Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 371
February 4, 2011
Max Wanger Photography + Postcards For Sale
Max Wanger is a brilliant photographer who has an online portfolio that will make your heart do a happy dance, especially if you're the romantic type. I love browsing his work because it is so joyful and bright plus the light feels so warm and welcoming in his photos. Maybe it's because I'm freezing where I live, but I'm drawn in to the warm glow of sunshine and outdoor shots so much right now!
Beyond simply gazing at his gorgeous photographs, you can support this talented guy and purchase his work as prints and postcards which is quite exciting since you can frame them, tack some to a mood board, give to a friend... whatever you fancy. They are available for purchase here in his online shop. For a boost of joy and positive energy, his blog is a must-see.
By the way, let me know if you spot a favorite image and why you love it, I am always so interested in knowing what others are responding to when I post a body of work so please chime in! :)
(images: max wanger)
February 3, 2011
Celebrate The Chinese New Year In Style!
Happy Chinese New Year!
In celebration, I have compiled a collection of my personal photographs that I took while in China this past summer for my good friend's wedding (YEA Anna!)
This was my second time visiting China and my second time being inspired by its beauty. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them!
Note: I would be remiss not to mention that these fab pictures were taken by my beloved Olympus PEN EP-2 camera.
And I had time to pose for the cover for Vogue China!
Did You Know: A Glass of Milk Can End Garlic Breath?
Garlic may be good for you. But garlic breath? Yikes, that isn't good for anyone.
Luckily, recent studies done by researchers at Ohio State University have shown that drinking a glass of milk after eating garlic can help get rid of garlic breath. The combination of water and fat in the milk was what helped combat the smell.
Do you have any tips or tricks for putting a stop to garlic breath?
Related:
Repurposed Objects Make Great Organizing and Storage Solutions
Some of my favorite organizing and storage materials are repurposed objects. For example, I currently have a jelly jar holding all of my business cards on my desk. My cards are bright orange, and they make me smile whenever I see them. The jar keeps them contained, but visible -- a perfect solution for my office.
Repurposed objects are great for organizing and storage because often they're recycled from another area of your home (bye bye, clutter!), and they're free (cha-ching!). These are five objects that have been repurposed in my home:
Toilet paper and paper towel tubes work wonderfully for extension cord and cable storage. You can write on the tube with a marker to help with identification (6" extension cord, USB to USB cable, etc.).
Shoe boxes are perfect for creating kits -- First Aid kits, shoe polishing kits, thank you note writing kits. Recycle a brown paper grocery sack or use some wrapping or contact paper to wrap the lid and box up like a present if the design of the shoe box isn't something you enjoy. Label the box well so you know what is inside of it.
Rubbermaid trash cans are used as laundry baskets in our home because they're more sturdy and easier to carry than many traditional laundry baskets (we bought these new for this purpose, I should note). As a result, we use our old laundry baskets as toy storage for things like sports balls and stuffed animals.
A small, old acrylic paint can is used to hold pencils, pens, and the random screw driver in the workbench area of our basement. We didn't even peel the old paint drips off the outside of the can.
A few boxes that bank checks came in have been repurposed as drawer dividers in the bathroom to contain barrettes and bobby pins, pony tail holders, lipstick, spare toothbrushes from the dentist, and other odds and ends. What's nice is that if you need everything in one box, you can just lift it out of the drawer and return it when you're done.
Do you have any repurposed items in your home used for organizing and/or storage? Share your solutions in the comments.
Are You Totally Honest With Your Doctor?
I was digging through some papers yesterday when I came upon a survey from WebMD.com, in which 32 percent of respondents admitted to fudging the truth when talking to their doctor. Nearly 40 percent lied about following their doctor's treatment plan, and over 30 percent fibbed about what they ate and how much they exercised. Other areas of medical mendacity: smoking, alcohol intake, sexual issues, alternative therapies and much more. Wow!
So what ARE we coming clean with? Not much more than our temperature, pulse and blood pressure, it seems! (Can't fake those vitals.) And it makes me wonder about any occasion upon which I've glossed over the facts with a doctor, if only to speed up the appointment or not endure a lecture about something. (And I'll certainly admit that when my dentist asks if I'm flossing every.single.day, I sometimes stretch the truth...although that's rather silly because the proof is in the...gums.) Of course, not telling the truth can be quite dangerous—with potential problems ranging from drug interactions to missed diagnoses to misdiagnoses!
So, 'fess up: Have you ever kept something from your doctor? Something little, something small? And why?
And for a deeper look into why we lie in general, read this insightful piece.
Gift Grubbing: Don't Do It
Today's etiquette question come from a reader named auntiekk01, who writes: My husband and I never had a wedding—just a civil ceremony and brunch with our families. We are now hosting a cocktail party to celebrate our one-year anniversary with all of our friends and families. Is it wrong...
...to sign up for the registry we never had and expect gifts?
First things first, auntiekk01: Congratulations on your anniversary—and on wanting to mark the occasion with a celebration. I'm glad the first year of marriage went so well you feel like throwing a party over it. And I'm sure your friends and family, particularly those who didn't attend your intimate wedding brunch, will welcome the opportunity to share your joy.
