Ignore the photo color on these images, I didn't feel like fooling with the settings!
My room was rearranged yesterday, due to having a new desk!
For like 6 years I have been doing my homework on my bed or on the floor (but most of the time I just go downstairs to the office.) I fixed my hair on the floor, did my makeup on the floor, painted my nails on the floor, well..I basically did everything except SLEEP on the floor of my room.
I just recently took interest in getting a new desk. I had one in my "old" room. I spent a lot of time at it, but I didn't want another one.
Until recently.
I just decided that it would be beneficial for me to have a logical place to do my homework, charge my computer, do my hair & makeup, etc.
That proposed turning my entire room around! I'm okay with change in my own room. I like this type of changing! Here are some photos, like I said -- disregard the hue.
(previously)
(now)
(before ANY of that occurred.)
whew.
by the way, the photos show 4 different greens, but my room is closely like the last photo.
In case my mad photo skills (kidding) had you fooled.
I have a "vintage"-y lamp ordered from none other than Amazon!
This was the last one, but here's a preview..
I don't know what it is about it, but I love it. It's somewhat strange, but ya'll know me...
.........................
Last, but not least, I didn't post this when it happened!
Daddy's weird buck he killed right at the end of the season!
I try to change out my chalkboard that I have hanging in my room, and I know i've showed it to ya'll before, but I did (somewhat of...) a "tutorial" on how I made mine for Christmas.
Warning: this has potential to be extremely confusing/boring. :)
"prime" your chalkboard. (ha)
this requires a wet rag.
grab your sidewalk chalk.
(this came from Freds, but you can get it anywhere.)
I started at the top left corner with one circle.
start from the outside of the circle & work your way inside to fill it in.
under that, add 2 more,
under 2, add three,
and so on...
on the smaller one, I started at the base of the top tree and made a smaller "ball",
filling them in the same way as you did the top.
you can make this tree as thick or thin as you'd like. I went with a smaller size for this one.
after that, make the base of your tree. I started out slim at the top, and I made the base a little thicker.
write "Merry Christmas" or whatever you'd like.
Then, I filled in the boring areas with polka dots (yellow & white) and "stars" (that's such a loose term for whatever those are! Ha!)
Viola!
;)
also, I painted my nails today to "get in the spirit".
Well, I could do before & after's allll day. I will share two with you. One set will be a SOOTC (Straight Out Of The Camera) photo along with the one I edited.
Then, I will show you how my room transformed from being "Hurricane Julianna" (has a Hurricane ever been named that? Hmm... Google.... Nope!) to clean ..or something along the lines of clean. Ahem.
Photo:
I haven't gotten into a whole lot of camera settings, but my friend, Ashia, has taught me a few things about "Aperature", and I find myself growing to love that setting more & more. (It is AKA: "AV" on Canon Rebels. Haven't checked out the abbreviation for other cameras.) So, saying that i'd also like to say, most of what I do with photos come from my editing software. I am also learning a lot about that.
Main reason for that whole babbled paragraph: As I told one of my favorite ladies from my church today, Mrs. Karen, I have SO much to learn about the camera. I have a feeling I am misusing it in so many ways! I wish I knew everything about it. Ahh...
Back to the topic.
I fell in love with this one right when the camera shuttered. I knew it would probably be my favorite of the session. The problem with this photo is that it does NO justice for the baby's amazingly blue eyes and his sweet soft skin. Also, the glow of the green in the backround isn't that vibrant.
So, I:
enhanced the eye,
bumped up the darks & saturation,
added a hint of contrast,
put in a little (pushing a lot) of clarity
worked on the shadow tones,
and took out a little vibrance (because his lips were all ready fairly pink)
Also, Mom went to Hobby Lobby today & bought this coat hanger for me to use for my scarves.
I had them in a drawer, but I couldn't see them all, so now I can just grab one on my way out.
Thanks, Mom! You're too kind.
And, in case you were curious when you saw the chalkboard in other photos. I try to change it out with the seasons. Looks like I need to make a "Fall" one.
ps:
I wish that all of you would ease over to The USO website to give a quick "Thank You" to the men & women serving our country. You have up to 500 characters, and it's for a good cause. It will only take a minute! =) Here's the site!
