waterfall

Sometimes there is more to the waterfall...

than the waterfall itself...

Hayden Falls on April 1...

editing old photos

Sometimes browsing and re-editing photos doesn't have to be with photos that are very old. Let's suppose, for instance, that I've learned quite a bit about taking and editing photos since JT was 6 months old: January 9, 2008.

So I would likely not take these hideous photos any more:

Ok, so I probably still take photos that are just this awful in color and background choices. But let's be clear, he was an awfully cute baby. And now that he's not a baby any more, I want to preserve and cherish as many images of those chubby cheeks as I can.

In the past two years, I've taken and edited quite a lot of photos. And I now know a few more tricks for making ugly photos work for me. At the moment, black and white images are my favorites.

When I started working with Lightroom, one of the books I read suggested keeping original files for this very reason. If you edit a photo you take today, keep the original file preserved. Save your changes in a file with a different name. Lightroom and even iPhoto will also help you do this. These pictures from my archive happened to be preserved as originals and modified images within iPhoto.

Let's think of it as a memory saved.

funky fresh

This past February, when the snow was piled high and the temperature was dipping LOW.... Becka, Jessica, and I headed to the Short North for a little photo session.

It was not a season for gallivanting around town coatless... NOR for sitting on ice-covered benches. But she did. And looking gorgeous all the while.

Jessica was just shy of 18 when we took these. I cannot believe that my friend's daughter is going to graduate from high school very soon. I could cry my eyes out remembering how young she was when I first met her. Time flies!

This girl is beautiful inside and out. Caring and compassionate, stylish, smiles and laughter... it's what she has always been about. We took pictures of innumerable outfit changes, her glasses to show her smart side, and with a magazine to show her fun side. Here, we've captured one of her greater talents: immense Friends trivia knowledge. Just ask her anything and she can name the episode and the full quote!

Look out college... this girl is on her way... Much love, Jessica!

Easter re-cap

The bunny came by bright and early on Sunday morning and left a nest in the backyard. It was a little bigger this year, because it was for Maddy, too. But it contained all the usual things: clothes, books, toys, and of course, CANDY.

JT wasn't too sure about going out to the nest because he was "chilly." The mention of candy was enough to lure him outside anyway. We warmed up afterwards with Aunt Becka's homemade cinnamon rolls. Mmm, mmm.

After breakfast, I reached another Mommy Milestone. I forced my kid to wear a tie and sweater vest for a holiday. I also had to wet his hair down to keep it tamed for church. Coaxed by a few jelly beans, he eventually wore the whole outfit most of the day. Yay!

Bill, Theresa, and Maddy were looking darling on this sun-shining day. Can you believe Bill picked out Maddy's Easter dress? Excellent choice. She looked so sweet and classy in her green dress and white sweater.

After church, Aunt Memaw and Uncle Papa joined us for Easter dinner. We had "Vermonte" Cristo sandwiches (made with VT white cheddar cheese & syrup), 7 layer salad, and Nana's deviled eggs.

After lunch we played and took more pictures. As challenging as it is to get JT to sit still, we were able to trick him into sitting near Maddy for a picture. Unfortunately for her, our attempts to engage him meant that she got Easter grass on her head or was otherwise knocked over by her cousin.
But I think she doesn't really mind all the attention so much...

she's a gift

Perhaps you've noticed that I'm fond of props in my photos? When JT was a baby, I took a picture of him in the bathtub with his rubber duckie on his head. The duck was a baby shower gift. It also appears in my maternity photos. And he still takes a bath with it every night. So, just maybe it's worth noting that duck in the documentation of our lives.

That brings us to my sweet little niece, Maddy. This past Christmas I got to take her pictures when JT took his nap. Luckily for us, JT was VERY slow at opening his presents and hadn't opened all his gifts. The remaining gifts were from my Aunt Joan and were wrapped so pretty. Perfect opportunity to play dress-up!

To make it special for me, Maddy is wearing a skirt and tights that I got for her. And she's holding the stocking that Mammaw got her. The stocking is very much like JT's personalized stocking. Again, making it special to me. Can you imagine the flood of memories seventeen Christmases from now when we are drinking egg nog by my brother's fireplace where this stocking will still hang... looking at pictures from years gone by?

With babies, props can be quite handy. Maddy couldn't quite sit up at this time, so we used a blanket to cover up some pillows and put the presents within reach to keep her tilted forward. It worked to keep her upright and engaged where I needed her attention for the shot.

This one was more of an outtake. She was looking away from the camera, but giving a sideways smirk... likely to her mama. Her perky little ears and sideways smile resemble my mom's baby pictures. Yes, there she is, under her Nana's Christmas tree flashing her Nana's smile.

Maddy is spending Easter with us this weekend. I can. not. wait.

inspiration

A few things inspiring me right now... Amy's glitter eggs.

I actually made these eggs when she posted them before. But I didn't finish them nearly so sweetly...

A bunny bunting...


The latest Anthropologie catalog... can I take some pictures now?


And I'm thinking about participating in Ali's week in the life 2010. Hmmm...


