why photos always deserve a second glance [edit & cropping is your friend]

after trying to get a nice family photo on christmas, and failed because my kid was refusing to oblige my one request, and the weather was freezing, my daughter was dressed as moana, and my husband had a migraine, I wanted some photos of everly and I for new year's eve [the mr. was working]. when I first looked at my camera, I was a little disappointed.  it seemed like I couldn't get a decent photo of ev and I no matter how hard I tried. my slip was showing, our feet were cut off, and the lighting wasn't great since it was late in the afternoon.  but then, I looked a little closer...

her face, our cuddles, and my hair, okay, these have some serious potential.

being able to take amazing photos is a gift. I am by no means saying I'm in the league of professional photographers with this post.  instead, I wanted to share a few tips that everyone, no matter their camera level or ability, can use to make their photos even better.

right now, we live in an age where everyone is sharing their photos, and quickly, one can see that there is a real difference among pictures.  some of my favorite instagrammers use amazing cameras to help them curate a perfect feed. however, many use plenty of iPhone photos that still have the wow factor. and for the most part, the difference is editing.

here's the same image, before editing... a little less frame-worthy

many times, there are parts of an amazing picture that take away from the image itself, making it seem mediocre at first glance.  in this case, a dirty driveway is not really adding to the look I'm going for.  the showing slip and weird knee placement also isn't helping.

easy solution, step 1 - crop your photos.  I find it easiest to crop my photos within whatever photo app or program I'm using for editing. as you become better at taking photos, you will start to automatically crop your shot so you can omit this step. however, sometimes you give your camera to a stranger on vacation to take a non-selfie family photo, and you are left with something that wasn't exactly taken the way you had hoped.

so here were my steps from, oh, ok, to LOVE, share, frame-

here's the original:

here's the cropped version:

*always get rid of unwanted sights [dirty driveways, etc.]

here's the final version:

*edited using A Color Story app on my iphone [this filter is called Sharp - 97% intensity]

original:

cropped:

edited:

I included this one, not because it is my favorite, but because it was Everly's

I think she likes her pose, and I guess my eyes being closed is okay, 

the more I look at it

it was the one photo I printed that she insisted go on the mantle at home

other thoughts:

I do take photos with my Sony A6000 almost ALL of the time.  it is a small DSLR camera that allows me to have it in my purse almost always.  it also has the wi-fi feature that lets me directly take the photos from my camera to my phone.  I find that I like editing photos the most from my phone, it just seems less daunting.  if you are already taking photos with your smart phone, then you are ready for the next step. 

there are SO many amazing photo editing apps, in fact, probably too many.  I like to focus my attention on one at a time.  over the years, I've tried countless apps, but right now, my allegiance is with The Color Story app.  many of my favorite filters are in their free 'essentials' pack that comes with the initial download.  I've purchased other filter packs in the past year, but the ones that I'm sharing here today are 100% free!  editing photos is a complete personal preference.  I also go through phases and trends with how I edit my photos, it is just part of the fun! remember, almost all photo editing apps allow you to reduce the intensity of the filter, which almost always needs to be done.  for these images, I only lessened the intensity by a small percentage.  even instagram allows you to lessen the impact of the filter - I normally find a filter at 100% to be a little too much for my liking. again, personal preference.  there are many factors to take into account with the original photo's qualities that will alter how you edit it, again, play around and have fun.  

and to my amazing mom who took these photos - thank you.  I appreciate that you didn't strangle me when I suggested you look through the view finder when the display screen wasn't popping up - I know photography isn't your favorite hobby, but you helped prove a point here.  and you gave me some of my favorite photos of us ever - thank you!!!

*cropped photos were done after the fact, I never 'save' a cropped, unedited photo.  any slight differences between images are due to this, not the editing step itself.

instagram 2014

As 2014 comes to an end, I find myself getting sentimental, and sappy, and really into flipping through my instagram photos from the past twelve months.  Figured I would share a few of my favorites from this year.  And sure, she may still be able to wear last year's "famous sweater", but she sure has grown!

and the mister celebrated a birthday too

This past weekend was a good one.  Busy, and good.  I felt like we mostly celebrated with food, but that wasn't making anyone in our family complain, well except for maybe Everly.  A few dinners out, and of course, brunch for the birthday boy, made for a nice low key way to celebrate thirty-three.

