Friday's Freebie- Free Photoshop Heart Dandelion Brush

So Friday's Freebie is a day late but I think it's worth the wait because this is one of my favorites.

Today, I'm giving you a free download of the heart dandelion that I created for this: "Spread the Love Around" Valentine's Day Card.

Just Click: Spread the Love, Heart Dandelion Photoshop Brush

The free download will be available for 12 months from today.  

Blessings,

Calling All Moms, I'm Airing Dirty Laundry!!

I'm going to go ahead and say it because "Desperate Housewives" says it needs to be said.  Not only do I sometimes feel like a bad mom, I also LOVE "Desperate Housewives".. And if you're judging me for that, all I can say is: You need to watch "Desperate Housewives". It is the ONLY TV show that has a standing date on my calendar...


And this is why:





Oh and I'm a liar too.. Because this totally is not for all moms! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE comments from people that agree.. And if you don't, I hope you wake tomorrow with gray hair and boobs that are even more saggy than they were today !

January Review

   Since I still haven't posted all of my Christmas pictures, I'm going to quickly sum January up in one post. Frankly, I'd prefer to sleep through January and wake up sometime in February when the skies turn blue and the sun peaks through.   January is the month that usually makes me think that humans should be animals that hibernate..Having both mine and Adam's birthday's to celebrate wouldn't even be reason enough in my mind to pull me out of hibernation if I had my say..  When we lived in WV,  the skies turned gray in October and stayed that way until May.  Along with the blue skies seemed to go people's smiles and everyone seemed to fall into a long winter's funk.  January here this year has been way too similar to those never ending winters we had in WV and I'm longing for spring.. I think God knew that I might give up hope that spring would ever come and he blessed us with a beautiful 74 degree day yesterday.  We went down to a local park and we walked, and played and ate dinner outside and it was the most marvelous day... Today it's dank and dreary..  But hopefully yesterday's beautiful weather will hold me over for a few more weeks.. I have to admit that the cold has brought along some nice moments of snuggling.. But, I'm longing for days of playing barefoot in the backyard.  

    Adam and I share the same birthday and  we soothed each other's old egos and I secretly felt better because he's two years older... Since we do share the day, it is nice now that Emma is old enough that she insists that we have a birthday cake.. That way, we don't feel so silly buying our own cake.  My mom took the girls for a long weekend.  The trip was a day shorter because of the crazy ice that covered the path from here to there.  And the fact that mother nature stole a day of an opportunity to sleep in doesn't help her record in my book.. But we are thankful for the break and ever grateful to my mom for always being willing to adjust in whatever way she has to get them on weekends like that.  I have been told that my sister has some pictures from that weekend.  And we'll only hope that she does better at making those public than I have lately.    On the photography front, I've been doing virtually nothing.. I seem to go through spurts where I can't even stand the thought of carrying a camera around and I seem to be there now.  But, I've been doing a lot of graphic design and retouching work and I'm really excited about some marketing materials that I'm working on for my friend Jay at Click Photography and the new studio that she's opening.  Stay tuned on that one.. 

Okay, before I bore you to death with my monotonous January life, I'll  explain the pictures and be done with it..
   Top Left yep, sigh 33 and 35..  Top Middle:  Emma and her sweet little friend MaKayla at MaKayla's birthday party.. Top Right.  Benjamin and Chloe.  Benjamin is my friend Nellie's little guy that has been battling a disease called Langerhaun Cell Histiocytosis for the past year.  We were ecstatic to get the news  that Benjamin's scans were clear last week!  Nellie went out of town for a couple of days early in January and Benjamin stayed with us.   Chloe seems to think that he should live with us now.  Left Middle Chloe and Maggie after they ate a piece of our birthday cake.  Smurfette, watch out, these two will take you down!  Maggie stayed with us a couple of days while her regular babysitter was out of town and they both had a ball. I laughed and laughed at them because they both play like boys.   Bottom Left is a birthday prank because people will just never let us fully leave youth ministry.. I thought they were calling us old goats or something but apparently there wasn't that much thought and they just thought it would be fun to cut deer out of cardboard and stick them in the snow in our yard.. I was so unexcited about going out in the snow/ice and I thought it improved the look of my front yard by giving me something to chuckle about when I looked out into the frigid cold that I left them there until I went to pick Emma up from school the next day..  I do what I can for the neighborhood.. And, the last three are us attempting to play in the snow.  That lasted all of five minutes before we decided that fun shouldn't be torturous and we all went inside and snuggled up in the bed because we are so OVER IT!!  If that ground hog sees a shadow Wed., I'm going to hunt him down and pull him out of his hole and pick him up by his heels and slap his head against the wall....

