10 December DIYs
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To put it simply, I adore coffee. I started drinking it when I was a kid, and as I grew older the ratio of milk to coffee changed drastically. These days I happily switch between French press, pour over, and drip depending on my mood and how much time I have to brew. One of my vices is seeking out the newest technology and products in the world of coffee, and a slew of the latest is from none other than KitchenAid. That’s right, the brand that’s responsible for one of the most iconic mixers is also fluent in coffee beans and modern design. I pulled together a few gift ideas for the coffee lovers in your life, depending on their preferred brewing method – have a peek below.
Brew Milk Pan // Merienda Flatware // Pottery Tumbler
I know what you’re thinking – that looks just like a drip coffee maker. But it’s not. For the coffeehouse experience at home, the new KitchenAid Pour Over Coffee Brewer precisely heats and pulses the flow of water, then steeps like a manual pour over which allows the grounds to bloom. The result is bright, clean, and full flavored coffee without diluting.
Salt + Sugar Spoons // Sugar + Creamer Set // White Kam Mug
The science and flavors of siphon brewing come from vapor pressure pushing the water up through the siphon tube. After that vacuum suction and gravity draw the coffee down through the grounds. The dramatic KitchenAid Siphonbrew has simplified this process to extract a cup of coffee that showcases all the flavors of your favorite beans. The brewer is made of high quality glass and stainless steel to be a true thing of beauty.
Enamelware Pink Spouted Milk Pot // Form Brass Milk Jug // Pink Everyday Mug
A French press brews a bold, full-bodied, robust cup of coffee. KitchenAid’s Precision Press was developed to ensure the best French press coffee can be brewed conveniently at home through simple technology and sleek, functional design. It even features an integrated timer and scale that measures brew time and the precise ratio of coffee grounds to water for the perfect brew.
Apothem Bronze Coffee Scoop // Rounded Canister with Leather Tie // Hasami Brown Porcelain Mug
Each of these three brewing methods demands a specific grind size to extract the proper flavor. Grinding your beans to the precise size just before brewing is a key element in brewing the best possible cup of coffee. KitchenAid’s Burr Grinder offers a level of precision and consistency with its fifteen different grind sizes.
This post sponsored by Single Edition Media on behalf of KitchenAid. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content! Follow KitchenAid online at Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter for product updates and discounts.
Posted In behind the scenes, christmas, holidays, house and home, kitchen, living, sponsored post1/Paper Evergreen Holiday Wreath 2/DIY Paper Cut Christmas Wreath 3/DIY Geometric Wreath 4/Minimal Holiday Wreath 5/Black and White Gift Tags 6/DIY Paper House Luminaries 7/Holiday Gift Tag Printables 8/Printable Holiday Treat Labels 9/Vintage Noel Banner 10/Winter Fruit and Greenery Garland
11/DIY Christmas Tree Confetti Cones 12/Marbled Paper Chains 13/DIY Hanging Eucalyptus 14/Branch Stocking Display 15/Pine Needle Garland 16/DIY Holiday Pom Pom Garland 17/Mod Tree Printable Treat Labels 18/Christmas Tree Party Invitation 19/DIY Light Box Marquee 20/DIY Tinsel Letter Garland
21/DIY Fringe Christmas Trees 22/Holiday Gift Wrap Download 23/DIY Gingerbread House Gift Boxes 24/DIY Wrap for Pattern Lovers 25/Free Printable Christmas Wrap 26/Felt Leaf Garland 27/DIY Foam Gradient Trees 28/DIY Holographic Garland 29/DIY Live Holiday Wreath 30/DIY Pom Pom Tree Topper
31/Printable Holiday Cards, Gift Tags & Wrapping Paper 32/Printable Gift Wrap, Gift Tags, and Holiday Cards 33/Holiday Gift Tags 34/Free Printable Holiday Tags 35/DIY Disco Ball Snowman 36/Evergreen Printable Holiday Party Invitations 37/DIY Gold Holiday Laurel Leaf 38/DIY Ceramic Bells 39/Dried Orange & Cinnamon Garland 40/Mini Christmas Tree Piñata
