8 Great Apps

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(Clockwise from Top Left)
WhiteAlbum / No edits, no retakes. Once you take 24 photos in the app they’re printed and mailed to you. Like a disposable camera for your phone.

Timeline / Headline news online tells part of the story, this app weaves events into compelling stories.

Next Glass / Science helps you choose your next glass of wine or bottle of beer.

loungebuddy / Buy access to an airport lounge when you’re looking for someplace to work, freshen up, or relax between flights.

Expensify / Hassle-free expense reports on the go.

Along the Way / Search your roadtrip route for cool places to stop along the way to your destination.

Run Pee / Find out the best time to make a restroom run so you’re not missing any of the good parts.

Weather Dial 2 / A well-designed, simplified weather forecast.

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Addicted to Glamour shows us a different view of the fashion industry.
02/ The Swirl Faucet creates an amazing pattern and saves on water usage.
03/ Take a walk on this meandering green suspended balcony path.
04/ Would you wear a Crayon dress if it were made by a famous designer?
05/ The B&O Play bluetooth speaker looks made for summer entertaining.
06/ I really love this – eco-friendly burial pods will turn loved ones into trees.
07/ Photographer/dancer Mickael Jou leaps through everyday life situations.
08/ Barbara Wildenboer turns old books into papercut masterpieces.
09/ A Japanese island where cats outnumber humans six to one. (Let’s go now.)
10/ I’d love to ride Sky Bike through the Andean Cloud Forest!

This week on Design Crush:
Eight new pieces of art to mix up your wall game in Print Edition: March.
Maker & Mineral‘s screen-printed pouches make me want to organize my bag.
Caroline Larsen does oil paintings like you’ve never seen before.
Backyard workspace inspiration for the outdoor office space I hope to create.
I’d open my mail way faster if it looked anything like Do Not Open.
Meet your go-to modern jewelry shop – Adorn Milk.
Completely inspired by the work of Hiroyuki Izutsu.
Check out Woven Pear for the best patterned socks!

Design Crush elsewhere:
I love matching the perfect rug + room when decorating.
I talked to Martha Stewart about empowering yourself and growing your business.
The Marketplace is carrying an exclusive print from Duealberi! Grab yours.

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Beautiful linear geometric tattoos by Chaim Machlev.
02/ Leave it to Sweden to create a playground and maze entirely of snow and ice.
03/ Sign me up for these punctureless push pins.
04/ Because isn’t this to-do list exactly how you classify things in your head?
05/ Alexis Arnold turns books and more into crystalized sculptures.
06/ I love these pocket knives from Farm & Field Lockback!
07/ What might cities look like if sea levels rose dramatically?
08/ Jackson, Wyoming will soon be home to one of the world’s first vertical farms.
09/ Ever read about the basics of numerology?
10/ If you saw a USB drive in a random wall would you plug in?

This week on Design Crush:
A little Art Before Breakfast can go a long way.
St. Eloy‘s jewelry line is now on my wish list.
I never would have guessed Sarah Symes‘ creations were made of textiles!
Pretty marbled stationery from The Adventures Of.
Jenny Andrews Anderson has mastered the art of color.
My 5 favorite food blogs of the moment.
I shared 4 ways to give a traditional space a modern touch.
Loving Clare Elsaesser‘s mysterious painted women.
Beautiful collage work from Rocio Montoya.

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4 Ways to Give a Traditional Space a Modern Touch

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The biggest issue I faced when picking up and moving halfway across the country into my new home was that it was 114 years old. It doesn’t get much more traditional than this colonial beast, but when you fall in love with a space that’s the opposite of your aesthetic what’s there to do? I’m partnering with HP x360 #BendTheRules + Meghan Trainor’s That Bass Tour to talk it out and share four ways I’ve modernized my home.

Add Contemporary Art. This tip is first for a reason, and that’s because it adds the biggest dose of personality right off the bat. I’ve added pieces and prints of all shapes and sizes through my home, grouping the smaller together and leaving the oversized to stand on their own. One thing I abided by was sticking to the same frame style and color – simple and white. It helps to pull everything together and achieve the sleekness I was after.

