An origami-inspired purse sounds needlessly complex. Futzing around with folds when you’re trying to find your keys in the abyss of a bag? No thanks. But! But: The reality of this Distortion clutch, designed by tech-friendly design icon Issey Miyake, is rad. Like, I-would-definitely-carry-the-hell-out-of-this rad.
If you’ve ever read a novel from Iain M. Banks’s Culture series, then you’ll know that builder-bots play a huge role in his vision of the future: A future in which houses, cities and even entire planets can be built on the cheap by armies of drones….
If the first crop of Android Wear smartwatches falls just outside of your price range, don’t fret — ASUS may soon come to your rescue. TechCrunch claims that the Taiwanese firm is developing Google-powered wristwear with a target price between $99…
Hackers have decided to take advantage of the massive interested generated by Valve’s Steam Summer Sale this season with some digital phishing. While you’re still free to enjoy the Steam sale for all its worth, there’s a couple of things we’d have you watch out for. You don’t want to get targeted by this particular scam, that’s for certain. The … Continue reading
A recent teardown for the “new” iPod Touch shows that not much has changed with the complex manufacturing process. It’s still glued, still screwed, and still tough to open up. We took a second and compared some other Apple products, and referenced that against those iPhone 6 leaks we see popping up. Will the iPhone 6 be as tough to … Continue reading
We always want to be prepared for any wacky and wild happenstances that may come up. Of course, that often means we’re trying to carry around so many gadgets, gizmos, and individual supplies that we could stock a pantry. Of course, if all of these useful bits of technology have no power, they may as well be a brick.
If you enjoy having the more important pieces of gear like your phone charged up, then you likely want to have a backup battery handy. However, many of the options on the market only hold enough charge for a fraction of your full battery life. This is not the case with the Powerall Deluxe, as it can charge your phone and jump start your car. Use the jumper cable attachment, and off you go! No need to worry about relying on the kindness of strangers or trying to call a friend to come help you out.
This will show you the battery status via LEDs, and has two USB ports so you can charge two devices at once. On a full charge, this could jump start 20 cars. Just to be safe, there are over current, short circuit, overload, over voltage, and over charge protections in place so it’s harder to mess things up. If you find yourself in the situation where your car and phone both die at night, and you are without a flashlight, there’s an LED light added on here as well, just in case. This will cost you $129.99, and seems like it would be a very useful item to keep in your car. Well, so long as you remember to keep it charged.
Available for purchase on ThinkGeek
[ The Powerall Deluxe will give your phone and car a boost copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
SEEKONK, Mass. (AP) — Massachusetts police say they were able to identify a man who hid a video camera in a women’s locker room because he captured himself on video while setting up the camera.
Police say the camera was discovered in a 24-hour Planet Fitness health club by a member Wednesday. The camera had been recording for more than 21 minutes when it was found. Officers who examined the video say it shows the man setting up the hidden camera in the club at Seekonk. Gym employees identified the man as a club member.
Police say no one has been arrested.
The company says in a statement that the privacy of its members is extremely important and that the franchise owner in southeastern Massachusetts is cooperating with authorities.
Will Ferrell is currently in Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, sipping on some ice cold beers at the Budweiser Hotel in Rio de Janeiro.
“I’m not going to lie to you, we’ve had a few and we’ve enjoyed them thoroughly,” Ferrell told HuffPost Entertainment on June 27.
But Ferrell is less concerned with the party and more focused on the soccer, as he watches the world’s best players take each other on in grueling matches.
“The World Cup, at the expense of sounding cliché, really brings everyone together,” he told us during an interview over the phone (although we sort of wish we were in Rio, don’t you?). “It’s unique to be at a game when you’re standing next to crowds from Germany and afterwards everyone just shakes hands and says, ‘Hey, that was a great game.’ It really puts a light on the fact that it’s a shame that the world can’t have more cooperative moments like this,” he said. “Where we just are bonded by our love of sport.”
The 46-year-old comedian delivered an inspirational speech to U.S. soccer fans before the match against Germany on June 26, proving he’s not only a fan himself, but quite the motivator.
“I think I could lead our team into any situation,” he told HuffPost. “I don’t know if I would get them to win, but I would definitely get them fired up. But I’d have no technical expertise, just a lot of emotion and a lot of screaming.”
Speaking of emotion (and technical expertise, for that matter), Ferrell also opened up about his future star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, “Anchorman” memories and thoughts on fellow comedians.
Congrats on the Walk of Fame news, that’s very exciting!
Yeah! Finally, right? [laughs]
You’ve been in some amazing movies, including “Anchorman,” which was released 10 years ago. Is that hard to believe?
I guess. [laughs] If I look back and think how long I’ve been doing this, it does surprise me. But when you’re in the mode of working, I don’t know if that really crosses your mind.
“Anchorman 2” just happened, but will there be an “Anchorman 3”?
