By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

I saw these lampshades while visiting Toronto a few months ago and, being in the beginning stages of planning a large event for a non-profit, I couldn’t help but be immediately attracted by these unusual, beautiful, colorful and oh-so affordable statement-making lampshades. How they would – literally and metaphorically – light up the room and create instant ambiance for the event. And then, I mentally started redecorating my family room and my teens’ bedrooms too.

Let me introduce the Jigsaw Lamp (shade). It’s available in 11 different colors and six different sizes. Each kit consist of 30 polycarbonate (pieces) and full instructions on how to make over 20 different shapes, though 48 models have been created from these simple cutouts. These remind me of the ubiquitous IKEA Fillsta lamp, which unfortunately only comes in white and (new) in orange, but it not DIY or customizable in the sense that the Jigsaw lamp shade can be.

Good to note that the polycarbonate pieces are 100% recyclable, heat-resistant and washable. The lampshades are very durable and work indoors as well as outdoors.

Prices range from $12 for the small size to $45 for the large (note that electrical cord and bulb are not included).

In case you’re intimidated by the self-assembly, there are videos online to help with that.

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By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

So, about a year ago, foodie experts predicted that 2011 would be the year of the pie and that cupcakes would be retired in favor of the tarte. I didn’t see much evidence of this, did you? My measurement? Cupcake shops are still flour-ishing (you get it) but there is nary a pie shop – much less a mini-pie shop – in sight. But, now a year later, trend or no trend, I am somewhat suffering from cupcake fatigue and I’m definitely ready to embrace another handheld alternative in the form of the mini-pie, aka the cutie pie!

Why are mini-pies so great? Bite-sized and handheld – they come in their own “wrapper”, no utensils needed, which makes them great for entertaining. With their pre-defined petite size, they have portion control built right in. Plus they can be served sweet or savory with an even amount of potential for creativity and deliciousness. I love that they can be loaded with seasonal fresh fruit.

So, with that in mind, I thought I’d suggest the following accessories to make mini-pie-making  fun to create and versatile treats (with the mini pies, it’s so easy to prepare more than flavor filling).

	Mini Pocket Pie Molds – Kinda like a cookie cutter but for pies! Place in any filling that fits your fancy, seal the dough, place on baking sheet and voilà. But the set at Williams Sonoma or individual mini pie molds on Amazon.
	Non-Stick Mini Pie Set – These are not only non-stick, but they also have a Lift & Serve feature to guarantee a perfect presentation. Great for pot pies too. Guess what I’m making for dinner tonight? Buy at Chicago Metallic Bakeware or on Amazon.
	Pie Pops Maker – Bite sized pies on a stick. Great for kids or adult parties and for gift-giving too. Think Valentine’s Day with cherry filling…  Buy at Sur La Table
	Split Decision Pie Pan – How clever is this. Either bake half sweet or half savory or propose two different sweet fillings. The “Lift & Serve” feature enables easy removal of the finished pies for a perfect presentation. Buy at Spoonsisters for $18.95.
	Round Pie Iron – OK, so this is not the most elegant pie maker, but I had to include it here because of all the fond memories this little tool created. My parents used this when we were camping to make our breakfast and s’mores “pies”. A must for scrumptious outdoor “baking” and to create delicious memories in your own family Buy on Amazon. for about $19.99.
	Mini Pies Cookbook – This book covers the all essential pie crust recipes should you decide to DIY the crust and it even includes a gluten-free pie crust recipe and then recipes for sweet, creamy, nut and savory pies as well as they toppings. Buy on Amazon.

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

Do you have an artistic passion, a creative idea, a book in you that you have been trying to write?  Think, if you were in a quiet working environment that provided room-for-free on 60 beautiful acres of prairie and pastured land and you had no financial or professional obligations to pursue your passion… Can you imagine how well your creative juices could flow?

There is, in fact, such a place in the middle of Nebraska. Art Farm is a tuition-free safe haven to explore one’s artistic aspirations. Since 1993, it has provided housing and expansive studio space to 20 professional artists, between June 1st and November 1st, from all over the world. Some stay for a couple of weeks and some stay for months. Painters, dancers, writers, architects, sculptors and every other type of creative person is welcomed here to take a artistic sabbatical.

The living accommodations are simple, clean and communal. All have private bedrooms and shared bathrooms, living area and kitchen. Machinery, equipment and material are available for residence to use, such as for pottery, metal work, wood work and so on. Plus there is wi-fi, giving you some access to the outside world.