41/DIY Wood Gift Tags and Ornaments 42/Santa Joy Christmas Printables 43/Snow Gift Wrapping 44/Mylar Pom Pom Garland 45/Black and White Gift Wrap 46/Disco Ball Wreath 47/DIY Scratch-Off Gift Tags 48/DIY Christmas Tree Drink Stirrers 49/Asymmetrical Wreath 50/DIY Filipino Christmas Star
51/Fluffy Knit Garland 52/Gingerbread Cookies Cityscape 53/Christmas Printable 54/Printable Holiday Tags 55/Printable Holiday Gift Tags 56/Printable Watercolor Stroke Gift Wrap 57/Merry Christmas Wrapping Paper 58/Holiday Window Painting 59/Printable Holiday Garland 60/DIY Scandinavian Christmas Tree Skirt
Posted In christmas, holidays, living, make it, round up, series1/Cranberry Ginger Whiskey Smash 2/Butterscotch Eggnog 3/Cranberry-Apple Cider Punch 4/Pomegranate Vodka Fizz 5/Apple Brandy Allspice Fizz Cocktail 6/Fig Manhattan 7/Wassail 8/Cranberry Shrub Cocktail 9/Spiced Blueberry Rum Punch 10/Apple Orange Hot Toddy
11/Persimmon Collins Cocktail 12/Pumpkin Punch Cocktail 13/Citrus Sting 14/Gin Citrus Punch 15/Ginger Blood Orange Margaritas 16/Cucumber-Infused Gin and Grapefruit, Black Pepper Fizz 17/Thyme & Citrus Moscow Mule 18/Apple Thyme Cocktail 19/Lemon Rosemary Bourbon Sour 20/Christmas Caipirinhas
21/Chambord Ginger Beer Cocktail 22/Clementine Prosecco Cocktail 23/Key Lime Cooler Cocktails 24/Fig and Lemon Fizz 25/Rose + Rosé Bourbon Cocktail 26/Pear Spiced Sangria 27/Sparkling Pomegranate Punch 28/Cranberry Ramos Gin Fizz 29/Cinnamon White Russian 30/Jingle Juice Holiday Punch
31/Boozy Chocolate Horchata 32/White Glogg Mulled Winter Wine 33/Cardamom Rose Gin Tonic 34/Pina Colada Milk Punch 35/Candy Cane Peppermint Punch 36/Cranberry Thyme Gin Tonic 37/Maple Bourbon Smash 38/Spiced Cranberry Paloma 39/Chai Tea Cocktail 40/Quince Hot Toddy
41/Whiskey Hot Chocolate 42/Cider Bourbon Jam Cocktails with Ginger Beer 43/Pomegranate Poinsettia 44/Spiced Pineapple Rum Hot Toddy 45/Red Ruby Grapefruit Ginger Cocktail 46/Hard Cider Spritz 47/Spicy Rosemary Rhubarb Margarita 48/Black Peppercorn + Cranberry Shrub with Gin 49/Tamarind Whiskey Sour 50/Orange Cranberry Blended Margaritas
Posted In christmas, cocktails, holidays, living, new years, round up, series1/Carved Paulownia Star Ornament 2/Hand Painted Pink Suzette Ornament 3/DIY Cinnamon Stick Himmeli 4/DIY Balsa Wood Ornaments 5/DIY Christmas Ornament Trio 6/DIY Clay Ornaments 7/DIY Color Blocked Ornaments 8/DIY Kintsugi Gold Fixed Christmas Baubles 9/DIY Leather Gemstone Ornaments 10/DIY Metalworked Hand Stamped Geometric Ornaments
11/DIY Mod Wooden Ornaments 12/DIY Paper House Christmas Ornament 13/DIY Paper Star Ornaments 14/DIY Papier Mache Fruit Ornaments 15/DIY Watercolor Ornaments 16/DIY Watercolour Printed Fabric Baubles 17/DIY Wooden Tassel Ornaments 18/DIY Fabric-Covered Christmas Tree Ornaments 19/DIY Glitter Dust Filled Balls 20/Geometric Glass Ornament Set
21/Light Pink Ball Ornament 22/DIY Faux Ceramic Ornaments 23/DIY Painted Pattern Holiday Ornaments 24/Pink and Orange Colorblock Christmas Ornament 25/Pink Ombre Finials 26/Porcelain King & Queen Ornament Set 27/Precision-Cut Wood Ornament Sets 28/Ready Made Snowball Ornament 29/Scales Ornament 30/DIY Stitched Leather Ornaments
31/Wooden Bell 32/Wooden Jewelry 33/Woodshop Monogram Ornament 34/DIY Gold Glitter Ornaments 35/Galactic Gold Ornament 36/DIY Gilded Feather Polymer Clay Ornaments 37/DIY Temporary Tattoo Ornaments 38/Mercury Ornament Set 39/Ceramic Animal Ornaments 40/Turned Wood Drop Ornaments
Posted In christmas, holidays, living, round up, seriesI always struggle when explaining just what I do for a living to others. You’d think after 8 1/2 years of Design Crush I’d have nailed down an elevator pitch, but nope. Usually I resort to saying something about the site being a reflection of my aesthetic yadda yadda yadda. That is until a few months ago when I came across this quote by Maira Kalman and it resonated like no other. I feel like this is the absolute perfect way to describe my day to day and if I could use it as the entirety of my bio I would.
