It's not just the gamma...

Did I ever mention how much I love my mac? I can't even tell you how beautifully it displays photographs. You won't understand unless you see it for yourself.


Theres this little phenomenon called gamma. I learned about this when I was playing around with CS4. Oh and when I say learned, I mean it was brought to my attention and yet I still do not know what to do about it. What I gather from my gamma reading is that my photographs, displayed so lovely on my mac monitor, are displaying dark on the rest of the worlds monitor.


Which makes me sad. So I used my little gamma slider to make these photo's a little brighter for all the world to see. Basically this is my feeble {at best} attempt at helping the world see this mac-a-liciously :)

NOTE: not gonna work...
(refer to title of post)

So if you're on a lovely wonderful awesome mac and these are too bright... I know! It sucks but what can I do? But hey look on the bright side *snicker snicker* (bright side, bright photos... you get it right?) At least you have the pleasure of owning a mac! (and even so... these still look better on a mac) Did I mention how much I love my mac??


I wasn't sure if I had done a proper photoshoot in this little dress. I used that same Tina Givens pattern "The Little Goddess Dress" . Seriously LOVE that pattern!


I am *considering* doing a giveaway next month, in which this dress may be up for grabs :)

Interested??


These are taken at my mom and dad's house, the very one I grew up in. I find it to be quite lovely. But an interesting thing is happening as we speak!


I'ts getting remodeled! Which is kinda exciting and also little sad at the same time. I think it's kinda like how I feel about my current house... I want to sell it, and yet I don't. Because it's pretty small, so it would be really nice to move up... have a bit more space... and in the very same thought I feel like I would miss it. It's our first house! So many wonderful memories here :) Same goes for my parent house. I'm glad they're just remodeling though because the thought of selling it makes me really sad. But all that sentimental stuff being said I think the result will be awesome! They are going all out!!


The economy thanks them for being so brave.


Isn't this so true to life?? Everybody wants a piece of whatever grandma's got!

I figured I would throw in some pictures of the construction (which is further along that this even though these were taken only a few days ago!) for those of you that can't just hop on over because you live somewhere like... oh i dunno, Utah or something!

This is Lucy in the pool!


This is my cute m&d in the pool.


Chad was there just this morning and said the tile is no more...


Perhaps one of my favorite new additions... the french doors :)



I will totally be posting pictures of the end result! So stay tuned...

The day my boogers were black

Dad...

you asked me once what it's like at a reggae festival. Well, when you took us to the drags the other day me and Chad we're noticing the similarities. We watched you and Kass walking through the crowd and said to eachother, "it's alot like this"...


Except instead of all those booths selling hats, pins,and t-shirts with everyones favorite racer on it... there's these booths selling more colorful goods, usually with Bob Marley on it. And also not pins so much as patches and flags...


And instead of the entertainment looking like this...


(pretty good picture huh!) the entertainment looks more like this...


Couldn't pass up an opportunity to post this picture I got of Kymani Marley doing his thing! (Bob's son) Did you know Bob Marley has ALOT of children? Well he does... he had alot of love to give!

And the people walking around look less like this...



and more like this...


I thought I was being sneaky taking this random guys picture, but the look in his eyes tell me otherwise. I mean the fact that he's looking straight at me, you would almost think we were bosom buddies. So, I'm not sneaky, so what. There were plenty of characters at the drags I wanted to get a picture of but the drag crowd is tougher and I didn't want to get beat up over a silly picture. I think weird people would know the exact reason some wimpy white girl was aiming her camera at them!

And the "pits"... not so much this...


as this...



One more thing. The air at the drags smells heavily of exhust while the air at the reggae festivals have more of the "herbal" scents.

There was so much exhaust in the air I was actually a shade darker when I left! In fact my feet were like 100 shades darker. Pitch black to be exact. Note the title of this post :)

Oh and the entertainment is WAY louder at the drags. It was so loud even with the earplugs! Tickled my ears.

Kassidy scored an autograph while we were there! (I can't remember this guys name)


How cool does Kass look sporting her new Ashley Force hat? Note how it matches her Ashley Force shirt. I thought it was cute that she dug it up (seriously... dug... her room is a sty) so she could fit in with the racer types :)


If there's no garbage can right were you stand... it's ok, just make you own!


We parked so far away. I swear it was like a mile away. Gramps and kass took one of these taxi dudes. They didn't take this exact taxi but I had to take a picture of him because he was having so much fun blasting his "Thriller" song. He would come up behind people and they would start doing the thriller dance. Oh how I wished I knew the thriller dance!



This will be a fun game. see blue hair lady? You try to guess...

Was she attending the drags??? or the reggae fest???


Now I know there are a couple people that might already know so don't give it away for the rest of 'em! Oh and there's no prizes either so it's ok to lose.

