Smoothies

This last year or so I've been hung up on trying different smoothie recipes and green drinks, so when the January issue of Whole Living came in the mail the cover instantly resonated with me and I discovered 25 great recipes from their website that are helping me mix it up. I've tried a few and I can't wait to try more, today I made the Banana-Peanut Butter but switched out milk for almond milk. I am a big almond milk fan, have you tried it? What is your favorite smoothie / drink recipe?

(individual photos from Whole Living; collaged by B*E - Aren't the smoothie colors fun?!)

Music Monday : Keren Ann

I've been a Keren Ann fan for quite some time, so I am thrilled to hear about her new album coming out and to see a new video release for her single called, "My Name is Trouble". She is both Dutch and Israeli and also spent some time growing up in France so her interesting multicultural background I believe heavily influences her cool musical style. Her new album comes out in Europe at the end of February and the U.S. soon thereafter where she will also be touring. If you are new to her sound, you should check out her other music, it is really great! I posted about her previously here (wow-- it was over 3 years ago). Happy Music Monday. What do you think?

Check out her collection of albums or see what she has on itunes.-- (these links support B*E).

Everything is going to be Amazing.

Lots of people I know had some sort of bad day this week, it must be in the water or something?! This is a great reminder. Have a great weekend everyone!

Bubbles in Paris

I'm pretty obsessed with these photographs by Melvin Sokolsky, aren't they are incredible?! What makes them even more special is that they were taken in Paris in 1963 when there wasn't Zorbs or computers to do photo alterations. Looks like all crane and pulley systems used here! These shots call for new use of my recently made-up word ... 'j'mazing'! Have you ever put two words together on accident creating a new one? What do you think of these shots? See more here. (via for love of bikes)

Design Story : Designer Stuff For Less!

I've talked about it before here but in case you missed it, I am over the moon excited about Design Story. It has got to be one of the best sites for really cool designer stuff for less I've ever come across! It really is that good.

Today I just ordered some lovely Rifle Valentines and last week I ordered up these Cubitec bookshelves that have been on my wish list ever since I saw them in the sneak peek home of Swiss Miss over at Design Sponge that you can also find at DWR. So, since this was really fresh on my mind, I thought I would let you know about it again! It rocks.

Sign up here and get a $10 credit.* What is your favorite online discount site? This is definitely one of mine.


*B*E also gets the same credit, but I am more excited about sharing this super cool site with you than that!

Feeling Fruit Inspired...

1: Cast Iron Apple Pot
2: Blabla Kids
3: Amazing Drink Boxes student work by Yunyeen Yong

Map Prints

 

Kim let me know about her lovely city prints from Albie Design. Of course the one of Seattle is my favorite, but there are many more cities in her shop and more to come soon!

Healthy Grilled Cheese

Since I am on the losing weight bandwagon after having our baby, the people at Weight Watchers sent me some cheeses and asked if I could come up with some recipes. Last time I shared a new favorite low calorie snack (see here) and today it is a cold snowy day, so a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup fit the ticket. Instead of over indulging on calories which is easy to do during the winter, Weight Watchers is a good choice for nice flavor without a lot of calories. Today I tried the Mexican Style blend on some whole wheat bread and put in right into the panini grill. The Mexican cheese is made from 2% milk was 80 calories for 1/3 cup so you really can't go too wrong. It was yummy! What do you put on your grilled cheese sandwich?

(photo by blackeiffel)

Typographic Animated Alphabet

The Alphabet from n9ve on Vimeo.


If you are a designer or a lover of typography, you may want to check out this typographic Alphabet video by n9ve . I think it is pretty neat-o.

Music Monday : Agnes Obel

Searching for some fresh music this morning I came across Danish Singer/Songwriter Agnes Obel for the very first time. Her music is beautiful! I love the sound of soft piano with a pretty voice and she delivers with her lyrics being equally as lovely...

"Black turns beamy bright
Turning on the light
Today is gonna be the day
You hear somebody say
We need you wide awake"

She recently released her first album, "Philharmonics" in October or 2010. Another track and video -- Riverside is also quite stunning. Both of these pieces are little works of art, really. Give her music a listen and tell me what you think. Happy Music Monday!

You can find the album on itunes. (this link supports B*E)

(photo by Mali Lazell)

Babble Links...

Here are some Babble posts I wrote this week I think you may enjoy...

Wow, this lamp is sooo cool!
Fun office products I want one of each (shown above)
Are you a Charley Harper fan like me? You have to see this!
I literally giggled out loud when I saw these.
Their sale is still going strong with lots of cute options for kids.
I love these healthy cookbooks.
You still have time to do one of these Valentine's portraits!

