So You Think You Can Dance - Top 8

I never quite got around to posting the SYTYCD Top 8. It was a fabulous fabulous show. Lady Gaga was one of the judges and was an absolute delight. Melanie stole the night. She did a leap that was unbelievable. Think it was probably the most impressive leap of all the shows ever...AMAZING!

Jordan and Jess went home. Probably the right choice.

iPhone Photography - Laughing Buddha Collage

Created this Laughing Buddha collage all in iPhone. Used the iPhone camera, the MagicHour app, the Hipstamatic app, the Diptic app and the Blender app.

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 10

This week the contestants partner with the all-stars (previous years favorite contestants).
Favorite couple routine -Twitch and Sasha - fabulous
Favorite solo routine - Melanie
Favorite female - Sasha
Favorite male - Marko
Best music - Everything I Can't Have by Robin Thicke
Best Lift - Pasha and Caitlin
Favorite male pro - Adore, adore, adore Twitch
Favorite female pro - Loved Chelsea's Salsa

Most likely to go home - Clarise and Jess

Update - Clarise and Mitchell go home. I think they both are fabulous. Although Jess is fabulous dancing  alone, I just don't think he does well with partnering. Still think Jess should have gone home.

iPhone Photography, 4 Apps and My Mom

I used the Monochrome app and the Diptic app for the above image.

I came across the picture of my Mom the other day and decided to re-photograph it with my iPhone. I tried a couple of new apps. I especially like the app I used on the bottom image - Noir Photo. It looks so rich and 1940s. I first took the picture with the Hipstamatic camera using the Melodie lens and the BlacKeys SuperGrain film (no flash). I then brought the image into Noir and played with the controls until I got the look I liked best.

Monotone
Noir
Diptic
Hipstamatic

Woman and Poppies - iPhone Photography

So You Think You Can Dance - top12

Favorite couple - Sasha and Alexander
Favorite female dancer - Sasha
Favorite male dancer - Alexander has not been one of my favorites in the past, but thought he was great tonight.
Favorite choreographer - Tice Diorio
Favorite music -Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin
Best lift - Caitlin and Mitchell
Most likely to go home - I am guessing Ryan for the girls. I haven't a clue for the guys.

Update - Ryan and Alexander went home. Sad when it was by far Alexander's best night. Next week the Top10 dance with the pros. Should be fabulous.

This Month's Top Ten Tips From My Favorite Magazines

1.  I frequently post about the clever way designers find color palettes. This one from House Beautiful is just so very delightful.

2.  I just planted a couple of tomato plants and after washing the dirt off my hands, was wondering what I should do with those little plant care tags, so I would remember what kind of tomatoes I planted this year. Leave it to Martha to come up with a great way to keep all of those tags organized.

3. Also in the July issue of Martha's Living is a recipe for Sour Cherry Lemonade. Yummmm.

4.  InStyle magazine featured all these gorgeous dresses. Don't you just love that shade of blue?

5.  Very cool way to display pictures in a boring corner. Idea from LivingEtc.

6. This photo from ElleDecor has so many things that I love in a kitchen...a big old kitchen table, corner window seats with comfy pillows. Huge windows that let in lots of light and fresh air.

7.  This fabulous beach scene art was also in the July issue of ElleDecor. It belongs to Courtney Cox and was done by Massimo Vitali. Love it.

8.  I want this pitcher with the parrots. It's from a company I saw in LivingEtc, called Plumo. Looks like they have very cool things. Be sure to check out their earrings section.

9.  I have been trying to decide what color to paint the walls for several months. I am not a beige walls kind of person, but these seem to have a bit of peach to them and I like the peachy/gray combination. This was also in this month's House Beautiful.

10.  I always have photographs on my refrigerator, but this series of what looks like polaroids are organized like a gallery show. This display will look terrific on our black frig. Think I will go print out all those iPhone Polaroids I have shot recently.

So You Think You Can Dance - Top 14

Favorite routine of the night - The 7 Girls' Routine

Favorite couple - Caitlyn and Mitchell

Favorite girl - Caitlyn

Favorite guy - Mitchell

Best lifts - Caitlyn and Mitchell

Favorite choreography - Mandy Moore

Best costume - Jordan's mermaid outfit

Most likely to go home - I am guessing Chris or Alexander, Ryan or Clarice

I think this season has the best group of dancers yet. However I keep feeling like something is off with the routines. I think it's the choreography. Seasons past have had absolutely amazing choreography. Where's Mia Michaels, Dan Karaty, Shane Sparks, Wade Robson? Do we really need zombies every week?

A word about judges - really? They gave up Adam Shankman and Mia Michaels for Carmen Selectra? 

Update - So sorry to see Chris and Ashley leave. Loved them both.

iPhone Photo Montage

This is actually 3 different pictures that I took with my iPhone. I then used the Diptic app, first using the 3 across option, saving that picture and bringing it into the 3 down option. Diptic is definitely one of my favorite apps. As soon as I take a picture I start thinking about how I can break it apart.
Diptic