via www.pinkofperfection.com
I like to follow the blog “Pink of Perfection” – style, recipes…. and cool mix tapes via grooveshark!
Here’s a playlist to help you plow through the afternoon.
February 16, 2011
www.apple.com
Hi, my name is Beth and I am an iPhone convert. Used to cradle a Blackberry, but those are distant memories. Being a PC user for my design work (gasp!), having an iPhone keeps one foot in trendy mac land, and one foot firmly planted in practicality.
Everyone is crazed about downloading apps – I am on that wagon, until too may other people have the same app and then all of the sudden I’m no longer interested. Children seem to be addicted to the games and strange visual effects available. Frightening. Angry Birds and I have yet to meet.
Here are a few of my favorite apps for iPhone:
Organization/Work:
Evernote – lets you keep notes in text, voice and camera notes, automatically syncs with your online account. Primarily used to take magazine snapshots for design inspiration, grocery lists and brainstorming lists.
Dropbox – sync your files, automatic online backup
BaseCamp – project management
Dragon Dictation – send a text or email from a voice recording
Miriam Webster Dictionary
WordPress
Adobe Ideas – bascially a scratch pad for ideas, incorporate images or other files, draw and apply colour
SketchBookX – another sketching tool, great pencils and brushes
Food:
Epicurious – was already addicted to the website. Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Shape… need I say more?
Whole Foods Recipes – when you’re feeling like feeling healthy
Food Network
OpenTable – restaurant reservations
QuickBins – drag and drop contacts to text or phone
Health:
Fitness Pro – exercises, create your own workout, track runs
Weather:
Weather Eye – add a bunch of cities and day dream about good weather
News:
National Post
Economist
NYTimes
NewYorker
TED – Technology, Entertainment, Design, “ideas worth spreading”
Social:
Facebook
Hootsuite for Twitter
Shopping:
Groupon – if you don’t know what this is by now, then you probably don’t read blogs
HauteLook – daily discounts on designer fashions and home decor
Shoppers Drug Mart – get yer flyers!
Music:
TuneIn Radio – radio stations from around the world
MuseBox – more online radio, genre based
Shazam – find out what song is playing by holding your phone up and pressing the button
Photography:
Hipstamatic – applies old school effects, limited but cool
Incredibooth Photo Booth – no need to take a trip to the mall!
Best Camera App – shoot a picture or open one from your photo roll, apply filters and effects, and then upload it to Facebook or Twitter
Travel:
Kayak – deals
Trip Advsior – find out where to go, eat, stay near you now
FlightTrack
Lifestyle:
Vogue Stylist – shop new fashions, take images of your wardrobe to style yourself
Wallpaper magazine
Zinio – the best magazines from around the world, in digital
Financial:
CIBC
Bloomsburg – stock watch and financial news
Bloomburg – financial information and stock tracker
Ok, your turn to give it up. Your favorites please!
> back to the blogroll
> BCC on Facebook
Categories: bits & bytes.
December 6, 2010
Admiring Donna Hay’s online store for its down-under style. Cohesive, modern, delicate… yummy! Her new book “fast, fresh, simple” is out now.
I’ve had my first major online shopping success! Amazon, sure. Restoration Hardware, JCrew, yes and yes. But a website offering limited time sales of hugely discounted designer items? New to me! What are your online shopping hotspots? I’ll let you in on my revelation soon.
Christmas pudding, Keep Glam & Rock On poster, shopping list pad, apron | via www.donnahay.com.au
Categories: bits & bytes.
November 17, 2010
Who doesn’t know what Groupon is?
Deal lovers beware. Groupon negotiates massive discounts on goods, services and cultural events all over North America. They offer deals to subscribers via email but I prefer their iPhone app where you can check in periodically to view deals by city. The deals are activated when a certain number of people agree to buy so subscribers get a great deal and the business gets a boost. You don’t have to sign up for email alerts – you can just check the site from time to time.
It’s exciting enough that Victoria has been recently added to their lineup but I envision using this while on the road. You know you’re in trouble when you’re considering going to Long Island for 50% a hot stone massage and facial. Also keep your eye on Vancouver and other Canadian cities for web deals.
