1SaleADay.com

My friend Po introduced me to this site, and I love it!  I have purchased a TomTom XL350, a beautiful ring, and now a photo editing software that has most if not all the features found in the much more expensive Photoshop programs.

This program with shipping was $17.98!

There are five categories, so it's really 5 sales a day - 1Sale A Day, Wireless, Family, Watch, and Jewelry.  So if you're one that likes to swipe some great random deals , check them out!

DIY Light Scoop, as seen on Pinterest

Well, I tried it.  I looked up how to make a light scoop.   I had to make adjustments for my non-DSLR camera that doesn't have a hot-shoe to slide a tab into.  So I have a tab that braces the light scoop in the cavity that the pop up flash resides, and another tab that slides right into a small slat that exists at the base of the flash and the top of the camera.  

This photo is of the light scoop on the camera, using flash, in a mirror.

This photo is of the flash only, same room, same mirror. Wow, what a difference that Light scoop made in the first shot!

Here is the light scoop, off the camera (without flash).  I used black posterboard, double sided tape and aluminum foil. I tried this earlier in the day with a white reflective surface, and the reflection is almost as bright as the aluminum foil.But there was enough of a difference that I decided on keeping the foil.

Here is the light scoop, with flash.

Another angle of the light scoop.  See the tab that slides under the pop-up flash bar?

Here's a picture of my son, with direct flash, no light scoop.There is a flash glare on the picture frame, the wood on the tv table is darker, but most of the colors in the room are decent.I think it's because I am a perfect distance from the subject. 

This photo is taken with the light scoop with the white reflective surface.  No flash reflection, tv table wood is exact, colors are good. This one looks natural.

Another picture of the same room, different angle, with the light scoop, white reflective surface. 

Two of my cats, playing together.  Light scoop brightened the entryway with better lighting.

Tessa the cat, another photo nicely lit with the light scoop, aluminum reflective surface.

I think I am sold on using my new lightscoop!  If only I had this for many photos over theyears in this room!  I think I'll be making a second one, with more room between the flash and the reflective surface to see if that would make a bit better.  

Hope your attempt at a light scoop delivers great results!

Brett, in Black and White

Have I mentioned how proud I am of this young man?

Love, Mom

Collages

Third Collage...
The paint program, that basic program that almost all computers are loaded with, is the easiest so far to make collages.  I then uploaded the collage to picnik.com, and added the text and the sepia coloring... voila!  Much better!

Second Collage using paint.net...

This one was quite a bit trickier... paint.net isn't as user friendly as I had anticipated. Canvas sizing is a chore, there's no easy way to do it - or I haven't found it.

Original Post -

My internet  friend MckMama had a blog yesterday about making collages.  I thought I would try it out in paint to see if I could come up with something similar to what she does in Lightroom.  I used picnik.com to edit the photos, then I pasted them into paint.   What do you think?  Watch for more...I'm just getting started!  I will be updating my blog's header as well.  Who knew blogging would be so much fun?

Halloween

Megan and her boyfriend Tommy,

and a couple of happy scarecrows

Megan and her ghost painted on a watermelon ...
ingenius, right?

A Fun Fall Day

 

Our family went to  Brookville Lake and Metamora, Indiana Sunday afternoon.  The lake was beautiful with the colorful trees reflecting on the water.   On our way back up the incline at the dam, I noticed this yellow moth on a thistle, and a tiny ladybug on the underside.



The town of Metamora is... rustic and eclectic.  Lots of restaurants and craft shops and gift shops and candle shops and artsy jewelry shops... the list goes on and on.  There's a motorcycle leathers shop as well.
 

Its amazing how some things don't change.  This tree has been here for more than 20 years... my husband and I sat on this branch before we knew we were going to be husband and wife.

Now my children are here visiting this tree.

 

Tommy found crawdads in the water, and teased the girls with them.



A rustic canal boat.

A boatload of leaves.  


 

Metamora has a weekend Christmas Walk in the evenings of December, when the town is lit for the holidays.  We'll be back - and I'm sure it will be magical.

An adventure begins...

Welcome! 

I am looking forward to getting to know friends here in the...
well, where? What nook of the country or world do you call home?  

Let me tell you a little about myself.  I am a wife to a very dear dedicated husband, a mom to two homeschooling teens, and a creator (photography, crafts, sewing, floral decor, ingenious gadgets).  I have the desire to be a good cook, or to be able to hire one! I enjoy my teen children immensely.  We get along wonderfully - they rock!  My daughter is aspiring to be a nurse, my son a guitarist.  We are active in the local 4H community - county fairs are what our summertime is all about. 

So, tell me a little about yourself...
it's nice to meet you!