Goodbye Two Thousand and Ten

I wanted to share a few families that are very dear to me. I was given the opportunity to take their family photos for their holiday cards. This first one was only a mock up of a Christmas card for them to see as an example. I didn't use the photo of them, but simply wanted to show them what one could end up looking like. The photo is 'two in one' like the example in the previous post. I faded the shot on the right to highlight the writing.

The mom is one of the most active volunteers I know. She is hard working and always giving of herself.

These two kids have been in my view finder more than once or twice. I've known them since they were in elementary school and have been lucky to photograph them throughout the years.

Their dad was especially humorous this day. He had a couple of hand signals to me during the shoot. All in fun. ((of course)) And their mom, she is my biggest fan. When I feel down, she'll lift me up in a heart beat. She thinks I'm so much more than I am. When do I break it to her?? lol

And our family photo. I must say it is very difficult for us to get one photo of all of us. Therefore, I have had to combine two photos into one. We are either never all together, or we aren't ready to be documented. Don't want to scare the world with how we normally look!

So as the year winds down with a bang

And the sun sets in the west,

May you have a happy new year

--make it one of the best.

Digital Holiday Cards

Here is a sample and instructions of a card that I'm made for a client. It shows how to use a regular sized photo (4x6) and turn it into a landscape photo. The end result is a 4x8 landscape card that easily slips into a #10 envelope. You can also do the same process with portraits 6x4's. Long card instead of wide. Works the same, just different placement of decorations.

Here is where you take your new photo and layer it onto decorative paper and add wording. Your photo should be approximately 3" x 7 1/4". After you add your background papers, your finished size will be 4" x 8".

Play around with the placement, add drop shadowing to the parts that would normally be raised, add text and there you have it! You can print two on a sheet, cut and slip into envelopes.

Let me know how yours come out! Also, can you find anything fishy in the final card up top?

PS: I was fortunate to have a tag in this design. This week's Theme Thursday's Art challenge is "tag". Check out some great tag art at: http://themethursday.wordpress.com/

Meet Artist: Alex Krastev

OK, you all need to check out this guy's art. His name is Alex. Ironically he came across my blog about Andy Irons and noticed that HE was posted in it. He is the one on the surfboard with the roses in his mouth. He contacted me and shared his blog with me. Wow, this guy is way cool, or as my son would say, he's sick. http://future-seas.blogspot.com/

Come to find out he is commissioned by many name brands as well. Check out his work!

PS: I told my kids Alex is my new homey. We're tight. Maggie rolled her eyes and Sam just walked away. It's really getting to be a problem being old.

She Stood Up to Cancer

There's something very sad about Elizabeth Edwards' passing today.

Not only was she just 61, but she was a mom.

She had been in the hospital during Thanksgiving and opted out of any further treatments. I find it so very interesting that it was this very morning that the news was announcing that she had only about two weeks left. Does a doctor really know how much time one has remaining? Or, does one hear it on the news and say, hum, guess it's time. Struck me as strange that the news reported about it the very same day she passes away.

I decided to find out some facts about Elizabeth. We probably know more about John and quite honestly, oh, wait, there really isn't much honesty about John. (Sorry, if they'll lie to the spouse, they'll lie to the country)

Elizabeth met John while in law school. They married in 1977 and had two children. Their oldest, Wade, died in a car accident at the age of 17, a mother's worst nightmare. He was following in his parent's footsteps as he had just been honored by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at the White House as one of 10 finalists in an essay contest. Following his death, they decided to have more children. Now keep in mind, Elizabeth was 48 years old delivering their daughter and 50 when the last one, their son, arrived. Four years later, she's diagnosed with stage II cancer. Does that make you question the hormone factor like it does me? I'm a firm believer that being pregnant sends your body into hormone psychosis. It's like hormones on crack. Sends every living cell in your body through the drive through window of Starbucks for a double shot espresso.

In one of the sites I visited to learn about her, I read that in 2007, in regards to the topic of same-sex marriage, she stated: "I don't know why someone else's marriage has anything to do with me. I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage." Except that when I first read it, I read it as: I'm completely comfortable with my gay marriage." lol I don't know just where my mind goes sometimes. I actually understood that statement. Made more sense to me.

So, I hope her kids throw her one heck of a parade. She deserves it. I'll loan them my floppy red shoes. From one mom to another, Ears to you Elizabeth, may you truly rest in peas.

HO HO OH NO... it's Christmas card time.

