Bottled Sky

The Mojave Desert in the summer? My lips are drier than that, and I had long since given up on finding an inexpensive lip balm that worked for me. Chapstick was the worst of the lot. Neutrogena Lip Moisturizer did better but not by much.

But two months ago I came across Martinsville Lip Balms while browsing through Etsy. When I saw all the rave reviews on the seller’s feedback page, I decided to give the lip balms a try. I ordered a dozen to get a bulk discount and to save on postage. I figured, if I didn’t like them, I could resell them on eBay.

It’s safe to say that I will definitely not be reselling them. (I gave away a few to friends to share the lip balm love, though.) They are seriously the only lip balms I have ever liked. They just glide on, and one application keeps my lips chap-free for hours. I personally think the texture is perfect, but some people might find them too soft. It’s really a matter of preference.

They come in dozens of flavors, ranging from the classic (e.g. Apple, Strawberry) to the offbeat (e.g. Buttered Popcorn, Mojito). In this case, flavor refers to scent only — these lip balms are unsweetened, so you won’t be constantly licking your lips.

I’ve tried two of the flavors so far. I loved Berry Voodoo, but Morning Coffee smelled a smidge too sweet for me. That was to be expected, though, because I take my coffee with little to no sugar.

Well, at least I used to before I had to give up caffeine, but that’s another story

Nothing like exciting news to break a four-month blogging dry spell, I always say. So guess what? Both my blog and my portfolio site were featured in the recently released Web Designer’s Idea Book by Patrick McNeil, the creator of DesignMeltdown.com!

I finally got my copy in the mail yesterday, and I spent approximately four and half minutes giggling with glee. Forgive my excitement, but this would probably be the one and only time my name would be mentioned in a book. I’m allowed to be ecstatic!

Continue reading Excuse Me While I Squeal »

Our office has a small courtyard filled with large potted plants, some taller than I (and one we named Gilbert, just because). Sometimes when I get sick of staring at my computer, I step out for a few minutes of sunshine.

In other news, my online portfolio is a finalist at Unique CSS. If it ranks highest at the end of the month, I will get $25. Cue shamelessness. If you have a bit of time, drop by and give my site a 7 rating!

What do you get when you cross a glossy computer screen, a dark desktop wallpaper and a digital camera? Instant photo effects!

That’s me, as reflected by my office iMac. The adorable Skitch wallpaper that has been on my desktop for the past two months superimposed bright pink waves on the photo. Pretty nifty, if I do say so myself.

Not quite as nifty are the specks of dust on my monitor. A word of advice: if you plan to do this, wipe your screen first!

If you have hundreds of vacation photos sitting in your hard drive and want to make better use of them, try turning them into cartoon postcards! It’s quite simple to do if you have some basic drawing and Photoshop skills.

In my aunt’s case, she had a niece with a lot of free time. Below are three of eight postcards that I made for her a few years ago (she needed them for a personal project). Click on the thumbnails for a bigger view.

I used photos from her trip to China, choosing those of her standing in front of different tourists spots with very few other people in the background. Those are the best types of photos for this kind of project.

Here’s a rundown of how you can make unique postcards out of your travel photos. One caveat: This is definitely not a tutorial. It’s more of a detailed idea for you to play around with.

Continue reading Personalized Cartoon Postcards »