Oh, my poor neglected blog!

Again. Sigh.

When I get into my bloggers-block mode, you can always follow me at twitter. I also waste quite a bit of time at facebook:

I'm big into the LastFM thing, too!

Follow Inauguration Tweets, Live!

Join the fun by leaving your inauguration comments on this blog post and Twittering with the #inaug09 tag!

Woo Hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Extrememe Makeover: Home Edition Tonight!

Watch Extrememe Makeover: Home Edition tonight on ABC. The family tonight is from right in here in Pittsburgh. I got to process and print photos for the show/family! A small thing, but still... It was pretty cool.

My very good friend, co-worker, and photography guru Chuck from Chuck Brown Photography actually got to do more... he took photos, did interviews, and wrote about it for a local newspaper. He blogged about his experience here. Check it out!

I'm excited to watch this tonight, it is going to be a very touching story (as usual!). Check it out! And if you see framed family photos, photos from their vacation, etc. know that yours truly had the honor of helping to make that happen!

Scrap Blogging, Anyone?

I have found yet another new internet addiction! Scrapblogs! Check out a few of my creations:







More over at my scrapblog. I'm telling you, it's crazy addicting and fun!

See How Dorky Cool I am?!

This picture taken at Primanti Bros! And if you know Primanti Bros, here is the group for you:

Burgh Moms Club.

:)

I Moblog!

Trying something new, just for fun! I am using a cool service over at Utterli to send live pics, texts, and even audio (have not tried the audio yet, but it will happen!) to my NEW MoBlog (mobile blogging) from my cell phone.

So If I am at the drug store and I see a pooping penguin candy dispenser, I can snap the pic with my phone and send it directly to my moblog! Fancy, huh?

So, go check out Not Another MoBlog (clever, eh?) and if you are feeling adventurous, you can even go sign up at Utterli and follow me. It's kind of like Twitter, only you can post pics and audio and more, too.

I even have a cool new sidebar widget on this blog to show off my latest moblog on my other blog... try saying that ten times fast!

I have it set to "cross blog" with the new blog I set up on blogspot. It's pretty simple. This could be fun... ya'll should go sign up, make your own MoBlog, and then we could, like, link each others Moblogs! Fun times.

Fun times, until my next phone bill comes in, that is...

Great Photography Websites and Books

Today I'd like to share with you some great links and books for learning photography. These are the websites I've been visiting and the books I've been reading.

Some of the books are slightly outdated, because I bought them cheap the half priced book store... but the basics remain the same, as far as learning about aperture, shutter speed, ISO, composition, etc.

Also, a few magazines I've been buying.

I can't wait to get my camera, So I can finally put some of this info to use!!!

First, the links:

PhotonHead.com has a ton of useful information, my very favorite being the Digital Camera Simulator which is very useful in helping to learn about the effects of shutter speed, aperture, and camera shake. You can mess with the settings and "shoot" the photo to see how it turns out.

This isn't going to as helpful as actually doing this yourself with a real camera, but it's still really cool.

Next up, KenRockwell.com is a great site. I'm not so sure I necessarily like the style he uses in his photography, but that's a personal preference and says nothing about his skills. He's great. Plus, he is a Nikon fan, in particular the D40, so this earns him major brownie points from me!

My very, very favorite, Digital Photography School. This. Site. Rocks. The tutorials, tips, guides, etc. are amazing and easy to understand. Soooo much info, all very useful and helpful. Plus, there's a forum that rocks, weekly assignments, and much more. I've gotten the most from this site. Love it!!!!!

A few others include all the amazing groups you can find on Flickr, The photography forum at DeviantArt, and even something as simple as checking out the ratings on photos at Good Shot or Not.

Now, onto the books. I'm not going to get into detail here, a lot of the info found in each book is take it or leave it... some very helpful info, and a few outdated and pointless things, either way... not too bad.

The Digital Camera Handbook

Digital Photography Problem Solver

My newest book is wonderful: Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon D40. I probably like this one the best because it is new, and it is camera specific.

My favorite photography magazines include Photography Monthly and ShutterBug.

So, there ya go. For those interested in learning as much as you can, like I am trying to do... this should help! It's really been helping me.

On a final note, I want One of these Lenbabies Lenses. Heh.

The Internet Is My Crack!

First, my very first Haiku for Haiku Friday:

Oh, dear internet
Why can't I escape your grip?
Rehab I may need.
How true it is, too. I thought this might be a good time to highlight just a few of the very cool things I have come across on my surfing adventures.

First up... The Shape of a Mother. For those of you other moms who have ever felt, well... like a cow. I know I have! This sight is wonderful... Stop looking at celebrity mommies who are fake, who can afford to spend zillions of dollars mutilating their bodies into looking "perfect." Go here and see Real Moms with Real Bodies!!

Next, because I am a huge sucker for anything artistic and unique, check out Bent Obects. You will be amazed at the creativity that goes into these sculptures!!

While surfing about, I keep seeing all these really cool knitting moms. I always say to myself, ooooh I want to make funky hats and scarves!! Well thanks to Knitting Help I have decided to go ahead and learn how to knit!

Last but not least, here's my profile at Maya's Mom. I love this social/blog network for a few reasons... obvious reason number 1, my daughter's name is Maya! Also, it's very addicting, love the unique set up and you can find groups for pretty much anything.

If you're looking for some interesting blog reading, check out the "I Read" section on my sidebar!