I've been reminded that it is time to get a Christmas card together for our friends and family. However, according to my hub, it is of utmost importance to get one out to his clients. I struggle with this so much for two reasons. One is that we rarely get a family photo taken during the year. He always want all of us in the photo. Don't know why. Can't imagine his clients need to see what I look like and they know what he looks like. Maybe it's justified to show them the kids. He's funny too, most of the time when we are all together, we will have been doing some activity. We never have done a formal sit down photo session. One year he wanted to get a photo of us after we've just hiked all day. (yes, this is always showing me at my best) Another time we were on vacation, it was really windy. Sure he looked good, his hair is an inch long, but the wind took mine as if it belonged to someone else and showed my lovely very large dumbo ears. (another good look for me)

The other struggle is that he wants one of those "we're all that" letters to go with them. By the end of the year, I'm done. I don't have anymore to give and even less to get all giddy about to put in a "this is what we've done this year" letter.

I don't know about your goings on, but I live with Chicken Little. The sky in our area has been falling for years. And NOW he says it's really falling. I think his notion of selling our house and buying a trailer is going to come to fruition soon. So-- as I was trying to come up with some holiday card idea, Chick Little was in my head. Here is one rendition. It's titled, "Drivin' it in Hard".

Not sure if you'll be able to read the verbiage on the bottom, here it is:

re-ces-sion

noun

A period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in teenager's overall happiness in two successive quarters.

The main portion of the background was from www.crystallitemedia.com. I got it via google images and then made some of the snowmen melting. I added the sign around the big one's neck and just continued adding things until I was satisfied. Enjoy!

American Music Awards 2010

Last night we went to the Nokia Theatre for the American Music Awards as our cultural outing with NCL. (National Charity League) This year we sat in the lodge section off to the right. Did you know that all seats are within 220 feet of the stage, the seats are 23 1/2 inches wide, and seating capacity is 7,100? The performance area is over 14,000 square feet and the stage size (180' x 80') is the largest in southern California. To build the theatre, they used 61,000 tons of concrete, 1,515 tons of steel, and 50,000 screws.

Did you know that according to Justin Bieber, we wouldn't have been there without it being for Michael Jackson? Huh? A guy sitting 5 rows back. He kept screaming "Bieber" just as they would announce the winner of an award. Didn't matter if Beaver (Bieber), was up for the award or not.

Rihanna began the show. She was great. I think I loved the sets more though than most of the performers. A few were off key, but hey, I can't carry a tune, even in my shower. Check out this next photo. Rihanna hanging over tall silver 'grass', which is moving via dancers hiding behind the grass. I loved the creativity of the sets. What I wouldn't give to work for a set designer!!

This next performance was very action packed. From flying gymnasts to skateboarders, it was fun to watch, but I missed really what was going on because it looked chaotic from where I was sitting. I really wished I was up closer.

This next photo was on the background screens. I just liked it.

Sometimes I feel like 'help, I don't exist' too.

The finale was a performance by New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys. Loved it. So did the girls. Mine was singing every word along with them.

Next year, GO! The tickets aren't that much and I think it's an experience worthwhile. I'm borderline A.D.D. and to sit through a concert with only one performer would be oh-so boring. Here, you get a concert given by top performers, one or two songs each, and a great variety show. This year, from Santana, to Bon Jovi, to Taylor Swift, J-Beave, Usher, and Ne-Yo. Who? lol... Ne-Yo is a no-go in my book.

RIP Andy Irons - Paddle-Out For Andy

Today was the paddle-out for Andy Irons, three-time world surfing champion.

Hundreds of people came out to the Huntington Beach pier to pay their respects to Andy's family in memory of his short lived life. An absolutely beautiful day, waves were fabulous, and it was perfect for him. I was so impressed with how many people were there. Many generations of surfers.

This little girl wrote out "Rest in Peace, Andy Irons" and tried to repair it as the surf washed it away.

After the service, I made my way onto the pier and out to the end. There I stood watching hundreds of surfers begin their "paddle-out" and get into circle formation. The Orange County Sheriff's rescue boat was at the end of the pier waiting to spray their water hose.

I met a man who just happened to be Andy's uncle. (by marriage, he added)

He used to have a surf shop here, and if I was a surfer, I would have remembered which one. All I can say is that from the few minutes I talked to him, he seemed to be a very kind man who along with many many other people, were saddened by the loss of someone so young. As I began walking back I noticed that the partial circle that I could see was attached and spread out all the way back to where the waves were breaking. So, imagine, this circle was as wide and long as the pier. My camera couldn't get the entire span of it.

