BuzzSugar

Movie Preview: My Kid Could Paint That

BuzzSugar — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:00:00 PDT

The description for this documentary caught my eye back in January when My Kid Could Paint That screened at Sundance. The film examines the school of thought that instead of being "genius," abstract art is really a sham, simple art that could easily be done by a child.

Four-year-old Marla started making paintings that were soon being compared to Picasso and other respected artists. "60 Minutes" aired a piece casting doubt on Marla's work, and her family's reputation changed instantly. Her work started selling for thousands of dollars.

Soon, however, this ability of Marla's was called into question: Is she an ordinary child just making paintings that are being misinterpreted by art critics? Or is she truly a child prodigy? And why are we so hungry for child geniuses?

The trailer for My Kid Could Paint That has hit the Web and it looks like an intriguing documentary. The movie comes out October 5 in limited release, so to watch the preview,

2007 Sundance Film Festival: Documentaries

BuzzSugar — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 15:20:36 PST

The Sundance Film Festival has been in full swing for a week, and everyone seems to be having a grand old time out there in Park City, Utah. I've highlighted some of the comedies, dramas, and dramedies that look most promising at this year's festival. Now let's face reality and take a peek at some of the documentaries that have piqued my interest.

My Kid Could Paint That
This movie looks genius, and yet, it causes me to examine the very definition of "genius." It follows a middle-class family in Binghamton, New York, that was shot to international stardom when 4-year-old Marla was billed as a child prodigy for her "abstract expressionist" paintings. The family raked in $300,000 for the paintings, and Marla was heralded as a young Pollock or even Picasso. Then, "60 Minutes" aired a piece casting doubt on Marla's work, and the family's reputation changed instantly. The documentary examines what we consider art, and why our society is transfixed by (and hungry for) child prodigies.

Two more, so

read more War/Dance In the war zone of northern Uganda, the rebel force called the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have made life terrifying, as children live in fear of being abducted by the LRA looking to fill their ranks. This documentary focuses on the journey of three children - Dominic, Rose, and Nancy - as their school in the Patonga refugee camp makes its way to the finals of Uganda's music and dance competition. Song and dance are used to capture the strength of the human spirit to rise above incredible brutality and grief. Hear and Now Apparently, this documentary received a standing ovation at Sundance, and I can easily see why. Paul and Sally Taylor are a 65-year-old married couple who have shared a satisfying life together, though they haven't heard a minute of it. The two are deaf and have raised a family and been active members of the deaf community. At 65, however, they both decide to undergo a controversial medical procedure to restore their hearing. The film explores how the Taylors' lives change from this procedure: what it means for their relationship, their place in the deaf community, and their sense of identity.

Todd Oldham to Bring Kid Made Modern to Target With New Line of Art Supplies

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:04:55 PST

Art supplies and crafts collection, designed by a real-life designer, at Target prices? Sign me up! When Todd Oldham first published Kid Made Modern ($16) almost three years ago, he created a minirevolution in the world of arts and crafts. Inspired by the most influential midcentury artists - including Alexander Calder, Charles and Ray Eames, and Marimekko - he sought to teach lil ones about their creativity through 52 projects kids could do at home, everything from creating flowers out of wire (Calder) to making polka-dotted book covers using bubble wrap (Marimekko). The projects all used a combination of household items and store-bought crafting products.

This Spring the designer is expanding his drive to inspire creativity in kids through a new partnership with Target. On May 20, Target stores nationwide will introduce more than 50 Kid Made Modern art supplies and kits, all designed and tested by Oldham himself. I got a sneak peek at the line last week and can already tell you that it will be on your must-buy list! The beautifully made products - including crayons in various shapes and sizes (the pyramid one was my favorite!), board book-making kits, gorgeous wooden blocks primed for painting, and learn-to-sew kits that feature Charley Harper's gorgeous images - are all artfully packaged in recyclable boxes (many of which double as display cases) and will all be priced under $20 (talk about great birthday presents!).

Stay tuned for more details in May (including my interview with Todd as he walked me through his favorite products). Until then, take a peek at a few of the highlights from the line!

What's on Your Toddler's "Potty List"?

Rebecca M Gruber — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:17:32 PST

Every season my kids and I create a "bucket list" of activities we want to do before the weather changes. Right now, given that it's Winter, that list includes everything from building a family of snowmen to learning how to play hockey (never mind that my son doesn't know how to ice-skate yet!). While some moms I know have their own "40 before 40 lists" of the 40 things they want to do before hitting the big 4-0, I never thought about actually creating age-specific lists for my kids.

