Let Me Tell You About: The Vignette App - September 10, 2013

This post - my thoughts on Vignette (Demo), the camera app for Android phones - was requested by a lovely commenter.

This is purely written because I feel like it, without any reimbursement at all. The people behind the Vignette app don't even know I'm doing this. The app is free (well, the "demo" version that I will tell you about is free - there is a paid version that I'm considering but as of this writing I haven't bought it). I get nothing nothing NOTHING for writing about this and there are no referral links in this post.

Also, while I have serious dreams of being a serious photographer, I'm not one. Vignette is an app for a phone. My phone takes decent 5MP pictures, and the demo version of the app limits you to a 0.8MP picture, meaning that right now I can't print high-quality pictures from the tweaks I make with it. So if you're looking for fancy photography advice, look elsewhere. But come back to chat with me after - I'd love to learn what you learned!

And finally, I wish I could afford an iPhone and the resulting monthly charges, but I can't. Vignette (Demo) is for the Android platform and I don't have any idea about what will appear for iOS, sorry. My phone is an HTC One V (not to be confused with the high-end HTC One, this is a sort of middle-end phone for Virgin Mobile (which I can afford, hooray!), and no, I would not recommend that you get one...).

PHEW. Let's get to the app. You can find it here.

Why do I love it?

Vignette has many, many customizable options for your pictures. You're not just limited to a few filters that mimic old-school cameras. It comes with a ton of pre-set filters within various categories - but then you can tweak each and every one so that it's exactly to your liking. Then you can combine the filters with customized picture sizes (including presets for Facebook and Google+ profile pictures, square sizes, panorama, and various ratio options) and frames.

While you can take a picture outside of the app and then import it to add all of your fun effects, you also can use the in-app camera, which also has many customizable options available. You can take four pictures in a row for a photobooth-style effect, for example. You can take a double-exposure picture. You can set a self timer, and you can take time lapse pictures. You can even take a picture underwater with specific settings for that if your phone can handle it. (Note: Vignette doesn't protect your phone from water damage... ;) )And then you can tweak the timing of everything if you want. Of course, after you're done, you can add all of the filters and effects on top of whatever you do.

When you're done, you can export said picture to wherever you like - including Instagram, of course, where you can layer yet another filter on top. But you also could take your picture with one filter, save it, and then import it back into Vignette for yet another filter. Filtering is fun!

This person made a nifty cheat-sheet showing you what a single picture would look like using many of the pre-set filters: http://www.flickr.com/photos/belay/4913376053/lightbox/

And Vignette itself also has a page set up to show you many of the available variations and options: http://vignette.neilandtheresa.co.uk/filter-examples

Did I mention that I absolutely love filtering my pictures?

For example:

Taken at Super H-Mart - a pretty wall of Mexican sodas of all kinds.

Tweaked to bring out the colors, made square, added a soft frame.

All colors but green removed.

All colors but red removed.

I forget what I did but...hey, it looks pretty funky, eh?

And then other silliness:

Not square!

Photobooth style.

Super-processed looks-like-old-negatives style.

More photobooth fun.

And more...

I had installed this app on my phone years ago because at the time Instagram didn't offer tilt-shift and Vignette did, but now of course that's a nonissue. I also got stuck on making pictures look like old Polaroids with Vignette - until I got sick of them. And then the app didn't work properly on my phone, so I wandered away from it (I have other photo apps I also use in rotation - I'll tell you about those another day but in brief, I also adore Pixlr-o-Matic and ActionSnap). But a few months ago I rediscovered this gem and it had been updated so many times it was nearly unrecognizable and was...fantastic.

What I don't like is that there is some guessing involved - there's no as-you-do-it preview (at least not in the free version). You open the picture, then you open a screen with options, you choose your options, and then you return to the picture to see how they all turned out. But then you can save the picture and change up the filters, change up the filters without saving, or just dump everything. You can also save your favorite tweaked filter as your own to use over and over again, which is a lot of fun.