Isn't this the coolest thing? I think I've decided that if I was a surfer, I would insist on having a paddle-out for my memorial service. But since I'm not, I'll stick with just having a parade with everyone wearing big floppy shoes and red noses, clanging pots and pans, singing 'the old grey mare, she aint what she used to be'.

I would love to know just how many dings were avoided by all these surfers making their way back to shore. It was quite a sight! Andy, you would have been impressed.

Heartless but not Tinless

The tin-man really needed oil for this project.

My oh-so creative sister asked if I had time to make her a tin-man for a 'pin-the-heart-on-the-tin-man' game. (She is working on a job for a client who's having a birthday party for her daughter. The theme is 'The Wizard of Oz". Be sure to check out all the incredible decorations and party ideas she's done for it. So incredible!)

http://sherricassaradesigns.blogspot.com/

I have a jumbo printer so it was going to be easier for me to print the larger size needed and piece him together. However, the only images of him full size available on the web were really low resolution. So no matter how large I would hope to get him, he would be grainy and look very blurry. Here is the low res tin-man that I used as my template.

This next photo was very clear. It would have been perfect. Easy, print, done.

There was one problem though. Not only was he lacking in heart, he was missing legs. And can anyone please explain the 'Lucy-Ricardo-clay-for-a-nose-lighting-a-cigarette-and-burning-the-tip-off' nose of the tin-man? Every time I look at him I think of Lucy trying to conceal her face with the clay nose. Remember how it starts to itch and she wipes her nose and accidentally pushes the clay off to the side? Oh, back to him...

I placed both photos in photo shop and began the puzzle. I began to copy and paste different sections of his arm and worked them into becoming his new prosthetic legs. In transform, I would use the warp and perspective tool to maneuver it into place. As you can see in the above photo, he is also missing his one hand. This was a simple fix. Use the lasso tool to duplicate the other hand. Make a new layer via copy, then in transform, flip horizontally, rotate until into desired position, use warp to pull in edges and voila! He now has two hands. For his thumb, I copied one of the finger tips. Worked it in with the warp tool. Anytime the tone was off, I would correct with image, adjustment, exposure, gamma correction or offset. Towards the end of this puzzle, I began painting what was too much to cut & paste. But, notice in the final photo, his crotch area is actually the elbow, and the upper thighs are the lower arm upside-down. The bottom part of his torso was easy, this is simply his chest area, copied.

Last, he needed to be printed. I sectioned him off, making sure my measurement remained accurate and printed each section on a 13x19 sheet of matte paper. I had six sheets. Then glued them onto poster board, cut each body part out, and glued together. Added oil to him and he was done! Squeak-free.

One other thing that I did simply for easy storage, his legs move below the knee. There is a board on the back of the entire tin-man, and glued onto the board is a piece with a paper fastener. Hole punched through the lower leg and it is attached and able to fully turn to shorten the length for storage.

The final Tin-Man shown by Vanna.

One ready to receive a heart, the other willing to stick one to him!~~

Field Hockey Treats

Last night was our Field Hockey Banquet. It was very special as it was, for eight of the players, their last year with the team. Four years with field hockey and four of the best. The program at HB is outstanding. The coaches are exceptional. They teach the game well and treat the players with dignity and respect. In return the girls respect the coaches and work their hardest to achieve greatness. Even if it's just finishing what they started. Which is where my daughter comes in.

If you've read previous blogs of mine, you'll know we've had mold issues that turned out to be long lasting and part of the reason my daughter has always been so sick. (Asthmatic) However, she also has an adult view of the world that pushes her do what is right. (Makes her crazy when others don't do the same). Nonetheless, she, along with another girl, received the 'Coaches Award' last night. It made me very proud of her. She has always loved the game of field hockey. Has always wanted to be a starter, be a forward, run fast, be tall, score a lot of goals, and receive a scholarship for sports. Now, she is none of that. No- she's better. She holds her head up high to sit on the bench at times and be a support to her team mates. She knows that in life even though one may not understand the 'whys', there is always a reason. She is a strong person, loves the Lord, and knows that there are other ways to start, be fast, tall and score. To me she starts every game. She is there. Looking as beautiful as the day I held her for the first time. (Oh wait, did I mention in my previous blog she looked like a chicken?) lol

She is a forward. She does play that position. And yes, she likes it for the reason that she can't physically run up and down the field as the mid-positions require. Is she fast? Depends on who you ask. She always out runs me. She out runs her sister. She even out runs some on the team. Is she tall? She is so tall that her head reaches the heavens of the earth. She is 5'3" taller than tall. And she has scored. Not only in the game of field hockey, but in the game of life. Only 18, but a wonderful beginning of a sweet natured christian girl. I am so proud of her. She is everything I wish I could have been.