Here's hoping a chilly weekend ahead means some inside time spent crafting...

hanging pictures

Our bedroom got a little facelift with some vacation photos. I'm not usually very good about getting pictures framed and put on display, but I was so in love with these shots. I ran right out and bought frames and ordered the enlargements. Plus, our room tends to be a little dark with that wall color, so these add brightness.

JT likes to point out the picture in the waves. He says, "Dada, big one?" John says, "Who's that big wave splashin'?" "Dada." "Who else?" *chuckles* "JT".

See the vacation pics here, here, and here.

yes. deer.

A few Fridays ago when I was home part of the day, I noticed these two deer in our backyard.

I figured they were just passing through, so I yelled for JT to come quickly!

They ended up staying out there almost all day. They laid down and were comfortable as could be in our yard. Total craziness here in suburbia!

recharging

I took today to recharge. The pace has just been exhausting lately.

Last Monday I picked up the lens I've waited a few Christmases and birthdays to get. I took it out for an adventure today. Not great photos, but I wanted to get a feel for taking pictures with a new lens. I hadn't realized just how comfortable I'd gotten with my 24-70 until I changed to the 70-200.

And just to certify what kind of woman I am... I also stopped today and exchanged the backpack camera case I got for the bigger, more expensive one that will also carry a laptop. I will pinch pennies over a handbag, but price is no object where the camera is concerned. I can't say I'm surprised at myself... I also wonder who buys jewelry anymore, because I sure don't. Let me think, tech gadgets or diamonds? Gadgets!

It was nice to spend a couple hours alone with my camera and sipping coffee while reading a book for nothing but pleasure. I don't often get to do that these days. Heck, I can't even eat a meal without numerous interruptions. (Which reminds me... I need to make a reservation for Valentine's day, because I am eating sushi with my husband and not being interrupted except for drink refills.)

For dinner, JT and I had Thai food with our buddies Carol and Mike. It was good to have time to chit-chat and catch up with one another. Once again, the pace of life has been keeping us from doing this.

And after some time by myself today, the best part of my day was hanging with JT. He fills my heart to capacity with joy and love.

on the 12th

Because there isn't enough to do in my life, a new project! On the 12th of every month, I'll take pictures and scrapbook them. I'm following along folks on the 12 of 12 blog. I'm excited to have a year's worth of these. Later...

mama, Mama... MAMA!

I mentioned that I took somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 pictures during Christmas, right? Do you know there are exactly 3 of me with JT (or just of me anyway). This is the best of those three.

Once again, John was chided for never taking over the camera. At some point, even a bad photo is a good photo when it's all you have. And shame on me for not handing over a camera to other family members. I had two cameras with me the whole time anyway...

So if I saw you over Christmas and you have pics of me... please send my way. Please.

And this red-headed boy I am holding in the photo? He sure loves his Mama. I couldn't even go to the bathroom without him running around yelling, "mama? Mama? MAMA?!"

new philosophy

I have a new philosophy. It's that bad photos are better than no photos. And since it's going to be winter for a while, expect lots of poorly lit photos on this blog!

Here is a pic of JT playing with the cookware. I think it bothers John when JT plays with the cookware. Like, "why not play with toys... they are actually fun?" Or "hey, we eat off that stuff and you drool a lot." Or perhaps, "I don't get the allure of the steamer basket and isn't that kind of dangerous for a 16-month old?"

Me? I'd let him play with pretty much anything except my x-acto knife. The kid has an insatiable curiosity. And I think if I can raise a good observer and problem solver who continues to be curious, I will pretty much have succeeded as a mother.

A couple weekends ago I traveled to Wooster for a crop with my sister-in-law, Theresa. She was the crop hostess... just me and her in her basement. It was a blast. We were up until 3am both nights and did some shopping during the daylight hours.

Now I have to show you one of the things we made. Theresa had instructions from a book about scrapbooking on the cheap that showed how to make an expandable file folder covered in fabric. We modified the design a bit so that it became a mini-album instead. And oddly enough, Theresa remembered that my brother had given her some screw-posts just like the ones in post-bound albums. So we used those to bind the pages to our books. I don't know where the heck he got those things!

My album is covered in a strechy denim fabric that worked out great. I love the crazy circles on the inside fabric... Theresa nabbed this one from the remnants bin at JoAnn. The red numbers strip is fabric gaffer tape from 7 Gypsies. The chipboard pieces are either painted or embossed.

I thought "b3" was a good familial representation for right now. I'm into numbers at the moment, so I'm working them into my layouts and projects at will.

I'm not sure what will go in this album, could be a while before I finish other projects and have time to think about it. I'll probably decorate it some more when I decide what goes inside.

a week in the life

Ah, the life...

I finished up documenting a week in our life complete with the journaling on Sunday night. Here are some more of the pics.












Now, I'll get right on making these into a mini album! :-)

vote!

It's election season! Ok, while it is presidential election season, that's not what I'm talking about. What I care about is the annual calendar contest at my work. I've made it every year for the past 5 years or so. It's kind of a big thing for me.