Across the pond, Cow and Gate, a British baby-food maker, surveyed 1,000 parents to see what they wanted their kids to do before they turned 3. Among the top 10 items were "making a mud pie" and "climbing a big hill." Nowhere on the list were the ultracompetitive milestones often overheard on the playground here in the states. Rather, the parents named timeless experiences we could all desire for our kids.

Keep reading to see the entire list and, tell me, what's on your toddler bucket list?

Holiday Wish Lists: Practical or Tacky?

LearnVest — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:15:58 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Ah, the wish list.

It made a lovely debut when we were little, often addressed to a certain Mr. Claus. It had a good run for a few years, but retired itself in adulthood as the stuff of kids and dreams (with the exception of weddings and babies, when they take on the adult guise of “registry”).

And now that we are adults, wish lists (outside of those socially acceptable registries) are at best silly and at worst mercenary, right? That’s what many think.

Are We Becoming More Mercenary?

A recent New York Times story discussed the recent trend of the wish list-it’s back, along with more mercenary attitudes towards gift-giving, like a desire for gift cards instead of actual gifts. (According to the story, for the last five years, gift cards have been the most requested gift, according to National Retail Foundation surveys.) A study released earlier this year showed that people who receive gifts they had requested actually derive more pleasure from them and appreciate them more.

Read on for more on wishlists.

13 Signs You’re Too Busy

LearnVest — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:15:38 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

There’s busy.

Then there’s too busy.

Busy is running from one appointment to the next. Too busy is running over someone on your way to the next appointment (physically, vehicularly, whatever). Busy is leaving your cell phone behind at the grocery store. Too busy is leaving your kid behind at the grocery store.

And then there’s the biggest of all ironies-we want to cut back, but frankly, we just don’t have the time to figure out how to do it.

Sound familiar? Well, we’re here to do an intervention-a time intervention. Today, we’ll help you figure out if your life is starting to burst at the seams when it comes to your time. If it is, you need a wake-up call to reset priorities, because there is no shakier foundation for healthy, balanced living (and healthy, balanced money management) than not having the space and breathing room that time provides in our lives.

If you’ve crossed over the line into too busy, you’ll need to reset your foundation: Maybe it means taking a day off from work to reassess your life priorities. Maybe it means evaluating what your time is worth and outsourcing chores like housekeeping or laundry. Maybe it means taking a break from social engagements for a little while to focus on building the right foundation.

Here are 13 signs that you might need a time overhaul in your life-and easy tips on how to get started, today.

You Spend a Good Amount of Time Worrying About Your Time

If your time is preoccupied with, well, your time, you might be: endlessly cycling through your to-do list in your head, spending a lot of time arranging and rearranging your schedule, or wishing throughout the day that you had more time.

If you've worried about your schedule or wished you had more time more than three times a day, you need a break from time itself as a stressor in your life.

Try this: Take a mental break. Remove one thing from your schedule for today that is the least important-it might be putting off doing the laundry or postponing a work call. Spend that time instead totally luxuriating in something in the present moment (like eating a macaron or listening to your favorite song) and not thinking about your schedule, or future plans, at all.

Read on for more.

Beyond Carving: Decorating With Pumpkins

Lizzie Fuhr — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:00:57 PDT

While the iconic tradition of carving a pumpkin is near and dear to my heart, these orange beauties are full of other decor possibilities. Consider getting crafty this season and trying an alternative approach to your Halloween pumpkin. While I'm not sure I'm completely ready to give up going under the knife this Fall, here are some fun pumpkin decoration ideas to mix things up in your home and complement your carved beauties.

Paint them up. Instead of carving, consider grabbing some paint. This stenciled option is a great idea, but don't be afraid to draw freehand. This could make for a really fun afternoon with the kids, without worrying about them getting too close to any sharp knives.
Group together. There's nothing cuter than a group of little pumpkins arranged in a large basket or mixed up with other Fall gourds and squash. Set up an Autumnal scene in an unexpected area of your house with a collection of pumpkins you've found along the way.
Glitter time. Change the orange hue of your pumpkin entirely and employ some glitter to glam up your gourd. Be sure to check out this project from Stylelist Home for DIY pumpkin magic with glitter as the star!
Let there be light. Instead of carving out the entire pumpkin and lighting it up from the inside out, turn some cute little pumpkins into votive holders. Simply snap off the stem, position the candle in the pumpkin's depression, cover it with an open-topped glass shade, and insert some pins around to hold things in place - and of course, make it safe!
Keep it au naturale. There's something so classic about one giant pumpkin sitting pretty outside of a home. Instead of going wild with all the crazy carving, enjoy a pumpkin's beauty in its most natural state. Don't be afraid to think outside the box in terms of color; orange is classic, but there are tons of bright, funky heirloom varieties you can try out. Line up pumpkins up the steps to your home, or just have one big beauty hanging solo outside, keeping an eye out on all the Halloween mischief.

