doll for a doll house

what a little doll she is..


I absolutely love this little girl. I still can't believe she is ours... but she is. every smile. every giggle. every shriek of joy.. yep, she shrieks with joy. It took us all by suprise the first time we heard it but she does..
What we all love to see now is that she folds her hands in prayer while we all say Grace before we eat dinner. She smiles ear to ear and then puts her hands together again when we say Amen.. how sweet is that??

shhhhhhhh. don't tell the girls...

when they are at school..
we jump on the bed!!!

just because...

how cute can one little 4 year old be...
no bribery.. he just sat there waiting for me to focus..
such sweetness hiding in this jumpy, excited, funny, crazy, little boy

busy day

The day actually started off with Lady G having an MRI. She has had lots of migraines so we had to get to the bottom of it. Since she is considered a "cured epileptic" the neurologist didn't want to take any chances... She stayed so still, listened closely to the technician and go to jam to music she brought in!!!! They had headphones for her and we had gone to the library the day before just to get music for her to listen to while the knocking and pinging going on. I got to stay in the room and read!!! awesome!!

After the MRI we went and got some dollar sunglasses (my nice ones are broken...) and she got a pair too!!! She is one cool kid- don't you think?

We had a funeral to attend but just couldn't get from the MRI to Lindsay for it so we said our own prayers here. My sweetie went to the Rosary the night before and saw cousins he never knew he had and learned a few things he never knew.
about his great aunt.

After cleaning out the van (boy, it needed it!!) we drove up to Gainesville for a birthday party in the park. We loved seeing little CJ for his second birthday!

He was so excited to open each present!!
The crew was invited to his party and gave him some foam toys to stick on the bathtub tiles.. a roadway that fits together like a puzzle and cars and trucks to run up and down the tub tiles!!! (Amanda, I can't wait to see the pics of tub time!!)
Our kiddos had such a good time.. well, minus Princess A... she is cutting teeth again so fussy is her language of late.. if we have music playing she will giggle and dance... I *have* to get a video of that!

The park we were in was one my sweetie played in as a boy. There is a pool right next to it where he learned to swim!! The kids thought that was great and wanted to go for a swim. I only had Princess A's swim diaper (doesn't everyone travel with a swim diaper??? lol!) so we didn't go for a dip!

sweet sunsets

icecream cones 1.25
icecream 4.96
sunset 0.00
+_____________________________________
sweet sunsets to remember: PRICELESS

I could not pass up such a sweet sunset... we sat on the back porch, ate drippy icecream and had lots of chocolate smiles afterwards.. how great is that??

partly cloudy

Isn't it amazing how wonderful life is?
On some days it seems as though others have it easier.
On other days it seems as though we are walking on rainbows.
Either way we need to realize that it is God's will that we should follow.
We need to figure out how important it is to see the good in all.
Kids do it so naturally... we teach them not to...
How can we be more trusting in a world so full of fear? in a world full of wanting what other's have???
How can we protect ourselves while fulfilling our destiny to do God's will...
trust
have faith

I was sent the link to this blog I will be looking more at what he has to say in the future. His thoughts and words are very poiniant at this day and time...

Feed the Birds

Lady G had another big girl discussion with me... seems we need more family time. Other families get to go do things, other families spend more time hanging out.. doing STUFF... So we went to the zoo on Sunday. It was 106* but we went.. and boy did we sweat!!! The whole gang went.... and our tradition is that each kiddo gets to pick an animal and we see that one for sure. Any other animals are a bonus and we can enjoy them but they are not the main attraction for that day. Lady G wanted to see the snakes so we went in and the girls journaled about them. We got into that habit last summer while I was trying to get them to see more details in things and boy do they!!! Queen V drew the scales and patterns of different ones- wow! I didn't have the lens that would let in enough light for that dark building so we just hung out as Mr. T shreiked at every corner about how cool each frog, snake and lizard was!!! so fun!
Queen V wanted to see birds and feed them. We saw birds we had never seen before! I had no idea of some of them because they are either higher in the trees or not there for some reason. The main bids Queen V wanted to see were the ones you feed... Since Mom gave us season passes for Christmas paying a buck for feeding the birds is easy!!! Each kiddo got a stick with birdseed on them and stayed VERY STILL waiting for a dash of color to sit quietly... even Mr. T!!!! Princess A slept through all of this... it was just too hot...

Birthday Girl!

2 years old.
we just found out #2 was on the way... Lady G got to tell Daddy she was going to be a big sister!! lol!

at 3 Lady G started going to The Daddy Store and having just time with Daddy... they made all sorts of things.. including this bookend!

Lady G turned 9!!!

How on earth did we get to this age??? Just yesterday I sat boohooing over a sweet hankerchief that Grandee turned into a bonnet for her Baptism and with a cut of 2 strings back into a hankerchief for her wedding day...

and now she is into fashion, giggling without control, dogs, swimming and American Girl Dolls.

Her favorite color is green.. and that is all my favorite things (so she wants me to write in the blog).. and Elise is her best friend... still... 5 years into school and they love being together!! It's all good...

well, except that there has not been a party yet... seems a skunk has taken residence under Mom's deck... so far we have fed the skunk but not captured it... but we have captured someone's turtle and an oppossum. Oh well... we will have parties for our kids but never when we intend on them.. go figure... it's just one more thing...

