Showing posts with label Amazon.com. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amazon.com. Show all posts
Amazon.com
Blog
Home Improvement
Ikea
Nails
SinfulColors
Zoya
My own little space!
Well, hi there! No, I didn't fall off the face the earth. I'm sorry for the longer than usual blog break. My nails are finally starting to grow long enough where I feel comfortable taking photos, and overall I just needed a little break.
I'm off from work until Wednesday for Memorial Day, whoo! I have to work on some reviews to share with you guys. I will have the Zoya Island Fun, and Paradise Sun collection on the blog soon. I also have 6 new summer colors from SinfulColors to share with you as well. I will be super swatch busy this weekend!
I'm also excited because I finally have my own nail space! :-) I've never shared any posts about where I do my nails, because well, it was my dining room table. My very cluttered dining room table, lol. :-p I've wanted a table/desk to do my nails at for awhile. I've been eyeing this portable manicure table on Amazon for months. I watched the price drop from $100 down to $70, and I finally decided to order it. Free shipping! And- it arrived in 2 days! I set up my new space in the corner of our bedroom. My helmer fit perfectly beside it, the helmer is maybe inch to half an inch shorter than the table.
The best part about this table is there was absolutely no assembly required. I only had to take it out of the box, the storage bag, remove the foam and bubble wrap, and set it up. The table itself is sturdier and more well made then I expected. It has wheels so you can move it around, and it easily folds up to store again if you need too. It also has a small plastic drawer underneath that I am storing some nail necessities in.
There's also a wrist cushion- for doing someone else's nails, but I decided to put that in the corner of my table to keep things from falling down where the table curves against the corner of the wall, and it also works to prop up my Ottlite and other things. ;-)
I ordered myself an upholstered folding chair to go along with my table, but that hasn't arrived yet. The chair I ordered also had free shipping. I may get a more comfortable chair eventually, but this was all I could afford right now.
I'm super excited to finally have a permanent and functional place to do my nails, take swatch photos, or use my laptop to write blog posts. I'm also looking forward to getting back to blogging and sharing with you all again, I've definitely missed it. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
I'm off from work until Wednesday for Memorial Day, whoo! I have to work on some reviews to share with you guys. I will have the Zoya Island Fun, and Paradise Sun collection on the blog soon. I also have 6 new summer colors from SinfulColors to share with you as well. I will be super swatch busy this weekend!
I'm also excited because I finally have my own nail space! :-) I've never shared any posts about where I do my nails, because well, it was my dining room table. My very cluttered dining room table, lol. :-p I've wanted a table/desk to do my nails at for awhile. I've been eyeing this portable manicure table on Amazon for months. I watched the price drop from $100 down to $70, and I finally decided to order it. Free shipping! And- it arrived in 2 days! I set up my new space in the corner of our bedroom. My helmer fit perfectly beside it, the helmer is maybe inch to half an inch shorter than the table.
I store my light tent on top (or remove when I'm swatching), and underneath I have a basket for my clamp lamps, and boxes for other nail things. That mini cookie sheet there I use when I'm stamping, I put paper in it and stamp away while not worrying about making a huge mess.
There's also a wrist cushion- for doing someone else's nails, but I decided to put that in the corner of my table to keep things from falling down where the table curves against the corner of the wall, and it also works to prop up my Ottlite and other things. ;-)
I ordered myself an upholstered folding chair to go along with my table, but that hasn't arrived yet. The chair I ordered also had free shipping. I may get a more comfortable chair eventually, but this was all I could afford right now.
I'm super excited to finally have a permanent and functional place to do my nails, take swatch photos, or use my laptop to write blog posts. I'm also looking forward to getting back to blogging and sharing with you all again, I've definitely missed it. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!
Amazon.com
Books
KindleFire
My Thoughts on Kindle Unlimited.
I am a huge fan of Amazon.com.
I constantly shop on Amazon, I buy the majority of my books and music on Amazon. I rent movies on Amazon. I've even upgraded every year that a new Kindle Fire device is released. (Since 2011).
I was pretty excited to find out about Kindle Unlimited.600,000 titles free to read, including audio books for $9.99 a month. Sort of like the 'Netflix' of books. Amazon includes a 30 day free trial so you can test drive Kindle Unlimited, so I decided to take the plunge.
Tip: You can download the Amazon Kindle App free on pretty much any mobile device, so you don't actually need a Kindle to use this service.
[Kindle App for Android or iPhone]
Navigating Kindle Unlimited: From your Kindle you go to the store, and there's an option called 'Kindle Unlimited' that will show you all the titles listed under your Kindle Unlimited membership.
Click below to read more!
