Kitty Deschanel

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Canon T1i - First Photos

I've been enjoying my snazzy new DSLR camera (if you missed my hella spectacular Canon T1i deal - yes, hella - click here .) Truth be told, I have zero knowledge when it comes to how to use it properly. I've been picking up tips from The Pioneer Woman and am waiting on two photography books that I've put on reserve at the Albuquerque library. I suppose I could read my user manual, but UGH it's boring! To properly gauge how my photography skills improve after learning what each of those little symbols on the dial stand for (there are so many of them!) here are the very first photos I've taken: Whatever could be inside the bag? Ooh, popcorn! Sexy Nerd pondering our risk from the wildfire burning right outside our window , while casually munching on macaroni and cheese. Seriously. Doggy shots. In a post titled First Photos , I'm sure you expected there would be doggy shots. Is Pica photogenic or what? Look at that

Shabby Apple Coupon and Dress Giveaway

*Update on 4/21/11* This giveaway is CLOSED ! Thank you to everyone who took the time to enter! I have a funny Shabby Apple dress story, plus photos of my all-time favorite Shabby Apple dress , the Baja (worn in the snow - I was freezing!). Thanks to everyone who voted for their favorite Shabby Apple dress! The results are clear - you love all the dresses, (no surprise there) but there's one in particular that makes your heart skip a beat. Behold the ruffled, rusty-orange Cider: Cute, cute, cute! Haven't heard of them? Shabby Apple sells super-cute (obviously) women's dresses and little girls dresses. They even sell swimsuits and maternity dresses! There are a lot of things I like about the Shabby Apple website, most notably their Helping Women Worldwide page, which explains that "every $100 donation from Shabby Apple Dresses provides at least 20 women with access to financial services - and the chance to live a life without poverty." Not too shab

Guest Blogger Extraordinaire

Yeah, I'm kind of a big deal.

Shabby Apple Giveaway - Help Choose a Dress

*4/7/11 Update* The giveaway is well underway, but people keep coming back to this post and voting for the dress that did not originally win, making my giveaway post seem screwy and ridiculous. You people make me smile. I'm looking forward to seeing who the poll winner is by the time the giveaway is over. Who knows? Perhaps Shabby Apple will let the winner choose their own dress. Exciting news! LambAround has been contacted to participate in a giveaway with Shabby Apple , meaning I get to select one amazing dress to randomly give to a reader. Pretty nifty, right? There's just one problem. Shabby Apple emailed me an extensive list of dresses to choose from, some for adults, some for kids, and even a few maternity dresses, and, although I've narrowed down my choices considerably, I just can't make up my mind on which dress to feature for my giveaway. As you, my reader, are the one who may end up with the dress, (sadly, there will not be a dress given to yours truly, so

Happy Birthday to Me!

Technically, my birthday isn't until next week, but I just checked my email and had 15 birthday deal messages! Let's see...if I use a coupon a day, starting tonight, I'll have used them all by April 18th (and will have eaten more than my fair share of pretzels, burgers, sandwiches, and brownie sundaes - gotta do it now before I get too old, right?) I owe all these nifty deals to a website (with which I am not affiliated in any way) I stumbled upon a few years ago: freebirthdaytreats.com . Just select your state, right-click on each business, and open each site in a new tab. Soon, you'll have more birthday goodies than you know what to do with. And, even if your birthday is not coming up, many of these companies will send you a welcome offer for signing up! Free dinner just for being born? Why not! Sexy Nerd would like to add that the "right click/open in new tab" thing is the reason my computer is always so slow, even though that's complete nonsen

Best in Show Winner

Welcome, everyone, to another exciting conclusion to the week's voting for the Best in Show award! Drumroll, please... ...drum, drum, drum, drum... (Yes, I have been playing Mario Party. Why do you ask?) Hooray! Way to go, Little Rays of Sunshine ! Your new blog has only been up and running since February and you're already scooping up all the fun awards of the blogosphere (and you're already up to an impressive 106 followers - hopefully more after this posts!) So, my lovable and lovely LambAround readers, are you into blogs featuring super-cute babies (I know you are!) Feast your eyes on this: Emma Grace - cutie patootie! What a super photo! For more on this ups and downs (mostly ups!) of this sweet family, click here . Thanks to everyone who participated in the Not "Baaad" Sundays linky party. The next round of Best in Show award nominees will be announced soon!

