Wish.list: The Technophile

Have a super-techie on your gift list that you still have NO IDEA what to give? No worries, our tech team* has scoured the internet and their very own wish list for gifts that will be sure to please even your most die-hard technophile.




[1] Makerbot replicator 2
Join the maker movement and print out your own things. Flex your creative muscles and make your own designs come to life. Or, take the easy way out and print other peoples' ideas from Thingverse.

[2] Arduino Uno Ethernet
Super popular Arduino Uno microcontroller board with networking built-in. Compact size, plethora of I/Os, and easy to use development environment make it a great choice for any physical computing project.

[3] Parrot AR.Drone 2.0
Remote controlled quadricopter with a 720p video camera. Control it with your smartphone and stream live video directly to your device. Sounds like fun to me.

[4] Raspberry Pi
Full Linux computer for $35. When the power of Arduino just isn't enough, or if you want an ultra-low-power media player.
Most importantly, supporting The Raspberry Pi Foundation's cause: help kids all over the world learn about programming and generally get them interested in computing.

[5] Beats by Dre, Beats Executive 
Noise cancelling headphones that travel well and look good.

But wait...there's more! Perhaps your friend already has everything listed above (seriously though, if that's the case they don't need any more things) or the concept of pre-ordered goods really trips their gaming trigger. These are the things I love that you can't quite get your hands on yet. They are either on Kickstarter (or similar) currently, or have recently completed their fundraising campaign and are headed for market soon.



[bonus 1] Ouya
$99 Android based gaming console where all games are free-to-play

[bonus 2] Leap Motion
Control your computer in three dimensions with this motion controlling device. It can distinguish you individual fingers and track them with very high precision, making it far more sensitive and more flexible than a touchscreen.

[bonus 3] sticknfind
Bluetooth sticker that you can track with your smartphone. Stick them on things you often lose. Track up to 20 items at a time. Track things with the radar screen, or let the virtual leash notify you when something has gotten out of range. 'Find-it' can tell you when something that was out of range has come back in range.

* Our guestblogger today isn't afraid to try out the latest and greatest tech products or newest hacks out there. Please welcome Chad H.!

Wrapping It Up

I seriously tried my darnedest to get all my gift shopping done before December 1st this year - an ambition I would have dismissed in previous years as being too obsessive or aggressive or some other kind of -ive that I can't place right now. This year, though, I realized if cards get mailed off and presents get wrapped before the final hours of Christmas then maybe - just maybe - I could take time to bake when I wanted, not when I had to. I could be leisurely and creative. This could be a very fun Christmas.

Having many presents bought and sitting around, I needed to figure out what wrapping paper to buy or make so when our tree went up an assortment of tastefully wrapped and arranged presents could magically appear. (This is what bloggers' dreams are made of.) Between Martha Stewart and Pinterest, the options for pulling together a gorgeous theme started getting out of hand. Newspaper with duct tape ribbons? Multicolored yarn? Washi tape? Brown paper packages tied up with string? Yes, yes, yes, yes!

credits: the sweetest occasion . sweet paul . ManMade . Pinterest all on my Pinterest

Then I was thinking, "How cool would it be to have reusable wrapping paper?" The universe heard me and suddenly furoshiki was everywhere (wrapping using fabric.) Pinterest was filled with it; blogs were talking big time about it in 2009 (yeah, I'm only 3 years behind); my local art store had scarves you could buy for just such an occasion. This is what I was going to do...only I wanted to make my own squares.

A trip to Joann Fabric (I had coupons...and that seems to be the other thing bloggers' dreams are made of) and I settled on quirky-printed flannel fabrics. Though the scarves are usually light cotton or silk I thought flannel would have the added bonus of not allowing any peeking.



Here's how I did it - short and sweet:
1. Put on a reality show or soap opera or whatever trips your trigger for background noise.
2. Cut big squares from your fabric - you may want to roughly wrap your presents to measure out how big your squares should be. Be sure to unwrap before moving on.
3. Iron out your material and cut off any selvage sides.
4. Using fusible tape, hem the edges of your square. I used Steam-A-Seam, which I highly recommend as it holds the edges together with a loose adhesive and ironing makes the bond permanent. At this point, you could sew up the sides..yes, you could. I didn't.
5. Using the guide below, get to wrapping all those presents!



