Furniture shopping

That is what I've been up to the last week and a half. We live in a cozy old little apartment that I really like. When we moved here about a year and a half ago we had a sectional. It looks like this (in red)-


















We are looking for something with a good sleeper in it now. I thought we would be able to find something similar. Nada. Can you believe that? We drove to Portland last weekend and visited many furniture stores, IKEA, and even futon places. Hide-a-beds really haven't improved over the years much to my surprise. However, we learned futons have.

So I think this is what we will be ordering this with a solid colored cover-
























I have to say, it was interesting to shop around for the futons. I remember back in the college days where they really weren't built that well. They were inexpensive, compact, and easy to use which was perfect for a college student but they didn't last much longer than through those college years. Now they have lines that are premium, 10 year warrenties, and in my opinion are more comfortable than a sleeper sofa. I think this will be perfect for our apartment living.

Do you own a sleeper sofa or futon? Do you prefer one or the other?

Cell phone cameras

How many times have we found ourselves in a "kodak" moment and wishing we had our point and shoot camera out and ready. With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, I miss too many of those moments. The DSLR is in the bag, the point and shoot is in the purse, and before I have time to gather one or the other, the moment has passed. So what is an alternative? Our cell phones.

My cell phone contract was up a few months ago. It was time to choose a new phone and possibly a new carrier. Ah - Freedom. So I started studying the available options. In the end, after much research, it came down to two options for me-




































The options I considered were-

The iphone 4 that has a 5 mp camera in it. Along with that, it has numerous and quite wonderful photography apps. Some of my faves available in itunes are: hipstamatic, camera+, camerabag, photoforge, pictureShow & TiltShiftGen.

Or the Droid X that has a whopping 8 mp camera. Of course, the android market also has some awesome photography apps as well. Some of my faves available at the market are: Retro Cam, FXCamera, Vignette Demo or paid version, photoshop express, & Camera Fun Free.

The bottom line- these are both great choices. I have found that a good cell phone camera has been invaluable.

Aperture

So last year I wore out my wonderful point-and-shoot Canon. Since I found myself needing to invest in a new camera I began debating on upgrading to a DSRL . I went back and forth. Then I considered Nikon or Canon? I know that choosing a brand is all about personal preference so I tried a few cameras out, then I took the leap to DSRL land. And I have been very happy with that decision.

Last year I played with the new camera a lot. It was loads of fun! But I have to admit, switching from a P&S to a DSRL there is a bit of a learning curve. There is so much to learn. Along the way, I found this information on Aperture. It is in four installments so take note to read them in order if you please. Ree's tutorials are a pretty good on-line resources for explaining Aperture and Shutter Speeds.

I have used these tutorials to improve my action shots. One of the kiddos here is a cheerleader. Do you know how many blurry photos I have in the archives? -At least until reading and implementing some tips from the above blog. I hope it helps you too!

New Year, New Blog

Starting fresh is what the new year is all about, right? So with that, I decided it would be a good thing to start fresh here as well. I'm Jennifer, a forty year old mother to some pretty great teenagers, a Washingtonian, an artist, a cosmetologist, a facebooker, an android geek, and a craft fanatic, an aspiring photographer, a blogger, a writer... I love do-it-yourself projects, home decorating/improvement projects, antiques, white chocolate mochas, Starbucks coffee cups, Chevy's, the great outdoors, children, pomeranians, camping, and racing. I'm a bit of an introvert though which is something I shall work on in this up and coming year. How's that for a short intro? Lol!

In the sidebar, I have some links to some of my favorite people and blogs/websites. I've also posted some craft tutorials or how-to's. If you have any questions or wish to link me up to some of your favorites, I would love that!