So far I have made 2 purchases – $15 for $30 delivery basket of organics from Share Organics and $15 for $30 worth of food and drinks at Canoe. Has anybody been to Posh restaurant on Fort Street in the Mosaic buidling? Today’s deal is $12 for $25 worth of Sukiyaki and Asian fare.
Find out this week on the blog how my first Groupon experience went….
www.groupon.com
Categories: bits & bytes.
November 16, 2010
I’ve noticed that my DSLR is producing images with little blurry spots. Time to clean it up. It’s likely that your camera came with some cleaning equipment. If you’ve lost track of it, you’ll need to get some lens cleaning fluid and cleaning tissues. C’mon, you know you’ve been dying to use that air plunger. If you’re unsure, take your camera somewhere like Lens & Shutter.
Categories: bits & bytes.
November 11, 2010
This week, a woman in her 20′s asked my husband why he was wearing a “rose” on his lapel. I worry that we are not only failing to remember, but failing to tell the stories, record the details and pass on the history. If you don’t know about your family’s history, ask. If you know about your family’s history, tell.
Canadian soldiers disembarking HMCS Prince Robert in 1941 | via www.airmuseum.ca/rcn/
If you’re short on your own details, have a peek at letters and diary entries of veterans and their families at The Canadian Letters and Images Project .
Here area few snippets:
Francis (Frank) Michael Scandiffio was born on December 24, 1913 and served as a Pilot Officer with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the war. Frank was killed on July 15, 1944.
England June 29, 1942
Dear Sis and Rocco,
I got them all, Millie, your letter from May 22, your parcel and also 1,000 cigarettes. And boy am I ever glad, because I haven’t had a cigarette from Canada for nearly a month or more. And the food! Wow! Thanks a million. I just got back from London and points south last night. I had a glorious 14 day’s leave with pay (of course), and you could have bowled me over with a boogey bee when I got back here at the aerodrome to find about 2 dozen letters, a large box of Lauras from Mike, 300 cigarettes from Furiano’s, and 1000 cigs and a parcel from you. It all came at once, so it seems.
I visited Tom. He’s sunbathing in the sunny South. I met him in Southampton. I’ll be able to send him a few more pictures of myself in a week or two.. I guess you know now what a total blackout is like. It’s like that over here every day and night of the year. We can see like cats. If we don’t we shan’t live long.
I spent a week with the Collinses. It was swell. I visited Hampton Court where Henry the Eighth lived. The castle and grounds are simply too beautiful to describe. And Windsor Castle is even more fantastic. It is on a hill and seems to sprawl for miles. Pure white stone, and just like a fairy castle. You could put Casa Loma in the court yard and there are dozens of court yards. I went to Richmond Castle to dance and swim and also to Sudbury for some swimming and dancing and a bit of golf. All these places are on the Thames River. I could go on for hours. But I have many letters to write. So long sis. Cheerio, Rocco.
Your loving bro.
Frank
_____________
Hello Blokes,
“There I was – on my back, 10,1000 feet up and no instruments, three Huns on my tail and only four rounds left so what did I do? You’re right, Esther, I nonchalantly lit a cigarette and escaped in the smokescreen. Whew!” (no money paid for the endorsement, Thanks for the cigs. You’re too kind. Everything here is Ok and I’m still flying for Fighter Command and no fooling from now on. Regards to Herbie and the little Sprog.
Frank
_____________
Buckingham Palace
25th. May, 1945.
My Dear Mrs. Scandiffio,
The King and Queen have learned with sincere regret that your son, Pilot officer Francis Michael Scandiffio, has lost his life in the service of his country, as his brother, warrant Officer Thomas Peter Scandiffio, did.
I am commanded by their Majesties to assure you of their deepest sympathy in this double loss which you have sustained.
Yours Sincerely,
Marcelles
Derek Dufresne | Fleshworks Tatoos | Victoria BC | via www.tattoosinflight.com
Categories: bits & bytes.
November 3, 2010
At this time in 1950, Sammy Kaye’s “Harbor Lights” was at the top of the Billboard Charts. Also incredibly fitting for a very special birthday today.
