The f-stop number is what controls your aperture. With a small number (wide aperture—it's a fraction, so the smaller number is actually a larger aperture setting) like 1.5, only the closest objects to the camera will be in focus while the background is blurry. With a large number (small aperture) like 10, the whole…

You may just find that when photographing from really close, it's more difficult to get things totally in focus because it highlights every detail. You can try playing around with the F-stop setting to see if that helps. Good luck!

I like the colors of backgrounds you've chosen. They show off the pieces nicely.

I meant that as an either-or scenario, as in I would use it either in burlesque or stripping. It was, admittedly, poorly punctuated.

My burlesque-stripper song (hypothetically) is "Sexy Silk" by Jessie J. Has the bonus of being on the Easy A soundtrack!

I have a small space in which to sew. I have a table where my sewing machine sits if it's in use, but otherwise I have the sewing machine up on a shelf. I think the important thing is to have floor space for cutting.

If it's an academic publication, I always look up the reviews for cumbersome books to guide my reading. They usually give a helpful summary and also offer commentary. You could try and find it through an online journal like JSTOR, if you have access through a library.

You have to get approval from one of the mods to be able to make new posts. (You can reply to any posts that have already been made, however.) When they first switched to Kinja, the mods had invite threads where you could make those requests, but there haven't been any for a while.

I think your plan is great! The Hello Kitty ring seems like it suits her personality, and I think it would be much sillier to go into debt over something like a super expensive engagement ring.

I am so sorry! That sounds awful.

You have won over my heart with your Bronze Age references.

Last time I was at the Met, a security guard had to shoo away an unruly toddler who had (unbeknownst to her father) slipped past the bars at the Temple of Dendur and was touching the hieroglyphs. Apparently there are sensors all over that thing, which, if tripped, send the place into total lockdown.

I spent so much time watching pygmy goat videos.

People are much more attracted to my curmudgeonish persona than my social persona. They're all like, "Ooh, look at her! She's so hostile and seems really grumpy about life in general. It's so amusing and witty!" Whereas with my sociable persona, they're much more "meh." The Curmudgeonlet is sort of the antithesis…

I actually act extra curmudgeonly when meeting new people, as a sort of social gauntlet to determine whether they are worth interacting with. A "curmudgeonlet," if you will.

If I do chocolate Slim Fast, I add a spoon of peanut butter and a scoop of butterscotch instant pudding. Tastes like liquid Butterfingers! (If you've got powder to use up, this might be a good option for you.)

I second the suggestion for Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl. Jez actually did a "Worth It" post on it awhile ago: http://jezebel.com/5917831/tap-in… which is when I bought it. It's fantastic, and lasts forever, both on your lips and as a pencil. I love that it's matte, since I find shiny red lips a bit…

My piano teacher would be cringing at the thought of Catwoman playing the piano with those nails...

This is the video I've found that has a really good explanation of how to do a front twist in your hair that incorporates all the little strands to get it out of your face. I use it to keep my bangs back on days I don't feel like styling time.

Swoon