Ta-Da! I am pleased with the outcome, especially knowing it can be reused and cuts back on paper waste.



Of course any presents for children I'm going back to plain old-fashioned wrapping paper because I understand ripping into a present is initially half the fun...and I am not that crazy to think they'd be patient unfolding some fabric.

Wish.list: The Pinterest Addict

The good news is Pinterest is free, so all that time your favorite addict spends racking up crafty ideas and inspiration doesn't cost a (monetary) thing. The bad news is you can't go out and buy a Pinterest app or Pinterest gift card and call it a day. But, guest blogger Alyse has boiled all of Pinterest down to a few key ingredients. Here is what to buy your Pinterest addicted best friend/sister-in-law/coworker:




[1] Slow cooker

[2] mason jars

[3] mod podge
Lots and lots of Mod Podge

[4] baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide and Blue Dawn soap
Giving this to a die-hard Pinterester is like giving MacGyver a stick of gum and a bobby pin.

[5] Box of crayons and a hair dryer 
crayon image via bookgrl

It's All In the Cards

One of my favorite things to do at the holidays is to order and send out cards -- the old fashioned way, through the postal service. It is somewhat cathartic to send Season's Greetings to all the family and friends I've been bad at corresponding with via e-mail, phone or facebook and just let them know we're thinking about them. And I love to get Holiday cards in the mail (hint, hint.)

Most years I procrastinate and order the cards at the end of December and, while the theme may be decidedly 'Happy Holidays', it often gets sent out close to the New Year. This year is different: The cards are ordered and already in my sweaty little hands. Granted, seeing 20% off made me think I better act quickly* -- it expired at midnight! So after work the other day I did a mini photo session with Indio to try and capture the perfect card moment. He was happy because I set him loose on the playground, but I was that weird mother following my child around the playground going "Smile! Say 'cheeeeese!' Look at me, Indio"  with a big-momma camera. Several mock-ups later here are the contenders (I somewhat withheld the actual one for now):




But, the best part of all this is having Indio help sign the cards...and the fact that between each card he insisted on trying to put the pen behind his ear, more successful at getting pen on his face than the pen behind his ear.




The actual one:

*My wah, wah, wah, waaaah moment is the same company offered 25% off the day after I ordered and 30% off today, so that's what I get for acting quickly.

Wish.list: The Home Cook

These gift ideas are for your loved one that puts food on the table...and enjoys doing it. So go on and butter their bread a little this Christmas with these cool kitchen tools.




[1] Chef Sleeve
If they use their iPad as a recipe book, get them the Chef Sleeve to prevent that precious piece of technology from being battered and fried...again.

[2] Adjustable Rolling Pin
Trying to eye dough thickness is hard when you have no concept of fractions of an inch (as in, the dough is either see-through or 1 inch thick every time.) This rolling pin adjusts to specific thicknesses so your can continue to work on your perfect crust.

[3] Ruhlman's Twenty cookbook
Forget sorting by apps, sides and mains - this cookbook studies techniques and gives associated recipes. So more like cooking lessons than a recipe book.

[4] Bamboo tongs
Don't these just look useful?

[5] Date Dots
Genius. Set a date, suction them on to leftover containers for instant recall if stir fry was last Tuesday or Sunday.

[6] Cork trivet
You can never have enough trivets. Especially one this stylish and easy to stash away.