So that, in a lot of words, is why my current favorite free photo app is Vignette (Demo).

There's a New Reusable K-Cup in Town - The Ekobrew - June 28, 2011

You already know how much I love and adore my Keurig, and I've written extensively about my love for the resusable K-cup called the Solofill - I even ran a giveaway for it because I love it so much! So I was very intrigued to find out (via the Single Serve Coffee forums - yes, there are forums devoted to the whole concept, and yes, there is a message board for anything you can think of) about the latest entry into the reusable, refillable single-serve K-cup market - the Ekobrew.

Here's what I know so far - the Ekobrew is a similar price and a similar idea to the Solofill, with a metal mesh filter surrounded by a plastic body that's the same size as a K-cup (so you don't have to do anything to your Keurig to use it - you just pop it in like a regular K-cup and brew). But this system has a flat bottom (I have to fiddle with the Solofill when I fill it - being able to put the Ekobrew down on the counter would be much nicer), a different way of dispersing the water into the coffee, and a few other tweaks.

Why do I say "so far"? Because I remembered what my mother always told me - "the worst thing they can say is no." I requested an Ekobrew to test out and review for my loyal readership (*waves* the things I do for you guys), and the company said yes. I hope to have it soon, and I will give you my honest thoughts and impressions both as it stands alone and side-by-side with the Solofill.

So there you have it. NEW GADGETY THINGIE! If nothing else, it's always nice to have options, and K-cup prices just went up again so it's always nice to have less-expensive options. And for whatever it's worth, I've found that using the Solofill takes about 30 seconds to a whole minute longer than using a K-cup, including filling and dumping. (Not including rummaging through my pantry to find the ground coffee, figuring out what flavor I want, finding a spoon....but still. When K-cups are 55 cents and up per cup, I'll spend the extra time.)

And while I'm rambling about my Keurig love, I also wanted to share that I won second prize in the Barista Prima contest on Facebook. I'll be getting a Keurig milk frother and a box of Barista Prima "House Blend" K-cups. Both of these things are too pricey for me to have ever bought on my own, so I'm really excited - I've been using a $3 Ikea milk frother that works just fine, so we'll see how much better a $75 machine is. Hooray for prizes!

And finally, I had a chance to try the Island Coconut limited-edition K-cups while I was on vacation and they. are. amazing. Delicious hot, and I bet they would make a yummy iced coffee or frappe too. So if you want to buy me a present...

(This is my referral link. I get a small kickback if you click through and sign up for Amazon Prime.

Purex Complete Crystals Update - I used, I liked - March 7, 2011

I finally had a chance to try the sample of Purex Complete Crystals that I was sent. And my verdict is...I like it. I used it in one load of laundry and found the end result to be fluffy, lightly scented towels that were a pleasure to use after a shower. I used it in conjunction with my regular laundry detergent and didn't add anything else in either the wash or the dryer (although I did use dryer balls).

I think it's fascinating that the first ingredient is sugar. Sugar! Go figure. Here's the complete list of ingredients for the scent I was sent (haha, see what I did there?): Sucrose (Sugar), Bentonite (Clay), Peg Disterate (Blending Agent), Fragrance, Sanolin Blue (Colorant). Nothing too weird or wacky at all. And I could just dump it into the wash and forget about it. I liked that too.

I don't like how strongly it is scented right out of the bottle - it stunk up my small laundry room. Not a fan of that. I don't think it's a necessary product - white vinegar is chemical free, cheap, and just as effective in softening clothes. But as I said earlier, I do like my towels to be fluffy and to smell good, so I probably will buy Purex Complete Crystals in the future to use in those laundry loads instead of using a dryer sheet or a liquid product that could gunk up my washer and reduce the effectiveness of the towels. I don't see myself using it on my clothing on a regular basis, but perhaps I'd use it in loads of just jeans or just certain other pieces.

I wish there was an unscented, color-free version - it looks to me like it could just be sugar, clay, and peg disterate and it would work just fine. But yes, in general, I liked this product and felt that it did what it promised. I don't know that I would've tried it at all without being sent a free sample, so the marketing also worked. Sneaky sneaky.

