One more thing

If you're reading this blog with some coffee or hot chocolate (or beverage of choice), then put one of these on in another tab. :)

Vince Guaraldi's Greensleeves

Vince Guaraldi's Christmas Time is Here

Can you tell I like Vince Guaraldi?

Merry Christmas to me

Merry Christmas to me! Yesterday was the 23rd of the December, what I consider the busiest shopping day of the year. But, my father and mother decided to bear it and go to the MALL of all places. The big mall. Why? Clothing that mom looked at the night before! (she's the worst decision maker EVAR) So we went to the big city. I asked to go because I decided I wanted to buy a lens. I called my local wolf camera before we left and they were out (Who would've thought that?!) so I asked dad kindly if we could go to best buy. Why would I even think about going to best buy on the 23rd?! you say? Because I can. Now, I like crowds, and would've gone that morning, if I could drive. So, he hesitantly said yes, and that was our first stop. We were out from 1:30 to 7:45. Last minute shopping time FTW. But, we were just browsing like any other day, just with more people. So we went to best buy. Yes, it was busy, yes, shelves were being depleted, but, I had hope. I kindly asked the gal that was free if she had any, and she said probably not. She asked the manager dude, and he said maybe. She and I walked to "the cage" (Nikon product storage case) and she hunted. Hard. She finally found one. The LAST one. In turn, Merry Christmas to me. The line was long, as expected, but it went very fast and smoothly. So, You're now reading the words of a proud new owner of a Nikon 50mm f/1.4 AF lens! But, alas, I am 12, and have no solid income, so all I could afford in june was a D60, so in turn, no autofocus. It's a nice feature, but with most of what I'll use it for, not necessary. So, I am a proud new owner of a Nikon 50mm f/1.4 MF lens! But I'm fine with that. Best buy had it for $140, $15 more than amazon. And I would've gotten the 1 day shipping on amazon, which would've eaten that $15 up quick. So I am happy, and will play with this a bunch. What does this mean for you? Amazing photos, and interesting ones, too. And it's a Prime lens! (solid focal length, no zoom) So Crisp photos all around!

Merry Christmas to all.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I know I promised these a long time ago, but once again I will use the infamous excuse, I've been busy.

2 of these were taken by my mother, the apple quilt and the nutcrackers. I would have retaken them, but why? they're perfectly good photos for this purpose. the nutcracker shelf consists of 26 unique crackers of nuts. the blue streak photo is actually my "winter" tree, Zoomed out on a 2 second exposure. Same deal with the star candle shot. I'll have some more up of the festivities sometime in the coming days, but for now, enjoy yourselves and have a very merry Christmas.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Hola All! I am in desperate need of a good twitter app for iPhone. I used twitterrific for a while, but it just doesn't do it for me. I used tweetdeck for a while, didn't like it. I'm using Echofon right now, but don't love it, either. One of these days I'l come around to actually paying for one, probably a soon as I get a gift card. (Come on Christmas!) I've been scouting for a decent paid app, (for when the time comes) and it's looking good for hootsuite, Tweetie 2, or birdfeed. I'm leaning towards hootsuite, but am certainly open for input. In terms of desktop, tweetdeck is my lover. It's the best of the bunch. Cream of the Crop. It never gets quit when the computer is on (always on). But, this is desktop, I like the tweetdeck for iPhone, but don't love it. I dig the FB compatibility, but not enough to put it on my front page. I really need one with push notifications that actually work. Considering I passed 1000 tweets in 5 months, and average 5-15 a day, I consider myself a power tweeter. And I want the luxury of a quality app to deal with it. If I paid for a twitter app out-of-pocket, my dad would do throw an axe through my precious iMac. We can't have that, now can we? Hence the need for an iTunes card.

So, if you have an opinion, please comment. If you want to follow me, I'm nikonlover104. Yes, the one with the santa hat and Christmas lights. Gift Idea for children in the coming days.