Photojourna.list Blitz: Halloween! 2012

No one wants to trick-or-treat with Darth Vader.
Poor guy. But this year our treat-or-treating was lots of fun as we participated in the annual block parade (a lazy stroll down the block with all manner of chaos ensuing as older kids can't wait to get their clammy little hands on C.A.N.D.Y. and little kids have no idea what is going on.) A St. Louis tradition is to tell jokes before getting candy - something that didn't even extend 2 hours west were I grew up - but my mom enforces the tradition now that she's a part-time St. Louisian and most of the kids come ready. The Tin Man needed a little help from Glenda this year, but it all got sorted out and Dorothy was happy. Most jokes have a spooky twist, like, "Why did the skeleton cross the road?" By far the weirdest set of jokes we heard were from a group of kids that all came to a nonsensical punchline of "Get a job!" (And, no, they weren't dressed as political pundits.)
Indio and I went as Buzz Lightyear and Woody from Toy Story, while Alyse and Ruby were a pirate and a butterfly. While Indio kept his eyes on (and distance from) Darth Vader all night, Ruby was trying to figure out just what was going on. Daniel carved an awesome pumpkin to look like Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro; Mom doled out the candy, making sure to get a joke and not hand out seconds; Joe was our resident photographer for the evening. We were all in the spirit, making big plans for more candy and all out theatrics for next year's Halloween - except for Ruby and Indio who were still on the lookout for Darth Vader.

Review: Cafe Osage (and Bowood Farms) . STL

Bowood Farms, located in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood, is one of my favorite nurseries. I walk in the doors of the old brick building that was once a auto warehouse -- take in the plants, seeds and sundries on offer -- and breathe in inspiration. Just take a look at the pictures and tell me you don't zen out. And this place isn't just a summer draw - they brilliantly have seasonal items year round (terrarium plants in the bitter months of winter) and host weekend talks from all kinds of experts to rev up the home gardener. All this poring over products and contemplating garden design can take it out of a girl; fortunately, Cafe Osage is there to provide much needed delicious sustenance.



Ambiance
Unique architecture, massive windows and greenery everywhere...awesome (read that in a high-pitched vibrato, please). The cafe is in a different room from the main floor and the outside gardens and has a nice, cozy vibe. On warmer days the cafe sprawls into the outside courtyard and a green rooftop grows herbs for the cafe (this is periodically open for tours, though I have yet to take a tour).

Service 
I can say I've ever had a bad experience with the staff of Cafe Osage. They are friendly, informative and make the beverage rounds in a timely manner.

Food 
The totally yummy seasonal and local breakfast and lunch menus haven't failed me. They tout vegetables grown right across the street and bison meat from their farm just outside of St. Louis. For our latest trip Daniel and I ordered the two daily specials (him: potato and egg skillet with loads of cheese, sun dried tomatoes, bacon and topped with micro greens with toast and housemade jam, me: salmon flatbread with herbed cream cheese, onion and capers) and we split an order of berries with lemon curd yogurt that was tasty and surprisingly large.




If I had to have a complaint, it would be that I spend a lot of money at this place. I *do* need those seeds and plants and pots and soil amendments...and looking at all this tasty food has made me hungry.

Package Exchange Review

This Christmas I decided to try something new out and participate in a gift exchange organized by a blog I follow: Oh, Hello Friend. The blog is about brown paper packages tied up with string and other of my favorite things, so how could I go wrong getting paired up with another like-minded paper geek? I couldn't go wrong and, subsequently, I didn't. I love it when a plan comes together.

For the package I sent, I went into full-on cyber-stalking mode, reading my giftee's blog almost in its entirety. It turns out, I love her blog and now follow it (hope this doesn't creep you out too much, Ali). After collecting my intel, I went antiquing deep into the heart of rural Missouri to find some interesting stereocards from the turn of the (last) century and a completed history book with perfect penmanship and tissue paper maps from the 20s (it just refers to WWI as 'The War'). I topped it off with some vintage fabrics I'd been hoarding and then some modern day gift certificates to a local pastry shop and iTunes. Hopefully, it was right up her alley. I would have snapped a few shots if I hadn't been getting my act together at the last minute.

Anyway, when I got my package in the mail just a few days before Christmas, I was totally excited...



Seriously, home-girl combined a crazy, sketched wrapping paper pattern with a kraft and black primitive-patterned paper, tied it together (literally) with a velvet aquamarine ribbon. Genius. Along with a cute tag card were recipe cards (bundled with baking twine) on the outside and upon unwrapping the present I found...a...wait for it...wait for it...mortar and pestle for my collection!


Welcome to the family!