I share things I love daily with you, but of course I don’t own all of them. Not even a fraction. One of my favorite posts each year is this one, where I get to share the things I use day in and day out that have stood the test of life. So in my best Oprah voice, herewith are my faaaavorite thiiiiiings for 2015!
1/Artifact Uprising’s Wood Cleat – This sleek reclaimed wood cleat has a magnetic closure system, making it super easy to swap out whatever art/photo/etc you want to display at any given moment.
2/Casper – You’ve surely heard about this startup that’s changing the mattress industry. I got mine back in March and haven’t woken up with a sore back or hips since. I really cannot recommend it enough! (Hit me up if you want a coupon!)
3/Cold Gold – This line of hand-crafted geometric and leather jewelry has become my go-to for daily wear and gifting. It doesn’t hurt that the owner is super sweet either!
4/Neoflam – Cast aluminum cookware that’s non-stick and seamless is perfect for making dinner every night. Because when something is this easy to clean up it’s way less likely to end up sitting in my sink for a week.
5/Urbanears Plattan ADV Wireless – I’ve worn this line for years, but they recently released the first Bluetooth headphones in their lineup and I’m completely hooked.
6/Parabo Press Risograph Prints – Really all of their personalized print goods, but especially the pink risographs are amazing. The app is also super easy to use which says a lot in this day and age.
7/Treat Collection – Since trying out this non-toxic line of nail polishes and remover I haven’t used anything else. Great coverage, no odor – what else could be better?
8/Nest – I first plugged my new learning thermostat in this past spring. Not only is it interesting to see it learn your habits, it’s also fantastic seeing the difference in your bills.
9/Canary – Quite simply the easiest all-in-one home security system that’s ever been. You control it all from your phone and there’s zero setup.
10/Frederick’s & Mae Playing Cards – Some of the most eye-catching I’ve ever come across, they even make solitaire that much better!
Posted In beauty bag, features, house and home, jewelry, kitchen, living, music, paper goods, prints, round up, series, style, wear it, woodI’ve done it – blocked a day off the week of Christmas to bake my face off. A few years ago I attempted to talk my now 91-year-old Grandma into taking a step back and only making her infamous nutrolls. It didn’t go exactly as planned, so now I simply tell her how many cookie recipes I’m making so she can see the reasoning behind my request/demand. I’ll probably end up baking between five and seven different varieties, but need to narrow the list down from these FIFTY. Help a girl out?
