Kaitlin has wanted to take dance for a long time, but it can just get so expensive.
When I saw that one of the studios was offering 8-session course this summer at a reduced price, I figured now was my chance to give her a taste.
Hmmm...not sure 8-sessions is going to be enough for her! :-)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
:LIFE: 4th of July
I hope you all had a great 4th of July!
We certainly had a good one. I started the day with some scrapbooking and laundry and later in the day we headed to Justin's parents house for the annual supper get-together and fireworks over the Springfield Marina.
Before is was time to head down to claim our spot, we were able to get in a few fireworks at the house and Kaitlin certainly got more into shooting off a few herself this year.
Justin was careful to show her how it was done.
She lit them very carefully...
We certainly had a good one. I started the day with some scrapbooking and laundry and later in the day we headed to Justin's parents house for the annual supper get-together and fireworks over the Springfield Marina.
Before is was time to head down to claim our spot, we were able to get in a few fireworks at the house and Kaitlin certainly got more into shooting off a few herself this year.
Justin was careful to show her how it was done.
She lit them very carefully...
and once that sucker was lit, she was outta there!! She has a healthy respect for fireworks.
The 4th just isn't the 4th without a few sparklers, is it??
I did get a few keepers of the big fireworks show as well...will share those soon.
Friday, July 4, 2008
:PUBBED: Memory Makers & Scrapbook Trends
So, here it is!! I found out several months ago that I was going to have 4 layouts published in the Memory Makers Scrapbook Idea Gallery 2008 and have been anxiously awaiting its publication ever since then.They posted the cover of the special issue on their website just the other day and stated that it is set to hit newsstands on July 8th.
I received my subscription copy in the mail yesterday! Of course I had to immediately flip through it on my lunch break to find my pages! I can't wait to look through it a little more leisurely as I could see that there were a ton of other beautiful layouts in there.
I will be sharing the published pages with you here soon!!
I did request a few extra copies and plan to give away one or two copies here on my blog, but not exactly sure when I will receive them. It may not be until I get my layouts back, so we'll just have to see.
I got some other good news last week.
I received an email from Holly at Scrapbook Trends requesting one of my layouts for their November 2008 Issue, so am quite excited about that. I have been submitting to Scrapbook Trends for quite some time, but this is the first time that I will be published by them.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
:LIFE: What's wrong with this picture??
Do you see it?This is the cake that my husband brought out to me after dinner last night.
How sweet, huh?
Unfortunately, there's something not quite right about this picture. (If you need a hint, visit yesterday's post. Between the post title and the second sentence, you should be able to see the problem.)
I'm pretty sure that I have always been (and always will be) four months younger than my husband, but it seems that somehow I managed to become four months older than him since my last birthday - therefore aging TWO years since my last birthday!
It's true that time does seem to go faster as one gets older, but let's not get carried away now. This is not a 2-for-1 deal that I'm interested in!
This has me wondering just exactly what he's trying to say to me.
He assured me that it was an honest mistake because he was in a hurry.
Kaitlin said, "Mom, I TOLD him you were only 32!"
It's the thought that counts, right?
----------------------------------
Conversation with Kaitlin on the morning of my 32nd birthday:
Me: Do you know what today is?
Kaitlin: Nope.
Me: Are you sure?
Kaitlin: Yup.
Me: (feigned sniffles)
Kaitlin: Is it a stay at home day? (Kaitlin REALLY likes weekends!)
Me: No...(feigned sniffles)
Kaitlin: Is...it...your birthday?
Me: YUP!
Kaitlin: Happy birthday, Mommy!
Me: Do you know how old I am?
Kaitlin: 32. (without hesitation)
(This leads me to believe that she knew all along what the signifigance of the day was. She's a sneaky one!)
Kaitlin: You're getting old, Mom.
Me: Hmph! Older than you, you mean?
Kaitlin: Yeah, that's what I meant. Just older than me.
:-)
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
:LIFE: 32 Random Facts About Me on My 32nd Birthday
It's my birthday today.
32 years old.
So, here are 32 random facts about me.
1) I have had 8 jobs since I started working at the age of 16. The shortest amount of time I've been on a job is 3 months (one college summer job) and the longest is 8 years (current job).
2) I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano.
3) I have been to less than 10 states in my entire life and they are all connected. Sad, I know.
4) I dream of traveling. My top destination of choice would be England, but there are many places I would like to visit. I would also like to visit the country of my ancestors - the Czech Republic.
5) I am by nature an introvert, but must be an extrovert for my job.
6) I don't like beer...unless it's in a red beer. Heavy on the tomato juice and with green olives.
7) I have never had a broken bone. I'll be knocking on some wood now.
8) I do not enjoy shopping for clothes for myself, but I love shopping for clothes for my daughter.
9) When I was little, I used to sneak into my brother's room, play his 45 of Living on a Prayer on his record player and make up dance routines.
10) I love cheesecake.
11) I love to read, but I am a very slow reader.
12) I hate it when people don't use their blinker.
13) My first car was a powder blue Plymouth Horizon. My second car was a white Ford Escort. My current car is a dark green Dodge Stratus. I bought it new (will probably never do this again) and have been driving it for almost 10 years. It just passed the 100,000 a couple months ago.
