Designer Desktops... For October

I am really loving these.

A new desktop calendar each month...
I'm totally impressing myself here...
So far, so good. Two months in a row :)

They're so super simple to work up and loads of fun...
What could be better?!
I had such a giddy time of it this month,
that I got carried away & did TWO!

Impressive. Most Impressive.
Seriously.

Fun. Fun. Fun.
And all kinds of Stinkin' CeUte, to boot!

Dinosaurs... Feelin' the Love

The H's love and fascination with all things Dinosaur...
just continues to grow.
And Grow.
And Grow.

It's a lot of fun to be a part of such a cool obsession. We're always on the look out for any and all awesome things that are Dino related. I'm also most likely to be found infamously guilty at trying to get One figure of every species I find to add to the sizable collection he is amassing. Although, price can definitely be a deterrent at times!



Recently we had set our sites on either the new 2009 Spinosaurus or the Diplodocus - both are by Carnegie Collection and are Ahhhhmazing!
But Youchers!
At $30 & (nearly) $40 EACH - we, unfortunately, had to take a pass. Talk about a bummer. Although other current additions have included : Beipiaosaurus, Quetzalcoatlus, and Amargasaurus.
So it's not as though our Dino-hunt has been a complete disappointment ;)
With any luck we'll eventually get to add a Giganotosaurus to the herd...


or perhaps a Tylosaurus...


They both carry a price tag in the $15 range...
which makes their acquisition a lot more likely.

All I'm in need of at the moment is a pocket Dinosaur Dictionary.
Because I'm tellin' ya...
Some of these names are gonna be the end of me.

Sweet Boy...

Previously Watched Films....

Cleaning up the sidebar again and moving some previously watched film titles into the archives. I've left them linked with Netflix so that they can be easily referenced. Do be sure to check a few of them out. Except the ones that were absolute rubbish... those you'll want to douse with gasoline and set on fire.

Appaloosa (Liked)
The Code (Didn't Like)
Gran Torino (Liked)
He's Just Not That Into You (Liked)
Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Liked)
Outlander (didn't like)
The Lookout (Liked)
Entourage Season 4 (Liked)
Entourage Season 3 (Loved!)
Entourage Season 2 (Loved!)
Entourage Season 1 (Loved!!)
The Squid and the Whale (Really Liked)
Get Smart (Terrible)
Indiana Jones IV (Seriously Awful)
RocknRolla (Typically Predictable)
Wanted (Shudder! Bad, Bad, Bad)
New in Town (Truly Awful)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (Hmmm)
Let the Right One In (Really Liked)
Spring Breakdown (Very Bad Indeed)
Henry Poole Is Here (Liked)
Bolt (Loved)
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (Liked)
The Wrestler (Really Liked)
Twilight (Liked)
Last Chance Harvey (Liked)
Role Models (Absolutely Hated!)
Ghost Town (Liked)
Dark Knight (So Disappointing!)
Kung Fu Panda (Very Cute)
Californication Season 1 (LOVED!!)

Happy Trails...

Loved these so much, just had to share another page.

So Stinkin' Sweet ;)

You'll Flip... Trust Me.

I've had several folks ask about my Flip Camcorder lately.
So, figured I'd share a few of my thoughts...
now that I've got a few months under my belt.

I love my Flip Ultra HD. And would definitely buy one again. In a new New York Minute. Without a doubt. We also have a conventional camcorder... but this is the one that I always have with me. It's super easy to use, not to mention light/small enough to just throw in your purse/pocket.

Originally, I had started out wanting the Flip Mino. They have the ultra cool option to custom design your case... which was HUGELY appealing to me! I did quite a bit of research and was totally set to pick up the Mino until the Ultra HD came out. The new Ultra HD comes with a rechargeable battery pak (which you can charge with a power cord OR while it's docked in your USB port). Another cool thing is if your battery happens to run low while you're out and about you can just throw in 2 AAs. Unlike the Mino, which has a battery like an iPod. The new Ultra HD also has Two hours of record time... opposed to the hour offered on the Mino. I absolutely love that extra hour, as I'm not always prompt about getting the video uploaded. Am also keen on the huge viewing screen. The software it comes with is easy as pie to use and navigate. Allows you to string multiple videos together, capture digital stills from the feed, email video and upload to networking sites effortlessly. There is also the lesser Ultra model available - but in my opinion - spend the extra 50 bucks and get the HD feature. The picture quality truly is superior.

Honestly, I haven't found anything about it (yet) that I don't like. Sometimes the picture can look a little jumpy if you move it too fast... but that's hardly an issue for me. I love that there are no tapes, discs or cards to mess around with and uploading your videos to your computer is actually a Breeze. About the only problem I've encountered is forgetting I'm using the damn thing. I have the tendency to get caught up in what I'm filming and since it's so little and light, I often forget I'm using it. So, Sometimes, the resulting video can end up looking like a 4 year old junkie on a sugar binge shot it. But again, that's hardly something to bitch about. And for those that shoot a lot with their cell phones - you probably won't have any problems with this, whatsoever. Basically... it's a must have gadget in my book.

I highly recommend it.

8G = 120 minutes of film
Supremely light weight and just a bit bigger than your average cell phone.
Picture quality is superb!
Far superior to what you end up with on YouTube.
EXtremely EASY to use...
and so much fun - it's criminal!

I'm tellin' ya.
Run. Don't walk.

And get one to call your very own.

Here's where I got mine:

Enjoy!

Let 'em Eat Cake...

It's your Birthday P...

