Saturday

Today I taught a class at the LSS. It went well, I think. I always come away totally inspired when I spend some time with other scrapbookers. It was so cool to see all the different ways the ladies 'do' the layout. I saw some amazing photos and that was so inspiring. I can't wait to have some kid photos to scrapbook!!!!
I thought I would share this layout I did a coupld months ago. I did it for the Maya Road contest about 'my journey' and was inspired by the 21-day challenge and how I really feel that coming to love myself has been a lifelong journey for me.
Thanks to Mary for the photo of me! I handcut the title and layered it inside of a MR chipboard heart. I used tacky tape and glitter for the background of the heart. The Bazzill envelope holds the journaling and I used an Inkadinkado text stamp to stamp the envelope. The patterned paper is Heidi Grace, ribbon is MR, and there's sewn border around the edge of the green cardstock.
I've been feeling pretty stressed out this past week, having a hard time accepting that we have to move and it isn't when I want it to be. Yes, I admit, I like to do things when I'm ready and well, I wasn't quite ready for that. So I think I'm going to go for a run and then spend some time scrapbooking tonight. I hope that will help me get rid of some stress.
Oh and just a little pregnancy update. I'm no longer fitting into any of my pants. Well, I can still fit but not comfortably and not when I have to sit in a chair for 8 hours a day with a button digging into my belly! I haven't gained any weight (according to the scale) but dang, my body is not the same shape it was 3 months ago! I guess that's a good thing now that I'm 16 weeks. I still have lots of people telling me that they still can't tell I'm pregnant. I'm sure in a few weeks that won't be the case any more. I'm looking forward to feeling the babe move and the ultrasound - just a few more weeks until all that happens. :)
And just a little p.s. - thank you all for your kind, encouraging comments. I know deep down inside that this move will be for the best but it's still rocking me. HUGS!

A Curve Ball...

This week has turned out to be a little stressful. We got an email on Wednesday morning saying we have to be out of our basement suite by July 1st. WOW! We were not expecting that. We have an appointment with the bank this afternoon to see if we can get pre-approved for a mortgage. I'm not optimistic (are we surprised though?!?!). We would really like to have our own place before the baby arrives but that just might not be possible. If it doesn't work out, we'll explore some other avenues. One of which might be having to rent again. And that's okay. It's not what I would prefer but it would be okay.

The next month is going to be interesting...

Photos from the Weekend

So I decided to take Melissa up on a challenge this weekend - to take some photos! Here are a few of the ones I took. I shot all of these photos in the Av mode, changing my aperture to get a different look. On Saturday, the weather wasn't very cooperative. It was freezing cold and sooooo windy. But my Mom and I headed out to a couple greenhouses anyways, bought some plants and snapped some photos. Here they are in all their unedited glory!

On Sunday, my MIL invited me to go with her and my SIL to the Devonian Botanical Gardens. I was totally pumped that I would get to take some more photos. However, my camera, along with my car keys were locked in our car and Jonathan was out golfing with the other set. So while I did get to go and enjoy the Gardens, I didn't get to take any photos. Hopefully, I'll get to go again another day.
I did snap this photo later that day of one of the baskets at my in-laws place.

I spent some time reading through my camera manual again this weekend and wow, I am just blown away by all my DRebel is capable of. It's AWESOME!!! So here's to many more photo ops this summer!
Oh and p.s. Guess who started a blog?!?! I'm so happy!

Sweet, sweet spring...

I can't even begin to properly express how much I love this time of year. I know I've said it before but gosh, I really do! I was so overwhelmed driving to work this morning and seeing all these GORGEOUS trees just bursting with leaves and blossoms and fragrance! It's so delightful!!! I wish it would last longer!
Okay, I just had to share that...
So about those photography tips I heard. Most of you will probably already know them and some of them I did as well but that doesn't mean I'm actually doing them! HAHA!

1. Use your tripod! I admit it, I hate lugging the tripod out and around. We have this little portable one and it is a PITA to set up. So guess what's on my birthday list now?! A REAL tripod - one of those full size ones that is much quicker and easier to set up. I also admit that I don't use the zoom on our camera because I can rarely hold the camera still enough to get a photo that isn't blurry and I know that if I used the tripod, my problem would be solved.