Twitter

Are you on twitter? If you're not, you should be. It's more awesomer than facebook! I kmow you're thinking "Nothing is better than Facebook! Certainly not after farmville! I'm a level 45! You can't beat that!" Well too bad, because I did. I beat it with twitter. Twitter looks at facebook and pulls a *facepalm*. THAT. is how awesome twitter is. Sure I still love facebook, and thought my facebook addiction was bad, but then Hannah B. said "Are you on twitter? You should be, all the cool kids are". now, I'm not a "Cool kid" and don't plan on being one. I'm perfectly happy being a nerd. (I am in no physical way a nerd, but according to my friend Nena, being smart automatically makes me a nerd) I'm already a social outcast, what with listening to CSN, Paul McCartney, and John Fogerty and all. And I don't care about being cool, but I decided to take her word for it and try twitter out. If you think facebook is addicting, just get on twitter for a month. That'll straighten you up. Twitter is worse than LSD, positive. (don't you dare ask me if I've done LSD, you stalker) I average at least 5 tweets a day, and this morning I've already put out at least 10. Actually, well preparing to write this post, I hit my 1000th tweet. Yes, I know what you're saying, and you sound like my brother. "You're a nolife. No I'm not! Yes you are. Whatever. Just look at your tweet count. pure nolifishness." Wait till I tell him I passed 1000. But back to the topic at hand. Twitter. Web traffic to this site averages 10,000,000 (ten million) views a month. It's userbase is nothing compared to facebook, but twitter is a newborn compared to it's socially favored counterpart. The sad part is that 60% of new accounts are abandoned after no more than 1 month. That being said, the 40% that use it daily cause for a tweet stream almost uncountable. A fun (not really) time passer is just to pick a trending topic and watch the spam roll through. Sit back and chuckle. Go ahead, I do. Now, I only have 50 followers. Probably only 20 are humans, not spammers/businesses. But I don't care, I care about putting what's on my mind out for the world, to read or not. Same Idea as this. Twitter is actually categorized as a "microblogger" with a maximum of 140 characters per tweet. But I think thats good for some people, considering the attention span of youth these days. (I love criticizing my age group, stupid bunch of baboons they are) (no offense friends, not you) But it keeps it readable while at a stop light (NOT recommended), walking through the mall (my dad hates it when I text/have my head in a phone while in a public environment, all the more reason to do it I guess) (Kids, if you're reading this, Implement at own risk), or in between french fry bites if you like your iPhone screen as greasy as my brother's. he always told me that facebook was for people with no social life (notice the irony of him saying that about a social network) and recently he not only got sucked into facebook, but he's a legit nolife at multiple games on facebook. I play those occasionally, but if I get "HIT!!!!" with one more snowball before Christmas, I'm taking an axe to somebody's computer. But, we've once again wandered off topic. I like twitter more than facebook because it's easier to talk to web friends on, because you don't have your entire Personal life right there. With facebook, if you add someone you don't know in person, it can get hostile. With twitter, it's just friendly conversations. to tell you the truth, I find out news via trending topics before I hear it on HLN most mornings. And the trending topics make for fun. Watching all the people you follow franticly tweet numerous Follow friday tweets FULL of people I don't really care about. No offense, but I don't need tweetdeck yelling at me every 55 seconds with 5 new tweets from people I don't know who are tweeting about real estate in vermont. One of my awesome IRL followee/followers is in real estate. She may know a lot of people, and she may be following 1000 people (Yes, she IS following 1000 people) but chances are I don't care about 900 of them! I follow something like 117 people (No life comment: lol, I'm following MAster Chief Lol) (that was legit too, I didn't see that until now, and I AM a nerd ;)) and I'm not sure I want to follow more than 100. When you're following 1000 people, do you really read EVERY one of those tweets? @kallayanna does. How, I don't know. You should follow her, she's cool. #legitFFinablog XD hey, it is friday ;). Yes, I'm a hashtagger. And yes, I take part in the follow friday madness. Why, you ask? Because I want to. If you can't deal with that, guess what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna *cue dramatic music*......... UNFOLLOW YOU. "NOOOOO! Now I only have 18 followers! what will i do??? Nobody will want me now!" Two words. Shut. Up. And, if you tweet about your loss, I'll report you for spam. Oh yea, I WENT THAR! Go get another donut and calm yourself. If you care that much about your follower amount, then be that way. I don't care, I'm not following you anymore. But anyways, if you're not on twitter, and you haven't tried it, try it. you'll like it. Oh no! It appears I've just spent an hour typing this! Sorry for the long post, but I said what had to be said.

Stay tuned for a twitter application review.

Oh, if you are about to make some no life, fatty infested criticizing comment, go tweet yourself. mature comments only, folks.

B's Wig Shoppe

Hola, all! I don't know why I haven't done this yet, so I guess I'll to it now.

I'd like to introduce you to the woman behind B's Wig Shoppe. This is my favorite blog out there, and you should consider it too. Hannah B's the name, making awesome is the game. She is a freelance designer, fresh out of college. She makes everything from monsters to notebooks. She makes one-of-a-kind things that are as cute as can be, and as functional as their office-like counterparts. Remember Cicero, the one-eyed, regal mustached monster? Well Hannah B. is his creator. I bet she'd make you one if you ask ;) She has an etsy shop that's full of

Christmas cheer right now. I mean, can

you resist this awesome brooch???

