These packages for Help Remedies are really neat a modern, and all natural! They use paper pulp and bio plastic derived from corn. And they look awesome! [...]]]> I stopped by Walgreens on my way home last week from work to pick up some milk, and at the checkout counter I saw these really neat packages…

help! i need help

These packages for Help Remedies are really neat a modern, and all natural! They use paper pulp and bio plastic derived from corn. And they look awesome! What’s more inspiring than that?

help, I've cut myself

help - I've cut myself (hover)

Their website is pretty cool too, so check it out!

help - product line

Don’t get me wrong, flowers are always nice to receive on Valentine’s Day, but sometimes it’s nice to get something non-perishable… something my cat won’t destroy as soon as my back is turned.

So here’s a list [...]]]> Not every woman wants roses for Valentine’s Day, so get your designer girlfriend something on this list!

Be My Valentine!

Don’t get me wrong, flowers are always nice to receive on Valentine’s Day, but sometimes it’s nice to get something non-perishable… something my cat won’t destroy as soon as my back is turned.

So here’s a list of cool gifts to give your designer girlfriend (for under $30!):

1. Every Jack Has His Jill Art Print – Society6.com
   $15.00

   

2. Squirrelly Love – UncommonGoods.com
   $28.00

   

3. I Love You Eyechart – ReStyle Shop on Etsy.com
   $15.00

   

   *Check out their Star Wars print too!!!!

4. I Love You Puzzle – Ten Thousand Villages
   $24.00

   

5. I’d Be Lost Without You Card – Luxe Papaerie
   $4.50

   

   *Also check out the Hedge Hog Love Card

6. Pea Pod Salt & Pepper Shaker – ModCloth.com
   $21.99

   

7. Heart Pillow – MyDreamHome on Etsy.com
   $20.00

   

8. I Love You a Buschel and a Peck – Mandipidy on Etsy.com
   $18.00

   

9. Valentine Wrapped Truffle Collection (9pc) – Moonstruckchocolate.com
   $24.50

   

   *Check out their other chocolate collections!

   I originally stumbled across Moonstruck at the supermarket near my job (Roche Bros.) – they always have it at the checkout counter. I stop in every morning to pick up a muffin for breakfast, and every morning I find myself drawn to the Moonstruck chocolate. It caught my attention because a) I love chocolate, and b) because the packaging was unique, and well designed. A few weeks later, I was thumbing around on thedieline.com, and found that they were a winner of one of their packaging competitions! I have good taste, what can I say?

10. Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF – zazzle.com
    $29.90

    

And if none of this works for her… you can always still get flowers!

Now, that doesn’t [...]]]> A lot of people ask me where I go for design inspiration – and really it’s everywhere. It’s on the subway, in a street sign, on a menu, and yes, on the web. But if you are an artist, the inspiration finds you, and it always comes when you least expect it.

thebestdesigns.com

Now, that doesn’t always work for clients who need a design in a tight time frame, so over the years I’ve gathered a long list of websites that I can always look to for ideas and inspiration when nothing is coming to mind. And I’ve decided to share that list with you! You should feel special.

Web Design Inspiration:

• The Best Designs
• Web Creme
• StyleBoost
• CSS Mania
• Page Crush
• One Page Love – Check out my site that was featured on here! What Not To Web
• CSS Nature Gallery
• CSS Remix
• Design Fridge
• Design Snack

General Design Inspiration/Resources:

• Designrfix
• Site Inspire
• Abduzeedo
• I Love Typography
• Logo Design Love
• Logo Favs

Design Resources (Articles, Tutorials, etc.)

• A List Apart
• Design Instruct
• Smashing Magazine
• Design Shack
• Information is Beautiful
• Inspired Magazine
• Lines 25
• Mashable
• Six Revisions
• The Web Design Blog
• Think Design
• Tutorial 9
• UX Booth

the wonderful thing about using the web as a source for inspiration is that it’s free! But if you have the money, I suggest subscribing to a few magazines like Print, HOW Design and Communication Arts. Those subscriptions can get kind of pricey, so if you’d rather just hit up your local Borders and Barnes N Nobles (well I guess not Borders now since they’re all closing!), just take a gander through their Graphic Design or Web Design section. They will have both, and both have excellent resources – though the Graphic Design section has more inspirational stuff, whereas the Web Design section will be more development type stuff – so Javascript, HTML5 and CSS3 kind of stuff.

I also like to look at interior design for inspiration as well, but that’s something personal to me. I find that kind of art and design inspiring in it’s own right. The couch fabric for a newly wed couple doesn’t necessarily translate into a consulting firm’s website theme, but the ideas are there, and then feeling is there. It’s all about feeling – and I know how that sounds. And I also know that clients hate that, they want something tangible. Sorry clients, talent and inspiration just don’t work that way!

All in all, I find that all of the sites I listed are excellent resources, and are really useful to have bookmarked on your PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, Android, whatever! So go check these guys out, frequently, and stay inspired!

In the past two posts you guys have learned about my love for stationery, my obsession with organization, and now I think it’s time you found out about my passion for food! I LOVE food – which is strange because I am [...]]]> Lunchboxes are adorable – especially those little bento boxes from Japan (love it!).

