Catching Up

Okay, this is kind of a catch up post, trying to answer a bunch of comments from the last few days.

First, I thought Pirates was awesome. Love, love, loved it. I am not at all objective about those movies though, it would be hard to dissappoint me, I think.

Annette, I do have a shirt from thinkgeek. If I didn't already know we were soul sisters, we totally are now.

Thank you all for all the nice comments about my pictures. I'll share here how I learned what little I know about my camera, and photos in general.

First, I'll admit that I've never read my camera manual. And I know that reading it is the very first thing you're supposed to do. I can't understand it, I get nothing out of reading it, it's like, a language I can't speak. I tried, I failed. I am an awful, horrible camera owner. Glad I got that out in the open.

If you have a digital rebel, I recommend this site: http://2peasinapicture.blogspot.com/
I learned a lot about the settings on my camera from there and it's easy for me to understand.

I can't talk about my camera with mentioning my friend J (also known as the guy who made me go to brunch when I totally already had lunch plans for those of you who heard that story at lunch) who might not help me out nearly so much if I didn't say he's wonderful and fantastic and I'd get nowhere, camera wise, without him. He has the same camera, and he'll answer the phone when it's like, midnight, and I'm trying to figure something out, and explain things to me over, and over again, until I get it. And he bought me my way cool camera bag, so he's the best.

I think beyond all of that though, it helped me just to learn about composition, and you can use that no matter what camera you use. I think the biggest thing that helped me develop my eye and take better pictures was looking at pictures all the time and seeing what I liked and then just taking a ton of pictures. I have a much better eye for it now than I did even a year ago, basically just from that. Photography for Scrapbookers by Tracy White was one thing that I looked at a lot, I also look at the photography board on 2peas (http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/pg.asp?gallery=2).

For the record, I still take a lot of crappy pictures (I just don't post those, hee), I just take more good pictures now than I used to, and I take good pictures on purpose now, instead of by accident (though one of my favorite pictures is a great one I took on accident years ago, and the pictures I love the most are sometimes not the greatest pictures, but the most sentimental ones, because I am a sentimental girlie girl).

Okay, that was really long, and hopefully a little bit helpful and not completely boring. I promise to try to be more interesting next week.

lunch pictures part 2

 

lunch pictures

Part one, anyway. I'm posting these straight out of the camera here for now so the girls can see them, before I run off to have dinner with my dad. I didn't take to many pictures, I got distracted talking about Jack Baurer.

 

Geeking out

Okay so, I'm secretly (perhaps not so secretly) kind of a huge geek. Perhaps that explains my deep love for Chloe, because she's the coolest geek ever. Anyway, I'm going to lunch today with some girls from my favorite scrapbook store, and I'm like, super excited it. Like, picked out my little outfit last night because I was so excited, excited. So geeky. Also, geeking out over seeing Pirates tonight, I bought my tickets, so I'm ready to go. All in all, this is looking like a pretty awesome day in my little corner of the world.

I think I did a pretty good job for my first time shooting fireworks...if only that stupid tree hadn't been in my way. I had a nice, laid back fourth.

I'm trying to think of something interesting to talk about...Emmy nominations? I do watch a lot of tv. So, I'm happy about all the 24 nominations, but I wish they had nominated Chloe. I just love Mary Lynn Rajskub. I pretty much figured out last year that the show could kill off anybody they wanted and I'd keep watching as long as they kept Chloe around. I know a lot of people who watch the show say they hated her at first but love her now, but I loved her from the beginning (I was cool before my time!) so I want some kind of credit for that. What else? It would have been nice to see some nominations for Prison Break, because I do love that show, but I'm not shocked. Hugh Laurie not getting nominated for House though, is shocking. Ditto James Spader for Boston Legal. It's always nice to see Sandra Oh get nominated because I think she's pretty lovely. And you're all probably bored to death now, so I'll stop. Hope you're having a great day. 

So I totally had a whole post planned out, to talk about these two upcoming family weddings and I was going to post the storyboard I made with pictures from my cousin's wedding in March and it was going to be all themed. And then the internet went out at my mom's house, which is where the storyboard is saved, so I couldn't post it. So instead, I shall talk about the weddings and leave you with this picture of my parents playing with sparklers the other night.


One of my cousin's is getting married the 5th of August, and I'm starting to get pretty excited. I have a pretty dress to wear and I figured out what shoes I'm wearing and I get to get my hair fixed and I'm going to wear this pretty necklace my grandfather bought me. Plus, my dad is doing the wedding ceremony, so I think that will be cool.


Another one of my cousin's (my most favoritest cousin) is getting married next September (2007), and I'm already super excited about that. She's getting married in Arizona, and I'm planning on flying down for it.