Wish.list: For the Professional Carpenter

You can't go wrong if you give your die-hard handyman (or woman) something off this gift guide composed by a professional carpenter. Bonus: almost all of this list can be picked up at your local Home Depot - they won't even have to know you waited until the last minute!





[1] Blue Framing Square
Blue squares are easy to read and find on the job site.

[2] Black Resin Tool Tote
A tool box that holds 2 drills, drill bits and anchors in the top removable section. And room on the bottom for a hammer, tape measure, knife and other tools.

[three] Steel Countersink set
3 sizes for detail trim work.

[four] 90 Piece Drill and Drive Set
Everything you need for a drill

[five] Heavy Duty Radio Charger
A radio that charges your batteries, will run on a battery and is iPod compatible.

[six] Cantilever Plastic Organizer
A bin with removable cups to hold all your screws, nails and anchors. Perfect size because it holds enough, but won't get too heavy to carry.

[7] 2.5 Amp Oscillating multitool kit
The newest tool in the "how did we ever manage without it" category. Many different brands available, but Bosch always makes a good tool.

This gift guide brought to you by our favorite carpenter, Mr. Kuhlrock. Just pray you don't meet him in a dark Home Depot aisle when he's got some gift card to spend.

So much time and so little to do...

Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.  (--Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory)

December 22nd. So close to Christmas that not even rush shipping can save us now.

I find that my super top secret project (more on that, after it becomes unclassified) and vegging out in front of whatever Christmas movie is on Lifetime (no, I am not kidding) has put me behind on all the crafty projects I need to start and complete in the next few days. So, hold tight for the next few days while I battle crowds, traffic and a bemused husband to get all these little things done. Perhaps I will learn my lesson for next year, perhaps not.



[one] . Holiday photo props
How cute are these?!? I think I'm gonna have to make these and force everyone to pose for silly pictures. Free download available here.

[two] . Clever little hipster gift wrapping
Okay, our gifts are all wrapped and ready to go in plain, old cheap wrapping paper. BUT, this idea from Sweet Paul is just so dang clever I had to include it.

[three] . Oreo snowball truffles
One part easy: Grind up Oreos and cream cheese, roll into balls and then dip into almond bark. One part delicious: Oreos, cream cheese, almond bark. Need I say more? Picture and recipe here. For your carnivorous eater, fry up bacon until its crispy, and crumble it on top of the freshly dipped truffle. It is out of this world.

[four] . Hair bow
You can buy it here. But I want to make one and then run around with it in my hair on Christmas Eve. The model makes it look so cool...would I just look crazy?

[five] . Homemade marshmallow s'mores
I've been making homemade marshmallows lately and then we've been dipping them in melted chocolate, slapping some graham crackers on it and torching the top with a creme brulee torch. Indoor s'mores at a moments notice.

[six] . Treat bags for the neighbors
My time-savvy neighbors have baked their treats and brought them 'round to the neighbors. Not me. I've procrastinated and now I'm going to have to start a new tradition of offering New Year's treats since I think everyone has hit the road for the holidays. Oh well, it will go nicely with our Christmas cards that are going to be super late. Package inspiration from here.

[seven] . Silhouette ornament
Last year we made a cute hand print ornament for Indio's first Christmas. What does Indio get for his second Christmas? So far, diddly squat, the poor thing. But, I have plans to make a cute silhouette of him and put it in a ornament frame. Silhouette how-to here.

Wish me luck, I'm off to tackle a few of these before Saturday!

Wish.list: Japanese Toys and Tech!

I sometimes lose myself looking at Japanese toys and gadgets on the interwebs. There are some truly absurd and amazing trinkets out there, making for a wellspring of gifts, from quirky to astonishing. Here are some favorites.





[ichi] finger tentacles . thinkgeek
Go ahead, freak people out with these things.

[ni] Poking Box . gizmine
You can fight a little karate stick figure guy with your digital digit, c'mon! 

[san] Lumindot . Japan Gadget Shop
Like the old school Lite-Bright but waaaay better. Seriously, watch the video.

[shi] Electric Butterfly . Japan Gadget Shop

[go] Solar pet bottle car . japan trend shop
Got to get a cool shaped bottle, I suggest Ito En.

This gift guide brought to you by our friend, plasticblog. He can probably count to ten in Japanese.