Thanks to all of our friends who helped us celebrate!  

I swear, we really did celebrate with others, but these photos sure wouldn't confirm that statement!
Well, this last one kind of proves it just wasn't the three of us, almost.

Here's to our year of thirty & thirty-three.

it only took 13 months and 3 weeks...

but Everly finally figured out how to drink from a straw

tonight at dinner

and besides drinking half of my water

she also ate from my dinner plate

because the food directly on my plate tastes much better

eating from a plate and drinking from a straw

too much big girl, too much

and to top it all off,  Everly tried to show off

by using a fork to poke some food

guess I have some goodies to buy Everly tomorrow

instant gratification

Weddings these days are attacked by technology every which way.  I am so conflicted, because yes, you have hired an amazing professional to document the day, but I just can't seem to put my phone down.  Yes, just five years ago when the Mr. and I were married, the iPhone was not what it is today.  It was the time before social media took over the world, and in some ways, that is pretty great.  But today, I'm going to share one part of social media & weddings that I love, personalized hash tags.  Yes, the good ole' hash tag has made its way into even the world of weddings, and I'm very okay with it.  Last weekend [was that just last weekend, it already feels like it was a month ago, at least] our awesome friends got married, and had an equally awesome wedding celebration.  And I'm not just saying it because we love the couple, their wedding rocked.  When I saw the little instagram hash tag cards Jaymee designed in the boxes we were packing up for the reception I literally squealed with delight.

So, suggestions for rocking a personalized hash tag at your wedding, here you go:

-Check in advance for just the right hash tag that will not be shared by others.  If you have a unique spelling to your name as our Jaymee does, then, you will have an easy time with this one.
-Make sure to share with your guests the hash tag to use.  Even though Jaymee did this, some guests still weren't sure which hash tag to use, so they made up their own variations, which was pretty entertaining in itself.
-If you are participating in the hash tagging, STAY OUT OF THE WAY of the professional photographer.  Thankfully, we happened to know the photographer at this wedding, because she has also shot every important moment of our lives.  So when we were being obnoxious with our phones at the end of the night, we could all have a good laugh about it, but I wouldn't suggest this with a professional you do not know.  Thanks Sarah for not punching me in the face when I smacked your oh so expensive camera with my iPhone!

I think the reason why I love this idea so much is the instant gratification that comes with it. Every person who took a shot of your wedding can share it immediately where you the bride, and all your family, can enjoy them together.  I loved when Jaymee and I were enjoying some quiet time at the "after party" skimming through their hash tag, because at that point, that was all the energy we had left!  Back when I was married I remember I had only one picture taken of my wedding ceremony that I got to see before our professional ones were ready, and that one just wasn't enough.  I also love that you can catch the moments that your professional photographer may not be present for.  For example, who knew the lighting in the stark white waiting room with funky botanical prints hanging on the walls at the venue was going to yield some of my favorite photos of Everly and I?!?  I also love that you can instantly see parts of the wedding you weren't physically a part of, because who can be everywhere all at once?  Not this mama!  Oh, and sometimes you get a photo like this one that instantly becomes the lock screen on your phone...

Thanks to the following wedding guests for sharing your photos with my via #drewandjaymee - 

@megacatz  @carriekeyes   @jsrp     @qwelli   

pretty great days, according to my phone

we've been soaking up every moment of the summer

and loving every minute of it

the park, lots of eating, baby wearing, and so many lap naps

no complaints here

thank goodness for iphone pictures

with a baby on your hip

you don't always have the luxury of toting around the DSLR camera

so thank goodness for iphones

here's what my phone caught over the last week

happy saturday!

weird week in the classroom

This week I am covering four classes that are not my own regularly while my kids are at science camp.  I've been teaching in three different classrooms and never seem to have what I need. Pretty much chicken with head cut off scenario. But today, well it really takes the cake. I fell. Like pretty bad. In front of my entire class of 7th graders. The good news, at least if I have to make a dramatic fall in the classroom, at least it was in front of my own kids. 

