relief and development projects.

In just a few years later, Barrett moved to Ethiopia for a year. There, he met a group of activists called Women at Risk, who work with women exploited in the sex industry. After witnessing the success Women at Risk was having, Barrett came to understand that one of the biggest variables in keeping these women off the streets was generative employment.

With this, fashionABLE was born. Women sharing what they are ABLE to do when provided an opportunity.

This scarf has that bold statement written all over it!

Smitten!!

100 beads at a time - 100 Good Deeds

In the world of charming, fashionably conscious jewelry, the 100 Good Deeds bracelet is at the top my list. Engaging colors, beautiful, hip...and glamorous! 

In 2000, artist and activist Mary Fisher, was asked by the White House AIDS office to act as a Special Representative of the UN and travel to Africa. While there, Mary worked with those affected by poverty, violence and the stigma attached to HIV. 

Mary started the Abataka foundation to partner with these women by designing jewelry that they could make and thereby earn a positive, sustainable living. 

In 2012, Mary released her memoir Messenger, and also met filmmaker Thomas Morgan. He shared with Mary a game that he and his family created, where they would complete 100 good deeds anonymously. 

Mary was Smitten and responded by designing the 100 Good Deeds bracelet. Each bracelet is hand-braided with one hundred glass beads and a single rubber ring. After wrapping it around your wrist, each time you do a good deed, you move the rubber ring one bead closer to the 1GD charm.

"The motivation behind the 100 Good Deeds collection is to inspire simple acts of kindness around the world." ~ Mary Fisher 

The bracelet serves as a reminder to pay it forward, and has found ambassadors in celebrities like Susan Sarandon, Katie Holmes and Naomi Watts.

Smitten!

breathe, love, dream - The Giving Keys

It was late in the month November 2013. I had waited until the last minute (surprise!) to get my husband a 4th year anniversary gift. This was actually not so much about my procrastination issues, more the lack of inspiration for a unique, meaningful gift.

I don’t go for all the traditional elemental gifts: paper, brass, china...all that. I just wanted to get him something that had significance and expressed love.

As it was the eleventh hour, I had very little time before dinner reservations at 8:30. I landed at a tried and true, happening boutique off of Melrose that I frequent for gifts. I scanned the men’s section with keen eyes and landed on a case filled with colorful, sporty, rubber watches. They didn’t necessarily scream “significant”...but they were hip, manly and fun.

Out of the corner of my eye to my left, I spied some dangly well-worn chains swinging. At the bottom of each chain was an intriguing tattered key with an imprinted word on the front: HOPE, FAITH, FEARLESS, COURAGE, LOVE. I was instantly attracted. The placard on the wooden display read:

The Giving Keys

"When you get this key, you must give it away at some point to a person you feel needs the message on there. Then write us the story of why you gave it away."

The chains with keys were delicious looking, I loved the instructions, but the last sentence on the mission statement knocked me out:

We employ those who are looking to transition out of homelessness.

The Giving Keys was founded by Caitlin Crosby (an actress and singer/songwriter,) when she began wearing a NY hotel room key around her neck as decor. She had the idea of engraving old keys with inspirational words. She felt we were all like these keys...unique, scarred, flawed, and at risk of being discarded.

The idea was for the keys to be repurposed over and over. The message on the key is yours until it has served you, then you pay it forward to inspire someone else.

The charitable dimension came to be after Caitlin met Rob and Cera sitting under an umbrella on Hollywood Boulevard with a sign that read: Ugly, Broke & Hungry. Over dinner, Caitlin discovered that Cera made jewelry. Both Rob and Cera joined the team and started making Giving Keys the next day.

Later, the business partnered with the United Way and PATH (a reputable transitional home in Los Angeles,) to help to find workers to employ and help build The Giving Keys team. 

Since the beginning, The Giving Keys has employed 19 people experiencing homelessness, helping to provide opportunities for the team members to move into permanent housing.

The 'Pay It Forward' blog is really terrific!

So I found the one that was imprinted with LOVE. There were a few ancillary gifts that evening...the chain with the aged key was the one that made the impression I was hoping for. 

I’m Smitten with The Giving Keys. 

They are carried in over 500 stores in the US and internationally. Anthropologie, Fred Segal, Henri Bendel and Kitson to name a few local to Los Angeles.