Alt

I am at Alt Design Summit and will be tweeting throughout the event here: @blackeiffel

Great Idea for your Inspiration Board

These little photo hangers are brilliant for when you don't want to poke holes in pretty pieces. Bravo!

(via Bb-blog)

Great Styling from Collegien

Impeccably cute styling behind the French line Collegien selling these fun slipper socks. Adorable! I totally want a pair, anyone have one -- how are they?

Music Monday : James Blake

Have you heard of James Blake? His electronic song creations are blowing my mind lately, pretty experimental and unique. His debut album hasn't even come out yet and he is getting lots of buzz. Check it out and Happy Music Monday!

*If you haven't heard his Feist cover, it is pretty amazing as well.

(photo from here)

Julia Denos

Having fun looking at the whimsical illustrations of Julia Denos.

Top Five Friday : Favorites Of The Week

Here are my top five favorite things I saw this week. I'm totally bonkers over this DJ light installation. The future is ahead of us with more interactive technology. Watch the clip here.



How rad is that polaroid iPhone decal? Did you hear about the sweet news that Pioneers of American Industrial Design stamps are headed our way? I agree with Suann, the USPS is stepping it up lately in the stamp dept. Yee-haw. Also, I've been seeing this uplifting poster floating around the web -- it is designed by Francesca Ramos and she is offering it as a free download on her website. Very cool.



Am I the last one to see this T-Mobile Welcome Back clip? Another flash mob I know, but it is still awesome. What would you think if you came off a plane home to that? I love the people's surprised faces.

Have an excellent weekend full of light and love my friends!

Family Style and Baby Editor

I'm excited to tell you that last week I started writing for the Family Style and Baby sections of Babble. The focus there will be more on baby, kid, and mom style topics and products. Here are some topics I've posted about that you may enjoy:

Hands down my daughter's favorite shoes.
My favorite 3 places to find a great travel deal.
These tees are so fun and would go with everything.
I really want one of these custom portraits.

Also check out last week's links here.

Adorable Handmade Board Book

Goodness gracious this board book that Erin Jang and her husband made for her nephew for his birthday is adorable! See all of the photos here.

Inspiration Board

I am redoing my inspiration board and thinking back to how happy this one is from stylist Sabrina Linn's space as seen over at Canadian House and Home via Jordan.

A new low calorie snack...

As I am working on slimming down this extra baby weight by being not only more health conscious but calorie conscious, I am on the hunt for low calorie snacks that taste good. In the past I have been a big fan of Laughing Cow Cheese wedges and crackers for a snack, so when Weight Watchers wanted to send me their new spreadable wedges in different flavors I was game to try them out. My favorite flavored wedge so far is the Jalapeno Pepper, it tastes like creamy pepperjack and for only 30 calories it is something that you can spread on anything from crackers to apples and feel great about it. What is your favorite healthy or low calorie snack?

(photos by blackeiffel)

Zodiac Change

Have you heard all of the hullabaloo about the new Zodiac signs today? What did you change to? Do you consider it hogwash or are you disappointed? I switched from a Capricorn to a Sagittarius and eh it doesn't really phase me, but boy am I fascinated by the cosmos.

Recently I came across this whimsical and stunning photographic fashion spread in December's 2010 British Vogue representing the twelve signs of the zodiac and thought it would particularly suit today. The photographs are by Tim Gutt, and you can see the whole collection of photos from the series here. Very beautiful! I also did a round up of some Zodiac inspired items that you may enjoy over here.

(via fashiongonerogue)

Raw Foods

The way that Angela captured her recent healthy raw meal options is top notch and very inspiring. See her post here. What healthy choices are you making in 2011? I am working on eating less sugar, although last night I had some yummy European chocolate -- yikes.

(photos by Angela Hardison)

Kris Atomic

I subscribed and received my copy of Anthology Magazine quite a while ago but couldn't find it because my little daughter decided to hide it because she liked the cover so much, and rightly so... it is really pretty. Kris Atomic's did an amazing job with the cover art and all of designs are such a delight!

Bonpoint + French Sales

Although a little on the pricey even on sale, I find myself falling in love with the looks from Bonpoint every...single...time. What an inspiring site in terms of overall styling! Also, do you know that all the stores in France only have sales twice a year in January and July? Don't know if that concept would ever fly in the states, but I like the French simplicity of not having to scramble and know what stores are having what sales on all of their individual different dates. What are your thoughts about that?

*Update: Thanks to a reader's comment I want to expound. Although I do love the simplicity of having limited sales, stores should also have a say in what works best for them. What do you think? Would you buy less if there were less sales?

Old Banana Ads

Going through some files on my computer I came across some old Banana Republic ads I had scanned and saved. They still seem rather beautiful and timeless.

Photos by Koto Bolofo -- one of my favorites!

