willkommen

Now that you've seen the Pink Room, it's probably time we showed you the rest of the house. Like all homes, it's a work in progress which will probably be done when we're ready to move.

Come in!
The living room

We actually weren't going to look at this house. The fireplace pretty much sold me.

The family room
Rizwan's contribution

The kitchen. Is it ever big enough? Let's go upstairs!
Our guest bath
Another view

The (cat free) guest room
From another angle

This is our bedroom. Our neighbors were throwing out their old windows. I thought they'd eventually come in handy for something crafty. I used one of them to frame the joker card Brett gave me at the wedding.

Our bathroom. It's pretty small but it's great having it right off the dressing area of the bedroom which is so convenient.

The end!

The Pink Project

Now that we know Peanut belongs to Team Blue, I'm all geared up to begin work on the nursery.
The pink walls have got to go. All of our house guests have attempted to describe the intensity of the current color. It's been refered to as "hot pink", "Barbie pink", and "80s pink"to name a few. It's easiest just to show the pictures and to note that it's so bright, there's no need for lights.

I had my heart set on a Serena and Lily bedding ensemble. After seeing the $600 price tag Riz vetoed it immediately. I know it's completely unreasonable and Peanut wouldn't know the difference... I do love it though. The problem with seeing the expensive bedding, is that everything that follows pales in comparison. Everything except the walls.

My issue with forgoing boutique shopping is not that I don't like saving money, but that I'm strictly opposed to themed rooms. I find rooms decked out in Looney Tunes, Winnie the Pooh , and the like completely repulsive. The light switch cover matches valance which matches the lampshade and the sheets and the mobile. Of course, most of the the big retailers boast shelves upon shelves of this crap.

After searching through countless of bad choices, I've decided to recreate the Serena and Lily bedding on a budget. A much much smaller budget. The challenge starts tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Snips n' Snails and Puppy Dog Tails...

oh boy

Gender results today!

Tahera and I can't wait 'till 2:30 to find out whether it's Mr. Or Ms. Peanut. Stay tuned!

This is Where We Used to Live

Heading back!

An Interesting Find...

Well folks, the latest development to hit chez Parvez is that our little peanut's now "got his ears on."

In preparation for this event, Tahera and I have been brainstorming over what the very first song Peanut hears should be. We came up with a bunch of great ideas, and finally decided on Heartbeats as done by Jose Gonzalez. I first heard this song through this fantastic Sony ad.




Details about how the ad was made, as well as a high-res quicktime version can be found on the Bravia advert site here. The ad was directed by Danish photographer Nicolai Fuglsig. The filming was done in San Francisco using 250,000 superballs and high speed cameras. I think it's awesome to see something done "for real," rather than using a bunch of computer generated images to create the effect. The motion is fluid, sometimes random, and breathtaking.

As for the music, it fits the flow of the video perfectly; warm, simple, and beautiful.

Jose Gonzalez is a Swedish born indie/folk musician. Heartbeats is a track from his 2003 album Veneer. The rest of the album tends to run in a similar vein and all-in-all is quite good.

Now here's where things get really interesting. Tahera, being the dilligent one did a bit of background research on the song and made a very cool discovery. Heartbeats was actually written by a Swedish duo called The Knife. They have their own video directed by Swedish Trio Andreas Nilsson, Johannesen Nyholm, and Bo Melin. Theirs (apart from being awesome in its own right,) lends some insight into the Fuglsig's vision for the Bravia ad. What's more, it's a terrific throwback to early CGI.



I really enjoy the contrast between these two pairs.

One is very organic. It uses almost no computer effects (either song or video) to make its impact. The other is entirely electronic. It's a deliberately rough-edged sort of animation that celebrates CGI's beginnings.

I go back and forth over which one I like better. I hope you enjoy both.

Kickin' It Old School

Tahera and I went home to visit the family a few weekends back (and make some fun announcements.) As we were getting ready to leave, the Old Man mentioned that he'd been following our blog (Hi Dad!) and was wondering if I'd like to take his old Minolta SLR film camera since I've been hobbying-up the photography lately. Well, of course I did, and thought I'd post some of the early results, and my impressions on the camera.

I took the Minolta out on the town shortly after we returned to Pittsburgh. Tahera and I decided to go into the Squirrel Hill district and get some italian ice at one of our favorite local places, Rita's. When we got there, it was about mid-sunset. The light was just teriffic. Everything had this great glow to it. Right after we parked the car, I looked around for something to photograph. Pretty quickly I noticed what seemed to be a nice view of the sunset. I turned on the camera and prepared to take a picture.