My kids were working on a project and I decided I could get two more posters hung up for open house. Well, apparently not. As I was getting off the chair, I just fell. Went flying towards one of my students, grabbed their desk which I think saved me from actually breaking my ankle. 

Ever wonder how to silence a group of busy teens?  Well I wouldn't suggest this method but it sure did work.  I guess it is not every day you worry that your teacher may have just dropped dead, because from their angle I'm sure that's what it looked like. I squeezed out a shaky "I'm fine" and was thankful I had a few kids there to help me stand up.  So, needless to say I'm happy to be on the sofa with my feet up, because I am starting to realize I hurt just about everything but my head in the fall. Lesson learned, stay off chairs in the classroom, or at least pay attention to what you are doing while up there!  

And because thankfully no one caught this moment of awesomeness on their phone, I will just give you an adorable picture of Everly I caught on my phone over the weekend. Her smile makes me feel better. 

raising a daughter

I know when I began telling people we were expecting a little girl, it was amazing how many people responded by saying "good luck".  Many women seem to have fears of raising girls, and I guess I get it.  I always say that boys are probably hardest when little, and girls really give it to you when they are older.  For me, I was very lucky to have the best relationship with my mom, and I could not have been happier to have a daughter to share this type of bond with too.  Lately, I have been really noticing comments that women make about themselves, to their friends, and to young girls about appearance, weight, etcetera.  And here's where I stand - I am so thankful that growing up I was blessed with having a strong dose of self-confidence, and I really do thank my mom for this.  No matter my weight [it fluctuated ALOT while growing up] or how horribly broken out my face got, I never remember having low self-esteem.  Not saying I walked around necessarily loving these imperfections, but they were just that, imperfections, not the end all be all.  We were not a family that outside appearances were the main focus.  I'm glad that I was a tom boy, never wore makeup until my senior year of high school, and then I think we were talking strictly mascara, and I never wanted to wear clothing that showed off too much.  Sure, some of this was probably just me, but much of it came from the best kind of role model.

So even though she may be little, I will work to make sure I raise Everly just the same.  She will not hear me talk negatively about myself, especially when it comes to appearances.  And I am thankful to surround her with women who are also confident with themselves, and not make what's on the outside the main event.  So here's to raising a daughter, the best way I can.  Hopefully I will get some good daughter karma since I kept my "tough teen years" down to a minimum for my mom.  At least a girl can hope.

life lately [according to my phone]

yeah, still trying to take everything in

here is a glimpse of my days lately

so besides this face, that I cannot get enough of

I'm mentally juggling writing a rationale for a masters class

and knowing I have only two more classes until I'm done 

isn't really helping it get done any faster, but that's ok

if you look closely, you may see moving boxes

yes, we are moving, which will get it's own post here soon

so excited for space, but leaving our beloved midtown life is bittersweet

and the biggest thing weighing on my mind...work

oh yeah, that whole career of mine will be coming my way soon

too soon

and no, I'm not ready

but I'm sure I'll have lots to say about it here soon

I think I might be doing some "writing therapy" 

because, go figure, stay at home mom actually suites me pretty well

but that is not in the cards, so blah

so, I now wish to revert your attention back to the cute baby faces above

because this post got a little too real, a little too fast

in love

welcome february

a month filled with lots of pink, hearts, and pretty love things

typically I'm not a huge girly girl

and I'm not really into the actual day of Valentine's Day

[I'm sure you get it, let's not go there now]

but I do like having a month that is just a little more filled

with pinks, reds, and romance

this year our little valentine of course is Everly

because, well, the mr. and I are completely smitten with her

and in the two days of February so far

I feel like I have put her in more pink

than in her whole 12 weeks of life

yes Everly Mae, you are loved

if you hadn't figured that out already

just shopping in san francisco with the girls

yesterday Everly went on her first trip to San Francisco

we were on the hunt for bridesmaids dresses for Jaymee's wedding

and from start to finish the day was a success

we found dresses and shoes

changed diapers on Bart

[bay area regional transit]

and were even asked if we were looking for prom dresses

and considering I'm on the closer side of thirty

I'm going to take that as a compliment

and clearly even having Everly in my arms isn't aging me much!