Any other no-carve pumpkin projects you've got in the works this Fall? Be sure to share your ideas below, or in the Su Casa community group!

Source: Country Living

Lil Community: Toy Box Makeover

Lil Community — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 03:15:06 PDT

Here's a post from a CasaSugar Community member, h2urHome from their Su Casa group:

This was a super easy project to do in a day. I started off with an old toy box that was sitting in my garage.

I painted it blue or more specifically Benjamin Moore's New York State of Mind and then I modge podged some maps I had laying around.

Keep reading to see the final product!

Whose Job Is It to Cut the Cord?

BabyCenter — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:35:27 PDT

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts over on BabyCenter, including this post from Betsy Shaw about deciding who'll cut the cord when your baby's born.

The other day, my sister was here admiring some of Esther's paintings, and said,

"Esther, when you're a famous artist, I'm going to tell everyone it was me who cut your umbilical cord."

I had to laugh. I had nearly forgotten that it was my sister, Aunt Cindy, not my husband, who physically separated my first baby from me.

Not that Ian wasn't given the chance. They asked him, and he said, "No thanks."

I'm sure he was thinking, "Not bloody likely."

I wasn't surprised. While he is the handiest of handy men, calm and cool in a crisis, level headed to the core, severing live tissue that connects mother and child isn't quite the same as hanging a door.

Ian and I are the same when it comes to being medically squeamish.

I remember my midwife asking me if I wanted to see Esther's head crowning in the mirror.

"Not particularly," I said.

"If you reach down, you can feel her head coming," she pressed.

"No thanks," I answered. I'll take your word for it."

I could try and blame this on exhaustion– I had been pushing for 3.5 hours, after 29 hours of Pitocin labor, when she finally crowned.

But, after a meager 15-odd hours of labor and one hour of pushing with Isla, I had the same exact answer: "No thanks. Please just let me get on with getting this baby the heck out of me."

And as for the cord. Ian declined the second time as well. I guess the midwife must have cut it. (My sister didn't come back for the second time. I don't blame her.)

Looking around, I have learned that I'm not alone in having a squeamish husband. In this BabyCenter poll, 66 percent of fathers did cut the cord, while 34 percent did not.

But there might be more to it than squeamishness. It's hard to deny the symbolism in physically severing a newborn baby from its mother. Could this be what's really behind the reluctance?

Did your hubby jump, or balk, at the chance to wield the scissors in the delivery room?

More great stories from BabyCenter.com:
What's too old for pregnancy?
Have you tweaked your pregnancy tests?
7 ways to help a suddenly single mom friend
Is your kid a picky eater? How to tell!

Source: Flickr User JoshuaBloom

Su Casa: A Master Bedroom Makeover

Casa Community — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:40:00 PDT

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member YBandD from the Su Casa group:

Last time there were adventures in Zero VOC paint, and this time it's adventures in spray paint; I know, classy huh!

The new bedroom at the beach rental is finally coming along. I officially still hate moving, however, I am loving my sweet new office slash sunroom slash all-around chill-out space with “peekaboo” views of the ocean (peekaboo meaning there are a few houses pretty much blocking my entire view of the ocean except for that small sliver of blue). But, I really can’t complain, now can I?

Once I got all my furniture in, I quickly assessed the new space. The main difference is this room has a lot more windows to deal with than my previous room, plus sliding glass doors separating the bedroom from the office. The window above the bed is also not centered on anything in the room, making it difficult to achieve any semblance of balance.

The new gray coat of paint looks oh so cozy with the furniture in. I decided to drape the glass doors at the opening between the office and the bedroom. The drapery softens the opening and is also functional, so that I can keep all the blinds raised in the sunroom on a permanent basis. I also draped the off-center window at the bed head wall with one panel to play up on the asymmetry. After a quick trip to Target, I found these modern, almost Chinese lattice-framed mirrors. The mirrors would reflect light, which actually could start to balance with the light coming in from the window. However, they were a faux sponge painted bronze color, which is not exactly what I had in mind. Insert adventures in spray paint, Take One, here.

Continue reading to hear more about how Kelly updated her bedroom!