Instagram-ing!

Lukas Van Dyke, a photographer, recently posted about his "new Instagram photo policy." He wanted to "put more effort" into his pictures. It could be from his work, from life, from his dslr, from his phone, could be edited, could be not, etc. It got me thinking about MY Instagraph photo policy. You know. If I really had such a thing. As a photo policy. o_O

But I do. It's not written and it's most often not said or stated. But I mentally do have "policies"! (For a lot of things in life, actually.)

(Source)

Bringing it back to Instagram... I like to use Instagram for capturing life... which sometimes takes a lot of effort and sometimes doesn't. Which also means some pictures are great and some aren't. I am one who thinks Instagram photos should be taken only with the phone! That is because when I see someone else with a beautiful photo -- it gives me hope that I too can capture that on my phone too -- when I happen on it in life -- without a lot of fancy camera equipment or set up time/effort. I understand that some people may see Instagram as their photo gallery so anything is fair game, but for me it's like... oh well, if you took that on your $2,000+ DSLR and spent 5 hours editing it, of course it'll look THAT AWESOME. I just love it when someone uses just their phone to capture something super awesome and it's like, "Yes... 95% talent, and 5% equipment."

 

Come be my friend!

 

Do you Instagram? If so, do you have a Instagram photo policy? What is it?
                             

Tastier in an Orange Cup!

My friend Rebecca shared this article from the Kitchn with me, and I'll have to say... it must be true!  :oP

Hot Chocolate Tastes Better in an Orange Cup!

The article, which looks like originally came from Science Daily, says,

"Scientists at the Polytechnic University of Valencia and Oxford University tested this theory by having 57 participants taste the same type of hot chocolate out of four different cups: white, creme, red and orange. All of the participants claimed the hot chocolate in the orange and creme cups tasted better than the others, with some even going so far as to say the chocolate in the creme cups was sweeter and more aromatic."
 

So as The Orange Coffee Cup blog, I say, drink yo stuff in an orange cup!

This is my orange cup!  :)

He's a bit pensive...

Perhaps next Christmas I shall get everyone an orange mug!  :oP  (Not sure about this business with the cream mug makin' things taste good too, haha.)

 

Do you own an orange mug?  Do you think things taste better out of an orange mug?  If you try it, let me know!

                                               

FFF6

Grabbed this shot waiting for Tim to get out of work.  I reeeally like it.  Finding interesting things on the street.

I've baked like 200% more than I used to.  Well, at least in the winter and spring.  Summer got too hot since the apt felt like an oven!

Have you mailed a smile today?  :D  Second round of Pixar stamps.  I still haven't used them yet.  I think I enthusiastically bought too many of the first round ones.   :oP

I believe this was the day I traded writing favors for an iced coffee with a co-worker.  This is how we roll.

Front porch.  After the rain.  Beauty in everyday life.

                                                                                   

FFF2

I kinda forgot about my five foto fun segments.  Oops.  :oP  But here goes the next installment!

He's an eraser.  I got him in LA.

Fluffers.

Tyrone Wells concert, w/ Joe Brooks

The Massachusetts State House

Our last time babysitting Miss Jade!  She has moved out West since then.  :(

                                  

i need coffee

(Source)

This made me laugh.  :)

                           

swirl bookcase

(Source)

LOVE!!!!

        

Christmas Star.Fish

Yesterday when I left work I saw a starfish in a tree!  It was quite a sight!  :D

                                 

antarctica is safe

I read that spiders inhabit every continent on Earth except for Antarctica.

(Source)

Antarctica is safe.

(Source, with edits)

 And this ice tunnel cave has nothing to do with spiders.  It's just way super cool.  :]

(Source)

                          

game girl

(Source)

So ridiculous.  HAHAHAHA.

I hope it's a costume.  Do you think it's a costume?  :oP

(Source)

Comes in black too.  Game boy girl slim?

Tim said it'd be cool if the screen was an LCD you could play a game on!  But... I think gaming marketing would change (as in go downhill for classiness and uphill for sales) if they had chicks wearing this where guys could play a game on the screen!!  o_O

                                            

micke desk

Tim thinks I need a desk.  I use the dining table as my desk.  :]

Perhaps this one would be suitable!

Ikea Micke Desk - white/orange (Source)

Kinda modernly artsy fartsy.

