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Netflix Outbids Major Networks For New Drama Series

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 03:16:39 PDT

Well . . . this is a first. Apparently, Netflix won a bid for the new David Fincher-Kevin Spacey drama series, House of Cards. Netflix is rumored to have offered a two-season, 26-episode commitment in a deal that is believed to be over $100 million. This marks a major first for the company: original content.

With so many streaming options from gaming consoles to mobile devices and most recently the new Nintendo 3DS, Netflix positioning itself as a cable network of sorts isn't all that far-fetched. In fact, industry experts have been speculating that the company would explore options, enabling it to move beyond movie rentals into other areas.

Negotiations are ongoing, but many expect Netflix to seal the deal very soon.

Link Time! 7/15

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:30:30 PDT

FilmExperience asks: If you could weekend at the beach with any movie character, who would it be? (Their pick: Madison the mermaid from Splash.)
The TV Addict has audio from chatting with Wentworth Miller and Sarah Wayne Callies at yesterday's TCA Prison Break-fast.
Popwatch's Annie Barrett laments the fact that movies she'd like to see in the theater don't stick around the theaters long enough for her to see them and she wants to start a chain of Theaters for the Lazy.
Vulture wonders whether Kids or The Wackness is more authentically 1994.
Stereogum has the new Radiohead video for "House of Cards," which makes my eyeballs hurt a little bit.
TV Squad reveals that there's a campaign afoot to save The Mole - and the show's own producers are waging it.
Cinematical marvels at the insane anticipation and hype surrounding The Dark Knight - among geeks and non-geeks alike.
Calling all fans of The Smiths: Take BellaSugar's new "Beauty Product or Morrissey Song?" quiz!

Source

11 Things You Need to Throw Away

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:05:07 PST

The first step to taking care of yourself and de-stressing is to make sure that your environment is in order. Seeing your house full of clutter can affect your mood negatively and make your personal space seem like a place you want to escape from, rather than something to look forward to coming home to. Organize a "throwing out" day every month to make sure that you don't have clutter building up. Here are some things you should consider purging from your home:

Old magazines. Get rid of old magazines you have lying around because chances are, you aren't going to read them again. Find places where you can donate your magazines to such as child care centers, doctor's offices, nail salons, nursing homes, and libraries. If there's an article that really speaks to you, scan a digital image of it and keep it in your computer. Or keep a folder of magazine clippings if you like saving magazine articles.
Receipts, bills, and documents. Throw away receipts for items that you aren't planning on returning, and ones that you won't need to use come tax time. If you're wary of throwing away receipts, you can make a digital copy of them with a basic scanner, a pricey specialized receipt scanner ($174), or a smartphone app ($2). See here for a full list of documents you should keep forever or temporarily.
Clothes. Use the two-year-rule for clothes - get rid of apparel that you haven't worn in two years. Sell them to a thrift store (find a thrift store at thethriftshopper.com) or donate them to the needy.
Books. Go through your bookshelf and gather together books you haven't touched in months and ones that you aren't planning on rereading. Be realistic and make sure you're ruthless. If you haven't touched it in a year, you're most likely not going to read it again. Sell the books on Amazon, Craigslist, or eBay. You can even trade them for something else on swap.com. You can always donate them as well!
Medicine and vitamins. Take a look at your medicine closet and clear out drugs that have expired, medicine that has sat on your shelf for too long, or ones that you no longer use. First, check to see what the proper disposal methods are for the medication, and if you can't find any, check to see if your community has a drug take-back program. If there isn't a program near you, then the FDA advises mixing medicine with "used coffee grounds or kitty litter" in a container or sealable bag before throwing it away to make the drugs less appealing.

For more things to throw away, read on.

How to Stop Keeping Up With the Joneses

LearnVest — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:15:16 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like there are many money lessons to learn from The Real Housewives.

One spent a season building a $1.8 million mansion and driving around a $1,280-per-month Escalade, only to file for bankruptcy with almost $11 million in debt.

Shortly postbankruptcy, she dropped another $60,000 on a shopping spree so she could continue to fit in with those in her social circle.

Even if you don’t end up with millions of dollars in debt - or have friends who are millionaires - trying to keep up with the Joneses (or the Gorgas, in this case) can not only make you feel lousy about yourself, but also inspire bad spending decisions. We call this phenomenon “money comparisonitis.”

