Body & Eden's Beautifully Bottled Elixirs and Tonics.

Body & Eden of Los Angeles and New York offers seasonal fruit and vegetable superfood tonics and herbal elixirs that densely pack nutrients, vitamins, and herbs needed to support and stabilize the body so that it can do what it does best, better.

THE HERBAL ELIXIRS
Drawn from ancient folk wisdom, their elixirs are vibrant and varied in color, representing their high vitamin and nutrient content:



THE GREEN TONICS
All green tonics have a green veggie base combined with a green superfood and a nourishing herbal infusion. Together, these alkaline, chlorophyll-rich greens help support your body so it can function optimally, the way the nature intended:


THE ARTISAN TONICS
Here is where they get a little more creative. They still use fresh greens and veggies, but these tonics, while still nourishing, are more focused on flavorful and fun seasonal combinations:


EXCLUSIVE LINES
The exclusive elixir line below was made for their partners, The Cove Atlantis and One&Only Ocean Club. located on Paradise Island in The Bahamas.



Twice a week, Aubrey Levitt and Hillary Deppeler, founders of Body & Eden pick out the most vibrant, alive-looking organic fruits and veggies from their local farmers, then bring them back to their kitchen so they can wash, cut, and prep them to fill your order.


above: Aubrey Levitt and Hillary Deppeler, founders of Body & Eden

They combine whole fruits and veggies, nourishing, high-nutrient green superfoods such as spirulina, chlorella, and barley, and stabilizing herbal infusions to give their tonics the highest possible nutritional content. They work closely with a hands-on herbalist to create safe, balanced herbal combinations that support your body so it can function more optimally*.

SUSTAINABLE Packaging
The drinks are packaged in glass bottles that can be returned on-site for 10% off your next order. Body & Eden uses Pristine Hydro reverse osmosis, a 7-stage filter, to ensure the best possible base for our products. To find out more about the filtration process, visit www.pristinehydro.com.



* This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

Their stories:
AUBREY LEVITT
I remember my mother handing me an ice cream bar when I was eight and saying, “Here, your reward.” I took one bite and spit it on the floor of the chalky vitamin store. "What? It's Rice Dream, you don't like it?"

Health and its latest fads have always played a big role in my life. When I was a kid, I suffered from constant illness, anxiety, and fear. I went to the hospital every week for high fevers and ate mostly antibiotics. Over time, I stopped trusting my body and started to ignore it. This worked for a while. And then it didn’t. I suffered from extreme bouts of hypoglycemia, hormonal imbalances, and every digestion issue under the sun.

I thought this was normal until my sister told me it wasn’t. Determined to rebuild my body, I saw several conventional and alternative practitioners, devoured books, and asked loads of questions. I learned how to cleanse, slow down, and feel my body. But I couldn’t do that forever. I had regained my health, but then I had to learn how to nourish myself so I could return to the stressful world I had known and sustain it.

HILLARY DEPPELER
Training as a ballerina since the age of two gave me a strong focus on my physique and put my body image high on my radar. Born loving sweets, I relied on sugar for energy and compromised by eating tons of greens and salads to stay thin.

Unfortunately, what got the job done in the short term left me unhealthy in the long run and depleted of energy and essential nutrients for a vibrant, full life. Working in the fast-paced Manhattan media world and having to attend numerous client events, dinners, and lunches put me on the quest to find out what would sustain my energy, help me manage the hours and stress, and still enjoy all the delicious culinary treats New York has to offer. The solution wasn’t cutting out what I love or risking my job, but developing a healthy, nourishing base that enabled my body to function better throughout my daily life.