I constantly shop on Amazon, I buy the majority of my books and music on Amazon. I rent movies on Amazon. I've even upgraded every year that a new Kindle Fire device is released. (Since 2011).I was pretty excited to find out about Kindle Unlimited.
600,000 titles free to read, including audio books for $9.99 a month. Sort of like the 'Netflix' of books. Amazon includes a 30 day free trial so you can test drive Kindle Unlimited, so I decided to take the plunge.Tip: You can download the Amazon Kindle App free on pretty much any mobile device, so you don't actually need a Kindle to use this service.
[Kindle App for Android or iPhone]
Navigating Kindle Unlimited: From your Kindle you go to the store, and there's an option called 'Kindle Unlimited' that will show you all the titles listed under your Kindle Unlimited membership.
Click below to read more!
Amazon.com
ChinaGlaze
Electronics
MessyMansion
Nails
Matching Chevron's!
I got a new case for my Samsung Galaxy SIII. Aqua & Chevron's! I ordered it online on Amazon.com from a store called Heartstore. The only thing I didn't realize was that it ships from China, so it took two long weeks to get here. But it was cheap & it's pretty cute. (They have plenty of similar chevron ones for different phones).
Since I also own a Chevron stamp plate from Messy Mansion. I thought I would do matching nails! I used China Glaze For Audrey & white Konad stamp polish, with my MM12 plate, and Seche Vite topcoat. :-)
Since I also own a Chevron stamp plate from Messy Mansion. I thought I would do matching nails! I used China Glaze For Audrey & white Konad stamp polish, with my MM12 plate, and Seche Vite topcoat. :-)
Amazon.com
Electronics
KindleFire
I wanted to blog about an issue I've been having with my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9". My HDX will periodically drop the wifi connection, (but still show it's connected with a perfect signal). Webpages won't load, Apps will say I have a connection problem and to check my wifi. It's completely frustrating because for a few hours it will behave, I can surf the net just fine. But then it will start acting up dropping the signal every few minutes (even though it's still showing it's connected to a perfect signal). I have to manually turn the wifi off/on to reset the antenna. Or switch airplane mode on/off. Which gets old real fast when it does it 5-6 times in a row!
I know it wasn't our home router causing the issue, because the same issue would happen when I used my T-mobile 4G internet through tethering and when I used public wifi hotspots. The HDX would just drop the signal while I was in the middle of looking at webpages. (Just to be sure, a few times I did restart our home router but that didn't resolve the issue).
This has actually been going on for a few months now. It started off as a minor annoyance and I guess I was hoping it would somehow be resolved through a system update. Doing a hard reset, (holding the power button for 20 seconds, then restarting the device) did not help. Restoring the device back to factory settings did not help either, and that was the last resort because it wipes out all your files. I did that last night, and today it was still having the same issue.
I finally got fed up and called Amazon tonight, but the CSR I got had a very hard to understand accent and I don't think either of us was understanding the other. So after I hung up I jumped on the Amazon.com Help page and started a chat session with another CSR. I thought maybe they would understand the problem more if they could see it in writing. After some troubleshooting, they are sending me a replacement device that should be here Monday and I have to send back my defective one.
I think maybe the internal antenna is defective, after doing a search on the Kindle Forums, I've found a few others are having the same exact issue. I really hope the replacement they send resolves the issue or I'm not going to be very happy. I had no issues at all when I owned the Kindle Fire HD, it's only the HDX that I'm now having issues with.
EDITED TO ADD: Replacement Kindle HDX just arrived this afternoon (1/12/14). So hopefully this one doesn't have the same issues. We'll see. Thank goodness for warranties.
Kindle Fire HDX WiFi Issues.
I wanted to blog about an issue I've been having with my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9". My HDX will periodically drop the wifi connection, (but still show it's connected with a perfect signal). Webpages won't load, Apps will say I have a connection problem and to check my wifi. It's completely frustrating because for a few hours it will behave, I can surf the net just fine. But then it will start acting up dropping the signal every few minutes (even though it's still showing it's connected to a perfect signal). I have to manually turn the wifi off/on to reset the antenna. Or switch airplane mode on/off. Which gets old real fast when it does it 5-6 times in a row!
I know it wasn't our home router causing the issue, because the same issue would happen when I used my T-mobile 4G internet through tethering and when I used public wifi hotspots. The HDX would just drop the signal while I was in the middle of looking at webpages. (Just to be sure, a few times I did restart our home router but that didn't resolve the issue).
This has actually been going on for a few months now. It started off as a minor annoyance and I guess I was hoping it would somehow be resolved through a system update. Doing a hard reset, (holding the power button for 20 seconds, then restarting the device) did not help. Restoring the device back to factory settings did not help either, and that was the last resort because it wipes out all your files. I did that last night, and today it was still having the same issue.