This engine cake is absolutely Perfect for you!!

Happy Birthday Babe...

You always get my motor running ;)

Blissfully Happy...

Ghads.
I absolutely LeOve being a Mom.
It overwhelmingly Rocks my World.
Motherhood is only Second to One:

My beloved P...

He brings joy to every waking moment,
makes me laugh every single day,
and has made the past 17 years a Blissful adventure.

♥ Patrick... I Adore You ♥
You complete me.
Our Boys simply send me over the moon.

Wowzers... look who's Red ;)

He's a Dandy...

Little H asks to go see the Horses everyday.
Every. Single. Day.

This morning he told me, while still lying in bed --
"No School, Mom."

Followed by --

"Go see horses. Yes, Puhleeze. Yay!"

The quality of these may be a little shotty...

But when you've got two kids in tow,
lugging around the BIG camera doesn't always sound appealing.

So these are stills I captured from the video feed on the Flip...

which makes them a bit grainy... but it's a cool option to have

and in the end you learn to work with what you've got.

After all, they're sure a lot better than having nothing at all ;)

Family Dynamic...

It's the simple things in life... Right?!

Love, Love, Love it.

Dig It...

(click on photo to enlarge)

Just a couple of shots from our most recent trip to the Natural History Museum, here in Pittsburgh. It's Awesome - We love it there.

H-Man has a great time in their "Paleo-Dig" area. Although, he spends a whole more time running around practicing his Dinosaur "Roars" than he does actually digging for any Dinosaur bones.

Go Figure ;)

Subject... Matters.

All of the camera angst I've experienced this spring and summer has left me feeling rather paranoid and defunct. I find myself finding fault with just about every photograph I take. It's always something... The lighting is bad. The color is off. The quality is grainy. The subjects are blurry.
It's disappointing to say the least.
Off putting at best.
And completely frustrating to simply sum it up.

Just like with these shots. They're less than what I had hoped for.
Is it that dreaded lens?? Or simply the photographer??
Perhaps a chaotic cocktail... with both in the mix.


But Then... something odd occurs.
I took a few shots of something BESIDES the kids...
And Voila! Perfection.
Nothing is off. Grainy. Or Out of focus.
How can this be?
Everything was shot at same time under the exact same conditions.


Hmmmm....
It would appear that the Subject Matter...
Well... Matters.

Skee- Washed.... Like a Bug.

Ahhh... isn't it always the way.
You make all these Big. BIG plans for something.
And then....

Zippo.
Nada.

Nothing at all happens. And the extraordinary simply does not occur.

That was our Fabulous Holiday Weekend.
In a nut shell.

We all got sick.

And soooooo....
all our Outrageously Fantabulous Holiday Plans went right out the proverbial window.

IE: Got Skeee -Washed.
Just like a bug.

And if I wasn't so damn sick... I'd probably be totally bummed about it.

Giddyup!!

So today was a BIG day.
We're talking Colossal here folks!!
Today we went Horseback Riding...
Whhhoooo-Eeeee!!

Let me just tell you what an event this was for the H-Man. It's no secret that our little man absolutely Loves animals... he's still telling tales about the Pigs and the Cows we saw at the fair. But lately he's been All about the Dinosaurs. So I was a wee bit surprised at how completely goofy he got about the idea of doing something like this.

Of course, the DRAMA before hand was a something to behold. Not exactly pretty and definitely Not for those with a weak stomach. And if I hadn't been going InSaNe from all of the Moaning and Groaning and WHINING and Crying (oh boy, was there ever a boat load of crying!) I would have thought to tape some of those theatrics for you. The Boy could have won a Major Award for that stellar performance. Ugh! Needless to say, I was too busy going out of my skull and couldn't manage to hold a thought in my head... so no video of that. Sorry. Oooohhhh, I bet you're so very disappointed.

What was the problem you ask?? In a word: Patience. Or in this particular case... The Lack There Of. What do you mean I have to WAIT???!!!! OMG... What!! I'm SO totally NOT going to get a turn! I just Know it!!

Bwwwhhhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!
Geesh. It was absolute gut wrenching agony. And at this point, I'm not sure if I'm still talking about his not wanting to "wait" or the utterly charming reaction to the "Freak Show" he was displaying.

.................
Yes. Hello!
Step Right Up!
Bearded Ladies on the right...
The Queer, Unhinged, Raving Like a Loon
Child Monstrosity to your left.
.................
Either way - He just Couldn't do it. This poor boy's got about Zero concept of "Waiting his Turn". And it's probably worth noting that we were seriously Past our naptime. It really was Pathetic. Pathetic to watch. Pathetic to listen to. And so Pathetic that I began to fear that a few of the other kids were going to want a ride on my little Whine Ass.

It didn't help matters that he Refused to STAY. IN. LINE. Sooooo... he kept losing his spot and getting bumped further and further to the Back of the line. Which only made the wait that much loooooooonger..... Aaaaand that much More enjoyable -- If that was even possible ;)

But in the end... it all worked out and he finally got to go. And only Second to Dead Last. Man-O-Man... let me just tell you... even though it was a teensy bit like having a tooth drilled without Novocaine... it was So Totally worth it. Priceless!! I thought after his "Off Broadway Production" that he might have worked himself up to be a bit scared, or nervous to climb on... but Nope. He was happy as a clam. As a pig in shit. Like a dog with a bone. Grinning ear to ear and positively beaming.

There is no price too high to pay for pure joy like that.
There is no charge for Pure Awesomeness.