I leaned back and pressed my face to the viewfinder. It was already, instantly different; one eye closed, only being able to see what the lens saw. The lack of peripheral vision really forced me to focus on composition. A little to the left... less tilt... move it lady... Then, presto! The shot I wanted. I held my breath to keep the camera steady and braced against my car. There was a brief creak before the shutter release gave way and I was rewarded by the glorious snap-and-whir of old machinery exposing film and advancing for the next shot. real film. No crappy afterthought .wav file played out of a tinny camera speaker. No mega-anything. The real mechanics at work. That sound is my favorite part. You can feel it.

So let's see what it looks like. Oh wait..reality has it's price. Where before there was the flick of a switch to playback mode, I now had 6 exposures left, then winding, then removing and capping the film, then driving down to Rite-Aid and dusting off the octogenarian at the photo booth and then...dear god...Paying for DEVELOPING! Stir in an extra hour (gimme an hour-anna-half, dearie, justincase y'know?) and we've finally come to payday. Like a real payday. You know, days after the work was done.

But wow. I think I'm really starting to see what people get so on about when they're talking about using film cameras. Don't get me wrong, I still love our point-n-shoot Canon. The way I burn through digital shots, (yeah, why not forty two shots of our cat sleeping. We only have a thousand already saved on the computer. This shot might not ever come up again [this hour], ) we'd be living in a cardboard box if it were film. And I'd be on the evening news for going berzerk at a neighborhood drugstore's photo counter...dearie.

I'll still use the Minolta for special occasions. Hell, I'm still using it right now. The pictures I've been able to get out of it are too good not to. But even on those occasions, I'll still have the digital as back-up with me. The convenience is too much for me to give up, even with the crappy fake shutter sound.


The Pics:

Introducing Grandma Ejaz!

Working with f-stops.

Working with f-stops., originally uploaded by rizp.

Just a quick shot that I thought did a decent job of showing how f-stops can effect the composition.

This was taken at ISO50 1" f2.6 on aperture priority

the point I'm focusing on is intended to be the 5-way nav button on the phone. With a wide aperture (small f#) the focus is more tightly centered on point of interest, and the other keys are increasingly out of focus as the move away from the 5-way. This adds "drama" (like I don't have enough in my life).

Compare to this other image with a narrow aperture. (ISO 50, 1/4 f8.0)

On Features, Functions, and Skills

Since fiddling around with the camera extensively at John and Kiran's wedding, botching some neat shots, and actually succeeding in capturing some others, I've caught a bit of a photography bug lately. As part of this recent fancy, I had been ogling a high end Nikon Digital SLR (DSLR) and actively bemoaning my Valu Salsa budget. I also had been spending some time learning more about the camera we already have and working on improving my camera skills. After all, what good is that top of the line whatever, if you don't even know how to use it. and that got me thinking about why I chose the camera we have now in the first place...

Before Tahera and I decided to buy our little point and shoot Canon A520 Powershot, I made it a point to find a camera with a ton of manual features available. I figured having a that much adjustability would make the camera more versatile and also give me a chance to really develop some skill behind the lens.

Given those criteria, the little Canon was a fantastic choice. With it I can have (nearly) full control over shutter speed, aperture, ISO (up to 400) and white balance, and metering (center weighted, evaluative, and spot).

For a point and shoot, this really is a lot of functionality. As it turns out, having all of this photographic horsepower was no fluke. Recently Gizmodo posted a link describing how to "hack" the Powershot family of cameras to unlock even more high end features, including live-view histograms and .RAW shooting mode. Why are these things even in a camera like this; let alone hidden?

Well, it turns out that under the hood it Powershot cameras share the same Digic II processor as their high-end DSLR stable-mates. Sure sure, it's no substitute for the badass lenses and CMOS sensors of those high-end cameras, but it does hammer home that there's plenty of capability packed into today's point-and-shooters. If you need more proof, look at these Flickr A520 Photos. Yep, I suck.

At any rate, I looked through some great pro articles at the Nikon Learning Center and, actually having some understanding of what the different functions mean, have been applying more focused (ha!) efforts to mastering our little canon's features. As I'm getting more comfortable with the adjustments, I'm finding myself spending less and less time in Auto mode. So far, I'm still getting my best results using Shutter or Aperture priority, thereby letting the camera figure out half of the settings. But more than anything else, I'm spending a lot of time on learning how to make things look like I want them. How much time? Here was my first attempt at this composition:








yeah, time flies all right.