That really hasn’t come up. You know, It took a lot to make a sequel and we were very happy with it. We felt like making sequels is not the easiest thing to do and I think we survived in terms of making it distinct enough and worth making. So I don’t know, I never talked about making a third one.
Where do you pull inspiration from for your work?
I just kind of have a capacity to think of weird and bizarre things and then I’m given the opportunity to execute them. So, I don’t really know if there’s one source that I draw inspiration from, it’s just, I spend a lot of time daydreaming and that’s proven valuable for me.
You’re a dad of three sons, is that why you’ve been taking on more animated roles like “Lego Movie” and “Megamind”? Or does being a father lead you to take on serious roles as well?
It is interesting now that I have kids. I’ll tell you, they do have opinions as to whether I should take on a project or not. But I still govern myself by the rules of just hearing the choices I’m going to make. It’s great to go back and forth between comedic stuff and family movies and then dramatic stuff. I like to kind of have a variety of projects going at the same time.
Who’s the funniest actor, currently, in your eyes?
Let’s see … I think that there’s just a lot of people who, once again, are doing funny stuff. I’m a big fan of Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen. I think those guys are making really funny, interesting movies. And there’s always people coming up, but I don’t know if I’m really someone who studies other people’s comedies.
You’ve worked with some of the best including Paul Rudd and Kristen Wiig, and so on (and on). Who are your favorite people to work with?
The “Anchorman” cast, those guys are great. Of course, I loved working with John C. Reilly, he’s kind of a brother to me. We’re trying to figure out another project to do together. Mark Wahlberg was amazing to work with and I just finished a movie [“Get Hard”] with Kevin Hart, and he’s another really funny guy who, at the same time, works really hard and likes to enjoy himself the same way I do. He works hard, but at the same time, doesn’t take all of this too seriously, which I think is the key to success in this business.
Which celebrity, aside from your “Step Brothers” co-star [John C. Reilly], would you want to share a bunk bed with?
Ummm … [long pause and deliberation]. How about Vladimir Putin? A real fun guy, but maybe I can get him to lighten up.
And who do you think would win in a fight, Ron Burgundy or Chazz Reinhold from “Wedding Crashers”?
I don’t think either of them would win. It would just kind of end up being a pathetic glob of two men wrestling like gorillas on the ground, probably.
The Do-It-Yourself crafting trend started long before brides completely embraced it — but with the help of Pinterest, Instagram, Lover-ly and literally millions of other wedding-idea websites, more brides and grooms are finding ways to take over parts of the wedding that would have previously been farmed out to vendors. This puts a personal stamp of so many elements of the wedding and really helps reflect the couples’ taste and style.
While sometimes your DIY project might actually cost you more to complete on your own than to order pre-assembled, the satisfaction gained by many of my wedding clients (especially the crafters in the bunch), far outweighs the cost of materials — and in some cases shipping to your wedding destination — than the actual dollar amount.
Fortunately, there are several DIY wedding projects that can be cost-effective and fun, although they’re all a little bit time-consuming. But that’s exactly what the motivated bride and groom want — something that costs them more time than money.
1. Invitations – It is EASY to design and make high-quality wedding invitations yourself. There are six zillion ideas online and you can take what you like from each of them, make your shopping list and head to the craft store. You may need to actually seek out an actual art supply store for some of the quality paper and ink you need to make them look professionally done, but that’s a small price to pay if you can find everything you want and get started quickly and easily. There are no limits on space or rules about color and you’re not stuck with an option in a stationary store or online invitation site. You can be as creative — or elegantly simple — as you wish.
2. Placecards – Whether you’re just having placecards, or doing escort cards too, handmade displays can be absolutely lovely. For my own wedding, we created beach-themed placecards and nestled them in a bed of sand, supported by pretty colored natural sea glass. Brides and groom on our island love to do message in a bottle placecards that we bury in sand on a turquoise tablecloth so it looks like they’re sitting on a beach. We’ve even put up little umbrellas around them! Whatever your wedding theme, you can be as creative as you like. If your guests have pre-ordered their entrees, you can indicate their dinner selection on the card in a variety of fun ways from unusual stamps to a color pattern.
3. Welcome bags and the goodies inside them – Every out-of-town wedding guest should be greeted with a fabulous welcome bag. Whether you buy something commercially available and fill it with creative things, or buy blank canvass bags and decorate them yourself, it’s a much appreciated gift when it’s also filled with useful information and yummy treats. You can even print out personalized labels to apply to water bottles or wine bottles you’re including in the bag. This is the place for welcome edibles — just keep in mind where you’re getting married. Chocolate, chapstick, candles and lot of other things that don’t begin with the letter “C” will melt if not kept in temperature controlled environments. If you’re getting married someplace warm, choose sweets that won’t melt, like cookies or gummy worms or something else fun. 