Shop Body & Eden

The Steve Jobs Collectible Action Figure Is Back! Get Yours Before Apple Shuts Them Down (Again).

above image composited by If It's Hip, It's Here

Remember that amazingly detailed and articulated doll in the likeness of Steve Jobs by Legend Toys of Japan? The one that got a lot of buzz and then the production was quickly shut down? Well, they are back - at least in my inbox. I received an email today that the dolls are now available to order.



above image composited by If It's Hip, It's Here



The 12" doll was sculpted by Takao Kato, whose work includes 1:16 scale and 1:4 scale figures for the otaku market.


above image composited by If It's Hip, It's Here

The background (taken from their own site, hence the clunky translation):

On the anniversary of Steve Jobs death. People around the world are remembering him because they were fascinated and moved by his passion and creativity. This also became the idea of ​​making this figure. Our wholehearted design team with astounding technique make this life like high quality 12 inch collectible figure possible. Even his clothing has been reproduced so detailed!! The set also comes with a leather sofa and his beloved "Apple"!!

※iPhoneとiPadとほかのアップルの製品等は含まないでございます。

※実際の製品は仕様が異なる場合がございます。

※iPhone, iPad and other Apple products are NOT included.

※Prototype shown, final product appearance and colours may vary.

On concerns that Apple will force the company to pull the item, Yuichi Kimura of Legend Toys would only say: “We do not have any permission from anyone and we don’t think it is necessary to obtain permission from anyone.”

The wax statue of Steve Jobs at Madame Tussaud's and the doll:


Steve Jobs Collectible Action Figure is a tribute to the Visionary, Great Inventor and Genius.
 
Specs: 1/6 Scale Painted with Clothing
Accessories:
1. Glasses
2. Three pairs of hands
3. Sofa
4. apple
Price: US$149.99 (without shipping) $199 (with shipping)
Release Date: End of Mar. 2013

Order yours now here before they shut them down again.

Paperman - The Full Animated Oscar Nominated Short And Some Behind The Scenes Info.

Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar®-nominated short, "Paperman."



above: Paperman merges CG with hand-drawn illustrations for it's unique effect.

Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute.



Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him.

Created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Paperman" pushes the animation medium in an exciting new direction.



From the D23 blog:
Director John Kahrs began thinking about the basic premise for Paperman back in the early 1990s when he lived in New York City and commuted 38 miles each way to his job as an animator at Blue Sky Studios in Westchester County. “New York can be an intimidating place,” John says. “People tend to have their guard up when they’re going about their daily routine.

I can remember being on the train wishing I could make a connection with someone and have more of a social life. I would come back through Grand Central Station and go straight home. I kept thinking, ‘Here I am in the most amazing city in the world, and I’m just holed up in my apartment.’ Sometimes on my commute, I would see somebody and make eye contact and then that person would be gone forever. I started wondering what if that person was the one for me.

“I also began thinking about the notion of how a couple with a romantic connection would communicate across the big city,” John continues. “And this idea of throwing a paper airplane from one skyscraper to another was the visual hook that really got my gears turning. I started focusing on how this guy could reconnect with a girl he had made a connection with.”

John moved to California in 1997 to work for Pixar Animation Studios; the idea for Paperman continued to intrigue him. He developed it as a short film and edited together a rough version, but it wasn’t until he came to Disney in 2007 and completed his assignment as a supervising animator on the studio’s 2010 hit feature Tangled that things began to happen. Encouraged by the directors of Tangled, Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, and inspired by the artistic guidance of legendary Disney animator Glen Keane, John began to see new possibilities for bringing Paperman to the big screen.

Watch director John Kahrs talk about the drawings for Paperman:

The Modern SO-RO Cradle With A Forward Rocking Motion For Your Baby - Or Two.

The contemporary so-ro cradle (the name so-ro comes from Norwegian lullabies) was designed by occupational therapist Ane Lillian Tveit and features a forward rocking motion, unlike most of today's side-to-side rocking cradles.



According to research into the brain's perception of sensory input, forward movement is the most comfortable and soothing type of motion for a baby. Think of rocking on a swing. The brain perceives this rhythmic forward swinging as a linear, soothing motion.



This multiple-awarded winning cradle has even garnered a celebrity following from famous parents like Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman and NASCAR driver Burney Lamar.



The so-ro cradle is available as a single cradle or a twin cradle with a core of the made of plywood Baltic birch with American walnut or laminated white. The value of the so-ro is increased by virtue of it being easy to assemble, disassemble and store.