                                             

edible maps

How cute are these?!  I love maps.  Maps maps maps.  :]

This can't be on purpose, can it??  So.  Very.  Cool.  (Source)

Skills!!!  (Source)

Tonight, we had the craziest thunderstorm ever!!  Serious lightning for like half hour, with sonic boom thunder!  It was exciting and kind of scary all at the same time!  We had a tornado warning earlier in the day!  But nothing happened much here besides the lightning and thunder, but there were a few deaths in other parts of Massachusetts.  :(

And.

I have a strong desire to go to Hawaii.
                                                        

hello?

I'm still aliiiiiive!  But I've been a terrrrrrible blogger!  I keep meaning to blog but... it requires.... work you know.  All that typing.  Optional thinking.  Pictures.  Ahhh!

Last week I was in Detroit for a training/conference.  It was a loooong week but I learned a lot.  :]

Canada was SOUTH and you could see it across the river.  Whhhhhaaaa?

Because I was out all last week, today I was swamped at work.  I ended up working late so we went out to eat at Border Cafe.  AWE. SOME.

I think today birthed the tradition of Margarita Mondays.  :oP

Chicken Bandera!  Delicious!  Tim's chicken burros was delicious too!

Annnnd I will try to post more.  Maybe.  On Friday.  Unless I decide to go shopping.  For.  Our first anniversary!!!!  Whhhhhhaaaaaa!  (Can you believe it's almost been a year?!)  What are some awesome paper gift ideas??  (We don't really want watches or clocks or things that tick.  Like bombs.)

                            

random.stuff.

Totally.  Random.  Stuff.  I found on PerpetualKid.com that is cute/strange/weird/cool.  :]

Beaver!  So cute.  (Source)

Might get this for my brother... for some occasion.  (Source)

Haha... it would make drafts more fun!  (Source)

World's Largest Gummy Bear.  Over 4lbs, equivalent of 1,400 regular sized gummy bears, and has 12,600 calories per gummy bear.  (Source)

Amusingly creative.  (Source)

So sweet.  (Source)

                                        

left side

This made me chuckle from PostSecret:

(Source)

-----------------------------------------------------

Keep praying for Japan!

                                    

likes of the day

Saw this on Mrs. Pashmina's post about wavy hair, and it's orginally from Style Me Pretty.  But it was the simple but awesome invite in the middle picture that caught my eye!

I love cities and cityscapes and skylines.  Their other pictures are also nice.  :oP  (Source)

Thought this cup from Starbucks is really cute!  The Starbucks that is closest to work is like... the slowest Starbucks ever so I usually have a few minutes to let my eyes wander over to the "products"/sale section.... before they wander over the pastry case... before I have to make eye contact (it's a nice human courtesy thing to do, right?) with the barista.

I may pick it up.  After Valentine's Day.  :-P  (Source)

I also love people who give me Starbucks giftcards (two for Christmas!) and feed my coffee addiction.  :oP  And at $1.62 for a tall coffee (silly tax), those giftcards last awhile!  Once in awhile I'll splurge on a mocha.  Or latte.  But seriously, one of those equal two days worth of coffee!

              

clean clean clean!

Since Penga blogged about her clean and tidy craft room, I will blog about how I cleaned the shower (which took like... 25-30 minutes since it was so dirty.  hah.), the counter, swept the kitchen, and vacuumed!  I also made Thanksgiving cards, watched the latest Grey's Anatomy, Family Guy, and The Simpsons.  I ate breakfast today, lunch twice, and made chicken strip snack wraps (for on the go!) for dinner since we had worship practice at 645pm (and Tim gets home at 6:30pm).

(Source)

I am probably most proud of the clean shower since it's AH-SPARKLING.  I can't see the grime really well when I'm in the shower since I don't have my glasses on, so it's easy to ignore.  However, a whole 35% of our shower is glass, so it displays the grime really well when I'm not in the shower (and have my glasses on).  Vinegar is the key to cleaning glass showers!

I made Thanksgiving cards because... I didn't want to pay $5 for 6 cards in a pack.  I found some "Thanksgiving/Fall" 3D scrapbooky-like stickers on sale for like $1.60 at Target (with like 25 pieces or something), slapped them tastefully onto some cardstock and ta-da!!  I has me some Thanksgiving cards.  :]  Just because I like making/sending cards and who doesn't like mail? (That isn't a bill?)  I may share of them tomorrow or sometime this week.

I trimmed all my nails, but failed to paint my toes like I planned to and I did not pick up something I ordered from Crate & Barrel since I was going to go out around 4pm, looked outside, and realized it was almost DARK.  And it's about a mile there and a mile back (and I would be walking).  It will still be there tomorrow.

What productive things did you go today?