It is a place where the residents can work at their own pace in a creative environment. The only thing asked of participating artists in return for their free housing and workspace is to help out around Art Farm for 12 hours each week to keep the system operational. This work is necessary since Art Farm does not ask for tuition (only a $20.00 registration fee). Residents do need to cover their own daily living expenses, however there is an organic vegetable garden available for everyone without charge. These are small prices to pay to be able to explore one’s potential without the pressure of deadlines, jobs or rent – a fortuitous and envious opportunity. And how I do envy……

Applications are being accepted now for 2012. The deadline is March 1st 2012. Only nine residents are accepted at a time and only 10% of the applicants get a chance to this opportunity. What a way to start off the new year! In addition, they do have an internship program for young people with aspirations of becoming an artist. Go to Art Farm to apply.

As we reported here, Trunk Club, a “mail-order” personal shopping service for men’s clothing is great solution for men who want to look good but hate (or don’t have the time) to shop. But how about us women? It’s – I know! – surprising to admit but many women, even the most coquette amongst us, don’t revel in the shopping experience. Or we simply don’t have the time. In my case, I don’t enjoy the (dreaded) dressing room with the invariably unflattering lighting.

So here’s a fun solution for the woman short on time but high on style: Cakestyle, a “virtual” personal shopping service.

Here’s how it works: once you’ve signed up, A Cakestylist will contact you to conduct a style interview to assess size, personal style and wardrobe needs. The stylist will then put together about five to six looks, including accessories (and some fab vintage jewelry finds) which are then demonstrated in a personalized video as the stylist walks through each look shown on the mannequin (here’s an example). Cakestyle brands include DVF, Vince, Eileen Fisher and Elie Tahari… Each box sent to the client contains about $2500 to $3000 worth of outfits and accessories, many of them being mix-and-match pieces to exponentially multiply the choice of outfits. Clients only keep what they love and return the rest (at no cost) with the conveniently included shipping label and packing tape.

Personally, I much prefer shopping from the comfort of my home. High style, low frustration.

By Audrey van Petegem, Senior Editor

I am pretty good with not overspending money, but I can’t say I am the best at teaching my children the same. For that, I found Moonjar, a simple teaching tool for children (age 7 – 12) that teaches them the concept of Save, Spend and Share. And what better time to do this then at the beginning of a new year.

The Moonjar money boxes are divided into the three sections of Save, Spend, Share. The concept is that when your child receives their allowance, they divide the money into the three categories. The children then know how much they have left to spend. They know also what needs to be saved and later taken to the bank and how much to give to their favorite charitable organization. Thus, the learning experience is two-fold. Not only do they start to understand the concept of money and how much their must-have toy really costs but it also helps raise young humanitarians who will start to see how they can help and make a difference.

It is so important to teach these lessons at an early age as I am finding out with my 19 year old in college. We somehow did not instill in him the concept of budgeting and saving. Hard lessons are now being learned for both him and us! With our young daughters we are going to be much clearer with the Save, Spend and Share concepts in order for them to have strong understanding of personal finance by the time they are teenagers.

Moonjar is a good place to start. You can buy directly from Moonjar or on Amazon.

By Anne-Marie Kovacs, Chief Wife

I didn’t know a soul when I first moved to the Chicago area over two years ago. It was an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and get out there to meet new friends and make professional connections.

One of the things I did was join the Taproot Foundation, an organization that matches business professionals with nonprofit organizations, providing them with essential business services on a pro-bono basis. For example, my team’s “client” was a statewide housing coalition that advocates for the availability of decent and affordable housing (such an essential service in these times). Their challenge was that their original brand message was quite complicated and did not translate well to their audience. Our Taproot team’s mandate was to re-engineer the brand strategy so that the organization could more easily explain its purpose and mission to its audience and thus facilitate its ability to raise funds and attract and retain members.

It was definitely a very gratifying experience to put my professional experience to work in order to help our client’s very worthy cause. In the process, while working with my Taproot team members, I also connected with some people that became true friends and enabled me to get grounded in my new community.

The Taproot Foundation provides non-profit organizations with access to the “luxury” of business services that are not ordinarily financially available to them in the areas of marketing, human resources, strategic management, design, or information technology. Obtaining these services, or I should say, the result of the services obtained can have a huge impact on how these nonprofits can increase their efficiencies and their reach to multiply the good of the work they do in their communities.

The Taproot Foundation is always on the lookout for professionals to help. Typically, a project will take about 6 months to complete and require a personal time contribution of about 3-5 hours a week. Quite doable. Go here to apply. It’s a rich and satisfying experience plus it looks really good on a resume.

P.S: You might want to search for other such organizations in your area or in your specific line of work. For example, Epic in Chicago pairs professional creative volunteers in the areas of design & advertising for its nonprofit clients.

Goodbye 2011.

Viva 2012. Happy New Year to all!