1/Sweet Raspberry + Tahini Sandwich Cookies 2/Slice and Bake Spice Cookies with Citrus Glaze and Sea Salt 3/Old-Fashioned Almond Gingerbread Cookies 4/Almond Butter & Maple Cream Gingersnap Sandwich Cookies 5/Caramel Fluffernutter Chocolate Chip Cookies 6/Chocolate Orange Sandwich Cookies 7/Coconut, Oatmeal, and Cherry Jam Thumbprints 8/Gingersnaps with Apple Cider Glaze 9/Swig Sugar Cookies 10/Rosemary and Apricot Shortbread Cookies
11/Pumpkin Molasses Cookies 12/Honey Cookies 13/Chai Spiced Sugar Cookies 14/Milano Cookies 15/Chocolate Caramel Ginger Cookies 16/Chewy Triple Ginger Cookies 17/Cinnamon Roll Cookies 18/Cocoa Cinnamon Sea Salt Cookies 19/Cranberry Bliss Cookies 20/Thin & Crispy Coconut Cookies
21/Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies 22/Salt & Pepper Cocoa Shortbread Cookies 23/Almond Espresso Cookies 24/Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies 25/Cranberry Orange Pistachio Cookies 26/Thin and Chewy Spiced Oatmeal Cookies with Brown Butter Icing 27/Orange Spiced Sugar Cookies 28/Chai Spiced Shortbread 29/Salted Gingersnap Mallomars 30/Clove and Molasses Lace Cookies
31/Malted Chocolate Sandwich Cookies 32/Blood Orange Vanilla Bean Meringues 33/Star Anise Spiced Dark Chocolate Sables 34/Spice Sugar Cookies 35/Spicy Gingerbread Linzer Cookies with Orange White Chocolate Ganache 36/Peppermint Drops 37/Citrus Cornmeal Shortbread 38/Cranberry Orange Almond Shortbread Cookies 39/Brown Sugar Toffee Cookies 40/Colorblock Sugar Cookies
41/Cappuccino Cookies 42/Gummy Bear Cookies 43/Smoky Cardamom Ginger Molasses Cookies 44/Butter Crunch Cookies 45/Caramel Stuffed Soft Gingerbread Cookies 46/Pink Champagne Cookies 47/Jumbo Maple Sugar Cookies 48/Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti 49/Cranberry Almond Cookies 50/Whole Grain Eggnog Cookies
Posted In christmas, food, holidays, living, recipes, round up, series
I’ve teamed up with one of my favorite design brands, Umbra, to share how I’m using some of their clean-lined products this holiday season. Their wares are extremely well-designed and versatile, making them an especially good fit for small spaces where they can pull double-duty.
I’m starting with my favorite, the Hub Ladder. I wrapped the expandable beech wood and rubber-coated steel clothing (or towel) holder with 200 white lights for a sculptural Christmas tree alternative. Right now it’s my bedroom lending some festive and functional flair to the chaos.
I always have fresh flowers (usually from the grocery store) in my home, so for Thanksgiving dinner I wanted to get extra creative. I used three Touch Toothbrush Holders as vases that formed a modern arrangement when clustered together. (Tip: It’s always a good idea to keep florals short so that guests can see one another across the table.)
I took down two large pieces of art that hang in my entryway and replaced them with wreaths. Each one got decorated with half of a brass Prisma Wall Decor set, which couldn’t have been easier because the pieces could be hooked around the branches.
I use the Gazette Magazine Rack year round in my living room, but for dinner parties I give it a different job – as a utensil and napkin holder. When you’re short on space you can carry it around until everyone is set to eat, then set it down someplace out of the way.
My Toto Storage Box usually lives on a bathroom shelf holding lipstick and nail polish, but during December it becomes a corral for some of my gift wrapping supplies. Sanity and patience are in short supply and this guy helps me out so I don’t lose it wondering where the pen/scissors/tape disappeared to.
Every year I inevitably end up saving a few of my favorite holiday card designs. For what? I had no clue until now. I picked up a few Corda Photo Displays to make some seasonal art that I actually like. And because you hang this frame either vertically or horizontally I can swap out favorites every year.
It’s nice to be able to stick to your style and aesthetic no matter the time of year, and when you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to do it that’s all the better.
Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!
Posted In accessories, behind the scenes, christmas, holidays, house and home, living, sponsored post
The weekend after Thanksgiving I started swapping out the candles I normally burn with stovetop simmer pots. I was surprised at how easy they were to put together as well as just how good they made my home smell! Just keep adding water as the burn down and one can last for a few days. Pop over to eBay to check out the four simmer pot recipes I’ve had on rotation – Cranberry + Orange + Cinnamon, Lemon + Bay Leaf, Apple + Clove + Cinnamon, Citrus Peel + Eucalyptus.
Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Design Crush creating fresh content!
Posted In holidays, house and home, living, recipesThis is maybe the first year I’ve had a tough time coming up with a Christmas wish list. I’d always heard about reaching that age where you just buy yourself all of the things you want and/or need, but I thought it was probably one of those adulthood myths. (You know what I’m talking about.) But after combing through my Pinterest boards I realized there were a few things on my list after all…
1/Howell Short Canvas Parka 2/Glass Water Kettle 3/Big Shampoo 4/Signature Flannel Bedding 5/Cowboy Coffee Kettle 6/Decked Out Pink Stone Coasters 7/Ebony Stripe Planter 8/Merengue Merino Wool Blanket 9/Newen Days Opal Ring 10/Metal Framed Round Mirror
Posted In accessories, beauty bag, house and home, jewelry, kitchen, living, round up, series, style, wear it