At risk of being unfaithful to my Android phone (which, for the record, I love), I have to confess to lusting after the artsy images I always see posted on friend’s Facebook pages using instagr.am, the free photo sharing app for iPhone. So of course you can imagine that my heart skipped a beat at the mention of printstagr.am, a Social Print Studio product that allows users to turn their instagr.am photos into related products. A favorite is the poster, $25, which can be customized to include 50-400 of your favorite photos. Mini prints, stickers and books are also available. Not an iPhone owner? Check out Social Print Studio for neat, printable options involving Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. — Sarah C.

Procrastination alert: If you love paper goods as much as I do, it’s time to carve out an hour and hide that wallet, because Felt & Wire is comin’ at ya fast. A curated marketplace for designer paper goods, the site offers a vast array of expertly-crafted cards, prints, posters, pretty packaging and custom products that can’t be beat. This custom calligraphed address stamp from Paperfinger would be a thoughtful gift for new home owners, and I love these wine glass place holders! With enough products for hours of inspirational browsing, the site, along with its blog, is a great destination for creative daydreaming. — Sarah C.

I came across a beginner level do-it-yourself on the adorable blog Nifty Thrifty Things: homemade sugar cubes. All you need is a little bit of time, sugar, water, and a cute candy mold or ice cube tray. Nifty Thrifty Things’ Vanessa used a heart shaped tray and was so pleased with the results, she promised to experiment with food coloring on her next go! Custom made sugar cubes are an easy, great looking addition to all those prim and proper wedding and baby showers you’ll have to throw this summer. Happy crafting! — Katie D.

Remember that edible spray paint we wrote about a few months ago? Well, look what A Subtle Revelry did with it: temporary painted spoons!

CasaSugar shares some great tips for growing tropical plants in cold climates.

Henry Glass Swingline furniture: MCM children’s furniture with the coolest design features ever! At Whorange.

Over at Make magazine, take a look at a hotel housed in drain pipes.

Glimpt furniture, Swedish, tool-free assembly furniture. Thanks to Grassrootsmodern for the introduction, and for creating the word Scandilicious.

Binding your own books at The Pioneer Woman. She makes it look so easy.

The secret to making sorbet without a recipe? Find out at the kitchen. It’s a weird but handy trick.

Ever since we got our makeshift old wheelbarrow firepit going, we’ve been completely obsessed with one thing: s’mores!* We’ve branched out from the classic (milk chocolate & graham cracker) in so many ways — using Nutella (thanks, Greta), belgian 72% dark chocolate, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and, my favorite, Petit Ecolier cookies (chocolate and cookie in one!). It’s gotten to the point where I just put everything out on a tray, so we can choose on a whim what we want. What would be on your s’more station? Sound off in the comments! — Megan B.

*Full disclosure: on nights where we don’t go outside, we’ve taken to making them on the couch, with our own tea lights; an arduous yet rewarding task.

I love to eat pasta and vegetable salads in the summer, but I hate to steam up my kitchen to make them. It seems so counter-productive (when the AC has been working hard to keep things cool) to leave a boiling pot on the stove. But then a friend of mine told me a little secret to making pasta in the summer that saves a little heat – turn the heat off once the water has come to a boil! This sounded pretty silly to me, but I thought I’d give it a try. Here’s what I did: brought 2 quarts of room-temperature water and a teaspoon of salt to a boil, added a box of medium-sized pasta shells, waited for the water to return to a boil then covered and turned off the heat. Ten minutes later I had perfect al dente pasta, with much-less-steamy kitchen! I would imagine this would work with most dried pastas (just add one minute of cooking time), but perhaps not fresh pasta where the rolling boil helps keep the noodles separated. Regardless, there’s a rotini and grilled vegetable pasta in my future. Give it a try! — Rebecca F.

Photo credit: Rebecca Firlik.

I don’t know about you guys, but this summer is kicking my butt. It’s hot in Chicago and, as the season marches on, the mercury continues to rise. Sure, I could spend all day in the air conditioned bliss of the movie theaters, but, eventually, I’ll have to venture out to the hot, steamy streets. I only wish I had some of this futuristic cooling foam from Japan. Hokkyoku Monogatari translates to “Tales of the North Pole” (hence the cartoon polar bear on the can) and is a foam that turns pliable and mold-able when sprayed. It acts as an ice pack and provides a five minute cool down- perfect for quick jaunts in between precious air conditioning. –- Katie D.

Ahhh, summer fruit! Berries, melons, stone fruit … I can’t seem to get enough! One of my favorite things to do with ripe fruit is to make a seasonal fruit crisp. There’s something so satisfying about ripe fruit with a crispy topping that no one can resist. This year I’ve been testing out a few recipes to find the perfect ratio of fruit and crunch, and I think I’ve found the one. This one from our household goddess, Martha Stewart, had all the right qualities for me. Not too sweet, nice crunch to the topping, and common ingredients mean I could make it in a snap without having to plan too far ahead. Now I even prepare the topping in large batches and keep in the freezer for so I can make a quick crisp anytime I want (including late at night in heat-proof teacups in my toaster oven!). Use any combination of fruits you want, remembering that the more watery ones, like blueberries, might need extra corn starch to keep the juices thick. What are some of your favorite fruit combinations? – Rebecca F.
Click for the recipe, after the jump! (more…)

This summer, I am hitting the beach whenever possible — book in hand, husband and sunscreen in tow. How nice would it be, though, to bring along some tunes for us to enjoy while basking on our favorite near-secluded beach? When I spotted the uber-tiny, USB powered I.dear speaker by MOMA at Velocity Art and Design, I knew I had to have it. Standing at less than 2 inches tall, the I.dear can pump out some seriously warm sounds, thanks to its wood construction. And at $36, I can still afford the gas to get to the sandy shore! — Megan B.

When it comes to book lists, it’s no secret that you, our power readers, love to keep things organized online using sites like Shelfari and Good Reads. Hearing about your experiences with such tools has motivated me to get organized as far as my wish list goes, but now my want-to-read list is starting to look ominous when I compare it to my tiny apartment, that has little space for my library-sized aspirations. Next month’s book club pick is Room, by Emma Donague (have you read it?) and I’m toying with the idea of taking the plunge and sealing the deal on an e-reader. I don’t fancy myself as the kind of gal who needs the newest, hottest gadget, and in fact, really value the feel of a worn book in my hand, but I’m starting to be swayed. In addition to saving space in my apartment, e-books also tend to be cheaper than the real deal, and can be read on gadgets, like smart phones, that don’t require the purchase of an actual e-reader at all. If do cross over, I plan on still supporting my local independent bookshop for my favorite reads, but I’d love to hear from you: Do you use an e-reader, or some other tool to get your reading in? Sound off in comments! — Sarah C.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Kodomut.