Costco has an app!

For the Android and iPhone/iPad!   I love to visit other Costcos to do some treasure-hunting.  Each store is different.  This will locate those stores, allow you to upload pictures for printing, shop online and see current warehouse offers, order prescriptions, and read The Costco Connection.  Even make a shopping list for you.  This is one of the better and more useful retail apps,

Favorite new iPad and Android app! - White Noise

White Noise by TMSoft
I had this app on my iPod Touch, and when I got my new iPad, I was able to load it on there, too.  (Nice to know all the apps I had purchased earlier for the iPod transferred right over to the iPad.) They also have a free version, but for a couple of dollars, why not get the upgrade and help support these guys?  I also willingly paid the $1.99 and put it on my Samsung Android phone, too. 
Not only do you get lots of different sounds, but you can update with new ones created by the company and by others -- FREE!   Bonus a beautiful picture appears on the screen, and you can use as a digital LED alarm clock when traveling.  Big numbers, too!   
On a recent trip with a noisy hotel room air conditioner cycling on and off, I remembered this app and programmed a playlist loop of Light Rain on Deck, Great Falls and Small Fountain on my iPad.  I slept great! 
Right now my favorites are:
Violet Noise
Bamboo Chimes
Great Falls
Hatteras Beach
Light Rain on Deck
Small Fountain
St. Lucia

Judge a Book By Its Cover

Beautiful book cover!
(I even saved this and used as my Samsung lock screen picture)

15% off iTunes Cards at Target!

Just text "Easter" to 827438 (Target) and you will get a link to a mobile app to use at checkout.

Wildflower-Apolooza!

Indian Paintbrushes

Purple Verbena

Bluebonnets and Drummond Red Phylox

Bluebonnets and Coreopsis

Pretty field with old car in middle

Loved the yellow flowers - I think they are Engelmann Daisies

The recent rains have awakened the wildflowers from their droughted slumber and are absolutely outstanding this year! My top bluebonnet photo is featured on Facebook and Twitter. All were taken with my Samsung Infuse camera.

Netflix Stars - What's Your Number, Hugo and In Time

What's Your Number? 3.75 stars - A cute movie for a rainy day. There's a lot of "I've seen that star before, wasn't he/she in...?!"

Hugo 5+ stars - We all loved this movie. Charming and delightful, suitable for everyone, any age. I can, and you will, too, definitely see how this won all its Oscars and awards.

In Time 2.5 stars - Interesting idea, but too long and draggy. Haha - it seemed to take too much time.

I hate to say it, but I got these three movies from Redbox. All were in perfect, playable condition and we saved time (and money!) over Netflix. Only $1.30 a night. While Netflix has more variety, "Short Wait" and "Long Wait"s don't cut it when Redbox has the current just-released movies right there, right here, right now. And they have an app to reserve and locate the DVD's. Plus free coupons! The only drawback is not all Redboxes have all the movies. But for the popular quick selections, you can't beat having another DVD rental option available.

Sorry Netflix -I still love ya and want to keep you around, but I'll probably drop down my current plan.

Last Day of Fall

Taken with my Samsung Infuse phone at night with the flash, unretouched. I thought it was a a really neat shot of my tree transitioning to Winter. The brilliance of the red oak leaves in the day cooled to blue in the night. . .

Today's Favorite iPod Workout Song

I caught (haha) the last half of "Catch and Release", which I had Netflix'd awhile back. The movie was still pretty lame, but the soundtrack pretty good. This time I watched with my new phone with the Shazam app. "Soul Meets Body" is a good swimming song. I also thought Joshua Radin's haunting, "What If You" was an appropriate addition to the soundtrack.

Death Cab for Cutie - "Soul Meets Body" - 3:50

Mirror Mirror - The video!

There are over 100 mirrors dancing in the sunlight. Plus a leftover Easter egg!

Here's the link to the instructions in the earlier post.

Mirror, Mirror

When I was visiting a yoga studio in Austin, I was fascinated by the strands of mirrors they had hanging from the outside windows. The reflected light played both inside the room and outside in the trees. Very cool! I also thought, "I could do that, too!"

So I went to Michael's and I bought brown silk cord (10 yards, $1.87), mosaic adhesive glue ($5.99), and 2 packages of mirrors - 1" circles and assorted squares. (25 for $1.99) The glue has toluene, be sure to use in a ventilated area!

I spaced the mirrors wrong side up about 2 inches apart, put a dot of glue on the back, laid the silk cord on top and then covered with the backside of another set of mirrors - wrong sides together. The glue does make them slip and takes at least 24 hours to set and dry. Use that to your advantage to straighten and center the cord. And do this project on a piece of cardboard you can pick up and move to a protected area to dry. The long side piece of the cardboard from a case of Dr Pepper was the perfect length and stiffness to work with.

I love the way it turned out - tied to one of the branches of my crape myrtles, the morning sun hits it perfectly and just the slightest breeze makes the cord twirl and the mirrors light up and dance. I need to make more!

Update 10-8-11 - Here's the link to the post with the video. I made three more strands. I was trying to capture the sunlight dancing.

I'm heading back to Michael's - I remember seeing a package of mirrored copper squares in the mosaic tiles next to the mirrors. I think that would be fun and pretty to intersperse with the silvery mirrors. The other Michael's I went to was out of the copper, but I also found multi-colored black irridescent squares. I'll post more pictures over the weekend.

Did you know Michael's now has an app for your smartphone? Imagine being able to pop in there and not having to smack yourself upside the head for leaving that 40% off coupon at home!

Moon (flowers) over Houston!

I had a record number of moonflowers bloom last night. What a sight and intoxicating fragrance! There are two more feet of flowers to the right, which couldn't fit in the picture. As it as, I had to take three photos to get most of them.

A cardinal moment

(click to enlarge)

Lost Creek Park - Sugar Land, TX
Sent from my Samsung smartphone on AT&T

Fun on my patio with crape myrtle blooms!

They look just as pretty on the ground as in the trees!

(Taken with my Samsung Infuse)