Thanksgiving Table 2011

I chalk my current table setting obsession up to the Internet - if I had never seen this or this, then how was I to know table setting could be such an artform? Along this line, I would say my skills are about the level of preschooler with decent fingerpainting ability, but that isn't going to stop me from trying this Thanksgiving. I thought this year would be about 'harvesting' plant material from the yard as part of the centerpieces and low maintenance plates and glasses (read: dishwasher-safe) to feast upon. Here is a quick mash of what I'm toying with:



From top: Miguel glasses from Crate and Barrel, pewter candleholders, small gravy boats from Crate and Barrel, Fiestaware, Northern Sea Oats, lavender, Indian corn, rosemary

Wish.list: Home Chef Enthusiast

If you're dreaming of a gourmet holiday season, the following wishlist is for your home chef extraordinaire...





[one] Global chef knife . Amazon
A good knife is a necessity.

[2] Cutting board . korin
THE cutting board.

[three] the smoking gun. williams sonoma
I want to smoke my own salmon like Marcus Samuelsson.

[4] Profession immersion blender . williams sonoma
Soups in a snap.

[five] Silicone spatulas . amazon
All silicone and sturdy.

[6] herb keepers . prepara
I'm obsessed with them, as you can see.

[seven] larousse gastronomique . amazon
A classic.

This gift guide brought to you by DomesticEsq , an attorney/culinary school graduate who is spending this holiday drooling over kitchen gadgets.

Wish.list: Christmas Under the Arch

A collection of items every card carrying member of STL* would be proud to own or at least totally understand why it belongs in their closet/fridge/wall.




[one] I Love St. louis Block print . Lucius art on etsy
Forgive me this is a Chicago artist. But it's too cool!

[2] bird feeder . joepapendick on etsy
Modern birdfeeder by local artist Joe Papendick.

[three] STL flag. desertjuan on etsy
Okay, so maybe not the most high class artwork ever, but: St. Louis flag done in Mardi Gras beads. Be still my heart.

[four] STL microbrew selection . list by stl hops
For the ultimate St. Louis microbrew champion, why don't you pick up a bottle from each brewpub in this list?

[five] David freese jersey . mlb
He's the hometown boy for the hometown team. Thats like STLove x2!

[6] I (fleur-de-lis) STL . STL STYLE
I <3 STL, only redesigned.

 This gift guide brought to you by Mrs. Kuhlrock, the proudest St. Louisan outside of St. Louis proper.

*For those not familiar, STL is the common abbreviation for St. Louis, MO. There, now you are an honorary, STLien.

Wish.list: Nature Lovers

Ahh, the great outdoors. There is nothing quite like it. Here is a list inspired by those who find solace under the canopy of a hickory-oak forest.




[one] travel vest . national geographic store
While you wear the most legit trekking vest ever...it is offered by NatGeo, after all.

[2] field guide to urban wildlife . amazon
Go collect all 135 species!

[3] birch pillar candles . world market
Bring the indoors in with fake wood.

[four] seed bombs . visualingual on etsy
Bring the animals to you with wildlife habitat seed bombs.

[five] burl wood light switch plates . timbergreenwoods on etsy
One way to bring the outdoors inside is with flowers. Another way is to cover your light switches with interesting wood

[6] missouri botanical garden membership . mobot or your local garden
The best trekking is done in your local botanical garden. Get a membership and support local and worldwide efforts to sustain the flora you so admire.

 This gift guide brought to you by Mrs. Kuhlrock, an ethnobotanist that hikes for extended periods in the jungles of Madagascar and the mountains of Peru.

Wish.list: For the new momma

Dear new mom - Ah, the joys of being a new mom. Is anything the same as before?




[one] softened edges robe . anthropologie
A beautiful silky robe to feel pretty when you are up way too early and not getting a nap anytime soon.

[two] gold loop hoops . kateszabone on etsy
Hoop earrings that easily slide out when a little one grabs at them.

[three] transatlantic bag . anthropologie
A beautiful bag that can hold all of baby's stuff without letting anyone know its a diaper bag.

