Katie Donbavand

Shelterrific April 27, 2012
Confession time: I’m terrible at wrapping presents. I always have the best intentions. I walk by Paper Source’s windows and think, “Ohhh, that’s what I want to be!” I want to be one of those people with a gift wrapping station complete with a dozen different colors of washi tape and tinsel bows. I want to present my wedding shower gift and have everyone coo over the homemade tissue paper violets perched beside the bow. But, let’s cut the crap, I never am. I don’t have the time, money, or energy to make paper turkeys to decorate Thanksgiving cards. I always end up wrapping birthday presents in leftover Christmas paper. My cringe-worthy, rock bottom moment came when I presented a baby shower gift in a slightly used Halloween trick-or-treat bag.

There is hope for me yet! A light on the end of the horizon has appeared in Wordless Design’s universal wrapping paper. The paper allows you to choose your own celebration by circling the appropriate sentiment. Not only is the paper universally usable (cutting down on having to stock rolls and rolls of specific birthday, mother’s day, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Festivus, etc. paper), but it’s also sharp, clean, and minimalistically appealing. Five sheets of this rad wrapping is about 15€.

Shelterrific April, 24, 2012

I love a good plaid. Be it the refined British Burberry patterns or rugged Scotland breeds that make up those delicious kilts, I am smitten with plaid.That’s why Raw Edges studio’s plaid benches have leapt to the top of my wish list! Part mod, part preppy, the collection of benches are made up of interlocking colorful bands crossing horizontally and vertically to make up a gorgeous pattern. Check out Raw Edges studio for the rest of designers Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay’s creations (the floors of the Stella McCartney store in Milan are nothing short of inspiring).

Shelterrific April 9, 2012

Is it an alien incubator? A suspended animation pod? An evil goo that will surely overtake the world and kill us all if it gets out of it’s streamlined prison?! Nope. Meet the refrigerator of the future.

Russian designer Yuriy Dmitriev recently unveiled the Electrolux Bio-Robot Refrigerator. The invention promises to revolutionize the appliance world since it does not require energy for cooling products. Instead, the odorless, non-sticky biopolymer gel cools food through luminescence. Objects are placed into the strong gel, creating a separate pod for each item. The objects are kept cool thanks to the transformation of invisible infrared radiation into visible light. The gel absorbs heat energy and radiates it in a different range of wavelengths (SCIENCE!). The Bio-Robot refrigerator is four times smaller than the average conventional refrigerator and can be hung horizontally, vertically, or (most impressively) on the ceiling. The fridge is completely silent, has no moving parts, and, even if it never comes to market, is an impressive stab at innovating a product that hasn’t changed in decades. Not to mention that pressing your hands into that goo looks supremely satisfying.

Shelterrific April 4, 2012

Shelterrific March 26, 2012

We made it! We did it, fellow northerns! We made it through another winter! The days are getting longer, football season is over, and it’s the home stretch to spring. The only thing that keeps me sane while riding out those long, post-Christmas winter months is my stash of Tealuxe. Tealuxe is an adorable tea shop in the trendy Harvard Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts whose motto is “Tea for All”. Luckily for those of us outside of New England, they sell their artfully crafted loose tea blends online. Shop their dizzying stock of black, green, herbal, rooibos, oolong, mate, white, and decaf teas. Don’t know where to start? Check out their Teatenders’ Top Ten most popular teas or their featured teas (their current featured teas include a throat tender blend, tra que chai, and gingerbread tea- yum!). My personal favorite has to be #192: caramel crème brulee. It’s closer to ambrosia than tea.

Photo from Flickr user GenevieveL-G

Shelterrific March 15, 2012

Forget decorating a nursery, I want these flash cards for my bedroom! From etsy user loopzart, this set of 15 flash cards serves as friendly reminders to how to be a better person including: “Read a Book,” “Say Please,” and “Be Kind.” From Hong Kong, loopzart’s store is filled with sweet, bold prints, calendars, and flashcards that are as colorful as candy. Not only are they cute, they are also a bargin. Art prints hover around $8 to $15 depending on size- perfect price points for collecting a series and turning a plain wall into a mini gallery. Besides, I dare you to try to find a more adorable print of the Thing.

Shelterrific March 13, 2012

I’ve been waiting for Friday for a long time. Next weekend, the ‘Hunger Games’ movie premieres and I couldn’t be happier! I, like so many of my fellow Panem-obsessed bookworms, have been waiting for the movie to premiere since I read the last page of Suzanne Collins’ Mockingjay. Now that it’s finally here, I’m prepared to celebrate the movie with all the pomp and circumstance of one of President Snow’s parties. Continue reading →

Shelterrific March 9, 2012

I call it Fridge Freeze. It’s that moment before meal time when you open the refrigerator and are stunned into a stupor, standing there in the cold glow of a bare light bulb starring at a yogurt, some chicken, half a bag of shredded cheese, and some suspicious looking leftovers with no earthly idea of what to cook for dinner. During extreme cases of Fridge Freeze, I’m driven to take out menus thanks to my indecision, impatience, and hunger. However, I recently found a cure for Fridge Freeze that does not include the Thai place down the street. At My Fridge Food, I can check off what ingredients I have at hand and be instantly supplied with yummy, easy, user supplied recipes. There is a simple ingredient list and, for you super stars who stock your pantry like Martha Stewart, a detailed kitchen list. Sort the recipe results by number of ingredients, cooking time, calories, carbs, fat, protein, or category and banish Fridge Freeze forever.