Rebecca Thuss

Absolutely love the website of Rebecca Thuss, former editor of Martha Stuart Weddings, photo stylist and all round creator of pretty things. It's just page after page of lovely things. Indulge here.

Get your Hotmail Mail to Your Mac Mail

Something I've always been meaning to get round to doing is to get my Hotmail emails straight onto my desktop through Mac Mail. After a fruitless attempt a few years ago I abandoned the idea but now, with he help of a little online tutorial I'm emails a go-go, combining all my email accounts and feeling organised!

How to from About.com:

Access Windows Live Hotmail with Mac OS X Mail Using POP

To set up a Windows Live Hotmail account in Mac OS X Mail using POP (which lets you fetch new incoming mail easily):

• ›› Step by Step Screenshot Walkthrough

• Select Mail | Preferences... from the Mac OS X Mail menu.
• Go to the Accounts category.
• Click the + ("Create an account.") button.
• Enter your name under Full Name:.
• Type your Windows Live Hotmail address (something like "example@hotmail.com") under Email Address:.
• Type your Windows Live Hotmail password under Password:.
• Click Continue.
• Make sure POP is selected under Account Type:.
• Enter "Windows Live Hotmail" (or something similar) as the Description: for this account.
• Type "pop3.live.com" (not including the quotation marks) under Incoming Mail Server:.
• Enter your complete Windows Live Hotmail address ("example@hotmail.com", for example) under User Name:.
• Click Continue.
• Enter "Windows Live Hotmail" under Description: for Outgoing Mail Server.
• Type "smtp.live.com" under Outgoing Mail Server:.
• Make sure Use Authentication is checked.
• Enter your full Windows Live Hotmail address (e.g. "example@hotmail.com") under User Name:.
• Type your Windows Live Hotmail password under Password:.
• Click Continue.
• Now click Create.
• Close the Accounts window.

Voila! Emails whenever I start up my Mac, no need to fight slow loading Firefox!

Christmas Decorations Online Shopping

1. Fabric Christmas Pudding, John Lewis £3.25; 2. Dot Hearts Hand printed Decorations, SouthernSkirts $9; 3. 'Gwyn' Owl from Habitat, £2; 4. Lovebirds Christmas Ornaments, PrinceDesignUK £10; 5. Help for Heroes Charity Bears, Selfridges £15 each; 6. White Porcelain Bell Garland, The White Company £15

My top picks of Christmas tree decorations that are available online to shop in your lunch break. I was disappointed that Habitat hasn't a great selection online, as in store they have some amazing decorations. You may prefer to go into The White Company shop for some of their decorations as they are selling out fast - or do what I did this January and buy them up in the sale!

If the shops are a bit same same etsy.com has the world's largest selection of handmade items for sale, beware it's addictive!

The alternative it to make you own which ensures some unique and budget friendly decorations, so if you have the time, have an afternoon with some felt, origami paper and string. Try these links for some home-made ideas:

- For a modern wreath I made one from Domestifluff last year - totally worth the effort!
- Origami a go-go with this amazing star from How About Orange
- For food that will last forever, try these faux sugar cookie ornaments from Creature Comforts

If you can't find anything you fancy with these amazing blogs, my ctl+alt+del is always craftzine.com for an endless supply of making ideas.

TeuxDeux

OK, I realise I'm a few months behind on the TeuxDeux list website, but my god isn't it fabulous! At first I thought it was pretty dull, a website to write to do lists, but now as I've so many little tasks to get done and feel like I'm juggling too many balls it's my saviour!

TeuxDeux.com does exactly was it says on the tin, creates lovely to do lists. As you ad a task you can click to cross it off and which ever tasks are not completed that day will automatically move over to the next - genius in it's simplicity. Even better it works on your iPhone (or other smart phone) so you're organised everywhere! This week I've been on top of everything, although each day my list grows and I add more and do less...

Sign up to make little scraps of paper a thing of the past.


Pic from smokingapples.com

hitRECord

As the sad news hit the papers today of the recent death of actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt's older brother Dan, I'm taking a look at the brilliant website that these two collaborated together on.

hitRECord.org is an unusual website, it's more of a community, or even a jamming session between people all over the world. The principle is, you make some music, video or images upload then other members use it, remix, collaborate etc.. and re-post it. The idea is if hitRECord.org then manage to make some money out of any of this work they will split the profit 50:50 with each person who collaborated on it.

Spearheaded by Hollywood actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt or 'RegularJOE' as he calls himself, from such films as 500 Days of Summer, Brick and the long running show 3rd Rock From the Sun, hitRECord.org has a unique line into the industry which youtube up-loaders just don't have, combined with the talents of all the other people on the site helping in the production and remixing its sure to produce some amazing results.
My favorite is Morgan and Destiny's Eleventeeth Date (sic) an amazing animation and odd little story which is sure to tickle the cockles of anyone who loved 500 Days of Summer or something a little out of the ordinary.




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