Many of you know that photography is my focus, but I enjoy painting every now and then & I'm taking a drawing class as well. So, here are a few of my favorite paintings/sketches.
this was for Mamma's kitchen. She decided she needed something new, and this is what the result ended up being.
You all know by now the significance of this word. If not, see this post.
These "creative kicks" usually don't last long, and i have to be inspired, but so far this one is pretty steady.
(Granted: it's only been two days...)
i used beads & buttons from my great grandmother and my grandmother's old jewelry boxes. You can't tell from this pic, but I nailed the photo to the board with some old rusty nails.
there's a closer look.
this one looks a tad different, but the camera made the colors look funny. That's a 4x6 frame in the middle.
i have NOTHING for this to match, but it's one of my favorites.
Many of you have asked about the paintings I did for Christmas presents, and although I did a post on my paintings back in the summer, I decided to repost those pictures in case you didn't catch a look. Here you go!
Some of the picture quality isn't so fancy, and there's glare from the flash, but hopefully you grasp the idea.!
p.s. - Mrs. Connie, don't shoot me, yours is a WORK IN PROGRESS. I will have to share the story! Whew!
So, bloggers, i have not forgotten you.
Actually, i am just now gathering up enough information to write a blog.
Summer, so far, has been so boring! All i have really done is paint. I have had a few projects that i have a "deadline" for, and so most of my time has been consumed by making sure that deadline is met. I'll give you a sneak peak.
these two are for Mamma's kitchen. They were both done on a wing & a prayer, but thankfully they came together. The one under this typing is for my room. Foralways is a very special word to me. This one was actually the most fun, because (since it was for me) i didn't have to worry about "messing up" or "getting out of line", it just fell together, and i finished it in, no kidding, probably ten minutes.
Speaking of "Foralways" I got my first letter from Clint on Thursday, and for all of you who want to know, he's doing "just fine!" He says, "Make sure all my people get a 'Hello' from me."
I cannot tell you how great it made me feel to hear from him, I have felt like I've been talking to myself in the letters, but to know that his eyes saw my words, appreciated them enough to write me back and tell me that he has enjoyed everything i've said - - as we used to say, "it just makes my heart smile." (:
Life for me has been pretty good though, even if i haven't done anything VERY special. We leave for the beach a week from tomorrow, sadly without Meg, but it's okay, i guess! I've been snake hunting with Ray & Ken, watching the sunset at the Refuge, and listening to sad, sad, sad music (just because i can!)
My sunset experience was great. If you ever have a chance, I would DO IT. We went out to the Noxubee Refuge, sat at the Goose Overlook and saw the sun fade into the horizon. It was peaceful & exhilerating. I love sunsets.
Lastly, I hope this video touches your heart the way it has touched mine. I actually watched these awards when they were on TV, and never thought to post this video on my blog, but it is truly breath taking. I had to stop my tears before I dehydrated myself.
Also, one last thing before i go.
Matt's birthday was Wednesday, and I made his cake. IT WAS DELICIOUS (if i do say so myself).
Let me tell you what I did: (I wish I had pictures like bakerella, but unfortunately I don't)
Strawberries (i used 2 cartons, whatever they are)
slice the strawberries, and sugar them. Make sure they're drained well, and place them in the fridge. Yellow Cake (Duncan Hines, i believe is what i used)
Bake that as directed.
Once the cake is cooled completely, and your strawberries are drained completely, you place the slices of strawberries on top of the cake. (You can do this right before you serve, or you can do it early, and let what's left of the juices sink into the cake. Either way it's okay)
top with Whip Cream. (I do this whenever i cut a slice & have it already on a plate, simply because -like the strawberry juice- it will sink into the cake, and make it mushy.)
It may sound crazy, but i'm serious, it's great! It's also easy!
I also baked Red Velvet cake balls, and while they were not beautiful, they also were pretty good! (I'd post that recipe, but I stole it from Bakerella.) The only thing that I did that she didn't was: at the end of the process, they were SO ugly, so I tried to think of a way to "pretty them up", and that led me to melting chocolate chips, placing the chocolate in a Ziploc bag, poking a hole in the corner, and streaking milk chocolate across the white chocolate balls of cake. Simple, easy, MESSY, and pretty dang good!
Ok, now that I feel like I've been on the Food Network, i'm wrapping this up!
