Black and White Wednesday - Trees

Black and White Wednesday is run by Lisa over at
The Long Road to China.



This is Millers Pond State Park in Durham, CT. I'll spare the inane babbling about what to do there and what there is to see. I am rushing out the door with my family to go to the zoo! I'm really excited.

I would say that I'll post pictures next week, but.... Oh yea. I don't have a camera anymore.

(A couple of you asked why... I have a Samsung that has an issue with the CCD (charge-coupled device) either getting over-charged or over-heated, a problem that can only be fixed by the manufacturer. This has happened twice since I bought it, and the warranty will eventually run out.)

It is extremely hard for me to function without one. I've been a pathological photo-taker since my second year of college, well over 5 years now. I feel like I am wandering the world without a purpose.

Okay, it's not THAT bad. But I still hate going on adventures and seeing great photo ops, and being unable to capture the moment or the beauty.

So would you all do me a favor? Grab your camera, right now, and take a picture. Of anything! Do it for me. Cherish your camera while you can.

RAW(e) - Summertime

RAW(e) is run by Sami.
The only photos allowed are those that are
COMPLETELY UNEDITED.


Shutter Love - Summer Fun


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Simplicity Blog Hop - Corners of My Home



I don't have my own home yet; I am still living at my parents' house.
Tucked away, in a corner of the guest room, is this washbowl that used to be my great-grandma's.




PS - I am guest blogging over at The iheart blog today while Bec is on vacation! Head on over there and check it out.

All Sorts of Miscellaneous Bits

Head over to MannLand5 to get the button and the questions for yourself.

1.If you had 5000.00 to spend on plastic surgery what would you have done? Lipo. Without a question. I don't want/need a boob job, I wouldn't recognize myself if I got a nose job, and I don't see the need for botox.

2. Do you watch Soap operas and if so what is your favorite and why? I used to watch Passions EVERY DAY WITHOUT FAIL. But then I started high school and I realized there was enough drama in day-to-day life. And now I am proud to say that I am soap-free. ;)

3. Favorite clothing brand? Aerie for lingerie and some regular clothing. Besides that, I don't have a favorite brand. I do most of my shopping at Kohl's because of their awesome clearance racks. I will say that I prefer Lei from the juniors section for my jeans.

4. An afternoon shopping spree at your favorite store or maid service for a year? Tough one... I do love shopping, and I don't get to do it often. But I think any woman would love to have maid service for a year. As long as the maid actually does her job.

5. Would you ever vajazzle? Uh, no.

6. Favorite Disney Princess? Ariel, the Little Mermaid. She has always been my favorite. And it's really unbelievable how much Ariel stuff there is for little girls these days. When I was a kid, there was nothing!

7. Last movie that made you bawl your eyes out? Karate Kid. No lie. If you've seen it, think about every scene with the bullies beating up poor little Dre.

8. Have you ever broken any bones and if so what? A bunch of toes and 2 fingers. My right middle finger when I was a kid, playing outside with my brother, and my right ring finger on a cotton candy machine. Yea, someday, ask me about my days working for a party company.
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You should go vote for the BlogLuxe Awards! The voting is open until July 12, and there are so many great blogs in there. I have several favorites in there, and I'll definitely be voting daily.
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Here's a song I'm utterly in love with. I'm linking up with Simplicity's THIS WEEK ONLY parties.



Jason Castro was in the top 4 of AI7, and his debut album came out a couple of months ago. It's amazing! I love every song on it, but this is one of my favorites, along with All Wrapped Up and Love Uncompromised.

Color Splash Sunday - How People Enjoy Food

<center><a href="http://purple-hippie.blogspot.com/p/color-splash-sunday.html"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/prin367cess/colorsplashsunday.jpg"></a></center>
Color splash photos are those that have been converted to black and white, but one object (or several small objects) has (have) been left colored. Sometimes, it's easy to just isolate your colored object and you're done. Other times, more editing is required, such as adjusting color levels/light/shadow/etc.

Thanks to The Mommy over Twenty Little Toes, our theme this week was uber-creative! She wanted us to photograph and splash color on a symbol of how we enjoy our food, so signage on a street stall, a simple place setting at home, a meal in a posh restaurant, etc.

Alas, if only I could post my own entry this week. Unfortunately, I left my laptop charger at the office. I was given a delightful 5 days off (10 total including weekends and Independence Day Monday). So I was REALLY excited to leave on Friday afternoon. So I left my cord on my desk. So my laptop battery is dead. So I am using my dad's work laptop. So I can't access my photos.

That's a lot of so's in there.

Anyway, please don't let my carelessness prevent you from posting your own entry this week.

Your choice.

Fix It Friday #60

i♥faces
Disclaimer: This is not my photo. I did not take it.
Copyright belongs to iheartfaces and the original photographer.

Original:

B&W edit:

First color edit:

Second color edit:

Friday is such a fun day!

