pretty in the city

Happy Tuesday

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:51:00 +0000

I found this in a drawer. I tore it out of a magazine some time ago.

The average woman smiles 62 times a day.
A man? Only eight.
Kids laugh around 400 times daily.
Grown-ups, just 15.
Smilers in school yearbooks are more likely to have successful careers and marriages than their poker-faced peers."

Smile and laugh today!

Whitney

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:19:00 +0000

Dad, I'm five and I've NEVER been in a limo."

—My friend Corey's five-year-old daughter Whitney, who's apparently been watching too much Hannah Montana

Here's her sweet little face:

Nora's Halloween Costume

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:36:00 +0000

So here's Nora in her Halloween costume. She's Pocahontas.

My sister also bought her a black wig in case she wanted to wear one. Here it is.

Brace yourself.

Isn't it hilarious? She's not wearing it; she doesn't like it.

Bev on the Beach

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:29:00 +0000

Old picture of Bev in the Hamptons that I never uploaded.

Halloween Without The Kiddies

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:16:00 +0000

I'm not going to my sister's house for Halloween this year because I still have a cough and don't want to get the kiddies sick. (I doubt I'm contagious but it's better to be safe.) I'm so sad that I'm not going to get to see Nora in her Pocahontas costume. (Jack won't wear one. My sister got him a dragon costume and he said, "I'm not a dragon. I'm Jack.") I'm seriously tearing up thinking about them trick-or-treating without me. I miss them. I love them. They are my babies. :(

Awesome Halloween Costume Idea

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Headless bride costume via Craftzine...

Pretty Weimaraner

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:27:00 +0000

I'm going through old pics tonight and I found these that I took of a neighborhood dog.

I love Weimaraners!

Naomi

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:50:00 +0000

My friend Naomi! She and Mark are my very best friends.

I love these pictures because they capture her personality so very well.

Nora's Pink Hat

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:57:00 +0000

I knit this cute hat for Nora last winter.

I told my sister, "It's 100% wool. You have to wash it cold, dry flat. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said.

"So what do you do again?" I asked, testing her. "Wash hot, tumble dry low?"

"No," she replied. "Wash cold, dry flat."

She got it.

A few months went by and she called me. "You know that hat you made Nora? Can I wash it in hot water?"

"No," I said. "Wash cold, dry flat—otherwise it will shrink. Why?"

Silence.

And now some photos:

Apparently some kid in Nora's class got lice so she freaked out and washed everything in hot water, but still... WASH COLD, DRY FLAT!

Now I have to make a new one.

PS - I took these photos in March but just rediscovered and uploaded them today.

PPS - Nora didn't get lice.

Flu

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:14:00 +0000

So I'm pretty sure I've had the swine flu. Or maybe it's just the regular flu. Whichever it is, it's lasted for 10 days and has sucked all the life out of me. I think I'm getting better, but I can't get rid of this terrible cough that's deep in my chest. And I still have rales when I breathe. They sound like Rice Kripsies and they freak my sister out. We were on the phone the other night and she said something that bothered me, so I exhaled really deeply into the phone until she screamed "Stop!" to get back at her.

I haven't gone to the doctor because my fever's gone and I thought I was on the mend, but if this chest thing doesn't go away in a couple days, I'm heading there.

Ugh.

The only good thing is that I've already had the flu this year and hopefully won't get it again!

UPDATE: I finally went to the doctor and I'm on antibiotics and Prednisone. Not too happy about the Prednisone, but it's only for 5 days. Thank you for your well-wishes!

Bev's Birthday

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:29:00 +0000

It's Beverly's birthday today! She's seven years old! She's getting to be such a big girl... I remember the day I got her.

We're going to Monster Mutt right now so she can get her annual bully stick. Here's pics from last year's journey.

More San Francisco

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 08:51:00 +0000

This time for my gay friends.

The Castro!

(Sadly, I didn't get to attend the tribute to Rue McClanahan.)

The rainbow flag!

The actual sewing machine that sewed the very first rainbow flag!

San Francisco

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:28:00 +0000

I went to San Francisco for a wedding this past weekend. I took some pictures!

Here are two fun tilt-shift ones I did!

And here are some of the Golden Gate Bridge:

It's Mark! It's Mark!

San Francisco is a beautiful city but it was reallllllly windy (is it always like that?) and oh, those hills... good for exercise, not so good when trying to hail a cab in heels.

I got the flu Saturday at the wedding. It was terrible. I started getting the chills and aching during the reception, and by the time I got back to my hotel that evening, I had a fever. I flew home early Sunday morning still sick, so yes, I was one of those germ-infested people on a plane who probably got everyone else sick. Sorry, but I wanted to get home to my bed. And besides, I think I got sick on the plane out there anyway, so what goes around comes around. (Which is exactly how the flu spreads.)

Updates on my Seattle trip will be coming soon, including how Laura and I almost died on a mountain, and how Beverly was torn between two lovers.

Chinatown in San Francisco

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Modern Family

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:29:00 +0000

I watched the ABC sitcom Modern Family on my Virgin America flight from Seattle to San Francisco last week and I absolutely loved it.

