Everyone's Talking Photography!

OK...just to piggy back on yesterday's post...one of my other fave bloggers, Centsational Girl, posted today about photos and blogging...

Our minds must've been in the exact same place this weekend. She has some good tips about uploading pictures. I'll have to check out Windows Live Writer because I, too, despise uploading pictures to Blogger. Don't even get me started. I'm thrilled to know there's another way.

Check CG out if yesterday's post didn't send you into a coma. She also has a disdain for flash that I forgot to mention also. I use it only in extreme circumstances--John's school program was one of those "extreme" circumstances. Natural light is my friend. And she is also a big fan of PW...but who isn't? The woman is amazing.

This should prove that it's really not me...it's the camera....and a little photo editing to thank for purty pictures.

And whoever posted yesterday that came through as High Altitude will you please let me know who you are?! So curious and you should join us when we do the LL class :)

This Is It

This post may bore some...uh....most of you so you have my permission to breeze past it but I've had a lot of questions asking me about the DSLR camera that I got for Christmas (early). I've been through quite an exhaustive research process since August including rentals, trying out different lenses, and asking friends who are photography-literate for advice.

I am by no means an authority but I'll just tell you that I ended up with the Nikon D90. I went with Nikon because that's what I had rented from our friend, Brad. Most people I know have Canons but I went with Nikon because that's what I was familiar with and I didn't want to re-learn another camera. And because I'm not a Rebel (get it? that was a weird joke). Most people have told me that the two brands are pretty much equals in the DSLR world.

I bought the 18-105mm lens that comes with the camera even though I didn't necessarily want to use this as my primary lens but for the cost of the two together it was a good buy. And this lens will be very useful for travel or vacations.

However, I knew that lens wasn't going to give me the pictures I wanted to get of my kids in indoor settings (which is mostly what I am shooting these days). So I bought a Nikkor 35mm f1.8 lens. This is THE lens (for me). I know there are better/faster/more expensive lenses out there but for my purposes this one is great. You can read Kenny Rock's review here for the lens and here for the camera. This is my new virtual photography friend. I read his website before buying anything to see what he says. Not sure why I deemed him the authority but in my little mind he is The Camera Sensei.

Without boring you with technical jargon this lens takes clear pictures in low light. It's fantabulous and it is the only lens I've been using on my camera since I got it. The only thing is that it doesn't zoom in or out but that isn't really an issue. You "zoom with your feet" as the pros would say. Or I can crop a picture closer up in Photoshop.

Which brings me to another issue. Many people have commented on how "great" my pictures are. Weeeeeelllllll, I do cheat a teeny weeny bit. I usually mess with the pictures a bit in Photoshop Elements to make a good picture a better picture. I pick up little tricks and tidbits from one of my fave blogs....The Pioneer Woman...love her. She is like a 21st century renaissance woman. On a side note: One day I somehow got caught up in the novela-esque blog post series that is her love story, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, of how she met her husband....wow....3 hours later I had not even read through half of it and never did finish it. Phew! Good luck to any of you that start reading it because it is written so well that you just get hooked and want to keep reading and I'm sure you have other things to do with those 3 hours like I did! Anyways, I digress....

The last step on this photography journey is taking a Leisure Learning class sometime soon to really unleash the power of my camera because I know I'm not using it to it's full potential so after that class maybe I'll have more to say? Hope that helps anyone who is in the market for a DSLR!

O Christmas Tree

Ok, regular readers, bear with me. I'm attending some Bloggy Christmas Parties over at Thrifty Decor Chick and The Nesting Place ...I love these things....

Here is my Christmas Tree.

I had soooo many ideas for "easy" projects in my head going into December that I almost made myself crazy. But reality struck and I only did a few of the projects that I had planned to do. But I'm at peace with that. This tree truly is thrifty. Time consuming, yes, but quite thrifty.


I was infatuated with tags and hand-stamped muslin ribbon this year. I saw a lot of this stuff on Etsy. In fact, I bought these cute little tags from Paper Eclectiques and used them as ornaments for the tree. LUUUUV this idea. I might buy some more for next year


I bought these tags from Creations by Minda. Have I mentioned how much I love Etsy and all the hand-crafted unique items you can get on there? It's like a year-round, 24-hour Nutcracker Market (which I missed this year, by the way!!)

I saw a lot of hand-stamped muslin but I just made that myself. I was eager to experiment with tea-staining to make the muslin look old. I bought several yards of muslin which is DIRT cheap and just cut long strips of it, soaked it in tea for a few hours, let it dry, then stamped it with a few different stamps, and Voila! My own custom ribbons....

I added some little rhinestones on the snowflake stamp because I love me some sparkly (read: this took way too much time BUT I like the way it turned out)


Couldn't resist these sparklies at Target

My little tree topper

It is a well-documented fact that I am fabric addict and hoarder. I found this music note fabric at HobLob and it was 50% off so I bought the whole rest of the bolt (3 yards) and decided I would find some use for it. When I brought it home Kyle gave me the idea to make bows out of it. Uh-huh, I said KYLE gave me the idea. He has lived with me for long enough to know how my brain works. I stared at him incredulously and said "YOU'RE A GENIUS! I THINK I WILL!"

