I'm really happy with my cute little 14-inch laptop. Wish I'd chosen a different color, though. The lid is a dark blue that looked sleek and soothing on the website when I placed my order. In real life, though? It looks just like plain old navy blue -- definitely more blah than soothing.

Are you unhappy or bored with your laptop? Yeah? Well, fortunately, there's never been a better time to personalize your machine ... or your iPod, Blackberry, cell or other device, for that matter. Whatever your gadget, make it really pop with a cool custom or DIY skin. Let's take a peek at some of the options:

1. Ready-made Skins. First up, there are tons of ready-made laptop skins out there. These may be purchased from computer manufacturers or from a number of other online sources. Dell, for example, now offers over 200 skin designs in a rainbow of colors and styles. Visit Dell Design Studio to see them all.

Batman kicks butt in his latest movie, The Dark Knight, a gloomy yet action-packed flick that scored big at the box office this weekend. A summer blockbuster has been born, to be sure. The stunningly cool vehicles used in the movie are attracting interest all on their own, especially the sleekly menacing Bat-Pod motorcycle.

It turns out the bike was a bit of a DIY job on the part of the film's creators. According to an article in Popular Mechanics, the 'Pod is actually a motorcycle-ATV hybrid, all wrapped up with plumbing parts and some creative duct-work. The entire exhaust frame was custom built especially for the movie, while those massive wheels suffered blow-out after blow-out until the steering was just right. Another cool little factoid: the footrests disguise the bike's radiator.

Speaking of The Dark Knight, the movie's star, Christian Bale, seems to have gotten himself into a spot of bother with the police. Read all about it at our sister site, Cinematical.

The other day, I found an interesting and easy decorative glass vase tutorial over at CasaSugar. I thought to myself, "That's pretty cool for around the house, but I bet it would also be perfect as a wedding centerpiece." In fact, it turns out that the project originated at DIY Bride.

This is really as simple as picking up some rub-on transfers you like, along with a clear glass vase that has a smooth surface. After making sure the vase is completely clean and dry, just cut around the transfers you like, then use the burnishing stick that comes in the package to carefully rub designs onto the vase (exactly as you would if you were rubbing them onto paper).

The transfers are sold in almost any store that carries scrapbooking or other craft supplies. Thousands of designs are available, but if you can't find any rub-ons that you like in your area, the DIY Bride post has a list of online resources.

This project is as versatile and stylish as your imagination (for example, the right transfers would make it great for Mother's Day), but this is not exactly a new tip: a few months ago, this concept also ran in the Winter, 2008 issue of Somerset Life magazine, where it was used to decorate glass bottles and jars. Please join me after the break to read more about the appealing ideas that were presented there.

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products and other useful blends.

Haven't you always wanted a signature scent? A scent so perfect for you that others even notice how well it suits your personality and style? A custom perfume, if you will, all your own: borne of you, inspired by you, designed by you.

Can you do it? Can you really create your own all-natural personal scent blend, even when you have had little or no experience with essential oils?

You can, and you will.

First, a few safety rules.

Always dilute essential oils in a carrier oil. You run the risk of sensitization if you use an essential oil on your skin neat, or undiluted.

I cannot recommend organic jojoba strongly enough. Since jojoba is actually a wax, not an oil, it will not go rancid. It also matches your skin's sebum more closely than any other substance, so it will help your scent blend really become a part of you, melding your own skin's scent with the oils to make it truly unique.

Please refer to this guide from Aromaweb for more safety information, and for the real deal about which oils are not safe to use, visit Nature's Gift's contraindication page. The information there may surprise you.

After the break, I'll explain how you can get started creating your own blend with little emphasis on rules and a big focus on what you love.

If being a die-hard DIY'er is a point of contention in your relationship, I wouldn't recommend turning up with these rings on your wedding day. If you're both into the fix-it lifestyle and want to celebrate it along with your love in a fun and quirky way, these nut and bolt wedding rings might be just the right fit.

The (somewhat phallic) rings fit together perfectly. I don't know how I'd feel about the guy getting the diamond piece, but that's the way they are intended. If nut and bolt rings aren't what you had in mind, there are some other cool ways that use your DIY'er personality and make your special day totally unique. Try making your own, with New York Wedding rings. A simple engraving can personalize rings and make them one of a kind. I'm sure there are loads of creative rings out there. I'd love to hear about some of them in the comments.

If you're looking for simple crafty activities you can do with your kids (or grandchildren!), you will probably be interested in this page of family-friendly holiday projects and ideas that Kathy Cano-Murillo did for PBS Parents.

Kathy shares three simple, child-friendly ideas:

• Toy Shadow Boxes: small toys or holiday decorations are displayed in an upright tray, which is hung on the wall or propped up on a surface.
• Funny Family Wrapping Paper: a collage of elements (pictures, quotes, etc) is photocopied to make wrapping paper.
• Gingerbread Gift Boxes: more of a "self-explanatory concept" than a "project with instructions." You might find this page of gingerbread recipes created specifically for people building gingerbread houses useful, if you decide to try this one.

There are a few other suggestions there for crafting with kids, at the holidays or any other time: cover your surfaces, use plastic gloves, have an "art supply box" to keep all your tools in and help children learn to clean up after themselves, and document the process with lots of pictures! Much more information is available at the PBS Parents site.

Couples can now make their own (or probably each others) wedding rings. It used to be that you'd choose between buying something ready-made from the store, or having a jeweler custom-make one for you. Now there is another option: design and craft your own.

This innovative concept by New York Wedding Ring is offered in both their New York and San Francisco studios. Each step, from design to final touches, will be under the guidance and supervision of a professional jeweler. You don't need any prior metal arts experience, or any real understanding of jewelry. Most designs can be completed in a one day workshop. More complicated plans may require an extra day. This would be a really fun workshop to take together.

They also offer engagement ring workshops. Just imagine how impressed she'll be when you propose with a ring that you crafted personally just for her.

I need a new computer. While Apple, Dell and Hewlett-Packard all make fine machines, I want something made just for me. I want a custom machine which will serve all my needs. It needs to be fast, quiet and powerful. It needs enough on-board memory so I never have to worry about memory availability again. It needs the capability to duplicate a CD or DVD. It needs to be outfitted for web-casts, video production, digital image editing and all those other things which a home / small business computer is depended upon. Oh yeah, and it must be virtually indestructible. A self-cleaning function would be nice too, but I think that might be asking a bit much. Now here's the angle: I want our DIY Life readers to help me assemble my component package. I want your input about the parts I will need to assemble this top-notch machine.

My first consideration is my power feed. I don't mean the interior power source for the machine itself, I'm talking about the power management unit I plug my computer into.