The Frame Ups and Photo Editing free class wrapped up yesterday at the Spraground. It was a great class! I learned so much about adding interesting visual elements on my photos! Thanks so much Jessica Sprague and team - you guys totally rock!

Here are some of the photos I've enhanced using the techniques from that class (the photos below do not necessarily show the order in which they were presented):

1. Selective coloring technique - I converted the photo to black and white and recolored Kail's shirt with its original color:




2. Clipping Mask, Textures and Type


3. Clipping Mask, Textures, Darken Edges, Word Art, and Type


4. Clipping Mask and Textures

5. Hand tinted look on a photo and I colored Kail's lips with a shade of pink.

6. Photo converted to black and white and enhanced with brushes

7. Here is a photo of me and Calix with a round flourish frame and word art

8. Here is a 3-photo storyboard. Only the photo inside the frame remained in color while the image outside of the frame has that hand tinted look:
9. I burnt the edges of this photo so the background didn't show:

Credits - Brushes by House of 3; Frames House of 3; Textures by Fudge Graphics; Word Art by Jessica Sprague; Clipping Masks by Kimi Kreations and Jessica Sprague

I still owe another project - a niner. Hopefully I'll get to finish that tonight.

There's a ton of information presented in this class! What's great with this site is that the course materials are available forever so I can always go back in case I forget something.

Now that the class is over, I'm having withdrawal symptoms but I'm so happy Jessica is offering two more classes for August. They're no longer free but I'm entitled to a 20% discount. I'm so excited!

I've neglected my blog for far too long now that there are days when I'm seriously considering packing it up and shutting it down. The reason why it's still up and running is because my writer self thinks it's my chance to get my thoughts down. Gone were the days when I used to keep a journal and write my heart out everyday. Besides, this is the only way I'd connect to my writer self (if she's still there). I so badly need a muse right now... ;)

I have been vocal about my lifelong love for photography. My love affair with camera started when I held a film SLR at 12 years old. For a long time though, I have been shooting in program or auto mode. I recently discovered the amazing possibilities of shooting in manual and I've never looked back. Our photos dramatically changed! Now I only have my camera in auto mode whenever I'd hand it over to someone else to shoot. I've also learned to edit our photos more creatively. I am one happy mamarazzi!

To prove my point, here are some photos I'd like to share. All photos were taken in manual mode with natural light (no flash). I enhanced them in Photoshop Elements. You can view more here.

Been out of commission for a while again! :( I've been terribly busy in May with hubz' and my dad's birthdays, then Calix's celebrated his first birthday, then Mother's Day, and then our 6th year anniversary! I've also been busy with baby showers left and right. Life can definitely get in the way of a good time! :)

I will make this a short and sweet post as what I really want to do is advertise this free class. I am going to sign up for the class and have encouraged a number of my friends to join in as well. I hope I'll see you there!

I went to my chiropractor today with a purpose. I was going to tell him I'm cancelling all my appointments. I am going to see another chiropractor whom my insurance will cover at a 100% and my out of pocket payment will only be $10 per visit (as copay). According to my insurance, since this chiropractor is not ASN contracted, I have to shoulder a $400 deductible + 30% of the bill. When we computed, we have to shell out a whooping $760 out of pocket! Had this happened two to three years ago, I would've accepted the charge without batting an eyelash. But because times are tough, I have to be a lot more careful of where we spend our money on. Why pay anything when the insurance can cover the cost - we just have to look for a provider that's accredited.

So I sat in his office and honestly told him that hubz and I talked and we really cannot afford the $760 out of pocket cost - not right now when I'm the only one working and there is no job security anywhere. I came to thank him for his time. I owe him that respect. Out of nowhere, he said that because I had been honest, and I came to talk to him instead of not showing up at all, he would forego all the fees that I have to shell out and I only have to pay the $10 copay every visit. His only condition was that I stick to the program.

And I thought I could rest... 

One thing I realized since becoming a mom is that there is no rest, especially when you do not have the luxury of a nanny.  This three week break gave me a chance to bond with my boys - and bond so much we did!  My boys have been tugging my pants since Day 1.  All day I play with them, clean the mess, take care of the boys.  The husband is helping (bless him!) so that has been keeping me sane throughout.  In the afternoon, we head to the park.  Kail plays in the playground, or rides the bike with his dad, while Calix and I would walk around the park several times.  This serves as our family's exercise (as if we needed one after running after the kids all day!).  