Learn more about Purex Complete Crystals (and if you click that link, you'll help me win $500! Thanks!).

Learn about Purex Complete Crystals Softener & Help Me Win! - March 3, 2011

Purex Complete Crystals - shiny!

I'm a Purex Insider, which means I get to try new laundry products, often before they hit the general market. Yesterday the FedEx man handed me a package with a generous sample of Purex Complete Crystals - their new fabric softener. I am really looking forward to trying this on my towels - the formulation of Purex Complete Crystals promises to not coat my towels with oils that will make them less absorbent and not to mess with my kid's flame-resistant sleepwear. Also it smells really good.

I'll post again when I've tried it - likely in the next few days - to let you know exactly what I think. But for now, if you could click and learn more about Purex Complete Crystals, you'd be doing me a huge favor - the blogger with the most clicks wins $500, and I could really use that right now. Please click! And then if you really want, share the following link on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever you want, and encourage others to both learn about Purex Complete Crystals AND help me win a great prize:

http://www.purex.com/MXTQEPZOXYOMU5360AXODMQMFIYLHZ

I believe in transparency in things like this, which is why I'm sharing the actual link with you and telling you exactly what's at stake. I also really think this product is interesting and that you might like it - I wouldn't bother talking about it otherwise. I also will tell you that my fabric softener of choice is plain, white vinegar - chemical free and super inexpensive. But there are times when I wish my clothes had a nice scent to them (I love scented candles, scented bodywash, scented oils...) and I do sometimes use a dryer sheet (scented or unscented) with my towels to make them softer and smell fresher. I hate that it can reduce their absorbency though, so I'm hoping I've found a new solution that works.

Thank you in advance for clicking, sharing my link, and learning about Purex Complete Crystals!

Why I Think You Should Sign Up for Deal Site Offermatic - February 12, 2011

I just signed up for a new deal site called Offermatic, and I think I'm going to like it. The site links up with your credit and debit cards to give you deals deposited right back on those cards - so yes, it does ask for sensitive information - but it uses what looks to me like the same platform as Mint.com, and therefore it only reads your info and doesn't have access to moving anything anywhere. Plus your personal login information isn't posted anywhere on the site. But then the beauty is that you use Offermatic by...not doing anything, really, as far as I can tell. You accept the offers you are given and then you just shop. Within 30 days you get a refund right back on your card.

My first two Offermatic deals were $10 off a $20 purchase at Target - and let me assure you, I had no trouble hitting that $20 threshold today at Target - and $15 off a $30 purchase at Shell gas. Gas! With my own credit card, nothing new! I like that! And then you earn points for referring friends, adding accounts, following on Facebook and Twitter, and writing reviews - points that you can cash in for further discounts or to go up in "levels" so you get even better deals from the site. Nice.

So check out Offermatic if you're looking for another way to save a bit of money at stores you actually go to rather than obscure restaurants and salons. (I saw that there are sometimes deals for places like Kroger, Toys R Us, PetSmart, and Whole Foods available as well. Places I actually GO TO ALL THE TIME.) And let me know what kinds of deals they offer to you when you sign up! Plus, if you sign up using my link, which is all over this post, you should get a special bonus offer! Tadaaaaaah!

UPDATE JUNE 2012: Offermatic went under. I do not endorse this company anymore.

Kale Chips - October 18, 2010

A snack that's fast, healthy, and tasty? Sign me up. I read about kale chips on Snack Girl's blog and have made them a few times. As lunch approaches (and it's time to get my daughter from preschool), I was hungry and wanted something quick, so I threw these in the oven. I know I called them healthy, but the amount of olive oil and salt I used probably negates that a wee bit.

Behold:

Before - kale coated in olive oil and sea salt.

