Funny: my favorite e-trade commercial

Home Improvements: NEW CLOSET!

My upstairs remodeling was just finished yesterday. The small bathroom was enlarged to allow a full vanity with more counter and storage space, and the so-small-as-to-be-useless "bedroom" (8' x 8'!) next to it was turned into a walk-in closet.

A hall linen closet and the little room's closet, which sat between the bath and small room, were eliminated to provide the expansion space for the bath. (The new storage in the bathroom vanity and the former main closet in a different room will provide more than enough space for everything that was in the eliminated linen closet.)

Now...aahh...all my clothes can be in one place instead of in this closet, and that closet, and the other closet, and still downstairs on the laundry rack.

Space...the Final Frontier!

 (Ignore the curves and disconnects...that's from the photo stitching program.)

Here's a sneak preview of the new bath. More pictures will come after I do the decorating.

Adventure: A Step in the Wright Direction

If you've ever wondered about those people who have the nerve to quit their job and go on a solo, around-the-world journey, you can follow along with someone doing it right now: Christy of A Step in the Wright Direction. She worked at the same company I do, until she quit last month after saving up money for two years to go on this 5-month trip. She's blogging about her adventures in entertaining entries...go check it out.
<<<< There she is on Haleakala in Hawaii.

Virtual Paintout: Romania

I missed last month's Virtual Paintout to Boston so I swore this month I would do my picture early!
I found a good scene and drew it last night while I watched Jimmy Fallon and Carson Daly. I used a gray, fine point Sharpie marker. I'm pretty pleased with the picture.
You can see the scene on Google StreetView. This area, Strada Tudor Vladimirescu, Pantelimon, România, seems to be a little shopping district where people have shops in their garages, a tent, or out of the back of their van! Almost everyone seen in the surrounding streets is carrying a package or two.

Artist: Tiffany Bender

I now wish I had a baby so Pittsburgh-based photographer Tiffany Bender could photograph it!
You must click over to look at her gorgeous photos!!! The light, the clarity, the fantastic styling!
Each child looks like a perfect angel. I'm sure they were not, but you wouldn't know from looking at the pics. A co-worker's adorable little girl is one of models.

If you have children, go make an appointment now! You'll have to wait because Tiffany is booked months in advance but you will understand why when you see the photos.

 Wander through her flickr pages.

 Here are some of my favorites...

The overhead bathtub shot. 

And snow pictures! 

The little boy who seems to be saying "I'm not convinced."

Find details about Tiffany here: http://munchkinsandmohawksphotography.com/blog/

Tutorial: Chrysalis to Carapace

Which came first? The Chrysalis or the Carapace? This started off as one thing and, in this particular case, didn't turn out so great. But, through the magic of a happy accident, it turned into something else interesting. See my tutorial on flickr.