SeeClickFix Mobile App Launches

The smart folks who created SeeClickFix - a community-powered initiative created to help citizens report, comment, share and follow-up on non-emergency issues in their city - have launched an updated mobile app. They also have an informative blog and the SeeClickFix program has been gaining up speed as more and more mainstream media attention and branching partnerships to other cities have jumped on board.

Way to go, guys! We totally support your efforts and love what you are doing for all cities, but especially New Haven, our home. Keep it growing ...

State of the Union (Letters from Americans)

While watching tonight's State of the Union, I was reminded of a blog post I wrote a little more than a year ago. President Obama mentioned several letters he has read from struggling Americans. I noticed some of my Facebook friends scoffing about these letters, insinuating that it's a farce to convince the American people that the President is in touch with them. However, as I mentioned, the first thing I thought of was my blog post.

The post was about a New York Times article detailing the process by which Mike Kelleher, White House Director of Correspondence chooses letters – letters that arrive at the White House in hopes of being read by President Obama. Ten of those letters are selected each day and then read – and even responded to – by the President himself. Read the original blog post here or visit NYTimes.com for the full story.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

365 Slices

We spotted this Wüsthof - makers of the very best knives in the world - tear-a-day calendar on the Ads of the World site and think it's nearly perfect. Stunning design and very intelligent marketing piece. They sliced a red onion 365 times, once for each day, and photographed it. So simple. It really works.

Can you think of a clever marketing promotional piece for your business that is appealing, intelligent and shows off your product or service as beautifully as this piece does? Share!

How many days ago?

In this mad, mad world of ours that is spinning ever faster, it is the little things that seem to slip our minds the quickest. How old is that spaghetti sauce in the back of the fridge? When did I last water this houseplant? When did we clean the fish tank?

Day to day things like that can be impossible to keep track of, which is why we were wowed when we saw this nifty little item. It is a small digital day counter which attaches to items via either a magnet or small suction cup.

Personally, it would be on leftovers in my fridge, but you could use it just about anywhere. The product website has a ton of innovative ideas on ways to use this gadget. Check it out, and let us know how you would use it.

Paper Heart - the Movie

PAPER HEART follows Charlyne as she embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about the one subject she doesn't fully understand. As she and her good friend (and director) Nick search for answers and advice about love, Charlyne talks with friends and strangers, scientists, bikers, romance novelists, and children. They each offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the age-old question: does true love really exist?

Then, shortly after filming begins, Charlyne meets a boy after her own heart: Michael Cera (of Superbad and Juno fame). As their relationship develops on camera, her pursuit to discover the nature of love takes on a fresh new urgency. Charlyne risks losing the person she finds closest to her heart.

Combining elements of documentary and traditional storytelling, reality and fantasy, PAPER HEART brings a fresh perspective to the modern romance and redefines the classic love story.

Directed by Nick Jasenovec, PAPER HEART was written by Jasenovec and Charlyne Yi.

Chem Labs are Cool

Some outtakes from my iPhone taken on our photo shoot at Yale in various Chemistry Labs. Full of inspiration for me! I could have stayed in there for days. Some of the scientists thought I was nuts taking pictures of shelves of bottles and beakers ~ if only they could see the beauty in these objects as I do. But, then again, they are far more focused on finding cures for diseases.

What Font Are You?

Take this humorous quick quiz made by Pentagram and find out! Password: character

{I happen to be Copper Black Italic ~ I can live with that!}

Cute Animal Wednesday

Sometimes, you just need to look at something adorable and giggle. All of us here at Elements are nursing colds, so we thought today was the perfect day for a totally meaningless (yet very cute) blog post. Enjoy, and Happy Hump Day!

For more animal cuteness, check out NBCConnecticut.com (a great, unique local news site).

Connect to the Cure

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, a foundation for breast cancer research, has joined forces with ReCellular to recycle cell phones and raise money at the same time.

Yesterday we found this envelope in a package we received. It's a postage-paid bag that you can slip an old cell phone into and thereby provide help in two ways: Through the program, ReCellular will make a minimum donation of $50,000. In addition, ReCellular will donate a minimum of 25 cents per phone donated through this program. This program also keeps cell phones and their accompanying batteries out of the landfill and lets them be reused or recycled to reclaim precious metals.

If you have an old cell phone or two laying around, please consider contacting this program to donate it to a great cause.