14) I went to high school prom three times. Each time was with the same person (my husband).
15) I collect postcards. People bring me postcards when they travel because they know I have to live vicariously through others (see #3).
16) My sense of humor tends to be sarcastic in nature.
17) Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the music, the get-togethers.
18) I don't like to wear a lot of jewelry. I wear two rings (wedding ring and a birthstone ring that my dad brought for each of the girls in our family), a watch, and diamond studs on a daily basis. I may were a necklace for a special occasion.
19) My favorite subject has always been English. History interests me (I read a lot of historical fiction), but I'm not good at remembering names and dates. I've never enjoyed math or science, but could do it...sort of...if you force me.
20) I have kept over 1,000 photos this year. I've probably deleted twice as many - I'm getting more selective on what I consider a keeper. Ahhh, the wonders of digital.
21) I addicted to the internet. It is fairly difficult for me to go a day without going online.
22) I am not a fan of re-watching movie I have already seen, but have watched Dirty Dancing and Top Gun AT LEAST 15 times each.
23) I was nearly late to my own college graduation becaue both of the cuff buttons fell off my shirt.
24) I got a degree in Secondary English Education and ended up only teaching for one year. I now work for a college as the Assistant Director of Admissions.
25) I am a published scrapbooker - 5 layouts already published and 5 layouts yet to be published. Hopefully many more to come.
26) I love the smell of alfalfa, vanilla, and rain.
27) I read the entire Anne of Green Gables series (8 books) when I was in grade school. I also used to read my mom's V.C. Andrews books without her knowing (I think? But not anymore!) and hide them under my mattress. I got tired of them though...they all have the same plot line. I think the author was obsessed with insestuous relationships - ick!
28) My daughter and my younger brother make me laugh the most.
29) When I hear a song I like, I can listen to it over and over without tiring of it. I will usually sing along if no one else is around. Favorites right now are Apologize by One Republic and Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis.
30) I have a fake tooth. It does not glow under a black light.
31) I don't like fishing. I take something something to read when my husband makes me go along with Kaitlin and him.
32) I like pickles with cottage cheese.
32 years old.
So, here are 32 random facts about me.
1) I have had 8 jobs since I started working at the age of 16. The shortest amount of time I've been on a job is 3 months (one college summer job) and the longest is 8 years (current job).
2) I've always wanted to learn how to play the piano.
3) I have been to less than 10 states in my entire life and they are all connected. Sad, I know.
4) I dream of traveling. My top destination of choice would be England, but there are many places I would like to visit. I would also like to visit the country of my ancestors - the Czech Republic.
5) I am by nature an introvert, but must be an extrovert for my job.
6) I don't like beer...unless it's in a red beer. Heavy on the tomato juice and with green olives.
7) I have never had a broken bone. I'll be knocking on some wood now.
8) I do not enjoy shopping for clothes for myself, but I love shopping for clothes for my daughter.
9) When I was little, I used to sneak into my brother's room, play his 45 of Living on a Prayer on his record player and make up dance routines.
10) I love cheesecake.
11) I love to read, but I am a very slow reader.
12) I hate it when people don't use their blinker.
13) My first car was a powder blue Plymouth Horizon. My second car was a white Ford Escort. My current car is a dark green Dodge Stratus. I bought it new (will probably never do this again) and have been driving it for almost 10 years. It just passed the 100,000 a couple months ago.
14) I went to high school prom three times. Each time was with the same person (my husband).
15) I collect postcards. People bring me postcards when they travel because they know I have to live vicariously through others (see #3).
16) My sense of humor tends to be sarcastic in nature.
17) Christmas is my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the music, the get-togethers.
18) I don't like to wear a lot of jewelry. I wear two rings (wedding ring and a birthstone ring that my dad brought for each of the girls in our family), a watch, and diamond studs on a daily basis. I may were a necklace for a special occasion.
19) My favorite subject has always been English. History interests me (I read a lot of historical fiction), but I'm not good at remembering names and dates. I've never enjoyed math or science, but could do it...sort of...if you force me.
20) I have kept over 1,000 photos this year. I've probably deleted twice as many - I'm getting more selective on what I consider a keeper. Ahhh, the wonders of digital.
21) I addicted to the internet. It is fairly difficult for me to go a day without going online.
22) I am not a fan of re-watching movie I have already seen, but have watched Dirty Dancing and Top Gun AT LEAST 15 times each.
23) I was nearly late to my own college graduation becaue both of the cuff buttons fell off my shirt.
24) I got a degree in Secondary English Education and ended up only teaching for one year. I now work for a college as the Assistant Director of Admissions.
25) I am a published scrapbooker - 5 layouts already published and 5 layouts yet to be published. Hopefully many more to come.
26) I love the smell of alfalfa, vanilla, and rain.
27) I read the entire Anne of Green Gables series (8 books) when I was in grade school. I also used to read my mom's V.C. Andrews books without her knowing (I think? But not anymore!) and hide them under my mattress. I got tired of them though...they all have the same plot line. I think the author was obsessed with insestuous relationships - ick!
