Baby Steps

I have slowly been learning how to use Photoshop on my computer.  I have the same go to tools that I use on pretty much every picture but often find myself looking at photographer's photos and wondering how they get their pics to look like that with just Photoshop.  I know many photographers use actions which are like little toolboxes with set edits they do often.  This weekend I was so excited to buy the new action sets from Wish Photography.  I had no idea how to go about using the actions so after one day of playing with them...this is what I've come up with.  I know with time I will get better at blending and making the editing less obvious.  I also know that I will never again be able to look at a picture of myself without editing a little with the Wish Make-Up Counter action :)

Here's my first try at the Make-Up Counter Actions

And here are some of the fun actions that I like so far...

I think I like Gumdrop the best with this pic.

11 for 11

In honor of the new year, 2011, I've made a list of 11 things that I'd like to do before the year is up.  Resolutions?  I suppose.  But I've never been too good at keeping those.  So these are just "things".




1. Eat healthier and exercise more


2. Take Charlotte on more walks (helps with #1 too)


3. Try new recipes instead of cooking the same things all the time


4. Take clothes out of my closet to get rid of every time I put new ones in.


5. Scrapbook more


6. Clean a little everyday so I don't end up with a disaster by week's end


7. Use my current scrapbook materials before buying new ones


8. Save money (#7 should help).


9. Go on mini trips to places I've never been (will not help with #8)


10. Wash my face/take my makeup off every night before bed.  This sounds so stupid but I need to get better at doing it.  Especially since I'm old now and I'm getting wrinkles.


11. I'd also love a year that does not require any hospital visits.  For me or anyone else I love.  I know this isn't some "thing" for me to do, but I thought it couldn't hurt to mention

Spare Time

It has been so nice to be on Christmas and to have spare time to do all the things I never have time to do.  I've read a few books, scrapbooked quite a lot and have been playing around with the blog and digital scrapbooking which are both new to me.  A few months ago Chris helped me switch the craft room around when we got the iMac and now I spend so, so much time in there.  I love it.  I've been going through a lot of my things and trying to re-organize the room to make it very accessible.  It's hard to part with stuff though.  I currently have about 38 stamps sets on sell on eBay.  Hopefully they'll all sell!

In the past couple days Chris and I finally hooked up my Christmas present from last year....a printer that will print up to 13 inches wide.  I was so excited to be able to try to print some scrapbook pages since I'd never tried digital scrapbooking.  My first try printing didn't quite go as planned...

Since then I've learned how to set up the settings correctly so the page doesn't get chopped off.  I'm a big fan of complete digital scrapbooking.  There's not enough depth and texture to the page.  I've done a few with large pictures printed directly onto the 12x12 paper and then the journaling which turned out cute.  I really like being able to use Memory Mixer to add the journaling directly to the page so it looks like I wrote right on there without having to actually use my own handwriting.  

I just noticed that both of these were of my dog...I swear I scrap more than just her.  That was just a coincidence.  :)

A New Year, A New Look

I've spent some time the last couple days changing the backgrounds on the blogs....this one and the one for my classroom.  I think this is my favorite thing about blogging honestly is playing with the little tags and backgrounds, making the headers and post dividers.  I a little OCD about it.  After a few frustration breaks I think I've got them both perfect.  Now I just wonder how long I'll be able to keep them this way...there are an awful lot of cute Valentine backgrounds :)

mrsfredricksonsclass.blogspot.com

Day 25: Merry Christmas!

We had a great Christmas despite the stress of recent developments.  We changed up the Christmas tradition and did a white elephant instead of a Christmas drawing and it was a lot of fun.  I think Chris and I scored pretty well with a $50 iTunes gift card and a $50 Palais de Jade gift certificate at the end.  Aunt Stacey ended up with an Incredible Hulk clock and a Lil' Wayne hoodie....courtesy of my dad :).  The best part of the night was the chicken...see the picture of Chris and my cousins Will and Kevin.  Yes, there's a story there.  Ah the chicken.  Well we hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will have a fantastic and healthy New Year!  We are looking forward to my mom getting out of the hospital soon to finish up our Christmas traditions and to be able to include her.  

Although the 25 Days of December challenge has been a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to having a break from daily blogging.  I can't wait to change the background of the blog now that the holidays are over.  I'm obsessed with the backgrounds to choose from.  It'll have to wait until my paper is finished though...it's due tonight.  Uggh!  My last one of this class.  One more class to go!

Day 24: Baking

Today Chris and I made a batch of "Piano Recital" cookies, well two batches actually.  He got the recipe from his mom, who got it from a lady who got it from a lady that made the cookies for a piano recital...hence piano recital cookies.  I've got to admit that even while making them they look a little strange...graham crackers covered with slivered almonds and drizzled with a caramelly sauce.  But once the caramel hardens and butteryness (yes that's a word) soaks through the bottom of the graham cracker they are pure heaven.

As usual, Charlotte was under foot the entire time.  She did score a few graham cracker crumbs, but obviously she was not satisfied and had her eye on the grand prize.

Day 23: Annual Humiliation

Every year I humiliate Jack by putting on his winter sweater.  I'm not really the type who dresses up their animals but I do put on his blue, snowflake turtleneck for a laugh every year.  The funniest part of the sweater is the fact that Chris bought it "for me" when we first started dating.  That speaks volumes of the transformation people undergo once they stop trying to impress their new girlfriend.  I can't even begin to imagine Chris at Petsmart these days cat sweater shopping.

Every year when I drag out the sweater and force the furball into it he goes limp.  Basically he won't move.  Which is PERFECT for taking pictures.  Sorry Jack.  Until next year....