She had a great birthday though, she has gone shopping, got a key to the front door, a cool pink hat with sequins, a new Webkinz and Carissa... the newest American Girl Doll.... yep... it was all good! She asked for an icecream cake - so easy to make and she love them! whohooo! No staying up till 2am decorating the cake... but we did have streamers everywhere, lipstick notes on her mirror, 25 balloons and presents to open...

stay tuned... she is going to be published!!! yes, Duchess Bobbe (you got your own name, Bobbe!!) sent her a book so she can be published... how exciting... What a great way to spend 100+* afternoons while the little guys take naps :)

Rockledge Park

so we aren't going anywhere for vacation just yet so we will instead visit all the parks in the area... getting our tax dollars to work for us as we take a weekly adventure to a new park..
this week's park was Rockledge Park. I heard about it via another photographer... it was not anything I knew about except another place to launch a windsurfer when I was in highschool...
It was so hot this day- probably too hot for most people but we were going to go as an entire family and not just me and the kids.. my sweetie was going to escort us... fun for him to see the kids in a new environment and good for me I didn't have to chase all of them at once.. an extra pair of eyes is a great thing!!!
Here are some random pics of our adventure this day..

an a-ha moment

For all my friends who received my crazed email with my a-ha photography moment Here is on of the pics from the series I took the day the math finally kicked in for me... my parents should be so proud! lol! all that money towards education and geometry is finally understood as something useful! lol!!

sunset snuggles

Mom came over for a sunset dinner with us tonight..
We had chicken (cooked in the crockpot), rice (not as good as Mom's), steamed broccoli, fresh pineapple, and fresh apple pie made by yours truly... (should have gotten a pic of that but we were too interested in eating hot apple pie!!)
but at the end of it all I dropped Princess A into her grandmother's lap and snapped a few.... after she grabbed her arm.. notice the napkin Mom is holding on her arm??? yep, Princess A got a good hold and didn't want to let go....
Anyway, she obliged me using the best evening light.... love that time of day whenthings are winding down here.
And we need them to wind down... it has been a hectic winter with flu on 3 out of 4 kids... and 2 of them got it twice... 5 ear infections... allergies.... birthdays... celebrating Mom turning 75!! and so many more things.... whew! Where does time go? anyway, sunset nd taking pics... the best... it lets me take a deep breath and just paint... I love it.

things kids say...

snakes only have names if they are adopted... according to Queen V
I miss you (also in Mr. T language means I love you)


makes sense, huh?

this is perfect

just love how Daddy jumped in and joined in on St. Patty's Day. I usually fix corned beef and cabbage but my sister did a few days before. Since I am pretty much the only one in the family who enjoys that meal I could not give it to my family 2 nights in one week...
so instead we had clean out the fridge night and I got to play with Princess A and my camera during sunset...

my 4 kiddos and I went to the park today.. we climbed, checked out some koi, hada picnic, played grumpy old troll.. it was a good day for sure!

quote on photo w/ my sweetie is a freebie from http://jodiemcnally.com/

how fast she grows up!

4 years old
5 years old

As we ate our Cheerios together out little conversation went like this:
Mommy: so tell me, what is 6 going to be like?
Queen V:you can draw and color all day
you get to do math... every day
you get to learn to ride a horse

yep, 6 (a girl number according to Queen V) will be a good year!

Last Day Being 5

one year ago today I could not believe Queen V was going to turn 5... and here I sit not believing she will be 6!!! In 9 hours my little sprite will be 6!
She has brought me such joy...
She makes me remember to smile...
She gives love unconditionally... even when we are so frustrated with each other...
She reminds me to take a second look at things
She makes me proud...
She is beautiful...
I love my little girl...

Today she made me a card (I will post later)
she made me a card..
I had to write it again
It's the selfless things she does when you least expect
I ask her to do a million things
and her head is always in the clouds
I sometimes have to plead with her to come down
sometimes have to yell for her to come back (LOL)
and when she does
she does the most remarkable things
like making me a card
on the last day she is 5
It's a keeper with the coloring, drawing and spelling...
What an angel sent to me

2 of my angels

Lady G and Princess A

two of the sweetest easy going kiddos I know...

oh, how I love my kids!



what am I grateful for today...
finding out Princess A does not have flu again.... just ear infections
watching Lady G in a play she created with friends and it is so.... CREATIVE! She has a competition with it on Saturday and I can't wait to see it again!!
Mr. T taking a nap and trying to help clean up the lemonade he spilled in the kitchen.
Queen V for skipping into school- gotta love a kid who is genuinely happy to go to school!
Mom for babysitting so Mr. T didn't have to go into an infected doc's office.
My Prince.. for offering to pick up dinner when he found out I had another migraine.

