Show Us Your Desktop(s)

Computer enthusiast and all-around multi-task master, Rob, sent us pics from his three DisplayLink USB graphics technology enabled desktops. Check 'em out.

"I have two multi-monitor setups. The first is my desktop which has only 4 monitors because I can't find space for 5. The big two monitors are powered by a dual headed card. The small CRT is for video preview only from my video deck, and the little monitor on top is driven by an EVGA UV Plus+ DVI-USB adapter.

All these monitors are incredibly useful especially in video editing. Video plays on the CRT, and I put all the editing controls, media database, etc on the right-most monitor. That frees up the entire center monitor for the video timeline. The fourth monitor was great as I put all my editing notes on it (you can see them in the picture).

For photoshop: it's very similar. All toolbars, pallets, and docks are on the left monitor, leaving the center monitor free for only my photo. (I'll rotate that monitor if I'm working on a portrait shot instead of a landscape). On my little EVGA monitor, I'll put notes, Adobe Bridge, or a tutorial if I'm trying something new. I've gotten so attached to this setup that I can't work on Photoshop with one monitor anymore.

The second setup is for my laptop. I've got an ASUS VW223B monitor with built-in DisplayLink support. Into the monitor's built-in hub, I plug USB sound, and mouse. This gives me essentially a docking station that fires everything up with a single USB cable - very tidy.

The ASUS monitor doesn't normally go vertical, but I love using vertical monitors for writing or surfing, so I use a Neoflex stand attached to the VESA bracket on the ASUS. This stand is much better as it allows me to rotate the monitor and has a height adjustment. At about $210 for both, it gives me more functionality than monitors $100 more. As you can see in the picture, there's space for at least one more..."


Thanks Rob for showing us your desktop, er, desktops!

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In just a few mintues.....

you can transform a room.............or start to anyway. Sadly enough, this frame has been sitting empty for 2 years!!!! I was so excited to have bought it at a really good sale price, then waited a year to find the perfect spot. Found it, placed it and it has sat empty for another year. *sigh*. anyone else have "projects" like this???

SO, one sunday afternoon I decided to take the reins on this project and and finally finish what I had wanted to do all along! and it took like 10 minutes!!! I picked out some scrap fabrics that went along with the color scheme and feel of the room and popped them into the openings of the mat leaving me some spaces to add personal family photos.

Granted the photos showing are still the ones that come in the frame from the store...................but we are making progress! tee hee he

It has completely changed the room (to me anyway) and created a fun focal point for that area of the room.

You know I love frames and here is just another fun way to dress up or change the decor of any room quickly and for little to no money! If you'd like more "framed" ideas, check out my past tutorial.


Thanks Kari of Ucreate for featuring my photos and idea.

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Busy Journalists Use Multiple Displays

We recently came across this great picture of Lance Ulanoff, Editor in Chief and VP of Content for PCMag.com, using multiple displays. In today's fast-paced, media everywhere environment, today's busy Journalists, Bloggers and Tweeters are juggling an array of content from many sites and, often, many devices - laptops, desktops, mobile phones and more. Multiple displays is the best way to manage and organize your visual workspace.

Lance thank you for sharing your desktop with DisplayLink.

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Thank you!

WOW! Thank you thank you to all the "brassy bloggers" out there who took the time to post your suggestions about what to call my new apron. I loved all the variations and the "explanations" that went along with them. :)

Some of the names were very similiar to some designs that are already in the works but have yet to be debuted - more to come on that later.

And to torture you even further......................I'm going to keep the name that was chosen a secret a bit longer. BUT I promise the winning blogger will still receive their apron.

Just hang in there...........cyber hugs to you all! xo - Meg

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See HP USB Graphics in Action on YouTube

DisplayLink is proud to announce HP as a customer, offering both USB Docking Stations and USB Graphics Adapters. Check out these home grown videos about these cool new products here:

HP USB Dock
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-kgeOL1DiM

HP USB Docking Station: Lid Closed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2o2leu9458

HP USB Graphics Adapter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPPpf2tbws0

Enjoy!

