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Have You Had a Custom Portrait Painted?

Elka Karl — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:00:02 PDT

Two of our favorite Northern California artists, Clare and Kai recently tied the knot (you can tour their charming home here). Clare is familiar with celebrating wedded bliss: she regularly paints custom wedding portraits for her clients. This Custom Wedding Portrait ($450 for each custom painted portrait) from Clare's shop captures a sweet moment between a newly wedded couple.

Have you had a custom portrait painted before? Did you have it done to mark the occasion of a wedding, child's birth, or other special event? Tell us all about it in the comments!

Bobby, Giada, Guy Up For Emmy Nods - Who Should Win?

Susannah Chen — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:27:30 PDT

Today, the Daytime Emmy Awards revealed who's in the running for top nods, and, as expected, a number of culinary personalities and cooking shows are on the list.

Giada de Laurentiis, Rick Bayless, Paula Deen, Sandra Lee, and Nate Berkus are all in the running for outstanding lifestyle/culinary host, and Rachael Ray is up for outstanding talk show host. Even the defunct Martha Stewart Show got props with an outstanding lifestyle program nomination.

One of the biggest honors bestowed on the food community is that of outstanding culinary program, and this year, no matter who wins, the folks at Food Network will be celebrating; all four nominees belong to the Scripps family. Tell us: who would you vote for as the best cooking show?

Source: Food Network

Would Reading This in Public Embarrass You?

TresSugar — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:03:56 PDT

If it surprised you that S&M romance novel Fifty Shades of Grey reached number one on the New York Times best-seller list, it shouldn't. The romance category is the most profitable in publishing. Even so, we judge books by covers and people by what they read. At best, they impress; at worst, they repel. Thank goodness for Kindles! Previously, we asked which reads you didn't want to be seen in public with. We rounded up the books, series, and genres that embarrass you on the train, in the air, and at the park. Now you can be the judge!

Source: Flickr User Ed Yourdon

Do You Watch TV Shows on a Tablet or Laptop?

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:01:45 PDT

Are laptops going out of fashion? When it comes to entertainment, the answer might be yes. According to a new study, as a second screen option, more people use tablets to watch TV shows than computers, with 15 percent of full-length TV show watching happening on a tablet vs. a laptop.

Despite the smaller screen size of tablets, users spend 2.4 hours a day on average on entertainment. This is, in part, thanks to the rise of cable and satellite TV apps, and those like Netflix and AirPlay. Not to mention, they're a lot easier to handle while chilling on the couch. While an HDTV may be the best way to watch TV shows, tell us - as a "second screen" option, do you spend more time watching shows on your tablet or your laptop?

Snap Judgment: What Do You Think of the Total Recall Trailer?

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:37:16 PDT

The full-length trailer for Total Recall hit the Internet yesterday. At first look, the film appears to follow the 1990 sci-fi original fairly closely, with the addition of sleek new technology effects and some sweet flying cars. The film's stars, Colin Farrell taking on Arnold Schwarzenegger's Douglas Quaid, Jessica Biel playing Melina, and Kate Beckinsale as Lori, seem to embody the original characters, too, which gets me even more excited to see how the rest of the movie turns out. Of course, with the addition of those flying cars, I'm a little concerned that my beloved Johnny Cabs won't make it into the final cut. The good news? With GPS being so commonplace now, I'm betting Colin won't have to pull any sort of tracking device out of his nose. Check out the trailer below and tell me - do you love it or would you rather leave it?

Are You "Over" Filtered Photos on Facebook?

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 04:35:47 PDT

A recent poll conducted by MyMemory shows that your Facebook friends are likely to hide your posts or worse - unfriend you - if you post too many "gimmicky" filtered photos from apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram in your news feed. Filtered photo apps may be hot right now, with Instagram boasting a community of over 20 million users alone, but your Facebook friends say these pics are even more annoying than moms who incessantly share baby photos. You do have a choice to post (or not post) your photos to social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, but according to the 1,671 Facebook users polled for this study, even once might be too much.

Tell me - are you a part of the group that hides your friends' filtered photos from your news feed? If not, be sure to check out our Cool Capture challenges to indulge your inner photographer.

Brides: Would You Pay $30 For a Name Change Service?

Annie Scudder — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:15:04 PDT

For newlywed couples, the honeymoon is a much-needed chance to relax after all the stress and excitement of the big day. But once you get back from the romantic getaway, there's one last task some recent brides have to deal with: changing their last names. Services like MissNowMrs.com promise to save you 13 hours of name-change stress.

For $30, the company says it will help you complete all the name change forms you need, provide simple directions for filing them, and help you avoid time-consuming mistakes. And right now there's actually a MissNowMrs.com Groupon deal going on for half off. Do you think it's worth the expense?

Would You Take Over Your Guy's Man Cave to Create a Killer Closet?

Elka Karl — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:15:46 PDT

On the next episode of Bethenny Ever After, Bethenny must decide whether the renovations for her new home will mean making her husband give up his man cave to make room for her closet. You can guess which room wins out - and it's not her hubby's. Personally, I'm not sure which way I'd go with this decision either. Closet space is a major issue in most homes, and the idea of having a spacious closet dedicated to my clothes and accessories alone is quite tempting.

That said, a man cave is an increasingly coveted feature for the man of the house. In previous decades, the man cave was a garage or basement, but condo and apartment living means these spaces are no longer available. So tell me, would you sacrifice your man's cave to make room for an amazing closet space?

Source

Does Your New iPad Run Hot?

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:15:27 PDT

New iPad sales are on fire right now, and new owners are feeling the heat. According to Apple forum posts, the new iPad runs hotter than previous generations. These reports vary widely depending on how many - and the kinds of - apps being used, and the duration of iPad use. Apple has already responded to these claims saying, "The new iPad delivers a stunning Retina display, A5X chip, support for 4G LTE, plus 10 hours of battery life, all while operating well within our thermal specifications." Sound off - is your new iPad running hot after extended use?

Will You Buy the New iPad?

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:02:00 PST

The latest iPad to hit the scene officially launches on March 16. That's only a few days away, and thankfully, estimated ship times are still (for the moment) on track for a timely delivery. We've answered all your questions about the new iPad (including the prices, why you should buy it, and why you should skip it) and even showed you some great new cases to protect your investment, but tell us - are you planning on buying the new iPad when it launches next week?