4. Wedding party gifts – It takes more than just a casual crafter to make genuine gifts that will serve to thank the men and women who stand up for you on your wedding day, but I’ve seen some amazing stuff. Personalized hats and other outerwear embroidered by the bride herself. Grill brands mounted on special wood-burned holders constructed by the room. Handmade jewelry (not what you expect them to wear in your wedding — something they can wear anytime) can be a huge hit now that Swarovski and real pearls are readily accessible to the at-home crafter. One of my brides actually took a class on making gold pendants — and she made one for me too! Beautiful 18 karat gold orchid pendants that will forever remind us all of her wedding and be truly appreciated. Thank you Alyssa Reiner!
5. Non-traditional bouquets – In the past two years, DIY brides have embraced making their own bouquets. For some, it’s a budget matter. For others, Pinterest strikes again! Button bouquets, broach bouquets, sea shells and everything else the glitters, sparkles or pops can be pulled together in a pretty arrangement that looks amazing with certain wedding gowns. Just remember, you can’t throw that at anyone unless you’re trying to knock them out. Ask your florist to create a small tossing bouquet for you.
6. Special Signage – Instead of having your flower girls carry traditional baskets, you can create fun signage with a crazy huge variety of different sayings from “Here Comes the Bride” to “Guess What Happens Next?” to precede you down the ceremony aisle. For beach weddings, signs that say “barefoot only beyond this point!” can be fun for guests and pop in pictures on the catwalk to the beach.
7. Décor – How much décor you do yourself is going to be relative to where you’re getting married. For example, in your hometown you can make the centerpieces and other such décor ahead of time (as long as you’re not doing flowers) and your planner can put it out on the big day. If you’re having a destination wedding, you have to consider the cost of shipping 100 miniature neon pots (a recent example from one of our weddings) and how many will actually make it to your wedding in once piece. A few creative couples over the years have done lightweight origami projects that could be hung from trees. We’ve seen hand-made, color-coordinated dream catchers floating in the trees above the ceremony too. But it’s not cost effective to ship hand-punched tin lanterns to use as luminaries, for example. That stuff should only be made for at-home weddings.
8. Favors – We’ve had clients who represented their home states with little bottles of maple syrup from a family farm, and we have a bride right now who is doing little jars of honey from her family’s bee colony. When I got married, I hand-painted Christmas ornaments for each and every guest — a multi-month project that revealed I got better with practice (the first 10 were reserved for my own tree) — and packaged them up in sweet boxes tied with wedding themed ribbons. One early set of clients set out to make 1,000 paper cranes (in following a Chinese tradition) and although they definitely didn’t hit the quantity mark, they had plenty. I still have two hanging on hooks in my guest room (thanks Jen and Mike Phelan). But also don’t forget that wedding cookies and cake pops can hit the spot as your guests depart after a long night of dancing!
9. Photo Albums – There is no reason to pay a photographer an exorbitant fee to create formal albums for you anymore. Almost all photography packages offer an option where you can get all your picture files on CD and then create to your heart’s delight. I know one bride who printed out all the high-quality pictures she wanted on the system at Walgreen’s and created beautiful albums from supplies she had collected for her stamping hobby. Nothing has to be traditional about it — you can create an album for each bridesmaid that’s personalized to reflect your shared relationship. Or you can simply create something online and order as many as you like. The options are limitless and if you’re not sure what to do, you’ll find an idea from somebody else’s Pinterest page.
One warning to all you DIY brides – and I know because I WAS a DIY destination bride — don’t take on more than you can realistically handle. I did a lot of my wedding myself, but the one thing I regret not having done professionally was the wedding album. I made a few and printed out some pictures — and now because of what I do for a living, most of my wedding photos can even be found online. But I don’t have the kind of REAL wedding album that I’ve seen my photographers create for some of my clients and I wish I did. Maybe that’s a good rainy day project for me to take on when I have some free time.
Don’t be intimidated by DIY projects, but also be realistic about what you can accomplish and how effectively you can deliver it to our destination. There’s nothing worse than having a bride spend weeks creating individual picture frame placecards only to have them arrive in crumbles because she didn’t package them properly or the box was mistreated en route. It usually too late for replacements to be constructed in the same loving manner as the originals.
Have fun crafting! And until next time, happy wedding planning from Weddings in Vieques and Weddings in Culebra!
Sandy
It all started with the search for a quick breakfast patty.
I needed a patty that my teenager could pop in the microwave in the morning before school. We are big on proteins for breakfast in our house; they make us feel full longer.
Perhaps you can find organic, delicious breakfast patties in your supermarket, but we couldn’t. So we decided to make them ourselves. And I, being the plan-in-advance, long-term-thinking, and slightly lazy mom that I am, decided to make a huge batch to freeze in the process.
Well, it worked. We made a ton, cooked them up, and froze them, and they’re now rapidly dwindling in the freezer–which is fine because school’s almost over.
These sausage patties are easy to make and even easier to eat. The only thing I haven’t been able to do is make them look flat and perfectly round and “pressed” like a commercial frozen one.
But these aren’t made by a machine–they’re made by gnarly mom hands.
Breakfast Sausage Patties from Scratch
Ingredients:
Directions:
For more from Maria Rodale, visit www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
