Sourcing Digital Inspiration

So yesterday I mentioned that I’d found a way to source an image from Pinterest that had been linked to a generic home page (that had since been updated of course and the content was nowhere to be found—extremely frustrating!). If you’ve ever run into this problem, or if you find an inspiring photo and you want to see images similar to it, well your world is about to change.

Hello, Google Images. Sure, Google Images is nothing knew, but did you know if you take an image and drop it in the search bar, it’ll find it’s original source on the web? But what’s more, there’s also a section in the search results for “visually similar images,” which may lead to more pinning… Just pin responsibly!

If you’re web savvy, you may have already known this, but I consider myself such, and I didn’t discover this trick until I read about it in Apartment Therapy. Read their post for a few more Google Images pointers.

The results

Similar images section

Similar images expanded

(Original image: Lonny.com)

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I want that Wednesday

So I was (somewhat accidentally) invited to a black-tie gala at the Shedd Aquarium. Not only is the Shedd itself completely bad ass (I really want to go to their new exhibit where you can pet stingrays!), but the theme of the gala is Be Like Bond, which is pretty awesome too.

Unfortunately I’m not actually going… But if I was, I’d want to wear this:

I guess tulle isn’t exactly Bond girl, but I imagine the top fitting like a glove. I love the unique color (The description says it’s green. It’s almost stingray-like, no?), and the crystal beading and embroidery is very Great Gatsby (I can’t believe I haven’t seen that yet!). I ran across the dress on Pinterest, and of course it linked to some random Tumblr page. But after a bit of image research—which I’ll show you how to do yourself tomorrow!—I found out it’s by Collette Dinnigan, an Australian designer. She actually has a lot of beautiful dresses on her site, though they’re definitely out of my price range.  Oh well, a girl can dream!

Design Inspiration: UO at Home

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day! Mine was very productive indeed. On Thursday, I talked about how I had to clean out (most of) what’s left at my parents’ house. I feel like I did a pretty darn good job, though I was sad to see my 2001-2004 Vogue collection in the recycling bin.

It was time.

That said, I still kept probably two dozen magazines and another two dozen books that I’ve collected over the years (give me some credit, that’s pretty good considering the numbers I started with). Add that to what I already have in my apartment… I’m starting to have a real storage issue.

Lo and behold, I run across a tour of an Urban Outfitters director’s home. I honestly really dislike the rest of the house (you can check it out here and let me know if you agree/disagree—way too much everything), but I am VERY jealous of her teak bookshelves. Look at all that great storage space! I need to get me some of that…

Foodie Friday: Thai Noodles

It’s official: I can cook Asian food! OK, maybe that’s too sweeping of a statement—I can make one Thai dish. But for someone who just a few months ago considered herself a non-cook, I think it’s pretty darn good that I experimented with a cuisine that most Americans only know from take-out menus. I mean, who owns sesame oil? (And now I know why people don’t: It’s expensive!)

So anyway, I borrowed a recipe from A Small Snippet and got to work. Now the big difference between her recipe and what I did is that she serves it cold. I tried it both cold and hot, and I think it’s so much better warmed up! But the nice thing is that it’s edible either way, and it also reheats well in the microwave the next day (leave off the garnishes until after it’s heated). I also added chicken that I’d marinated in teriyaki sauce, and I squeezed a lime over it all right before serving.

There’s really not a ton you’ll need: linguine, vegetable oil, sesame oil, crushed red pepper, honey, soy sauce, carrot, cilantro and peanuts; lime and chicken optional. Now, she really cautions against using too much red pepper. I used about 3/4 tablespoon, and honestly it wasn’t enough. I know it’s hard to judge since each person is different, but I like spicy food as long as it doesn’t distract from the flavors (if my mouth is numb, I’m not really tasting anything). It could’ve used a bit more kick, so I’ll probably try 1 1/4 tablespoon next time and see how it goes.

Look how beautiful it is with all the garnishes!

Click here for the recipe from A Small Snippet. What do you think—better hot or cold? Leave your comments below!

Reblog: Living With Less. A Lot Less.

A few weeks ago, I sent this article about editing down the material objects in your life to my brother. He’s gone off and moved to North Carolina and gone all granola on me (there’s nothing wrong with that, of course—he’s interning at an organic raspberry farm this summer…). It was written by the founder of Treehugger.com, a site Travis is particularly fond of.

Anyway, I didn’t think much of it myself. Sure, I could do with tossing probably half of the stuff packed into my apartment, but was I actually going to get rid of all but six shirts? Doubtful.

But my parents are in the midst of remodeling (with plans to eventually retire on a lake somewhere) and informed me that anything I have left in their house has to go… I’m 26 years old; that’s a perfectly reasonable request. But where am I going to put all that stuff? It’s really not all that much—a Vogue magazine collection, some costumes, boxes of pictures and keepsakes from my travels—but I can barely find a place for my office supplies as it is.

So when I go down there this weekend, I’m hoping to channel my inner Graham Hill and not let my life be cluttered with excess belongings. My plan is to keep only what is important (tax documents, for instance) or sentimental (I know that’s a gray area, but bare with me).

I want more time and money and less stress. Who doesn’t?

Click here to read “Living With Less. A Lot Less.” on NYTimes.com. And here to see pictures of Hill’s convertible apartment. It’s pretty amazing.

(Image: Maxwell Holyoke-Hirsch, NYTimes.com)

I want that Wednesday

One of the things on The Home Improvement List that I have yet to address (and it’s even one of the easiest) is designating an area for laundry. Well, I guess the area is already designated—a spot in my closet—but I just haven’t bought a hamper or some kind of laundry-holder. Sure, I could just go with your ordinary plastic laundry basket, but I don’t do laundry all that often so I’m sure the thing would be overflowing with clothes and towels and what not. So I was thinking something more like this…

This is not a walk-in closet I’m talking about here, so it’d be great having a laundry bin on wheels. Plus, I definitely know that I want something with shape, so I can just throw the clothes in there (I’m way to lazy to open up a bag that’s on the floor… sad, I know). Plus, then I could use those sturdy handles to carry it (sans frame) down to the washers and dryers in the basement—or if I’m lucky, to my parents house where I can do laundry for free. I may have to do all of my laundry at their house if I splurge on this $100 dirty clothes holder! (For the record, the basic plastic one is less than $10… Damn you, Crate & Barrel.)

(Image: Crate & Barrel)

Design Inspiration: Barbie House

Aw man, if I had a little girl, I would totally buy this for her (though I’d probably like it more than her because I’m sure she’d want the latest three-story Barbie house with a jacuzzi and HDTVs… such is life):

A midcentury-style Barbie house from Craigslist. How cool is that? Now if only there were some miniature Eames and Saarinen and Bertoia furniture to go with it…

[Update: On second thought, this Barbie house looks like the public library in my hometown! Am I right? I always thought it was pretty ugly though.]