It’s Time to Try Making Your Own Walnut Ink
When we rounded up our staff’s weekly updates last Friday , our editors explored mindfulness meditation, added additional exercises in our day, and tweaked our entertainment habits.
This week, we’re optimizing our digital and analog lives, experimenting with new possibilities in photography, tackling ambitious DIY projects, and improving our morning routines.
What updates have you made this week? Let us know in the comments.
Tidy up your desktop
I recently discovered in OS X a “snap to grid” feature that automatically places any files you drag and drop onto the desktop (or any specific Finder folder) into the grid. I offered this as a full-fledged post, and everyone said, “Yes, everyone knows this,” but now I am doing it with my upgrade, SO THERE.
Nick douglas, staff writer
Create Tactile Vacation Favors
My family is going to Disneyland next week and I just bought an Instax Mini so we can have real shots. I hope my four year old can meet the characters and get their autographs like this . Do kids still care about autographs these days?
Michelle Wu, parenting editor
Invest in your photography habit
I bought a new softbox lighting kit for my photography and side projects on film! Found a great kit at an affordable price.
Patrick Allan, staff writer
“Toggle” your game setting
I recently cleaned out quite a lot of video games from my cozy apartment, despite my dedication to the hobby ever since my older brother handed me a black Game Boy Pocket with Pokemon Red inside. Storage boxes took up space, and consoles that had been idle for months were just collecting dust under my TV. The decision was not easy, but I managed to ditch three consoles and dozens of games. I would be lying if I said it was not a liberation experience, although it left a controller-shaped hole in my heart. So, I used the accumulated funds to add a new game console to my pseudo-minimal entertainment setup: the Nintendo Switch. Ditching old consoles in favor of new ones is certainly a bittersweet moment, but after purchasing a product as popular as the $ 299 Switch, as well as a few games and accessories for under $ 100, I think I can handle it.
Patrick Austin, staff writer
Try your morning caffeine intake
I started putting the coffee pot on overnight – grinding beans, filling the water tank, etc., so I just pressed the button in the morning. This improved my morning tremendously.
Claire Lowe, Food and Beverage Editor
Make your own mascara (!)
I made the ink myself using the husks of black walnuts that grow everywhere here, including my backyard. All you have to do is boil them in an iron source (I used steel wool) and you end up with a dark liquid. I have a Twitter thread with photos . I thought I’d get some kind of faint brown soup, but walnut ink turns out to be great for writing and drawing. It was allegedly used by Renaissance artists; of course people in America did this before factory ink was common. You can currently buy imitation walnut ink from art supply stores, but I don’t need that. Made it myself for free!
Beth Skwarecki, health editor
Complete a Seasonal Change of Outfit
Autumn in New York this year was really rough and warm (it shouldn’t be 70-80 degrees in mid-October!), But this past weekend I dropped my caution and changed all my summer clothes for fall. / Winter, cleaning the room and changing the storage system in the process. (I bought several of these under-bed storage bags that work pretty well.) It also led me to make a plan for how to store and preserve my prettier winter coats, which were previously placed in one of these plastic Ikea containers that won’t close. properly. I am thrilled to feel that it is autumn now, at least psychologically, and that has made my home a little more organized as a result.
Virginia K. Smith, Editor-in-Chief