An AWESOME app

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Today in the Wall street Journal,there was a story about another app.
This one looks like a winner.
… it is by far one of the most full-powered camera apps I’ve used, and it marks an exciting advance for smartphone cameras.  – The Wall Street Journal
Camera Awesome is SmugMug’s new iPhone app.
What a name, right? Who doesn’t want something named Awesome.
I am no photographer but pretend like I am, so if there is an app that helps me in any way, I get it.
This one is pretty fun and makes it easy to post pictures to many of the social network platforms.
Pictures can also be stored on Smugrug as high res images. Smugrug is a photo storing site with unlimited storage for a monthly fee.
i played with this pic so much I couldn’t tell you what all i did to it.
Before you even take a picture the Awesomness begins.
There is a timer that lets you take pictures at intervals.
Fast Burst- Slow Burst
It even has image stabilization for those shaking hands taking pics with your iphone.
Now….
Take a picture.
and play with some of the features:
Awesomize- adjust the sharpness, temperature,vibrancy and contrast by moving each slider up or down.
Transform- easy to choose sizing settings including cropping the picture to an 8″ x 10″ or rotating it 90 degrees.
This is pretty cool.
Presets- (filters) has all kinds of filters for your pictures. If you like Instagram, you will love these options like Roman Holiday, Lone Star,Road Trip, More Cowbell, More Wang and more.
There are portrait presets, including B&W presets.
pics from smugrug’s site
Filters- If the preset filters are not enough… continue adjusting your picture with over 20 more choices.
 The app has 297 presets, filters, textures and frames.
This app is free with 36 of the effects, but as you start playing with the features there is a cost for the additional features. This one looks like something that will be well worth the .99.
No more poor quality shots taken from a smartphone.
Wait, there’s more.
The app also has a video recording feature.
AWESOME
The app is designed to take pictures as quick as possible so your phone will not freeze up.
AWESOME, AWESOME
When you have effects you like, the process can be applied to multiple pics.
AWESOMENESS
Gotta go, play with some pictures and add more cowbell.

Black Bean Soup

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My oldest son and his wife are living with us until their house is finished. We have had such great fun
and fabulous food. Grant loves to cook and he is an organic nut.
 I found something to make that he actually ranted about.
photo courtesy of whole foods
Grant even does the grocery shopping, so when I “text” him the list of ingredients, my
 version of this recipe did change a bit. See below for the changes.
SIMPLE BLACK BEAN SOUP
Serves 8
Cooking dried beans is low maintenance and a great value. Make sure to plan ahead and allow time for soaking the beans. Serve with hot sauce or salsa, if you like.
Ingredients
1 pound dried black beans (about 2 1/2 cups), rinsed
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
Method
Soak the beans overnight or 6 to 8 hours prior to cooking. Drain and rinse.
In a large pot, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin and chipotle and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add drained beans and 10 cups water. Bring soup to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beans are tender. Remove 4 cups soup and carefully purée in a blender. Return purée to pot and stir in cilantro, nutritional yeast and lime juice. Spoon into bowls for serving and garnish with avocado.
MY VARIATION:
I asked for black beans not even thinking about the dried version or the canned version. I got canned black beans (organic) so I skipped the soaking. Followed the recipe, omitting the yeast and threw it all in the crock pot to warm. I tried the puree step also but it didnt work for me, so this was a cross between a soup and an a salsa. Delicious and good for you. The leftovers were great with my eggs this morning also.
 (Yes the egss that Grant cooked for me.)
Man, I am going to miss them when they move.
Thank goodness their home will be close to my work.
Maybe I can swing by on my way home and they can leave a doggy bag on the front porch.

show n tell

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I had a few baby quilts I wanted to get pictures of before I sent them off.
 So I corralled 3 of my 5 kids out to the backyard for a quick picture.
The day was quite windy and i just needed everyone to stand still.
 Of course, no one wanted their face in the picture so they could stand up very
straight and still duck behind the quilt.
 The wind is dying down, I promise, just a few more seconds.
 Blue, brown and white zig zag quilt from Bunny Hill Collection.
(I hope one of my pics will make it onto Happy Zombie’s pinterest board, The Walking Quilted.)
You may think that the look on Jarrod’s face was per disdain for my process, however it really was that his sister was hiding behind the smallest quilt.  This is the best picture of this quilt so I will tell you about it. I found a vintage Florida scarf. I added a border and embroidered a heart around the town where the baby was born. I love how it turned out.
My baby, Bo hates having his picture taken so I was able to sneak one close up.
 
