Digital Fun

I absolutely love how one passion helps to feed another. So I ran downstairs at 6:00 pm local time because that is when the new designer digitals stuff goes up on Saturday evenings. I grabbed the 25 cent negative strips (in the page above) and then I was going to "really quickly" print my self-portraits for Art Journaling 102 and then go alter them. Well...one thing led to another and I realized that the negative strips would look great on a page in a different art journal that I am working on. This led to me thinking that the negative strip would also look great on a scrapbook page. So I decided to do a quick digital scrapbook page too. Which is funny because it has been forever since I've done a digital page other than the Project 365 Month pages. Anyway-thought I would post the digital page! I love these photos. Loving how many different ways I have used them over the past few weeks! Happy Saturday!

Everyday Stuff

I can't believe it's been a whole week since I last created a post! I found this photo on one of the cameras when I was clearing SD cards over the weekend. I love it! Why?
1. Because I didn't take it.
2. Because it shows me doing something "everyday."
3. It was unscripted. (IE, I didn't have to ask someone to take my photo

What am I doing? Grocery list. Every thursday, or friday (depending on my mood-sometimes not until Sat. morning...) I sit down and create a menu for the week. Then I write down what I need to create that menu. Then I ADD as MANY ART supplies and scrapbook stuff that I can to the list without creating a $500 list. (Very difficult...) Then I rewrite the list so that everything is in "Aisle" order. Yes, kind of a long process, but I dislike shopping (unless it's Barnes and Noble or Michaels or Scrapadoodle (in Peoria, IL). Anyway, that is the story.

Also wanted to add that I have taken the Art Journaling 101 archived class here:

http://debbiehodge.squarespace.com/

It was...awesome! I have just started art journaling recently and it was great learning so many new techniques. Most of the stuff I already had laying around anyway! Dina Wakely has some wonderful ideas and the video tutorials are great!

I am now taking Art Journaling 102 and I am learning so much-even in the first week that all can say is-WOW. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for peeking and have a great weekend! I hope to have my Feb. Project 365 posted on either Sunday morning or Monday!

My Answer to Jessica Sprague's Question of the Day

http://spraguelab.squarespace.com/blog

What one person, thing, moment, or place do you wish you had a photo of?

Hands down-my wedding.

My wedding was not an extravagant affair-just the two of us and our close family at the courthouse...where as you might guess, the light was so very fluorescent and unflattering. And the only thing that I would totally do different would be to have professional photographs taken.

Which brings up the answer to the next question-What one person, thing, moment, or place can you STILL go and take a photo of? Because of that, I make sure that my husband and I get our photo taken together often. Now that our kids are older, we have photographers all over the house!

Finally, "I am also curious to know if you shoot with a DSLR or a point-and-shoot camera?"

The answer is yes :) I have a pocket size ELPH, an S3IS, and a Rebel. Go Canon. And I will say that the Rebel takes the best photos that I have EVER seen!

2 of My Favorite Photos Right Now

These are my 2 favorite photos right now. Why? Because they show my teenagers exactly the way I want to remember them. And that is why I invest rediculous amounts of money in taking photos. Because I love the feeling that I captured a moment exactly the way I want to remember.

First, my 13 year old son. This photo shows him the way he WANTS to be seen-way too cool to be standing outside in front of a lake freezing his butt off in February so his Mom could take photos with her new zoom lens...poor kid...but this photo is soooo William.

Second, is Elizabeth. Being a teenager is such a roller coaster ride. And about 50% of my photos of her have her making some sort of strange face at the camera. So this is a rare treasure. She is not looking at the camera. She is just being herself-with my new prime lens. Laughing. Which is what she does most often.

I love taking photos. And I love getting those shots that are...just right.

Celebrating Valentine's Day

My husband, bless his sweet heart, has made a total liar out of me.

While I said that we don't normally celebrate Valentine's Day, I guess I meant for the last 13 years we haven't really celebrated Valentine's Day. This year-my husband surprised me when I got home from work on Friday afternoon with a gift. He bought me an 8G Zune. And check out the song that he had loaded onto it. "Love Song," by The Cure. So sweet. I love you, Daddy!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

To all of my valentines-I love you all. We don't really celebrate Valentine's Day all that much. I buy the kids a stuffed animal (even though 2 of them are probably too old...and they probably don't care) and they will probably get some cash in their mini-book-instead of candy. But mostly...they already know that I love them. The mini-books should convey that as well. I'm not really in for candy this year. I don't really need it! Have a great Valentine's Day!

For My Valentine's

I made mini-Valentine Books for all 4 of my special valentine's this year (my husband's isn't shown). I absolutely love these little Love circle accents by Ali Edwards that you can find here. (And Ali's minibook instructions are here.) The really great part is that you don't have to have Photoshop to print them. Part of the download includes a .pdf file, so you just print them on cardstock and punch them out with a circle punch or a scallop punch. Awesome. Happy Valentine's Day!

Layers Album Part 2

This album was super simple to create and oh so fun! It only took me 2 days from start to finish. The video instructions for the layers album are available on Donna Downey's website here and the cost is only $5.00. Have fun!

Layer Album Part 1

Sunday-PhotoShoot

I drug my family out to Pleasant Creek on Sunday to freeze in the chilly wind so that I could practice with my new zoom lens. Good times!

Sunday Funday

Mom and I in a photobooth in Coralville on Sunday afternoon. Yea...Hotties...Good Times.

Project 365-January 2009

Okay, so I wasn't going to succomb to the pressure of having to take a photo every day. I lied...I found these calendars by Ali Edwards for DesignerDigitals.com and I saw a VERY easy way to keep track of all of the photos that I haven't yet taken. Here is January 2009. Photos were taken by myself and various people in our family. My 13 year old son is particularly fond of taking photographs! Happy February!