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Perhaps you think a commissioned portrait of yourself or a loved one is a little out of financial reach, but sketch artist Benjamin Hammond wishes to prove you wrong. Hammond presents One-Minute Portraits, an online invitation to submit a photograph of anyone, so he may turn it into an original piece of drawn portraiture. He'll take one minute to finish the piece and then post it on his site; if you like the results, you can purchase the original work for $20 USD. While the artist is currently overloaded with requests it would seem, check back now and again for your chance to be immortalized in Hammond's uh, distinct style.

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You've heard of white noise. Often broadcast to mask the common day-to-day sounds heard in offices, or public spaces, white noise lends an aural privacy to an environment because it distracts the ears with a din that's steady, yet unimposing.

Have you heard of pink noise however, or brown noise? The site SimplyNoise.com offers a free generator for these colours of noise, so on the nights when rain on your roof isn't lulling you to sleep, this application will. No word yet on when chartreuse noise will be developed.

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Here's a viral ad for Levi's in which a guy named Mike 'walks' across America. Shot over two weeks, the vid is so good, that we're happy to do what Levi's wants us to do and pass it along.

A Google map of Mike's journey can be found here.

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In the 1940s, the United States Navy commissioned from the Electric Machine and Equipment Company (Emeco) a chair that would be able to withstand the impact of torpedo blasts to the side of the battleship that carried it. The Emeco 1006 was born - the result of a 2-week, 77-step manufacturing process that gives the aluminum beauty a life expectancy of 150 years. After a few appearances on Sex and the City, as well as being featured inspiration for a line of Philippe Starck furniture, the 1006 has reestablished its footing as an ageless classic, which has led to its marriage to another American icon.

Emeco has teamed with Coca-Cola to create the 111 Navy Chair - a plastic reproduction of the original 1006, made from the plastic of 111 Coca-Cola bottles. Available for order online, Emeco and Coke expect the 111 Navy Chair project to keep an estimated 3 million plastic bottles out of landfills, which is the beginning of an ageless classic of its own.

And with colour names like Grass and Persimmon - and of course Coca-Cola Red - we couldn't ignore this beauty.

Click here before this link turns into a good looking chair.

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As a nod to The Cat in the Hat, One Fish Two Fish and company, Converse has just released a summer collection of sneaks that look as if they were drawn by Dr. Seuss. Sized for big kids or for real kids, (big kids will get more out of these, I think), the shoe maker has nailed the Seussian aesthetic with a sketcherly line and slap of the right colour. Available for order online here.

ps. We loved these so much that they inspired the Haft2 trend colour palette this week, found on Colourlovers.com as well as on our own homepage, haft2.com. (Did you know we change our homepage trend palette every week?)

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We love the customization trend, so here's a sweet Summer bit of custom ordering that'll definitely turn some heads. Smart cars is offering a chance to wrap your new little 'fortwo' in any number of custom prints and patterns, including topological designs, streetmaps, houndstooth, racecar patterns - the list goes on. Available to upload your own design also - or for those who wish to play it safter, there's an array of about 30 colours to choose from if you wish to leave the sporting of pattern to your louder friends.

smartlink

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Last year, French automaker Renault presented 'Zoe', their first zero-emission concept car (hence the name) slated for mass production. According to the company, the Renault Zoe is meant to revolutionize the day-to-day travels of Europeans skipping from home to work to the market. Treehuggers and design aficionados alike shouted "oui, oui" for the Zoe, but one dissenting voice failed to agree. That voice belongs to a woman named Zoe Renault. The 23-year-old student says she doesn't want to be associated with a car her whole life, and has hired a lawyer to write automaker Renault, insisting they find another name for the vehicle. The final verdict is still pending.

It isn't the first time a car manufacturer has run into challenges with a car name. A few years ago, GM ran into some difficulty in Spain with their car the 'Nova', which in Spanish actually means 'doesn't go'.

In recent car naming news, General Motors just released a statement to all of their employees that the name 'Chevy' should be discontinued from everyday use. The company wants to reintroduce the full use of 'Chevrolet' into the daily vernacular of North Americans.

Here's the link Ms. Zoe Renault doesn't want any part of.

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If the drone of South African vuvuzelas is keeping you awake these days, perhaps you can make your way to dreamland by counting the sparkles on this fancy-pants soccer ball. South African jeweller Shimansky just unveiled this life-size piece made of 6,620 white diamonds and 2,640 black diamonds, comprising a considerable 3,500 carats. The ball took three months to make and is estimated at a value of $2.6 million USD. That fact alone is enough to keep you awake at night.

This link sparkes.

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Having only been announced fairly recently as the host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro is well under way in their preparation. This project, named Solar City Tower was designed by Swiss architectural firm RAFAA. It stands 105m above sea level and promises to be an environmental wonder. Solar power draws sea water up to the top and then the falling water will drive turbines that will produce even more energy for the city. With an amphitheatre, auditorium, cafeteria and shopping, the building seems a happy marriage of humanity and nature.

More pictures can be found at this link.

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A final tidbit this week is called Colorstrology - a light blend of astrology, numerology and colour theory. Check out what colour and personality traits have been selected for your birthday. Find out here.

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