Love photoshop. I'm taking old photos and correcting color. It is rather subjective work. I can see a million different ways to go. Here are a couple I did today. Doesn't Elle look so happy! Mindy, you are doing a great job with that adorable cutie-pie. I can't wait to see her!
Well, since we have been cleaning out closets and spiffying up our house to prepare to show it I have come across lots of old things we don't need. It is amazing how much junk collects. I've been having Habitat come by at least once a month for an entire year and we still have more stuff to give away! Some of it I hang onto for sentimental reasons, like old place mats given to us for our wedding that are well worn out but I like them anyway and can't part with them. But other stuff, like stuffed animals!! that are just little dust bunnies, those I am tossing. Gigi found her birthday hat that we used on her first birthday. She had fun putting it on and had me and my mom sing Happy Birthday to her. She loves that song. I snapped a few pictures while she had it on. The bottom picture is of her in her white dress that she wore last year when we were at Seaside. It still fits! So she will get to wear it again this summer!! Yea!
Here Gigi is pretending to be a cowgirl-ballerina and I am pretending to be a photographer! Played around with the tint and exposures on photoshop. Can't figure out which is the "right" level for any image. Each of these images have a different feel because of the color ranges (first one leans blue, second one leans greeny-yellow and the bottom one has a lot of magenta-y color I think). Is there a right or wrong???? Part of me thinks it is simply artistic intent, but other parts of me think there must be certain levels that are correct. I'd like a book about that! Any recommendations anyone?
In memory of my grandparents Byron and Muriel Johnson -- to two loving people who taught me and my sisters about patriotism, love, hard work and honor through their actions, stories, laughter and hugs, I salut you and send you kisses and hugs from Oklahoma. I miss you guys.
I was blessed with two wonderful grandmothers. I really have had so many fabulous women in my life. I wish I had been into photography when my other grandmother was still alive. I would have taken the time to capture her image just like I captured my maternal grandmother this past weekend. Isn't she beautiful? I have always thought she was elegant. I like this picture because it captures a spark of her personality. I see it in her eyes-- reserved, dignified, a tad mishevious and always kind. I took a few of Grampy as well but haven't quite captured his personality yet. I'm going to keep snapping away and see if I can get it soon.
Junebug is the first dog I ever loved. She and I palled around back in 2000 when I first started gardening. She was such a great garden companion, just following me wherever and keeping me company while I dug holes, pulled weeds and admired blooms. It just occurred to me over Memorial Day weekend while we were hanging out at my parents house that she has now reached the ripe old age of 84 (in dog years). This weekend she didn't have quite the spring in her step that she had in the past, but she still had her goofy way of plopping along happily as Georgia and I explored the yard. I don't know why, but I felt compelled to write about her here just to pay tribute to a dog that has a special place in my heart. I think I might just buy her some extra dog treats this summer. Love you Juney.
Mindy and Elle visited the other weekend. Elle is rolling everywhere! And Gigi thought it was so fun she joined her! The two of them were just rolling away on the floor happy as a lark. Elle should be sitting up very soon. She is quite strong!
My peonies are flush with flowers right now. Gorgeous! Gorgeous! Gorgeous! And look how huge the the red rose in the bottom picture is-- amazing! This year I didn't have to snactch any from my neighbors yards. I'm so glad to have some of my own. If and when we move, I am taking these plants with me!
We have now officially completed all of the paperwork, doctor's appointments, fingerprints, background checks and coursework for adoption. All we need to do is put the papers in the mail and pay the adoption agency starting fee and we are ready for the homestudy interviews, which ultimately places us on the list. The papers have been sitting on my mantle for 4 days now and they haven't budged. My mind has raced over them plenty of times, but my actions have been halted towards the papers. It's this strange feeling, this question in my mind-- am I ready? It is the weirdest thing because I long for a baby, I know there is someone missing from our family, that there is supposed to be this other little one sitting at our breakfast table, but I still wonder if it is possible, if a miracle can happen in my own body.
I'm taking an online Photoshop course and one of the assignments was to change a color photo to sepia and then paint in some color. I chose to work on this picture of Gigi. This style is not my favorite for photos-- although maybe it was 12-15 years ago. Still, it is great to learn how to do this and so here is my most recent homework assignment. Notice how I changed the color in the flower to a pink, green and blue and brought back the original color of the hat.