 

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Embrace Clean Lines. Furniture, light fixtures, all of it. I love how the simplicity of almost all of my dining room in particular is the polar opposite of the ornate banister on the stairway and the 10-inch moldings throughout the house. It allows you to appreciate what the space does best without competing with it, which should really be the end goal of every design decision you make.

 

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Go Light and Bright. Before I moved in the moldings and framework were thankfully already painted white, but the walls were a buttercream yellow. Safe for staging, but not even a little bit my taste. So within two months I had painted the entire interior (you read that right, all of it) a lovely white-grey/grey-white. The natural light bounces throughout now, creating an almost gallery-like feel that makes every room feel bigger.

 

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Use Modern Patterns. I like to keep my patterns in check by using them sparingly and choosing modern global repeats. It keeps things feeling fresh and contemporary while breaking up the monotony of large fields of color for your eye. I prefer to neutral tones, but that doesn’t mean you should shy away from color if that’s your aesthetic.

 

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The HP x360 has four great things going on for it, too. Actually four modes – notebook/laptop, tablet, stand, and tent – in one device. I’ve especially loved using tent mode in the kitchen, it’s so convenient to have my favorite recipes at arm’s length while I make dinner. Its touchscreen properties also make the tablet mode perfect for flipping through my emails in bed first thing in the morning (bad habit, I know). The compact size and weight are perfect for carrying the x360 around the house from one room to another like I tend to do through the day. See all four modes here, along with more info on HP + Meghan Trainor’s That Bass Tour and episodes from the fan-generated documentary being created using the HP x360 Convertible PC.

 

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This post sponsored by HP. Be sure to follow along with the Meghan Trainor tour by watching Behind The Scenes episodes or following @HP for updates. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Design Crush!

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5 Favorite Food Blogs of the Moment

Since being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes last year (whomp whomp), food porn has become even more prevalent in my carb-counting lifestyle. Thankfully there are not only plenty of ways to adapt recipes (zucchini noodles and mashed cauliflower have become my favorites), there are also plenty of sites that create beautifully developed recipes that are photographed so well I can almost taste them through the screen of my laptop. Here are five that make my tastebuds daydream.

 

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Hipsterfood is a vegan site run by couple Cara and Bob. Their ironically named site is full of sometimes healthy, sometimes decadent recipes that are made from “95% cheap, easy-to-find food, and 5% sort-of-pricey, specialty food.” I love how realistic and unpretentious these two are and look forward to the day when they write a cookbook.

Recent Favorites: Four Dollar Pho, Lemon-Blueberry Pudding Cake, Comforting Spiced White Bean Orichiette Stew

 

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Butterlust is the work of the witty and intelligent Katie, who runs her site kind of like a test kitchen. If something goes wrong you’ll know it because she’ll tell you, just like how she sometimes uses cake mix and is super messy in the kitchen. Honesty is always refreshing.

Recent Favorites: Coconut Gingeroons with White Chocolate Drizzle, Strawberry + Marzipan Hand Pies, Cranberry, Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls

 

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Lady and Pups is a self-proclaimed “angry food blog” of one woman and her move to Beijing three years ago. You see, she kind of hates it so she’s turning all of that frustration and angst into lovely meals. I’m totally down with that – some of the best creativity is born from situations we can’t control.

Recent Favorites: Bacon Cracklin’ Pancake with Salted Honey, Cold and Warm Salmon Scrambled Eggs Rolls, Carrot Gingerbread Cake with Cardamom Frosting + Ginger Fries

 

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Seasons & Suppers is Jennifer’s cooking diary as she makes her way through the seasons Ontario, Canada. Seasonal and healthy, hearty and comforting, occasionally decadent recipes fill each post with a focus on taking advantage of what’s fresh and at its best.

Recent Favorites: Meyer Lemon Risotto with Arugula and Shiitakes, 15 Minute Spicy Udon and Vegetable Stir Fry, Baby Blueberry Beignets

 

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My Name is Yeh follows the hilarious Molly through her adventurous in food and life. Most recipes are inspired by her Jewish and Asian roots, and now that she’s moved from Brooklyn to a farm in North Dakota there’s a bit of that as well. It seems she’s always on a adventure.