Long Branch

5 years ago when my mom planned the family vacation to Puerto Rico, I thought the Ejaz family had experienced the worst vacation ever. We still tease her about it whenever the opportunity presents itself. Last month, my dad planned a get-away for the two of them to Costa Rica. After reviewing the itinerary, which was obviously dad-focused, (checking out the aviary, tropical fish, alligators and the like) she expressed her concern that his schedule only allowed for one day at the beach. "At least we're not staying at a medical center," he shot back.
If only it had turned out to be a medical center. What my mom thought was a conference center/hotel turned out to be something else entirely. We must have been a sight; the seven of us sunburned and crammed into an elevator that smelled of bandages with our sunglasses and beach bags in tow. You can imagine our horror when the elevator doors opened to reveal the recovery unit in a hospital. When your hotel check-in is at a nurses station, it's a bad vacation. We didn't stay there though apparently some people do...for fun. In hind-sight it's hilarious.
Fast- forward 5 years.

At the end of August the sisters took a mini-vacay to Long Branch Beach, NJ. It was supposed to be a super-girly, end of summer adventure. We'd spend most of the day on the beach. When we were bored of that we'd shop and all the while we'd be eating. Before we even left, Medina ditched us for cheerleading try-outs. Whatever. Should have been a sign.

On day 1 I met Aziza and Sameena at the King of Prussia Mall which was a great start. We had lunch, caught up, and spent hours ogling at the designer gowns and shoes at Neiman Marcus. Then the rain.

The next day we drove to Long Branch. Our hopes for a break in the weather were still high. I mean, it couldn't pour for 4 days straight. We had picked the nicest hotel available, the Ocean Place Resort and Spa. Turned out to be a great choice because we were indoors for 4 days straight. We were totally bummed. We didn't even want to take pictures to later be reminded of our time there. Each morning we'd draw back the drapes with great anticipation. Today there would be sun. Not so much.

We tried to do what any resourceful girls would have done; we started calling spas. Sameena must have called 20 places with no luck. They were either booked, didn't speak English, or wanted $60 for a pedicure. A salon then. We would all get our hair done. That could be fun. In desperation we ended up in a mall salon. We ate at the mall too. It was so sad.

On the last night we went to a coffee house. It was about 10:30 when we tried to leave. I say 'tried' because the car didn't start. The car that has never had any hint of an issue didn't start. Again, we did what any resourceful girls would have done; we called our dad. Obviously, he'd be able to help from 2 states away. He told us to call AAA. We did, only to find out that as his children, we weren't covered. I called Riz. He told us to wait 20 minutes and try starting the car again. 20 minutes later we were calling a cab. We started brainstorming ways we may have wronged the guy upstairs. No one said it, but we were all thinking "what if we can't get out of this place...?"

The next morning we took a cab back to the car. My dad had thought about it overnight and suggested we step on the gas before we even turned the key and then never ever turn off the car. It worked and we tore the hell out of there. We haven't talked about it since.

Someday this too will be hilarious, girls. Maybe 5 years.

Thanks to Aziza's creativity, we do have a single fond memory of our vacation. Butter balls.

Vacation Backlash!

Price Check on my life...

::sigh::

And We're Back

Back from vacay! Check your e-mail for a link to our picasa web-album from the wedding trip. (and lemme know if I've forgotten to send it to you!)

How is this Possible?!

I don't know about you guys, but the cost of fuel is a perennial concern over here at chez Parvez. With 2 midsize sedans turning up economy numbers in the low to mid 20s for city driving, the costs can really add up. Kudos go to T for finding a kickass way to ease that cost: Giant Eagle Fuel Perks!
For every $50 we spend at the grocery store they deduct $0.10/gallon from the price of fuel at one of their gas stations. All you do is scan your shopper's club card at the pump and it applies the discount. Discounts can accumulate up to 3 months, so the savings really add up. We spend ~$70 a week on groceries, so over 3 months that's $1.40 off of each gallon. Plus, the grocery store has "double points" on gift cards for places like Home Depot and Target, so the savings can actually go much higher. This was our first time using it after ~2.5 months, so it was really big. This much gas would've cost me almost $45.00 anywhere else. Needless to say I literally danced a jig standing next to the pump.

Good find, Pika!

A Fun Evening

Just finished the "Pittsburgh Ducky Tour," and we're closing the evening with some live standup at The Improv. Headlining tonight is Bill Burr (YouTube him, he's hilarious). A more detailed post on this weekend's festivities to come!

Domestic Goddess

It may not be spa days or manicures or champagne and caviar... But to my bleary post-call eyes, there couldn't be a more beautiful image.

Simply Vera

Vera Wangs' new line, Simply Vera, is hitting Kohl's stores nationwide this fall. I have high hopes. From the ads, the clothes look clean, chic, romantic, and a little edgy...very Vera. I'm waiting to get my hands on the fabric before I decide if I'm in love. I have been less than impressed with other designers' attempts to produce high fashion looks for the masses. Vera's a classy gal. If anyone can pull it off, it's her. The line will range $20-$200 and also includes eye wear and accessories for the home. Fun!

