Rainy Day

OK, so actually, it's very snowy here.  We're supposed to get 3-5 inches by 6:00 this evening.  No, the title refers to the photo I am going to share with you (actually, I guess I'll be sharing three separate edits of the same photo...).  Maybe I'm already wishing for spring, and that's why I was inspired to work on this particular photo, yet again.  Whatever the case may be, it was a fun project to work on.

Rainy Day

This is actually the most recent edit of this photo.  I took this photo over three years ago on a photo outing with my Dad and sister.  It started to rain, and she was prepared with her cute umbrella.  I was thrilled to get the shot, it was so pretty.  Unfortunately, this was taken with my first ever digital camera, a Nikon Coolpix L6, a tiny point-and-shoot.  It was a Godsend at the time, though, since I couldn't afford anything better.  It was tons better than the little hand-me-down film camera that I had had before.  Definitely a step up.

Since it wasn't the best camera ever, the photo was a bit noisy.  Luckily, noise can be solved easily with texture!!!  It just blends right in.  (Part of the reason I love playing with textures in my photos.  It hides a lot of mistakes.)  And so, for all three versions, I have added texture of some nature.

If you are curious, here are the previous two edits of this photo:

In the rain

In the Rain, revisited

As you can see, I changed quite a lot in the third edit.  I desaturated everything, tinted the photo to a blue-green color and changed the umbrella to a red color to contrast with the background.  I added a lot more texture this time, and kind of went nuts with it.  I did a quick search for quotes about rain and found that perfect one in a couple seconds (got to love Google).  The quote, by the by, is from Rachel Carson, who I know nothing about, but she gave us at least one good quotable quote.

Anyway, that's that.  I hope you enjoyed my rambling post of repetitive photo edits.  :)  Until next time!!

One week of 2011

Hello!  Sorry I haven't posted since Christmas, but I've been relaxing a bit.  Christmas wore me out this year.  Today I took down my Christmas decor (sigh) and the house looks a bit bare without it.  The only good part about it is that I have to decorate again!  Yippee!!

So one of my New Year's Resolutions (and the only one I haven't completely blown already) is to take a photo a day for all of 2011.  I've been wanting to do it for years but have never gotten around to doing it.  My camera is a bit big and awkward to take with me everywhere.  But, my wonderful hubby got me an iPhone 4G for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!  So...I've been using the camera on it (I love it!) and have purchased Hipstamatic for it (I highly recommend this app if you have an iPhone...I'm in love with it).  So taking a photo a day has been much easier and a lot of fun.

So every Friday, after I take my photo for the day, I plan on posting all the past week's photos.  So, here is week #1:

1/1/11:  My Christmas tree

1/2:  What I did instead of taking down Christmas decor

Laundry day!!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to eat more fresh fruit...

Tons of birds (I know it's hard to see, but there were hundreds of them...they were quite loud, too)

Downfall of the day...

Snow flakes (taken with my actual camera, not the phone)

 Enjoy!!!

matryoshka

So, as I was taking photos of my decor, I became sidetracked by an old friend...

matryoshka

I was using her as part of my Christmas decor.  When I got to the shelf she was on, something just clicked and she (and her littler friends) got an impromptu photo shoot.

Family portrait

Littlest

I was inspired early this morning once again by the doll's cuteness and edited these guys in the wee hours of the AM.  Inspiration doesn't wait.  If I had just tried to go to sleep I would have ended up frustrating myself.  I would have kept myself awake wanting to work on these.  I'm weird.  It's not like the photos were going anywhere... 

Alright.  That's all from me!  Aren't you impressed with the volume of posts?  Two in a day!  Wow!  I may actually become a more conscientious blogger.

I Keep My Promises...

As promised, here is a photo of my whole tree, from top to bottom.  It finally got the photo shoot that it deserves.

I added some more glittered glass ornaments and two more chipboard glitter banners.

 

I took quite a few photos today, so hopefully I'll have the time to post them this weekend.  In the meanwhile, enjoy this sneak peak...

O Christmas Tree...

OK, this will be my first decor post on this blog.  I haven't done any photography lately since all my time has been eaten up by decorating for Christmas.  As soon as that's done I'll have to start working on gifts.  I'm a little behind, but it'll work out.  It always does.

This is my first fancy tree.  I've always wanted to have a themed tree, but then Christmas would come and I'd just decide to put up what I had.  I feel a little bit bad about not using all my sentimental ornaments, but only a little.  I'm happy with my tree.  And it's a new fake tree that I got at the end of Christmas last year for $20!  Hooray for clearance!!  Oh, and it was pre-lit.  Awesomeness!  So now I have two trees (the other one was my parent's old one and is kind of falling apart...)

So, on to my tree.  I decided to go for a shabby-chic look with glitter.  I'm quite pleased with how it turned out, all in all.  (I didn't get a photo of the full tree...I didn't feel like dragging out my tri-pod tonight.  I will post another shot later of the whole thing).

I made a lot of the ornaments on tree, including the topper.

It's just a styrofoam star that I found at Hobby Lobby.  I beveled the edges, which turned out to be quite messy and hard to clean up (stupid static electricity).  I then just covered it in pages from an old dictionary and good ol' Modge Podge.  I tried for the top pieces of paper to choose relevant words.  I then just tied it to the tree with twine.  I really love the way it looks.

I also made ornaments out of sheet music.  I just bought a package of ornaments from Wal-Mart (for $2.50...so not too bad) and covered them with photo copies of sheet music I used back in high school (I played the oboe).  I covered the hangers with twine using a hot glue gun.

I also covered some ornaments with Martha Stewart's glitter.  I wanted to add some color to the tree (it was looking a bit white) and a little bit of glitz.  Again, hot glue and twine adorn the top of the bulbs.

I also made some fabric rosettes from some old linen someone gave me.  I glued them to clothespins I aged with Tim Holtz's distressing ink (I love that stuff).

I also aged some silver ornaments.  I covered them in metallic paint to dull the shine a bit.  I let it dry just a smidgen and wiped it down.  I then used that wonderful distressing ink again to give it a bit more age and I was done.  It's an easy craft and quite effective.

Well that's my tree in a nutshell.  I post a full tree image later.  I'm still making some glittered chipboard letter banners for it and I may do a couple of more glittered ornaments, too.  Oh, my garland for the tree is just some lace I picked up from Jeffrey Allens.  I love how it looks on the tree.

OK, I'm also linking to my first ever linky party!!  Woohoo!  I at least got on board for the final link party of the Holiday Home series.  Visit Thrifty Decor Chick to see other Christmas trees on the blogosphere!