diff --git a/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb b/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb
index 5ce599035..2fb5ac47f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/albums_controller.rb
@@ -6,10 +6,9 @@ class AlbumsController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def create
-    @album = Album.new(params[:album])
-    @album.person = current_user
+    @album = current_user.post(:album, params[:album])
     
-    if @album.save
+    if @album.created_at
       flash[:notice] = "Successfully created album."
       redirect_to @album
     else
@@ -47,4 +46,5 @@ class AlbumsController < ApplicationController
       render :action => 'edit'
     end
   end
+
 end
diff --git a/app/controllers/blogs_controller.rb b/app/controllers/blogs_controller.rb
index e7461cedc..21e25d8c5 100644
--- a/app/controllers/blogs_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/blogs_controller.rb
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ class BlogsController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def create
-    @blog = Blog.new(params[:blog])
-    @blog.person = current_user
-    if @blog.save
+    @blog = current_user.post(:blog, params[:blog])
+
+    if @blog.created_at
       flash[:notice] = "Successfully created blog."
       redirect_to @blog
     else
diff --git a/app/controllers/bookmarks_controller.rb b/app/controllers/bookmarks_controller.rb
index d22e934c2..523cda326 100644
--- a/app/controllers/bookmarks_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/bookmarks_controller.rb
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ class BookmarksController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def create
-    @bookmark = Bookmark.new(params[:bookmark])
-    @bookmark.person = current_user
-    if @bookmark.save
+    @bookmark = current_user.post(:bookmark, params[:bookmark])
+
+    if @bookmark.created_at
       flash[:notice] = "Successfully created bookmark."
       redirect_to @bookmark
     else
diff --git a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
index 4bf54cbf4..700812469 100644
--- a/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/photos_controller.rb
@@ -3,11 +3,9 @@ class PhotosController < ApplicationController
   
   def create
     begin
-      #puts params.inspect 
-      @photo = Photo.instantiate(params)
-      @photo.person = current_user
+      @photo = current_user.post(:photo, params)
 
-      if @photo.save
+      if @photo.created_at
         flash[:notice] = "Successfully uploaded photo."
         redirect_to @photo.album
       else
diff --git a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
index 356612181..cf5ee7f63 100644
--- a/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/status_messages_controller.rb
@@ -13,10 +13,9 @@ class StatusMessagesController < ApplicationController
   end
   
   def create
-    @status_message = StatusMessage.new(params[:status_message])
-    @status_message.person = current_user
+    @status_message = current_user.post(:status_message, params[:status_message])
     
-    if @status_message.save
+    if @status_message.created_at
       flash[:notice] = "Successfully created status message."
       redirect_to status_messages_url
     else
diff --git a/app/models/album.rb b/app/models/album.rb
index 14aa95778..5a2e2a3f3 100644
--- a/app/models/album.rb
+++ b/app/models/album.rb
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ class Album
   after_save :notify_people
   before_destroy :propagate_retraction
   
+  def instantiate params
+    self.create params
+  end
+
   def self.mine_or_friends(friend_param, current_user)
     if friend_param
       Album.where(:person_id.ne => current_user.id)
diff --git a/public/stylesheets/application.css b/public/stylesheets/application.css
index e08ee09eb..e0216a151 100644
--- a/public/stylesheets/application.css
+++ b/public/stylesheets/application.css
@@ -173,9 +173,10 @@ form {
       color: black; }
   #user_name span {
     size: small;
-    font-style: italic;
     font-weight: normal;
     color: #999999; }
+  #user_name #latest_message_time {
+    font-style: italic; }
   #user_name ul {
     display: inline;
     margin: 0;
diff --git a/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass b/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
index 022e5f415..f4ae31d10 100644
--- a/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
+++ b/public/stylesheets/sass/application.sass
@@ -207,11 +207,11 @@ form
 
   span
     :size small 
-    :font-style italic
     :font
       :weight normal
     :color #999
-
+  #latest_message_time
+    :font-style italic
   ul
     :display inline
     :margin 0
diff --git a/spec/models/post_spec.rb b/spec/models/post_spec.rb
index 96b271861..aac4898aa 100644
--- a/spec/models/post_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/post_spec.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ describe Post do
     it "should associate the owner if none is present" do
       @post.person.should == User.owner
     end
-
   end
 
   describe "newest" do
diff --git a/spec/models/user_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
index e9640d07a..01b0365be 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_spec.rb
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ describe User do
   describe 'friend requesting' do
     before do
       @user = Factory.create(:user)
-
     end
 
     it "should be able to accept a pending friend request" do