2. Shoot in AV mode. I have heard SO many people say 'if you don't shoot manual with your SLR, you've wasted your money'. I've been slowly venturing over to the manual modes on my camera but I have another confession, I don't understand what the different modes are. I have read my camera manual several times and have taken a photography course but it's still very confusing to me. Every time someone tries to explain aperture, shutterspeed, exposure, depth of field etc. to me, I start hearing Greek. It's actually quite frustrating. I wish someone could just make it make sense to me. Anyway, maybe I just need to start playing around and start learning for myself what my camera can do.
The reason he said to shoot in AV mode is because you can control your depth of field and take photos that are stunning and a step above the usual snapshot. Gotta learn more about this.
I can say though that in the last couple months, I've been changing my ISO speed and white balance when I shoot - that's a start, right?

3. Get up, get down! It's all about the angle. I think this is something I am starting to do. I'm standing on chairs, laying on the grass, squatting, moving, trying different angles all the time. Sometimes it doesn't work but other times, it's just amazing what changing the perspective can do. I think another good thing to do is be aware of what is in your frame. Looking around - to the edges of your photo, the front, behind, etc. What else is in the photograph? Do you want that to be there? Do you want it to look like that flower is growing out of the subject's head? Stuff like that. I know I've heard it a million times before but it is such a good reminder to take a second look.

4. Learn, learn, learn. Read information, talk to other people, take a course, go online, get a book, whatever it is, just absorb information. I'm working on this one.

5. Get out there and shoot! Play with the settings, try new things, don't be afraid to shoot. I'm starting to embrace this one whole heartedly - especially since going digi. I don't have to worry about taking 100+ photos because I can delete them if they suck. I can look at them and say, 'ooh, that shouldn't be there' or 'this is way too dark', etc. At least I don't have to worry about developing all that film now! However, I still want my goal to be that each photo I take gets better. I don't just want to shoot 100+ photos and get 1 good one. I want to get more and more and more good photos while taking less because I want to be better.

So there you have it. I'm sure many of you already know these things so maybe you didn't really learn much but for me it was such a good reminder to keep going with my photography. Don't give up because you take some crummy photos one time. Keep learning, keep trying, keep shooting.

Oh and here's my tip for the day - something I love to do. Look at other photographer's work. I do this by surfing the net. I find things I like such as different poses, amazing composition, cool angles, fun props, just whatever catches my eye and I learn a lot about myself, what I like and don't like when I do this. I think it helps me find my style.

So this weekend, I plan on taking my camera out and playing with it. I have got a lot to learn before this little one enters our lives!

If you have any tips to share with me, I'd love to hear them too!

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Just a little post to celebrate my mom! Since I can't be there with her, I still want her to know how special she is and how much she means to me.
10 things I love about my Mom...
10. She does things. My mom is a go-getter. If she wants to do something, she does it.
9. She is optimistic. She looks on the bright side of life. Things will always work out, it's okay, don't worry - wise words I often hear from my mom and ya know what, she's right!
8. She enjoys life. She is active and healthy and has so many awesome hobbies.
7. She cares deeply for others. She hurts when someone else is hurting and is happy when they are happy.
6. She buys me things. Okay, I know this one is totally selfish but I still love this about her! ;)
5. She laughs. I love hearing my mom laugh. It brings me joy and often causes me to laugh right along with her!
4. She is hard working in everything she does, whether it's her job, for her family, for her church, or for others.
3. She is thoughtful. She always seems to know when I need that phone call from her or a card in the mail. And she doesn't just do this for me but for so many others as well.
2. She is so generous - giving of her time, talents and gifts constantly to others.
1. She scrapbooks!!! Woohoo!!! I love that I can share this hobby/crazy obsession with my mom.

Wishing all you Mom's out there an amazing day!

