Call Me Maybe.... on my Windows 8x by HTC

Hey I just met you, and... this is crazy.  But here's my number, so call me maybe.... on my Windows 8x by HTC!!

Meet, the Windows 8x by HTC.  It's sleek, slim, easy to use, and in the best color ever (what I refer to as Night Terror Blue)!  How else can you truly  find out just how cool this phone is, unless you take a test run on it?  So, thanks to Crowdtap and Verizon, we had a reason to have a party and play with new technology!

What is there to know about the Windows 8x?  PLENTY! 

Of course, it's running the Windows 8 OS.  That's obvious with a first glance at the Live Tiles start screen.  These are customizable to represent you.  I'm running an Windows 8 laptop, so it was a pretty easy transition to the Windows 8x phone.  How do you customize your start screen?  Easy. You pin your favorite apps or friends to instantly see the latest updates.

Main Camera... great pose Indy

There are 2 cameras, the main camera and the front camera. The main camera is 8 megapixels with auto focus, LED flash and a BSI sensor to help in low light.  The front camera, perfect for those self portraits, features a 2.1 megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. 

front camera... super cool self portrait

It runs Beats Audio?  You mean the same Beats Audio created by Dr. Dre and has all those cool headphones.  Sah-weeet!  Not that I've ever used my phone as my primary MP3 player, but I've never had one with Beats Audio either.  I'm down with having some tunes stored on my phone if it will give the sound justice.

The sleek slim design is  a bit of improvement on my current smart phone.  I mean... look... my LG looks HUGE and bulky compared to the HTC Windows 8x.  I carry my phone in my pocket.... so the HTC would definitely fit a little more comfortable than my current phone. 
  

Kid's Corner for well.... kids.  My 3 year old definitely like to play games on my phone. And of course I have to go through methods to ensure a certain little head isn't making crazy calls, or downloading thousands of dollars of app or in-app purchases when I think he's innocently playing Super Why or Angry Birds.  Kid's Corner, takes out some of the hassle.  I create an environment safe and secure for my littlehead to happily play in his own games and apps, without worrying what else he has stumbled into.  My only issue... has to do with apps that have ads that when clicked, open a browser even in Kid's Corner. Now, it does prevent any real browsing like entering a web address, but it's surprising just how far some simple clicks within a webpage can navigate to somewhere not so preferable.  

Meanwhile... back at the Call My Maybe party....

We can't be expected to test out new technology on empty stomachs.  So, we had plenty of hunger reducing apps... no downloads required.  Live Tile cake pops gave everyone a tasty sense of what can be customized in Live Tiles. And these super tasty rice treat HTCs were available in many of the HTC color schemes!

Live Tile Cake Pops

More Live Tile Cake Pops

edible HTCs

mmmm....Live Tiles....

hello?  hello?  what's up with this...oh...

And what's a party without games!  We created our own version of Live Tile during the "Meet My Windows Phone" Pinterest Challenge.  What a great way to get to know more about your friends?  You can check out ours on the Call Me Maybe Pinterest Page.   Here's a little preview:

We had a great time getting to know the Windows 8x.  And, of course, no one left empty handed!  

Welcome to the Verizon Insiders!

A Monster Bowl Celebration

OMG!!  Did you hear?!?  The Battymore Ravens won the Super Monster Bowl!  We have to celebrate!

Hi There!  Mavis here! 
After my most favorite Monster Team won the Super Monster Bowl, and my favorite player, Ray L. Beastis, announced his retirement, I convinced Dad to have a little shindig here at the Hotel Transylvania!

It was great!  There were great snacks, FANtastic friends, and we did a little Lie In Movie screening.

The Monster Bowl trophy (The Zombardy Trophy) was in the hotel. 

 It was such an honor to have it in our presence.

The menu was superb, just like always. Dad only hires the best chefs in all of Transylvania.

Monster Brain pizza

Ghoul Eye Ball Pops

Mini Mummy Dogs

Well, that Ghoul eye could work.
I don't think it's time for
a transplant though.

Enjoying the delicious snack
in the company of the
Zombardy Trophy

"I'm not too sure about these
Ghoul eye pops.  They keep
eying me up."

Special thanks to Delilah for acting as both
security and fire chief for the event.
We've never felt safer.

The Lie-In Screening...
complete with blankets and pillows.
Lacey thought is was a Drive-In, though.

"No paparazzi!"
It wouldn't be an official screening
if the paparazzi didn't arrive.
Lacey handled them well, though.