Here is where you come in. I can submit 2 photos for consideration. I have selected a handful of my favorites from the past year and put them in a flickr set. View the set and comment on the photos you like best. I'll use your votes to help decide what to submit.

I have to submit by Tuesday... I'll let you know which photos I enter and if I make it!

cupcakes!

A couple Saturdays ago, my friend Kathy asked me to help her learn to take better photos of the cakes and cupcakes she is baking. She has been taking classes and making some gorgeous creations. She is quite talented.

Ok, let me back up just a second. One of the first times I ever talked with Kathy was at a scrapbooking night at our church. She did the make-n-take I demonstrated, proclaiming all the while that she is not creative at all. Let's just say I was suspicious of that statement when she took my scrapbook layout idea and turned it into a work of art.

So now, about two years later, Kathy has apparently discovered her creative side.

When I arrived, one of the books she had as a reference for the kind of photos she wanted to learn how to take was Cupcakes! by Elinor Klivans. Woman after my own heart... this book is DELICIOUS. I have no idea what the recipes are like, but the photos are sweet and dreamy.

I showed Kathy some basics about taking good photos and how to manage the light and shadows with the camera and tools she has. I'm looking forward to seeing more pictures of her gorgeous cakes. And hopefully we can get together sometime when she's baking so I can take pictures of her in the kitchen and we can try to shoot some photos like the the ones in the book.

It was such a fun time collaborating with someone else on a creative endeavor. It's something that I don't do nearly often enough. She completely loaded me up on inspiration. Now, to find some time to act on the inspiration...

(Note... the treat shown here was from Kroger, as all Kathy's cakes had already been delivered the day we did the shoot.)

lime juice

Tonight was girls' night out with the Fork gang. We ate at Cafe Shish Kebab, Turkish cuisine. It was very good... I'd recommend it!

I picked up my new polarizing filter tonight. Very excited about it! The outdoor photo at right was taken with the filter. I definitely did not have enough time to play with it tonight.

Also picked up my long-ago reserved copy of The Creative Family from the library. I'm very excited to process the ideas in this book. The projects might be geared for kids a bit older, but it never hurts to plant the seed.

Even though I missed Bible study tonight to hang out with the girls, I am still working on my reading and journaling. With the new lighting in our bedroom, I can keep it at my bedside as an easy reminder.

While I was at Fork tonight, John and JT went to the grocery store. Apparently JT was peeved that John kept putting everything out of reach. So John gave him a bottle of lime juice for entertainment. Mind you, we didn't need lime juice and he didn't intend to buy it. Well, I guess when they got to the checkout, JT screamed when John handed the lime juice to the cashier for scanning. And that was the only time he let it out of his sight. Weirdo.

love this age

When John and I were dating I went through a phase of growing my hair out long. We only saw each other every other weekend or so. Every time he'd say, "I like your hair that length right there. You should keep it like that." Well, he said that every weekend, and every weekend it was different.

Now I find myself saying that about JT. "I like 6 months old. It's my favorite baby age." Now I am loving 11 months old. (Yes, officially 11 months old on Monday - can't believe it!) He is so awesome now. Sure, I could do without the biting and the "stranger danger," as John calls it. But he's so fun and lovable.

My dad stopped by to visit today. It's amazing to see JT recognize my parents and get crazy excited about them. When Dad left, JT run-crawled over to the door and smiled and waved to Grandpa through the side window. Then he watched Grandpa pull the truck out of the driveway and drive away. Awww... doesn't that just melt your heart?!

Another big thing today... he pronounced mom-mom. I've only been asking him to say it for about 4 months now. He randomly babbled it twice at nap time today. I'll give him a week, and he better be calling for me by name. :-)

I bought some Photoshop actions for Photoshop Elements (PSE) today. I'm so excited about these. It's the "Colorful Actions for PSE" set by Mindy Bush. Here is a sample photo comparing my original image, the color saturation, and vanilla black and white actions.


We had a good day. JT took a great morning nap (almost 3 hours!) and a respectable afternoon nap. (Yes, length of JT's naps is a way to measure a good day.) He and I hit the neighborhood yard sales this morning and made a good haul. I got a nap this afternoon, which was nice because I'm now battling the cold JT had earlier in the week. John got us gyros for dinner from The Big Fat Greek Kuzina. And finally, we met up with the McKeans for playtime at Homestead Park and ice cream.

And now I think I'm off to bed. I usually stay up late crafting on the weekends, but with this cold, I just don't have it in me. N-night.

making seasons bright

So what if he didn't make the finalists for the Gap casting call?! What do those people know about cute babies anyway?!


Our friend Bryan took some amazing pics of JT for our Christmas cards at the open house on Sunday. Awesome, awesome shots that we are just drooling over!

one angry baby

JT and I had a photo shoot today. I'm a great photographer, I tell ya. I might quit my job, I am just that good at photographing babies...


Oh well, someday I am sure we will feel nostalgic about that toothless howl. :-)

calendar contest time

Time to submit photos for my company's annual photo contest! I've compiled a set on flickr of the ones I think are my best. We're allowed to submit two. Buzz on over to flickr and let me know which ones you like.