So here is my fledgling potager. I just scatter planted all of my seeds. It is getting to the point where I am going to have to thin the bunch. I plan on doing that this weekend. The weather here has been so tempermental. I am hoping that my plants make it beyond this stage so that I can eat them! I have planted: radish, turnip, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, sweet peas, strawberries, mesculen, red lettuce, bell peppers, melons, jalepenos, squash, and a variety of herbs including lavender, rosemary, sage, lemon thyme and basil. I would like to place a brick path down the center of my garden and I want to move my small fountain to the back. If I have the energy (and Rodolfo is willing to help) I plan to attempt these projects this weekend too!! There is always so much to do, so many things to learn, and so little time!
This rose is named Penelope and sits right outside my kitchen door. It has exploded with blooms and is so fragrant. Everytime I walk out my back door it smells like spilt perfume!
Gigi has been in love with her baby doll as of late. She puts her to bed and wakes her up about 20 times a day. Here she is watching her baby as she sleeps.
Spring has been finicky this year. It vascilates between darn cold and outright hot. To where oh where has the mild weather disappeared? Mother Nature's (my neighbor) azaleas were in full bloom just last week (see in the photo) and now they have quickly faded. I'm so glad we at least took a few pictures while we had a chance.
Two year olds are delights and terrors because they so fully express every emotion they experience. Adults filter through emotions and only show what is appropriate to the situation, to the etiquette, to the end results desired. Two year olds, however, have not learned to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate levels of emotion. They temper nothing towards the situation. They just say and behave exactly how they feel. They are on full blast at all times and this is both a pleasure and a pain. A temper tantrum in the middle of Target is embarrassing, refusal to wear X is anger-inducing, and yet the sheer excitement over a bowl of ice cream, or a trip to the park, or a BIRTHDAY CAKE is so 100% delightful, charming, fabulous, oh!! For all of its pains, the joy of watching a little one's eyes alight with delight makes me ask the question: Who cannot help but adore this moment in a child’s life? I feel priveleged to share this moment with Georgia. What makes it even sweeter, even more precious, is that I know inside, though I wish it would never happen, but I know that this moment will pass. The toddler will become a child, who will become a teenager, who will become an adult. But right now, today, this small window in Georgia’s life, I GET TO OBSERVE, to enjoy, to be a part of. I get to be the one who introduces her to butterflies and swimming pools, to ice cream sundaes, the beach, Disney World, etc. And that is beautiful. Being a part of this introduction to the world, to get to re-experience for myself the magic of blowing those fluffy round weeds in the wind, well, quite frankly, it is an honor. I love the terrible twos! How I hope it lasts a while longer.
Wally turned 5 years old on the 19th! He has been an excellent pooch these past 5 years and I cannot believe that he is now older than me and Rodolfo in dog years! We didn't do a birthday party as we have in the past, but he is still our loved puppy. We love you Wally!
Easter came and went in a flurry. The day was rainy, surprisingly. Easter is usually this gloriously pastel day with baby blue skies, puffy white clouds and pink sunsets. Maybe next year it will be back to normal. Since both of my sisters were in town, we took the opportunity to snap some family photos. Laurie's husband took the group shot. He also snapped some cute ones of Gigi. Thank you Michael for the photos! 
Coloring Easter eggs at Olmama and Olpapa's house.
Here is Elle with her namesake. This is Granny's second time to do a 4 generation of women shot. Isn't she lucky?
And here is the fam. Mindy has a broken foot and didn't want her foot to show. Funny that she is the only one on the back row whose foot is actually showing!! :)
Well, I've discovered RAW and have been shooting in it for the past 3 days. Shooting in RAW sounded intimidating but was as easy as a flip of the switch with my camera. The problem came when it was time to process all of my images. I've been reading my eyeballs out trying to figure out how to work with these images in Photoshop. I don't know anything about Photoshop but have learned a TON in the past 48 hours. Finally, finally this evening, with Rodolfo's help, I was able to convert my files over from RAW to dng. And now the fun can begin!! Here is one of the first photos I took in this new format. (It had to be converted to JPEG to post here on the blog.) I haven't had a chance to touch it up yet.