Hop To It! Not "Baaad" Linky

It's that time again! Want to play? Here's how: 1. You're not just linking up with your fellow bloggers - you're competing against them! Participating in the Not "Baaad" Blog Hop is the only way to snag a coveted Best in Show Award nomination. 2. This Linky is open to all posts that you are proud of. Did you recently post about a great decorating project, craft, or recipe? That's wonderful if you did, but just fine if you didn't. I just want you to link to a post or posts you are proud of. 3. Do you ever find yourself trying not to duplicate posts on blog hops but aren't quite sure what you posted the previous weeks? Problem solved! The Linky from today will be back, making it easy to see what you've already posted and giving you another chance to visit any great posts you may have missed! 4. Please link directly to your post, not just your general blog, and include a post-related photo. 5. You don't want to be the grump at t

Just Call Me Sweet Talker

I bought my DSLR camera today! Read on if you're in the market for a new DSLR. Heck, read on even if you're not! Thanks so much to all of you who offered advice toward the decision. In the end, I went with the Canon EOS Rebel T1i because of its great reviews, video capabilities, and dirt cheap price. How cheap, you ask? Well, Sexy Nerd's uncle isn't posting on Facebook to call me Sweet Talker for nothing. Wait...that sounds kinda weird. Scratch that last part and take a guess on how much I paid. Go on. $600? $500? $379.99, baby! I checked Target.com last night (as mentioned in this post ) and discovered that only one store in the Albuquerque area was still stocking the T1i. I called and was told that there was one in stock plus the floor model, both priced on clearance for $549.99. I asked if the floor model could be discounted further, but was told no. The girl on the phone did say that it would probably be marked 10% less after selling the last camera, if they ha

Ramblings and Best in Show

*This post was written last night and updated this morning. See #4. 1. The word Sexy Nerd was referring to in his recent, ridiculous Quote of the Day was flexitarian. Oh! Sadly, it took me over a week to think of this. 2. I've researched and researched and have my heart set on the Canon EOS Rebel T1i. It's on sale at Target right this very moment. I called all 6 stores in our area (okay, so Santa Fe and Rio Rancho are not technically our area, though Target.com says otherwise) and there is only ONE left anywhere. Why aren't I on my way this instant? In my pre-Sexy Nerd days, I wouldn't have thought twice about going out at 9pm. The store is open for almost another whole hour! He's such a worrier. He doesn't even think I should try to go before work tomorrow because I might get stuck in traffic and be late. Sheesh! 3. I'm going to go before work anyway. Think positive thoughts for me and my fellow Albuquerque drivers (an ideal thought would be that th

Pica is a Fat Head

Pica is a very special girl. She loves to fluff and paw at her bedding until it's exactly the way she wants, even to the point of ripping the fabric. It turns out that Pica can't be trusted to have a blanket in her bed. Take a look: Hmmm, maybe this is funny and maybe not. On one hand, had I not come downstairs, she could very easily have strangled herself to death. On the other hand, she looks like Superdog. Well, Superdog's special cousin, at least. Want another Pica post? How about Dogs Wearing Earmuffs ?

Blog Hop! Link Up with LambAround

Welcome to another Not "Baaad" Sundays with LambAround Linky Party! I know what you're thinking. There are already a zillion blog hops out there, Lamb! What makes yours so special? I'll tell you what makes mine special. 3 things! 1. This Linky is open to all posts that you are proud of. Did you recently post about a great decorating project, craft, or recipe? That's wonderful if you did, but just fine if you didn't. I just want you to link to a post or posts you are proud of. 2. Do you ever find yourself trying not to duplicate posts on blog hops but aren't quite sure what you posted the previous weeks? Problem solved! The Linky from today will be back, making it easy to see what you've already posted and giving you another chance to visit any great posts you may have missed! 3. The most exciting difference of all! You're not just linking up with your fellow bloggers - you're competing against them! Participating in the Not "Baaa

Would You Like a Bowl of Steak?

The Pioneer Woman became an online sensation with a post teaching the world how to properly cook a steak. Tonight, I heard laughter coming from the backyard, near our barbecue grill. The steak was flat when Sexy Nerd placed it on the grill. Kinda looks like a viking ship. Or a pigeon! In Sexy Nerd's defense, the odds of having a dry steak go way down when it can hold its own marinade. Apparently, Sexy Nerd has never read The Pioneer Woman's blog.

