Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Santa, baby!

Pinterest, you've done it again. I came across the most adorable pin of a baby wrapped in Christmas lights. Being the photog mom that I am, I knew I would have to try it!!
Pinterest Inspiration

It was super easy and a lot of fun. Here are a few tips in case you want to give this shot a whirl.

1. This is a two person job. You need one person to hold the camera, and the other to make sure your precious baby isn't getting electrocuted. Lights in the mouth=BAD!

2. Depending on the look you are going for (I wanted to be able to see some of the tree)...you don't need to do this in the dark. You can adjust your shot in post production to make it darker, anyways. I recommend doing the shoot during "magic hour" light, which for this time of year is around 5 pm. Try to avoid using your flash. Work with the natural light coming through your window.

3. I only wrapped little mans waist and one of his shoulders (Prince William sash style, lol), otherwise they can get tangled around easily around their arms. Hot mess!

4. I took the shot before we decorated the tree, which kept the focus of the lights on him. But, a decorated tree would be cute, too. 

5. If you are shooting in RAW, adjust your white balance for auto, it allows really soft, ambient light.

6. Your little one will be so busy playing with their new toy that you'll be able to catch them in some really sweet candid moments, so don't worry about having to distract them. After all, you want to capture them in their moment of wonder!

7. Put your camera down, even if just for a second...and just watch. This is a moment you'll cherish forever!

Here's the light of my life...


Have fun and Merry Christmas!!!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Pumpkin DIVIDED

My husband went to Georgia. I went to Florida. Yeaaaa...I know. I know. We have managed to keep calm and cheer on...that is until our son arrived this past February. It's been a mini battle to see how much orange/blue or red/black we can dress him in. So, when figuring out our pumpkin decorating theme for this year...I thought...house divided=PUMPKIN DIVIDED!



Jake painted his UGA pumpkin--very proud of his skillz, BTW! I painted my UF pumpkin and then we fused our alma maters' colors together and painted Jackson's pumpkin. I've never done a no-carve pumpkin before and actually realllly loved it! Especially with a little one around, I'm thinking this may be our new tradition. Ohhhhh the possibilities!!

We may have divided pumpkins and houses....but this blog is alllllll mine! With that said...GO GATORS!!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Dollar Tree Funkins!

You live, you learn. You craft, you cry. Am I the only person out there who feels there's a spell on me that prevents me from reaching my full crafting potential?? My Dollar Tree pumpkin revamp turned out ok...but if you could only see how they first started out (yikes...no, more like YIKES!!!)...then the final product should be considered Martha Stewart approved.  I didn't get pics of the first go around...*not on purpose I promise! There's no shame in the game!! These are some of the materials I started with for the first attempt...


My first attempt at the fabric pumpkin included 1 inch wide and 6 inch long pieces of linen-esque fabric that ended up making the pumpkin look like a mummy!! At least I was keeping it the Halloween family!! I was trying to follow the directions at The 36th Avenue. This is one of my FAV blogs to follow. They did a fantastic job on their Mod Podge fabric pumpkins. I'm known for not following directions well....so, my version turned out quite different than theirs. I decided to not give up (even though I may or may not have thrown a mini temper tantrum).

My ammunition:

-Mod Podge
-sponge brush
-square and rectangle shaped fabric pieces from my discard pile
-thumbtacks (I'll explain later)
-acrylic paint
-Dollar Tree pumpkins (1-"carvable" and 2-small pumpkins)
-pinking shears

Since the initial method was not jiving with my mojo...I decided to make a quilt-like pattern fabric pumpkin rather than small strips wrapping the pumpkin. I had fun picking out the pieces of fabric and placing them like little puzzle pieces. I placed Mod Podge on the pumpkin as I placed the pieces of fabric on top (not all at once).  Once a piece of fabric was placed I also applied Mod Podge on top of the fabric. After the entire pumpin was covered with Mod Podge and dried, I painted the stem brown to match the color scheme better. Still wondering about those thumbtacks??