How Having "Comparisonitis" Affects Us

In our own lives, the dangers of gazing enviously at the Real Housewives’ spending sprees, our neighbor’s new car, or that family down the street who can send their kids to private school are not only the fact that it makes us feel bad, but that it literally distorts our view of reality.

In other words, we look at celebrities like the Kardashians or the wealthier people we know, and we try to emulate their spending habits. “You’re not being truthful with yourself,” says Susan L. Hirshman, president of She Ltd., a consulting firm focused on enhancing women’s wealth, and the author of Does This Make My Assets Look Fat?. “As they make more money, that allows them to live a certain lifestyle.” In other words, you have to face facts and spend in accordance with your own budget, rather than feeling entitled to live a certain way just because other people do.

Read on for more.

11 Ways to Print Instagram Photos

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 06:34:01 PST

Instagram is the easy way of creating dreamy iPhone photos in a flash. The filters work their magic so well that nearly every picture comes out looking like a keepsake. Making those memories permanent can be just as easy with these tools for turning Instagram photos into a lasting work of art.

PostalPix - Use this iPhone app to print four-inch squares from your Instagram library for only 30 cents each. Fast shipping, matte finish, professional quality resolution, and the convenience of mobile shopping make this our first stop for Instagram prints. They even sell just-right square 4-inch wooden frames.
CanvasPop - Those filtered photos are worthy of an at-home gallery. Create a high-resolution 12-inch square or 20-inch square stretched canvas print for the temporary price of $30 and $60, respectively. Buy multiple canvases for an artful wall vignette.
Printstagram - The company offers multiple ways to print Instagram photos, but the 20-by-40-inch posters will make the most stunning addition to a living room wall. Between 50-400 photos are arranged in a clean grid on thick, archival paper for $25.
Blurb - Haven't looked at a photo album in a while? Blurb brings back what now seems like an antiquated way of sharing photos with a modern, Instagram twist. Softcover books with 20 pages of Instagram photos runs $11 and a hardcover is $22. Christmas present, perhaps?
Postagram - A fun way to show people you're thinking of them, Postagram mails a postcard with popout Instagram photo and message to friends for 99 cents each. A thoughtful alternative to a birthday e-card!

Three more ways to print Instagram beauties after the break.

25 Easy Organizing Changes You Can Make Today

Wise Bread — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Wise Bread story here on Savvy!

I have a bad tendency to let things - paperwork, tasks, laundry - pile up. That's why I'm often not as organized as I should be. By the time I go to put things away, I feel like I'm dealing with clutter so powerful it could defeat Godzilla (I've already started on the screenplay for Godzilla vs. That Pile of Stuff I Still Haven't Put Away Since Moving).

Thus, I am a huge proponent of making little steps towards organization. Below are 25 ways to organize your home, your finances, and your life that are quick and easy enough to attempt today. Seriously, start making a dent in your disorganization before it turns into a movie-worthy monster.

Organize Your Stuff

From the fridge to the filing cabinet, here are some ideas for organizing your things.

1. Identify What You Want to Organize

Yes, I am telling you to organize your organizing. Make a specific list of what you want to organize - the bookshelf? Your closet? Your drawers? If you have time, start to formulate a plan. Now, when you have a couple of hours over the weekend, you're ready to attack.

2. Buy Masking Tape and a Marker

Masking tape is a great way to create temporary labels for everything from storage containers in the basement to Tupperware in the freezer. Buy a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie, and always keep them in the same place.

3. Buy Containers and Dividers

If you're planning an organizing project, buy any containers or other organizing tools you need now. Just as with making the list, you're now totally ready to tackle the project when you have a moment.

Read on for more organizing tips.

How to Create a Financial Vision Board

LearnVest — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 00:15:40 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

What if there were a fun, free, creative project that could help you reach your financial goals faster?

Well, there is. And the holidays-when there’s no shortage of catalogs lying around-are the perfect time to whip out the scissors and glue, and kick off the new year right by creating a financial vision board.

What is a vision board? Basically, it’s a poster or bulletin board you fill with images and words that illustrate your ideal life. You can tear photos from magazines, put up cards or print Google images, or draw whatever it is you need.