I finally got fed up and called Amazon tonight, but the CSR I got had a very hard to understand accent and I don't think either of us was understanding the other. So after I hung up I jumped on the Amazon.com Help page and started a chat session with another CSR. I thought maybe they would understand the problem more if they could see it in writing. After some troubleshooting, they are sending me a replacement device that should be here Monday and I have to send back my defective one.
I think maybe the internal antenna is defective, after doing a search on the Kindle Forums, I've found a few others are having the same exact issue. I really hope the replacement they send resolves the issue or I'm not going to be very happy. I had no issues at all when I owned the Kindle Fire HD, it's only the HDX that I'm now having issues with.
EDITED TO ADD: Replacement Kindle HDX just arrived this afternoon (1/12/14). So hopefully this one doesn't have the same issues. We'll see. Thank goodness for warranties.
Amazon.com
Electronics
KindleFire
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" Comparison
Every year since the original Kindle Fire came out in 2011, I've upgraded to the latest version. I've owned three generations of the Kindle Fire now. (Though I always sell the previous model). The latest is the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" 16GB
. It's faster and lighter than last years Kindle Fire HD. There's also a rear camera now besides the front camera and Amazon has made better placement and size of the power & volume buttons on the HDX.
The Home Screen has also changed. On Kindle Fire HD there was a little star symbol you would press to access your favorites. On Kindle HDX you swipe up from the bottom to access favorites. The new feature isn't as convenient. On the HD If I was on Facebook and wanted to switch apps I would just hit the star to access my favorites. On HDX I have to swipe up- BUT that will only show recently accessed apps... so if you want to switch programs but you haven't recently accessed the app- you will have to go all the way back out to the home screen to your favorites list.
The good features are the power and volume buttons. They are huge on the HDX now. They are located on the back instead of the sides like HD. The rear camera also has a flash. The response time for apps is so much quicker now because of the faster processor and ram. There's literally no lag time switching apps. Typing on the keyboard is more realistic because there's no delay anymore. It's lightning fast. The screen is a little cooler in color than Kindle Fire HD which had a warmer display- that's taking some getting used to for me. But pictures and videos are gorgeous.
As always it takes some getting used to when you upgrade. I really do love the Kindle Fire HDX, there's just minor changes from Kindle Fire HD, some good, some different. But all in all I'm pleased with it.
App wise: You would think the Amazon App store would have added Instagram since Kindle Fire HDX now has a rear camera... but nope. That still takes some fanangling, but you CAN install Instagram and other Android apps that the Amazon App store might not have.
For Kindle Fire HDX models:
Step 1: Download APK Installer free from the Amazon App store.
Step 2: Go to SETTINGS: APPLICATIONS: Then for 'Allow Apps From Unknown Sources' select: ON.
Step 3: Go to Silk Browser go to website: www.1mobile.com/app/market/ and download 1MobileMarket store app for free.
Step 4: Install 1MobileMarket with an APK installer App.
Step 5: Use the 1MobileMarket App to find and install Instagram & other Android apps to your Kindle Fire HDX.
Other Kindle Fire Blog Posts:
(1st Generation) Jan 2012: I ♥ ♥ ♥ my Kindle Fire!
(2nd Generation) Nov 2012: My Kindle Fire HD 8.9 arrived a week early! Yay!
. It's faster and lighter than last years Kindle Fire HD. There's also a rear camera now besides the front camera and Amazon has made better placement and size of the power & volume buttons on the HDX.
The volume and power buttons are now on the back of the Kindle Fire HDX and much easier to find. (They were on the edges of the Kindle Fire HD and almost invisible to the naked eye). The HDX has a square boxy shape that I don't like as much as the sleek curved shape of last years Kindle Fire HD. I wish the rubber grip finish went around all the edges like it did on the HD. On the HDX there is a plastic part where the speakers & rear camera are. The HDX is incredibly lighter, you can feel the difference when you hold each model in your hands.
Comparison: While the screen size is still the same, Kindle Fire HDX is slighter smaller than Kindle Fire HD. (HDX dimensions: 9.1, 6.2, 0.31. versus HD dimensions: 9.4, 6.4, 0.35)
The Home Screen has also changed. On Kindle Fire HD there was a little star symbol you would press to access your favorites. On Kindle HDX you swipe up from the bottom to access favorites. The new feature isn't as convenient. On the HD If I was on Facebook and wanted to switch apps I would just hit the star to access my favorites. On HDX I have to swipe up- BUT that will only show recently accessed apps... so if you want to switch programs but you haven't recently accessed the app- you will have to go all the way back out to the home screen to your favorites list.
