THURSDAY'S THOUGHTS

IRIS ILLUSTRATION VIA JORDAN ANDREW CARTER

THINKING ABOUT: Until this last week I'd only ever printed photos from my phone with Social Print Studio. I had no reason to stray—I've been very pleased with the price point, quality, variety of printing options, and their user-friendly app—but I will admit that my most recent order wasn't up to snuff. Argh! It's almost as though something was wrong with their equipment because the coloring on a handful of photos was inconsistent and the print job was second-rate. Lucky for me, I ended up receiving a random email from Artifact Uprising with an offer for 25 free prints earlier this week. I went ahead and jumped at the opportunity, and I'm eager to see how their prints compare. Tell me, where do you prefer to have your Instagram photos and phone images printed?

THANKFUL FOR: Since Flyboy's birthday fell on a Monday this year (snooooooze), you better believe we signed Max up for this month's "Give Parents A Break" night at the base daycare center. Yahoo! Did somebody say DATE NIGHT?! We still haven't decided where we'll dine in this buzzing metropolis, but we do have plans to see the movie Sully afterward. It's safe to say, we're stoked.

WATCHING: Where are my Parenthood fans? Word on the street is that NBC's latest series, This Is Us, is kind of like the adorable cousin to our beloved Braverman brood. Eek! I'm eager to watch the pilot (hopefully that will happen tonight since Flipping Out is over...). Have any of you watched it yet?! I've been warned that the first episode may result in some ugly crying, but I'm down.

EATING: After indulging this week in more cake than I care to admit (my jeans don't lie), I probably shouldn't be pinning such dangerous delectables, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to share the cutest dessert ever on m' blog. You guys, I'm talking about PureWow's Mini Mason Jar Apple Pies. Squee! Who knew a staple like apple pie could be SO flipping adorable??

LISTENING TO:  Since I'm a glutton for punishment and feeling ALL the feels with Max's impending birthday, I can't stop listening to Rachel Platten's Better Place without sobbing profusely. Yep, I told you I wasn't joking about the ugly cry! I remember when Flyboy and I first heard the tune en route to the San Antonio airport last month. We both listened along quietly only to confess to one another minutes later that it totally made us think of Max. If you're not familiar with the song, I urge you to take a moment and listen. I guarantee there's someone in your life that makes you feel this way. Grab a tissue and bring on the warm and fuzzies!

READING: Because Max has become such a fun (and extremely active) subject for me to photograph, I'm toying around with the idea of buying a new lens for my camera. I've noticed a lot of the photos I take aren't as sharp as I'd like and I think that's because I'm trying to offset the drab lighting in our house with an ISO greater than 1600??? As a shutterbug novice, I clearly have A LOT to learn, but I've been researching what options are available online and all of the photography forums and product reviews have left me incredibly overwhelmed! Sigh. I feel like I'm in over my head. Most of my "picture-taking skills" are the result of trial and error, YouTube tutorials, and one online class. I just wish I knew someone that could give me a simple answer. I'll take any help I can get!

LOVING: I had a few West Elm Design Dollars burning a hole in my pocket and sprung for this Curvillinear Mid-Century Modern Table Lamp. Somehow I let our last reward expire, so I was determined to not let that happen again. Tisk, tisk! If the product image does the lamp justice, I'll be pleased as punch with my decision. Helllllllooooo, you brass babe! Come hither. And for those of you worried about my recent retail recklessness, let me assure you that no future Design Dollars will be wasted. Game on!

Enough about me. How are you feeling today? What are you up to? Thanks for stopping by!!