Organizing Recipes

For years I have been tearing recipes out of magazines and throwing them in a folder that I rarely revisit, unless of course I am adding another recipe to the stack. It’s a mess and not organized in anyway that makes this system useful for me to find recipes at the appropriate time. Because of this, I end up referring mostly to recipes I find online and then bookmark them with Delicious.

My offline recipe collection needs some help, so I had recently been thinking of creating a nerdy binder of all these recipes, organized by course (trapper keeper alert!), but then the other day I came across this awesome Moleskin notebook for recipes. It’s part of their new line of Passions Notebooks. It seems like a great idea, with space to include a tear-sheet, a notes section for the cook to jot down for the next time they make a recipe, and tabs for organizing each recipe by course. I am definitely going to give this a try and see how it works, especially because it will hopefully keep me from making a DIY filing system of recipes.

For the wine lover, Moleskin also makes a wine journal to help you keep track of all the boozing you’ve been doing.

How do you best organize your recipes both online and off? I’d love to hear about everyone’s systems.

A Wireless Projector That Even Makes Me Swoon

(This is a post I started the day I started having contractions and never finished writing until now ).

Alex has been trying to talk me into getting a wireless projector for years now, but as the more practical one in this family (at least when it comes to purchasing tech gadgets), I try to remind him that we don’t have an apartment that can accommodate a big screen projection. But when he sent me a link to the OO High Definition Wireless Project yesterday, even I had a moment of “WANT. THAT. NOW.”

It’s like the spaceship that E.T. came from! It’s sleek and beautiful and it would fit perfectly with the rest of of our apartment! Sadly though, it still doesn’t change the fact that we live in a small Brooklyn apartment without much room to project, but I am definitely bookmarking it for the future.

Drinking cold beverages on the go just got a little greener

These acrylic to-go cups from Vessel Drinkware are so fantastic. I love grabbing iced teas to go all Spring and Summer long, so that I can have icy cool beverages as I cruise around the neighborhood, but I hate throwing away the disposable plastic cups after one use because it’s so wasteful.

While many coffee shops offer discounts on warm beverages if you use your own travel mug, not many offer incentives for using your own cup for cold beverages. And sure, you can use a traditional travel mug for cold beverages, but let’s be honest, it’s just not the same to drink something with ice cubes from a heavy plastic container without a straw. Plus, if you use that same mug for coffee, it always tastes like coffee, no matter what you put in there next.

So! Why not sell some of these reusable cold beverage containers? Sustainable and beautiful? Starbucks, I’m looking at you. Joe’s Coffee, why not? Stumptown? I know you’re fancy and all, but you can give this a try, right?

So Much White….

I’m in love.

I’ve always had a weak spot for homes that are primarily decorated in white, with wood accents and this Brooklyn brownstone nails it. Sadly, as a dog owner (and always will be if it’s up to me), I will never live in a home like this. So for now I just drool at other people’s homes.

See the rest of the Brooklyn Home Company’s home over at Design Sponge.

Overcoming Creative Block

I’ve been a fan of Scott Hansen/ISO50′s work for some time now, but I have to admit I hadn’t been reading the ISO50 blog until Swiss-Miss linked to this fantastic post where Alex from ISO50 asked some of today’s most exciting artists and creators what they do when the ideas aren’t flowing. He left the question fairly open ended and asked, “What do you do to inspire your creativity when you find yourself in a rut?”

As expected, an array of answers were provided. Nicholas Feltron likes to travel. Michael Place from Build provided a recipe and recommended two glasses of wine. Jil Lee cleans. Erik Spiekermann suggested: avoid, think, research, collect, sketch and deconstruct. Chad Hagen, honestly admitted what has kept him inspired is his desire to be good, like really good. As someone who is driven by competition, this answer really resonates with me.

However, my favorite answer came from Mike Perry who said lately when he’s in a rut, he’s been taking the Amtrak somewhere. This reminded me of an ITP assignment that Red Burns gave the incoming ITP class after mine, that I always wanted to try: take the bus from the top Broadway in NYC all the way down to the bottom and write about your experience. People watching has got to be one of the greatest creative block breakers of all time for me.

Show Us Your Type

My friend Natalie Long and two of her designer friends from Barcelona started a small design project about two things they love: type and cities. It’s called Show Us Your Type and the result is 30 uniquely designed posters inspired by cities around the world, created by designers everywhere. The first edition of the project featured New York City and the the results are fabulous. Here are just a few:

They are going to post new cities every couple of months or so, along with an deadline for submissions. The next destination is Barcelona. With so much great architecture and inspiration in that city, I can’t wait to see the work.

What I Do at Work Everyday

Over a year ago I made a transition from graphic design to interaction design. While friends I went to ITP with understand the difference between the two, explaining what interaction design is to my family and non-techy friends is never easy.

Ugleah posted a great video to her blog created by Michael Leis about what she does everyday and it’s really a perfect description of my day at work. I’ll definitely pass this along to my Mom, who still tells people I am a graphic artist (a phrase I haven’t heard since the 80s).

Anyway, if you care to see how I spend my days designing, check out this video which gives a good overview of what wire framing is when done well:

My Favorite Commercials from the 2010 Olympics

I love the Olympics, I’m just a sap like that. I love hearing all the national anthems. I love seeing the athletes cry on the podiums. I love watching sudden death games. And I love the commercials. Here are a few of my favorites from the 2010 Winter games:

P&G’s to their Moms, they’ll always be kids. After watching this video, I suddenly realized why my Mom still makes me call her when I get home after a long drive.

Nike: I’m a sucker for any Nike commercial. Always have been. But this one is awesomely shot and the music “Ali in the Jungle” by The Hours is perfect for the concept.

AT+T’s snowboarding in space to “Perfect Day”. So soothing

Two things I Love: Baked Goods + Supporting Good Causes

Baking for Good is an online bake sale that supports non profits with great causes. This is a terrific idea; if you’re going to indulge, why not do so and not feel guilty about your purchase, because your money is going to folks who could really use a helping hand?

I really love ideas like this that take a traditional concept and put a new and interesting spin on it that gives back to the community. A bake sale for a good cause may sound like an old approach, but how often do you stumble across a bake sale table in daily life? Well now you can stumble upon the virtual bake sale table everyday! What’s additionally nice is that Baking for Good makes it easy for you to also gift their baked goods or gift cards.

Their baked goods look quite delicious too! They even have a gluten-free brownie for your friend with a wheat allergy. The next time you need a gift, why not try Baking for Good?

Originally via Shelterrific.

May the Force be with You, Even in the Bathroom

Check out this amazing Star Wars Tile Mosaic posted on Ohdeedoh. I love, love, love it. Why not have some fun with the tiling in your bathroom? It makes me wonder why we always choose repetitive designs for tile work when there are so many fun ideas to consider.

The bathroom was originally designed by Jagoda’s Architecture. With just a few clicks so far, I am really liking their aesthetic—very bright and clean.