The So-Ro Cradle in Walnut or White Laminate:

•Made of American walnut real wood veneer on plywood Baltic birch
•43 " long and 25 " tall and weights 40 lbs
•The included mattress is 17 " wide x 31 " long and 1 " thick
•Included mattress cover is made of 100% cotton
•Shipping and handling included in price ($800 USD)

The So-Ro Twin Cradle in Walnut or White Laminate:

With dividing wall:

Without dividing wall:

In white laminate:


•Made with American walnut real wood veneer on plywood Baltic birch
•The so-ro cradle is 43 " long and 25 " tall and weights 40 lbs
•The two included mattresses are 15,5 " wide x 31 " long and 1 " thick
•Included mattress cover are made of 100% cotton
•There is a dividing wall to separate the children when needed
•Shipping and handling included in price ($1200 USD)

Video:

music in the above video is the traditional Norwegian folktune named "so-ro," hence the name of the company. The pianist is Bugge Wesseltoft.

Importance of oxygen
With three grades of elevation at the head, the so-ro crib helps to maintain a clear, unobstructed environment around the infant’s head. This promotes healthy breathing, and is especially helpful for infants with colds or stuffy noses.

The so-ro crib's mattress is 1 inch (2.5 cm), the American ASTM standard for infant mattress sizes. This eliminates the indentation on the mattress usually caused by the weight of the infant's head. It is recommended that the infant sleeps without a pillow.

Safety
The so-ro cradle’s design makes it suitable for the bedroom at night and for the living room during the day. As for all cradles, it is suitable for use from birth until the infant is crawling (usually from 0 to 6 months).

The so-ro cradle rocks in a gentle and stable manner, with very little effort. The cradle can be turned over only when one end is lifted up. An adult can stand in the cradle without tipping the cradle over.

Produced by FPI Baltic in Lithuania

Shop so-ro cradles here

Consider Your Mind Blown. The Phenomenally Realistic Graphite Drawings of Kelvin Okafor.

above: graphite drawing in progress by Kelvin Okafor

Kelvin Okafor describes himself as a "Passionate penciled artist. Highly interested in detail and precision." I'd say that's an understatement once you see the phenomenally realistic graphite drawings created by this UK Illustrator. As astounding as the finished pieces are (it's truly difficult to discern whether or not they are photographs until you look extremely closely), the evolution of the drawings shown on his blog, and as videos on his YouTube channel, will blow your mind.


above, clockwise from top left: Timeless, Undeviating and Mana drawings by Kelvin Okafor

I'm sharing my five favorite finished works of his along with some images of his work in progress for you to see what I'm talking about. He almost always begins with the eyes and finishes with the clothing. His ability to render hair is beyond compare. My mind is blown and after viewing these yours will be, too.

Mana
His second drawing of model Mana.
Medium: Graphite pencils/Charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 17 x 24 inches


In progress:


Final drawing of Mana on board:


"Undeviating" (Emmanuel)
A drawing of model Emmanuel, entitled "Undeviating"
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 18 x 22 inches


In progress:


Final drawing of Undeviating (Emmanuel) on board:


Aisha II
His second drawing of Aisha.
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 17 x 24 inches


In progress:



Final drawing of Aisha II on board:


"Timeless" (Jamal)
A drawing of model Jamal, entitled "Timeless."
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 17 x 24 inches

In progress:



Final drawing of Timeless (Jamal) on board:


Adam II
His second drawing of Adam.
Medium: Graphite pencils/black charcoal/black coloured pencil/on sketching paper.
Pencil brand - Faber-Castell
Paper type - Acid Free Cartridge paper 15 x 24 inches


In progress:



Final drawing of Adam II on board:


Kelvin is a graduate from Middlesex University with a B.A. (Hon)s in Fine Art. On his flickr profile he claims that "He aspires to create art as vivid as eyes could see."

I think he's done it.

See all of his work over here on his flickr account. 

A big thanks to Vicki Mayer for bringing Kelvin's work to my attention.