After - delicious, light, crispy treats

Om nom nom kale chips in a bowl

I also want to tell you about my new favorite snack - Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Nibs. A nib has ONE calorie and fills your mouth with chocolate. They're good when I just want something quick and sweet but not filling. Nom. Plus the tin is adorable and I want to turn it into something crafty. I actually found cocoa nibs at YDFM and am thinking I may try to make something like this myself...

Low calorie chocolate goodness

I have a busy week ahead, full of chiropractor and doctor appointments, dinner with friends, and more. Tomorrow I have a meeting with a local artist coop/store about carrying my mirrors/necklaces/bottle openers/other stuff - wish me luck!

I did finish Medium Raw and am still figuring out if I have enough to say to warrant a full blog post. (I didn't love it, I found it uneven, but parts of it still really got to me.) And I've started the Great Typo Hunt - boys after my own heart, let me tell you.

Dieting: My Love and Not-Love Relationship with Hungry Girl - October 5, 2010

As I've mentioned a few times, I'm on a quest to lose weight. I can say it's the "baby weight," but my kid is three, so yeah, not so much. The fact is that my metabolism has changed as I've gotten older but I still eat like I did when I was 19 and pounds just melted away. I was far more active in my late teens/early 20s than I am today. I'm much more likely these days to wind up on the couch for more time than I should whenever I have a spare minute. Having a kid who can't walk unassisted means I'm not doing the usual chase thing (she crawls fast, but not that fast) and I have my mornings to myself. I have been trying to at least do the "free step" program on my Wii Fit while watching TV (similar to walking slowly on a treadmill, at least it gets me moving and upright). Look back and you'll see my efforts to do the 30-Day Shred, but that hurts my knees so I sort of abandoned it.

But I need to eat better too. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, and I think I eat on the healthier side of the spectrum. I buy organic most of the time, I try to avoid processed foods and eat whole foods (imperfect as I am, I don't always succeed, but it's a goal), I get really mad when a label says 0% trans fat because they actually have up to 0.49 grams of it per serving (which adds up quickly) (that link is sponsored by Smart Balance, so it's not entirely impartial, but it has some good info under the tab "The Truth"). But I still like ice cream. And pizza. And french fries. And going to restaurants - maybe it's not fast food in the traditional sense, but it's still usually not the healthiest thing around.

Which brings me to Hungry Girl. When I started really trying to change things up, I requested several of her cookbooks from the library, and I subscribed to her daily emails. And now that I've been reading her stuff in print and online for a while, I wanted to share what I like and don't like. (I titled this post "Love and Not-Love" because I don't hate her one bit, but I don't like everything she says either. There was a blog - since abandoned, it seems - that was devoted to hating her. I don't hate her!)

I like that she has turned me on to products that I now incorporate in my diet on a regular basis: Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (delicious - I use it in everything), Vitatops (love love love the chocolate flavor - I usually eat them frozen), Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque (I buy the Trader Joe's version of this, which I believe is identical/made by Amy's yet costs a bit less, though still a splurge for this frugal gal), Laughing Cow (I was already a HUGE fan but she just made me love it that much more, and she uses it in recipes I'd never have thought of - and yes, shamefully, it is processed cheese, but the ingredient list isn't terrible and, um, it's yummy, so there!), and tofu shirataki noodles. (I also am not a fan of 100-calorie snack packs, but she indirectly got me to try the Trader Joe's oatmeal cookie packs. They're made with real ingredients, including eggs, and they taste great. So let's count that too.)

Plus, I like the emails that have product news and reviews in them; she tries out the low-calorie food options in the grocery store and gives what I believe to be an honest opinion of them, and she often gets the scoop on new flavors/options that will be coming out in the future. I also like the emails that break down the calorie counts of many restaurant/fast food items; I find those very eye opening - I may have known something probably wasn't good for me, but seeing the numbers makes it very real. (An aside: I went to IHOP recently and they had calorie and fat counts right on the menu. I knew IHOP wasn't health food but man, that took all the fun out of it. Probably for the best...sure....) And I like that she often substitutes non-meat products for meaty dishes or that I can vegetarian-ize the recipes that I find interesting. She's definitely vegetarian friendly, which I think a lot of diet-type writing isn't.