Word of Wisdom Living : A 52 Week Plan

My intention is to not go all cheesy on you, but I am a firm believer that when you make a goal or put good energy towards something, it will boomerang back to you in many ways. Don't get me started on how I like to put energy into finding close parking spots which works pretty much everytime-- it cracks my husband up. Let's just say I'm an optimist.

Case in point, as I am studying and observing 'healthy living' this month (and the rest of my life) I received an email from the lovely Brooke about her father's new blog Word of Wisdom Living which is a study of all things healthy and I am an instant fan. I've been searching for something out there exactly like this and voilà ! Not only is it laid out beautifully, but the topics so far are very interesting and informative. I am especially drawn to the post about a healthy breakfast compote, which I look forward to trying. Also as my husband's main health resolution for the year is to not eat french fries or deep fat fried foods I can't wait to show him the history behind hydrogenated trans fat which is Healthy Change #2. Have a peek.

The blog "will offer 52 Healthy Changes—one for each week of 2011—that can transform your diet, as well as your health!" How exciting.

Have you found a healthy or nutritional blog or website that you enjoy? Please share!

(all images from Word of Wisdom Living)

Google Pillow of 2010

Ever since I spotted this Google pillow in Paula Scher's home, I've wondered what each year's most top searched topics will be. Fascinating, huh, and if you want it all on a pillow you can find it here. Oh and did you realize today is 1/11/11!! A-wesome. Make a wish.

(via holycool)

Music Monday : Tammy Federman

Throwing a little something foreign into the Music Monday mix today. Check out Tammy Federman, have you heard of her? This music video is kind of magical with the confetti don't you think? Wishing you a fabulous Monday morning!

I love what she says on her website in this section, it is super inspiring.

(via Journal of my Dreams)

Top Five Friday : Favorites of the week...

These hand-dyed silk ribbons look so pretty on the monitor, I bet they are even more gorgeous in person. (via Full House)

This clip about growth and nature is in the Redwood forests by Jesse Rosten is beautifully filmed and inspiring... definitely worth a watch. There is a reverence and serenity about it.



I definitely want to order up some of these Magic Milk Straws that Joy talked about. What a great idea to flavor your milk in a fun way. (photo by Oh Joy)



I pinned this space a few weeks ago but can't stop thinking about it. See the whole space here. The mix of industrial and modern is perfection.

If you ski or board you will appreciate this tilt-shift Whistler Blackcomb video clip even more, it is quite darn amazing to see the action around the slopes in this style. (via fubiz)

I also write for the Family Style section of Babble and here are five of my posts from this week where I talk about...

Five spring trends that come back every year
The new Mac App Store
The prettiest set of Parisian puzzles
The adorable new Zoo Bookends and Zoo Tableware from Skip Hop
Some great 2011 daily planners

Have a stellar weekend dear readers!

Mia Miri

The simplicity of the fashion line Mia Miri is right up my alley. I enjoy their clean lines and sweet little details. See more of the collection here.

(via Seesaw)

The party of many colors...

Did you see the colorful & whimsical party that Joslyn threw for her four-year old daughter? It looks like so much fun! I am really bummed my daughter was sick for her birthday. This display of festivity inspires me to think about a half-birthday celebration. See more of the bodaciously cool party here.

(all photos by Joslyn)

Finally... healthy recipes that actually taste good.

For my 2011 goals I am focusing on one element a month I want to improve in my life and for this month of January it is 'healthy'.

Along those healthy lines, I've got a new friend in the kitchen and her name is Ellie Krieger, are you already acquainted? A few months ago I checked out a few of her books from the library The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life and So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week and I am hooked.

Not only are her recipes delicious but since she is a registered dietitian they are spot on full of healthy ingredients along with caloric and nutritional data so you really know what you are getting into.

Here are my top ten favorites recipes of Ellie's that I have tried, so far:

1. Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
2. Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
3. Whole Wheat Pancakes & Strawberry Sauce - (see previous post here.)
4. Aromatic Beef Stew with Butternut Squash
5. Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup
6. Apple Pecan Muffins
7. White Chili
8. Taco Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing
9. Cobb Salad
10. Pumpkin Muffins

Have you tried any of Ellie Krieger's recipes? What are you favorite healthy cookbooks and recipes? Do share!

(images : 1, 2 )

Unique 2011 Calendars

My husband took down my Stendig calendar last night that was hanging above my desk and unfortunately I haven't got around to getting a new large 2011 wall calendar yet. I'm doing a little search to see if I want to part with my trusty 'go to Stendig'. Here are some creative options that I've never seen before until this year...

1: The Paperways Calendar Poster above is genius, I dig the idea of using post-it notes, how awesome is that?! You can move around things or post up a new idea/event very easily.



This embossed and screenprint 2011 Year Planner from Crispin Finn is another nice option to see everything at one glance.