When I first started my blog, I spent a lot of time (and a lot of trial and error) teaching myself bits and pieces of coding. Not an easy task, and very time consuming! It’s great to see initiatives popping up here and there on the web encouraging women to sharpen their tech skills. This Skillcrush course is designed to empower women by teaching them how to code, and build up their own websites. By providing a collaborative environment without the jargon – the class seems like a super helpful approach to get started in the (often confusing!) tech/coding/online realm.

Love it when brilliant ideas are turned into reality. This mini series (My Life in Sourdough) explores cooking and dating in New York City. Job well done to Marie and the team! Here’s a little teaser of the show:

The more places I visit the more I realise that street harassment is a real issue. Brooklyn-based artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh has taken the bold and courageous step to tackle street harassment through her artwork. Sick and tired of being catcalled on the street, she decided to express her frustrations (and those of women all over the world) via her art. Check out her sketches and messages on her blog.

Always good to stumble across something online that discusses the pursuit of happiness! Have you come across the NPR (National Public Radio)’s TED Radio Hour yet? The show (you can listen to it online) features a whole bunch of inspiring interviews and discussions, based on the awesome TED talks. I love this particular talk – The Pursuit of Happiness. The three main guests are Malcolm Gladwell (author of ‘Blink’, a fabulous book), author Kathyrn Schulz and psychologist Barry Schwartz – so you know you’re in good hands. If you’re pressed for time and can’t listen to the whole show, you can read over the transcripts too (look for the ‘full story’ links).

Another month is rapidly disappearing, which must mean … time for another round up of my Love, Likes, Bits and Bobs. Even when I’m up to my ears in recipe testing for my new book, I still somehow manage to sneak in some time for browsing the web for inspiration (distraction = inspiration, right??).

Stories told via pasta, sugar, cake, liquorice, jelly and all sorts of other ingredients? Sounds like my kind of thing. I’d love to see The Food Project: The Shape of Taste exhibition at MART, in Italy. Pairing elements of design with food, the exhibition sparks a conversation about how we see food. Is it purely just something that sustains us? Can a meal be considered a work of art? What direction is food headed in the future? The exhibition features the works of some of the world’s most innovative designers and foodies, including Philippe Starck and jelly creators extraordinaires Bompas and Parr.

Even if you’re not a kid, the books by André Hellé will be a joy to look at (and also a great way to start reading French too). Born in 1871, André Hellé was a jack of all (creative) trades. Illustrator, artist, children’s toys and furniture designer, and stage designer – Hellé worked in a world where imagination and storytelling ruled. Today, his work remains relatively unknown, so flipping through his books is almost like discovering a little secret to enjoy all on your own. Check out André’s work here. Until June 10, 2013, le musée du jouet de Poissy (outside of Paris) is hosting an exhibition of André Hellé’s toys and games.

I’ve been a big fan of Thomas’ work for a long time. His illustrations are thoughtful and quirky, with just the right amount of humour added in. I’ve even been lucky enough to have the opportunity to collaborate with him on several occasions too.

Here’s this months roundup of Love, Likes, Bits and Bobs. Enjoy!

1. Don’t Fear the Internet What a brilliant concept! Thank you, Jessica Hische and Russ Maschmeyer, for demystifying the (at times) confusing realm of the internet. These tutorials are designed to help you take control of your own site, and teach you how to take [...]