Love, Lurve, Need to Learn Right Now: Tilt-Shift Photography

September 29, 2010 Leave a Comment

In trying to learn how to be a better/hipper photographer, I’ve been taking a gander at a number of photography sites lately and came across a few images that seemed too good to be true – real life people and objects that looked like they were at miniature scale. Like this:

Tennis match (via Smashing Magazine)

Airplanes (via Smashing Magazine)

As it turns out, this is a technique known as “tilt-shift photography” in which the angle and perspective of the photo are quite literally, tilted and shifted.  It works best when the photo is taken from an elevated point, so that you get the depth that allows for the image to be manipulated.  Don’t you love it? Imagine how fun this would be with vacation photos?! Or photos of your kids playing as you look out the window from above (get ready, future kids!). I’m having visions of taking photos and then shipping them out and getting posters in return!  Decorations for days!

What I also really love are some beautiful examples used on famous van Gogh paintings. Check out how cool these are:

Starry Night:

Starry Night Over The Rhone:

Some good resources after the jump. [Read more...]

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Sunday Suppers: Game Day Chili

September 28, 2010 1 Comment

On Sunday this past weekend, it finally decided to feel like fall.  There was a slight breeze in the air, cooler temperatures, and on my drive from Scranton to New Jersey, I saw more than a few leaves that had changed colors. Ahhh. Fall.  My favorite season. Except that it also brings football.  Don’t get me wrong – I love GOING to a football game.  But I hate when it’s on the TV all day on Sunday and we can’t do anything or go anywhere because football NEEDS to be on the TV.  Since the BF and I are not yet married, I still do nice things for him that will probably cease the minute we get hitched.  Like not complaining when he wants to watch football. And pretending like I really LOVE to scrub the bathroom.  I mean, its not that I play games, it’s just that, well, you know, we’ve all done it.  So when the weather stated to feel like fall this weekend, I decided to cook up a big pot of  chili for the BF while he watched football all day, pretending like I didn’t mind that he was laying on the couch ignoring me. Oh the things we do.

Here’s how it turned out:

Recipe after the Jump: [Read more...]

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Bitchy Stitching

September 27, 2010 7 Comments

Over the weekend, I was using the bathroom at a friend’s mothers home and saw the following sign:

“Always go braless, it pulls the wrinkles from your face.”

That made me laugh and reminded me of some funny cross-stitching and stitching projects I’ve seen lately that add similar touches of humor for various rooms – just skewed for a slightly younger crowd. In researching, there is actually a whole book dedicated to the art – Subversive Cross-Stitch – and it’s all pretty hysterical.  Which got me Googling and there are so many funny ones out there. After I get to working on the 1,000,000 unfinished projects currently strewn about my house, one of these is definitely next. Here are some of my faves:

Found via southernsara.tumblr.com and on sale here at Etsy, it’s No Comic Sans.

Haters Gonna Hate, found on Flickr and by rachelmcckay:

It’s On Like Donkey Kong, found on Craft:

Don’t Make Me Cut You, found on Felt Club:

I think the one I would make would definitely be this last one.  And then I think I’d have to immortalize some kind of Lil’ Wayne lyric as well.

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Easy Home Decor: Photo Walls

September 24, 2010 2 Comments

I’m absolutely in love with this easy to accomplish look as seen on Style-Files – the photo wall.  Basically, take a bunch of mis-matched frames, paint them the same color and arrange them neatly, messily or somewhere in between on your wall. For those who want to go the extra mile, throw a coat of paint on the wall too. It’s shabby, it’s chic, and it can be done in the course of an afternoon.

Here’s some inspiration.

From Style-Files:

From Apartment Therapy (and check out the plywood wall behind! Love that!)

And here’s a nice collage from All Things Lovely:

Filed Under: Home & Garden Tagged With: , ,

Bringing New Life to a Bookshelf

September 23, 2010 2 Comments

When we moved into the new apartment, one of my favorite things was the see-through bookshelf that separated the kitchen from the family room.  But after we painted the wall next to the bookshelf deep red, I realized the bookshelf needed a little something to blend in with the wall better.  A little something to continue the “mood” of the dark cherry red a bit further.

I didn’t want to paint the whole bookshelf red; that would have been too obvious, and possibly, too dark for our already dark apartment.  Instead, I had the idea to paint just the inside of the shelves – a small, subtle surprise that continues the mood of the wall, without beating you over the head.  The BF wasn’t so sure at first.  So I let the conversation drop, knowing he’d eventually think about my idea again and realize it was genius.  That’s exactly what happened.

In the end, painting the inside of the bookshelf wasn’t hard to do at all – in fact; it was MUCH easier than painting the wall over the stairs (which resulted in several near-death experiences for the BF) – and the finished result was definitely worth the effort.  Instructions after the jump!