The good features are the power and volume buttons. They are huge on the HDX now. They are located on the back instead of the sides like HD. The rear camera also has a flash. The response time for apps is so much quicker now because of the faster processor and ram. There's literally no lag time switching apps. Typing on the keyboard is more realistic because there's no delay anymore. It's lightning fast. The screen is a little cooler in color than Kindle Fire HD which had a warmer display- that's taking some getting used to for me. But pictures and videos are gorgeous.
As always it takes some getting used to when you upgrade. I really do love the Kindle Fire HDX, there's just minor changes from Kindle Fire HD, some good, some different. But all in all I'm pleased with it.
App wise: You would think the Amazon App store would have added Instagram since Kindle Fire HDX now has a rear camera... but nope. That still takes some fanangling, but you CAN install Instagram and other Android apps that the Amazon App store might not have.
For Kindle Fire HDX models:
Step 1: Download APK Installer free from the Amazon App store.
Step 2: Go to SETTINGS: APPLICATIONS: Then for 'Allow Apps From Unknown Sources' select: ON.
Step 3: Go to Silk Browser go to website: www.1mobile.com/app/market/ and download 1MobileMarket store app for free.
Step 4: Install 1MobileMarket with an APK installer App.
Step 5: Use the 1MobileMarket App to find and install Instagram & other Android apps to your Kindle Fire HDX.
Other Kindle Fire Blog Posts:
(1st Generation) Jan 2012: I ♥ ♥ ♥ my Kindle Fire!
(2nd Generation) Nov 2012: My Kindle Fire HD 8.9 arrived a week early! Yay!
Amazon.com
Electronics
Laptop
Before I start: I want to say Amazon.com is not at fault for what happened. They have amazing customer service and I still very much support buying directly from Amazon.com. (Also, this is a very long winded blog!)
PART ONE:
My 3 year old Dell Inspiron died November 1st... the hard drive decided to go. So that night I got on the internet (on my husband's computer), and researched laptops so I could get one fast but with the specs I wanted. I finally settled on a secondary seller on Amazon- called Eagle Direct Tech. They have 408, 4.8 out of 5 star reviews. So I placed an order for the below laptop:
We got up Saturday morning early, so we could get to the Best Buy in Philadelphia when it opened. I don't think I've ever been to a store before it opened. lol. There were other people waiting around outside for it to open. I felt like it was Christmas or something. :-p Thank goodness. THEY DID have 3 of the Sony Vaio flip 15 in stock! Even though it ended up costing me $700 MORE (including $100 just in tax... thanks Philadelphia for your 8% tax). Sigh. But... I wanted a laptop fast.
I was finally emailed a prepaid shipping label to send the incorrect laptop back to Eagle Direct Tech. It will be getting dropped off at Fed Ex on Wednesday. And when I'm refunded my $668... at least half of the Sony Vaio will be paid off... thank goodness for my Citibank credit card... (6% APR!)
The Sony Vaio Flip 15A is a powerhouse laptop. It has a 1.80 Core i7-4500u processor, 8GB of RAM, 1 Terabyte hard drive. It also has two video cards. An Intel HD 4400 intergrated graphics and a Nividia GeForce 2GB video card. The screen itself is also touch screen and It folds down to convert to a "tablet"... but I'm not messing with that anytime soon. I don't want to break it!
Only weird thing is... there's no CD/DVD drive. Yeah... I know newer laptops are starting to phase them out, because everything is becoming cloud based. It doesn't bother me too much though, none of my programs run from the disc. And the only time I ever used my disc drive on the old laptop was to watch a DVD rarely or burn a CD for the car. We have an external CD/DVD drive so I can use that when I need to.
Also it has Windows 8.1. (I updated the OS last night from 8.) After playing around with Windows 8 this weekend... it isn't too bad or too different. The "start menu" is definitely weird. But you can still view all your programs. You just customize what programs are pinned to the start menu. I will be back to posting nail blogs again soon! I spent yesterday getting all my programs installed.
Oh and the touch screen is so cool! I was playing The Sims 3 last night and my husband asked if the touch screen worked with games... and it does! I could select things in game by touching the screen! And do my games ever run fast now! No more lagging, whoo hoo!
Here are my thoughts on Eagle Direct Tech, on Amazon.com:
1. I had to email them far too many times, twice for a tracking number and two more times to get a prepaid return mailing slip. They get back to their customers very slowly.
2. I paid $18 for expedited shipping through Fed Ex. It took 4-5 days to arrive, when it should have only taken 2-3 days because the item was not shipped right away by the store.