Ok, enough bragging. Here is a photo that I took of the junior varsity holding up their sticks for the varsity to run through. Not that great of a photo, but I liked the composition. I pulled it into photo shop and worked the photo a bit. I added more sky, took the left corner stick out, painted more base onto the bottom. I layered copies of it, from the top copy, I pulled out the white background altogether. I then placed a teal background behind the base layer, reduced the base layer's opacity until I saw enough teal coming through.

Next I added type, measured the size and printed two per sheet for candy bar covers. I used a glossy photo paper. I think it was actually brochure glossy papers-- thinner than regular photo paper. Made it easier to wrap around each bar. Then I used adhesive (double stick tape) to pull it all together.

Smart & Final had the best deal on Hershey bars, but sometimes the grocery stores will have a sale on them for .50 per bar. This time, not the case.

This was a very easy project and the parents & players loved them.

Next week's project..... players on a stick. Stay tuned.

Happy Birthday Times Two

Happy Birthday Mags & Kate. My two girls birthday's are today. Twins. Four years apart.

Maggie was due on the 2nd but hung in there until the 9th. Labor began on a Saturday (5AM) and Monday (1PM) she finally arrived. Not exactly the birthing experience one would want for the first one. Concerned doctors, Pediatric team waiting, husband stopping the recorder as the nurses are saying, come on baby, (breath). And me, I was so glad it was over that I was oblivious to it all. I just remember that the epidural wasn't working and all I wanted was to be able to cry, but not letting myself so I could get through it. And after it was over, didn't need to. She was fine. A healthy baby girl that looked like a chicken. The birthing canal does amazing things to heads.

Katie was due on the 16th. I had been working like crazy the weeks before painting six 6'x8' murals for a fundraiser. Friday night, made a huge dinner for the family. We had our aunt & uncle living here just in case we needed them in a pinch. I was in the garage and finished the boards. Happy that they were done as 'set up' for the auction/dinner was the very next morning at 8AM, with the fundraiser that night. Can I just tell you how neighbors and drive-by's would slow down to see the bison in the garage on her hands and knees painting boards all day and night? Anyhow, I walked in the house with paint brushes in hand and announced "I'm done"!

5AM and here comes Katie. Quickly. Policeman saw us flying down the street towards the hospital but didn't pull us over. Guess he knew the look of a panicked bison. Uncle delivered my boards and hub went to the fundraiser. Handing out cigars.

14 and 18. With a 16 in between. Life just keeps marching on.

OC Register Posts a Photo of Mine!

Thank you Renee, for sending off our article along with a photo to the O.C. Register again! (Smiles for Miles!) Any bones thrown this way are welcomed!

You can see the photo and article here:

http://www.ocregister.com/news/beach-273847-oilers-huntington.html

Our girls won last nights game against Chaminade.

We had a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness, called "Play for the Cure". The girls wore pink socks, pink shoestrings, and pink ribbons in their hair. We loved the bright pink. Do you think they'd mind changing the school colors from orange & black to pink & black???

Go Beach!

Big Baby Bird

I haven't posted on Watery Wednesday in a long time. Since it rained yesterday I thought I'd look for a water photo. I found this one that I took last month. A bird in a pond. He was watching me very closely and just as he put his one leg down, I snapped the photo and then he flew off.

Visit: http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/ for more wet photos.

Faux Wood? Ok, I'm going Green!

I thought I'd give you the final conclusion of our 'water damaged' flooring. Final findings: No confirmed conclusions as to the source of the water. HA@! (The @ was a mistake in typing, but I thought I'd leave it...) We have been told that we simply have moisture coming up due to the lack of a moisture barrier under the slab (during the time period of our homes being built in this area, they didn't know to put moisture barriers down.) So, we have torn out all of our hardwood flooring and replaced it with a porcelain tile that has a faux wood finish. What do you think?

We are almost done with this project. Just have the rest of the baseboards to be put in, have them painted again and then we'll tackle the pantry. Yes, the hardwood that is in there is under all my custom cabinetry. That is a project for another day.

My LB sister, an interior designer, has a new blog. She posted a photo of her office. Makes me want to cringe when I look at mine. I'm so messy. I love her organizational ability. Check her out at: http://sherricassaradesigns.blogspot.com/

Fall is Making Me Fall

October. What does this represent to you?