I ♥ N'awlins

Does this ever happen to you? I was walking through Cost Plus World Market the other day looking for some storage solutions for my masses of free goodies. (seriously people, I have way too much... I'm taking a break from free toiletries)

I came across this box...

Beignets! (say it frenchy like... ben-yay) no way... I haven't had those in forever. I have to get those!

And so I do.

And then when I get home I show Chad my great find, and tease him a little for never having tried them before. Haha I say, "you were so deprived!"

And then suddenly I think... wait, have I had these before?? Why did I see these and think I had these before? Really. Mom...Dad are you out there? Stacey, Lori?? Anybody? Do you know why I think I've had these?

In any case, they were quite a tasty bit of heaven...



Trip to New Orleans as a kid?

Mr. W

I just wanted to post some pictures from a photoshoot I did last month.


Can I just say that Mr. W here was so so so easy to work with?


Seriously. I kept thinking this kid is going to grow up to be an Abercrombie and Fitch model.


Am I right or what!




I never get to photograph boys, so this was a pretty cool experience for me. Thank you kathryn!

Yum

Well I got it!

CS4!

That's the new version of photoshop. So far?

I think I'm in love.

It's already amazing and I don't even know how to work it.


As I sit here I think to myself...

Can someone make something that goes between your chair and your bum that cups your bum just so, giving it that tight rounded look we see in magazines? Like a bum shaper? I would really appreciate that! Also it would be great if it had a "no rotten bums" feature as well. I'm going to need it as I sit for many hours trying to figure out all the little features of my new program.

Oh... I bought lightroom too so I guess I got my work cut out for me. {happily} I couldn't help it, so many people rave about it's awesomeness.



{ random thoughts }

I need a vacation.
I need a shower.
Steak sounds good for dinner.
I hope I wake up in London someday.
Oh my bed is looking so inviting...


Ah... time to go.

See ya!

Members Only Club

Charley...

He's kinda cute when he sleeps. Sometimes I am amazed at how he sleeps upside down, but this is a little extra amazing...


One handed!

How did this happen to me? I'm anti-pet.

Within a matter of one week, we went from pet free, to precisely 32 pets. Ridiculous I know.


1 jackson chameleon.

1 tree frog.

2 tadpoles.

28 red ants. (originally there were 30 ants in the ant farm, but some of them started up a gang and ripped 2 of them to pieces. It's gruesome... ant body parts everywhere.)

Now instead of whipping out the raid and going on a cricket massacre, sadly I head to petsmart and give them real live money to get my little disgusting bags of crickets. Oh the joy of being lulled to sleep to the sweet sound of crickets mating.

Of course we have cricket food... who doesn't?

Yeah... you have to feed the food your going to feed to your many cricket eating pets. Indeed disturbing. Goes against everything I stand for bug-wise. which generally speaking is "kill the bugs" defintly not feed, care for, or nurture in any way the bugs! Except for ladybugs of course. And praying mantises and lace wings.



but you can't deny that Charley is kinda cute when he curls up his tail and snuggle hugs the tree stump.

So if my kids tell you there are 37 members of our family...

This is what they're talking about. (though that number is likely to drop, what with the ant gang wars and all)

Save the Last Dance

I'm rating this post PG. Not G.

Because of the "artistic" placement of last fridays fun times. Oh my gosh people...

The Flowers.

What were you thinking? I said this was PG not PG-13.


Remember a couple posts ago I said I was going to make those lovely felt flowers? And anyone that wanted to come could?

And then you didn't come.

Just messin with ya. Kristi ~unpredictable knot extraordinaire~ she came. And Tawna my ever trusty side kick came. We had mucho fun. And also we had William Sonoma Dark Hot Chocolate, with fresh whipped cream... and more chocolate shavings on top. Mmmmmm. Yum. It was over flowing.

I hope me and Tawna didn't scare Kristi away for good. For one thing Kristi came over all cute and well kept... and there I was with my black knee socks, green capri sweat pants and a burgundy shirt, no make up and greazzy hair. I was so scary. Actually Tawna was all cuted up too. So basically it was just me that was scary. But thats not what I meant. Kristi may have unwittingly stumbled upon silliness which was previously unknown to her... that one Friday night. But... atleast she wasn't sitting on her freshly pooped on couch watching old episodes of Cheers... right Kristi? You so had to be there for that one.

Alert!

This is a special alert for one Miss Shalay...(incase she still reads my blog at all)

Do not continue reading this post unless you are pretty sure you want your Christmas surprise not to be very surprising at all.

This is real...


Last warning...


The surprise will be spoiled....


I mean it's up to you but...



You're so weak!

Just joshin.

I LOVE this apron. And frankly I'm having a little trouble parting with it. Please note the month. Its February.


So before I pass it over I must enjoy it.



And so it was.

Enjoyed.

A special thanks to Chad for documenting my dance-a-thon.