3. They either "sent me the wrong model" like they said in their reply email. Or, they sent me that laptop thinking I would never notice the specs were different from what I ordered.
4. The laptop looked like a display model to me, not brand new as described. It wasn't packed very well in the box, no bubble wrap etc. It had a scratch on the lid.
Conclusion: BUYER BEWARE! I do not reccomend shopping from Eagle Direct Tech on Amazon.com.
Buyer Beware!
Before I start: I want to say Amazon.com is not at fault for what happened. They have amazing customer service and I still very much support buying directly from Amazon.com. (Also, this is a very long winded blog!)
PART ONE:
My 3 year old Dell Inspiron died November 1st... the hard drive decided to go. So that night I got on the internet (on my husband's computer), and researched laptops so I could get one fast but with the specs I wanted. I finally settled on a secondary seller on Amazon- called Eagle Direct Tech. They have 408, 4.8 out of 5 star reviews. So I placed an order for the below laptop:
A Dell Inspiron 14R, with 2.10ghz processor, 6GB of RAM, 640GB hard drive. With Windows 7. I paid $18 for expedited shipping, because I wanted my new laptop fast. The order was placed on a Friday night around 10pm.
You would expect expedited shipping to only take 2-3 days right? The seller printed my label Monday morning, but they did not drop it off at Fed Ex until 4pm Tuesday evening. Which meant I didn't receive my order until Friday afternoon. I paid $18 for 4-5 day shipping. I don't know about you... but that just sounds like regular shipping to me. The printed slip even said Fed Ex Home Delivery... that's not expedited...
I had to email the store TWICE to get a tracking number. When I pay $668 for something I want a tracking number. Fed Ex around here likes to leave packages at the wrong apartments. (Even though our complex is set up like duplexes and we each have our own front door.) I like to be able to track when a package is shipping or delivered in case there's a problem.
I was willing to forgive the "expedited" shipping fiasco even though they were only going to get a 2 or 3 star review from me. Friday evening I got home from work excited to start my 3 day weekend and excited because I was going to have a laptop after going a week without one...
I opened the box... and at first I wasn't thrilled with how the computer was packaged. It was just vacuum wrapped with plastic in the box- no bubble wrap or anything to protect it. The other thing was there was a big scratch on the lid... when the item was supposed to be "new". Also when I turned on the computer it didn't tell me to set up Window's like a "new" computer would, it just logged right on. Then I checked the specs. I went right to SYSTEM in the Control Panel to make sure I had gotten the right computer. Then I freaked out...
It was a Dell Inspiron 14R... but that 2.10ghz processor... that 6gb of ram... that 640gb hard drive? Not there. I was sent a laptop with a hard drive less than 452GB, 4GB of RAM, 1.80ghz processor. NOT WHAT I ORDERED!!!
Scratch on the lid:
I was beyond pissed. My hands were shaking because I just spent over $600 on a new laptop and now I had nothing. And no way to call the seller, they only communicate through email! So I called Amazon customer service right away and they were able to help me file a complaint. They emailed the seller for me, told them I was sent the wrong item, that I wanted to be compensated for the original shipping plus the shipping to return the item. Then they calmed me down by telling me, even if the seller wouldn't cooperate, Amazon would get my money back guaranteed. They also said they would personally call me back on Tuesday evening to make sure the seller had contacted me by then.
But in the meantime- I was out $668 dollars... and I still had no laptop... and I was starting to go crazy without a laptop. My Kindle Fire HD only does so much and I was sick of typing on touchscreen! I wanted to blog, edit photos, play The Sims 3. If I wanted a laptop directly from Dell.com, they weren't even shipping until Thanksgiving week... and I didn't want to wait that long!
So... my husband and I went to 2 Best Buys and a Staples Friday evening trying to find a laptop that would meet my specs. By that point, price wasn't too much of a factor anymore. Also wanting Windows 7 was out, because all the stores were only carrying Windows 8. Unfortunately none of the in store Dell's were worth the prices they were selling them for. Staples had one model I was interested in, but was sold out. And the Best Buy was sold out of the Sony Vaio I finally decided on. They checked with other stores in the area and only one down in South Philadelphia had 3 in stock, but by then it was 7:40pm and the stores closed at 9pm and it's a 45min drive to get down to South Philadelphia. So we went home and I ugly cried, had a glass of vodka and went to bed early.
PART TWO:
I was finally emailed a prepaid shipping label to send the incorrect laptop back to Eagle Direct Tech. It will be getting dropped off at Fed Ex on Wednesday. And when I'm refunded my $668... at least half of the Sony Vaio will be paid off... thank goodness for my Citibank credit card... (6% APR!)