real mothers

so it's been a little rough here lately..
since the beginning of this year I had the flu (got it on January 1.... great way to start the new year), Queen V has had the flu... twice! and Princess A had the flu with double ear infections.
We have quarantined those with the flu and I am about to take Polly Pocket for a dip in the clorox.... just in case there are germs there to share!!!
As I sit in my pity party and gritch and moan about how crazy life has been with laundry in almost every room mocking me as I go by thinking I have *got* to get this under control and explain to my Prince that I can't figure out where my time is going because it hasn't been on photoshop or photography or scrapbooking....
he laughs and tells me it was where I was right then..
rocking a baby
Even my facebook page says at the top... Anne Marie is rocking a baby.
It has been like this for some time... unless it states that Mr. T is in time out... again
and in all fairness it has not always been his fault. How would you like it if you were couped up while everyone else around you has been sick??? poor fella. He just wants time to "fing" (swing) as he calls it.... and show me how much of a super hero he is!!! with or without a cape...
So if you see me and my hair is a mess, pulled back in a pony tail
I have yesterday's makeup on
I'm in the same warm up suit that has just about become my uniform as of late
I am rushing around at the last minute for who knows what
just remember...
I am a mama...
rocking her babies as they fall sick, scrape a knee, need to practice reading outloud, spell the latest words for Thursday's quiz...

Jeff's grandma sent me this email tonight... It couldn't have come at a better time... that woman has great timing... I am so happy I know her and am on her email list :)

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
they don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
the vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
and get their answer when a littlevoice says,

'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth
is not measured by height or years or grade...
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

Merry Christmas!

presents are wrapped
tucked under the tree
family asleep
now where can he be?
Santa slipped in
without even a trace
true Christmas story
of the ultimate gift
shared and recieved

naughty or nice

today is the big day!!
We're going to see the Big Man tonight...
I hear he is at the mall waiting to see all of his faithful followers
the believers
I believe
how could anyone not??
We still have yet to put up our tree...
I made space for it today.
Our deal with Santa is if we get the tree up with lights he will decorate it for us.
We leave all the trimmings out for him along with fresh cookies from the oven and some homemade candies.
He has never let us down.
He did the same for me when I was a little girl... what a great guy!!
So today I will tackle making homemade butterfingers!!!
This is proof he came last year... I set the timer on my camera and got a pic of him nibbling some cookies the kids left out...

the mom song

where have I been?
laundry
supervising school projects
making cookies
changing diapers
enjoying a few migrains...not...
helping the kids find Christmas joy :)

sandbox time

I came outside to get some fresh air for all of us.... hoping naptime would go a little smoother!!

I also brought my camera (go figure) to practice using "fill flash"

I hope to get an external flash to use in low lit indoor sessions in the future... so I can learn to bounce the light when I can't use manual settings without so much noise.

Mr. T had a great time throwing sand without anyone telling him to stop.

Christmas Specials

I am such a sucker for Christmas specials on tv with my kids. I seem to be taken back to my own childhood, waiting for anticipation of holidays, family, presents... love that!

So even though Polar Express was not one I watched as a child it is one I have found to love now... sharing with my kids... watching their eyes dart around the screen, listening to the words of believe, spirit, magic, Christmas...

love that.

so Mom calls me...

hurry! get the kids outside

look up!!

this is the only time for the next 50something years for this to happen!!

Mercury and Venus this close to the Moon!!

I *had* to get a shot of this momentous occasion. It was freezing outside- brrr!

read to me

it doesn't matter what you read

just read

sing it to me

hang out with me

just read

to me

Give Thanks

We have a lot to be Thankful for...

for family
for friends
for a safe birth
for husband's job
for healthy children
for clothes on our backs
for food in the cupboard
for a roof over our heads
for unconditional love from God

thankful morning

this what I saw this morning peeking through my blinds!
such gorgeous colors glowing on the front of our home!!
I love the rays bursting through the clouds- just delicious!!

growing so big

I can't believe how much she has grown in such a short period of time!

Soon she will be able to sit up in this basket!! she is so pleased with herself, isn't she??

The blanket in this pic was made by Joey's grandma, I think.... it was a gift when Lady G was a baby... love it!

Tips For An Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life

My day started at 3:30am changing a diaper
4:00am Mr. T comes ripping into our room crying telling me "Ta roar in my dream" (it's a recurring nightmare of Queen V chasing him and roaring at him like she is a dinosaur or lion... I have threatened to wake her in the middle of the night to snuggle his fears... she really does chase him around the house roaring.,.. ugh!)
5:30 shhhhhhhhhh, Mr. T.. go to sleep!!
5:50am alarm'/radio goes off to wake me.. ha! that is ironic! I listen to a few favorite tunes- Journey being one of them :)
6:00 talk to dh about new job opportunities.... he is changing... and looking forward to playing trains with Mr. T and building stuff with the girls.. fun stuff
6:30 get girls up.. they slept in...
6:45 make lunches/ breakfast
7:00 do French braids in girls hair so they look loved :) and not an unmade bed
7:30 chase Mr. T down to get sneakers on him
7:35 change another diaper.. I am sure there was another one in there somewhere...
7:40 take girls to school and listen as Lady G sings a song I learned at Camp Merry Acres./.. I didn't teach her this one.. a girl friend did on the playground. I sang with her.. wouldn't you? A childhood song that made you smile when you used to sing it??
7:55 find friend in school parking lot and ask about our daily walk.. yep, we are on! super!!!
8:10 nurse, change another diaper, find blanket, get Mr. T to go potty
8:30 walk with friends on a glorious day!!! lovely way to get the day going!
10:00 sister comes by with fresh salsa- yummy!
10:30 over to another friend's house for a play date where we discuss cooking as a group and sharing the meals... I have always wanted to do this... one friend suggests to do it while we have a few bottles of wine.. a super idea!!!!
1 pm drive around till Mr. T crashes
1:30 get home and snuggle sleeping babies....

does this look like a great day?? I tell ya, this was a FABULOUS DAY!
while blog hopping for ideas on OAMC (once a month cooking)or Freezer Cooking I found this...

