Recent Posts

Q&A

These questions are some of the ones I've been asked by readers. I thought I'd gather the info in one spot so others can find it too!

1. If you'd like to contact me, you can send me an email at:

lorispeak[at]live[dot]com

2. What kind of camera do I use?

I use a variety of cameras depending on where I am, and what I'm doing.

a) For everyday OOTD shots or special occasion shots, I use a Canon Rebel XT with a Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash and a typically a Sigma 17-70 mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Lens (not that I actually know how to work these things...), a Bogen tripod, and an Opteka RC-4 Wireless Remote Control

b) If I'm going to be out and about but need a flash or better quality pics than a cell phone I'll take my Canon Powershot SD750 digital elph

c) If I'm taking photos on the fly, I'll use the camera on my iphone 4, typically using the Hipstamatic application or the PS express for light editing

3. Who takes your photos?

Usually, I take my photos with a tripod and a remote (if it's an outfit shot).

4. You find a lot of your clothes through thrifting. Where do you thrift?

I thrift at any thrift store that comes my way, lol. But my usual haunt is the Seattle Goodwill in the International District.

5. What size are you? I'm looking for my dressing room body double.
I'm 5'5" 122lb, and I vacillate between size 0-4 depending on the brand and cut. Bust 33" Waist 27" Hips 37" Bra 34A

6. How do you put a link to your blog in a blog comment?
A blog signature is useful for providing other bloggers with a quick way to get to your site and leave a comment, etc. People can get there from your blogger identity page, etc., but it takes an extra jump, and people need to scan the page to figure out if you have a blog. Also, if you have multiple blogs, it helps to direct people to the most relevant one. For example, if you're commenting on a food blogger's page you might leave your food blog link rather than your fashion blog link.

Most blog commenting systems allow very basic html tags. After I write a comment to a blogger, I'll add my own blog signature.

This consists of using a html linking tag like so:
<a href="http://lwu81.blogspot.com">Lorispeak</a>

Between the quotes is where you put your blog address. And where I've put 'Lorispeak' you could put your blog name.

7. How do you keep all your photos the same width? For my in-depth post go here

So I've read a lot of bloggers recommend that you keep your photos the same width so that your main text portion of your blog forms a nice visual column. I was going to do this by just inserting width=500 parameters within the image tags. If you wanted to do this, you would take a normal image tag like this:

<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TAdfgJeXIjE/TLnaL0QuV6I/AAAAAAAAI-c/Txl-mg2ar48/s144/IMG_7829.JPG">

and add the parameter like so:

<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TAdfgJeXIjE/TLnaL0QuV6I/AAAAAAAAI-c/Txl-mg2ar48/s144/IMG_7829.JPG" WIDTH=500>

This changes the width and constrains the height to be proportional to the change in width (so you don't get distorted images).

Yah I was going to do that until my husband scoffed at me! lol. I store my images on Picasa. Picasa will automagically process images into the right width for you within Picasa if you know how to change their image links.

So, if I have an image link from picasa like this:

<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TAdfgJeXIjE/TLnaL0QuV6I/AAAAAAAAI-c/Txl-mg2ar48/s500/IMG_7829.JPG">

currently the s500 is constraining the image so that the largest side is 500 pixels. (So if your pic is a portrait shot, the height of the image is 500 pixels, and if your pic is a landscape shot, the width of your image is 500 pixels). You can change that 500 to be any length you want as long as the actual image is at least that many pixels large. So if your image is only 400 pixels along its largest dimension, Picasa won't stretch the image past then (plus, the image wouldn't look that great if you did that).

Anyway, you can constrain the width of your image by changing the s500 to be w500 like so:

<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_TAdfgJeXIjE/TLnaL0QuV6I/AAAAAAAAI-c/Txl-mg2ar48/w500/IMG_7829.JPG">


8. Do you wear colored contacts?

Nope. Although I do wear prescription lenses, they are clear, not colored. My eyes are a light brown with some light greenish-gold thrown in for good measure. It's one of those cues that encourage people to ask if I'm Hapa (I'm not). My grandma on my mother's side has fairly light colored eyes, so I think I got my peepers from that side of the family?


9. Is chinchilla fur spinnable?
Well, I guess it could be, but I would have to answer 'no' anyway. Chinchilla fur has a short staple length, maybe 1" and no crimp. It is silky soft, but chinchillas do not shed unless they are stressed or terrorized. If caught, they will 'release' fur, but I wouldn't ever suggest harvesting chinchilla fur like this because A) it would make for a very nervous and unhappy chinchilla B) it would make for a very bald and cold chinchilla. Chinchillas can take quite a while to regrow fur they have lost.

10. How do you get avocado seeds to sprout?
From what I've read, not all avocado seeds sprout, so if your seed isn't sprouting, it could be a dud. Also, avocado seeds can take anywhere from 2-8 weeks to sprout probably also dependent on the method you are using to sprout them. Many people (myself included) enjoy watching the process and stick toothpicks in the sides of the seed to hold it up on a jar of water. This is a very fun way to try to grow them, but the seed will actually sprout faster and be hardier if started in moist soil with just the top (the pointier end) sticking up out of the soil.

11. What's your dog's name and what kind of dog is he?
My dog's name is Buddie, but he also goes by Buddaroonie, Budz, Budz0r (pronouced budzoare), and butt-sore (because someone thought that I was saying that when I called him Budz0r). We don't actually know what kind of dog he is, since he was found in a creek with his sister when he was a puppy. See the post here for a longer story of Buddie (with puppy pics)!