The Sony Vaio Flip 15A is a powerhouse laptop. It has a 1.80 Core i7-4500u processor, 8GB of RAM, 1 Terabyte hard drive. It also has two video cards. An Intel HD 4400 intergrated graphics and a Nividia GeForce 2GB video card. The screen itself is also touch screen and It folds down to convert to a "tablet"... but I'm not messing with that anytime soon. I don't want to break it!
Only weird thing is... there's no CD/DVD drive. Yeah... I know newer laptops are starting to phase them out, because everything is becoming cloud based. It doesn't bother me too much though, none of my programs run from the disc. And the only time I ever used my disc drive on the old laptop was to watch a DVD rarely or burn a CD for the car. We have an external CD/DVD drive so I can use that when I need to.
Also it has Windows 8.1. (I updated the OS last night from 8.) After playing around with Windows 8 this weekend... it isn't too bad or too different. The "start menu" is definitely weird. But you can still view all your programs. You just customize what programs are pinned to the start menu. I will be back to posting nail blogs again soon! I spent yesterday getting all my programs installed.
Oh and the touch screen is so cool! I was playing The Sims 3 last night and my husband asked if the touch screen worked with games... and it does! I could select things in game by touching the screen! And do my games ever run fast now! No more lagging, whoo hoo!
My Shiny new Sony Vaio Flip 15A.
Here are my thoughts on Eagle Direct Tech, on Amazon.com:
1. I had to email them far too many times, twice for a tracking number and two more times to get a prepaid return mailing slip. They get back to their customers very slowly.
2. I paid $18 for expedited shipping through Fed Ex. It took 4-5 days to arrive, when it should have only taken 2-3 days because the item was not shipped right away by the store.
3. They either "sent me the wrong model" like they said in their reply email. Or, they sent me that laptop thinking I would never notice the specs were different from what I ordered.
4. The laptop looked like a display model to me, not brand new as described. It wasn't packed very well in the box, no bubble wrap etc. It had a scratch on the lid.
Conclusion: BUYER BEWARE! I do not reccomend shopping from Eagle Direct Tech on Amazon.com.
Amazon.com
Electronics
Laptop
Nails
SallyHansen
Not my weekend... and other ramblings
So this weekend has been a big bust. Friday morning I woke up sick with a head cold, throbbing headache with a stabbing pain in my eye. Sore throat, stuffed up nose. Then my laptop decides to die. It's a 3 year old Dell Inspiron 1545. It's been giving me a fatal hard drive error for about a year... and I just always thought, "Oh well, if that happens I'll do a PC restore to factory settings."... nope. Didn't work. The part of the hard drive PC restore is on... yeah that's the corrupted spot... blah. so pissed.
I wanted to get a new laptop next year when the car was paid off, ($3,000 left!). Not this year, when my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" has already been pre-ordered... (I've upgraded every year since the original Kindle Fire came out in 2010, I always resell last years model on eBay). But anyhow... thank God I backed up all my files on my external hard drive last weekend. The only thing I am kicking myself about is that I forgot to back up the countless custom fonts I've downloaded over the years... one of which I was using for my watermark... and I forget the name now... arrgh.
I'm thankful I have my Kindle Fire HD, but a tablet still isn't the same as a full functioning PC. I can't upload any of the nail photos on my Sony Camera and I don't have Paintshop Pro to edit. I can't play Sims 3 and unwind on the weekend. Blah. I did order a new laptop on Saturday. I got another Dell (I am partial to Dell, this is the first one to die on me... my husband's that he inherited from me is 6 years old and still kicking). Dell's website didn't have any to ship until end of November that met my specs... and I can't wait that long!!! So I got one new on Amazon with Windows 7 (None of that Windows 8 mess for me), and that had enough space to store my large resolution photos and that would run the Sims 3. It was still less than what I paid for our previous two laptops... but I did not think I would have to put out $600... I had to take some money from our savings to pay for it. And with expedited shipping it sure better be here mid week! New one is a Dell Inspiron 14R. (No Macs for me... sorry I'm a bit anti Apple).
So... I am blogging from my Kindle Fire HD. I will have better photos of this polish when I'm up & running on a PC again. But for now here is a cell phone video & photo. (Compliments of my Galaxy S3). Black Cat Lacquer had a Halloween sale with 25% off. I grabbed Poison Apple. It's a gorgeous red scattered holo thermal polish. It's bright red when warm, and dark red when cold. My nails are long enough that the tips do stay dark red for a gradient effect. But for the video & photo I used hot/cold water to show it off more.