Categories: bits & bytes.
October 20, 2010
Too easy!
Stipple is a slick way to label and share the content of photos on your site or blog. When readers mouse-over your images, information from your labels pops up.
Welcome to Stipple from stipple on Vimeo.
Categories: bits & bytes.
August 5, 2010
A friend of mine led me to this TED talk by Marian Bantjes.
If you haven’t checked out TED, you should. TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Their concept revolves around bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. There are two annual conferences — the TED Conference in Long Beach and Palm Springs each spring, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK each summer.
Back to the topic at hand. Why do I do what I do? Every day I get to think, “who is this for, what does it say, and how should this look”? As a designer, Bantjes brings up the the concern of not contributing. Typefaces, colour swatches, proofs, sketches and code. Does good design matter?
I am reminded, yes. As she puts it, it’s about reaching an audience and planting a seed of inspiration. Truly imaginative work is important to society, seeding the imagination of the populous. Who might see your work and turn it in to something else? Bantjes suggests that good design might inspire a doctor or a baby sitter, but it’s difficult to quantify, and our society tends to under value what it can’t measure. Society needs these seeds from all disciplines to keep all sectors growing and imagining.
We are confronted with design (good and bad) in the private and public realms every day. Have you ever been to an airport and can’t find your gate? Did you have one of those walls filled with magazine pages as a teenager or pick up a bottle of wine just for the label? Have you ever stood in front of a painting and felt something – anything?
Be open to new ideas, to receiving visual information and allow yourself to react. No, appearances aren’t everything. Closing yourself off to good design whether it be in your own room, a new restaurant or a magazine is doing yourself an injustice. How are you inspired and what feeds your new ideas?
Have you forgotten what it feels like?
Categories: bits & bytes.
July 28, 2010
YouWorkForThem: A collection of artists offer everything from stock images, fonts, videos and audio. Check out their blog for other design inspiration.
istock
My clients are usually surprised to find out you can purchase stock photography for under $20. One of the most difficult challenges can be finding imagery or video that both illustrates your business and appeals to your demographic. If you’re creative (c’mon even you can make your own invite or t-shirt design) stock sites are great for textured backgrounds and vector graphics. Here are a few of my faves:
iStockphoto: my most frequent haunt. This was one of the first stock sites I worked with, it’s affordable and easy to use. Sign up, buy stock, sell stock.
Dreamstime: lots of affordable images, I find the interface a little awkward.
Fotolia: stock photos from 14 cents!
Shutter Stock: “the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world”. Thousands of photographs, illustrations, and vectors added every day.
123 Royalty Free: credit packages or subscriptions, similar to iStock.
YouWorkForThem
YouWorkForThem: A collection of artists offer everything from stock images, fonts, videos and audio. Check out their blog for other design inspiration.
Categories: bits & bytes.
July 20, 2010
Top of the charts in July 1950 was “Mona Lisa” by Nat King Cole. How very appropriate for my original artistic inspiration’s birthday.
Categories: bits & bytes.
June 29, 2010
Logos are like ladies. They can nurture a new idea, demand recognition, kill the competition and get the job done – all at the same time. When it comes to graphic design, many businesses live with a poorly designed logo, business card or website because “it’s good enough for now”. Since when is “good enough” part of your mission statement? No more excuses for bad design.
If you had one message to send to the world what would it be, how would it look and how would you say it?
I like these logos for the purpose of illustrating how a concept can be visually interpreted:
top: www.roysmithdesign.com | bottom: www.niallstaines.com
Categories: bits & bytes.
June 16, 2010
World Cup calendar wheel from www.marca.com
Apparently the World Cup is on. And apparently it’s a pretty big deal. Does supporting South African wineries count?
All you fans out there, keep track of what’s on using this cool online calendar (above).
There’s also an app for that. View the match schedule, save the final score, show both groups and second stage table, build statistics and update the results on-line.
Categories: bits & bytes.
June 11, 2010
Had to post this ironic find after a dinner conversation which included testing out a friend’s new iPad and reminiscing about the good old days playing arcade PacMan and Tetris at the old Cherry Bank Hotel. The iCade Arcade Cabinet started as an April Fool’s joke, and is now reality. Available at www.thinkgeek.com for $149.
via www.thinkgeek.com
Categories: bits & bytes.
