February 15, 2018

12 Apps You Should Totally Check Out

 

ROW 1

Adobe Capture – Turn photos into color palettes, patterns, type, materials and shapes to use with your favorite Creative Cloud apps. With just a tap on your mobile screen, you can transform what you see into creative building blocks for all your designs.

magicplan – Lets you create professional floor plans simply by taking pictures. Use magicplan to generate complete job estimates, view your space in 3D, plan DIY projects, or furnish your home.

Melodist – By analyzing the changes in hues, saturation and brightness, Melodist generates the mode, scale, chord progression and melody automatically, turning every photo into a piece of beautiful music.

 

ROW 2

Paint Tester – Finding the right color for a room can be a challenge, but Paint Tester shows you the results without all the pain of painting and repainting. Easily try out colors from the palette or take a photo of a color you’d like to try, and apply it to pictures of your own home.

Pantone Studio – Capture your world in PANTONE color, build and create palettes to test on 3D-rendered materials & designs, and share PANTONE colors with your Creative Cloud account, clients, and social networks.

Pee & See – Pee & See is a simple water reminder app that doesn’t need to know when you drink water or how much you drink. Instead, just tap one button every time you go to the bathroom. When you haven’t peed for 3 hours you’ll get a reminder to drink water (except at night).

 

ROW 3

Plant Life Balance –  Choose from one of seven ‘living looks’, then drag and drop your favorite plants into your room to see how they will make your space healthier and more relaxing. The app even rates the health and well-being of your space based on how many plants you have in it – drawing on results from a study carried out by RMIT University.

Seasonal Food Guide – Find what produce is in season in your state at any time of year with info on 140+ fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, and herbs, the Seasonal Food Guide is the most comprehensive digital almanac of seasonal local food available.

SMARTIFY – Love visiting art galleries but hate not knowing the stories behind the artworks? Join the thousands of people who have used SMARTIFY in museums and galleries across the world to discover and share art.

 

ROW 4

Sun – Sun is centered around a single weather line visualising the temperature and precipitation by the hour.

Trips – Explore every day with Trips — a beautiful, simple and intuitive way to share travel experiences. Upload photos and videos to your timeline, then share your trip with your friends, family and fellow travellers. Discover new places, be inspired by stories from the Lonely Planet community and start planning your next adventure.

Verena – Verena is a personal security system for the LGBTQ+ community, giving you the tools you need to keep you safe while you live as the person you were meant to be. Create an account, and develop a network of emergency contacts, who can be alerted without leaving a trace on your phone.

Posted In living, round up, series, technology
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February 14, 2018

Big Sky Urns

 

One of my pets passing away isn’t something I enjoy thinking about, but with two cats ages 17 and 18 it’s  often in the back of my mind. I know that they’ll be cremated, but beyond that I hadn’t thought much about it. But then I came across Big Sky Urns‘ handmade ceramic and wood flower vases that double as a final resting place for your beloved pet once they’ve passed. The modern vessels manage to be sentimental without being tacky and no one would guess their true purpose without being in the know.

 

 

Posted In living, pets
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February 12, 2018

Vegetable Beef Soup

 

For weeks now it seems like if it hasn’t been snowing, it’s been raining. (It’s happening even now as I type.) My usual meals of chicken and Brussels sprouts or kitchen sink salads just haven’t been comforting enough, so there’s been plenty of warming soups and stews on the menu. This Vegetable Beef Soup is easy to pull together on either the stovetop or in a slow cooker, with plenty of tender vegetables to fill up your belly.

 

 

Vegetable Beef Soup

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 lb sirloin steak (or stew meat)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 C carrots, diced
• 1 C celery, diced
• 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (optional)
• 8 C beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

In a large stockpot heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add half of the steak, stirring frequently until well browned. Remove and transfer to another plate. Repeat with remaining steak. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining olive oil along with the onion, cook while stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and potatoes and continue to cook for another 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, as well as the steak, to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot, simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until steak and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaves and serve.

(This recipe can also be made in a slow cooker. Follow the above directions through the browning of the steak, then combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours, until vegetables are tender.)

 

Posted In food, living, recipes
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February 9, 2018

13 Mantel Mirrors

 

I’ve had various pieces of statement art sitting atop my mantel in both of the homes I’ve owned, but I’m starting to think that it might be time for a change. Lately I’ve been noticing mantel mirrors more often and I love the way they can make a room feel larger through illusion. My living room is a decent size but my home isn’t terribly wide, so I’ve been considering what shape and style I might incorporate into the space. So far my research has put these thirteen mantel mirrors at the top of the list – which one are you drawn to most?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted In house and home, living, round up, series, walls
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February 8, 2018

Everything Grows with Love

 

If you follow Design Crush on Instagram you may have noticed our on-going quote project, where I’ve hand-written one a day for the past several years. Quotes are something that I’ve collected, first written in a journal and then on Pinterest board, since junior high school because when someone is able to capture a thought or feeling that I haven’t been able to put into words myself I like to hang onto it.

 

 

If you’re also into the smart words of others, you’re likely to enjoy Everything Grows with Love as much as me. This squat little book from Workman Publishing is edited by the co-founders and creative directors of Flow Magazine, Irene Smit and Astrid Van der Hulst. If you’re not familiar with the wonderful-ness that is Flow, it’s a magazine that celebrates creativity, imperfection, and life’s little pleasures.

 

 

Similarly, the pages of Everything Grows with Love are full of hand-lettered and illustrated graphics by twenty contributing artists covering musings on life, love, and friendship. The affirmations, motivational sayings, and quotes will remind you to appreciate the small moments, be present, think happy, and appreciate the people around you.

 

 

Valentine’s Day is known for being *the* day for romantic love, but it’s also the perfect day for reminding others just how much they mean to you. Everything Grows with Love makes a great little gift or alternative to a traditional card. It’s a book you’ll want to keep around and return to whenever you need a smile or a bit of inspiration in your day.

 

 

Take out your favorite pages to frame or hang on the fridge. Mail one off to your long distance BFF. Or play Secret Saint Valentine and drop a few copies in the mailboxes of unsuspecting neighbors. Everything Grows with Love is just one of those gift that’s good to have handy for birthdays, engagements, or just someone who just needs a little pick me up.

 

 

This post sponsored by Workman Publishing. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Design Crush creating fresh content!

Posted In behind the scenes, create, holidays, living, read up, sponsored post, valentine's day
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February 5, 2018

Geode Puzzles

 

I’ve never come across a puzzle I’d like to frame when complete, but that’s exactly what I’d want to do with these geode puzzles. They’re designed by Nervous System, with algorithmically generated pieces that twist into incredibly distorted shapes, making them all the more difficult to put together.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted In entertaining, house and home, living
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