Winner of the Best in Show Award

Suzy, you've achieved your bragging rights: Way to go, Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom ! LambAround readers, you're going to love Susy's site. For all you crafty, and especially you craftsy, types, you even get the opportunity to be featured. On Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom, you'll find posts like this: Surely , you're thinking, that beautiful peacock design is not a doodle. Actually, yes, it is! Is this the most gorgeous letter H you've ever seen? It's quilled and Suzy teaches in detail how to make your own! Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote for this week's winner! Be sure to swing by for another Not "Baaad" Sundays blog hop this weekend (and another chance to win the Best in Show award!)

Because You Can Make a Million Things with Pasta

Ronzoni pasta is on sale for only 49 cents a box at Smith's until Wednesday. 49 CENTS! Add in coupons and you can even get the pasta for free! I embarrassed Sexy Nerd by piling 20 boxes into our cart. The cashier agreed with me that it was quite a deal. Sexy Nerd says she had to agree, as she was in charge of selling the product and was secretly thinking that I was a sucker, but I'm confident that she had also taken the opportunity to stock up. Not really that many. These are stacked 3 deep against the pantry wall. I had been shooshed out of the pasta aisle by Sexy Nerd. That night, I couldn't get the Ronzoni pasta deal out of my head. 49 cents! On my way to work the next day, I stopped by Smith's again. Junk in the trunk. Just a few more boxes? Another twenty boxes! To be fair, if we eat a box a week, this won't even last a year. Hmmmm...I wonder if I should go back for more... I got home before Sexy Nerd and decided to pu

Which DSLR?

I have the day off and have spent the afternoon browsing through reviews, comparisons, and videos of digital SLR cameras. I'd intended to just take a quick look online, but my search began hours ago. Frankly, there is too much information available! Just when I think I've found exactly what I want, another camera is casually mentioned on a site and it restarts my search at step 1. I'm thrifty, so I'm hoping to find a DSLR for approximately $500 or so, lens included. Refurbished is fine. I'd love for it to take decent videos. Right now, my top choice is the Canon EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR Camera with Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS lens. Yes, of course I cut and pasted that. Geez, the names alone are complicated. No wonder my head hurts! My question and purpose of this post, my bloggy friends, is to ask your opinion. Has anyone else used this camera? Which digital SLR camera would you buy? Now, to go eat a late lunch, or start making dinner. And I should probably change o

Sexy Nerd Quote of the Day

Preparing dinner the other night, Sexy Nerd told me he'd heard about a group of people who aren't quite vegetarians, but they only eat meat in moderation. To me, this is known as a healthy diet. He continued, trying to think of what these people are called. He remembered. "They're called transformitarians ." That quesadilla is mostly veggies and cheese, but it also contains a little bacon. Sexy Nerd must be a transformitarian. Update: The word he was looking for was flexitarian . D'oh!

Not Baaad Linky and a Southwest Airlines Coupon!

I just found this coupon and I'm so excited that I wanted to share it ASAP! If you have a Visa card that says "Visa Signature", you can use it to save 15% on Southwest flights: https://usa.visa.com/signaturesouthwest/index.jsp . Worried that this might be a scam, I was extra cautious using the link, but my Camp Blogaway airfare is booked and I did receive a 15% discount. Sooo happy, especially since I was about to book the exact same flights for the full price! Factor in my fabulous Calphalon find , and I'm on a good deals roll this week :) Oh, and if you're wondering, I did take an Ambien after registering for Camp Blogaway but was so worked up that I still did not sleep a wink! Okay, back to business as usual: The linky for the Best in Show award is up and running on the right sidebar. Not nominated and want a chance to win the award for yourself? Link up! Rules for the Not "Baaad" Sundays blog hop can be found here and my Not "Baaad"

Best in Show Award Nominees

Allow me to introduce you to this week's nominees for the Best in Show award: A Law Student's Journey created this charming lamp. I saw something similar at Anthropologie recently for well over $100! Mrs Happy Homemaker posted these Make Ahead Loaded Mashed Potatoes. Don't they look scrumptious? Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom linked up to her fascinating Ukrainian egg tutorial. Sun Scholars is ready for Easter! I've bought Peeps specifically to make this recipe. Iit's the first time I've ever bought holiday candy before it hits the clearance aisle! Musings by Lindsey has a simple How To for making a variety of silhouette artwork. Sun Hats & Wellie Boots made Ice Cream Cone Cakes! And, yes, they cooked perfectly. Congratulations, nominees! Now the real fun begins. The poll for the Best in Show award is located toward the top of the right sidebar and will run until approximately Tuesday. To help you bring in votes, here is a snazzy (yes, snazz