Alrighty...

since I have zero desire to scrap right now, I thought I'd play around in PS! Well, okay, the truth is, I was finally getting around to editing the photos I took of my sister in March and well, I got bored so I went blog surfing and found Jessica Sprague's blog. I have long been a fan of her work - she is incredibly talented! Anyway, she does these amazing PS tutorials on Fridays and I finally decided to take the time to try one of them.
Here's what I came up with.
Jonathan just took this gorgeous photo this morning and I fell in love with it. I had to use it for the tutorial - which was creating a border by doing a layer mask (sorry if I'm butchering the PS terminology). I've only ever added borders using brushes so this was new to me and hokey dinah, it is SO much easier to do once you figure it out!!!!
Hmmmm, maybe this is what I'll spend the next 6 months doing! LOL!
Actually, last night Jonathan and I were in MEC last night and we started talking with another couple there while Jonathan was looking for a book. The conversation eventually came around to photography and we found out that the guy has the same camera as us (DRebel XT) and he started giving me all these amazing tips on taking better photos. It was AWESOME! So I decided last night that I really need to learn more about my camera before the baby comes. So I'm thinking that is just something else I'm going to spend some time learning in the next 6 months too!

The Reason Why...

...I've been so sick and tired lately.

...I've had such nasty headaches.

...I've been neglecting so many things.

...I've been so weepy lately.

...I've read so many books in the past 2 months.

...I've been showered with hugs and kisses from my husband every day.


...we are so incredibly excited!!!!

Whirlwind Weekend...

Whew! We had an amazing and busy weekend. We headed up to the Edmonton area to spend some time with our families. It was so good to see so many people again.
Friday night my sister had us over for dinner along with my parents and one set of grandparents. My brother and his girlfriend showed up a bit later and my sister who is in Taiwan phoned!! It was SO good to just be together and chat and laugh and share. I love and cherish those times so much.
And look at my sister's belly!!! Doesn't she look amazing?!?! She's 31 weeks right now. It's hard to believe that in the next 7-10 weeks she'll have a little one! YAY!
Saturday morning and afternoon we spent some time hanging out with my parents and then Saturday evening we headed over to Jonathan's parents for dinner and a visit with some friends. It was really nice.
Sunday was Jonathan's mom's birthday so his sisters and a couple of his great-aunts came out for dinner. It was delicious. Jonathan's mom is an amazing cook!
Then Sunday night on our way home, we stopped at my other grandparents' place for a little visit. My grandma had just come home from the hospital where she had back surgery earlier this week. It was so good to see them too. It's tough though to watch them get older. They've been such a huge part of my life and have always been so active and healthy (and for the most part they still are) but I just want them to stay young forever, ya know?!
I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

He Loves Me

I got the sweetest surprise from my husband yesterday! He showed up at my work at lunch time with lunch for me and a bouquet of tulips! He had some work errands he had to do in the area and decided to surprise me. I almost cried, I was so surprised and happy! We work on opposite sides of the city so we have never been able to meet up during the day. LOVE him so much!

Monday, Monday...

What a great way to spend a Monday - in the mountains with some awesome people! It was cloudy and cool but still so nice to be out. I snapped this photo at Lake Louise, mostly just to post on my blog! HAHA! It started pouring rain (with some snow mixed in) shortly after I took the photo but we were back on the bus at that point so I was warm and happy!
Afterwards, we headed back to my boss' place for a BBQ. I have to say, BBQ's are one of my absolute FAVORITE things about summer. You can feed me just about anything done on the grill and I'll be as happy as a clam. Now put me in front of the thing and it's not so good. I have this paranoia about food being well cooked and well, let's just say, hockey pucks probably taste better than my burgers. Thankfully though, Jonathan is one mean BBQer and I'm just fine with that.
Speaking of BBQ's, we got this monstrous BBQ for a wedding gift from our wedding party. However, we have never had the space to set it up and use it. So last summer, after we had been married 6 years, Jonathan wanted to have a BBQ to celebrate his graduation at his parents' house. They don't have a BBQ so we thought, it's about time we set ours up. So Jonathan and his dad planned to spend an hour setting it up the morning of the BBQ. I'm sure you can see where this is going. It came with the wrong screws. Okay, not too big of a deal, we got some other ones. It also came with the wrong instructions. So what was supposed to be a 1 hour project turned into a 4 hour project. I snapped this photo when they were almost finished setting it up. Yes, they were 'posing' for the photo but I'm sure there were a few times during those 4 hours where they actually felt that way! I'm just glad it was set up in time. ;)