diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index 71e9f0b9..7548de86 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -1,11 +1,34 @@
 
+export
+    P2,
+    P3,
+    BezierCurve,
+    curve_points,
+    directed_curve
+
+typealias P2 FixedSizeArrays.Vec{2,Float64}
+typealias P3 FixedSizeArrays.Vec{3,Float64}
+
+
 immutable Shape
   vertices::AVec
 end
 
+Shape(x, y) = Shape(collect(zip(x, y)))
+
 get_xs(shape::Shape) = Float64[v[1] for v in shape.vertices]
 get_ys(shape::Shape) = Float64[v[2] for v in shape.vertices]
 
+function scale(shape::Shape, x, y=x)
+    sx, sy = shape_coords(shape)
+    Shape(sx .* x, sy .* y)
+end
+
+function translate(shape::Shape, x, y=x)
+    sx, sy = shape_coords(shape)
+    Shape(sx .+ x, sy .+ y)
+end
+
 function shape_coords(shape::Shape)
     unzip(shape.vertices)
 end
@@ -288,16 +311,6 @@ end
 
 # @require FixedSizeArrays begin
 
-  export
-    P2,
-    P3,
-    BezierCurve,
-    curve_points,
-    directed_curve
-
-  typealias P2 FixedSizeArrays.Vec{2,Float64}
-  typealias P3 FixedSizeArrays.Vec{3,Float64}
-
   type BezierCurve{T <: FixedSizeArrays.Vec}
       control_points::Vector{T}
   end
diff --git a/src/recipes.jl b/src/recipes.jl
index df860b05..3e88113e 100644
--- a/src/recipes.jl
+++ b/src/recipes.jl
@@ -28,50 +28,50 @@ function _apply_recipe(d::KW, args...; issubplot=false, kw...)
     args
 end
 
-# # -------------------------------------------------
+# -------------------------------------------------
 
-# function rotate(x::Real, y::Real, θ::Real; center = (0,0))
-#   cx = x - center[1]
-#   cy = y - center[2]
-#   xrot = cx * cos(θ) - cy * sin(θ)
-#   yrot = cy * cos(θ) + cx * sin(θ)
-#   xrot + center[1], yrot + center[2]
-# end
+function rotate(x::Real, y::Real, θ::Real; center = (0,0))
+  cx = x - center[1]
+  cy = y - center[2]
+  xrot = cx * cos(θ) - cy * sin(θ)
+  yrot = cy * cos(θ) + cx * sin(θ)
+  xrot + center[1], yrot + center[2]
+end
 
-# # -------------------------------------------------
+# -------------------------------------------------
 
-# type EllipseRecipe <: PlotRecipe
-#   w::Float64
-#   h::Float64
-#   x::Float64
-#   y::Float64
-#   θ::Float64
-# end
-# EllipseRecipe(w,h,x,y) = EllipseRecipe(w,h,x,y,0)
+type EllipseRecipe <: PlotRecipe
+  w::Float64
+  h::Float64
+  x::Float64
+  y::Float64
+  θ::Float64
+end
+EllipseRecipe(w,h,x,y) = EllipseRecipe(w,h,x,y,0)
 
-# # return x,y coords of a rotated ellipse, centered at the origin
-# function rotatedEllipse(w, h, x, y, θ, rotθ)
-#   # # coord before rotation
-#   xpre = w * cos(θ)
-#   ypre = h * sin(θ)
+# return x,y coords of a rotated ellipse, centered at the origin
+function rotatedEllipse(w, h, x, y, θ, rotθ)
+  # # coord before rotation
+  xpre = w * cos(θ)
+  ypre = h * sin(θ)
 
-#   # rotate and translate
-#   r = rotate(xpre, ypre, rotθ)
-#   x + r[1], y + r[2]
-# end
+  # rotate and translate
+  r = rotate(xpre, ypre, rotθ)
+  x + r[1], y + r[2]
+end
 
-# function getRecipeXY(ep::EllipseRecipe)
-#   x, y = unzip([rotatedEllipse(ep.w, ep.h, ep.x, ep.y, u, ep.θ) for u in linspace(0,2π,100)])
-#   top = rotate(0, ep.h, ep.θ)
-#   right = rotate(ep.w, 0, ep.θ)
-#   linex = Float64[top[1], 0, right[1]] + ep.x
-#   liney = Float64[top[2], 0, right[2]] + ep.y
-#   Any[x, linex], Any[y, liney]
-# end
+function getRecipeXY(ep::EllipseRecipe)
+  x, y = unzip([rotatedEllipse(ep.w, ep.h, ep.x, ep.y, u, ep.θ) for u in linspace(0,2π,100)])
+  top = rotate(0, ep.h, ep.θ)
+  right = rotate(ep.w, 0, ep.θ)
+  linex = Float64[top[1], 0, right[1]] + ep.x
+  liney = Float64[top[2], 0, right[2]] + ep.y
+  Any[x, linex], Any[y, liney]
+end
 
-# function getRecipeArgs(ep::EllipseRecipe)
-#   [(:line, (3, [:dot :solid], [:red :blue], :path))]
-# end
+function getRecipeArgs(ep::EllipseRecipe)
+  [(:line, (3, [:dot :solid], [:red :blue], :path))]
+end
 
 # # -------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index 69a259b5..d60ef237 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -265,9 +265,16 @@ end
 ```
 """
 function with(f::Function, args...; kw...)
+    newdefs = KW(kw)
+
+    if :canvas in args
+        newdefs[:xticks] = nothing
+        newdefs[:yticks] = nothing
+        newdefs[:grid] = false
+        newdefs[:legend] = false
+    end
 
   # dict to store old and new keyword args for anything that changes
-  newdefs = KW(kw)
   olddefs = KW()
   for k in keys(newdefs)
     olddefs[k] = default(k)