I painted the two smaller pumpkins with an ivory hued acrylic paint...they dried beautifully. I def plan on playing with acrylic paint more in the future. My fav part...it washes off your hands so easily! Ha! I wasn't a fan of the squiggly stems that came with the smaller pumpkins. A little too Tim Burton for me....so, I had the idea of using thumbtacks in their place. I simply painted the thumbtacks brown to match the stem of the fabric pumpkin. I haven't decided where these cuties are going but I wanted to share my funkins with y'all!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Printables on Pinterest

If you haven't noticed..."printables" are all the rage in blogland these days. Whether you are printing fun subway art for your home or an entire birthday party's decor...you'll soon fall in love with this easy and inexpensive way to customize.

I recently hosted my husband's 30th birthday party using a lot of homemade printables and other's that I found online. ALL free*! Minus the ink/paper expense, of course! ; ) It was an 80's party---which explains the DeLorean on the cake!

*Side note---I would totally pay money for some of these amazing party printables! I just happened to luck out and score some neat freebies. A few of my fav designers are The TomKat StudioAnders RuffAnna and Blue Paperie and Living Locurto! I suggest you check them out for your next event!

I wanted to share my collection of free printables with you, to help you get started! You can follow my Pinterest board to view some of my favs! I've got a little of everything- gift tags/wrapping paper/envelopes/party decor/Valentine's/Easter/Halloween//Thanksgiving/Christmas/meal planning/financial tools/subway art/nursery decor....lots of fun and most of all...FREE goodies!

I download the files as I find them. I recently got a new computer, SO...I have the space...for now! ; )  But, if you are short on space for the files, simply bookmark them or add them to a Pinterest board for future use. I decided to download as I find JUST in case the blog deactivates the free download. What a travesty that would be!! LOL!

I have created a "printables" folder on my desktop and have organized them by category...see below. I know, I know...I'm a dork!


Another tip- since I'm now following so many craft/DIY blogs...I decided to "like" the one's that are on Facebook (which is most of them) and now I use FB as my daily blog reader. That way it's super easy to follow my fav bloggers!

At first, I was printing like crazy...and then filing them in here by category:
But then, I realized my ink cartridge wouldn't last more than a day...so, I only print what I think I'll use in the near future. Since the rest of the files are on my desktop in my "printables" folder...I don't have to worry about losing the files. 

I'm a SAHM on a verrrry tight budget so I'm loving the savings that printables can offer. For example-I printed a really fun Father's Day card that would have cost me at least $2 at Target. Over time...those savings add up! It also makes sending cards in the mail more fun when you have added your own special touches to the designs like adding ribbons and buttons. Honey bee-let your creative juices flow! Happy printing!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

{DIY} Calendar

The term busy bee has never been more appropriate! I recently got hired as an account executive for a new company, Sweet Deals. It's a site where women: brides, moms, and girls who just want to have fun can find amazing steals on products and services. Check it out and sign up for the email list. We are launching soon!!
Up until this point I've been able to get away with my phone's calendar. BUT, for some reason, it just hasn't been cutting it lately. BTW...not a fan of my Droid. I'm an iPhone girl, but ditched it for the "family plan".  As soon as TMobile gets the iPhone...I'm switching back. Oh happy day! Anywhooo....there's something about a good old fashioned paper calendar. When I can cross things off with a "fun" pen (not exactly sure what that means), I feel extra accomplished and organized.
I've been looking for a nice little calendar (midway through a year, go figure) but just couldn't find one I liked. Or...I would find a layout I liked...but it had a neon unicorn on the cover. What?? SO, I decided to make my own. I found this FREE printable calendar from The TomKat Studio that was simple and fun. And instead of a neon unicorn, I designed my own cover....drum roll please:
Oh yes, I did.