Recent Favorites: Shakshuka Pizza, Breakfast Hasselback Sweet Potatoes, Rich Little Brownies with Matcha Glaze

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Happy Weekend

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01/ Five friends got together and built Icehenge in Lake Mills Wisconsin.
02/ White balloons erupt from houses, basketball hoops, and more in Invasions.
03/ See what a cup of tea looks like in 22 different countries.
04/ Rebecca Bartoshesky turns Jell-o into modern art.
05/ Glowing terracotta warrior lantern sculptures are on display in Sydney for Chinese New Year.
06/ Winter winds have carved frozen sand towers on the shore of Lake Michigan.
07/ Lifelike galvanized wire animal sculptures by Kendra Haste.
08/ Beautiful mosaics made from painted ceramic plates by Molly Hatch.
09/ Joy Pitts turns unwanted clothing labels in to beautiful animal portraits.
10/ I now want to adopt a capybara even more since finding out they enjoy hot tub soaks.

This week on Design Crush:
Big + bold statement art and why it works so well in nearly every room.
Pretty snowy script street art by Faust New York.
I’m an adult! I got a new Casper mattress!
Check out these 12 February DIYs you’ll want to make ASAP.
Stunning textile art by Serena Garcia Dalla Venezia.
Great leather bags meet art at Epoché.
Cheuk Lun Lo turns shampooed heads into abstract art.
Stay warm with hot chocolate 12 ways.
Who knew that flowers look just as great frozen in ice as in a vase? Makoto Azuma.

Design Crush elsewhere:
Sometimes pattern-free is just the way to be!

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Hot Chocolate 12 Ways

Nothing says snow day!!! quite like a steamy steamy delicious mug of hot chocolate. Your mind might immediately jump to paper packets of the instant variety, but have you ever considered expanding those horizons? Real chocolate. Real cream. Real FLAVOR. Add a little booze, opt for white chocolate, brûlée those marshmallows – so many options! Here are twelve recipes to get you daydreaming about cozy fires and layers of blankets on the couch.

 

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Click on each image to go to the recipe.
All photos copyright of their respective sites unless otherwise noted.

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Happy Weekend

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01/ See how women’s ideal body types have changed over 3,000 years.
02/ Artists + designers have added happiness to the walls of the Royal London Children’s Hospital.
03/ Keith Anderson has been having his son’s drawings tattooed on himself for 7 years.
04/ Andrew Fladeboe captures the hardest working dogs in the world on film in The Shephard’s Realm.
05/ Mini Cities pare down famous locales to their most iconic settings.
06/ Could the Popcorn Monsoon make even me like popcorn?
07/ Wish I’d thought of this one – famous artworks recreated with Pantone swatches by Nick Smith.
08/ Love these coffee stain motorcycle drawings by Carter Asmann.
09/ Can a drone ambulance save lives faster?
10/ I’ve finally found where I’ll be retiring – Zao Fox Village!

This week on Design Crush:
Every desk could use the presence of The Tipsy Writer.
I’m taking part in Texas Style Council 2015 next month in Austin – join me?
Patrik Svensson associates the famous with a telling visual element in their name.
Have you downloaded our Much Love to You printable by Colore’ Grace?
Richard Johnson‘s ice hut photographs manage to make the cold look good!
Check out Design Crush’s 2015 Survey results, if you’re a stats nerd like me.
I’m reminded of how much I love the moon thanks to Jim Nickelson.
Anxious to try these pretty products from Vice & Velvet.
If you’ve waited until the last possible minute, here are 16 last minute printable valentines to download.

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Much Love To You Printable

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I’ve spent the last year watching my friend Colore’s calligraphy talent go from beginner to her own beautiful style. While she’s usually busy creating over on her site – Colore’ Grace – today she’s sharing a Valentine’s Day card printable with us. The sentiment of ‘much love to you’ is just about the perfect thought for everyone on February 14th. It’s not terribly sentimental or cliche so print them out for your friends, your family – anyone who has a special place in your heart that you wish to know you’re thinking of them come Valentine’s Day.

Much Love to You Printable Download

 

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Photos: Colore’ Grace and Bruce Layman

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