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Blast from the past

Girl meets boy. Boy moves to California the next day. Boy and Girl start a furious letter writing campaign that lasts for 7 months with nearly 200 letters exchanged between them. Boy moves back to Brooklyn. Boy finds one last postcard he forgot to send and gives it to her this week.

Thus is the story of Jim and I.


He bought the postcard, put on the stamp, wrote the message and forgot to mail it, all 9 months ago. It's even more romantic because it's so late.


A boy after my own heart, he couldn't bear to cover up the previous owner's message so he just concocted his own from it. A truly genius and adorable idea. A truly genius and adorable boy.

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A Match

Jim's sweet mom, Mary Kate, gave me this antique bookplate for valentines day.

It's adorable and so fitting for us; half Rats of Nimh, half Fivel Goes West.

It's from a childrens vocabulary book from maybe 100 years ago and it's going up in my newly revamped office (photos of which will follow, soon)!

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Wellesley Girls

The darling Francesca from The Snail and The Cyclops knows how much I'm obsessed with Wellesley College history, since my great great grandmother was a member of the first graduating class in 1875 and I have a copy of her journals documenting her college experience (definitely worth reading the few excerpts I posted back in the spring if you haven't).


She, in her infinite sweetness, alerted me to an online archive of the Wellesley Legenda, the school's yearbook of sorts. So far, they've archived from 1890 to 1922 and it's amazing.

Jean Baxter Watson, from 1914, is one of my favorites. Most of the other girls in her year were wearing these beautiful delicate white lace gowns, she looks like she'd be voted most likely to win a canoe race or grow a prized vegetable garden. My kind of girl!

I'd like to believe that Marion read a lot of Jane Austen. She certainly looks like the elegant scholar.

And Lillian, so shy, is just darling.

Plus these books are a great source for sweet girls names; Mabel, Nellie, Hazel, Bea, Winnie, Minnie, I could just go on and on...

The 1904 Mandolin Club, which Chelsea and I certainly would have belonged! She on the mandolin and I on the guitar, after a few more moths of practice, mind you.

One long garland of ivy and roses from 1908. I don't know what their doing, but I wish I could have been there.

The 1915 golf team. I do love beautiful tomboys.

After looking through all of the yearbooks non stop over the weekend, a small mental brake down ensued. Maybe it was too much computer time or too many beautiful girls in too many beautiful lace dresses. I don't know what it was for sure, but by Sunday morning I was a wreck.
I needed to be transported to spring in 1914, wearing a long, elegant tomboy getup on a canoe, with a straw hat, immediately. So I did what any non rational girl would do and plunked down a shameful, weeks worth of groceries money on a dress that would become my Wellesley time machine.

I am a girl who has no business buying clothes. I have lots of clothes from my years at Marc and I mostly "work" from home now. My normally so sturdy impulse control just vanished! The amazing Judith at the Hell's Kitchen Flea Market rightly pointed out that I could have easily paid a few hundred more for it downtown (ahem Stock), but that could just be my guilt talking.

It is just the most yummy, tightly woven cotton stripe, with shell buttons , linen collar and french seams. I'm going to wear it every freaking day this spring (and summer). And it's in amazing shape, this dress was sewn to take a beating.

It's by a company that was called Dix-Make, a uniform company from 1910. Not being an expert, I think it's from the 20's or 30's as I found a few Dix-Make adverts that look pretty similar.

I promise you, in 6 months, I will regale you with photos of this dress splashed across all of my warm weather spots. Elmwood, a row boat in Central Park, the crooked branch of my favorite weeping beech tree in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Chesapeake Bay, Riverside Drive, my kitchen, outside Ralph's Italian Ice.....

Until then, I don't know about you but I'll be dreaming about being an old timey Wellesley girl.

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Get Exclusive Access to DisplayLink's Latest Software

After the success of the Mac beta program DisplayLink ran last year we are about to start another Beta Testing Program, but this time for Windows users.