I can add pages in between the months for contact lists, to-do-lists and more pictures of my son looking awesome. I'll prob bind it with ribbon to give my desk area a little pop of fun. Printed everything on cardstock to make it a tad more...legit

*If you wanted to use these calendars one month at a time, for your kitchen perhaps...you could frame the month and then use a fine tipped dry erase marker to make your entries. 

Thursday, July 21, 2011

{Photography} Papa Stanks!

Yes, that's right....Papa Stanks!!
     That's what my client (the sweet girl in the photo above) taught me! She performs in beauty pageants all over Georgia and has quite a lot of experience in the smiling department. As a trick to keep her smile from looking fake and forced...her mom would have her say, during her photo shoots...Papa Stinks (which in her adorable southern accent sounds like...PAPA STANKS!). Poor Papa!! 
     Low and behold, I got some of the best smiles ever outta this cutie! So, if you are taking family pics or have a client that's a little on the shy end....give this a try! It'll make them laugh and giggle...you're bound to get a great shot! For more tips on how to get some great smiles, check out this blog from I Heart Faces!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Christmas in July!

I love handmade gifts. Unique. Thoughtful. Budget friendly (if you don't mess up 1000 times like I tend to)! I'm LOVING this idea for reusable coffee sleeves as a Christmas present. The fact that these are earth friendly makes them that much more cool! So, Christmas is 5 months away. But, knowing how long it takes me to complete these kinds of projects....I better start yesterday! Oh, did I mention I've never sewn (is that a word??) in my life? Minor detail. Currently receiving lessons from my amazingly talented grandmother, or as I like to call her..."Nanny". Love her!!! Check out The Cottage Home, one of my fav blogs! You'll definitely find yourself inspired there!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

{Organization} Recipe Binder

My dear friend, Emily Hall, has just started blogging for Rubbermaid. Very proud of her and excited to read her future posts. Her first contribution was on how to build a recipe binder. We all know how frustrating it can be to have 10 recipe books staring at you....and you can imaging all of them saying....PICK ME, PICK ME! Lol....confession: I'm a little delirious right now. This always seems to happen to me on Thursdays. Anyone else have a case of the Thursdays?? My sweet boy is keeping me quite busy these days! I digress...With this binder, you can pull your favorites from magazines or blogs, and then organize them with tabs. Check out Emily's post for more details!!

Welcome, honey!!!!...AND Pinterest invite giveaway!!

Hi! Thanks for stopping by to check out my new blog! I wanted to find a home for all of the super creative and awe inspiring ideas and projects that I come across while buzzing around my fav blogs! There's something about crafting and diy projects that well, simply put, make my heart happy. The cool part is, I don't always have to complete the project, even just reading about them brings a smile to my face.
     I like to believe that these people...you know, the one's who actually came up with these amazing ideas...can somehow channel their creative energy through my computer monitor. (insert spiritual chanting music now) Using this site, I can share these finds with YOU! Occasionally, I'll throw in an original idea or two. But, if we're being honest, you'll mostly be reading about the crafts, diy projects and recipes that I WOULD be trying IF there were 8 more hours in a day!
     If you love photography, you'll def want to stick around! I started a photography biz a few years ago...self taught (and sometimes that shows)....still learning every day! I'll be posting tips and tutorials to hopefully inspire you to pick up your camera and start shooting! There will definitely be giveaways on FREE photography classes and discounted shoots!!!
     Please feel free to share your favorite blogs and any projects of your own!! Of course, I would LOVE to see your final projects, or heck, even if you made it halfway on something...share!!! I'm proud of myself when I can even tear a cute craft idea out of a magazine!
     As a welcome gift to my new readers....the first 5 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a Pinterest invite from me! If you are already on Pinterest, still leave me something sweet! Hurry...invites are hard to get! If you don't know what Pinterest even is, sign up for the giveaway anyways....because, as soon as you find out more, you'll be in love, and well...it'll be too late. ; ) Alright my little honey bee's....follow me!!!!!