[four] organic cocoa facial mask . dress green
And while you are not sleeping as much, a little TLC for your tired face. Why not use one made out of chocolate?

[five] flower of the month club
Fresh flower of the month club!

[six] organic argan oil . josie maran
Argan oil. Mix it in to your conditioner or use it as a serum, apply to your face, hands, everywhere! So helpful for drying out of skin that comes with washing your hands every 10 minutes.

 This gift guide brought to you by Mrs. Kuhlrock, a new momma who is gearing up to spend her first Christmas with her little one and husband.

Wish.list: Gifts for a nerd

Boy or girl, one hundred percent of nerds love: old school video games; Star Wars; Harrison Ford; webcomics; card games; Hayao Miyazaki; and crafty things. Buy your special nerd a gift from this list, and you are sure to put a smile on their face!


[one] gamespite journal 10 . blurb, but read more about it here
[2] no one wants to play sega with harrison ford print . brandon bird
[3] kodama figure . cuteart on etsy
[four] penny arcade: the game . penny arcade
[5] tauntaun sleeping bag . think geek

This post brought to you by our resident geek (Daniel).

Wish.list: Casual Chic

The 2011 wish.list gift-giving guide is here! Look for more guides throughout the holiday season.

This gift list is for the gal that likes a little umph in her daily lineup, but nothing too glitzy. We like to call it casual chic. (Also, I've been told you can't wear yoga pants all the time...)




[1] kallia bag . milloo on etsy
[two] handcut silver earrings . gemagenta on supermarket
[three] stripes pullover . anthropologie
[4] sneaker customization kit . uncommon goods
[five] t-shirt jewelry . uncommon goods - or - make it yourself

Recipe for success: Buttercream icing

Happy Valentine's day! I must admit I am just coming around to this holiday after years of fake gagging myself in response to sappy cards forced on a legion of unassuming schmucks to demonstrate their love once a year. Now I see that I was missing the point: a chance to bake and eat tons of sweets in the name of love. Ain't love grand?


This year I selected cupcakes with buttercream icing. Supposedly this recipe is as close to the famed Publix grocery store's buttercream icing as a home effort has come, according to this icing forum (thank you, icing gurus, for all your hardwork). Stop reading now if you truly love icing and have no idea how it is made, because finding out about icing is an awful lot like finding out about how hotdogs are made. Now that I've totally killed any romantic notions you had dancing about in your head, here is the recipe:

1. Assemble the ingredients:
   

   • ½ pounds butter (2 sticks) • 2 cups Crisco vegetable shortening • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon butter flavoring

   • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract • 2 lbs. confectioners sugar • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon meringue powder

2. Mix butter, Crisco and salt together on low speed for 5 minutes.
   
3. Add vanilla, butter flavor and almond extract and beat until blended.
   
4. With the mixer off, added the meringue powder and half of the confectioners sugar. Turn the mixer on the slowest speed until the powder has combined in the icing mix. Add the remaining confectioner's sugar 1/2 cup at a time until the sugar is mixed in.
   
5. Crank the mixer up to medium and beat the mixture for approximately 5 minutes. The icing should be smooth and creamy at the end of this time.

NOTES:
• Meringue powder you can find at speciality baking stores or at Michael's craft store in the baking section.
• Butter flavoring you can find in the spices section of your grocery store near all the other extracts. It is a little bottle of liquid, not the butter flavoring granules you sprinkle on baked potatoes and things.
• The original recipe stresses sifting the confectioner's sugar, I started to do this, got antsy and dumped the confectioner's sugar in unsifted. I didn't seem to have a problem, but my confectioner's sugar wasn't too hard or clumped together.
• You can store the icing in the fridge overnight to preserve it. Before using, warm it to room temp and beat the icing in the mixer for 2-5 minutes. Otherwise just eat it straight out of the fridge with the largest spoon you can find.

Photojourna.list: Christmas Eve 2010

Our first Christmas with Indio. It was a whirlwind of traditions, both old and new. We put out the luminarias, as it has been a long-standing Christmas tradition, we hung Indio's first ornament, a new tradition. We enjoyed our family and spending time with the newest member - even if he napped through opening presents.