June 2, 2010
Microsoft Paint not quite cutting it? Dying to cut that old boyfriend out of a fabulous photo? Picnik allows you to edit photos online, in your browser. It’s the easiest way on the Web to fix underexposed photos, remove red-eye, or apply effects to your photos. Realize your inner designer fantasies by making a custom slide show or collage.
Oh, and it’s free.
www.picnik.com
Categories: bits & bytes.
May 17, 2010
Came across this nice icon set. Minimal with a little funky style. Download the set for free here.
click for free download
Categories: bits & bytes.
April 14, 2010
I’ve discussed project management and file sharing before. I use BaseCamp all the live long day to share files and comments with my clients. If you want to share a large amount of files, or ever better, sync files online and across different computers, Dropbox has the answer. It’s great for collaborating with other contractors or sharing photo galleries with family. If the word “backup” makes you shudder, you can use Dropbox as online backup. Sold.
- 2GB of online storage for free, with up to 100GB available to paying customers.
- Sync Windows, Mac and Linux computers.
- Efficient sync – only the pieces of a file that changed (not the whole file) are synced. This saves you time.
- 30 days of undo history, with unlimited undo available as a paid option.
- View your files on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
Categories: bits & bytes.
April 8, 2010
I would imagine that the vast majority of designers out there listen to music while they’re pumping out brilliant ideas. Music helps me settle in, keeps me focused and can jazz me up or calm me down, depending on the project. White Stripes vs. Morcheeba.
from www.revolveclothing.com
It’s known that music can heighten your senses. This is a reminder to turn up the volume. Your life deserves a soundtrack.
When I’m not tuned into XM Radio I like to hit up Jango or Last.fm, both free internet radio stations, or Musicovery, interactive webRadio with a cool interface. What’s keeping you on task and inspired?
Categories: bits & bytes.
February 11, 2010
Sunday is the big day. Scrambling for something worthy of your sweetheart? Check out Animoto, which turns photos and videos into orchestrated slideshows, complete with music.
The first one I made was for my husband on my wedding day, and I made one for our 1st anniversary. They definitely went over well. The best part is that they are free, or nearly free for longer videos. You upload your photos, choose a song or upload one of your own, and away you go. All it takes is a bit of your time and thought. And that’s all anyone really wants right?
Animoto
Categories: bits & bytes.
February 8, 2010
www.invoicemachine.com
I’ve received lots of interest in this post regarding ways of organizing your small business online.
I just came across The Invoice Machine over the weekend. They appear quite similar to FreshBooks, offering online invoicing and time tracking, but pricing appears to be arranged by number of invoices as opposed to number of clients, which may work better for those with higher volume. Let me know if you give it a try.
Categories: bits & bytes.
January 27, 2010
Steve Jobs unveiled the Apple iPad today! It’s kind of a morph between the iPhone and iPod Touch and a laptop. The device is capable of doing many of the same things an iPhone can but on a larger, 9.7-inch LCD screen. The tablet is a half-inch thick, weighs 1.5 pounds, and comes in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB capacities. It does a lot of things – movies (including HD), TV, color screen web browsing, playing games, WiFi, bluetooth…
the new iPad
At first it kind of made me think goodbye Kindle, and the fact that they built an iBooks app specifically for the iPad that lets users read e-books directly on the iPad; and that they’ll also be able to buy books, ranging in price from $8 to $15, from Apple’s new iBook Store… solidified my reaction. From $499-$699. Exiting, but cha-ching.
Categories: bits & bytes.
December 16, 2009
I’ve received a few questions lately regarding sending event invitations by email. Although I can create an customized image for you to sendl, if you want to track responses and allow comments, you can’t beat the free online resources available. You’ve probably seen Evite.
Evite
Ahh… Evite. Full of ads, it starts with an email about a party with no information about the party, and then it leads you to a garish custom web page. It can be frustrating when you’re en route to the party and need internet access to check the address.