On the other hand, I just don't like her recipes 99% of the time. She relies on substitutes so that things taste like the fuller fat/caloric version, but the substitutes are usually not particularly healthy. She likes Splenda - I won't touch it (I don't use artificial sweeteners). She likes low-calorie cheese and fat-free dairy (yuck). She likes non-fat Cool Whip - I think that's not a food item at all. She has at times suggested products that substitute healthy fats for fillers or may have that lurking not-really-zero-grams trans fat. And she's suggested products with gelatin, which is only annoying to me personally because I'm a vegetarian and don't eat that - not her fault (although why gelatin is a filler in so many things, including low-calorie yogurt, boggles my mind and kind of grosses me out). I was really disappointed with her cocktail book (though, honestly, what was I expecting?) because it's all "use diet soda and Splenda" over and over.

And I don't like her emphasis on calories. Because I've heard her say that fewer calories means weight loss, and she's right, but there are calories and there are calories. For me, it's worth eating real peanut butter (with just peanuts and maybe some salt as ingredients), which has more calories, yes, but also healthy fats and things that are good for me, rather than a product that adds a ton of other stuff to make up for the fat. It's the whole Michael Pollan idea that eating real food is important. Also, moderation is key and I think a once-in-a-while 300 or 400 calorie coffee beverage isn't going to kill you. (I had a Dunkin Donuts Pumpkin Latte today. I got it with low-fat milk. It's not healthy, but it's a treat, and it tastes better than my own pumpkin-y lower-calorie concoction I make at home. Hungry Girl rants about how many calories are in a medium; I got a small.) Her language about things being "dangerous" or "to be avoided" gets to be a bit much after a while, and sometimes it worries me because you could get a bit obsessive about that (which is not her point, I know).

I respect her perspective, which she's stated in several interviews, that she's not about teaching people how to eat their regular meals every day, that she's about making good-tasting snacks and lower-calorie meal substitutes, that she's about sticking to what people tend to eat and updating that. And she's not a nutritionist and says it up front. Fine, maybe people eat a lot of crap and eating lower-calorie faux-fried crap is better than fatty deep-fried crap. It doesn't mean I have to agree with either option. But I am not an all-or-nothing person (well, I try not to be) and I appreciate that I can pick and choose what I want to use from what she says. If you want something a bit more healthy, try Snack Girl instead, as she is focused on healthy and low-calorie snacks, and I got my kale chip recipe from her.

So if you're looking for cutesy diety tips (sometimes too cutesy, too cartoony, too "you go girl!" for me, but hey...), ways to turn your favorite snack foods and restaurant treats into lower-calorie items, reviews of new products, and a lot of interesting ideas, I think it is worthwhile to subscribe to the Hungry Girl emails. They're free, they don't take up space, and they're archived on her site as well. Pick and choose carefully. I just personally am not into the books and the fake food and the "low calorie or bust" mentality. Then again, if I found one at the thrift store or a used book sale, I'd probably grab it...

Let me tell you about: More half-price coupon/deal sites! Plum District and Tippr

I just scored a $10 Trader Joe's gift card for $5 (alas, only one per person and this deal is for Atlanta only) through Plum District. A few weeks ago I got a $20 Target gift card for $15. This half-price (or better) offer site appears to be new (at least new to Atlanta) but clearly they have some great deals geared towards families and moms (and "savvy women" - their phrasing, not mine) - check them out, they have deals for many major cities. They'll email you when new deals are available; you don't have do anything unless you want to buy.

And Tippr is another one that's up and coming. Their current deal is a $50 speaker (well, sort of - it's a "portable vibration speaker device from OrigAudio" that you should see for yourself, it's really cool and I want one) for $25. Totally worth it. Same as with Plum District (and other similar sites), you'll get emails about new deals, but you don't have to act on them unless you want to.

