water, water, everywhere!

Do any of you other young mom's own that Baby Einstein video? I think it's entitled "Baby Neptune." Swimming pics somehow reminded me of that random line, and I can totally hear it in my head along with Handel's water music that goes along with it. Anyway, these are from April 1st, the first day we braved the COLD neighborhood swimming pool. M is always wearing these goggles. I think the girl is part fish the way she can stay in the freezing water forever and not catch a chill. Now, only a month later, she has the most hilarious tan lines on her face. I have to get a snap of that because she is starting to look like a raccoon. It's quite something!




Even M is looking a bit chilly.


A would not even consider getting in, nor would David or I. Far too chilly.

arts cow

Ok, it's a random name, I know, but it I just heard about it and it's supposed to be a cool new photo printing site. Right now, they're doing a promotion where you get 400 free prints and a free 8x8 album just for signing up with them. They print on Fuji paper (which I like), so for free I thought I'd try them out. If you click on this link to sign up too, I'll get referral credits (and more free prints.) Disclaimer: I've not seen their print quality yet, so I can't say if it'll be good or great or not. Here's the referral link if you want to give it a try: Arts Cow.

baseball anyone?

Rice was playing UCF over the weekend. Since David is a Rice alum, he managed to get us (and almost all of our friends) free tickets. So, we showed up at Logan's Roadhouse for a "mixer" where we ate some yummy, very calorie-dense appetizers. The best part? They were all free!



Then, we headed to UCF for the game. It was such a beautiful night. Perfect for being outside and chatting. The kids enjoyed playing with each other. The guys (and Ingrid) watched the game while Lisa and I tried to chat.











Ingrid's kiddos--they're so cute! I think these photos capture their personalities so well.


I guess the kids did sort of watch part of the game, though they were mostly just interested in hanging off the fence.






This humongous moth provided a lot of entertainment for the kids too. What is it? I have no idea, but look at the size of it! Hopefully the chain-link fence will give you some sense of scale. Florida has the hugest insects I've ever seen!

bath time

It's getting harder to take photos at bathtime because modesty is an issue now. Last night when I pulled out my camera, M was sure to tell me that she didn't want any embarrassing photos of herself. Then, I noticed the perfect way to record bathtime. The drain circle!


Wet hair.


Shampooed hair.


For Tim, so you can see the non-textured version.


Clean hair.

Leu Gardens

A few months ago my friend Emily and I went to the HP Leu gardens with our kiddos. The kids walked around looking at all the pretty flowers and things. I wasn't very happy with how my pictures turned out, so I never did anything with them. But, today, The Pioneer Woman (if you haven't checked out her blog, you really have to!) posted a tutorial that I thought I could use on one of my photos from that day. She has the best Photoshop tutorials! I learn so much from her simple techniques. So, I thought I'd give it a try. Here is my before and after version. Hers are much more impressive!


SOOC


I added Hard Light at 30% opacity, tried out the Filter>Render>Lighting Effect technique at 30% opacity, burned the edges a bit, and then I added a bit of texture too. Hmm...these small photos really don't do it justice. You can always click for a larger view.

love the details

So, this will probably be my last post of wedding photos. I have gobs and gobs left to go through, and when I'm finally done, I'll post a slideshow for all you friends and family of the happy couple...after I show them all their pics, of course.

It's funny how in taking pictures for other people, you can still learn more about yourself. I've noticed how I'm really drawn to the details, lines, textures and hands! I just love shots of hands. The getting ready pictures were my favorite to shoot by far. I think it's becuase I just love capturing the candid moments in a sort of artsy way. Here are some more personal favorites.








A group prayer right before we leave the dressing room.


Thanks, Scott and Angie, for letting me take these photos for you! I can't wait to see you when you get back from your honeymoon!

texturing craze

I think I've finally figured it out. I added texture to all of these photos except the first one. I just love the visual interest it adds to these photos. Now, it almost seems like no photo is complete without it! I tell you, wedding photography is not for the faint of heart. This is some serious business. I've just scratched the surface of my digital pile of 820, and I'm wondering how in the world I'm going to get through them all. But, I really had a great time shooting these. Thanks, Jamy for letting me shoot alongside you to build up my portfolio!










"Kite flying" was a planned part of the reception. How fun is that?! We're headed down to the field now.


Trying to take off...


...but they're totally upstaged by this little guy who got some air under his.

getting ready

I think I've gone into "blogging withdrawls!" I've definitely missed all you cyber-peeps! I was in NE over the weekend at a dear friend's wedding. She asked me to take her getting ready photos and assist the official photographer, so I got a crash course in wedding photography. It was such a learning experience for me, and I actually really enjoyed it! I have tons and tons of photos to process now. I finally saved up enough to purchase an external flash, and it arrived just in time, the day before I flew out to the wedding. I figured it out enough to use it, but I can tell there is going to be a learning curve on it for sure. So for now, here are some getting ready photos.








It looks like she's praying here, but really she's just holding the pins for the hairdresser!




Angie's friend did professional make-up for her, this was serious business! I've honestly never seen anything like it. I didn't know you could put moisturizer on with a brush!




Scott and Angie didn't see each other before the ceremony, but exchanged letters instead. Here, Angie is reading the letter Scott wrote to her (for her eyes only.) We're all dying to know what it said. Angie is getting very emotional in the meantime, and we're all being supportive (not nosey) friends.

a new use...

...for an old item. Can you guess what this used to be in it's former life?




A spice rack! Now it's full of stamps in my new scrap space.






Here's my mess. I wish it looked neat and pretty, but this is my reality. It's a work in progress. Shelves and table top are from IKEA. The black bar and hanging buckets (from IKEA) are actually designed for kitchen use, but I love 'em in my scrap space. Inspiration came from Emily.

So many of you asked about the cool toy in yeterday's post. It's a Discover Toy called "Tecno." However, it's made by an Italian toy maker called Quercetti. The girls just got it as Christmas time, so it's probably still in their current catalog. I LOVE this toy, and the girls really do too. It even makes 3-D objects. Here's a link to an older post with some more pics of them playing with it.

can you guess...

...what A is making?









Yes, it's the letter "H."