Family Photos

Two summers ago we explored Yellowstone National Park with our good friends and their 14-month old daughter (aren’t they brave?!).  It was a great trip, but due to some rather unfortunate circumstances, we lost our point and shoot camera.  And of course, it just happened to be after a day full of fantastic photo ops—oh, and it was our anniversary.  Read the full story here (see the end of the post). 

Since then, we’ve purchased another point and shoot (snagged it at Target the same day we brought Liam home from the hospital, as we figured it would be nice to have a small camera on hand since there was now a cute face to capture), plus we found a used SLR Nikon D90 on Craigslist that had barely been touched.  Matt has a natural gift for photography, and since buying the SLR, he’s been honing his skills, in addition to playing around with photo shop tools, like Picasa (a very simple, free version) and Lightroom (we’re experimenting with a free Lightroom trial right now).  Pardon the various shades of light in the following photos—this is a work in progress!

Clearly we’ve been more excited to take photos since Liam came into the picture…ooh…a pun!  It certainly doesn’t hurt that the leaves we’ve neglected to rake gracing our yard make for the perfect natural backdrop. 

Using the tripod was quite the experience, to say the least.  Thankfully, Liam was a total trooper, although he was a tad distracted by the squirrels, drifting leaves, and his extremities… I’m a little disappointed by the fact that I’m hunched  over so much in these photos, but overall we were pretty happy with our amateur photo shoot.

Here are a few sweet shots from when my folks visited.

I have no idea what they’re laughing at in this picture, but I love that they all seem to be in on some inside joke. 

Taste the Rainbow

Yes, we now own this monstrosity. 

Yes, it takes up about 1/4 of our living space.

Yes, sometimes I can feel it looming behind me and the hives begin to bubble up from under my skin.

Yes, it’s the Baby Einstein brand, which means it will automatically transform our kid into a genius. 

Yes, we bought it used and much cheaper than a brand new one.

Yes, we’re keeping it.

And yes, I’m actually grateful for it—because Liam likes it.  Oh, the lows that I’ve stooped to for this little guy.  Good thing he’s worth it.  *Wink wink.* 

Lookout—we’ve got a rambunctious driver in the family!

On a related note, I’m considering a side gig making affordable, neutral-tone children’s toys.  Haha.  I really think there’s a market for it.  Whadda ya think?  Would you buy them?

P.S. Thanks for all the cool toys, Gma Mimsie!  You saved me from a bland and colorless childhood.  I mean, who knew there was another color besides beige?!  Hugs and kisses to you and Gpa Popsie! 

Pinterest: Helpful or Hurtful?

Are any of you fellow pinners?  You know, Pinterest lovers?

I am.

But, as in anything, it can take over your life and become a curse rather than a blessing.  This is kind of how I feel about Facebook…hence, the reason I rarely touch my homepage. 

In order to keep myself from being swallowed alive by Pinterest, I’ve established a few “rules,” if you will. 

1. No endless browsing sessions.  This means I either give myself a browsing time limit or only check my homepage.  The problem is that you can get sucked into gazing at pictures that eventually start to blend together—sometimes because you’re seeing the same thing pinned again and again! 

2.  Keep boards organized.  Pinterest is a great way to collect ideas in one organized space; however, boards easily grow cluttered if you’re not careful.  To avoid this, I take time every month or so to do a quick clean up of my boards.  If I don’t love it, it gets deleted.  If it’s not categorized correctly, I move it.  You get the idea.

3.  Create rather than covet.  This may be the number one problem with Pinterest.  While it gets my creative juices flowing in a hurry, it can also stir up feelings of discontent.  I’ve found that creating tends to pull me out of the green-eyed monster mode. 

4.  Be realistic.  While I love gathering ideas on Pinterest, I try to keep things in perspective.  For example, I love pinning kitchens.  But the kitchens I pin probably cost far more than what we’ll ever spend on a kitchen, so instead of wishing for that exact room, I pick it apart and look for specific things that I like about it.  Maybe I’ll never own those deliciously crisp white custom cabinets—instead, I may have to paint them myself.  Still, this gives me a place to collect ideas and consider what exactly it is that I love about the space.

5.  Look for common themes in your pins.  This relates to what I said above in #4, and although it sounds simplistic, it will really help you nail down your style.  Seek out the patterns in your pins. 

6.  Jot down what you like.  In keeping with #4 and #5, jot down what you like about each photo.  The more specific you are, the better.  While you may “LOVE” every photo you pin, it’s easier to remember what you love when you can look back at a short note rather than an ambiguous statement. 

7.  Be selective.  Sometimes a quick click back to the original link will actually reveal that it’s not worth pinning, saving you a cluttered board down the road.  I’m always amazed at how people repin lame-o ideas without ever checking to see if the actual source is any good.  In a nutshell, don’t pin mediocre ideas.

8. You are ultimately in charge of your time and emotions.  Don’t let the big www suck you dry.  Instead, harness it so you can be inspired rather than frustrated.  Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries!

What about you guys?  How do you keep from being completely bogged down by all the stuff out there?