Becoming the Old Man

Funny thing happened the other day and I thought I'd share...

Tahera and I were backing out of the garage with me at the wheel, when some punk kid buzzes by the back of the car on his bmx. After dislodging the brake pedal from the floorboard and triple checking that there weren't any of his hoodlum friends coming down the pipeline, I backed out the rest of the way and started past our house.
It's at this point that I notice the little bastard cruising down my damn lawn! He slowed to a near standstill at the steepest dropoff, planning out his sweet jump.
So I stop the car, roll down the window and instantly become a 90 year old man.

"Yo!" I yell, incredulous and at a loss for anything more coherent.
The punk stops and looks back up the hill in confusion...
"Offa da lawwn" I signal with an annoyed hand gesture.
At this point, the little shit has the nerve, after trampling what little green lawn I have, to give me attitude! "Sorry.." he says, in a nasal tone that means he's anything but...
"yeah, Thanks." I reply, mirroring his message, and eyeing him till he's on the sidewalk..

Whatever you weasel. You're not sorry and I'm not grateful. Just stay offa my damn lawn or next time I'll beat you with my walker.

Now that some time has passed, the absurdity of what transpired has sunk in. If I were that kid (and hell, I was that kid once..), I would've said the exact same thing, in exactly that tone. I guess there's something about having a house. Your own castle. That last bastion of privacy, that turns you into a raving lunatic control-freak.
Which reminds me... I've gotta mow that lawn. Don't wanna be a slovenly raving lunatic control-freak...

Fatty Cakes

For our Saturday wedding anniversary I made Pika some yummy scones for b-fast. The recipe from Martha is below. The key is to mix the dough as little as possible to ensure that the scones come out moist and light. Enjoy!
Makes 8

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling tops
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing tops
2 large eggs, lightly beaten


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in center. Place a baking mat on a baking sheet, and set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in butter until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Stir in blueberries and zest.
Using a fork, whisk together cream and egg in a liquid measuring cup. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients, and pour in cream mixture. Stir lightly with fork just until dough comes together. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead a few times to mix well.
Pat dough into a 6-inch square about 1 1/4 inches thick. Using a floured knife, cut into four 3-inch squares. Cut squares in half on the diagonal to form eight triangles. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with cream, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Transfer scones to wire racks to cool.

Anniversary Marathon

Today is day 1 in a series of wedding anniversaries; all mine. On July 19, 2003 Riz and I were married in front of 200+guests. On July 21st we held an intimate celebration with 50 of our closest family and friends. The next morning, nearly delirious from exhaustion, we were officially married with our two witnesses looking on. The JP insisted on making the occasion memorable with a speech. Having heard the "for life" speech twice already, we just wanted the signature. Riz was sporting his tuxedo pants from the night before and a fisherman's hat. I hadn't brushed my hair. She probably thought we were wasted, but she married us anyway.A lot of couples think that their wedding day was the most perfect. On paper, ours wasn’t. Wedding Day 1 was clear and sunny.

Then came the storm

which wrinkled the dress

and upset the hair

and put us in a state of emergency.

But after the storm, there was sun again.
The hair had been reconstructed. The dress had been steamed.

We laughed

and cried equally.

We ate cake

and ice cream

.....lots of ice cream.

We were entertained by the finest of performers.

And surrounded by the people we love the most.

We became Mr. and Mrs.
Perfect it wasn't and I wouldn't change a thing. It was the most memorable beginning of the perfect marriage.
Happy Anniversary, Pika.

The Big Comfy Couch

The family room couch arrived today and it was painless.
The ordeal surrounding our living room furniture still haunts me. It's beautiful. Riz and I took great care (after missing our flight to Barbados) picking out the perfect fabric combinations for the perfect frames. It's sophisticated without seeming uptight. It's both masculine and feminine. It's timeless. Most importantly, it doesn't look like a furniture show room. I hate that. After lots of money, several shipment goof-ups (two right sides) and seven months, the couches were delivered. They were damaged. By the time everything was resolved it was the end of month 8.
The couch buying experience for the family room was nothing like that. We ordered it on a Tuesday. It was in our house exactly 3 weeks later. The color and fabric is just what we requested; a velvety chocolate. It's a big, comfy, everything a family room couch should be, couch and it makes me giddy. I've been inspired by this picture I saw at Restoration Hardware and can't wait to get started on the rest of the room. Saving money stinks. Talk about champagne taste on a peanut butter budget.