I also pre-ordered 3 of the new colors from I Love Nail Polish. I got Birefringence with Holo, Sweet Serenade, Washing Ashore. They were $1 off during pre-order and you get a limited edition full size polish, exclusive to the pre-order.
Last but not least... I about fell over the other night when I saw Emily De Molly Cosmic Forces IN STOCK on Llarowe! I have been wanting this elusive polish from the Aussie indie maker for long, I didn't think I'd ever get it. (And I sure wasn't going to pay $30 on eBay!).
But... I am now going on a no buy. I have bought more polish in October than I did the the whole year! I have enough pretties to play with... so I am going on a no buy until Jan 31st... longer if I can hold out! I have plenty of polish to swatch and blog about and stamp with. So there will still be lot's of blogging. :-)
I wanted to get a new laptop next year when the car was paid off, ($3,000 left!). Not this year, when my Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" has already been pre-ordered... (I've upgraded every year since the original Kindle Fire came out in 2010, I always resell last years model on eBay). But anyhow... thank God I backed up all my files on my external hard drive last weekend. The only thing I am kicking myself about is that I forgot to back up the countless custom fonts I've downloaded over the years... one of which I was using for my watermark... and I forget the name now... arrgh.
I'm thankful I have my Kindle Fire HD, but a tablet still isn't the same as a full functioning PC. I can't upload any of the nail photos on my Sony Camera and I don't have Paintshop Pro to edit. I can't play Sims 3 and unwind on the weekend. Blah. I did order a new laptop on Saturday. I got another Dell (I am partial to Dell, this is the first one to die on me... my husband's that he inherited from me is 6 years old and still kicking). Dell's website didn't have any to ship until end of November that met my specs... and I can't wait that long!!! So I got one new on Amazon with Windows 7 (None of that Windows 8 mess for me), and that had enough space to store my large resolution photos and that would run the Sims 3. It was still less than what I paid for our previous two laptops... but I did not think I would have to put out $600... I had to take some money from our savings to pay for it. And with expedited shipping it sure better be here mid week! New one is a Dell Inspiron 14R. (No Macs for me... sorry I'm a bit anti Apple).
So... I am blogging from my Kindle Fire HD. I will have better photos of this polish when I'm up & running on a PC again. But for now here is a cell phone video & photo. (Compliments of my Galaxy S3). Black Cat Lacquer had a Halloween sale with 25% off. I grabbed Poison Apple. It's a gorgeous red scattered holo thermal polish. It's bright red when warm, and dark red when cold. My nails are long enough that the tips do stay dark red for a gradient effect. But for the video & photo I used hot/cold water to show it off more.
I also finally found the Sally Hansen triple shine polishes at one of our CVS'! I went a little nuts... swatches to come soon....
I also pre-ordered 3 of the new colors from I Love Nail Polish. I got Birefringence with Holo, Sweet Serenade, Washing Ashore. They were $1 off during pre-order and you get a limited edition full size polish, exclusive to the pre-order.
Last but not least... I about fell over the other night when I saw Emily De Molly Cosmic Forces IN STOCK on Llarowe! I have been wanting this elusive polish from the Aussie indie maker for long, I didn't think I'd ever get it. (And I sure wasn't going to pay $30 on eBay!).
But... I am now going on a no buy. I have bought more polish in October than I did the the whole year! I have enough pretties to play with... so I am going on a no buy until Jan 31st... longer if I can hold out! I have plenty of polish to swatch and blog about and stamp with. So there will still be lot's of blogging. :-)
Amazon.com
Books
ChinaGlaze
Nails
Shutdown
WinstoniaStore
Heart Gradient Nails & Books I'm Reading.
I have not been to work since September 30th. October 1st is when the Government Shutdown started... so I have had a lot of time to paint my nails and read some books.
I did a gradient tonight with some light pink striper polish, OPI Suzi's Hungary Again
and 1 coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust over the pink. I stamped with Winstonia Store plate W102 & Konad Black. 1 coat of Seche Vite topcoat.
These are the books I've read lately. I'm big on history, biographies, memoirs or historical fiction. I do read some regular fiction too. The books below, some I've purchased, some I've taken out from our local e-library and others I've gotten free on Amazon. I check the free categories in my favorite subjects on Amazon at least once a day, you can find paid books that are only free for a day or two. (Note: You may not be able to see the book widget below from a blog reader).
