Cotton-Pickin’ Days

My Canon IXUS 50 started making a funny noise last month every time the lens barrel extends or retracts. It’s still working but every time I turn it on, I hold my breath. Maybe my next camera should be an HP camera with slimming.

With the slimming feature, anyone can appear more slender?instantly.

• The effect is subtle?subjects still look like themselves
• Can be adjusted for a more dramatic effect
• See a before and after version, then decide which to keep

What do you think? Worth a go?

via I See Invisible People

8 Comments »

Panic Button from I Want One of Those

Review #1:

I put it on the keyboard but nothing happens when I push it. Do I need special software for it?
G Bush, Washington DC

Bwahahaha.

But what I really think I need is one of these.

via Popgadget

2 Comments »

Marv isn’t too bad about remembering our anniversary (easy peasy because it’s the same day as his birthday), but he isn’t great about remembering Mother’s Day. His big excuse is that I’m not his mother. Uh huh. Try selling that to me again and he’ll be getting this Remember Ring from Goldsmith Gallery.

24 hours before your special day, the Hot Spot? on the interior surface of your Remember Ring? will warm to 120? F for approximately 10 seconds, and continue to warm up every hour, on the hour, all day long!

Hot enough to cause discomfort but not hot enough to burn-the Remember Ring? is impossible to ignore!

via Metro.co.uk

9 Comments »

When Amazon Japan opened in 2000, Marv and I were its first and most loyal customers. Most important for me was being able to get almost any English language book at reasonable prices. It became especially handy when I got pregnant in late 2001 and I could get all the pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting books I needed. And, of course, I needed many. From November 2000 to April 2004, we must have placed about 50 orders from Amazon Japan.

My fondness for Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk have only grown over the years. Even if I see books I want at a brick and mortar bookstore like Waterstone’s, I will usually wait to get home and order them from Amazon because the prices are almost always cheaper. It’s good training for delayed gratification.

To share what I’ve been buying from Amazon, I’ve created a store that has some of our current favorite items available through Amazon. You can find the link in the sidebar to your right called “Go shopping with Cottontimer.” If you ever need to scratch that shopping itch, join me at Amazon!

1 Comment »

If you’re the observant sort, you may have noticed the StyleFeed I put in the middle sidebar at the bottom. It’s a collection of things I’ve been browsing lately. I don’t necessarily intend to buy them all, but they all interested me in some way and I wanted to both remember them for myself and share them with other people. StyleFeeder makes it simple to do and I like the little mosaic it puts up. Super easy to do too, if you use the bookmarklet.

To my pleasant surprise, Aaron of StyleFeeder emailed last week and asked to feature me. Never one to pass up free publicity, I took him up on the offer. So if you visit the StyleFeed main page, you’ll see a section called “Featured StyleFeeders.” One of the four pictures is me. (If you’re not sure what I look like, you can check my About Me page. And if you’re visiting after I’ve been bumped off, here’s a screen shot.) Even more cool is the feature Aaron wrote about me.

It’s been a great week!

continue reading

4 Comments »

Much to our surprise this morning, San Francisco International Airport was peaceful and efficient when Marv left to go back to London. We had expected long lines, upset and confused passengers, and suitcases being upended as people in a frenzy threw out Transportation Security Administration (TSA) prohibited items containing liquids and gels. We saw none of that. In fact, it almost seemed more calm than usual, but that could be because we usually travel at night instead of mornings.

This first week of vacation has passed quickly. We have been gorging ourselves on La Salsa, Target, Walmart, DSW, Best Buy, Toys R Us, Costco, dim sum, and malls. Yes, we are shameless consumers.

Do you Americans have any idea how convenient everything is here? There is Taco Bell in Target, McDonald’s in Walmart, and Starbucks everywhere. Listed together like this, it all seems rather evil but who can complain about unlimited selection and unbeatable prices?

Just imagine me this month in Northern California sipping on Fantasia pearl tea wearing my new Fossil watch with the pink face and suede strap, Friday work casual Charter Club T-shirt, and toffee Skechers Bikers Step-Up - all purchased in magnificent sales.

11 Comments »

Trying to find souvenirs from London to take back to California is like trying to find a toy Stephen doesn’t already have. Most anything we come across on a daily basis in the UK–books, toys, clothing, food–can be found easily in the U.S. for half the price. Truly special English goods are way beyond our budget.

I can’t possibly get people any of the following:

• Bespoke shirts from Saville Row
• Beauty products made from dew resting on the plants found in the garden of the Queen’s summer cottage (ok I made this up only because I’m keeping a surprise gift secret)
• Conway Stewart pens (although The Harlequin is mighty fine at $21,000)
• Swaine Adeney Brigg umbrellas
• Launer handbags
• Guardsmen Skittles (pictured above) are adorable but are they worth $60?

Apologies in advance to family and friends for not bring you any luxury British goods. How about I treat you to a Polish sausage or Very Berry Sundae from Costco instead when we get in town?

14 Comments »

My sis and I went to my favorite clothing store, Kew, last week where she bought me this gorgeous linen skirt for my birthday. Considering how seriously I had studied their Spring/Summer catalog, I was puzzled as to how I had missed drooling over this skirt.

For one, the skirt in the catalog is shown in the color ox blood that you see here whereas I had gotten wheat. It’s also difficult to imagine how beautifully this skirt flows without trying it on. And, this is the catalog model who was pictured in the skirt (she’s wearing a different one here but you get the picture).

Obviously, her body is NOTHING like mine. On her, the skirt skims the tops of her knees. On me, the skirt hits just below the knees (my favorite length).

As much as I love to browse catalogs, I don’t think I’ll be using them as a shopping guide anymore especially if they use models who do not resemble real women in any shape or form. There’s nothing better than instant gratification anyway.

6 Comments »

Frills aren’t in fashion anymore. Budget airlines brag about being low cost and no frills. Muji is all about no-frills chic along with Target and Trader Joe’s.

Me? I’m into frills nowadays; the more the better. Especially when it comes to my clothes.

It all started when my mom brought me some feminine pajamas in soft colors and fabric with lace trim, embroidery, and ruffled hems. They awakened my feminine side and unexpectedly made me feel more at peace. For too long, I’ve dressed very plainly with few accessories and embellishments. I do wear a lot of different colors–many very bright–but the cut is always a little too boxy, too unisex, too boring. I’m getting tired of plain t-shirts and shapless sweaters.

From now on, I’m going for a more feminine look with a touch of lace, ruffles, embroidery, or beading. I’m not going to go overboard with it, but I would like to look softer and prettier (as much as is possible). Luckily, I’ve got a favorite clothing store here in London, Kew, where I’m planning to go wild shopping in a couple of weeks.

Getting new clothes is probably a bit of a waste since I spend most of my time at home. But I’ve decided I’m worth it. Bring on the frills!

5 Comments »

Lucky me! This Energizer Trim Flex LED is being sold here for just $6 (Amazon has it priced from $8.70 to $11.88). The “super bright white LED never needs replacing” and it can run 30 hours on two CR2032 lithium batteries. My old one ate two AAA batteries every few nights of reading.

The light and clamp are sleek and lightweight so I can use it on even the smallest books without damaging the pages. Other reading lights I’ve seen are bulky and pricey in comparison.

I love to read until I fall asleep but haven?t been able to read in bed because the lamp disturbs Stephen. If I read in the living room, by the time I get to bed I?m awake again. It?s going to be a good reading night tonight!

5 Comments »