Tippr and Plum District links above are referral links. When you use them, however, you'll get $5 in credit for either site when you make your first purchase.

Let me tell you about: iamamiwhoami viral videos

In late 2009, some mysterious videos began appearing on YouTube under the name "iamamiwhoami." I didn't discover them until the third or fourth (I can't remember) came to light, but once I saw one I was totally hooked. The music clips behind the visuals were what grabbed my attention - were they parts of a single song? An album of electronica? Were these ads for a new band? A PSA about saving the rainforest? I had no idea, but I kept watching. I'm a sucker for viral campaigns in general anyway, but this was eerie and disturbing and kind of gorgeous, and I wanted more.

The clips got an initial spike in attention when people started thinking that Christina Aguilera was behind iamamiwhoami. It sort of made sense; she was working on her Bionic album at the time and was rumored to be going in a different direction musically. And sometimes the woman in the video kind of sort of looked like her, although it was obvious the face was being digitally distorted. (For the record, I never thought it was her, but a lot of people were fully convinced it was.) The buzz became focused on the big reveal - who was it and when would he or she come out and explain what was going on? Even MTV blogged about it for a while, and the mind/s behind the campaign played along.

As more of the original set of six videos were released, it seemed more and more obvious that it wasn't Aguilera. Some supersleuths at Oh No They Didn't figured out that the singer was likely Jonna Lee from Sweden - a fact that as of this writing still has not been confirmed (although it's pretty obvious it's her in the videos at this point). But is she the one conceptualizing and writing the music or the story?

After the first cycle of six videos, which got progressively more detailed and more beautiful, was complete, a new series started. These were more fully formed videos with complete songs (including songs built around some of the clips from the first set) - songs that have found their way onto my iPod. If I was forced to describe them, I'd say they sound like Goldfrapp meets Stereolab meets electronica meets pop meets...I have no idea. I've never really been into categories, I just like what I hear. And what I see.





This one's my favorite.

I believe that the story being told in the iamamiwhoami videos is the tale of the Mandragora officinarum, which you can look up if you want to (I'm not going to get into my interpretations of these videos in this post, I just want you to watch them and make up your own mind). I don't know if the story is finished being told now that another series of six has concluded or if there will be a new cycle of six starting up in a month or so. (The first series featured a prelude plus six videos titled in code, while the second series featured seven videos titled with a single letter - U-1 and U-2 fell in the middle - finally spelling out the word BOUNTY.)

I also don't know if the minds behind iamamiwhoami are ever planning on explaining anything - who they are, why they're doing this, what they are trying to accomplish. I just know that finally there was new music that got me excited and a viral campaign that kept me on my toes.

I hope there are more videos to come.

Let me tell you about: Pomplamoose and their VideoSongs

Pomplamoose covering Beyonce's Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)

Last night I was watching my favorite show in the universe, CBS Sunday Morning (what would I do without my Tivo?). They did a story about musicians getting noticed on YouTube, and it focused on that kid Grayson who did the Lady Gaga cover and a few others. But the clip that they used to both tease and open the story was the video above by Pomplamoose, a band that I absolutely adore. Made up of boyfriend/girlfriend team Nataly and Jack, Pomplamoose do both covers and originals, and they do them with a medium they call a "VideoSong." They explain on their YouTube page...

"This cover is a VideoSong, a new medium with 2 rules:
1. What you see is what you hear (no lip-syncing for instruments or voice).
2. If you hear it, at some point you see it (no hidden sounds)."

So it's not only wonderful to listen to, but it's also amazing to watch, a combination I think is often rare on YouTube and elsewhere.

Their cover of Mr. Sandman was used in a car commercial, and they have a few albums available on iTunes and Amazon. Nataly has her own YouTube channel, as does Jack, and Nataly is also in another band called My Terrible Friend. I like it all. And I was disappointed that Sunday Morning didn't feature them in the story and/or explain who was in the video being teased. So here I am to tell you.

Check them out. I think you'll be pleased.


 Pomplamoose covering Lady Gaga's Telephone