 

I always enjoy entertaining here at the Hotel Transylvania. Thanks so much to the FANtastic friends who came and celebrated with us. 

A Dress to Impress

Thanks to another Sample and Share opportunity from Crowdtap and Old Navy, we had quite an adventure at Old Navy sampling all sorts of different dress styles.  Even the Modelquins had something to say.

Check out this installment of A Dress to Impress.

 

*You too can get opportunities like this by visiting Crowdtap.  Sign up today*

Hotel Transylvania - Mavis' 118th Birthday

Hi!  I'm Mavis! 

 

I'm 118 years old.  And...I'm a Vampire.  I live at Hotel Transylvania.  My dad, Dracula, built Hotel Transylvania, a lavish five-stake resort, to be a place where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them.  There's one catch...NO HUMANS ALLOWED!


This is my dad, Dracula.  He's soooooo overprotective.  But he decided to throw a big party for my 118th birthday!  He invited all his best friends, like Uncle Frank and Aunt Eunice, Wayne the Werewolf and his huge family, Murray the Mummy, and Griffin the Invisible Man.  I took it upon myself to invite a few friends too.

There were a few things to prepare in the Hotel for the party goers.  I decided we need to shed a little light, and had housekeeping put up a few flame cauldrons.  I also had them add a few more cobwebs in the halls.  I'm not one for balloons, banners, confetti or streamers.  It's just not my style.

Next, I worked with the kitchen staff to create a monsterrific party menu.  There was no way I was going to let the guests starve.  The result was a very tasty variety of treats.  There were Monster Toes, Troll Nails, Swirly Snail Cookies, Bat Droppings and Monsterriffic Popcorn Cake!

 

 Now that the Hotel was decorated, and the menu was finalized, it was time for guests!  But I had a little secret.  There were humans coming!  I knew Dad wouldn't be happy, so I took my human guests through a Monster Transformation.

First, my little human guests picked out a monster mask, and colored it in.  There were 3-eyed monsters, and monsters with horns, and also a monster that looked like my Uncle Frank.  Even the grown-up humans helped create monster disguises.

The result... a fantastic group of Monsters ready to PARTY!

 

My Dad would never suspect all these cute little monsters were actually humans.  And to prove their monster abilities, we went on a monster parade around the hotel, scaring anyone in site. We tiptoed around corners, and through secret passages, sneaking up on unsuspecting hotel guests.  They did such a fantastic job.  No one ever suspected a thing.

 We took the parade through the Hotel and into the Dining Hall for some ghostly craft projects that they could take home and remember the fun time they had celebrating my birthday.  The messiest project was creating hand print ghosties.  We also made toilet paper monsters that were so frightening, that the suits of armor were shaking and clanking.

 After using much of our energy creating these fabulously spooktakular crafts, we were famished.  The party menu was a big hit!  Everyone filled their bellies and regained the energy for some fun games.

I decided that playing coffin creeper in the graveyard was a little too spooky for my guests, and the weather was not the best for murky pool activities, and lap the moon was definitely out.  We did play witch hat ring toss, and haunted house ball toss. It was the best birthday party ever.  My human friends fit in nicely at the Hotel Transylvania.  And I know they all had such a spooky good time.  I'm sure I'll see them all again!

  

*This opportunity was provided by Crowdtap and the movie Hotel Transylvania.  I took on the role of Mavis from Hotel Transylvania to help create the atmosphere and help our guests identify with the characters of the movie.  You too can get opportunities like this by visiting Crowdtap.  Sign up today*

On June 6, we decided to have a little shindig to try out some new McCormick Grill Mates products and celebrate a certain 31 year old's birthday.
Thanks to another great opportunity from Crowdtap, I got a McCormick Grill Mates Grill Ambassadors party kit, including Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce, Spiced Brandy & Herb marinade, Memphis Pit BBQ Rub, Molasses Bacon Seasoning and Montreal Steak Seasoning, and some recipes.
The menu that I decided on included:

• Brown Sugar Bourbon Ribs using the Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce
• Bacon Turkey Burgers with Pineapple Aioli using the Molasses Bacon Seasoning
• Burgers using the Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Grilled Veggies
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Cous Cous with tomatoes

I never made ribs, so I was a little worried at how they would turn out.  Thanks to the Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce, they turned out AMAZING.  And the interesting combination of the Molasses Bacon Seasoning in a Turkey Burger with Pineapple Aioli was also amazing. We finished with a little birthday dessert.  Everyone had a great time, and left feeling full.

Aidan and Matthew also filled their bellies before playing a little soccer and enjoying the swings and slide.