Photography Gear from Photojojo

Who doesn't love photography? Whether you're behind the camera or infront of it, we all can appreciate a beautiful photograph. Capturing a sweet moment in time or an artistic snapshot? Whatever your motivation is, Photojojo will be along with you on your photo-taking journeys. The site is packed with photography goodies- they've got everything from the newest polaroid cameras to bottlecap tripods! And once your shoot is finshed, they've got the cutest frames and displays you can find! It's not only a store, but a community for photographers to exchange thoughts and ideas. Learn how to print your friends face on a cupcake or how to turn your photo into a mural in 5 minutes! I'm all about this site right now... check out what I found on there today!

The Impossible Project is bringing back polaroid film to those of us who still love these classic cameras.

The Great Outdoors | Anorak

Welcome to the home of kissing rabbits, robins and horses. This is Anorak, a British design company that specializes in products for the great outdoors. When you're outside enjoying nature, why not do it in style? Take a look at some of the awesome things I found on their site! You can get your hands on one of their catalogues by clicking HERE.

The Fresh Retro Kitchen

The Kitchn (yep, thats how they spell it!) is an awesomely inspiring site that gets you in the mood to cook things up! The kitchen designs featured on their site really inspired me to spruce things up in my own space, especially this one in particular: the Fresh Retro Kitchen. The combination of red and teal give it this great vintage look without making it look old-fashioned. I've always loved this color combo- but never thought of using it for a cooking space. Low and behold- its super cute and inviting. Best of all, it was done on a budget (gotta love that!) I'm spotting some little Ikea pieces (always easy on the pockets) and the use of refurbished pieces that came with the original construction of the home. I'm a big fan of working with what you've got and that's exactly what they did to make this kitchen renovation a total success!

Girls Night : Movies and Milkshakes

It's been a while since I've posted about Girls Night here on More Design Please! This week we're combining two of my favorite things- movies and milkshakes! Each of us will bring an ingredient to create our own custom recipes. I've been researching milkshakes for the big night and have narrowed it down to the two i'm posting here today. As far as the movie goes- we'll decide on that tonight- take a look at our choices for the evening (not a bad line up!)

1. Amelie, 2. Yellow Submarine,

3. Pumpkin, 4. Zombieland,

5. Harold and Maude, 6. Food Inc.,

7. Fantastic Mr. Fox, 8. Chocolat

Recipe from A Cozy Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 3 scoops vanilla ice cream (or non-fat frozen yogurt) 

• 1 tablespoon milk (or non-fat milk)

• I large dollop of plain yogurt (greek yogurt can be a healthy option)

• 5 Kraft Jumbo Jef-Puffed marshmallows

• Whipped cream

Toast marshamllows under a broiler, or, if you’re frisky, over a flame until they just start to blacken evenly (the trick is to make sure it’s evenly toasted and dark, but not turned to charcoal). Put the milk, yogurt, and then ice cream in the blender. Blend carefully, just until you get a “donut”—when you see the shake holding to the sides of the blender with a hollow core. Add three of the toasted marshmallows to the blender, and whirl it just until they’re all broken up and distributed evenly. Be careful not to overblend it, making it too melty. Pour shake into a glass, top with a dollop of whipped cream, break the last two marshmallows on top, and serve with an extra-wide straw.

Found on Evan's Kichen Ramblings

Ingredients:

• 200g Greek yogurt

• 1.5 tbsp non-fat milk

• 150g fresh blueberries

• 1 tbsp agave nectar or honey for extra sweetness

• 1 tbsp granola for texture

Blend everything till smooth. Garnish with marshmellows and blueberries. Enjoy!

Outdoor Entertaining (In Small Spaces)

Now that Summer is here, I've been spending much more time outside. Whether it's grilling at the BBQ or working on my by bike- I've been soaking in the beautiful weather as much as possible. The only thing I've missed out on is outdoor entertaining due to the fact that I live in an apartment building and don't have a defined outdoor space of my own. However, there is a beautiful courtyard area that I'm sure I could take advantage of at some point. This leads to todays post about outdoor entertaining. I've found some creative and inspiring images that may get you thinking about entertining outdoors this Summer. These spaces don't actually require a ton of room, just an imagination... so you don't need a ton of space to throw a beautiful party!

Using simple garden planters and holders, you can keep your guests beverages cool!

Mason jars are a great outdoor accessory and can be used for lighting or beautiful flower displays!

Images from Treasure Again.

Sweet garden decor idea from Vintage Indie: refurbished drawers for garden planters!

Illustrating Walls : The Lunatic Room

Wow, can you imagine staying in this room for a night? Camille Scherrer is a swiss designer with a beautiful asthetic used for interior, print and interactive work. Using wall paper, Camille transports us into an entirely new environment representing the 29 phases of the moon and how it effects nature. The space is called The Lunatic Room. See videos of the room HERE. Read more about the project HERE.

What to Wear? Lookbook.nu

Perhaps I'm the only one who has never heard of this ste, but I knew I had to share it just in case you haven't! Lookbook.nu is the ultimate fashion blog because it's updated by YOU. Submit photos of what your wearing and the blog uploads it if they like. Simple as that. I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a "fashionista" but I definitely admire good design-including that in the realm of fashion. I love to see how creative people get with their clothing, as it is a physical reflection of themselves- so I can see why people get really into it. And if you're ever having an un-inspired day- you can visit this site for some great ideas. I've put together some inspiration boards that may get you on the right track...

Hot Chocolate On A Stick? Yes Please!

