A Macro Lens, I Wish!

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I love to take photos. I am not a professional photographer though and I only do it as a hobby. No formal trainings either.... I just read about photography on the internet when I feel up to it and just take lots of photos. I also take inspiration from friends who are also into photography as a hobby. I admit, this photography thing can be an expensive hobby. Purchasing a DSLR camera is no joke but if you really love to take photos and want to capture those precious memories, it's all worth it.

If we are connected in Facebook, you will find that my photos' subjects vary: from buildings and monuments, to flowers and insects, to people and human activity, and so on. I love to take photographs of flowers and insects more though. I especially love to capture the interaction between them. However, my camera's lens can only do so much. That's why I sometimes wish that I have a macro lens. I can do so much more with a macro lens. But I know it is expensive so I will just have to wait for the right time to come.

Join Us for BC Bloggers 4!

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I have been waiting for this! I admit that it is difficult to ask for link exchange individually. It eats up a lot of time and so when Paula announced that BC Bloggers 4 is now up, I am so happy!

Are you new to blogging and is finding it hard to gain links to your blog?
Are you tired of exchanging links one blog at a time?
Are you looking for friends in the blogosphere?

If you said yes to all of the above then you have come to the right place. BC Bloggers will help your blog gain those precious inbound links in an easy and systematic way. It is also a cool way to meet friends in the blogosphere.

So come join us for BC Bloggers. Joining is very easy.

1. Make a blog post about BC Bloggers 4 to help spread the word. Invite your blogger friends too!

2. Put the BC Bloggers badge in your sidebar. You may copy and paste the code here.

3. Make a page dedicated to BC Bloggers where you intend to post the links. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the navigation bar or at the sidebar as long as it is linked in the homepage

4. Once done with 1,2, and 3, fill up the application form.

So what are you waiting for? Join us for BC Bloggers 4 now!

Creating a Sticky Post on Blogger

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Have you ever noticed those "sticky posts" on numerous blogs to announce a certain event or a contest or to promote a site or a shop? I have always wondered how bloggers did them: those things called "sticky post". They must be quite easy to make because I find them on the blogs of those who proclaimed that they do not know a thing about the technical side of blogging. Also, I always forget to ask my blogger friends about it each time the opportunity to chat with them arises. So I am reminded today to find out how it's done as I am trying to promote this blog. So "googling" for some answers, I was directed to eHow.com and the instructions are as easy as one, two, three, four.

Instructions

Step 1

Connect to your Blogger account and click "Layout" in the "Dashboard."

Step 2

Select "Add a Page Element" and choose the function you want to use as your "sticky post." For example, if you would like to announce an ongoing contest, you can choose "Text" and enter the details. "Text" allows you to add and edit HTML. By selecting "HTML/JavaScript," you also can choose to link to a previously written, archived post that gives the written details of the contest.

Step 3

Complete the "Add a Page Element" template, click and drag the item to the "Blog Posts" section.

Step 4
Click "Preview" to make sure the sticky post appears at the top of the page. Then click "Save."

See? It's just very easy... Now let me give it a try. I sure would like to make a sticky post! Hehe!

Found!

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This was my birthday gift to Hubby last year: an Apple iPod 8GB. He wasn't using it much last year and I have been borrowing it from time to time, being the "music lover" that I am. Then we started going to the gym a few months ago and he realized that he needed to use it. To keep his mind off the time, he wanted to watch a full length movie that runs from an hour or so.

But his plans of watching movies via his iPod while training at the studio were put on hold and the iPod suddenly went missing. Yes, it was suddenly gone with the wind. Hubby suspected that our little girl was the one responsible. We searched every nook and cranny and found no sign of the iPod. What a waste, I thought to myself... to think that it was a gift. I felt bad but never really told hubby about it.

Then a couple weeks ago, before we left for our one-week trip, I found it. It was safely nestled in our little girl's stroller. I removed the winter seat pads because it was already too warm for her, and there it was! We were so happy, or at least I was. It wasn't lost after all. My little girl is just very good at hiding things.

Thank You PayU!

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My main blog Just About Anything got approved for the much talked about paid blog advertising service among bloggers: PayU2blog, thanks to my very good blogging friends who encouraged me and gave me tips on what to do with my blog before signing up for the service.

 It has been a little over a month since I received my first assignment from them and tasks have been coming in steadily except for the last two weeks.

First payment received 18 June 2010.

2nd payment received 2 July 2010.

3rd payment received 16 July 2010.

Not bad for a start right? And that is only for one blog. I am still building up another blog and hopefully, it will also get approved and I will also be able to monetize it.

If you still aren't on PayU2, give it a try. Just make sure your blog has it's own domain, it has got a high PR, loads easily, and has a personalized favicon. Good luck to my fellow bloggers who are also looking to earn some moolah through blog advertising.

The Vittorio Emanuele Gallery II

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This is the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery II, a glass domed cruciform that is now a vast Belle Epoque shopping arcade. It links the Piazza del Duomo to the Piazza della Scala and soon became Milan's conservatory. It's main facade is adjacent to the Duomo, Milan's landmark. All season, from winter, spring, summer and fall, Milanese can be seen here, escaping the heat and the rain, browsing through the exclusive shops and sipping Campari (an Italian drink famous for its red color and made by steeping a secret mix of herbs in alcohol) and soda in the bars.

There goes my two loves... off to the Savini Restaurant to buy some gelato.

The LV shop here is never empty. I just got the chance to photograph the eye-catching window decor for a brief moment when everyone else was busy watching the live football game of Germany against Australia.

Anywhere in the world, there will always be a McDonald's. At a prime location at that!

Feeling locals... We were trying to blend in with the crowd and found ourselves sitting on the mosaic-patterned floor of the arcade.

Can't think anymore of a subject to photograph so there goes my happy wanderlust feet!

A COACH Bag For Free!

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Visiting two fashion capitals, Milan & Paris, last week made me drool over designer bags. I even dreamed of going on a shopping spree, taking all the gucci, prada, lv, ferragamo and coach that I could get my hands on and maxing out on our credit cards. But all of that is a dream and I know that spending on these luxury items is not my thing. So instead of wasting my time dreaming, I might as well join the $300 Worth Brand New COACH Satchel Bag Contest hosted by my dear online pal Umma of Mom Conversations and take my chance. Who knows? I might get lucky and get the bag for free.

Main Sponsors:

College Grants for Women : Fun Family Vacations : Pontoon Boat Cover : Baby Shower Theme Idea

Level 1 Sponsors:

Beauty Tips and Tricks : Get Smart Blog : Practical Beauty Tips : Spices of Life : Review My Opinions : New Haircuts and Hairstyles : Fabulously Frugal : Weight Loss the Healthy Way

So here's keeping my fingers crossed. Why don't you join too? You might be the lucky winner. And if you heard about the contest from me, please mention in your blog post that KIKAMZ referred you. Pretty please? Thanks!