Things I Love…

I thought it would be fun to do some posts just about things that I love.  You might find something that you love here too!  We may have something in common!  I might also introduce you to something new that you will really love.  These posts will not be regular at this time, but when I get a little inspired or excited about something great I want to tell everyone!  Enjoy today’s things I love….

I was first introduced to J. Crew by my sister-in-law. I remember going there for the first time in Southdale mall. I wasn’t crazy about their clothes. They had a slight nautical feel and too old for my taste. I think it wasn’t more than two years later there was a J. Crew opening in Arbor Lakes. I was looking for a part-time day job since I needed to take a night class the summer before I started nursing school and so that time was going to eat into my evening job. I applied and got the job. Little did I know this set off my love/hate relationship with J. Crew. It was really hard to work there and not burn my entire pay check on clothes. I have to say I had an amazing discount which was far better than any other clothing retailer I knew. It was a short lived time working there since I had to return to school in the fall, but I loved it!

J. Crew is all about great quality for a great price. They give huge attention to detail. Next time you put on your Kelsey Ruffle Top or slip into your Seraphina Dress remember to look at the lining, the stitching, and the contrasting colors. Feel the great fabrics (where can you get cashmere for under $100) Their knits, denim, and shoes are all made from fine materials but won’t break your budget. They have great accessories that will coordinate with each outfit. Their service is all about the client. They offer professional styling and complementary alterations. Also, if you have trouble buying at full price they always have items on sale and occasionally at an additional discount to the already marked down price!  That is how I got this great wool jacket featured for under $100!  J. Crew leads the way when it comes to fresh, new, refined styling with attention to detail.

When I first started my photography business I was using an old Sony Viao laptop that was ready to crash. I couldn’t even burn cds on it. Eventually the screen started to detach from the base and I knew it was time to ask the inevitable question: Which is better Mac or PC?! Pretty much everywhere I went the majority of the answers were that it didn’t really matter. It all depending on what features you put into your machine. The PC world was quickly catching up with Mac. I know that many out there will GREATLY disagree with me. But this is just what I was hearing. I was still skeptical about the ability for a PC to keep up with the performance of an Apple computer so we went for a trip to the Apple store. If the thought about getting a Mac didn’t get me excited, going into the Apple store certainly did! Standing in front of the 24″ iMacs was a little intimidating. Just the idea of learning a new system and transferring data was a little overwhelming. I think this is the point when most people will walk straight out and go back to what is safe and comfortable!! Nope, I was there to buy! I ordered a custom 24″ iMac that was shipped to my house!

After over two years of owning my iMac I can say that I am just as happy as the day I bought it! I got Applecare with the computer which has come in handy a few times and was worth every cent although it wasn’t really expensive compared with those Best Buy crazy plans! I have been consistently impressed with the service that Apple has provided both over the phone and in the store. I still have a fully functional computer that works just as well as the day I bought it. The only changes I have made is upgrading the memory to is max (4G) since I now have a camera that produced images that are very large and need more processing speed. Sadly this will force me to invest in a new machine in the near future, but otherwise I would still be just as happy with my iMac as I always have been.

About two years ago my husband’s Toshiba laptop was hitting the fan and it was time for an upgrade!! He went with a refurbished MacBook Pro from Apple that totally rocks! I am finding out new things all the time about what these machines can do! Yesterday we hooked up the internet with my computer and I was able to share it with his laptop with no extra wires! We have always had wireless so I have never had to try this! It might not be anything new or great, but it is awesome!

Other features I love is iChat and having the ability to video chat and screen share, NO START BUTTON, search functionality, iCal awesomeness, and clean/clear navigation. I will never go back!

The other thing I love is my iphone! Matt and I got the 3GS when it came out in June 2009. We had never had iphones before since our contract had not expired. It was hard for us to get them since we didn’t have a lot of justify having them, but they are really COOL so of course that was enough! I am not a phone junkie and I couldn’t really tell you anything about the other smart phones out there. I don’t really know if anything is better than the iphone, but I like to think there isn’t! Hello, APPS! I love the ability to see exactly what you are doing just like you would on a computer screen. It isn’t “cellphoneized” internet! No, it is just like you would normally be used to. I love syncing the iphone with my iMac and customizing my music, apps, contacts, and iCal! Seriously, i think iCal is the bomb! My top apps are probably TweetDeck which makes twitter so much fun and easier, facebook, and ubanspoon (more about my top 10 apps later)! I can have access to my mail anywhere. That is great when I get a new client inquiry! I have to train myself to not constantly check my mail every time I hear a little ding! I have never purchased any apps so everything I have at this point is free, but I know there are some great apps for purchase out there that I am probably totally missing out on! I heard there was one that you could buy that allowed you to text for only the price of the app and didn’t work directly with att so you were never charged att’s pricing for texting. As a nurse I can purchase a drug book and have the ability to search instantly for a drug that I might need to know more information about! The uses are limitless and getting better all the time!

Who doesn’t love Target. I think we all have that love/hate relationship where we go to Target because it has just what we need and then we come out with $100 worth of stuff that wasn’t on our list! Happens all the time. Target is just so good at it! And wouldn’t you agree that their clothing line has dramatically gotten better over the years. Girls….who doesn’t love getting a great outfit, shoes, and accessories from Target-boutique!

So Target, please come to Enid. Wal-Mart is sucking the life out of me and I can’t stand to go back there one more time for fear I might get run over by an Enoid in their electric riding cart! We really need a Target! Seriously I haven’t walking into a Target for over three months! I am going through withdrawal!