But....a gift registry sign-up? Please. Do. Not. Do. This. It will look tacky, and as if the only reason you are throwing the party is for the loot. In our culture, it's considered appropriate to ask for gifts at certain life-changing junctures—upon getting married and setting up a new household, or when expecting a baby, for instance. The idea is that family and friends will chip in to help you acquire all the equipment (such as matched place settings or stacks of tiny t-shirts with snaps) as a vote of support, as you assume your new role in the community.
Although you wrote that you "never had a wedding," you in fact did. Or else you would not be married. You set up your married household a year ago. You own pots and pans, and it would look rude to ask for more.
But take heart. Many of your party guests will bring gifts anyway. People do that, spontaneously, out of generosity and affection. And when that happens, it will be perfectly appropriate for you to accept the merchandise. Don't forget to send a prompt thank you note.
Readers: Do you agree? Or can you think of circumstances in which it would be appropriate to register for gifts on your one-year wedding anniversary?
(image courtesy of Real Simple)
February 2, 2011
Create a Binder for Your Instruction Manuals
One easy way to keep your instruction manuals (for your digital camera, television, computer, iPod dock, blender, hand mixer, etc.) organized is to assemble a binder that can store everything.
Keep all the information for each item in a plastic sleeve. You can also keep copies of your warranties, and any repair or service receipts in there as well. Then organize the sleeves by room, and store in an easily accessible location.
Now you won't have to go on a mad scramble the next time you have a mysterious error message on your camera screen.
Happy Chinese New Year!
New Year's Eve—December 31—is a night full of Champagne, noisemakers, and dreaming up unrealistic resolutions that won't last more than a month (or maybe just a few days). Tomorrow is Chinese (or Lunar) New Year, which is a holiday full of eating. Which is my favorite kind of holiday, by the way. Many Asian families will gather tonight on New Year's Eve for a big, multi-course feast filled with traditional foods, most of which are symbolic—long noodles for a long life, a whole fish for abundance, a whole chicken for prosperity, and my least favorite, seaweed "hair" with dried oysters for wealth.
Don't worry—you won't need to hunt down shredded seaweed or boil shriveled shellfish in order to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. While you could simply roast a whole chicken or steam a fish, here are a few other Chinese-inspired recipes to make your feast even more festive.
Cantonese Chicken With Vegetables
Vegetable Fried Rice
Dumplings With Soy Slaw
Cool Asian Noodles With Tofu and Cashews
Garlicky Hoisin Beef
Asian Hot Pot
Salmon With Black Bean Sauce
Kung Pao Chicken
Hot-and-Sour Pork
Beef and Bok Choy Stir-Fry
Shrimp Dumpling Soup
(image: Dana Gallagher)
Lovely Valentine's Day Gifts For Under $75
What are you getting all the love muffins in your life this Valentine's Day? I'm a fan of giving a basket full of hugs and kisses (warm, fuzzy and FREE)...BUT sometimes a lovely purchased gift is in order as well.
With that said, I've rounded up a few super stylish gifts for all the guys and gals that you love the most!
Verabel + Fox Love Letter necklace, $36
Live What You Love print (8"x10") by Heartfish Press, $20
AMT clear acrylic ring, $12 each
Timex "Camper" resin watch, $50
Tous stainless steel and diamond "Eternity, Amour, Kiss, Love You" ring, $69
Tretorn Men's Skymra sneakers, $30
Snoozer Loser Bird Cage scarf, $38
UGallery.com art (photography, paintings, sculptures and prints), Prices vary
LOVE by Rebecca Plotnick (11"x14"photograph), $50
Built NY neoprene laptop sleeves, $30
Del's Heart sterling silver earrings, $20
Ladies & Gentleman servers, $35
"I Love You More Than _____." unisex t-shirt by Paperwhite Studio, $25
Agate coasters (set of 4), $25
Lifetime Of Secrets: A PostSecret Book, $16.47
Boldloft "My Heart Beats For Your" glass set, $24
Happy loving!
And the March Book Poll Is Now Open
Hello, Bookies:
We've just barely kicked off February, true, but it's a short month so we need to start thinking about March already! Our choices this month come courtesy of RealSimple.com Managing Editor Kathleen Harris, who—you may remember—led the club in discussing The Art of Racing in the Rain back in November 2009. This time around, along with fiction, Kathleen has thrown short stories and a fascinating true-life story into the mix. See the picks below, then vote for your favorite—the poll is open until 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, February 21. Thanks, Bookies!
Room: A Novel, by Emma Donoghue
Told from the perspective of a 5-year-old boy, the emotionally provocative Room explores the bonds between mother and child—in this case, a mother and child kept imprisoned in the 11-by-11-foot space that gives the novel its name.
I Don't Know How She Does It, by Allison Pearson
Pearson's debut, published in 2003, is a bitingly witty but thoroughly human portrayal of one woman's attempts to balance work and life.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot
Award-winning writer Skloot's true tale of medicine and science, as intriguing as a top-notch detective story, traces the life and death of a poor Virginia migrant worker whose cancerous tissue yielded cells that became the catalysts for stunning medical breakthroughs.
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall, by Kazuo Ishiguro
Characters and themes unite an exquisitely written quintet of novellas by the author of Never Let Me Go and Remains of the Day.
What Should We Read in March?survey software