If you're having trouble viewing the book widget above, here's a text list of the books I've read lately:
1. My Story, By: Elizabeth Smart
2. One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting, By: Marie Monville
3. Orphan Train: A Novel, By: Christina Baker Kline
4. I'm No Angel: From Victoria's Secret Model to Role Model. By: Kylie Bisutti
5. The Language of Flowers: A Novel. By: Vanessa Diffenbaugh
6. The Fault in Our Stars, By: John Green
7. Sidonia's Thread: The Secrets of a Mother and Daughter Sewing a New Life in America, By: Hanna Perlstein Marcus
8. Eat Cake: A Novel, By: Jeanne Ray
9. Searching for Peanut Butter in Paris, By: Kat Sparks
10. Confessions of a Kidney Transplant Recipient, By: Mary Wu
(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!)
I did a gradient tonight with some light pink striper polish, OPI Suzi's Hungary Again
and 1 coat of China Glaze Fairy Dust over the pink. I stamped with Winstonia Store plate W102 & Konad Black. 1 coat of Seche Vite topcoat.
These are the books I've read lately. I'm big on history, biographies, memoirs or historical fiction. I do read some regular fiction too. The books below, some I've purchased, some I've taken out from our local e-library and others I've gotten free on Amazon. I check the free categories in my favorite subjects on Amazon at least once a day, you can find paid books that are only free for a day or two. (Note: You may not be able to see the book widget below from a blog reader).
If you're having trouble viewing the book widget above, here's a text list of the books I've read lately:
1. My Story, By: Elizabeth Smart
2. One Light Still Shines: My Life Beyond the Shadow of the Amish Schoolhouse Shooting, By: Marie Monville
3. Orphan Train: A Novel, By: Christina Baker Kline
4. I'm No Angel: From Victoria's Secret Model to Role Model. By: Kylie Bisutti
5. The Language of Flowers: A Novel. By: Vanessa Diffenbaugh
6. The Fault in Our Stars, By: John Green
7. Sidonia's Thread: The Secrets of a Mother and Daughter Sewing a New Life in America, By: Hanna Perlstein Marcus
8. Eat Cake: A Novel, By: Jeanne Ray
9. Searching for Peanut Butter in Paris, By: Kat Sparks
10. Confessions of a Kidney Transplant Recipient, By: Mary Wu
(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!)
Amazon.com
DIY
Lightbox
Nails
Photography
Updated DIY Lightbox.
I've made a few small changes to my DIY Light Box. (You can see the original post here). The biggest change was that I got some white contact paper from Dollar Tree and covered the back and bottom with it. I was getting too much cardboard in the background in some of my photos. I replaced the 2 pieces of paper over the contact paper.
The 2nd change was I now only have one light facing through the tissue paper. The left light stays in the same position. What I started doing with the right clamp lamp was pointing it diagonally inside the right corner of the box. Occasionally depending on how I want the lighting I also sometimes put it inside the left corner too. Or if I want to get really creative and I need just the right lighting, I sometimes balance the clamp lamp in the crook of my right elbow while taking photos of my right hand, lol!
I edit all of my photos using PaintShop Pro Photo XI. What I normally do first is crop and sharpen my photo. Then I usually increase the brightness by 15, maybe more. I also increase the saturation to 5 to boost the color. Then I run it through the photo effect called Time Machine: Cross Process. Most all my photos go through this filter. (That's why you see a black and white frame around my photos). I usually set the effect to 2 or 3. (For pet photos I set the effect to 5.)
Products I use and own:
(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!)
The 2nd change was I now only have one light facing through the tissue paper. The left light stays in the same position. What I started doing with the right clamp lamp was pointing it diagonally inside the right corner of the box. Occasionally depending on how I want the lighting I also sometimes put it inside the left corner too. Or if I want to get really creative and I need just the right lighting, I sometimes balance the clamp lamp in the crook of my right elbow while taking photos of my right hand, lol!
Updated photos of my DIY light box currently:
I also position my lights like this:
What my DIY light box looked like before:
Since using the DIY lightbox I've stopped using the auto setting on my Sony Cybershot W690. I don't use a flash when I'm taking photos in the light box. I also set my white balance to something called setting 1 for florescent lighting. My photos were looking too red with the auto setting. (Sony camera's take warmer photos).
Out of camera photo before editing:
Edited:
I edit all of my photos using PaintShop Pro Photo XI. What I normally do first is crop and sharpen my photo. Then I usually increase the brightness by 15, maybe more. I also increase the saturation to 5 to boost the color. Then I run it through the photo effect called Time Machine: Cross Process. Most all my photos go through this filter. (That's why you see a black and white frame around my photos). I usually set the effect to 2 or 3. (For pet photos I set the effect to 5.)
***Original DIY light box instructions were posted by The Daily Varnish***
Products I use and own:
(I do use Amazon Associates, but not because I've made any money- because I haven't! lol! But I like that I can show a picture/link with a product when I'm blogging. Plus I do recommend Amazon.com for their low prices. That or Ebay!)
