Time to change the clocks. Literally.

I was SO super happy this past Sunday when we changed our clocks for Daylight Savings!  One of the toughest things for me each winter is the darkness, and I relish each additional minute of light as we move towards spring and summer.

This year in addition to changing the time, I changed the whole clock.  I’ve had the digital clock in the photo above since I was in college.  Of course I am slightly sentimental about it for that reason and it still works, but it’s just not that stylish and doesn’t do much for the overall look of my room.

So when I saw this clock at West Elm I pounced on it.  I’m a big fan of form and function; practical things can be designed well and stylish.  I like this clock because it’s retro and modern at the same time.  It’s also silent, so I’m not kept awake by any annoying ticking.  If you look at the before and after pictures you can see it makes a big difference to my room by kicking up the style factor and making it look more cohesive.  Next on the list to change is the lamp, which also needs a style update.

Of course you probably noticed the vase of flowers that was added in the after pic.  I’ve been practicing flower arranging and plan to do a post about that in the future.  And if you’ve got really keen eyes, you probably noticed the book of my namesake on the nightstand.  You can look forward to a post about that too!  In the meantime enjoy the ever increasing light!

My latest obsession, … Instagram!

If there’s one iphone app that I can recommend it’s Instagram.  I think it far surpasses most of the photo apps out there, plus … it’s FREE!  I am totally obsessed!  It allows you to add filters to your photos to create different looks, change the coloring, alter the lighting, add borders, tilt shift for selective focus, upload to Flickr/Facebook/Twitter, and so on.  You can create a profile for yourself and follow other photographers and they you.  Here’s an FAQ with the details.

This is a screenshot from my iphone that shows some of the filter and tilt shift options.

It works well for faraway outdoor shots.  This one was taken from the G train as it traveled through Brooklyn.  It has a retro feel and a border was added.

It also works for indoor shots.  The filter used in the photo above cast a warm pinkish light and the tilt shift was used to blur the edges so the heart is the focal point.  It makes this little girl’s room look ethereal and dreamy.

It also works well for close up shots, like this one of the objects on my dresser.  I used the black and white filter, as well as the tilt shift for a classic look.

It has gotten so popular that other companies have created products for your Instagram pics like magnets, photo albums, calendars, etc.  I placed an order with Stickygram and got the awesome magnets above, which also make great gifts!  I gave the baby and kid magnets to their parents for Valentine’s Day.  You can order 5×5 pictures from PostalPix, order albums or calendars from Keepsy, create art work at Bumblejax, or make a pillow at Stitchagram!  What?!

Look how cute the magnets look on my fridge!  So if you have an iphone I recommend that you add the Instagram app and start snapping.  Look me up and follow me too, or click on the link on my homepage to view my photos.  I’ve really enjoyed following other photographers from all over the world and sharing in people’s lives as well as admiring their creativity.  Here’s a post from a favorite blog of mine, SF Girl by Bay, that also talks about Instagram and highlights some of the great photographers.  Sadly all you Android and Blackberry users will have to wait until it’s developed for your devices.  But it’s coming!