I just can’t get enough of this app!

With the demise of Google Reader (RIP) I was forced to find a new reader to use. I procrastinated until the last minute. . . how unusual . . . and after reading some reviews, decided to go with Bloglovin. I really love the clean, uncluttered format as well as how easy it is to upload your RSS to the site. In addition to a great site, they also have apps for my iPad and phone that are synced, so if I start reading a post on my phone and then later look at my feed on my iPad it automatically has that post marked as read. You can also opt to have notifications on when your feed is updated with new posts from your favorite blogs, so you’ll never get behind or have to wonder “Is she ever going to post some new content?” If your interested, just click on the link at the end of each post to check it out, or hit the button over in the sidebar!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I recently received an iPad Mini from Shawn for my birthday. Amazing hubby, right? I wasn’t too sure at first about whether I wanted to keep it or not. I mean, I already have my iPhone and MacBook. Plus, we have a Mac desktop that is our “family computer” that I also use at times. Shawn has an iPad, and I never really got too interested in it. It felt too big and heavy to use, might as well get the laptop out, right?

Well, the Mini has converted me. It is the perfect size. Portable and light weight. So far I’ve mostly been using it for surfing the web, watching Netflix while crafting and putting a few apps on it for Joseph to play with instead of stealing my phone. It was really great to take to my parents for the week instead of lugging around my laptop and charger. My only complaint so far is getting used to typing and I’m not really in love with the cover I got for it. Otherwise, it’s been a great addition to my “gadget family!”

If you have any app recommendations, please let me know!

I have to admit that I’m loving Tangerine Tango, the color chosen by Pantone as its color of the year for 2012. Here’s a little on how the color wizzards at Pantone choose the color and what they think about this years hue.

"There’s the element of encouragement with orange, it’s building on the ideas of courage and action, that we want to move on to better things. I think it would be a disservice to go with a relaxed, soothing color now," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, the research division of Pantone Inc., which creates color standards for the fashion, beauty and home industries.
The annual forecast for the next year’s dominant color takes into consideration both what Pantone thinks shoppers want and need. Those are influenced by the designer runways, fabric shows, news events, pop culture and consumer habits. "Part of what we do is look at the zeitgeist," Eiseman explained. "We have to look at everything in the world around us. It’s not an arbitrary choice."

My friend, Angi, originally brought this to my attention and I just had to share it. Because, who doesn’t enjoy a good Venn diagram?

Thank you, Pinterest for making me shoot milk out my nose.

Ever wonder what if a Leica camera and an iPhone 4 fell in love and had babies? Well, ponder it no more, because it looks like we might just see it happen. Rumors have been floating around for a while now, but it has been confirmed by BlackDA that the i9 is to be released.

Here is the full press release from BlackDA, with all the technical speak that you read about:

A better camera phone designed for photographers. The Leica i9 concept offers the unmatched brilliance of Leica’s professional CMOS image sensor and lens, made specifically for the unparalleled processing, display and sharing capabilities of Apple’s iPhone4.


The i9 was designed with a “Compliment without Compromise” philosophy. If the best camera is the one that you have on you, then the better camera is the Leica i9 concept. The i9 is the only professional camera that’s also an iPhone4 case. The goal was to create a camera system that inspires photographers to shoot and share their photos and videos at anytime and anywhere.

The i9 offers an independent professional camera system with an ultra-compact body that doubles as a rugged protective case for your iPhone4. The i9 is a true ready-to-shoot camera with Leica’s superior range finder and a 0.3 second start-up. Photos or videos are stored on the i9’s internal flash memory (expandable with SD) and then uploaded onto your iPhone4 once the Leica app has launched.


The i9 is the ultimate point-and-shoot camera combining the high performance of a Leica (CMOS image sensor with effective 12.1 MP, professional lens with 8x optical zoom and 35 equivalent focal lengths and ready-to-shoot operation) with iPhone4 (retina display, multi-touch interface, extended storage capacity and mobile/wireless connectivity). Beyond camera features, the i9 and iPhone4 can share their independent batteries for extended operation.


The i9 takes professional photos and videos and allows you to easily compress and share your content to Email, MMS, Flickr, Facebook and/or YouTube directly from the Leica app.

To compliment Leica’s timeless design, the i9 includes an interchangeable backing for future generation iPhones. With upgradeable software and a growing list of iPhone features, the possibilities are limitless including a remote voice activated shutter control that as easy as saying, “Cheese!”

Read more on LeicaRumors.com: http://leicarumors.com/2011/04/25/leica-i9-concept-turn-your-iphone-into-a-leica-v2-0.aspx/#ixzz1KeaOeTv8

I’m hoping to be considered as an adoptive parent.

I just came across these amazing images from National Geographic showing how they experimented with creating a floating house like the one in the movie Up. It will be on a new series “How Hard Can It Be?” They used over 300 colorful weather balloons to lift the house to an amazing height of 10,000 feet for over an hour! I find this so fun, amazing, and beautiful. I’ve included some additional photos on the full post to check out, they are breathtaking.