I've never watched it because it's opposite Glee and I love Glee. I told Mark and David to watch, so they did, and they loved it too. It's fresh, quirky, and so, so funny.

You can watch the pilot on ABC.com—here's a link.

I'm going to record it tonight and watch it after Glee.

PS - Here's a cool pic that I took out the window of my Virgin America flight.

Should I Be Worried?

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:37:00 +0000

I painted my radiator a few months ago with this paint by Krylon:

When I bought it, I asked the guy at the hardware store if I could use it to paint a radiator and he said yes.

So anyway, my radiator just went on for the first time this season and my apartment smells funny. I'm sure it's because they haven't been on since last winter, but the paranoid freak inside me is now wondering about the paint.

I looked at the paint can and it doesn't say anything about whether or not you can use it on radiators, so I went to Krylon's website and saw that they have a special paint for radiators.

Now I'm even more paranoid that I didn't use that kind.

Should I be worried about this? I just don't want to be lying in bed one day and have my apartment explode. (I also don't want to die from inhaling fumes.)

Chocolate Toy Poodle

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Toy Poodle Chocolate, originally uploaded by Yasuhiko Ito.

I want this dog.

Starbucks Via

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:03:00 +0000

Has anyone tried Starbucks Via yet? What do you think?

I bought some today and I'm going to try it tomorrow.

UPDATE: It was okay. Fine. Nothing amazing, but not bad either. I mixed it with cold water (because I like iced coffee) and I was a little disappointed by how long it took to dissolve. I'm going to mix it with milk tomorrow.

Jack's New Sword

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:51:00 +0000

I just got back from a trip to Seattle and San Francisco and bought Jack this shield and sword while I was there.

No, really... it's a sword.

(Btw, my sister is not happy I bought him his first weapon.)

Help Find Shadow a Home!

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:16:00 +0000

Hi everyone! One of my internet friends named Jane needs to find a home for her cat Shadow. Jane just had a baby and Shadow isn't adjusting very well. Jane's devastated to have to find him a new home, but it's for the best of the baby. Here are some pictures of Shadow...

...and here is what Jane has to say about him:

Shadow's a big lover boy who loves to snuggle and sunbathe. He's good with other cats and dogs, but would prefer to be the center of attention and be in a home where he's king of the castle without any other furry friends. Because he's such a big boy (approximately 18 pounds), he doesn't know his own strength and is not good with little children.

Shadow has slightly elevated liver functions and takes a half a pill to keep them regulated daily. These pills are very inexpensive and he takes them very easily without putting up any kind of a fight. He loves to snuggle and purr. I would love to find him a new home where he will be loved on and cared for. If you're interested or know of anyone who may be, please let me know!

You can reach Jane at janebrauscher (at) gmail (dot) com. She lives in the Dallas area.

Naked Men

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:12:00 +0000

A friend of mine has two daughters, ages 5-1/2 and 7. Her husband was getting into the shower when both girls walked into the bathroom and saw him naked. The 5-1/2 year old pointed to his penis and goes, "What's that?" Her 7-year-old sister answered, "That's a penis." The 5-1/2-year-old said, "I know what that is—what's the brown stuff around it?" The 7-year-old goes, "That's vagina hair, dummy."

Roman Polanski

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 03:45:00 +0000

This made me ill.

From the Hollywood Reporter...

Debra Winger, who serves as president of the Zurich fest's jury, on Monday demanded Polanski's release and criticized Swiss authorities for their "philistine collusion" in arresting Polanski as he entered the country.

"This fledgling festival has been unfairly exploited, and whenever this happens the whole art world suffers," Winger said in a statement on Monday, standing together with the other four international jury members who wore red badges reading "Free Polanski" as they announced plans to continue the fest.

Um, Debra, being a great filmmaker doesn't give you passies for raping a child, so please just. shut. up.

The other thing I hate are people who say this case should be dropped because it happened so long ago.

(However, if the victim asked the DA's office to drop it, then they should drop it.)

Love Letter to Chumley

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:08:00 +0000

Dear Chumley,

As you may have heard, my mom and I are coming to Seattle in a few weeks to visit you. I had my brother Elvis take this picture of me so you know what you're in for.

I hope you like it.

I can't wait to see you, my love.

xoxo,
Beverly

Tilt-Shift Photography

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Tilt-shift photography is a creative and unique type of photography in which the camera is manipulated so that a life-sized location or subject looks like a miniature-scale model.
— Smashing Magazine

You can create it with a special (and $$ pricey!) lens like this...

Or you can create a fake one by manipulating a picture you've already taken in Photoshop. Directions on how to do that here.

Here's a picture of Jack and Nora in their monster truck that I took at the beginning of the year:

And here it is after I manipulated it to look like a tilt-shift photo in Photoshop:

Click here to see it larger.

Isn't it neat? They look like they're in a matchbox car.

Click here to see 50 awesome examples of tilt-shift photography.

I need to go out and get some good NYC street pics so I can create more!

I Taught Jack To Say Something New

mail@prettyinthecity.com (Karyn) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:15:00 +0000

I taught my nephew Jack to say this from Karyn Bosnak on Vimeo.