This one never minds having his picture taken, because he is always up to no good.

apps, apps, apps

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One of my new favorite apps is TeuxDeux. or as we Texans say, TOO DOO.
The apple store describes it as this:
TeuxDeux is a simple, designy, to-do app. If you like making to-do lists, you will love TeuxDeux. Use the free browser-based TeuxDeux (www.teuxdeux.com) at work/home and then take your to-do’s on the road with the iPhone app.
My friend, Outlaw told me about it and she saw it on Pioneer Woman. Today, I saw it on
Carrie Nelsons blog. If that doesn’t prove how great this app is.
 These are 3 of the hardest working women, so you know if they recommend it,
then it has to be good.
I can now get rid of the never ending paper list and the yellow highlighter.
Once I ran out of room on the page, then I would copy all the undone tasks to the next page.
TeuxDeux does this for you.
Anything that you did not complete is automatically moved to the next day.
 My poor son, Travis is still waiting on me to get his passport picture,
 but have to no fear,
 I see it on my TeuxDeux list everyday.
Now for my next, newest favorite app. (is that really a sentence?)
by Sherwin Williams
Turn any online picture into a palette of over 1500 Sherwin Williams paint colors.
Do you have a quilt you are making and want to match paint colors?
Hey ya go!
It is so easy. Just install the chipit tool to your
favorites bar, open a picture and CHIPIT.
Chipit also allows you to create your own sets of chip boards to keep all your paint swatches in order.
I love this quilt from American Jane, so I wondered what color
I would paint a room….. if I owned this quilt.
screen shot from letschipit.com
Wait, there is more.
 Of course what kind of app would this be if you couldn’t also
Facebook it,
Tweet it and
You can share your fun with all your friends. Maybe they will come over and help you paint.

 

Here is another example of one I did from Lily Ashbury’s blog.
AMAZING.
I guess there are no excuses.
I now have the paint colors from ChipIt.
I have the ideas and designs from Pinterest.
( of course, I have moda fabric)
Now, I just need to go add my plans to TeuxDeux.
Over and out,
Modalissa

book lovin’

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 On Wednesdays during lunch we have “Book Club”. It is not as big as Oprah’s book club yet, but I do think some quilt books should be on the NY times best seller list. 
Outlaw, the book and pattern buyer shares any new titles during lunch. I was able to sneak a few pics of the new titles from Kansas City Star.

I am a big fan of Red, White and Blue, so of course American Summer quickly caught my eye. Well of course it would, it is from Polly Minick, the queen of red white and blue. The book covers Polly’s love of wool and the rugs that she makes. 
American Summer
Seaside-Inspired Rugs & Quilts
The photography alone makes this a showpiece.
As I flipped through the pages I was thrilled to see there are also some quilt designs from Polly’s sister,
 Laurie Simpson.

Polly and Laurie are both huge supporters of Semper Fi.
I was surprised to see a page in the book about a charity event that
Polly and Moda did a few years back with wool kits. The picture has a few of my
favorite people from work.
Thank you Polly and Laurie for all you do to support the troops.
other books shown in picture above are:
 A Bountiful Life by Karen Mowery
Story Time by Kim Gaddy
A Year of Cozy Comforts by Dawn Heese

oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies

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Today is Friday.
Instead of a Friday Funny, I am posting a recipe. The only thing
funny
about this is to think I could fit in any of my clothes
after eating these.
Bo, the taste tester
Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 24 gigantic cookies
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 13 minutes
Throw a couple of glasses in the freezer to chill. You are going to need an
ice cold drink of milk with these.
Ingredients
• 1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 package Double Stuff Oreo cookies
instead of Double Stuff, I used the Heads & Tails version of Oreo. Just perfect for someone like me that has a hard time making up their mind. Plus I thought it would make the cookies not quite so rich and chocolaty. No problem there.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together with a mixer until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
In medium bowl mix the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined.
With a cookie scoop, form balls with the dough.
Place one ball on top of an Oreo cookie, and another ball on the bottom. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo cookie is fully enclosed with dough.
Place onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheets and bake cookies for approximately 13 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
Have a good weekend.

What is Vintage Modern?

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What is Vintage Modern?
Wikipedia says the page does not exist.
Couldn’t find it in the Dictionary.
 Did a search in google with results from Miami antique shows to shoes to furniture.
 My daughter in law is designing her home in her head right now and she has
been having a hard time giving a name to the style she wants to achieve.
Sounds like Vintage Modern to me and I was right.
 Just the perfect mix of antique paired with sleek lines and free of clutter. (wait until she has kids!)
I wanted to talk about another Vintage Modern that will possibly end up creating a wikipedia page because of all the buzz. It is the Vintage Modern line by Bonnie and Camille. One of those perks around here is that I had the privilege to touch and even sew this this line  that will be in stores late April/May.
(don’t be mad at me that I am showing you fabric that you cant get yet. Think of it as I am helping you save and budget for when it arrives)
photo courtesy – Camille Roskelly