The goal is to choose five to ten goals you want to focus on. Maybe your board will include a new job and a perfect house, a dream wedding and a healthy baby, or you, smiling because you’ve finally gotten out of debt or saved up an emergency fund. Then again, maybe it will be filled with all of the above.

The benefits of this exercise are twofold: Not only can mapping out your priorities help you determine where your money should go, tapping into your deepest desires can set you on a path to achieving what may seem out of reach today.

After all, just the simple act of writing down your goals helps you focus your energy on making them a reality.

What You’ll Need:

- Poster board or corkboard
- A glue stick or rubber cement (plain old glue tends to cause magazine pages to
ripple) or, if using cork board, thumbtacks
- Catalogs and magazines. The more variety, the better.
- Peace and quiet.

Read on to learn how to create a successful vision board.

Gift Guide: 10 Charitable Gifts For Architecture, Design, and Home Enthusiasts

Elka Karl — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:00:08 PST

If you're still searching for a passable gift for a friend or family member who seems to have everything she needs, put down that credit card for a moment and consider giving a charitable gift instead. There are amazing charities and non-profit organizations out there doing great work, which could definitely use your charitable gift this year.
For friends and family members who appreciate charitable gifts and have a deep love for causes related to design, architecture, and home, here are 10 gifts they'll be sure to cherish. (These gifts are tax-deductible, too, so you can feel good about your holiday giving and feel good about your taxes.) Of course, this is only a tiny fraction of the charities that need your support. If none of these seem to fit your gifting agenda, make sure to check out charities in your area, too!

Located in Boston, The Food Project turns abandoned urban lots into productive farms that make nutritious fresh produce available in former food deserts. Around 40 percent of the food grown is donated to hunger relief organizations and homeless shelters, or sold at below-market rates at farmers' markets.
The Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the United States' only museum completely dedicated to historic and contemporary design. With over 250,000 objects, the Museum holds the largest design collection in the country. Contribute with a gift amount or a membership.
Berkeley's Ecology Center is a public resource for reliable information, tools, hands-on training, referrals, strategies, infrastructure, and models for sustainable living.
Architecture For Humanity strives to create a more sustainable future through its network of more than 50,000 professionals who lend their time and expertise to help bring design, construction, and development services where they are most critically needed across the world.
The National Coalition For Homeless Veterans provides advice and assistance to policymakers, Congress and the federal agencies involved with homeless veteran issues and service providers with the goal of ending homelessness among veterans.
The National Housing Law Project is a law and advocacy center dedicated to housing justice for the poor. For over 40 years, NHLP has used the law to increase and preserve the supply of decent affordable housing, to improve existing housing conditions, including physical conditions and management practices, to expand and enforce low-income tenants' and homeowners' rights, and to increase opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities.
Habitat For Humanity helps to provide home ownership opportunities through the building of safe, energy efficient, and stable homes, in partnership with the potential home owners through its "sweat equity" program. Habitat For Humanity seeks to "eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action."
The American Folk Art Museum is devoted to the preservation, conservation, and interpretation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States and abroad.
West Oakland's City Slicker Farms has been working to create food justice and improve the environment in West Oakland since 2001 through a series of gardens, workshops, and related projects for the community.
The Good Shepherd Center in Los Angeles helps homeless women rebuild their lives so they and their children will experience a brighter future. Through housing, employment and other supportive services, we offer women hope and the opportunity to achieve independence.

Do you have a favorite cause or charity that you give to each year? Leave the name and link in the comments below.

Tori Spelling Takes Us on Her Christmas Tree Adventure

Tori Spelling — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:28:58 PST

We're excited to bring you a new post from mother and actress Tori Spelling! Every other week we're bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle advice from ediTORIal by Tori Spelling, which is Tori's daily blog about everything from food and fashion to parenting and relationships. This week, Tori shares her adventure in cutting down her own Christmas tree.

I love the holidays. To me, Christmas is a time to celebrate with my family and DIY the heck out of my house! We all know the Christmas tree is the focal point of any holiday home decor. I've done the pre-cut tree, lot tree, and the planted in a pot living tree, so this year I was determined to do the unthinkable in Los Angeles (or so I thought)...cut down my own Christmas tree!