If you are coming in from New Friend Friday or Follow Me Friday, please click on All About Me to get to know me! And I sure do love followers, so I will not complain if you decide to stick around. ;) I follow everyone who follows me.

You Capture - Get Down Low

Sadly, Jon's grandma passed last week, 2 short days after the proposal. It was (and still is) a sad time, but we all know that she is watching over us now.

As unfortunate as it was, it brought family together. Jon's brother and SIL (Melissa of The Zookeeper's Diary) and their 3 midgets came up for the weekend, and we all got to spend quality time together.

Wouldn't it just be my luck that my camera would crap out on their first day here?! I was only able to capture a few quick shots with my point and shoot, and then I had to sneakily steal borrow my dad's Nikon for the rest of the weekend.

One of the shots I did get was this one, laying on the floor with Jack as he played with his new fire truck. I really love this photo. He is so enthralled with the truck, and he was inspecting every little detail. The curve of his arm is so graceful.

Before:

After:

Other edits:

The first edit was done using the Soulful Sweetness set (Honey action) from Isabelle Lafrance, and then adjusted to taste. I simply love all of her action sets, even though I didn't read the directions and I installed them wrong the first time around. Oh well. You live and you learn. And now I know how to do it. So I won't even tell you about the other edits.




And on a side note, the fact that my camera is broken means that I won't have any NEW shots to show off for a long while (unless I borrow the Nikon from time to time). Everyone will just have to deal with archived photos and my endless chatter about wedding prep.

Black and White Wednesday - Stairs

Black and White Wednesday is run by Lisa over at
The Long Road to China.


This rock staircase can be found at Lovers Leap State Park in New Milford, CT. This is a fairly new park, but it's already fallen prey to destructive teenagers. When I was there, a group of kids pulled up in a van, disappeared into the woods, and came back under the influence sometime later. The ruins of a burned down mansion are covered in graffiti, broken beer bottles and garbage are strewn along the main trail, and crude words have been etched into tree trunks. I tried very hard to ignore all of this and capture the beauty of this park, but it was very difficult for me. I love going to state parks, but I get so sad when I see the results of rude people.


All of this beauty will be destroyed if humans continue to act disrespectful and inconsiderate. We are lucky enough to live on the only planet that supports our species, and we are slowly destroying it. It both disgusts and embarrasses me.



Sorry about the rant. I'm not a tree-hugger, but I love the land I live on.

If you missed my exciting announcement, click here!

Shutter Love - Dad

This is a photo of me and my dad at a wedding over 20 years ago.


This is a photo I took of my dad at a wedding a few weeks ago.


And next year, my dad will walk me down the aisle at my own wedding.



Yes, that's right, I'M ENGAGED! It happened last Tuesday, and it was so romantic. I'll share the story and a photo of the ring soon. Until then, here's a SELFiE (self-portrait) of me and Jon, whom I am happy to now introduce as my fiance.

Award Appreciation

I don't have hundreds of followers or thousands of hits. I have something better. I have a small group of faithful followers who comment regularly and extend their friendship from all over the world. I very much prefer this small group of friends over anything else.

Another nice thing about my group of blogger friends: They are very generous with sharing awards!

Mama Hen over at Mama's Little Chick gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award. This is the 2nd time I've received this award, but it's just as special. I'm passing this on to B* (Beka) over at Confessions of a New Mom.




Neel over at Being Zara & Zidan gave me the Sunshine Award. Again, my 2nd time receiving this particular one, but I am still so grateful. (Especially because it looks different than the one I already have!) I am passing this award on to Christina over at Pooh's Corner.



I was so thoughtfully given the Outstanding Blogger award by 2 bloggers! Marlis over at Mars Pics and Sam over at Raising Rida. I am going to pass this one over to Melissa over at The Zookeeper's Diary and Keely at MannLand5.
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RAW(e) is starting up again! Sami has been too busy to run challenges, what with a baby in her belly, 5 kids to take care of, and family issues. But she finally gave us a new theme! It's animals. I took this picture of a friend's dog a few weeks ago. He has such beautiful brown eyes.




RAW(e) is run by Sami.
The only photos allowed are those that are
COMPLETELY UNEDITED. ___________________________________________________
The Movie Dirty Dozen Blogfest

My first blogfest! It's run by Alex J. Cavanaugh and I am supposed to make up a list of my 12 favorite movies. This could be either really hard, or really easy.

Here they are, in no particular order:

-The Little Mermaid - Yes, the Disney version. It was, and always will be, my favorite princess movie. I understand all the things WRONG with the movie, since I wrote a paper about it for my Fairy Tales course in junior year of college. But I just don't care.

-The Princess Bride - I had a delayed love for this movie. All my friends knew about it and liked it, but I didn't see it until later in my life (teen years). It's such a great story! INCONCEIVABLE.

-Memoirs of a Geisha - The makeup and the costumes are just gorgeous. It's actually a twisted love story, if you've read the book, but I like the way they turned it into a movie.