Here's an up close

Here are some non-tree decorations....my ornament vase

My bows and ribbon proudly displaying all our Christmas cards

My tiny trees on the mantle....again used the snowflake tags and Kyle-suggested bows to decorate these

Dining room table centerpeice

Thanks for sticking with me through this post!

Project Baby Wipes!

Ok, so I really didn't think I was going to get to this part of my project-doing so soon. Really.

Some background: I have been wanting to add a distressed glaze to our kitchen cabinets since, oh, 2.5 years ago when we moved into this house and I was 9 months pregnant with #1 (Lil B). Well that never happened and I have probably attempted to start this project about 3 separate times and chickened out. Like, go-to-the-store-and-buy-all-the-ingredients ready. Very ready but something was holding me back.....

Then yesterday as I was showering it just hit me and I decided I. had. to. glaze. right. now. or. else. (said in a robot voice, here). I declared to hubby that today was the day. I was going to do it. FOR REAL. But not to the kitchen because that was too daunting and I wasn't confident in my method yet. So I locked in on the guest bathroom with laser-beam intensity. She would be my lucky guinea pig. Thankfully my mom took John to spend the night at her house last night so as soon as I put the littlest one to bed I started my mission.

I really wish I had the foresight to have a before picture but I think most of you know what stark-white cabinets look like--especially if you've been to my house. Plus, I was so intent on doing this NOW that I didn't even think about the camera. So here's a picture of our bathroom with similar cabinets...(the pictures are so awful--where is a nikon d90 when you need it?!)

And (a mere 3 hours later) here is the after....

I seriously declared that I wanted to sleep in the bathroom last night. And I wasn't kidding. Maybe even just sleep in the hallway so I could look at the cabinets as I drifted off to sleep? But before you think I'm nuts....I didn't, ok?

But really this was sooooo stinkin' easy and I knew it would be. I also knew once I did it I would kick myself for not doing it sooner and that was pretty much how I felt.

What do baby wipes have to do with this? Ok, so after you add the glaze to the cabinets you rub it off with a clean rag to get your desired look. But the baby wipes help you clean up a little bit more and take off some of the streaks that won't come off once the glaze has dried a little too much. Baby wipes are great to have around for paint projects....look out, master bathroom cabinets....you're next!

Getting My Project On

Well, here we are...it's been two weeks that I've been very focused on keeping our little family afloat. It's been a full time job taking care of my three and the creative side of my brain is atrophying. It has been dormant for too long. And to make matters worse it is revolting by populating my brain with waaaay too many projects than can be handled in a reasonable span of time.

I took the little lady with me to Lowe's today and I saw it in her for the first time......*crazy eyes*. Yes, little girl, I know. When I go to Lowe's or Michael's or HobLob I get the crazy eyes too. I think she was more impressed with the vastness of space, big and bright lights, and lots of people and things to see. But me, I got the crazy eyes thinking of all the random parts and pieces that could be brought to life in a DIY project.

What do chicken wire, a painter's drop cloth, and baby wipes have in common? Nothing together but each one is an important part of a different project rolling around the recesses of my little brain. You'll have to stay tuned for more on that.

Stand back! I am (crafty) woman, hear me roar!

Word Has Gotten Out....

...that I can sew a bit....

My neighbor offered to pay me to make a new cover for her daughter's MDO nap mat. Her daughter

 is one of Lil B's neighborhood friends.

I'm always intimidated to make things for other people because if I mess up something for myself that's one thing....if I mess up someone else's stuff....ugh, I'd feel so awful. However sometimes you just gotta have a little faith in your abilities (however primitive they may be) and DO it! My neighbor friend brought over the existing nap mat, some cute fabrics, a nice little pillow insert, and it looked simple enough so I accepted the challenge. After all, as we kept saying "It's just a big rectangle"....famous last words....

Since I'm no genius when it comes to using patterns, most of my sewing projects involve a ridiculous amount of time staring at the material and thinking hard to formulate my "order of operation". I usually have to redo my work anyways because I am a novice but sewing is relaxing to me. Plus I like figuring out new projects and the feeling of accomplishment when I finish them.

I just finished the nap mat this evening and it actually looks pretty cute! I am impressed with myself and relieved it's over! 

The snazzy velcro side closures...

Bad picture here (wish I had the Nikon....) but it is a cozy chocolate brown minky dot fabric on the sleeping side and a cute brown/pink/green/white floral on the outside.

Unfortunately, I also suffered from acute panic attacks that once the nap mat was washed it would fall apart instantly so even though I had washed the fabrics before making the mat I had to wash it again once it was assembled to prove to myself it wouldn't disintegrate completely. I don't know why that freaks me out but it does.....especially since I'm making it for someone else! I kept opening the washer expecting to see the whole thing in pieces in there. I am up right now waiting to see the thing make it through the dryer.

I think I totally over-built the thing too. I tripled stitched the handles and double stitched all the velcro closures....ugh! Is that OCD?

Update: It survived the dryer. Phew!

Interrupting.....

....your regularly scheduled blog to attend a midnight par-tay over at Thrifty Decor Chick

Submitted my chest of drawers debacle over there. I'm #25. It's fun to see what other people are doing in the crafting world. That's how I got the guts to try out these types of projects for m'self....I luuurve TDC...you should check her out sometime.