This week in photoshop.

I am in love with the new set of actions I bought from TRA!

I can't even stand it!

There is so much you can do when you understand how to use layers and actions. 

I took this picture of Elle back in May and I decided to re-edit it, 

using some of the new actions that I got.

The Jibber Jabber.

I took this picture in RAW and did the basic editing in  RAW. Again if you haven't switched to shooting in RAW you should.


The following I did using TRA set one actions. (which is awesome...can't wait to buy set 2)


Using Yin and Yang, at 20% flow and 30% opacity I lightened and darkened the sky and clouds...making them appear more "Moody"...oh I love the moody cloud look.


I used a little bit of "Yin" on her skin at 2% flow and 10% opacity to give her a little bit of glow and luminosity.


Using the Big Blue action at 20% flow and 20% opacity I made the clouds a little bit bluer, and a bit of her dress a little more blue.


Then I used the Green with Envy action at 70% flow and 50% opacity to make the little bit of vegetation behind the water a little more lush.


After all this I gave it Oh Snap at 20% opacity and I turned on the lights for a little bit of brightness.

VIOLA!

It was a good picture to begin with, now it's a interesting and bold picture.

If you have questions for me about using layers and actions feel free to ask.  There are tons of free actions that you can download online and many you can buy too.

ENJOY

XOXO

Who needs a studio?

Okay so the title lies...I need a studio...or want a studio anyway.  But for now wrapping paper will just have to do. This was my first experience using wrapping paper and I thought it was fun!

Ava didn't want to participate in my experiment, so It was just Elle, Me and my camera!

XOXO

This week in photoshop.

I stopped for awhile showing everyone what I was learning and playing with in Photoshop because I kinda had the wind taken out of my sails.  But then I got to thinkin'....I really enjoy sharing with you.  So those who are interested in photography can learn something from me and I can learn from sharing and learn from others.

The Jibber Jabber!


First I shot this picture in RAW which if you haven't switched to RAW do it!!!!!!


I actually didn't have to mess with anything when opened in RAW with this photo...so that was awesome!
When I got it into Photoshop this is what I did.


First I used Pro Retouch on her skin just to even it out.  I used the flow at a few low setting around 6% flow.


Then I sharpened a few of the small details such as the front of her hat, the flower and her lashes, as well as parts of her hair.


After that I used TRA yin and yang on her face....just a tiny little bit...just to taste.


Then I gave it a little snappiness to sharpen, and turned on the lights a little....(using curves I adjusted right smack in the middle a bit.)
And VIOLA!!!!!
TA DA!

XOXO

My Bucket List

I've been thinking about the awesome and crazy, and super cool things I want to do before I die.

So here is my Bucket List!

See Asia
Go to Bora Bora and sleep in an overwater bungalow.
Ride in the cockpit of an airplane.
Hire a maid to do my laundry.
Become a motivational speaker.
Have a traveling boutique.
Be a renowned photographer.
Not have a mortgage.
Buy a brand new car with cash (not a used car..we've done that)
Travel the world in a cruise ship.
Go to the Maldives.
Win Publishers Clearing House.
Once a year have a girl friends trip and meet somewhere new each year.
Not worry about weight or food.
Own a cupcake shop.
Have a new outfit for everyday of the month.
Ride in a hot air balloon.
Go sky diving 
Start a self-esteem boosting campaign.
See my girls married.
See my girls have children.
See my grandchildren get married.
Be a cute old lady.
Age well.
Be happy with my body.
Dance with my old dancing friends again.
Learn to surf.
Knit a king size blanket
Not listen to negative people and "boot" them out of my life.
Walk the Great Wall of China
Make a huge discovery.
Always have a fresh pedicure.
Learn to like yogurt.
Be my children's best friend.
Finish my basement.
Have loyal friendships.
Learn a new language.
Become a pen pall with someone half way across the world and then meet that person face to face.
Find my camera I lost in 1994 at the Miss America Pageant.
Learn to Love Myself!

What is your bucket list?

