Hasta La Ideas

pimg src=http://www.productdose.com/images/products/draft_5163.jpg
alt= //ppSome mountain bikers carry their helmets with them everywhere. Others put stickers of their favorite brands on everything. If you’re looking for a way to show off your love of trail-riding, try the new line of Tee-shirts from a href=http://www.konaworld.com/08_clothing_tees_m.htmKona/a, that feature mountain bike tools and parts prominently displayed on the cloth. Take that, quot;sticker-guyquot;./p

Your friends may make fun of you for your perhaps age-inappropriate Hello Kitty collection of pens, mugs, linens, guitars, jewelry, cutlery, furniture, and what-have-you, but who are they kidding? Despite her sweet and youthful appearance, Hello Kitty isn’t just for kids, and quite frankly, with upscale Sanrio-loving designers like Tarina Tarantino and Kimora Lee Simmons for Zales, she’s much more popular with the adults these days than she ever was with the youngsters! And now, with the help of MAC Cosmetics, she just got a whole lot more grown-up! The much-anticipated Hello Kitty makeup collection is finally available for purchase today in MAC stores and MAC-carrying department stores (yes, you can actually buy it and take it home — it’s not just on display for pre-orders or to tease us anymore)! The collection contains three different “lines” — Hello Kitty Mild, Hello Kitty Wild, and Hello Kitty Accessories — with coordinating shades in each that range from pretty girlie pinks to bold modish blues and neon hues. While the sweet inspired products include a variety of makeup zip-cases, feline-like lashes, and loads of character-influenced glosses, glitters, and pigments, I have to say I much prefer the products that they’ve emblazoned with the Hello Kitty logo over the plain pots of “inspired” shades that they’ve also thrown in the collection (I don’t really see the point unless you’re truly indulging in your obsession). Overall, MAC’s spin on our favorite cartoon cat is so dark and funky that she looks more like “Goodbye Kitty” than her usual jolly self, but I have to say, I’m kind of diggin’ this gritty new side to the classic Kitty! Check out the slideshow for some of the products inspired by the fancy feline!

After more than a year of planning, world class photographer JR has completed an ambitious exhibition that covers 2000 square meters of rooftops in Kiberia, Kenya.

This exhibition features a rather innovative twist: Two times a day – as a train passes the village – the eyes and faces come together to complete the image. The material used is water resistant so that the photo itself can also function to protect the fragile houses during the rainy season. To see more work by JR see below.
Village of Murals:

via PSKF

We’re only halfway through February and already we have seen Barbie stripped into her various Korean components and outed as having been designed by a sex-crazed swinger, yet we haven’t even arrived yet at the iconic doll’s 50th birthday in early March. But while these previous stories have been somewhat odd, here’s a more happier take, celebrating Barbie for all her plastic-y goodness. At New York’s upcoming Fashion Week (wherever it winds up), fifty big name designers will be rolling out new outfits for Mattel’s bread and butter, including Nicole Miller, Diane von Furstenberg, and Betsey Johnson, all likely fitting like a glove on the anatomically-bizarre, forever smiling, half-century-old fake lady. Here’s a bit:

Nicole Miller’s checkerboard trapeze dress and swing coat is the third outfit she has done for Barbie, filling a childhood void from a time when her French-born mother wouldn’t let her have one of the dolls.

“I always envision Barbie in that ’60s mode — I made her mid- to late-’60s mod,” said Miller. It’s a version of a dress Miller put in her very first runway show, worn by Linda Evangelista. “It was the season she was a blond. I immediately thought of that outfit.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media

As we talked about in the post Ask Unclutterer: How can I change someone into an unclutterer?” we get many emails asking how unclutterers can live with clutterers. It reminds me of one of those light bulb jokes: How many Psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? One, but the light bulb has to want to change.

Our clutterful light bulbs — our roommates, significant others — may not want to change. But, there is something that we can change, ourselves.

If you’re up for the challenge, what small unclutterer change or efficiency enhancer are you willing to make? If you’re stumped, think about your partner’s pet peeves. Some examples I’ve seen with couples are:

• Dropping a jacket on the floor when arriving home
• Leaving dishes about the house
• Losing keys frequently

These things may not bug you, but we’re talking about our partners here — the things that bother them. As I got to thinking about Valentine’s Day this year, and realizing my husband hates gifts, I thought: how about changing something I do that bothers him? I ran the idea past him and he’s all for it. We decided that I will work on keeping the house better stocked with groceries. I’ll sit down with him and templatize a specific list of items to regularly have on hand (in addition to the staples). It’s the little things that make a difference.

Forming a New Habit

First, it takes 21 days to form a new habit. I like to use 30 day blocks, however, to be sure the habit gets locked in.

Start Small: Pick just one daily, do-able thing that you’ll take on for 30 days. For example, you commit to putting your clothes in the hamper before bed for the next 30 days. Selecting one thing will put all of your focus there, rather than trying to tackle several habits at once.

Be Clear: Be sure that you know clearly whether you’ve accomplished the task or not. For example, is your goal to file paper in your home office for 10 minutes each day or is it to file 1/2 an inch of paper each day? Near dinner time each day, mine will be to check off food items that need to be purchased this week.

Track Progress: Use a calendar, goal-setting software such as Lifetick or create a spreadsheet with 30 boxes to track your progress. A check mark or gold star means you did the task. Leaving the box blank of course means you didn’t do it.

Keep It Visible: Have your document pop up on your screensaver, set reminders in your electronic calendar or place in another visible place, such as on the refrigerator. As you’re forming a new habit, you’ll need prompts.

Be Consistent: When possible, do the task at the same time every day. This will make the action a routine and, in time, you’ll be pulled to complete it automatically. For instance, pop your jacket into the closet right away when you arrive home each day.

Begin: The hardest part is to begin. Pick a start day. Today is a good idea so that you don’t build up resistance to change. And, why wait to surprise your partner with a clean family room or an uncluttered car?

I think creating a productive habit will give you more mileage than your standard Valentine’s Day gifts.

Up for the challenge? What habit do you want to take on for 30 days? Let us know in the comments. And, if you choose to go a more traditional route, check out Matt’s post from last week on uncluttered Valentine’s day gifts.