Friday's Freebie- Free Photoshop Ipod Skin Template

Yay, another freebie!

 This is something that I think every photographer should make a part of their senior packages.  You want more senior photo shoots?  What do teenagers have in front of their face more than anything?  Their I-phones of course.  So what better than to have your favorite senior advertising you to her friends every time she sends out a text?

 I couldn't believe how difficult it was to find a template for an ipod/iphone.  So, I designed one of my own.  This was made to fit an Ipod touch 3 .. But the same template works for an iphone and I'm pretty sure it's close enough to work for all of the touches.  Once you go to a website to have it printed, they will give you the choice of using one of their templates or uploading your own.  Once it's uploaded, you can adjust it just like you want it..   Read on to find out where to get the best print deals on these.

Click Link Below to Download

Free Photoshop Ipod touch template

Yes, that is my seven year old's I-pod and no I'm not an indulgent parent.  She has been asking for a Nintendo DSI for two years and since she shows virtually no interest in any video game ever, I have refused to spend $150 for something she won't use.  

But, when she started asking for an Ipod touch and I began to think of it's benefits to me (road trips with no whining)  I warmed up to the idea.  And since my husband is a Ninja when it comes to getting things free, and I'm cheap frugal, I went with the idea when he was able to score one FREE.. And no he's not in to anything illegal.. But, I'm already giving you an excellent marking idea as well as a freebie template.  A girl's got to hold on to some secrets.   

I searched the net for the cheapest prices and landed at Gelaskins where I printed this skin for $6.99. To quote Gelaskins: "They're skins! Translation: self adhesive vinyl decals. They're made with pure awesomeness"   and I have to agree!  Not only do that they print Ipod skins but they also print 100s of other skins for other electronics.  And I was more than satisfied with the quality.  I will definitely be using them again!

Happy Weekend!

Blessings,

Thoughts From The Slammer

I've lost my mojo... I keep waiting for inspiration to strike so I can write.   But, I've had nothing for months..  I can't even seem to formulate a comment to something someone else has written that I feel strongly about... I think I'm in "fix it" mode, trying to get back the organization that I lost during the holiday season.   And, 2010 was an emotionally trying year and I think I need a break from reflecting... Things have been so heavy.  And the thing I'm needing more than anything is a night like so many I had when I was a teenager.  When my best friend, Kristen, and I would giggle all night long until the point my parents yelled at us because we were keeping them awake.. Oh for just one night to be the one giggling again...

Anyway, since I have absolutely nothing deep or moving to share because I can't stand another ounce of seriousness right now, I'll share what I wasted my time amusing myself with yesterday.

My sister sent me one of those survey e-mails..  You know, "2011 Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends and Family".. Well, since I filled out at least 2011 of those surveys during our time in youth ministry trying to make sure I didn't hurt a single teenager's feelings, I usually skip these things from adults thinking that they can take the rejection... But, my sister put a little personal pressure in there saying I was the "most likely to respond"and there was the part in the directions that said to be honest and not be lame and mess up the fun... Am I the only one that sees the irony in that statement?  Anyway, I didn't want to crush my sister's high opinion of my dependability so, here is my response..

Welcome to the new 2011 edition of getting to know your family and friends.. Here is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be lame and spoil the fun--this means YOU! 
  
Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then send this to a bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person who sent it to you. 
  
Some of you may get this several times; that means you have lots of friends. The easiest way to do it is to hit 'forward' so you can delete and change the answers. Have fun and be truthful! 
  
  
What color are your socks right now? orange, that's all they let us have here

What are you listening to right now?