I can only do the things I want to do (like scrapbook) when the kids are asleep - either taking a nap or sleeping through the night.  This leaves me feeling so tired the next day because I get to bed around 12mn or 1am!  

Am I complaining?  Nope - not at all!  It's tough sometimes, yes, but I won't have it any other way.  Our kids bring us tremendous joy - one that's beyond imagining.  They also give us gray hair and wrinkles, but we've long since accepted that it's part of the package.  I'm thankful for this chance to spend three whole weeks as a dotting mom.  

On a three-week hiatus...

I am taking the remaining three weeks of baby bonding time from April 20 to May 8.  Since Calix is turning one on May 8, I'd lose the time if I don't take it now.  

I've only been on vacation for two days but I'm exhausted already!  Saturday was our grocery and church day.  Sunday was gardening day with papa (a friend's dad).  Hubz and papa toiled throughout the day while I slaved in the kitchen and babysat our boys.  Yesterday was spent cleaning.  Today I completed 12 digital layouts for Calix's birthday mini album!  

These past couple of days, we have been enduring a very hot 90 degree weather.  I decided to take Kail for a haircut and I was inspired to have a very, very short do for myself.  The photo below is what a 90 degree weather and a house full of boys did to me... ;)  I traded my long locks for a less maintenance do!  

Here is Kail having his haircut.  His teacher told me when I dropped him off to school this morning that Kail looks like a big boy with his haircut! 

What this Recession Taught Us

One good thing brought about by this recession is that it gave us (me and hubz) a chance to take a good look at our spending and weed out unnecessary expenses. Don't get me wrong, I am not one who throws caution in the wind when it comes to spending anyway (except for my scrap hoarding, LOL) but it pays to really be careful. Now is not the time to indulge on uncessary things, to build up the nest egg and to formulate a backup plan in case we lose a job. It is truly sad that this economy is not getting any better and we haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel - yet (I still remain hopeful that this will come to end soon). Add to that the fact that California is also experiencing major budget shortfall.

What led me to this day was when I was watching Oprah one time and they featured those who have been greatly affected by this recession. People in Sacramento (a good hour away from where I live), in the capital of California, losing their homes to foreclosure. These are middle-income families now living in tents because they coudln't even afford to pay rent due to a job loss. These are families who, a year earlier, were able to afford a WII as a birthday gift for their kids but could now no longer afford to pay for housing. These families are no different from you and me. They have been victims of this hard economic times. It was truly an eye opener for me. This could happen to any one of us. Scary, scary thought.

So, no more lusting over a new LV bag, nor drooling over the new Nikon D90, or pining for a new VR lens, or salivating over yummy papers and new scrapbook goodies. The only thing we're not skimping on is food. Even that, I make it a point to buy new stocks when we have consumed the supply in the freezer. This way, we wouldn't need to throw anything out. Even when scrapbooking, my challenge is to use the supplies I have on hand. After all, what got me into this hobby in the first place is the need to document our lives, not the latest and greatest paper or embellishment.

What we are currently doing is pay using our debit card - as much as we can anyway. Since it goes straight out of our checking, we're more conscious of how we spend our money. I also started tallying (while shopping) how much each item costs so I have an idea more or less, of the final amount I have to pay at the counter. We are also cooking more and eating out less. However, I still buy take outs on days that I have to be in the office because I get home late that my boys are ready to eat the furnitures if I don't have food with me. But, the takeouts have to be $10 max and should last for two days, LOL. We turn off lights in areas of the house that are not in use - even Kail is already trained to turn off the lightwhen he leaves a room - it's never too early to start, LOL. I also make it a point to jot down our day to day expenses so we get an idea of where we spend our money on.

We are also foregoing buying new furnitures for the house. Our formal living and dining areas are bare so that has become our kids' play area. Since the boys are prone to breaking things anyway, we figured we'd wait until they're a little older before furnishing it, and hopefully the economy is better by then too.

We're taking one baby step at a time because at the end of the day, what's really important is that we're together, we're in good health, and we're happy even amidst all the cost-cutting that we do. That's what counts most - not the greatest and most expensive of things. All in all, this recession has taught us to live simply but meaningfully.