28) My daughter and my younger brother make me laugh the most.
29) When I hear a song I like, I can listen to it over and over without tiring of it. I will usually sing along if no one else is around. Favorites right now are Apologize by One Republic and Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis.
30) I have a fake tooth. It does not glow under a black light.
31) I don't like fishing. I take something something to read when my husband makes me go along with Kaitlin and him.
32) I like pickles with cottage cheese.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
:ARTICLE: How to Take Great Fireworks Photos with a Point & Shoot
Getting great fireworks photos has to be hard, right?
Not necessarily. The pros want us to believe this, I think, but scrapbookers and photography hobbyists can still get great results without loads of equipment and studying aspects of aperture, shutter speed, focal length and such for hours before the event or spending the entire show trying to get your settings just right.
All of the photos in this post were taken by me last year with my Canon S3 IS and I'll give you my 5 basic steps to how I got my results.
1) Scope out your location.
Try to arrive on site while it's still light out so that you can make sure that you get a good position for shooting. Try to avoid areas where trees or other obstructions may hinder your shooting. You want to have a clear view of the area of sky where the bursts will appear.
2) Use a tripod.
Okay, so you will need this one other piece of equipment to get good shots. With fireworks, it is an absolute must considering the length of time that your camera's shutter must be open to capture the brilliance of fireworks. The camera must be PERFECTLY still during that entire length of time in order to get a good shot. But it doesn't have to be anything too fancy. The one I use is actually one my husband picked up at an auction for around $5.
3) Use your self-timer.
Articles of this type will generally suggest that you use your remote release to trigger the camera to avoid camera shake when pushing the shutter release. Although some P&S cameras have a remote release option, most do not. The easy way around this is to use the self-timer. My camera has a 2 or 10 second option, so I set mine on 2 seconds and will generally hit the shutter release when I hear or see the firework trajectory leave the ground. It's not full proof. Some fireworks take longer than others to burst, but it works enough of the time to get some great shots.
4) Frame your shot.
Take a variety of shots. Use your zoom to get some shots that will zero in on the burst itself and zoom out to get some that take in some of the scenery as well, such as the shot below where you can see a bit of reflection of the firework on the water. If you're attending a show within a city, you may actually want to include part of the cityscape in your photos to give them a greater sense of place. Also, don't assume that if you don't get the entire burst within your frame that it's one for the recycle bin. Some of my favorite shots are those that only show part of the burst against black sky which actually makes for a very interesting photo in terms of composition.
Not necessarily. The pros want us to believe this, I think, but scrapbookers and photography hobbyists can still get great results without loads of equipment and studying aspects of aperture, shutter speed, focal length and such for hours before the event or spending the entire show trying to get your settings just right.
All of the photos in this post were taken by me last year with my Canon S3 IS and I'll give you my 5 basic steps to how I got my results.
1) Scope out your location.
Try to arrive on site while it's still light out so that you can make sure that you get a good position for shooting. Try to avoid areas where trees or other obstructions may hinder your shooting. You want to have a clear view of the area of sky where the bursts will appear.
2) Use a tripod.
Okay, so you will need this one other piece of equipment to get good shots. With fireworks, it is an absolute must considering the length of time that your camera's shutter must be open to capture the brilliance of fireworks. The camera must be PERFECTLY still during that entire length of time in order to get a good shot. But it doesn't have to be anything too fancy. The one I use is actually one my husband picked up at an auction for around $5.
3) Use your self-timer.
Articles of this type will generally suggest that you use your remote release to trigger the camera to avoid camera shake when pushing the shutter release. Although some P&S cameras have a remote release option, most do not. The easy way around this is to use the self-timer. My camera has a 2 or 10 second option, so I set mine on 2 seconds and will generally hit the shutter release when I hear or see the firework trajectory leave the ground. It's not full proof. Some fireworks take longer than others to burst, but it works enough of the time to get some great shots.
4) Frame your shot.
Take a variety of shots. Use your zoom to get some shots that will zero in on the burst itself and zoom out to get some that take in some of the scenery as well, such as the shot below where you can see a bit of reflection of the firework on the water. If you're attending a show within a city, you may actually want to include part of the cityscape in your photos to give them a greater sense of place. Also, don't assume that if you don't get the entire burst within your frame that it's one for the recycle bin. Some of my favorite shots are those that only show part of the burst against black sky which actually makes for a very interesting photo in terms of composition.
5) Use the fireworks setting.
Yup. It's allowed. That's why it's there. Camera manufacturers didn't create all those settings so that you could feel guilty about using them. They created them so that more people could enjoy the art of photography! I used the fireworks setting for every picture in this post, so no time was wasted trying to figure out the perfect settings.
PLUS 3 more little tips:
1) Take a flashlight. Always good to have when trying to take photos in the dark.
2) Charge your batteries. You'll be taking lots of shots to get your keepers in this type of shoot. Make sure your camera doesn't die on you half way through the show.
3) Empty your memory card. Again, lots of photos, so you'll want to have as much room available on your memory card as possible.
I hope that these hints and tips are helpful to you as your venture out for fireworks later this week! I would love to hear from you if you have any other fireworks photography hints and tips to share.
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