Tips for an Exceptional, Superb & Powerful Life!

1.) Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

2.) Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.Buy a lock if you have to.

3.) Buy a Tivo (DVR), tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4.) When you wake up in the morning ask yourself, "What do I really, really, really want today?"

5.) Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.

6.) Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did last year.

7.) Always pray and make time to exercise.

8.) Spend more time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of Six.

9.) Dream more while you are awake.

10.) Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less foods that are manufactured in plants.

11.) Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12.) Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13.) Clear your clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14.) Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead, invest your
energy in the positive present moment.

15.) Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class .......but the
lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16.) Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out chargecard.

17.) Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy vampires away.

18.) Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19.) Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20.) Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21.) You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

22.) Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

23.) Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24.) Ladies - Go on and burn those 'special' scented candles, use the 600 thread count sheets, the good china and wear our fancy lingerie now. Stop waiting for a special occasion. Everyday is special.

25.) No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26.) Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

27.) Forgive everyone for everything.

28.) What other people think of you is none of your business.

29.) Time heals almost everything. Give time, time!

30.) However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

31.) Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch with them.

32.) Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

33.) Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. God provides remember?!

34.) The best is yet to come.

35.) No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

36.) Do the right thing!

37.) Call your friends/family often.

38.) Each night before you go to bed complete the following statement: 'I am thankful for __________.'

39.) Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

40.) Enjoy the ride. Remember that this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it
and enjoy the ride.

LIVE, LOVE, LAUGH. LIFE'S A GIFT ... UNWRAP IT! Have a Blessed day. Please share with friends!
(Received list in an email from a friend-source unknow.)

Who really won last night...

I walked into my dd's room this morning and woke her up gently...
"do you want to know who is going to be our next President of the United States?"
"yes" rubbing sleep from the corner of her eyes...
"Barak Obama"
"wow"

yea, wow...
this has so much significance for our nation.
I look at this from so many directions... as a mother, as a former teacher- a social studies and ESL teacher at that.... but mostly as an American. Where will this take us as a nation?
One can listen to all the hype from both political parties... like I used to tell my students, "there is your side, my side and the truth." The truth will not be known or understood until history is made..
Will we as a nation understand the ramifications of electing Mr. Obama in this year?
I mean truly understand?
Will we see what decisions made at particular times in his presidential carreer will affect our children and other future generations?
I for one, am in awe of anyone wanting to take on such an awesome and powerful position... look back in history at any one of the presidents- compare picture of them at the time of innaguration and then of them as they leave the Oval Office. The graying of hair, the added wrinkles on the face... is the step as lively?? The weight of the world is upon this man.... did you see how many nations watched our nation last night??
I was amazed at how jubilant other nations were at us electing Mr. Obama... why are they? What do they have to gain? And do THEY see how gracious John McCain was to concede?? no skirmish broke out... no bullying... it was a peaceful acknowledgement of how the power in our country will shift. I hope it remains this way... this is what is so great about our nation... we will come together... it is what America... Americans are best at.
We might not like what one of us is doing but when push comes to shove we have each other's back!!

ok.. enough of the soap box... let's talk about who really won... it wasn't red or blue states...
it wasn't one race or another...
it was Sasha and Malia!!]
they won something really important in a kid's life!!
yep, they get a puppy!!!
The White House will have a puppy...
I just ask one favor... don't let the pup teeth on anything of historical significance,girls...
remember to take the pup out to do his business...
feed and water him...
brush him
teach him commands so he listens to you
and pick a cute name!

Congrats, Obama Girls, on your new puppy!!

God Bless

Go Get Your VOTE on!

I did it
yep
I did
baby strapped to my hip with my ever popular sling
Mr. T teasing the pollsters.. is that what they are called?

I got my vote on... did you??
with 2 little kids in tow there are not enough Goldfish to keep one content... you know?? a little bribery with library books and a movie borrowed from the library... Buzz Lightyear, I think it was... and I GOT MY VOTE ON!!

As a former social studies and history teacher I am telling you to get out and VOTE!!
You can't "gritch" if you don't vote!!!
Yep, I don't want to hear it..
I know my limitations.
I know what policies are important in my book!
I know what is important this time...

DO YOU??

OH....and one more thing... say a prayer- now, I don't care how you vote or voted- but say a prayer for Mr. Obama and his family. His grandma died on Sunday... 2 days shy of getting to see what happened in her grandson's election. I was told by my mom that she did vote absentee... but Obama and his family are grieving right now. Can you imagine the added pressure... say prayers for him, his wife and children.... they need it..
and while you are there... say a prayer for no fraud in the election... on EITHER SIDE! Man, I can't stand liars or cheaters... it's an Aggie thing...