This is just one of the yummy patterns from Camille using Vintage Modern. The pattern is named, On a Whim. Guess what, I made it for her. I asked her if she had something I could sew with their new line.. She thought I was crazy, but you know how it is when you need a
distraction from all the other things going on.
It was therapy.
So thank you Camille for the therapy, you saved me $$.I have a soft spot for Camille with her growing family and looming deadlines for 4 quilt projects sent into me, during Christmas holidays. Geez, I am surprised she even answers my calls. I remember what it was like with a bunch of rug rats running around. By the way I also offered to watch her kids instead and she did think about that for a split second. I didn’t tell her that my husband ran over Travis when he was 6,
but I will save that story for a different time.I have to enter a disclaimer that I didn’t call Bonnie and ask her for a therapy project. She had just as many projects, as many kids and even grand kids. What was I thinking? Here is one of Bonnie patterns that I could have made. 

photo courtesy of Cotton Way

 Then I found this project that I can combine by scraps of
Bliss, Ruby and Vintage Modern over at Film in the Fridge.

OR I wonder if it is to late for me to join
in on the Swoon Along that Katy at I’m a Ginger Monkey is
hosting.  Check out all the color options in the Swoon along flickr group. SO many choices.I just need to jump in and get some sewing therapy. Hope you get in some sewing time this week also. -modalissa
.

Friday Funny- It’s a quickie

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happy Friday to all,

 Today I wanted to share this video from my talented, creative son. I know it was him because I see the muscle milk in the picture and he was probably on the way to the gym.
I have been slowly moving my sewing room back into a bedroom that was inhabited by daughter. It is a work in progress and I was not ready to show it to the world BUT then my son found this APP, made a movie and sent it.

I couldn’t embed the movie, so here is a link.

The app is Action Movie FX by Bad Robot Interactive. The free app is enough to keep you entertained and amuse your family with missile attacks,  car smashes, and demolition rocks. Of course there are more features for a price.

Do you need a new car, send your husband a video using car smashes. Need a new machine, copy what my son did to my machine. The possibilities are endless and quite therapeutic. Imagine the fun to demolition your house instead of cleaning it. Right? How about sending a missle to that pile of laundry?

have fun with the app and have a great weekend.
-modalissa

My Pinterest addiction continues

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  A while back I was “down” for a few days with some dental surgery.
Couldn’t do much especially eat or drink.
So this is where the story begins.
By now you all know how much I love pinterest. Follow me here. 
 So for a full weekend I just lounged
around and looked at recipes on pinterest. I thought I would share just a few of my findings with you.
Fruit salsa with cinnamon chips from the girl who ate everything. Isn’t that a great name for a blog?
Nutella Paninis. For those of you that are not familiar with Nutella it is a yummy hazelnut spread that looks like chocolate peanut butter.  I forgot how yummy and creamy this hazelnut spread was SO WARNING, don’t buy the big container like I did. Just saying. 
How crazy cute are these valentine cinnamon rolls?
I can eat this Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad by Savory Sweet Life for any meal. Love it.
Now for the drinks. I am not much of a tea-totaler but I couldn’t resist the beautiful pictures
 and seriously, I was quite parched.
First off, we have 50 champagne cocktails from thefiftybest. Once I get all this wonderful dental stuff done I will be drinking some champagne. Next is actually something healthy, Banana Oatmeal Smoothie.
here is the recipe right off the Chiquita banana website.
Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
Almonds, cooked oatmeal, bananas and yogurt meet up in your blender for a power breakfast. Drink this Banana Oatmeal Smoothie before your morning exercise routine and you’ll have the energy you need to get through your workout.
Ingredients:
■2 whole Chiquita Bananas (best with brown flecks on peel)
■2 cups Ice
■1/3 cup Yogurt – preferably Greek yogurt flavored with honey
■1/2 cup Cooked oatmeal
■1/3 cup Almonds
Recipe
Pour all ingredients in blender pouring ice in last. Blend on high for
30 seconds or until smoothie thickens.
Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories 380; Total Fat 15 g (Sat 2 g, Trans 0 g, Poly 4 g, Mono 8 g); Cholesterol 5 mg; Sodium 35 mg; Potassium 690 mg; Total Carbohydrates 53 g; Dietary Fiber 9 g; Total Sugars 19 g; Protein 12 g. Percent Daily Value: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin B6 25%; Vitamin C 20%; Vitamin D 0%; Calcium 15%, Iron 15%.
Next up, looked quite yummy. I would call these adult popsicles for sure. How does
Cucumber Honeydew Margarita Popsicles sound? Refreshing? No recipe, but I can figure this one out.
 
 Lastly, Raspberry Lemonade with vodka, topped with champagne by my baking addiction.  I wonder if this would fit in my route 44 cherry limeade cup from Sonic!
 
Pinterest requires an invitation to join. If you want me to send you an invite, just drop me an email.
 I would love to see what you pin.