DisplayLink's latest software release has undergone a significant overhaul and we want to give some of you exclusive early access to the software to try it out and give us feedback on your experience.

The beta testing program is set to begin on the 24th February 2009, and registration is now open!

If you are interested in participating in this simply register here now, and you will be notified how to obtain an exclusive copy of latest software when the beta program starts.

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Valentine Greetings

Happy Valentines Day from this adorable little 1920s blond boy, sailing his boat at central park.


I've spent the day dressed up like Rosie the Riveter, trying to clean the house before the Mister gets home! So romantic.

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Friday the 13th

In honor of the day, here's Minnie, the (mostly) black cat. Once you've had your black cat fix, feel free to go mirror and ladder shopping, too. I'm not a superstitious type, I guess.

Just this week she sat on the lap for the first time, after 5 months. What took ya so long, cat?

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Diamond Multimedia Rolls Out Adapter

DisplayLink is pleased to announce a new DisplayLink Certified customer, Diamond Multimedia . With their new BVU160 USB graphics adapter most any monitor can easily become a USB display.

Some key features include:

· Resolution to 1600x1200/1680x1050
· Daisy chain for up to six displays
· DisplayLink usability software for easy desktop management
· Saves up to 80% power as compared to multiple graphics cards
· DisplayLink Certified for performance and compatibility

Read the Diamond story here: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Diamond-Multimedia-946951.html.

Do you currently use a USB graphics adapter? If so, tell us what you think and how it has made your visual workspace more productive. Drop a comment here.

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Starting from seed

I am embarrassed to admit that for all my plant loving, I've never started herbs from seed. Then again, I've lived in a garden-less apartment in the city for going on 7 years now, nearly my whole dang adult life.

This season I plan on taking much better advantage of my fire escape than last year, when almost all I managed to harvest were 3 miniature tomatoes. Is it worth starting from seed? Should I just buy some little guys from the farmers market in a few months instead? Advice?

Plus these illustrations make me swoony, especially with spring so close. Am I busted for wanting to start from seed just so I can fiddle with these packets?

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Show Us Your Desktop: Mac Mini with EVGA UV Plus

Brad writes to DisplayLink, "Here's my Mac Mini setup. I am using the eVGA 16 Plus. Thanks for the excellent software. If you could get it to work with iMovie and other Quartz Extreme that would make it perfect."

Thanks for sharing your pic Brad!

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Name game - GIVEAWAY!!!

edited: (giveaway has now ended)

Calling for help.........anyone out there?..........................I need some inspired minds. :)


I have been busily working on a new pattern but I'm stuck now and am reaching out into the blogger land for help! I need some help coming up with a name for this new pattern design. Post your ideas in the comments section please and the one I think fits it the best will win an apron from me!


These are not the cover photos but some past photos I had (you may recognize them) - so post away!!! (I'll leave it open for a week and hopefully I will find what I need!) THANK YOU! thank YOU!!!

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Calender girls

Yesterday I got a package in the mail containing this beyond wonderful and sweet family portrait calender, hand painted by my mom.

I know I've have written at length about my hippie goddess mother, from her wildflower arranging to her quirky books, her love of capes and her amazing little paintings. But this one takes the cake. It is truly too cute for words.

Mom holding Muffy, me and Minnie, Papa, Micha and Chewpee, our happy little family.

I love that darn cat!

She added each and every family member's birthday, all of the anniversaries, holidays and moon cycles. She is so dear, now I'll never miss anyone's special day again.

We are even wearing our favorite outfits! My red wool swing dress, black tights and hair bow! The heart was a bit of artistic license on my mom's part, though. A big ol heart and knobbly knees are her signatures.

In it's new place of honor in the kitchen. It has immediately become my number one thing I'd save in a fire, after Jim and the cat, of course.

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FOR SALE!

The lovely and wonderful hometown Williamsburg store Catbird is now selling my terrariums!