Gig 'em and GET YOUR VOTE ON!

boo to you!

cast of characters:
Princess A: Larry the Cucumber
Mr. T: Farmer Boy... because "trick or treating is no fair!"
Queen V: dalmation puppy
Lady G: rocker chick

setting:
backyard prior to Grandpa hauling us around on a trailor full of hay

Theme:
my favorite things of Halloween 2008
Princess A: is all full of smiles... just like Larry the Cucumber in this pic...
Mr T: bought one Buzz Lightyear costume but when it had to slip over his head it was history so I brought out super chicken and that was good for a giggle but not to put on.. then I placed cowboy horse in front of him and that got on but then off... go figure.. I turned Mr. T over to Daddy and this is what they came up with. Trick or treating was still "no fair" BUT clothes were now on my boy...
Queen V: dalmations are the favorite puppy with chihuahuas running a close second for my girl... like the face paiting?? I did it myself, thank you very much.. ha! I had a pic of Lady G with the same face painted by a professional and I tried to mimic it. I think I did pretty well... The costume was a white sweatshirt and white leggings with black iron on patches I cut up to make the spots- perfect! Thanks to my sister for giving me that direction!!!!
Lady G... recognize the costume.. it's what she gathered for her school play.. she liked it so much it went back on for Halloween! hooray!

I am kind of glad it is behind us... nursing a baby on a hay trailor in front of inlaws is a trick for sure.. whew! but we all made it... and then went to roast s'mores at friends... a tradition from my childhood. I hope to post about it tomorrow...

it's the great pumpkin!!

The school carnival was last week and I was asked to help volunteer...
with a new baby... that was going to be a bit difficult..
but
I can bake in between nursing, diapering and overseeing homework...
This was one of the 2 cakes I sent in for each Queen V and Lady G's classes.
They were both pumpkin cakes... it's what Lady G asked for
so on I went to figure out how to create such a cake...
white cake mix 50 cents
frosting $1.50/ can
gel for coloring $5
pumpkin cake for school carnival and envy from other mommies...
PRICELESS!
mwahahahahaha (evil mommy laugh)

so I don't have the huge wallet that some mamas seem to have around here but I have creativity, kids that think I can do all with frosting.... wonder if I can create the medallion to go above my chandelier in my dining room with it... hahahahahaha and time.. who needs sleep when your oldest tells you to splurge on good coffee beans and yummy fru-fru cream??

little this once

so little

just this once....

how precious

how loving...

how accepting...

her love is never ending and I find myself at more peace with this one

she makes me take a step back and remember to just breathe

to enjoy

to take the moment in and savor it

I also find myself questioning my behavior with my others...

do they get enough love?

do they get enough understanding?

do they get enough attention that is positive...

do they feel loved... know they are loved... for everything they do.....

what a great gift I have been given in this little one...

who will be little just this once...

Ellie Lash QP
WA by Elegant WA

photoshop and digital insights

So I have listed some resources that I use from time to time to help me out. I hope this helps some of you out!!

hybrid tshirts
http://littledreamerdesigns.typepad.com/little_dreamer_designs/2008/06/june-hybrid-cha.html
love this idea! I have seen it in magazines before but wanted to share here too
this is what the kids will get for my dds' birthday parties

layers and histograms
http://www.sketchpad.net/photoshp.htm
I found some really great tutorials here dealing with levels and histograms to show what part of your photos is under or overexposed- makes processing your photos so much easier

http://www.planetphotoshop.com/tutorials_effects.html
http://www.vtc.com/products/photoshopelem.htm
http://tutorialoutpost.com/tutorials/photoshop/photo-editing
http://myjanee.home.insightbb.com/tutorials.htm
http://www.myjanee.com/cgi-bin/ib3/ikonboard.cgi?s=bc30b17a4c0f7d9ad3ef40252b3b80f5
http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/training/pse_videos.html
http://photoshopwire.tripod.com/tutorial/photoshop_elements.htm
http://www.photoshop911.com/tricks/text_to_watermark.html
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/
http://www.graphic-design.com/Photoshop/color_cast/index.html
http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/tutorials/index.php
http://www.webworksite.com/photoshop_elements_tutorials.shtml
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototip-archives.html
http://psp8.homestead.com/BetterBW1.html
http://psp8.homestead.com/
http://psp8.homestead.com/Shadows_Details.html
http://www.sketchpad.net/photoshp.htm
http://www.planetphotoshop.com/category/effects/?id=tutorials_effects
http://www.softwaretrainingtutorials.com/photoshop-elements.php
http://www.easyelements.com/free-photoshop-brushes.html
http://www.easyelements.com/making-photoshop-brushes.html
crop using the rule of thirds
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/3867
glow:
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/2837
dreamy
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/3953
soft focus
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/3953
http://www.morguefile.com/archive/classroom.php?lesson=5
STEP by STEP how to make and out of bounds photo
http://smilesnapper.blogspot.com/2007/04/out-of-bounds.html
this link will give you (if you have Photoshop Elements) a boost in creating those stunning black and white photos from a color one! http://www.optikvervelabs.com/default.asp
for CS2: http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials/cs2-photoshop-9.html
http://mistycatodesigns.blogspot.com/2007/05/index-of-tutorials.html