-Dirty Dancing - I danced for 16 years, so I have a special place in my heart for all dancing movies, regardless of how cheesy or girly they are. This one is the best, by and far; I also love Step Up and Center Stage.

-The Terminal - I love Tom Hanks. More than anyone. I would leave Jon if Tom Hanks came up to me and said he wanted to marry me. This movie is my favorite out of all of his movies because it makes me cry, laugh, and cheer.

-Happy Feet - The cutest little love story I have ever seen. With an important global conservation message thrown in.

-Wall-E - Ditto above. And yes, I love children's movies.

-Harry Potter - All 6 movies so far. Despite the gross inaccuracies, seeing the magic and the friendship really brings the books to life.

-It's A Wonderful Life - My dad raised me to watch this movie at every Christmas. I know all the lines and I anxiously await that moment when I finally get to watch it again. We always watch it while we put the tree up on the day after Thanksgiving. It's a tradition.

-Avatar - This movie has stunning special effects and computer animation. It's just an amazing movie. A love story that isn't too icky sweet, action and fighting without being too bloody or disorienting, and a beautiful setting.

-Karate Kid - I saw the remake with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, and WOW! I loved it! I knew Jaden had talent when I saw Pursuit of Happyness, but this really blew me away.

-The 40 Year Old Virgin - I know this movie is ripe with crude language and innuendos, but it's hilarious. It really is. And I love Steve Carell. Ever since Bruce Almighty, I've thought Steve Carell is one of the funniest men alive. (Jim Carrey is THE funniest man alive, IMO.)

i heart faces Challenge - Teens

What better place to photograph teens...
than a pre-prom party?!


I know, I know.
Prom was over a month ago.
But how could I NOT show off this cute couple?!


PS - That's sparkling cider in their cups. We all toasted their success in high school and the fact that they were finally being allowed to go to the senior prom. That's a story for another day.

Color Splash Sunday - Toys of Today

<center><a href="http://purple-hippie.blogspot.com/p/color-splash-sunday.html"><img src="http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y293/prin367cess/colorsplashsunday.jpg"></a></center>
Color splash photos are those that have been converted to black and white, but one object (or several small objects) has (have) been left colored. Sometimes, it's easy to just isolate your colored object and you're done. Other times, more editing is required, such as adjusting color levels/light/shadow/etc.


This week's theme is Toys of Today: something you (or your kids) play with today. Preferably something that didn't exist when you were a child.

I have so many TOYS that I play with that didn't exist when I was a kid: my iPod, my laptop, dvd's, the Wii. But the thing I play with the most is my camera. Photography is a hobby of mine that I am seriously considering turning into more of a business. I just don't have the resources to get started yet.

Anyway, here's my little point and shoot, the Samsung SL620. It really is a lovely shade of pink, and it has several features that I was specifically looking for when I picked it out. HOWEVER, it has an issue with the CCD (charge-coupled device) either getting over-charged or over-heated, a problem that can only be fixed by the manufacturer. Seriously annoying.



While we're on the topic of photography, I'd be pretty self-centered to neglect to mention my dad. He's the reason I'm a pathological picture-taker. He took all sorts of photography courses when he was in high school, and passed on the love to me. I think it runs in the family, because his sister and 2 of his nieces are the same way.

So thanks, dad, for instilling the love of photography in me. You created a monster. ;)


Okay, link up with your color splash shots of toys of today! PLEASE remember to use the permalink to your POST, not the link to your blog. It's much harder for people to find your blog post when you don't use the permalink.

How people enjoy food. We already looked at colorful food itself, now let's look how we all ENJOY our food. This theme came from The Mommy over at Twenty Little Toes. Her examples: "a signage on a street stall or a fancy meal in a posh restaurant." Perhaps a logo from your favorite diner? Or a simple place setting on your dining room table.

Fix It Friday #59

i♥faces
Disclaimer: This is not my photo. I did not take it.
Copyright belongs to iheartfaces and the original photographer.

Original:


My color edit:


My B&W edit:



Friday is such a fun day!

If you are coming in from New Friend Friday or Follow Me Friday, please click on All About Me to get to know me! And I sure do love followers, so I will not complain if you decide to stick around. ;)




Some of you were asking how I made my collage for Black & White Wednesday 2 days ago. I used a program called Photoscape. It's free and SO easy. I know several of my blogger friends who use this program for EVERYTHING. Personally, I still do all of my photo editing in pse, but I am relying solely on Photoscape to make collages and to add different frames. I like that it has templates for several different layouts for 2 to 25 photos. Here's one I made of photos from Matt's prom last month:

That's Matt and his friend Mitchell in the top left,
Matt with his one-on-one aide in the top right,
Matt and his friend Ralphie in the bottom right,
and Matt's friend Olivia with her sister Audrey in the bottom left.

YouCapture - Water

Before:


After: