Already Cynical About It

I'm going on vacation next week, but mentally, I'm already there...basking in the sun in...Montana. Ahem. Yeah, I guess there won't be much basking. But it is a gorgeous place -- I could bask in the beauty of Nature, if not in the actual sun. Good thing I'll have that handy digital camera for all the pictures that won't remotely capture the beauty of what I actually saw!

Welcome to the Nineties

So, I finally broke down and bought a digital camera. After much research (okay, reading a few online articles and asking two people) I decided on the Canon a550 Powershot, one of the few options within my budget. I don't have any basis of comparison, really, but I'm digging it so far. Spent the weekend geeked out, reading the manual, then proceeded to torture my family and dog by taking pictures of them constantly. And I'm not done!

I bought my camera at PrestigeCamera.com, which had the best price and a decent customer service rating. After my experience, I would say that the price was good, but I'm not so crazy about the way the transaction went. But if listening to a high pressure salesman from Bombay is necessary to save money...

Numbers Make the Best Blogs

My absolute favorite blog site (this one excepted, of course) has to be 101cookbooks.com. I've tried a couple of recipes from the site, both of which were excellent, and I can't wait to get the cookbook. It's Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, available at amazon.com for $13.60. And if you don't cook, perhaps you should consider getting it for a friend. Maybe a friend who's birthday is in 116 days.

Now Hear This

And speaking of ways to spend way too much time online... I can't resist the various "Overheard" websites. I keep trying to eavesdrop on interesting conversations so that I'll have something to add, but I haven't had any luck. If only I lived in New York, I would be sure to hear something worth posting. Oh, well. It's a small price to pay for not having to live in New York.

www.overheardeverywhere.com & www.overheardinnewyork.com

The Noun, Not the Verb

So, glass floats. I don't know why, but suddenly I long for a set to display on my mantel. (Having a mantel is a terrible thing...the pressure to come up with just the right objects, art, etc. is practically unbearable. But maybe my life is just too easy). If you, too, find yourself longing for a glass float, eBay looks like the place to go. Good luck!

I Told You So

Although I wear a moisturizer with sunscreen year-round, for Summer I switch to a higher SPF for everyday since I'm always riding around in my car with the windows down. Did you know that most sun damage occurs with incidental exposure? Over the years, those minutes add up, so if you're not wearing sunscreen on your neck, hands, and any other exposed skin, don't come cryin' to me when you're old and wrinkly. You could have avoided it by using this new product from Neutrogena -- you don't even have to get your hands in it, and it's not sticky at all! www.walgreens.com, $9.99.

Hang It All!

Pendants are supposed to be big this season. Well, here's a big one, and it's supercool. From our favorite site, www.etsy.com, $30. It looks very Art Deco to me. Art Deco meets Mondrian meets recycling. Okay, I'm totally making that up, but it sounded good, didn't it?