The lady in the cell next to me singing "Stormy Weather"

What was the last thing you ate? Not sure... Mystery meat?

Can you drive a stick shift? 
unfortunately yes.  That's what got me in this place.  Grand Theft Auto.. and all over a candy apple red Dodge Dart.  

Last person you spoke to on the phone? "It's me again Margaret". 

Do you like the person who sent this to you? 
Everyone has some sick affection for their mentors don't they? 

How old are you today? Old enough to know better but still to young to care

What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? 
Demolition Derby

What is your favorite drink? 
RUM

Have you ever dyed your hair? only when I needed a disguise after the bank robbery 

Favorite food? Anything that isn't roadkill 

What is the last movie you watched? 
"The Longest Yard"

Favorite day of the week? Sunday, that's when my baby daddy visits

How do you vent? scrub toilets--- with a toothbrush

 
What was your favorite toy as a child?  a tatoo gun

What is your favorite season? 
salt

Cherries or Blueberries? yep

Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? 
Down to my last friend.  I knocked the others off.   

Who is the most likely to respond? my probation officer

Living situation just me, Thelma and Louise

When was the last time you cried? 

when "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die"

What is on the floor of your closet right now? 
a chalk outline

Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending this to? 
you, "friend"

What did you do last night? Lets just say I don't think I'll be allowed back in that Walmart 

What are you most afraid of? small tight spaces and a woman named Butch

Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? 
yep

Favorite dog breed? 
hot

Sweet or Salty? yep

How many states have you lived in? let's see-- state of paranoia, state of distress, state of annoyance, state of denial, state of confusion.... Hey, tonight is the state of the union!  

 
Diamonds or pearls? 
yep

 What is your favorite flower?  self-rising

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge--Innocent Wonder

This post is for a Photo challenge over at I Heart Faces. The lighting was low and admittedly, this isn't my best photography.  However, for the theme of "innocent wonder" I just couldn't pass it up.  This is my three year old on her daddy's shoulders looking at the star on the Christmas tree as I plugged it in to light it.

But  [she] treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.  Luke 2:19

IF YOU QUOTE ME ON THIS I'LL CALL YOU A LIAR...

That's what Adam said he'd do if I told anyone this... So what did I do?  I came straight to my blog and facebook of course..

Anyway, this is the song that he came in insisting that I listen to because it made him all teary eyed..  Emma loves Taylor Swift.  Or at least that's Adam's excuse for listening to her.  

If you know me, it's a given that it did more than make me teary eyed.. It reminds me of my mom and how I want my girls to feel about me.  And really, I love the fact that it made Adam teary eyed..

Freebie Friday-- Valentine's Day Photoshop Photo Card Template

Another Valentine's Day Photo Card Template

Link Expires on 1/21/2012 Click Below to Download

Valentines Photoshop Photo Card Template

Family Friday - More Family Photos and the Hinkle Christmas Card

I wanted to make sure that mom got out all of her Christmas cards before I posted this. But, I couldn't skip it because 1. I need to post the family pictures anyway. 2. I still laugh every time I see it.   I ordered her cards from Vistaprint and saved out the ones that needed to be mailed so that I could mail them for her and then sent the rest to her so she could hand them out at work.  Well, the Trussville Post Office lost them.  Seriously, it's the worst post office ever.  If you live in Trussville, get insurance!  It's probably worth the drive to the next town.. Anyway, the cards finally showed up a couple of weeks later.  Hopefully she's handed them all out by now.

Since our family had a tough year in 2010, my mom thought that something funny and lighthearted was the way to go.

This is what I came up with:

Front

Inside

I thought that this design would only look right on a folded card and it proved to be a bit of challenge to find a place that printed folded cards at a reasonable enough price for us to order 150. Vistaprint, hands down had the best price. And I was very happy with the quality of the card.

The photo-- Once again, utilize your tri-pod.  I didn't even have to swap any heads on these.  Make sure you double click on the bottom photo and check out Chloe's "silly pose". 

Free Valentine Photo Card Photoshop Template

Freebie Friday!!!

Click "Free Photoshop Valentine's Day Card Template" to download your free template

If you need help using a template, shoot me an e-mail at everythingpictured@gmail.com