In the past two posts you guys have learned about my love for stationery, my obsession with organization, and now I think it’s time you found out about my passion for food! I LOVE food – which is strange because I am such a picker eater, but I do love to eat. Hey, I can’t help it if my body reacts poorly to spicy food – not my fault!

DIY Project - designponge.com

This lunchbox is a DIY project I found on google, and it prompted me to search for other DIY lunchboxes, and then other DIY projects. I’m ALWAYS looking for new crafty things to make, I love using my hands. I was thinking of buying a case for my iPad, but then I realized, I love to sew! So why would I buy one when I can make my own!

Here are some awesome DIY projects I’ve found that I can’t WAIT to try:

• Lunch Bags, Totes & Sacks!
• Storage Basket from J Caroline Creative
• Make Your Own Moleskin iPad Case
• Fabric Scrap Basket (I think I’ll make some for my office!)
• Fabric Covered Hard Bound Journal (excellent gift idea)

One of the first things I did was go to google and [...]]]> With all the kids going back to school, now is better than ever to get stuff done! With the start of my new job (Wooo!) I’m looking for cute new things to put on my desk! Yes, I have a desk! It’s fantastic.

organize.com

One of the first things I did was go to google and did random searches for office supply stores. I came across organize.com which turned out to be a pretty sweet site. Now that you all know about my obsession with stationery, I think it’s safe to share with you my obsessive compulsive tendencies when it comes to neatness and organization. I’m a bit of a freak. I’ve certainly calmed down a lot over the past few years, but I still feel better when everything is in it’s place. And trust me, everything has it’s place.

White Office Accessories - organize.com

Bookends - chiasso.com

As long as I can remember, I’ve been OBSESSED with stationery. Pens, pencils, notebooks, notepads, paper, envelopes, cards, you name it I want it… always and forever. It’s a thing – don’t know what exactly, can’t explain [...]]]> A few weeks ago while looking for web design inspiration I came across the most adorable site ever!

uponafold.com.au

As long as I can remember, I’ve been OBSESSED with stationery. Pens, pencils, notebooks, notepads, paper, envelopes, cards, you name it I want it… always and forever. It’s a thing – don’t know what exactly, can’t explain why, but it’s true. I LOVE STATIONERY! So when I came across this site I literally clapped my hands radpily with excitement.

Matchboxes from Upon a Fold

Aren’t those matchboxes adorable!!

Medetai Pochi Bukuro

This adorable way to send a letter is part of a Japanese tradition. It’s used to send gifts of money to loved ones. You just unfold it, put the money and message inside, and then fold it back up! It makes it like a cute little present for the recipient to open – 1,000 times better than a cheap card with a Benjamin shoved in. This show thought, effort, and most of all, it’s adorable. This is the type of give that I think everyone deserves to get.

So I actually came across this site not while looking for something to eat, but while looking for inspiration. It was posted on one of my “go-to” sites [...]]]> Gojee is a unique recipe website that helps you pick meals that are interesting to you, and most importantly, based on what you have in the pantry!

gojee.com

So I actually came across this site not while looking for something to eat, but while looking for inspiration. It was posted on one of my “go-to” sites for web design inspiration that I check regularly, and I think I was on the site for no more than 5 seconds before I found myself signing up to be a member. It’s free of course, otherwise I probably would have spent more time checking out the site. But the fact that I signed up so quickly says something for the marketing… pretty impressive if you ask me.

What I love about this site is how simple and straight forward it is. That’s the only reason why I was able to sign up so quickly. I immediately knew what they were about as soon as the page loaded – food. And I’m all about food too. So it was a match made in heaven.

A cool feature that I like about this site is that you can search for recipes based on an ingredient that you really want at that particular moment. But you can also search recipes based on stuff you have in your cabinets right now.

Still, those features you can do with a simple search on allrecipes.com, so what is the advantage of gojee? Well, for one, the appearance. This site is super snazzy. It also feels more personalized than those other, boring, ugly recipe sites. I feel like someone is really asking me what I want, and giving me legitimate suggestions to eat. Now all that is cool, but gojee takes it another step further. Gojee is associated with a supermarket called D’Agostino, I think it’s only in NYC. But anyway, if you have a rewards card with the supermarket, you can link it up with your gojee account, and then based on the purchases you make it will suggest recipes for you! How cool is THAT! Now that’s the wave of the future my friends… be prepared…

I LOVE everything city especially if it involves maps, and this sweet piece of art has both! I mean, these are sick! They’re so awesome, I don’t think I could eat off [...]]]> I honestly can’t remember what I was searching for on the internet when I came across these bad boys, but they are FANTASTIC!

City Plates from Uncommon Goods

I LOVE everything city especially if it involves maps, and this sweet piece of art has both! I mean, these are sick! They’re so awesome, I don’t think I could eat off them! I would have them on display in my house somewhere, they’re display plates, not eating plates. Which, come to think of it, I never really understood having “fancy china” in your house, but I guess I’m just not fancy enough for that.

City Plate by Uncommon Goods

City Plate by Uncommon Goods

So the moral of the story here kiddies is that if you have $50 to spend on a dinner/fancy china plate – buy one of these! I may even buy one just to keep in my office…