Other stuff going on...I got a new scrap table. I'll try to remember to post a picture of it. I need to make reservations for this place I want to eat breakfast on vacation. I need to figure out what to get my mom for her birthday (I have a few ideas, I need to narrow it down). I'm applying for another job. Trying not to stress. Super excited about Pirates of the Carribean opening up next weekend, I saw the first movie like, seven times in the theater (more than any other movie I've ever gone to see). I think that's about it. 

Why do all the great ideas come late at night? I would love to be sleeping right now, I'm tired. But I'm printing off pictures, and I've been journalling and sketching layouts, because I know my ideas won't be as good in the morning. But oh, my bed seems really tempting.

I haven't been around much lately. Or, rather, I've been around but not posting. I'm stressed out about the job thing. Sorry.

Unwritten

Okay, so maybe this is a little bit cheesy. Or, possibly, a lot cheesy. I was sitting the car, in the rain, and this song came on while I was waiting for it to let up so I could run in, and I had my camera in the backseat, so I grabbed it and took a couple of pictures. It just fits somehow, right now, because my life feels really unwritten for the first time in a long time, I really don't know what's coming up.

The storyboard action for this is from photoblast, the font is sp purkage. 

Thanks

For all your kind thoughts and comments. It really means a lot to me. And you were all right, I found some stuff out about the job today and I'm so glad I didn't get it. So, I'm trying to find something else, so if you could cross your fingers and send up some good thoughts and prayers for me, it would mean a lot. Much love to all of you.

So I was in the running for this job that I really wanted, and I found out this morning that I didn't get it. And I don't know what to do now, because I basically waited the last six months for this job, and it's not like I thought for sure that I'd get it, but I kind of thought I might. And I cried, which is just stupid because at the end of the day, it's nothing. So anyway, that's where I'm at right now.

My new favorite page

Made this one of the computer last night/this morning. I love, love, love it. I've been feeling so uncreative, so uninspired lately, that it was just what I needed right now. I'm totally ordering copies of this from scrapbookpictures and it's going on my wall.

The background and quote are from designerdigitals. The font is AL Charisma. I used the photoblast color vivid on all the pictures. 

Fun with actions

All actions are from photoblast. Excuse the imperfection of the color select, it's lateish and I didn't feel like taking the time to make it just right. Good enough for now.


 

Radio Silent

Sorry I haven't written lately (bad blogger!). I just haven't had a lot to say. I bought some actions for Photoshop elements and I'm waiting for them to be sent to me so I'm basically checking my email, oh, every other minute in anticipation.

My mama

My mama is just the best. She's my best friend. I'm not even exaggerating a little when I say she's the nicest, kindest, best person I know. All the things that are good in me, I got them from her. So happy mother's day to my mama, I love you so. 

Checking things off my list

I feel like I got a lot done today.

First, I'll start with the picture off to the side. I take care of the nursery during Sunday school at my church. I took pictures of the kids this morning, then turned them black and white on the computer, fussed with the lighting a bit, and put the text on them. I'm going to print them off and put them in these little frames for their moms for Mother's Day. I think they turned out really well.

I also did a little scrapbooking, I finished up my pages for the circle journal swap we're doing.

I made this hanging ribbon frame thing for one of the Making Memories Home Decor kit for my mom for Mother's Day. I'll take a picture of it after I give it to her, it looks really good.

And finally, I burned my April pictures to a disk, since I somehow forgot to do that on the first (I'm usually so good at it, too!).

 

NSD

Happy national scrapbooking day to all my scrappy happy friends. I won't be around much to scrap today, but I did make this this morning. Just me getting crazy with brushes and photoshop (all brushes are from 2peas and designerdigitals). Have fun today! 

Sometimes when you're doing simple things around the house, maybe you'll think of me and smile

This was a blog challenge from one of the scrapbooking websites I go to: Blog about someone you miss. They may have passed on, they may just not be in the same geographic area anymore, you may have just lost touch. Add a picture if you like. If you had the opportunity to ask them just one question, what would it be??

I've been missing my grandfather the last few months. He died a year and a half ago, right after Thanksgiving. I don't know why I've been thinking about him so much lately, but I have. I don't know that there is anything I'd really want to ask him, mostly I think I'd just want to tell him that I love him and I miss him.

Thursday things that make me happy

My hair. After saying for years I was going to grow out my hair and giving up, I'm finally doing it. It's been eleven months since I had any length cut off my hair. It makes me happy every time I see it.
Picking out flowers. I love walking through the nursery, seeing all the different flowers. So many colors, so inspiring.
This little shelf, which seems very me right now. Love the letters from Target. Love the drumsticks. Love the picture of me and my momma.
This shirt, from the dove campaign for real beauty. A cause and a statement I really believe in. I hope they accomplish everything they've set out to and more.
















And, I don't have a picture for this one, but I'm getting my guitar next weekend. I need to get some guitar playing for dummies book from Borders. 

Just another manic Monday

How I spend my Monday nights...my big head, the prettiest boy on tv, and my current favorite show.