Ideal Bite

If you subscribe to our local or Mama editions, you might have seen our Make Its (crafty tips on reusing what might otherwise turn into waste) – or even tried a few. Some of my faves: Chicago’s swimsuit sachets, LA’s tee bag, and Mama’s baby hat with kitten ears.

Now, thanks to suburban craft mecca Michaels, you can score a little ch’ching for your crafty ways. This month it launched its “Handmade Holiday Contest” and’ll be doling out two $100 gift cards every week through Dec. 20. Just upload pics of what you’ve made at Michaels.com, and peeps who visit the site will vote for their fave (read: time to hit up Read the full post... 

I was browsing a department store the other night for a facial mask – it’d been a while since I used one and my skin was looking a wee bit haggard. After a few minutes, I started to feel a little overwhelmed by all the marketing lingo on the packaging – one promised to clear my pores, another promised to moisturize my skin, and another guaranteed me younger-looking skin. Why couldn’t I get all these things from the same bottle? I started to wonder if I could easily get the same results from the “natural” ingredients they claimed to contain – minus all the other lab-produced junk.

So I searched online for a kitchen cure. For dry skin like mine, half an avocado and 1/4 tsp of honey appeared to do the trick. I was sure I had both at home – but last night I only had an avocado and vitamin E oil. I mixed both into Read the full post... 

The gas and electric bill of my new apt. runs me about $6-7 a month – cheaper than when I split the bill with a roommate. And it’s not like I do anything dramatic (like take cold showers) or inconvenient (live by candlelight) to make them lower. I do use less energy-sucking CFLs for lighting; I gave up TV a year ago and watch only my favorite shows online (Mad Men, 30Rock, Read the full post... 

I’m a total last-minute Halloween dresser upper. Last year I found a blue ‘60s dress, dainty white gloves, and a silk scarf that said “Cuba” at a local vintage shop 30 minutes before my friend’s party was to start and… instant flight attendant. Some years I’m not so lucky and end up staring at my closet wishing I had a wackier fashion sense. This year I’m shooting for Coco Chanel inspired by Audrey Tautou’s role in Coco Before Chanel (which you must see if you’re interested in that sort of thing – so good). It’ll be stuff I’ll wear throughout the year anyway so I won’t have to toss it.

Here, some other ideas from my office pals (btw, check out our list on Read the full post... 

I’ve pondered this question, especially after reading yesterday’s Seattle tip on a local girl and 24 other women who plan to turn a blind eye to store windows and shop only in their closets for a year. My friend Natalie Linden did the same thing last year and lived to blog about it. I’m not a big clothes horse but I do get really sick of my clothes and often purge a bunch to Goodwill when I buy something new. But while that might offset my shopping guilt – good ol’ Goodwill has plenty on its plate (it receives more than 1 billion pounds of donated clothing each year.) So I’m thinking this could be a good New Year’s resolution – Read the full post... 

Etsy.com’s my go-to for original, not-too-spendy artwork (my super-arty sister recently put up a couple of her pieces - check ‘em out), but as I’m decorating my new apartment I’ve found that it’s also a great source for flea market-y stuff (with something new to tempt me almost every day), like High Street Market (vintage kitchenware, refurbished fans, paintings), CoventGardenVintage (the brass apple bell would make such a cute paperweight), HindsvikVintage (‘60s clocks, pottery, and lighting). And what I Read the full post... 

After a brutal return flight from Turkey last year (53 hours!) I swore off international travel – at least until the dollar perks up. Instead, I’ve been traveling to a few of our great cities. Last weekend I was in Portland, tomorrow New York, and by Thanksgiving I’ll be in Denver. Sure, it’d be better for the planet if I stayed put, but shorter trips are still a wee bit better than going to say Poland from SF and I still get my travel fix.

So if you plan to road trip or jetset (then offset) to a local city, check out our fab, new city guides to San Francisco (the city I heart), NYC (love it, but had to leave it), and today’s brand-new Read the full post... 

One of my favorite DIY/decorating blogs Design Sponge announced this week that it’s putting its content (including a few Before & After projects of mine that they posted this year) into a big, 400-page decorating book – pure eye candy for peeps who love design. I’ve been playing around with old furniture for a while now – some hits (I spent the weekend reupholstering this 1960s club chair – my carpal tunnel aches as I type) and some misses (there was one that involved a floor lamp and some rope) but I’m always up for a makeover – it’s kind of like editing, I think. It’s fun to see what other people do too to keep mostly nonrecyclable furniture outta the dump Read the full post... 

Rather not sport an Olympic-size heating bill this winter? Put a few of these energy-saving tricks in play (and look for our Guide to Getting Cozy in October), and you'll cut costs while staying as warm as that runner with the torch.

1. Have HER Do It
Most of these jobs are dummy-proof, but if your idea of a screwdriver comes in a glass, hook up with a pro. Find a home energy rater (HER), about $250-$600 per visit, or call your local utility company (sometimes free) to pinpoint where your home's wasting energy and how to fix it (or who can fix it). You'll likely make your money back in savings during the first year, postrepairs. Find a HER here.

2. Switches of Eastwick
Cheap and easy: Use AM Foam Outlet and Switch Gaskets (just $0.10 Read the full post... 

For the past month I have been desperately seeking a fabric to make Roman shades for my new apartment. My interior designer friend selflessly spent her Sunday showing me materials in her office's fabric library, a whole basement fulla swatches (read: my porn).

While the fabrics were gorgeous, I did come across vinyl ones (which release carcinogens during and after production) and many coated with Teflon (also likely a carcinogen) for durability. The textile market's snail-like about going green, but a few smallish designers are coming up with pretty fab prints on organic cotton (the USDA says U.S. cotton farms used 52.25 million pounds of pesticides in 2008 – there go more cancer-linked chems).

If you sew or just like

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