I love hot chocolate and I love popcicles. Therfore, I love this idea. This comes from the absolutely adorable blog Givers Log. It's for all of us who can't get enough of this warm chocolately beverage, even on a hot Summer's Day! Keep in mind, I'm no good at cooking, baking or anything that requires high skills in the kitchen department- so you know if I post a recipe, it's gotta look pretty easy! I know what I'll bed doing this weekend- trying out this recipe. I'll let you know how it goes!

FOR FULL INSTRUCTIONS CLICK HERE

Hot Chocolate on a Stick
10 cubes of hot chocolate (ice-cube-tray size)
(use 1 oz. hot chocolate on a stick per every 1 cup milk or cream)

Equipment:
Ziplock bags or piping bags
A double boiler or pan with a glass bowl that can sit over the simmering water
Some kind of chocolate mold, ice trays work great
Stir sticks or a bag of wooden craft sticks like I used (like these, available at any craft store)

Ingredients:
8 oz. chocolate (see note above), bittersweet, semisweet, milk, and white chocolate all work
1/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted pinch of salt

6 cups milk and 2 cups heavy cream if you plan to enjoy these right away

Method
(read a whole post about melting chocolate, including how to melt in the microwave, here)

1. If your chocolate is in a block, chop it into even-sized meltable pieces. Simmer a couple inches of water in a pan, then turn down the heat so the water is below a simmer. I like to remove the pan from the heat, but if you keep it on, keep that water below a simmer. Place glass or stainless steel bowl over the top to make a double boiler. If the bowl touches the water it’s alright, as long as your water is mildly warm, not hot. Dump chocolate into the clean, dry bowl and stir as the chocolate melts. (If you are patient and let those chunks melt slowly, keeping them from getting over 90 degrees F or 88 degrees F for milk and white chocolate, the chocolate will stay “in temper” and will still be nice and pretty when it cools.)
2. Once the chocolate is 2/3 melted, with just some pieces of the chocolate unmelted, remove the bowl from the pan, dry the bottom with a towel and continue stirring until chocolate is fully melted. This is just one more step to keep the chocolate from getting too hot.
3. Add cocoa, sugar, and salt and continue to stir until combined. The chocolate will be thicker, as thick as frosting, but stir on. If it looks and feels grainy it’s possible you’ve accidentally gotten a drop of water in the mixture. If it has gotten water in it and has seized up, it will still taste alright, it just won’t be as pretty or smooth or melt quite as fast.
4. Scoop chocolate into a ziplock bag and clip off the corner.
5. Pipe the chocolate into your chocolate mold, tapping the mold on the counter to make sure all the chocolate settles into the mold. Add a stir stick and you’re done. The stir stick should stay upright without any trouble. If the chocolate bursts through the bag in places you don’t want it to, just put the whole thing in another bag. If the chocolate starts to get too thick to squeeze, just put the whole thing in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or so at half power.
6. Let the chocolate cool either at room temperature or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry. I find the chocolate pops out of the mold nicely if it’s been in the fridge. It’s okay to cool chocolate in the fridge, just don’t store it there, because chocolate soaks up the odors of other foods pretty quickly.
7. If you don’t like the look of the chocolate once it is removed from the mold, you can dip the cubes into a new batch of plain melted chocolate for a shinier finish (again, try to keep chocolate from heating over 90 degrees, or use candy melts, which don’t need to be in temper, they will stay shiny and pretty even if you go above 90 degrees). This also lets you add sprinkles or crushed candy or just lets you dip in fun patterns. I like dipping at an angle into a different color of chocolate.
8. In order to enjoy these, heat up any combo of milk, water, half and half, or cream. I like 6 cups milk with 2 cups heavy cream. One ounce of chocolate on a stick should be melted into one cup milk or cream. So a standard ice cube-tray block, which is 3/4 an ounce, should be melted into a mug with 3/4 cup milk or cream in it.

Word of warning: no water!
There is one thing you need to know before working with chocolate if you don’t already: never let water or alcohol touch it. Not a drop.

Fog Linen : Featured Store

I have a wonderful shop to share with you guys today. The clean and simple design asthetic of Fog Linen is so refreshingly natural and clean. Yumiko Sekine, creator of the store, was inspired by the linens she wore as a young girl growing up in Japan. In order to find affordable, quality fabrics, she travelled to Lithuania, a country that grows flax and spins the fibers into linen- and has been producing quality linen ever since. I have always loved using and wearing natural linens- so comfortable on those hot Summer days in Southern California! So, I was especially glad to find all of the wonderful light materials in their catalogue and on their online store... Here's a sneak peak for you!

Inspiration : Comic-Con

That's right, it's here! The Comic-Con phenomonon is happening right now is San Diego. I thought it was only right to honor this massive event with one of my posts this week, so here it is! Comics are a huge part of our culture- infused into our movies, art, and DESIGN- thats right! Take a look at some awesome finds I have today for you... in honor of all of my awesomely geeky friends in San Diego right now :)

Make your own Comic Book Holder! Directions HERE

Etsy Finds!

1. POW hair Piece by Janine Basil

2. Lightnin' Earrings and Brooch by Lou Lou Do

3. Super Leather Cuff by Love at First Blush

4. Comic Snack Bags by Fig Tree Boutique

5. Furry Het by Furlicious Furs

6. Comic Strip Shade by Spooky Shades

Leggings by Black Milk Clothing, Superhero Accessories by Bec&Bridge

Sneakers by Puma

Wonderwoman Shoe by Even Diane von Furstenberg

Pow Jewelry by Revolution Shop

Corto Maltese Comic Watch by Hugo Pratt and Swatch

Comic Art Backpack found on Colette

Thought bubble decor via Fusca Design and Inhabitat