XOXO

Dear Frank....you're lame!

Oh people, I can't stand it anymore!

These guys on the Bachelorette drive me bonkers!

Now Frank...I think you're a dweeb.

If you are soooo in love with what's her butt...then why are you crying like I cry when I smell my cute husbands socks? huh?

BECAUSE YOU'RE A DWEEB!....A LAME DWEEB!

That's all!

XOXO

Sweet Six!

Elle is such a darling little girl!

She just turned six and I planned a cute party for her.

Elle had a great day, but when she was being tucked in that night she said to me "Mom, doesn't anybody like me?"  When I asked her why this is what she said "cause none of my friends came to my party."

She had some cousins there, but none of her friends showed up.  I felt so sad for her.  

But all in all it was a fun day.

I made tons of "sweets" and we rented a cotton candy machine....we watched a movie outside after it got dark.  It was a fun evening.

Thanks to those family members who sent gifts, cards and who came.

We love you!

XOXO

Revisiting an old post!

I posted this just about a year ago and decided to remind everyone of how important it is to love themselves or begin to start loving themselves.  We put so much pressure on ourselves, others and even our children to be thin or "healthy" when someones idea of healthy isn't even healthy at all.

When I was my thinest I wasn't healthy.  I was abusing my body by over exercising (I would exercise 4-6 times a day for about an hour to an hour and a half each time) limiting my caloric intake to about 600 to 800 calories a day, and everything I ate I would purge.  However I was always told how great I looked and how great it was that I was getting in shape.  Little did those people know how sick I was.

The reason I wanted to post this again today is because until we all become educated on the effects of negative body image, of the medias use of body image, and the effects of eating disorders the world will still be blinded to this big problem.

Pass on this post.

Make those you love, those you care about aware of these statistics.

Battling Misperceptions

*Average American women is 5 '4 164 pounds and a size 14

*12 years ago the average American women was 5 '4 140 pounds...caused by dieting flucuations.

*Average model is 5'11 112 pounds and a size 2

*Only 1.8% of women in the world NATURALLY have this body type

*since the 1900's this is the thinest women in the media have been, while this is the larges the average women have been.

*Average Male 5'9 and weighs 180pounds

*Male Model is 5'11-6'2 and weighs 180 pounds

*1959-1996 60% of Miss America's and 69% of playboy centerfolds were 15% below expected weight for height.

*7 models passed away the last year due to Eating Disorders

*Jennifer Aniston was exercising 8 hours a day while she was doing friends

*Friends Billboard promotion "the show with the cute anorexic chcks"

*Average magazine cover costs $60,000 to produce and 6 months of airbrushing

*Movies use waist widdlers and body doubles

*After a 3 year study of disordered eating, girls were 3x higher to have disordered eating if they had a TV in their bedroom.

*After only 3 minutes of looking at fashion magazines 70% of women feel depressed, guilty and shameful.

*Girls that read magazines are 6x higher for disordered eating.

*Breast implants have to be redone every 10  years. 72% get hard and rupture and leak

*Liposuction has to be done every 12-18months

*Plastic surgery compares to Eating Disorders, "If I do this then I will feel better."  It is never enough

*90% of all women diet on a regular basis.

*90% of diets fail after 1 year

*60% of Americans are overweight.

*2006, After intense study of all diets, the FDA couldn't find a reason to change the food pyramid.

*2/3 of Americans went on Atkins, dropped wight fast but gained back most of the weight.

*98% of diets fail after 5 years

*People that are successful at keeping the weight off, have a lifestyle change.

*dieters regain all weight lost plus 10%

*47-80% of men diet

*only 2% of women in the world call themselves "beautiful" japan 0% Brazil 6% (Brazil also has the highest plastic surgery rate)

*86% of women are dissatisfied with their bodies

*Only 7% of women expressed little concern with their appearance.

*8 out of 10 college women have diordered eating, 1 out of 4 have a full blown eating disorder.