Made with vintage mason jars and display domes, plus old porcelain mushrooms and animals, I am madly in love with this round of terrariums. Seriously. When I dropped them off at the shop I felt like I was sending my babies to boarding school, never to come home again.

Luckily I know that there are other liked minded girls who will give them new happy homes. Please city folk, stop by Catbird on Bedford ave and say hello to them. They'd kick the pants off a red rose bouquet as a valentines day present, too. $44 and up!

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Boaters

I think admitting out loud my lust for straw-hat weather has made it much worse.


It's freeeezing outside and all I can do to stay warm is ogle these boaters from my favorite accessories inspiration source, a good old fashioned dover pictorial. Don't get me wrong, I love a floppy french straw hat, but I think this summer I'm going to be all about the boater.

Especially the little one, it looks straight out of my favorite John Singer Sargent painting at the MET. Oh, how I was born into the wrong time.

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Hat recycling

You can tell when I'm ready for the current season to be over when I start getting fidgety about hats. Last week I was dying to whip out my beloved straw hat collection again. No, Amy, not yet. Several more months to go.

In the meantime, I'm entertaining myself by cutting apart proper felt hats, the kind I should be wearing on a 20 degree day like today.

Maybe it's all of the 40's watch instantly Netflix movies I've been watching, but while dinner was on the stove, I snipped and snipped away at my old felt bucket hat till I got this. Well, this with a few hand stitches to attach the bow.

It took about 15 minutes and it's basically just a little shaped felt oval and bow. So easy and now I finally have something for the mandatory head accessory wedding of a lifetime.

Now I just need to track down some tiny grey elastic to keep it on my head while dancing (and maybe glitter it up, in honor of Ginny).

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Peering through the lens - home tour #2

Here's a follow up to my first house tour. The first house I featured was very eclectic/DIY with a very distinct personal style - which we all loved, so I thought we would contrast it with this next one.

The house you will "tour" today I have always loved her style. Her home has a warm inviting feeling to it with lots of textures in the decor. She has a niche for decorating and I thought sharing how she puts some pieces/colors together might inspire you as well.See you after the tour below.......................

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Let's break down a few of the elements you saw...........

Texture and layering. She is really good at this. I love how she can put items together and it works. I love this arrangement. She has placed a basket on top of the table that is the same size to make the table taller....1st layer. Flower arrangement on top of that....2nd layer. Squared mirror behind the flowers and centered above the table...3rd layer. It makes all the elements bigger, fuller and more interesting in the room don't you think? Love it.

Kitchen counter...Here is a place that changes with the seasons/holidays. Just a quick swap out of the lemons in the glass vase for Pinecones and other dried elements in the fall, etc. I love glass containers for their decorating ease. She has several in this space that again add dimension, color and style to an otherwise flat counter space.
*snicker* - Ok I told her I was going to "poke fun" at her toaster "display". Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm not chic enough but I've never seen a toaster so "elgantly" displayed on the counter surrounded by wonderful design elements - when it's not in a model home. I strive to be like this someday. (and don't think "well this woman must not have young kids at home to keep a house like this!" She does which makes me love her even more. Just goes to show you can be chic and still convey your style in your home even with little ones running around.)

DIY....(you know it just wouldn't be my blog without a little DIY - wink) I love big chunky pieces of furniture. Here she has redone her coffee table to match their new house/decor and colors. Some paint, stain and little technique and the table has a new life!

DIY #2..... Reduce, reuse, repurose. A second hand corkboard received a facelift with some new paint and some scrapbook paper decoupaged on it. A wonderful large colorful piece in her son's bedroom that can also hold his future school papers but in the meantime it's more than just a brown corkboard staring at you - it's ART!

DIY #3 - custom lampshades. This is something I have always wanted to do - just never have. She has recently redone her twin girls bedroom from pinks to greens and yellows. And of course with a little fabric, embellishments and paint, their once pink lamps perfectly match their newly madeover bedroom.

Well that's the end of the tour. Thanks for stopping by. You can put your shoes back on as you leave. tee hee he. I'd love to hear your comments on the way out..........

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