Well, I was reminded that it is national breast cancer awareness month. Susan G. Komen for the Cure has posted many events/activities that benefit the Orange County Affiliate of SGKomen4theCure. Check it out at: www.komenoc.org

October reminds me that the end of the year is near and I've got to kick it in gear to get everything done. My two girls have their birthdays in November ON the SAME day, no less. My son's is in December. Halloween is almost here, Thanksgiving right around the corner and then Christmas. For me October has always been the month where my intentions fly right out the window. I want a plaque made for me when I die that says: "She lies here with good intentions". Isn't it interesting that the word 'lies' past tense for lay, is also lie as in untruth? So, I lie when I say I'm going to get stuff done? huh. I think I just had an ah-ha moment.

I had the pleasure of working on a job for someone recently who's husband had written the following on the back of a photo of his two boys.

"Let me not speed through this time of life

to where I forget the beauty of moments like these".

I wish I could turn back the time. I miss having my kids this age. I am grateful that I have been blessed with three wonderful kids. Love them dearly. Don't love the fact that I have to go to traffic school next month with my son who got a ticket for no helmet and riding on handle bars. Funny though when he was surrounded by six police cars when he was a passenger in a car doing donuts in a school parking lot he was just warned. AND the policeman told me that he was such a good kid. He said "You've done a great job, he's very polite, respectful, and a really good kid". I looked him straight in the eye and said, "I sure hope you didn't let him know that!" Then quickly covered my face so my son wouldn't see me smiling.

I remember when he was four, he had asked me for a pair of scissors. I always had scissors around. Major scrapbooker and my kids ran with scissors from birth. He went back to his room and minutes later asked for tape. I gave him the tape. Later on I walked passed his room and saw his project. It was on his wall. He learned this from his older male cousins. Yes, I scolded my husband for this too. He had found a tennis magazine. Was looking at it and came across an advertisement for Nike. (don't care for them) Three women. Two large busted women dressed very provocatively and the other one (average) in basic athletic wear. A bucket of water being tossed onto all of them. Get the picture? So did he. And now it was taped to his wall. I had to do some moral character teaching right then and there. How is it that a four year old sees what we think (and pray) that they won't until they're older?? I asked him what he liked (duh) and he showed me. After damage control, I called my friend in Chicago. Asked her what she thought. (She raised three wonderful boys.) She asked one of her boys about it and his comment back was:

"Pray it doesn't get worse!"

May you cherish today and pray it doesn't get worse.

James 2:14-22

I LOVE the HB Independent!!

HA! It doesn't take much to get me excited, but I must say, THIS one really makes me happy! Thanks to Renee, our field hockey publicity mom. She submitted a photo of mine from our varsity field hockey tournament this past Saturday. The newspaper graciously mentioned my name as the photographer. If I was younger, I would have done a cartwheel!! I usually don't want recognition, but to have recognition without expecting anything is such a treat. Ok, I can die a happy woman now. lol...

http://www.hbindependent.com/sports/tn-hbi-1007-preproundup-20101006,0,1960317.story

Thanks so much Renee and the Huntington Beach Independent Newspaper!

HBHS Homecoming Dance

I took photos of a few girls before they went to the high school's homecoming dance. Here is one of Mag's friends. She is so beautiful. I have to admit that I didn't even recognize her at first. I walked in and she already had her hair and make up done. She didn't greet me in her usual way and it threw me off! She doesn't look 17 at all!

Here she is cheering on one of the teams as they played.

Everyone loves this girl!

Thanks to Kim B. for having two 'hair and make up artists' at her house for the girls! What a wonderful treat!

Beginnings, Endings, Endings, and new Beginnings...

This is the last year that my daughter will be in High School. Her last year in National Charity League and the year she gets to be "Presented". Presentation in NCL is one big "Ball". She wears the big fluffy white dress (don't know whoever started that one...) and gets highlighted for her accomplishments. It is my last for many things, but so much more become the firsts for her. I have to put together 15 photos (only) that represent her during her 17 years of life. Sheesh is that a tough one for me. I was at a loss on this one so I decided to let her pick them. I however did have my say in a few. This first one is one of both our favorites. My sister designed and hand-painted her little onesie.

I love this one. These two crazy kids made many of these on the computer and I laughed so hard. It just shows the silliness that they have. I had to include this. I hope it makes people laugh and not take the debutant ball too seriously! (Mag also LoVeS Elvis--) The walk about that her and her dad are to do is usually to a sweet song for a father and daughter. She's chosen "Burning Love" by Elvis - Lord Almighty, I feel my temperature rising!! LOL