Mac, Felix, and Ashley

This is a post about major additions to our family this year.

Mac was added in late May. With a 24" monitor that has all the hardware built-in, Mac is the perfect study buddy for all my art classes. It's a lot easier to skim the thumbnails when they're big enough to see. While his Victorian cousin is quite a show stopper, I think I prefer his quality and ease of use. Perhaps I'm growing up.

Felix was added recently as a replacement for our last vacuum, which last died about a year ago. This last vacuum had been the second-cheapest model we found, and we did not make that mistake a second time. One of the best things about Felix is that his belt can't ever break--he doesn't have one! Instead, Felix comes with a clutch. The beater bar is easy to remove for cleaning, it has multiple filters to minimize air dust, and easily detaches from its base to become a lightweight canister vacuum. The best part about Felix is his design (perhaps I'm not growing up). We opted for the cream design with a plaid body and chocolate brown accents. That, combined with his shapely body makes him what may be the most stylish vacuum on the planet.

Ashley is a new construction possibility (okay, nothing's possible until after the pre-approval). She has a spacious great room design, with vaulted ceilings over the living-dining-kitchen. There is an optional fourth bedroom, which would bring square footage over 1700 square feet. The currently available model is nearly perfect, but I'm not sure I could live with black appliances and dark gray countertops, even if they are Corian.