actions
http://bellasactions.blogspot.com/

digital scrapping
http://www.digiscrappingtutorials.com/
http://photoshop911.typepad.com/help/2004/01/building_templa.html
for learning how to add depth to your letters:
http://www.thegoldenmean.com/technique/depthmask.html
why reinvent the wheel??
these are some simple lessons...
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials.html
how to stitch
http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/brush7/stitch/stitch.htm
index of sorts: http://www.23outlet.com/
fiber filter tutorial
http://www.hummiesworld.com/tutfiberfilter.html

how to make your own digital swirls
http://lizness.typepad.com/a_little_life/quickrefs/1004QR-ALittleLife.html
http://danidraws.com/2007/04/20/not-your-typical-round-brush/
creating grass: http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=30882&rl=1
more control lessons here
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=80893
click on the presets of the brush itself..
I kept opening presets and expecting them there
I clicked on the "dynamics" not checking the box and it came up!!
did you know there was a hidden world under all those words in the preset box?? click on them and find out!!!
to make your subject pop while blurring the environment around it
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/5719
again with the blur
http://tutorialoutpost.com/count/4142

creating your own brushes
have made my own signature brush that I place on my photos and on my sketches (look in my gallery)
I used a few dingbats and a font I like, a few layers, defined the brush and it is mine!!!
if you want a link to some photos of how to make your own in your own photoshop here you go:
http://www.brushes.obsidiandawn.com/tutorials/creating/index.htm

http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/brush/cbrush7.htm

this one is so up Twistedsoda's alley!
http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/stampps.html

this one is a video that requires flash
http://layersmagazine.com/make-your-own-custom-brush-2.html

one more that uses your photos to find a pattern you like
http://inobscuro.com/tutorials/read/17/
Cinda gave me this tip: You can use your magic background eraser to get rid of the white. If you save as a jpg you'll get the white, but psd or png should maintain the transparency.
and from Rikki: Create the image you want to use as your brush. Everything that is white in the image is transparent in your future brush. Max. siez is 2500 x 2500 px.
Select the area with the marquee tool or another slection tool
Go to Edite -> define brush preset
Don't forget to save the brush in an existing or a new preset. Otherwise if you replace the existing preset, it will be gone.
That's it.
Now you can use your brush to stamp anywhere.

how to make a photo a circle (by Rikki)

Just use the marquee tool, draw out a circle, place it over the part of the photo you want to keep, inverse the selection (in PS Ctrl+Shift+I) and hit delete.

FRAME VERSUS A MASK (by Cinda)

A frame is made to lay over your photo while a mask you line it up with your paper and/or photo and (if using PSE) click ctrl-g to group them together - then your paper is in the shape of those pretty swirls You could actually do the same thing on the frames, but only the frame would fill and your photo underneath would still show through.
You can do the same thing with text and "cut" your text out of any paper or photo.
One of the many things I love about Photoshop!

and from Rikki

A frame is an embellishment that you actually use as is on your page. You put it there, and maybe re-colorize it, and that's it.
A mask like Shandy's you use to change the look of something else. You can use it for example as a clipping mask to clip papers or photos to the shape of the mask.
You can use anything you want as a clipping mask. One example:
You could take the shape of a star and use it as a clipping mask to clip a square piece of paper into the shape of that very star.

GOLD TEXT
http://www.mccannas.com/pshop2/tip19.htm

LAYERS
http://www.mccannas.com/pshop/pshop5.htm







grograin ribbon
I saw on the blog that Michele is a contirbuting editor for how to make a striped ribbon but I want a different texture.. is that all there is to it? making a different texture??
http://everydaydigitalscrapbooking.blogspot.com/search/label/Ideas%20for%20Ribbon
there's a good grosgrain tut at SBB:
http://www.scrapbook-bytes.com/a-tuts/publish/article_226.shtml (thanks ChrisGr)

make your own flourishes
http://www.bittbox.com/illustrator/28-free-illustrator-brushes-for-making-swooshes-and-swirls/
http://www.bittbox.com/illustrator/illustrator-how-to-make-custom-swooshes-swirls-and-curls/



some more tips for brushes
http://www.arraich.com/ps6_tips_7aausebrush1.htm

special digi thanks goes to Michele, Cinda, Rikki, and Chris for helping me learn so much while we all played at The Shaker Box the last 5 years.
I don't think I would have learnes and researched so much without you guys helping me out and cheering me on!

photography insights

I need a place to put all of the ideas and links I have gathered to share in scrapping, photography and stamping...
it's a long list and will be added to throughout the next few days..

window light: http://super.nova.org/DPR/Window/

sharpening a photo:
there are many ways to do this..
I know Jane does a defog using her USM
I use USM at different scale
but now I found this tutorial.. had to share!
http://www.bythom.com/sharpening.htm
I am just getting the hang of this... my focus fell slightly on some recent photos and I wanted to get them back- the capture was so cute.. but how to make it look right??

well, use your USM in your photoshop. It's called UNSHARP MASK but it does seem to sharpen.. It has to do with how it was done in a real darkroom versus how we do it in a computer digitally. "It gets it's name because it unsharpens (de-focuses) the image and uses the difference with the original image ..." (this quote from Focus Magic)
Anyway..
there are 3 things to understand.
The first being amount which is measured by percentage.
The second being radius which is measured by pixels.
The third being threshold which is measured by levels.