Oh so many times a week I wish I was a female so I could take part in all of these wonderful things.

I find myself intrigued by all things handmade. I wish I had the mindset it takes to make this sort of thing. The world out there is so cute and cuddly, but as a male I can't indulge in what I want to. Not even if I was gay. I guess

that's another reason I love blogging. I can say whatever's on my mind, even if its girly. I don't mind if no one listens, as long as I've put it out there, it's out there.

But back to Hannah B. she is lover of all things handmade. She has turned me on to blogs like Frecklednest, The design files, A CUP OF JO, and so many others.

She's the one who supported me to start this blog in the first place! (brief conversations over twitter can result in new URLs being created) I think knowing her in real life is also a huge bonus. You might thin you now her, but you have no idea until you meet her. She has a fashion that is all her own, while still keeping up with the trends. She knits scarfs and arm snugglies that would make terrific stocking stuffers (If I can persuade her to put them on etsy, that is) and her hair, well, thats another post. The point is, if you read my blog, why the heck aren't you reading hers??? She spends hours scouring the web just for YOU. She's the master of making your wallet cry for help. Alas, mine doesn't because I'm a guy, and can't indulge in the awesomeness that is crafts. At least, not on the scale that she can. I met her 9 years ago, and knew from the start that she was gonna be a cool girl, and my prediction was correct.

So, if you're not reading her blog, then you need to. Trust me, it's worth it. ;)

Oh, and don't be afraid to get a brooch or two! *wink* *wink*

White Christmas

'Tis been a white Christmas season recently here in the SE, with 2" of snow gracefully layering upon our soil. IT snowed from 4:23 am to right about 1:00 pm on saturday. And guess what, I took pictures! (never would've guessed something like that coming from a photographer, did'ja?)

December Is Here!

Hola All! December is once again upon us! My favorite month of the year has rolled into function, and That means awesomeness to come. But, before we go too far into this post, I want to share a few things. First: Before I started writing this, I went out to the kitchen to get more coffee and some cereal. 7:17 am, I look out a window and see frost, as far as the I can see before it comes to a plume of fog only a house away from mine. A signal that December is here. Second: One of my awesome friends on twitter (@deegeebee) RT'd something this morning. "Why don't you stop trying to figure God out and star trying to figure him in?" That is a quote to live by.

Now, Onto the month at hand. The post below says most of what it is, but there are still a few things... The frost as mentioned above. Starbucks' Cand ycane Frappechino (spelling?) straws. Seattle's best SlieghBells blend coffee. Wonderful friends with Xbox LIVE and Christmas break. Friends being Jolly. Crazy outfits. Awesome warm jackets. Christmas and Gingerbread cookies. Christmas movies on tv. Christmas lights hung throughout my room. Crazy yard setups. Yummy food. Candy cane M&m's. Christmas music. The line "Boy it's nippy out there!", uttered by almost anybody that comes through an exterior door. Giving gifts. Getting gifts. Did I say yummy food? Pretty Christmas fonts.

Now those are just a few of the wonderful things about the season. Though it doesn't start until the 21st, It's here in our hearts already. :)

Happy holidays ;)

Back to The Grind

Well, Thanksgiving is over, and that means that Christmas is just around the corner. Home of coziness and family. Home of Decorations *LOVE* and hot chocolate. We celebrate it just a tad differently, though. Christmas tree is set to look classic and cottagy (I'll have a pic once tree is up), and we also have a "winter tree", a large Twig that falls out of whatever tree it chooses. This tree is a bit different. It is spray painted white and has white and blue LED Christmas lights on it. Now, I love our house and the decor and all, but I still enjoy my grandmother's house at christmas. She goes all out classic. Tinsel and all (grandpa likes the tinsel).

It's also time to start Christmas shopping. Yes, I said it, Christmas shopping. Most people hate it, I love it. Though mine is fairly simple, I still love going out in the bustle and tussle of it. Now, it would be a lot more complex, had mom let me spend my money how I want, but that's beside the point. No matter what part of it you like most, the entire season just has a feel to it. A feel like no other. A good, Homey feel. I'll post some pictures of all the decor once it's up, and I have a real simple but fun-for-the-kids gift idea.

But what about you? Do you have anything special you do for the holidays??