Tu-Tu Tuesday (on Sunday though)

Didn't anyone tell you it's crazy picture day? Thats my little hint that there is a whole lotta pictures in this post! Lots. I mean it. Tons.


Remember my last post... I ratted myself out about ditching church? Well this is it. This is where we went. PHOTOSHOOT! I am so in love with that picture of Kassidy and Natalie above. The look on Natalie's face makes this my favorite. No saving best for last. This is it my friends!


Did you see it? I circled it so you could see it... creepy huh. I showed chad and I said, "Hey babe, look whats in this picture, it's Yu-gi-oh", ok it is entirely possible that I spelled that wrong because I am not really a big Yu-gi-oh fan. Apparently... because Chad said, "that's not yu-gi-oh!" Sure it is I say, imagine it's mouth opening really wide while eyes all a-squint saying "BRA BRA BRA!"

You see it is Yu-gi-oh... except Chad thinks it's poke`mon. I still say Yu-gi-oh.


Let me begin by saying it was Freezing! This is why you won't see as much of Natalie. She was the least cooperative due to the icy winds... but also she was the least dressed. Don't look at me, she wanted to wear that top. I think I can actually see her shivering.


Oh but what an angel she is.


I suppose I could tell you what the photographer (Alan Lowy) I went to said about my portfolio...


But then again, should I be so telling of my flaws from a professional's view?

Ok I will tell you one thing... he didn't so much like this next photo...


But I tend to disagree with him on his particular complaint. Which was that I shot staight on causing her legs to grow out of her chest... Ummm ok I guess if I had never seen a human before and this is all I had to go off of maybe I would mistake her for a stumpy short legger. Fortunately for me I know all about the human race and so this picture make plenty of sense in my brain. Right?


But actually he didn't hate my work like I thought he would. Just a few thing to watch out for... chopping off the fingers, apparently my favorite thing to do :)


Thank you Kassidy for being such a little model. This girl was willing to be in every shot.


While I was shooting this particular one there was a drunk guy yelling from across the street...

"you daughter is a doll... you hear me? I know you hear me daddy?" (talking to Chad of course)

ignore ~ ignore ~ ignore ~ ignore ~ ignore...

mmm-K, akward. Please don't kills us drunk man that we are so totally ignoring.


This was in Jerome BTW. All the eccentrics hang out there. This one punked out girl came running across that street from a shop to tell us that she loved the tu-tu's and to remember that Tuesday is tu-tu day. here we go into dialogue again,

Me: "really? well we will have to come back on a Tuesday then, wouldn't that be fun."
Punky: "oh, no where ever you are"
Me: "huh?"
Punky: " It's not just here... every Tuesday is tu-tu day where ever you are." *sparkle smile*
Me" um ok, good to know!"

How on earth did I not know about tu-tu Tuesdays? I guess I didn't get the memo.


Did she make that up? I think she made that up. No matter, I am all about wearing tu-tu's on Tuesday! Not that I have one.

La Fleur Debris

Jesus wants Lucy for a sun-BEAN! Or so she'd have you believe...


Last week we ditched church (more on that in my next post) but the story's not the same this week. We went. And I'm glad we did! Something happened that stuck with me. I like it when that happens.


At first I thought to myself... how bad is it that I'm standing out in the hall chatting with a friend when I should be sitting in the chapel with my family? It didn't seem right, but still I delayed going back in. And then one of the primary teachers joined us ... she was feeling ill. I thought to myself, please leave sweet lady that I don't know. I would rather not get sick nor would I appreciate my kids getting sick. But I know how it is. Sucks to find a sub. So I offered to take her class. Best thing I could have done. It was the sunbeams! I knew atleast half of them from my previous calling in nursery. The sweet moment happened when I asked who would like to say the opening prayer... right away little Mackenzie raised her hand. It went a little something like this...

Dear Heavenly Father,

We're thankful to be at church, and we're thankful that we're going to be good, and we're thankful we're going to listen to our teacher, and we're thankful that we obey, and we're thankful... (it went on) but as it did I thought, how sweet is this little girl? She didn't ask for a single thing! I love how she has obviously already made the choice to be good and obedient and now she was just thankful that she made those choices!

I can learn a lesson from her. I want to be just like her. Perhaps I could ask for less if only I would resign myself to making more christ-like choices, and when I do, I bet I would be thankful I did. For I will be more like her, and she is good.

Why are kids so perfect?

Dear Heavenly Father... I'm thankful I was standing in the hall that day at that time...


I made this dress. And on this dress there is a little flower pin I made using Heather Bailey's "La Fleur Debris" design. They are very cute and can be used for many different things-

pin it on a dress ~ pin it on a hat ~ pin in on a jacket ~ wear it in your hair ~ plop it on top of a gift... see, there's lots you can do.



Do you want to make some with me? I am going to plan on making these friday night. And any peoples that would like to join me may. This will be after the children go to bed, so like after 8:30.