[Read more...]

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Faux-Casso: Easy Art Using Picasa

September 22, 2010 1 Comment

Turn regular Google images into old-timey photos with Picasa.

Recently, I was in New York’s Central Bar, where I noticed wonderful old-timey photographs of well-known authors with some of their most famous quotes superimposed in the background. It looked adorable in the bar – giving it a real quirky feel. I thought about how cute it could be in the home – for example, how fun to have some photos of your favorite authors over your bookshelf? Or in a more unexpected place, like the bathroom or office?

Then, the lightbulb: you can do this using Picasa!  I recently discovered this great, simple photo editing program from Google. Picasa is great for people who want to eventually learn to use Photoshop but can only find the patience to learn it in little bits. After the jump, a short tutorial for the above project!

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Must-Dos, Photography, Under $20 Tagged With:

Must Do: HipTix

September 21, 2010 Leave a Comment

See you tomorrow!

Several months ago, I happened across a link for a service called HipTix, in which the Roundabout Theater Company offers heavily discounted tickets to people under the age of 35 for some of their hottest shows.  I was extremely complemented by what they consider a youthful person to be, so of course, I signed right up.

After monitoring for several weeks, I can confirm that the discounts are indeed phenomenal and used today’s code to snag a ticket for just $10 to the show Brief Encounter! Can’t beat it! With Broadway tickets  running at least $60 (and often $100 or more) these kinds of deals must be taken advantage of – particularly by someone who loves live theater but reallllly had to be careful with such an expensive habit.

Sign yourself up for HipTix at www.hiptix.com.

Filed Under: Must Reads, Must-Dos, Travel, Under $20 Tagged With: , ,

A Call for Recipes With… Chicken Stock

September 20, 2010 Leave a Comment

Last week I wrote about making a roast chicken.  And then I wrote about all of the things I did with the leftovers.  And what do I have now? Oh, a freezer FULL of chicken stock.  And our freezer is small.  So when its filled with chicken stock, it leaves little space for delicious things like frozen pizza.   Do you have any favorite recipes that use massive amounts of chicken stock? The sweet BF is never a huge fan of chicken noodle soup, neither am I.  Perhaps you make a different soup or casserole that requires chicken stock?  I have way more chicken stock than I can make risotto with, unless I was making risotto for 50.  And, well, I can’t fit that many people in my apartment!  So… please share your favorite recipes!  Many thanks!

Filed Under: Cooking Tagged With:

The View from New Jersey

September 20, 2010 1 Comment

I moved to New Jersey. I normally don’t like to talk about it, because, well, its New Jersey.  Obviously you understand, right?  A few days ago, on Setpember 11th, I had a few minutes alone at night, after a long run, to spend some time thinking and reflecting.  It’s a day to do that, you know?  In that time, I did find something amazing about New Jersey: the view.  So I took my camera, and my amazing new lens that my brother brought me down to the Hudson river, 2 blocks away from our apartment, where I had a perfect view of the September 11th lights.  My photos didn’t all turn out as I had hoped; I clearly need to practice more.  But here’s the best of what I got.  The view from New Jersey:

 

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Must Applaud: Hotwire.com

September 17, 2010 Leave a Comment

Sing it with me - H-O-T-W-I-R-E..Hotwire dot commmm!

For years, I’ve been hearing about the incredible deals on hotels friends and family have snagged through Hotwire.com. However, it’s non-refundable, non-changeable, no control policy always made me nervous – I’m the type who inevitably makes a mistake on a reservation and needs to fix it.  But it’s been a busy few weeks at work, I am in desperate need of a change of scenery and I have no money.  Add it all up and I need a quick weekend away on the cheap.

Poking around Hotwire, I found an incredible rate on a car rental – just $40 dollars per day with one of their “Hot Rate” specials.  To put that in perspective, the next lowest deal was more than $110 per day!  So, after consulting with the boyfriend that he’d come along for the ride (though honestly I need the vacay so bad I’d go by myself if I had to) – we booked it.  Several hours later, I realized – true to form – that I had picked the exact weekend he said he couldn’t go.

Naturally, I freaked out. But I called the company on their customer service line and explained my situation. I talked to a wonderful representative who worked some magic for me as a first time customer and not only did she change my reservation for right weekend, Hotwire also instantly refunded me for the previous rental.

In this day and age, I find incredible customer service like this an increasing rarity.  But Hotwire now has a loyal customer in me for being so accommodating, and training their staff to be so friendly and so knowledgeable.  For making this simple change, I will now shout them from the rooftops.  And I’ll be more careful to select the right dates – because at those kinds of prices, you can afford to get out of town.

Best of all, I now have a Yay! Weekends fall foliage of the Northeast post upcoming!

Filed Under: Must-Dos, Travel Tagged With:
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