*14% of 5 year olds diet

*50% of 9 year olds diet

*80% of 10 year olds diet {look at that jump from 9 to 10}

*90% of high school girls diet on a regular basis

*Girls need 35% body fat in order to menstrate for the first time.

*Diet Industry made 10 billion dollars in the 1970's

*Diet Industry estimates of 100 billion dollars in 2008

*Diet ads weren't allowed to airbrush pictures, and so they would hire personal trainers for the "after" pictures and they would pay them to gain weight for the "Before" pictures.

How to Love Your Body {by Kandis}

1. Stop the fat talk-those conversations that begin with "I was so bad last night...." and end with whose butt is bigger? "They're like secondhand smoke-you need to not be around them.  Talk about shoes, politics...anything but homany Doritios you ate.

2. Try going reflection free...resist the urge to check out your reflection in every shiny surface.

3. Be more tolerant.  We pride ourselves on tolerance in terms of race and religion, but heaven forbid someone should have a different body weight.  Research finds that 31% of women at healthy weight thought they were overweight compared with just 5% of men who thought of themselves as hefty.  We need to stop discriminating even against ourselves, and start supporting each other.

4. Wear "confidence" clothes.  Clothes that boost your confidence and that you are comfortable in.

5.Talk to yourself lik you're a friend.  Imagine if a friend said that you were disgusting and lacked self-discipline and that the wide state of Montana had nothing on your butt.  You'd want to slap her right?  Yet it is fine to say that about yourself?! NO WAY

6. Stop Weighing in.  Scales just ge you obessed.  "Oh I'm 5'7 and should weight this...as if there's a magical number that is going to make you feel good....Not having a scale is a free feeling.

7.Preach body love.  It will strengthen your own attitude.  Women with a negative self image who helped younger girls develop positive body image saw their own confidence imporve.

9.Get out your favorite photos that show that you are a fun outoging person.  Happy Photos!

10.Embrace yoru heritage.  You can feel good and look attractive without denying who you are.

And last we need to "stop the fat talk."

I posted this video a long while ago too.....please watch it.

XOXO

SHE DID IT AGAIN!

HOLY COW PEOPLE! 

I do love Ava...really I do! But this little girl is going to give me gray hair!

This time I wasn't so lucky to find her cute face with washable marker on it.

OH NO!

She decided to use a SHARPIE this time.

Not just on her face....but her arms...

my counter.....my computer key board.

ALL MARKERS ARE GOING IN THE TRASH!

XOXO

There's a party in the USA! HAPPY 4th!

There's a song by Martina McBride that says "Let Freedom Ring, let the white dove sing"...once my sister thought is said "Let Freedom Ring...let the white dog sing." BWAHHHHHH...just thought I'd share that!

ANYWAY!

The Independence Day Celebration with my family was FANTASTIC!

We went to my sweeties family's house on  Saturday Morning and stayed for a little while.

We had a super swell BBQ with the Mad BBQing skills brought to us by Anthony.

The COOLEST snowcones EVER by none other then Janet and Sean....or I like to refer to them as (in secret..now they're going to know" SEANET.

A fabulous Blow up Waterslide, and a stellar flag cake by Mike and Marinda.

And I pretty much did nothing...boy am I lame!

HOWEVER as lame as I am.....I wasn't so lame to forget my camera and capture some fun moments!

SUCH AS:

Ava and Alaina polishing of a BIG BOWL of Doritos!

Or a Giant Homemade Water Slide!

Ava and Connor loved the slide so so much! It's safe to say they are the resident dare devils!

Elle? She didn't love it as much!

Ava Enjoyed spraying everyone with the hose!

But Elle didn't love being sprayed

Then we went back to my house where we had another kick'n bbq with my family!

GO STEAK and CHICKEN!

Elle and Lexi (my niece) are best buddies and had to pose together.

(please don't pay attention to the messy hair...it was a long day of playing)

And of course my little firecracker!

And then there were FIREWORKS!

It was a wonderful day!

Happy Birthday America!

WE LOVE YOU!

XOXO