MyPunchbowl leaves guests a pretty informative email, but neglects to include the event location and is visually cluttered. Similar is AnyVite. A mod option is Crusher. A new invite status column in the Edit Guest List page shows you the status of each invitee’s invitation. You can even broadcast live updates from the party. If your party is cool enough to bother with that, please invite me.
Manvite
For the fellas out there, you must check out Manvite. Invite options include “drink beer”, “cougar hunting”, and “go see ninja assassin”. The home page looks promising, but once you take a few steps in it looks like it falls apart. Try it out and let me know how it works. I would imagine it probably doesn’t include directions and forgets to send the email.
You can tell instantly from Pingg’s home page that you are in safer style territory. The initial email covers all the necessary info, and you don’t even need to view the event web page if you don’t want to. This is my pick. So get goin’ and send those holiday invites!
Pingg
Categories: bits & bytes.
November 23, 2009
I know, sounds exciting. It is Monday after all. I’ve had many conversations with other small business owners regarding how they keep track of their finances, invoicing etc. If it’s time to graduate from the Excel spreadsheet, or expensive accounting software is bogging you down, I’ve got a few ideas.
For me, it started with Freshbooks, an online invoicing and time tracking tool. No more watching the clock or losing track of time. No more transferring data to Excel invoices. Great for freelancers or service providers, it allows you to send custom invoices by email or snail mail, keep track of expenses and manage contractors. They offer PayPal integration if you’re interested in accepting credit card payments. You can try it free (seamless transition if you decide to sign up) or pay a monthly fee based on how many clients you wish to manage.
Freshbooks works well with Basecamp, a web-based project collaboration tool. Share files, meet deadlines, assign tasks and centralize feedback. Clients can view project status and associated files 24/7 which I find really cuts down on millions of back and forth emails. Clients can view the project timeline and find out what they are responsible for, which helps keep things on track. For accounting purposes, you can import time spent on projects into Freshbooks. If you get in to Basecamp, Timy is a great time-tracking tool.
I just came across Shoeboxed. So get this. You send ALL of your random receipts in to them (by mail, fax, email, from your phone) and they scan them, and organize them in a tidy online account. You can actually view your real receipts by clicking on the online entry. They have automatic categorization and will also keep track of your contacts – all you have to do is send in a business card! Integrates with Freshbooks. Dying to hear of anyone who has tried this!
MailChimp is a email marketing tool and list manager. Integrations with WordPress, Twitter and Salesforce make MailChimp a pretty powerful social networking tool. Store up to 500 subscribers for FREE.
Categories: bits & bytes.
November 3, 2009
They collected the thoughts of 30 of the world’s most inspired creative professionals. Architects, designers, authors and leaders of iconic brands.
Then they asked them two questions: “What single example of design inspires you most?” and “What problem should design solve next?”
I appreciated Edwin Chan’s response. These points struck a chord with me:
- Find real inspiration by looking beyond the latest gadgets to something more timeless and spiritual
- The act of creation by visualization followed by concretetization resonates with the most transient and rootless nature of our existence
- Not new age
- As designers we should address the problem of how to reconcile our own survival on the planet with the quality of life we are accustomed to
- Green design as a fad
- Energy conscious trend is a rehash of what has been good design all along
- Begin by thinking about the little things
- Reduce waste
- Live in a smaller house
- Stop commuting
- Stop buying things you don’t need with money you don’t have
- Stop depleting resources to satisfy your need for things
- Re-orientate to focus on what is essential
- Find the essence of who you are and what you need in order to be
- Simple but not simplistic
View the full conversation here.
FOLLOW Beth Campbell Creative | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
Categories: bits & bytes.
September 14, 2009
Lately I’ve been hopping aboard the Social Media train. Many of my clients have been asking me about Facebook, Twitter and blogging.
Facebook lies somewhere between Twitter and a blog. It’s a place to connect with friends and family on a more personal level. The usefulness of Twitter is not as readily obvious to some people as Facebook; it lies more in the world of Instant Messaging. Responses are instantaneous and you can connect to literally anyone. It’s a place to bounce around ideas and find out what’s going on in any given realm. Is joining this network necessary?
Categories: bits & bytes.