For you modern design book lovers out there, you may already have a creative design strategy for book storage.  If not, a new book just published this month may offer some quirky, unique, and very modern ideas.   (Yes, we are getting very meta today: a book about storing books.)  Alex Johnson, a writer for Britain’s Independent newspaper, began blogging on the subject a few years ago, which eventually led to Bookshelf, featured on NPR’s Picture Show Blog a few weeks ago.

 

With iPads and Kindles and other e-devices exploding in popularity, many people have moved away from reading actual books.  While digital versions are certainly lighter and more compact—and therefore great for travel—we really love paper pages and well-designed covers and being able to fold corners and write in margins. 

Call us stuffy and old-fashioned, but we love books.  And thanks to Johnson’s extensive research, now we can organize those books that define us in a beautiful, modern way—and breathe new life into an art often deemed archaic.  Check out the slideshow, because the designs are really quite inspired: from Moroccan mosaics to Pacman, Chilean tree branches to a rope bridge, the images give just a glimpse at the creativity collected inside Bookshelf.

 

For your next dinner party, or game night, or post-work do-it yourself happy hour, go ahead and skip the supermarket drink mix.  Instead, Mark Bittman of the New York Times recommends a well-stocked bar and these twelve recipes to make your summer cocktails truly professional.  And tasty!  Most mixes add a lot of sugar and artificial flavoring that leave you feeling full and slightly queasy after just one.  But a good drink, according to Bittman, requires little more than a palatable liquor (the flavor will come through, so choose a brand you like), simple syrup, and some sort of citrus.  

 

The key to a well-stocked bar?  Bittman suggests you only need a range of your favorite types of alcohol, bitters, sweet vermouth, Triple Sec, simple syrup, and sodas.  Occasionally replenish your stock of fresh citrus fruit and herbs and you are set to impress.  You can check out the full article here, and the link to the interactive recipe feature here.

Of course, we can’t help but point out that a quality cocktail also deserves to be mixed and served in the proper barware.  You can get everything you need from coasters to tumblers at HORNE.   Cheers!