I have some links to some sites and I would really like to get a discussion going on this great filter!!! What do you say?? are you ready to clear up some of your photos that are soft on focus??

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/understanding-usm.shtml
this one is studied by a lot of people. He is right on in his explaining- some times a little technical but you might be into that!
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/unsharp-mask.htm

maybe you want a quick once over??
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsharp_masking

photos and diagrams here:
http://www.scantips.com/simple6.html

this guy is really clear and explains it very well!! I love this site!
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/unsharp-mask.html

clear and concise with photos to go with the information! He shows you with the filter pulled down
http://www.naturescapes.net/122004/tg1204.htm

explains different ways of how to use USM (from global to detailed to parts of a photo)
http://www.creativepro.com/story/feature/11242.html

another explanation with great photos for visual learners (tips inside this one!!)
http://docs.gimp.org/en/plug-in-unsharp-mask.html

about dot com always has tons of references!
http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshoptutorialssharpen/Photoshop_Unsharp_Mask_and_Other_Sharpening_Methods_and_Tools.htm

another quick description:
http://www.steeldolphin-forums.com/htmltuts/unsharp.html

in podcast form:
http://kabili.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=155509

another great tutorial:
http://www.photocritic.org/articles/usm.php

for those of you using PaintShop Pro
http://www.scenic-route.com/tutorial/psp/tutor/unsharp/Unsharp.htm

tutorial with comments from others so you can learn from their mistakes:
http://www.cameronmoll.com/archives/000169.html

to show you that you can go TOO FAR with this
http://www.digicamhelp.com/processing-photos/advanced-editing/unsharp-mask.php

and the last tutorial/article came from the great Lone Star State!!
http://www.lonestardigital.com/usm_fade.htm



curves tutorial:
so you want more from your photographs, more umph, more contrast??
if you have gotten the hang of levels then try curves.
Matt Greer has a great tutorial on his blog
http://mgreerphoto.blogspot.com/2006/12/photoshop-adjustment-layer-curves.html

Depth of Field (DOF)
do you know how to get a background blurry??
do you know how to get good bokeh?
do you know how to get the background in focus but the foreground out of focus (OOF)???
well, here, check out this DOF calculator and play away!! it will tell you how to get the look you want, good exposure and where to place your subject from your camera.. amazing
http://dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

fine tuning your photos:
http://www.prodigitalimage.com/tips.html

taking your own school photo:
it is possible for you to try and do this yourself!!!
place your child at a 45* angle from the light
have your child sit up straight and lean over their belt buckle
have them slightly twist towards you
move eyes directly at the camera for eye contact
tilt a girl's head but never a boys!!! (makes them look efeminite)
background:
have them sit on a stool with a pleasant background.. try your clean garage wall or even outside- do this when the sun is not directly overhead or you will wind up with shadows that are too harsh
the school playground before dusk...
need a reflector? get a piece of foam core board (HObby Lobby sells it for about $5) and place close to your subject.. move it so it catches the light and reflects this on your subjects shadow...
ok.. seriously.. try this.. do you photograph a face 2 dimensionally or 3??
http://groups.msn.com/Asktheoleproaboutphotography/theroleoflightinginphotography.msnw

smooth skin:
http://www.lunacore.com/photoshop/tutorials/tut020.htm
I thought this tutorial was really cool
dig how NOT to use the gaussian blur.. I did this forever.. glad to see another technique
don't forget to erase back the eyes

creaeting sepia:
http://www.lunareclipse.net/funwithsepia.htm
great with fall photos...

great bloggers:
love her style!!!
http://www.amycoffeyphotography.com/blog/blog.html
http://www.jennywaring.typepad.com/
http://artbynaomistudiotreats.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiasuvi/
http://www.bludomain.com/blog.cfm
http://www.karlgrobl.com/index.htm
http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm teaches
http://willows95988.typepad.com/tongue_cheek/

yep, a class online
you have to check out- it will give you so much info in what will help you become a better photographer
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/
http://www.photographyboard.net/

printing
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php

FIREWORKS
over the water fireworks:
http://www.calphoto.com/firework.htm

super help tips:
http://malektips.com/digital_fireworks_photography_help_and_tips.html

tips from the Smithsonian:
http://photos.si.edu/firew/firew.html

digital photography school
http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-photograph-fireworks/

Bob Atkin's description
http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/tutorials/fireworks.html

Better Photo dot com
http://www.betterphoto.com/exploring/fireworks.asp

Gary Black Photog.,
http://www.garryblack.com/fireworks.htm

about.com
http://cameras.about.com/od/cameratips/a/fireworks.htm

The Imaging Resource
http://cameras.about.com/od/cameratips/a/fireworks.htm

great shots (photos)
http://photographyreview.webphotoschool.com/Get_Great_Shots_at_Fireworks_Shows/index.html