Have a Dream

Whenever I watch this speech, I'm amazed at the influence one person can have throughout history. MLK Jr continues to be an inspiration to the world long after his passing. We could all take a page out of his book and have a dream for future generations. What's yours?

A Day On

Many Americans have this Monday, January 18 off in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here at Elements we'll still be hard at work, but for those of you who have the day off, consider thinking of the holiday as a "day on" - initiate a conversation about MLK's ideals by leveraging the social networks you participate in. Use the hashtag #MLK2010 to join the dialog on Twitter. Find a service organization in your area to volunteer for.

Check out The Hands On Network's website for more information. For 2010, they are partnering with Disney for Give A Day, Get a Disney Day with a goal for 2010 of inspiring 1 million people to volunteer and celebrate volunteerism with a free ticket to a Disney theme park. To sign up, visit www.disney.com/celebrate.

Introducing the 2010 Handmade Olympics!

Details and prizes here!

DYI Wedding Done Right

Lot's of great inspiration to be found at this fun wedding. I wish I knew these people - they can dance!

Sarah & Rupert Wedding 16mm Film from sarahandrupert on Vimeo.

Ice Bucket Votives

We need to make these beautiful bouquet votives for our February 8th Valentine's Day Open Studio event. They are so pretty and I love that they will pull nature elements into the decor. Here's how to from Design Sponge.

Video: Legs In Line

For those of you, like me, who are aiming to shed a few pounds in this new year but are so busy you seem to never have the time to exercise ... Excuse no more!

Squeezeitin.com centers around taking everyday tasks and errands and turning them into ways to improve our health and body. You know, it sounds like our middle names, "multitasker".

Who knew I could have been stocking up on my kids deli meats while at the same time, slimming down my inner thighs? At the end of the video, she states that for a real challenge, try letting go of the cart to really work your abs to stay balanced - but she left off that it will not only work my abs, but allow me to check my iPhone for emails while handing my 2-year old a piece of cheese and check my bag for coupons. Yup, that sounds more like my life - just now with slimmer thighs! What's not to love?

Good News Monday

What better news could there be than the word "free"? We love free stuff - giving it, receiving it, Elements loves all things free.

So, when we saw Bank of America's new Museums On Us program, we knew we had to share the good news with our readers. They are offering their customers free admission to 120 museums across the country on the first Monday of every month in 2010 to visitors with a Bank of America debit or credit card.

Three Connecticut museums are included: the Mashantucket Pequot Museum in North Stonington, the Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford (a great venue to host an event catered by Jordan).

Visit Museums on Us for a complete list of participants.

Blanket of Snow

We woke up this morning to a lovely blanket of snow. I shot these with my iPhone in the early morning light while walking around Haycock Point in Banford.

Obsessive Collecting

As you know, we here at Elements love creative obsessions. And, we already loved Lisa Congdon's work as an artist and illustrator. Now, we admire her even more for embracing and sharing her obsession with collecting with us.

In her latest creative adventure, she has started a blog, "A Collection A Day", to photograph, arrange and post for exactly one year a collection each day.

Personally, I am enjoying watching her style unfold. So far, we share a love for nostalgia and nature themes. What's next? It's wonderful that Lisa is letting us all into her world as a passionate collector and inviting us to become inspired by what has inspired her as an artist. In other words, it's all the perks of collecting without the enormous amounts of time, money or mountains of space required to be an obsessive collector. Bonus!

Giveaway Thursday!

Greeting, Elements fans!

This Thursday, our giveaway is a stack of some cool stackable graphic cards - they are solid color on one side and have funky images on the other side. Bored at your desk? Need some creative inspiration? See how big your tower can go.

The first person to comment or retweet this link wins a set of your very own! (Must be able to pick up.)

We have a winner, just moments after posting (congrats, @steveletteri!) Have no fear - look for more Giveaway Thursdays coming soon!

Winter Sunset

The end of another beautiful day. I shot this off Haycock Point in Branford overlooking Long Island Sound with my iPhone, belive it or not.

What I'm Listening To Now

A band that is new to me, Bell X1, has a song called "Broken Ribs of an Umbrella" and I'm loving it. What do you think?

It's a New Year. Be Happy.

Set your TiVO. This Emotional Life airs on PBS January 4-6th beginning at 9pm and features such celebrities as Larry David, Chevy Chase and Alanis Morissette sharing their personal view of what makes you happy. Follow this link and watch the PBS preview. I'm hoping you'll agree that this is a much needed and timely topic which we could all afford to watch.