Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, but whether you want to be sexy for yourself for someone else is your own business. I’m just here to supply some of the ammo with 36 pieces of beautiful lingerie that are appropriate for both business time and Business Time.
Last week we shared a bunch of basic vs fancy foods for the Super Bowl, and today we’re narrowing it down even further with some of the most amazing nacho recipes I’ve ever seen. Lots of borrowing from other statement dishes and turning them into the most brilliant of snack foods! Out of these fifteen surely there’s at least one to peak your interest…
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made the mistake of dipping my paintbrush in my coffee or coming this close to taking a swig of the paint water! Lucky for all of us who can relate, illustrator Hallie Bateman’s created this set of Paint Water / Not Paint Water Mugs.
Now that we know it’ll be the Philadelphia Eagle and the New England Patriots facing off in Super Bowl LII, we can get onto the very important task of party planning. Or more specifically menu planning. Because if either of those teams aren’t your favorite – this Pittsburgh Steelers fan included – then the most important thing happening at the Super Bowl party you’re hosting or attending will likely be the food.
I’ve only been to two types of SB parties in my lifetime – the kind that includes paper plates and cans of beer, and the type where it would be frowned upon to throw the plates or glasses into the trash. In other words, basic and fancy. Basic parties include the old standbys while fancy parties step outside the box a bit more. Both types of party foods are fantastic and delicious, and I wouldn’t turn down an invitation to either!
I’ve barely started this post and I already feel naked. Last year was difficult for a multitude of reasons, and the hard and fast truth of it is that my business was one of the bigger ones. I won’t sugarcoat it or try to distract you with pretty words – although maybe some nice photos might help? At times this journey with FreshBooks has felt like picking up the rug only to discover the dirt underneath, or putting on makeup to hide the flaws. It’s made me take a very real, very deep look into my future and the future of this site.
Blogging is a funny business. It’s not even one that existed in a professional capacity when I started Design Crush almost eleven years ago, and it’s definitely not a career path I planned for myself. But I fell in love and absolutely adore what I do here, and at times probably border on being a bit of a workaholic because of it. But what was once one person sitting behind a desk or on a couch or at a dining room table putting something out into the void of the internet is now a career that includes teams, financial backers, and the dreaded pivot to video. Algorithms seem to change with every week, decimating audiences that have been hard-fought for. Then there’s the game of comparison, and reminding oneself that someone else’s endgame isn’t going to look the same as your middle. So is this my middle or am I nearing my end? Who knows.
What I do know is that even ten years later I’m still figuring it out as I go.
Last year I was able to get the financial side of Design Crush on lockdown with the help of FreshBooks, and I can honestly say that thanks to them I don’t hate dealing with money nearly as much as I once did. Having all of my invoices present and accounted for on a platform that’s well designed and intuitive with a slew of other features that I actually use has made it loads less painful. It’s so gratifying to see the charting of my earnings throughout the year, and time previously spent on my finances can be dedicated towards making those numbers go up! (Because no, product offers unfortunately do not pay the bills.)
Like I said, I’m far from having it all figured out. I don’t want to hire a team or have financial backers or pivot to video, and I never did. But one of the most important qualities any small business owner can have is adaptability and I’m certain some changes will be inevitable. And when they show up I’ll learn to roll with the punches just like I have over the last decade. (DECADE!)
Thanks for coming along with me on this four part journey! It’s been eye-opening and mildly nauseating to say the least, but I wanted to give you an honest look at what goes on behind the scenes and through my mind – usually at all hours of the night. If you missed the first three parts of the series with FreshBooks you can catch up here, here, and here.
This post sponsored by FreshBooks. All words and opinions are my own, as always. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!
The porcelain Bliss tea service was designed by Odo Fioravanti for Normann Copenhagen. These minimal yet sweet pieces have a quirky charm thanks to their rounded handles and upturned spouts. Each piece sits comfortably in your hand, with a gloss porcelain interior and a matte finish exterior. The set consists of tea cups, mugs, a sugar bowl, a milk jug, and a teapot.
The Piippu Pot by Kaksikko is a crafted porcelain pot and filter holder which serves two cups of coffee or tea. Designers Salla Luhtasela and Wesley Walters have teamed up to create a beautiful array of objects and furniture for the home with Salla crafting each pot by hand. The set consists of three pieces – filter holder, lid, and pot. Available in a black engobe finish or white gas-fired porcelain.
DROP combines state-ofthe-art functionality with contemporary yet timeless design and color. The ability to pour water into the top of the handle or to rinse salad or berries and allow them to drain when you turn off the tap is unique. The colander is easy to use and store when folded.
A streamlined, multi-use form that acts as oil jug, creamer, or soy sauce dispenser. The numbered edition is 3D printed porcelain and comes with or without a lid.
OIKOS is a table designed for creative working environments and emphasizes the importance of social connection achieved by cooking and eating together. Simply enough, it invites people to gather around it in order to work, eat or cook together.
The Pioneer set is handcrafted from borosilicate glass and silver plated hammered copper. The design is based around the age old concept of adding silver to water to purify it and prevent bacteria.
The Sucabaruca Coffee Set is rich in cultural and formal references while the main cone-shaped body is reminiscent of Carmencita, the famous character created by Armando Testa in1966 for the tv show Carosello. The lines in the ceramic are meant to emphasize the uniqueness of the pieces which can be stacked and combined in various ways. The finish of the Sucabaruca set, a glossy white, showcases the traditional glaze work of the studio. Kihara, a Japanese porcelain producing company based in Arita, Japan, has been hand-crafting ceramic wares for over 400 years. The set includes pot, filter funnel, and 3 cups.
When you choose to slow down to prepare a cup of tea manually, you step away from the myriad of distractions that surround you — at least for a short time — to solely focus on “making tea with skill.”
This borosilicate glass mug invites coffee drinkers to learn, and create, various coffee recipes. Measure ingredients and change the proportions of espresso, milk, and water using the handy indicators printed on the outside of the mug.
