Things to Do - My Newest Obsession - The Waterlogue App

I may be late to the party on this one, but in the last few weeks I've become obsessed (as in OBSESSED) with the iphone waterlogue app, which makes instagram seem so yesterday. The app turns iphotos into miniature watercolor paintings. And, just like instagram, the app comes with various filters for different types of effects (not surprisingly, my favorite is "bold" with it's bright technicolor renderings).

But my favorite part of the app is watching the paintings "develop" on the screen, sort of 2014's version of the Polaroid - first the photo is reduced to a sketch and then slowly colors appear throughout the white. Fascinating to watch.

What's your lately app obsession? Any suggestions?



I keep trying to take pics of brightly colored things, like bookshelves in our home and beauty projects at the hair salon.

Places to Go - Out and About (Iphone Pics, June 2012)

Bon Jovi cover band at Pentagon City. Because all generations NEED to hear glam rock (I'm serious).



Mornings at the National Zoo. The animals at the zoo are pretty wonderful, but not as wonderful as the statues. I highly suggest bringing friends and fighting over who gets the front of the gorilla. Good times.



The pool with friends. T still won't go in the water, but give him a squirt gun and he becomes quite content.



After school on the National Mall. The Natural History Museum is open until 7:30 pm most nights throughout the summer. We checked out the butterflies, but then one landed on P and she sort of freaked out. Luckily, old school toys at the National History Museum brightened her spirits - everyone loves a slinky.



Afternoons at Bluemont Park (Arlington, VA). We just discovered this place and all the kids seem to love it - from the sandbox, to the huge train play-sculpture, to exploring the streams.
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Where have explored lately? I'd love to hear!


RANDOM LINKS:

*Plan of Work for a Small Servantless House, Good Housekeeping 1950.

*Some Chinese art.

*I want to stay at the boatel. I really do.

*If I was planning a fancy party, I'd want it to have bowls of onions.

*5 Quirky Coloring Books for the Eternal Kid.

Things to Do - Our 5 Favorite IPhone Apps for Kids

I have such mixed feelings about kids and the iphone (and adults and the iphone for that matter). One one hand, it seems like one more gadget - like TV and videogames - that hampers imaginative creative play. On the other hand, the iphone really is a waiting room lifesaver (esp. when I have to take all three kids to the doctor or dentist). Oh well, I'll leave it to the experts to hash out the iphone's influence on society and child rearing (which I'll probably read and repost). When my kids do play with the iphone, here are the five apps they fight over the most (and I mean FIGHT).

1. Cakedoodle - This is listed as number one for a reason. Kids find it addictive. The whole game is as simple as making a cake - the iphone lets you squish the bananas, crack the eggs, pour in the vanilla, etc - decorating a cake, and eating a cake. My kids can play for hours, I kid you not. They also fight over who gets to "eat" the imaginary cake, which boggles me. ($0.99)

2. Toca Doctor - Very odd, yet beautiful graphics with intuitive games (no need for written directions). I've heard great things about the other toca games as well, but have yet to download them. ($1.99)

3. Paper Town Friends - This app is so visually stunning that I play it sometimes. It's a paper doll-type game, with gorgeous illustrations of quirky animals (frogs, ducks, monkeys, etc.). ($1.99)

4. Doodlecast for Kids - Draw pictures using different colors and backgrounds. Then a video plays which recorded you drawing. My kids love it. ($1.99)

5. Balloonimals - Beautiful graphics allow kids to create their own balloon animal by blowing, shaking, and moving the phone. ($1.99)

What about everyone else? Any great app recommendations? We're always looking for new ones.

WEDNESDAY LINKS:

*The pictures on this LOCAL blog blew me away. gorgeous. especially the suprasensorial ones - it's not easy to take great shots in a quirkily lighted museum. wow.

*Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out Claude Moore Colonial Farm's Spring Market Fair and click here to read our review of one of last year's fairs.

*“People always ask me, ‘You have so much confidence. Where did that come from?’ It came from me. One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl … It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must decorate it.” —Gabourey Sidibe

*Lovely dreamlike pics of boats in bed.

*Nutcrackers.