Fab Feb.... sharing some Valentines Love

Sharing some of our favorite Valentine's Pictures. I love Valentines. I love how simple gestures, some simple crafts, and a little creativity can show your family and friends how much they mean to you!! Certainly, you don't need a special day to do these things... but isn't it lovely having a day dedicated to it anyway!!

Tips on Photographing Children and Families with Graham Monro | Photography tips and tricks, Equipment, Photography News, Photography Books, Tutorial, and Lighting - OneSlidePhotography.com

Tips on Photographing Children and Families with Graham Monro | Photography tips and tricks, Equipment, Photography News, Photography Books, Tutorial, and Lighting - OneSlidePhotography.com

I don't know about you guys but I take a lot of pics... I love photography!! I think I've even taken a few really good photos in my time. The funny thing is I don't know a lot about the finer points of photography. I don't know exactly what makes a photo good. Anyone else ever wonder this. I have a decent camera but I do need some lenses other than the kit one that came with the camera. I like taking landscape...mostly beach as we spend a lot of time there in the summer , even like it in the winter. Light and clouds make such a difference at the beach but sometimes it can be a bit frustrating.. when you can't get close enough to something and I don't have one of those beautiful telephoto lenses. I love taking pics of my boys ( that would include hubby, 2 sons ..one is 8 and the other 2, our doggy Oscar ... aka Oscar Wild and Dr. Oscar). I also like taking pictures of little vinettes I set up ( you know when you have 1 little area of your house that looks really good.. so you focus all your pics in that one area.. so people like assume the rest looks just as good).. I also really like to do macro ...really close up photos. Now I'm limited in this because I don't have the proper lenses but even so I have gotten some really good closeups ( in my not so expert option..) So in an honest effort to try to understand photography better, I've been checking out some photography sights ( found some really good ones and looking at a lot of other people's pics. I'm experimenting with manual settings ( first few attempts at that were pretty bad) and trying decide what my photography style is ( pretty sure I don't have one ( A bit like answering the question... what body type are you??? NO CLUE!!! Next area of confusion... EDITING!! Seriously ... I sometimes save a 1/2 dozen edits on one picture. I like a lot of things but not sure how much would really be improvements to photos. Do you ever just wish you could dump all your pics on some professional photographer and say here.. tell me what's right, what's wrong, what's any good.. and what no amount of editing can save.... and WHY... and Thanks. Guess that's not going to happen... so on I go trying understand or improve. I included a few photos from this month that I like. I guess at the end of the day... a cute pic of your child is really all most of us are trying to get anyway.

Sania Pell At Home – The Blog

Sania Pell At Home – The Blog

72 YEAR OLD VEGAN SHOWS LITTLE TO NO SIGNS OF AGING -FOX NEWS

72 YEAR OLD VEGAN SHOWS LITTLE TO NO SIGNS OF AGING -FOX NEWS

Building Blocks

Well the new year seems to be off to a good start. I'm " researching" blogs like crazy trying to figure out what I like and don't like. Researching....that's good word, by hubby probably thinks I'm wasting whatever free time do have.. gazing at beautiful homes, images, or whatever on all these sites... worse yet..I tell him all about what so so is doing or saying....He's REALLY IMPRESSED with my efforts so far. But it really has been helpful. Some people have a wonderful funny way of sharing what's going on in their lives..you just want to read more. Plus I've been really inspired to get some long overdo projects ...going and maybe someday...dare I dream...FINISHED!!! Some have helped me focus on a style for our home ( it will definitely be cheap... and probably thrifted). The trick will be to make that chic. I'd like to give the blog page more personality too...maybe I have to upgrade or something...I know I do for some other things as well. I love taking pics, so I'll be sharing a lot of that here as well....need to upgrade there as well ( camera lenses and software for editing...have to save more than a few pennies for that...but I do have a birthday coming up...so you never know. I think I have to edit some pics together, so I can post a little more on my life, interests, and just daily or more likely weekly musings. Stay Tuned. I might make this into something...

New Year...remembering the past, embracing the furure

New Year. New attempt at blogging. I've been down this road before. I love blogs...follow quite a few and I'm always impressed at how well people put them together. Great photos, interesting details of their daily lives. They have mastered the art of making the everyday...SPECIAL!! So I start my blog with a few simple posts, promising myself, it'll get better as I go along... but something always seems to be missing... that little something extra. If I was a celebrity, we'd call it the X factor. So that's what I have to figure out. How to create a blog that has the look and feel I want. I realize, I'm having the same struggle in my home. I've always considered myself a creative person, I love DIY, I love home dec and photography. I have a handy hubby who can take most of my ideas...and help me make them a reality. We run our own business, and I have tons of creative ideas streaming through my brain all the time. But somehow, things just seem a bit of a mashup ....like I'm a bit adrift. Perhaps my style is changing a bit and I'm having trouble letting of ( or figuring out what to let go of). Holding on to the past and reaching for the future.