Daily Photos – October 14 2009



I love watching them play together. It is the highlight of my day.

Weekly Layout – Exersaucer



The next few week’s layouts are from the October kit from A Million Memories.



The journaling reads:


a few weeks ago

i realized that maybe you were

finally old enough

to use the exersaucer

i worried you might not like it

but figured we’d give it a try
as it turns out
you love it
even though you’re still

a little too young for the toys
i think you just like
the feeling of standing up
and looking around
i am just happy
to see that smiley face



Weekly layouts is a weekly feature focusing on simple layouts with photos and journaling. It’s posted on Tuesdays.

Daily Photos – October 13 2009



He’s sitting up more and more. And I can’t take my eyes off of him, I just love him.



We had torrential rain today. I am not liking the rain all that much and can completely do without it. So thankful we live in California.

Daily Photos – October 12 2009



It might look like he’s chocking Aurelia but he’s really just giving a hug. He hugs him so many times a day. I really feel so blessed.







And here’s the scary moment of the day. Aurelia’s been getting on all fours and moving back and forth lately. Which is the beginnings of crawling. He’s not even six months yet!! ugh.







Happy Monday.

Photoshop Videos – Adding Drop Shadow

Today’s video shows how to add a drop shadow in Photoshop CS3.



Photoshop videos are weekly videos that show you how to create digital elements and photography tips on Photoshop. They are posted every Monday. Click here for all of the archives.



If you have questions/feedback click on the “share” link on the bottom right of this post. Thanks!

Daily Photos – October 11 2009



Imperfect but I love it!



Wonderful Sunday, with family. Relaxed and happy.







My handsome boys.







I can never kiss him enough.







And Jake snuck in a few of me.




Finally feeling better. Happy Sunday.

Catalyst 83 – Japan



Catalyst eighty-three is : What’s the one thing you never thought you could do?



My journaling:

“Come work for me,” he said. I had worked for him before and I loved it. I knew he was a great manager
and possibly the answer to the slump I was having at work. But to go live in Japan for six months?


Was he crazy?



I had to leave my life. My boyfriend. My home. And move somewhere where I knew no one. Didn’t speak a word of the language. And hated the food.



Was he crazy?



Was I crazy to be considering it? It scared the crap out of me. And, in the end, that was exactly why I decided to do it. I packed my bags, and moved miles and miles away. Six months in a faraway land.



As it turned out, it was some of the best moments of my life. I made friends. I learned Japanese. I worked hard. I proved to myself that I could do it. Leave it all behind and still be ok. Go despite my fears. I still hate the food. But now I know I can do anything I want.



I am brave.

Weekly Books – Juliet, Naked


When I heard Nick Hornby was coming out with a new book, I preordered the minute I could. And Juliet, Naked did not disappoint. I’ll admit, I love Hornby and while I wasn’t a huge fan of A Long Way Down, I’ve loved all of his books. I love his style. His humor. His ability to take a serious subject and inject a lot of humor and emotion into it. Noone can do that like Hornby.



And this book is no exception. Its characters are well thought-out, interesting, relateable, and their story is worth reading.



I enjoyed this book so much I am not even sure what to pick for next week.

Daily Photos – October 10 2009



Today’s photos are just for me. So I can remember my amazingly beautiful family. The little boy is growing up so nicely. He’s so unbelievably cute.



























I was playing around with my childhood photos yesterday and found this one. Don’t we look so similar?



Daily Photos – October 9 2009



Another imperfect photo. But it shows how we all play on our bed together and how much fun we have. So who cares about the blur. Sometimes it’s about the emotion and not about the perfection.



Still feeling super-grumpy. Not sure exactly what’s going on. I think I need a little time off from myself.

Photography Tips – Lighting Basics

Today’s video is about lighting. I hope you’ll enjoy it.







Feel free to let me know if anything is unclear or if you have questions. Next week is more on light.



Photography Tips is a weekly feature and is posted every Friday. You can find all of them here.

An Old Memory

I’ve been with Jake for almost fifteen years. We met the last few weeks of the first semester of my Junior year in college. We were friends for a short while and then started dating right before it was time for us to go to our own homes for the holidays.

Even though Jake’s flight was several hours after mine, we went to the Pittsburgh airport together and talked and talked until it was time for me to board my flight.

At the time I was a Resident Assistant and a few days before the Christmas holidays begin is finals time at Carnegie Mellon. And during finals we observe Quiet Hours in the dorms. Which means exactly what it sounds like. About a week before I left for home, I had heard blaring music from the room adjacent to mine. I walked into the room, prepared to remind them about Quiet Hours, but instead I sat on the bed and listened until the song finished. After that, I told them to turn the music down and went back to my room.

But the song stuck in my head and I managed to get a copy on tape (this was before there were mp3 players, thank you very much). Even though I knew Air Supply, I’d never heard “Making Love out of Nothing at All” before and I really loved it. In fact, I pretty much listened to it on repeat for the new few weeks.

On the day of the airport, I was still listening to it on repeat and as I boarded the plane and took my seat, I put the music on and looked out the window. That’s when I saw Jake standing by the big glass wall that looked out on the runway and waving. I thought of waving back, but I knew he couldn’t see me.

And yet he waved.

He continued to wave for the next 30 minutes. All the way until my plane pulled back and got on the runway to take off. I spent the whole time listening to the song over and over again and watching him wave at me. That might be the moment I fell in love with him.

All these years later, I still think of that day when I hear the Air Supply Song. As the band plays images of the airport appear before me. I see him waving at me. Smiling.

And I fall in love all over again.