Dobson Central
http://www.dobsoncentral.com/articles/fireworks.htm

to add wings to your photo
sites I have visited while on this adventure:
http://www.autofx.com/ (you have to pay for the brushes but how cool are they!)
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tools/plugins/photo-frames-borders-edges.html
www.escrappers.com (this is the site I was looking for first!)
http://escrappers.com/fairytales.html
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tools/brushes.html#Painted_Passion_orghttp://www.brushes.obsidiandawn.com/sets/wings.htm
http://www.loreleiweb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4553

balancing shaddows
http://psp8.homestead.com/Shadows_Details.html

Oronton Technique
it takes a photo and puts a fairytale like quality to it- facinating!
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0106/dw0106-1.html

bugs and boys

bugs
boys
dead bugs
pockets of overalls
dryers

getting a picture here??
yea, so my dryer eats socks and deposits dead bugs on the rim to scare the bajeebers out of me when I open the door...
I knew Mr. T liked bugs but did not know that he was sticking bugs in his pockets of his overalls...
and when I go to wash and then dry the bugs can no longer handle a spin cycle or the heat of the dryer...
ewwww

so what is a mama to do???
take a pic of a daddy long legs for her boy... one that is alive but NOT crawling or spinning or being dryed to death!

Happy Birthday, Dude!!

Here's to one cool dude... uh, dad.. lol!
Happy birthday to the coolest brother in law a girl could ask for!
I am so greatful you are a part of our crazy family and that we get to be friends for a long time now!!
I just wish we got to party together more often than a few times a year!!!
I hope all your birthday wishes come true and that you have many more!!!

A special happy birthday also to your darling daughter and my lovely niece!!! I can't wait to see her walk!!!

Lots of love,
your favorite American sister in law ;)

last day being 40

alarm/radio sings me awake
nurse baby
check on Queen V to see if she made it into clothes yet
close Mr. T's door so he continues to sleep
breakfast for kids (all different cereals)
make lunches
draw on napkins and write notes to each girlie girl
set bags by garage door
take pic of Lady G in her rocker chick costume
load kids in van and drive to school
come home and take a look at pics I took
organize photos and surf photogs for inspiration
get things ready for Princess A's Thusday photoshoot
storytime
meet Mom and Queen V at library
lunch
photos of baby
back to school for testing of Queen V... she needs a little help in rhyming...
pick up Lady G
discuss scool
snuggle sleeping baby
find orange hair spray paint for Lady G pretending to be rocker chick
dinner
get ready for play
back to school for evening performance
rock out!!!
showers for kids
rock baby to sleep
log
now time to dream
good night

textures: Joy St. Clair
WA: Elegant Word Art by Bethany

3rd grade sucks...

yea, you heard it here first...
4 hours of homework...
math is NOT my forte... long live Liberal Arts!!
Once again I feel as though I am doing the preteaching prior to teaching being done... this kills me as a professional...
I have scheduled a parent teacher conference to head any bad karma off at the pass..
Lady is deliberate in how she studies...
she wants to please...
She is smart but like her mama it takes a while to get it to sink in....

I explain what is what to my mom... another tax payer in our school district of what I see is going on, what my lovely Lady G explains to me...
her response?? "are you going to run for school board?"
my response to that... "only so I can become vice president some day... and because I can see Mexico from my backdoor"

Hopefully we can all work together to get Lady G where she can knock off homework in an hour... and still have time to learn to climb a tree, rollerblade down a hill, whistle really loud with 2 fingers and write silly poems in her journal..... isn't that what being a 3rd grader is about?

3rd grade rocks!

So Lady G has 2 main teachers and the electives all have separate teachers...Big difference this year is that homework is given each night instead of the beginning of the week where we can pace ourselves as to how I want her to learn to study...
She has a planner but it's kind of hard to follow and we had another we were going to use. I want to see if the teachers are willing to use what we already had going on in our home. Lady G's grandma gave it to her and it was a great way for all of us to keep track - communication is definitely key in a family of 6!!! I can only imagine what it will belike when all the kids are in school. At one point we will have one in college, one in highschool, one in middle and the last in elementary!!! wow!

Anyway, I had to get one page scrapped for Lady G's book... this was a quickpage I found online and I must say it was a time saver for sure! I hope to get some more to make pages for Queen V and when we got shots of the girls on the first day of school.

3 weeks old...

in 3 weeks we have done the following....
had shots
gone through so many diapers it's hard to keep track
seen Queen V off to kindergarten (this is worth an entry into the blog itself)
seen a lady be nominated as a VP in the Republican Party
seen an African American nominated as President in the Democratic party
changed more diapers
taken a real bath
colored my hair... twice... it's much better now...
seen Lady G into a new hallway in school... the 3rd grade hall
seen Mr. T pull toys out that HE wants to play with... (another worth it's own blog entry and photos)
found the self timer on my new camera (amazing what happens when you read the manual!)
got cards to write numerous thank yous out to friends and family
and the big one for Princess A... found and pulled her own hair... yea, she is her own bully... poor kid...

Thursday Book

Each of my girls were born on a Tuesday and brought home on a Thursday... My sister-in-law gave me a really nice book for photos but what pics would go in???
I looked at what day I consistently took photos of Lady G and it was Thursdays. I took her photo with the gifts she had been given by relatives, friends and students. Well, for each kiddo it's a tradition that Aunt Jenny give a special book to the baby... this time was no exception :) So every Thursday I will take Princess A's photo and slide it into her book. It shows so much how they change... here are the first 3 photos that were taken. I hope to take her to the Botanical Gardens and take her pic today... we'll see how the day pans out :)
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