and even after a day of shopping with the girls

E still had a little energy for a quick pizza date 

with those boys we left behind

[I think she had more energy than Jaymee and myself actually]

talk about a thankful mama

I feel like with every week I get more confident with our outings

and I find myself forgetting how road trips used to be before Everly Mae

and I'm pretty ok with that

all photos edited with Afterglow

Everly and the Magic Kingdom [part II]

a first trip to Disneyland is pretty magical

even if you are too young to remember it

that is why we photographed the experience pretty thoroughly

I do believe that starting young with Disneyland is key

to really loving the park as an adult [I think I was about two my first visit]

so here are Everly's firsts - Disneyland edition

first ride in Disneyland - Jungle Cruise

our cruise captain was very sweet with E, and since

we were the last tour of the evening, there were very few people on board

and she spared us all the gunshots that might have sent Everly over the edge

instead, we got an animated "bang, bang" from our enthusiastic cast member

first ride in Fantasyland - Peter Pan [E slept through the whole flight]

first ride in California Adventure - Toy Story Mania

Everly was hanging out in the Baby Bjorn on this ride

and I was hoping she was going to slow down the Mr. from getting such 

a high score, unfortunately, he still beat me by a few thousand

first meal in Disneyland - The Plaza Inn on Main Street

even though Everly wasn't joining in on the eating exactly

this was still her first meal in the park

and man, was it a good one

half a fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a biscuit for $13

considering we were in the park, I would say not too shabby of a meal for the price

first parade - Mickey's Soundsational Parade

E really like the parade as we walked by

talk about amazing stimulation for a little one, she was in awe of it all

and as you can see, I was really into her reactions

first character - Donald Duck [Everly's great-grandma's favorite character]

first princess Everly met - Snow White

and as it turned out, Snow White was the only character that Everly smiled for

so, we are going to say that Snow White is Everly's favorite Disney character

at least for now

the day we spent in the park was mostly for pictures and a few rides

the little lady has ridden so far:

Jungle Cruise, It's a Small World [holiday], Dumbo, Peter Pan, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Toy Story Mania and visited Mickey and Minnie's houses

for a first trip, I would say it was a success

well, at least we know she got something from her mama

since everly was born there has been one thing that everyone sees

she looks a lot like her daddy

the mr. and I cannot see it all the time, because to us, she just looks like our E

but yesterday while I was in class

I was reminded the one thing my daughter got from me

funny faces

not silly faces, and if you ask me to make five funny faces on cue

I probably wouldn't be able to do it

no, these faces are completely subconscious, and some can get me in a pickle

I was sitting in class listening very intently to the professor

and the next thing I know she is making eye contact with me

and making sure I was ok because I had a very "perplexed" look on my face

I was feeling like I got what we were supposed to be doing next

but I guess my face didn't match what I was thinking

and this isn't the first time I have heard this

and in E's ten whole weeks of life I have heard constantly

that she makes great faces

here are just a few of my favorites:

so I wonder what E was thinking while making these faces

and yeah, she may look like her daddy right now

but she has my "looks"

november first is for starting a photo challenge

it has been some time since I have taken part in a daily photo challenge

but I've decided that this month might be a great reason to play along

I'm thinking that I'll be taking even more photos than I know what to do with

once Everly Mae arrives, and while I wait for her

I have a little more time since I'm on maternity leave

so here goes

play along, especially if you are on instagram

if so - tag your photos #FMSPHOTOADAY to see everyone else 

who is joining in too

happy first day of november - find something that starts with the letter "c"

and...go!

it's halloween time at disneyland

and the mr. and I got to experience it this past weekend

for years now we have talked about going to Disneyland for Halloween

but it just never seemed to happen

so when October rolled around this year we figured we had two really great reasons to 

make sure the trip happened this year:

#1 we have a season pass, so the weekend was pretty inexpensive for us

#2 it was going to be our last weekend away before Everly arrives

here is just a quick glance at our trip according to my phone

and I look forward to sharing some "real photos" later this week

now the weekend didn't go off without a few little hitches

like when I cut the top of my two toes pretty bad while walking into a Taco Bell

and let me just say, bleeding in the middle of a fast food joint

 is something I could have done without

not to mention, real shoes were no longer an option for the rest of the trip

but thankfully the flip flops did the trick

the other big issue - the park was PACKED

the husband and I just tied to take it all in

and realize that we will go back in February when the experience is a little calmer

and lastly, I've developed this fun little inner leg cramp/twitch thing

that comes out of nowhere, and lasts just a few seconds

but I look like a spaz when it hits me, and yes, I think many people around me

probably thought I was going into labor

but oh well

all in all, considering I was nine months pregnant on this little trip

I would say we did pretty well!

on another note, tomorrow is my last day of work before maternity leave

and yes, I am SO ready for it!

baby shower [according to my sister's phone]

yesterday was my baby shower

and it was everything and more than I could have imagined

I have SO many pictures to share

but for now, here are the instagrams my sister meg took of the day

as for today, man, I think I could have pushed the snooze button all day
I'm thinking for the first time this year
I'll be leaving when the bell rings today
sitting and doing nothing all afternoon is just what E and I need right about now

cuteness in the making

tonight we had dinner and a frozen yogurt date with old friends

and their adorable daughter Aria

which gave the mr. and I some fun baby time

and let's just say if I think my husband is this cute with other people's kids

I can only imagine how it will be with Everly

while we were out we did stumble upon a good samaritan dilemma

right there on the sidewalk were a pair of car keys

to the car, parked right there on the street

the poor owner didn't get far before she lost her keys

and because it is second saturday, there are a ton of people downtown for the art walk

and we were in the middle of about ten different places she could be eating at

so, what to do?

we left a note with our number and took the keys

pretty sure that if not, this car could be stolen in no time

and thankfully we ran into a police officer

explained the situation, gave our information, and handed over the keys

so it will be interesting to see how this all pans out

I'm just glad I no longer have the keys in my possession

now it is time for a little down time since I have class again tomorrow
and I'm really wishing I could just do a little vegging tomorrow on the sofa
but since that won't be happening, I'm going to fit some in right now

little happy list

so it has been quite a while since I've done a little happy list

and recently I've been feeling very happy about a lot of little things

so I figured it was time to make another one

here's what is making me happy right now

1. finding our vintage china in a thrift store for the very first time, nineteen more pieces were added to the collection for $18, very happy about that

2. hearing from many of my new classroom parents that their child loves my class, and after having some parent drama this last week, those positive comments were welcomed at Back to School Night

3. having a four day weekend, even though friday was technically a furlough day, I'm still going to enjoy the time off

4. sleeping in until 9, something I haven't done in months and months and months

5. a yogurt date with a great friend, talking about all the exciting things we have coming up in our lives in the next year or so

6. the past two days have been a little sneak peek into fall weather, and I could not be happier about that.  being "chilled" in the mornings and evenings is the best feeling after too many days over 100

7. getting crafty for little E

8. catching up with Boardwalk Empire, a t.v. show that has my name written all over it

9. knowing that Halloween is right around the corner, and even though decorating will be toned down this year [since E could arrive right around that time] I still can't wait to break out some spooky fun

10. sharing so many favorite things with the mr. - including our obsession with the show, The Walking Dead - so finding this yesterday while thrifting, made my day, and was something fun to text the husband while he was working all day

so yay for September, I'm pretty stoked your awesomeness is here

what's making you happy right now?

when you can't ride the rides...

take lots of pictures

and that is exactly what I did today

on our first official day of vacation, in Disneyland

we made a point to get into Disneyland right after opening this morning

and the best part was,

everyone else was filing into California Adventure to visit the new Cars Land

and that was good news for the mr. and I

because while the lines were forming in the other park

we were able to walk onto every ride we wanted in Disneyland

and were very satisfied with what we got done in just a couple of hours

and yes, there are still quite a few rides that I cannot ride

and the husband has realized that going on those "big" rides by himself

aren't as fun without me [which was pretty cute when he admitted it]

but all in all

we are still having a blast and taking everything in

and enjoying little E's third trip to Disneyland so far

this little lady will definitely be a mickey fan like her fam

tomorrow, we will visit Disneyland in the evening

and I'm pretty excited about that