Growing up in La la land, you tend to believe that trees come perfectly flocked and grouped together, pre-cut on a corner lot in Beverly Hills with a whopping price tag of $150 plus. I wanted out of that illusion, but never thought it was possible. Well, this year I did research and found an actual Christmas tree farm just 40 minutes outside of LA! Dean was participating in a celebrity charity golfing tournament, but the excited kid in me couldn't wait to cut down our tree, so I packed up the kids and headed to the farm.

When we arrived we weren't given much direction. We were told to grab saws . . . a cart . . . and head up the hill!

As we headed up and over the hill into miles of Christmas trees, I might have wondered . . . was this smart?

There were literally miles of trees of all shapes and sizes. So many worked, but none were perfect.

Forty-five minutes later, as the sun was just starting to set and I realized we were all alone amidst hundreds of trees, I thought to myself . . . is this safe? I reassured myself with the realization that no one would, in good conscience, harm a saw-wielding woman and her two toddlers cutting down their own Christmas tree weeks before the holiest day of the year. Then, not at all reassured by that realization, I closed my eyes and quickly pointed to the first tree in front of me and squealed, "Look kids, the perfect tree!" Was it perfect? No. However it did have only one major bald spot, which was a win-win, as it was surrounded by miles of misshaped firs. We had a winner!

Keep reading for more details and photos of Tori's adventure cutting down her own tree!

10 Surprising and Easy Holiday Decorating Ideas From Sabrina Soto

Elka Karl — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:00:41 PST

You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to create an amazing holiday look at your house this year. Sabrina Soto, Target Style Expert for Home and HGTV Designer on The High/Low Project shows us just how easy it is to use everyday objects and materials to create a unique and beautiful holiday decorating scheme. Keep reading for her ideas!

Candy If it’s colorful, festive and/or sugar coated, then food can be one of the easiest ways to fill a pretty bowl or decorate a Christmas tree (think peppermint candy cane garland or wreath).
Food Coloring Gather a small assortment of multisized clear or glass vases and apothecaries jars, like this one, on your coffee table. Fill each with water to various levels to give the display a visual effect. Take red and green food coloring and add a few drops to the mix until you achieve your desired hue. Add a few pillar candleholders with LED Flameless candles around the cluster of vases and jars and let the glow of the candle glisten off the glass and water.
Foliage There’s no better way to bring in the spirit of the season than with some of nature’s own beauty. Pine cones are an obvious find this time of year, but don’t overlook the beautiful berries and leaves that you can gather. After a little maintenance, scattering a few along the table or getting crafty to make a wreath can bring a piece of the outdoors in this holiday.
Books The books on your shelf can serve as one of the easiest decor focal points for the holidays. There are some great ways to take your bookshelf and transform it to a work of holiday art. Start by selecting some of your favorite holiday wrapping paper in either solid, iridescent red or green and mix in patterns, like stripes. Wrap each book as if it were a present and style out the bookcase.
Wine and martini glasses The easiest way to create an elegant centerpiece is to turn the glasses upside down and they immediately become candlesticks. I recommend using LED flameless candles for safety!
Holiday Plates Plates can instantly take holiday decorating from the table right to your walls. A set of four red snowflake chargers like these from Target, would look beautiful in a scattered arrangement on a kitchen wall or leading up a staircase.
Wine Bottles These can serve as nice decorative pieces throughout the home. Remove the label and add a couple of wild berry stems or flowers for a centerpiece. Reuse the corks by carefully cutting a horizontal slit along the top and making your own placecard holders for your next dinner party with friends and family.
Rope and clothespins Holiday cards are more glamourous than ever. An easy way to display them is to create a simple garland out of rope and attaching the cards with clothespins!
Kids' Art In the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the kids are creating art, drawings and projects to celebrate the season nearly every day at school. Use their mini masterpieces and give it the attention it deserves by taking it off the fridge and placing it in matted picture frames. The colors and drawings will complement the tree, lights and trimmings.
Fruit A metallic (spray) painted pear with a decorative ribbon and tag could make such a simple, yet elegant placecard for your dining table.

Do you repurpose everyday objects for holiday decor? What do you use?