Current Favorites & Life Update

Given that today's October Daily challenge was to share some favorite music*, I decided to go ahead and share a few other favorites including what I have been up to the past few weeks. Maybe you'll find something new and exciting to try!

Eats:

1. Butternut Squash Ravioli is the bomb. Just saying.

Wild horses couldn't keep me away from this delicious treat! It's dinner, but it's dessert…Confusing, yes? But oh the taste! Served up with some French green beans, roasted tomatoes, and a bit of balsamic vinegar and I am in heaven!

We found ours at both Trader Joe's and a local restaurant supply store, but you can also make it if you are up for the challenge!

2. Italian Butter -- Delitia Burro di Parma. It is delicious.

Imported from Italy, supposedly this butter has an additional "cheesy" taste to it (or so say others). In my opinion the flavor is creamier and "milkier" than other butters. While not necessarily appropriate for baking, I am loving this as served on a beautiful, fresh French baguette. (How could you not?!)

I'm not sure where to find it outside of Georgia (Alon's), but here's a link to the Amazon page.

3. Babka.

I've been getting my delicious cinnamon-flavored babka from Alon's bakery, but I'm sure there are many ways to make it. I just have to convince Justin to help. (I am not a baker!) This treat is so delicious and could easily pass for dessert even with the savory yeasty flavor that is traditional for this amazing bread. It comes in both chocolate and cinnamon flavor and apparently the majority of the bread that is found in the US actually comes from one particular company in NYC. You can bet I will be seeking that baker out next time I'm in New York.

Songs:

1. P!nk & Nate Ruess - "Just Give Me A Reason"

From the piano to the amazing duet that P!nk and Nate Ruess make, I couldn't imagine a better song. Plus, I am totally in love with her in that dress…and the big teddy bear! (Although this one is a bit creepy with glowing eyes!) Who doesn't love big teddy bears? :) Yes, P!nk you actually made a song I will willingly listen to. You should totally get a prize for that. :)



2. The Shins - "Simple Song"

This song has been out forever, but I never get tired of it. In fact, I'll just go ahead and mention that Justin has been a fan of the Shins for far longer than I have. The turning point was probably this song. All of a sudden I just can't say no. Plus that music video! Too funny! Go dad! :)

3. Parachute - "Blame It On Me"

I can't say that I'm a huge fan of Parachute, the band, but once I heard this song on Pandora I couldn't quit listening. Sometimes I get into a rut and listen to the same thing over and over again until I am absolutely sick of it. I'm not saying I'll like it tomorrow or the next day or the day after, but I like it today and that is enough.

4. Sara Bareilles - "Brave"

Go Sara! Every bit of this song is awesome from the encouraging, powerful lyrics to the dancing filmed in the streets. Kudos to her. Totally feeling empowered. :)

5. Honorable Mentions:

David Lenz - "Song for Monet"
Shins - "Fall of 82"

What I'm Up To:

1. Culling photos and then editing them using Lab mode in photoshop. (Above shot was edited in RGB prior to learning about Lab mode.)

2. Watching Creative Live with Jack Davis (working in ACR) and David Cross (30 Days of PS).

3. Planning a follow-up trip to Chattanooga to either see some fall foliage or go to one of their fall festivals and take LOTS of pictures.

4. Practicing German on DuoLingo. Especially when I can't sleep. I had quit earlier this year when I started having problems with my phone, but the problems have since gone away. (Hint to Iphone 4s users: If your sound quits working, try cleaning out the headphone jack and where you plug it in to charge.) Being prompted by some German from a friend encouraged me to get back to it. I had forgotten A LOT in only a few months time! Backtracking here I come!

5. Just registered myself and the hubby to go see (hear?) Lindsay Adler speak! (Have I mentioned how grateful I am for a husband that fully supports my goals?)

So, talk to me! Tell me about your favorites and what you've been up to! :) And when you are done, check out The October Daily and find other new songs to listen to!

* It was actually to share some music to elevate your mood, but whatever. Current favorites work just as well. :)

Photoshop Tip of the Day: Dan Margulis

If you are dabbling a bit in Photoshop and trying to figure out color, a supposed master I have only recently discovered is Dan Margulis. He focuses on using Lab color (instead of RGB), and his editing style includes editing color separate from contrast.

I'm still learning, but here is a picture edited today in which I used his style.

The style is much brighter and more vibrant than anything I've ever done before.

Here is what I started with: 

Which do you prefer?

** This post was prompted by The Daily October.Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

Back in the Days of Film

Over the weekend, I came across a few concepts that made me think:

1. Photographers should toss 24/25 photos they shoot. Only then can they achieve a consistently good/getting better portfolio.

2. You are only as good as your worst image.

3. Women, in particular, dislike having their picture taken.

As I was attempting to cull nearly a decade of my worst images off of Facebook, it occurred to me that the majority of the images I was deleting were of myself. Granted I didn't have a lot of photos of myself up to begin with, but along with tossing the images that I could now do better I was also tossing a lot of images of me.

So I decided I would follow up with another blogger's challenge of posting images of myself.*

All of the shots on this post were taken with a 35mm soon after I decided to start taking photography at the local college a million and a half years ago. It was the beginning of summer in Georgia, so we were outside early and shot through most of the day. As the day progressed though, it started to get hot. By the end of it, instead of feeling pretty in a dress, I felt ugly, sticky, sweaty, and in desperate need of a shower.

When looking back at these images, I don't necessarily remember the "ugly"; instead I remember how much fun I had and how loved I felt. 

Am I alone? Do you frequently find yourself trashing and criticizing images of yourself? Are there any images you have that may not necessarily be technically good, but that you find value in anyway?

*Can't remember which blog it was! Sorry!

** Images on this post were culled out of approximately 10 or so rolls of film (250-ish images).

*** Over the course of 9 years of "selfies", these are only a select few that remain.

**** This post was prompted by a number of different sources one of which was The Daily October.Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

Advice for Bloggers

Today's challenge was to tell you what my first few months of blogging were like, but honestly I can't remember. I started in 2001/2002 not of my own accord but because a friend was blogging. Then there were a few years of me •trying• to make my own website and blog (but never really being happy with the results) and a bit of Livejournal. My web blog was open to all of my friends, but only my online friends could see my Livejournal. (Am I showing my age here? :-P) I started this blog to document my wedding planning and keep friends and family informed of what was going on. Since my wedding has already passed…now I simply document my life with reviews, giveaways, and challenges in between.

Even though I can't tell you what blogging was like for me in the beginning, let me offer a bit of advice to new bloggers:

1. Be consistent.
There are so many things that could mean, and you will have to decide for yourself and your readers what the best option is for you. You could blog about the same topic(s) day after day…or maybe that just means blogging EVERY DAY for you. It's generally a good idea to have a blog post up by a specific time on the days you post, but I definitely don't do that. (I try!) Some bloggers have daily themes (i.e. Wedding Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, etc…). Whatever you do, find a way to be consistent about it. 

2. Post original content including images!
First rule of blogging: Don't steal others' content! It's not fair, not nice, and NOT COOL. Bloggers work really hard at providing new and interesting content for you, the readers. The least you can do is credit your sources. 

Second rule of blogging: Images make blog posts more exciting. Once again though, it's always best to credit your sources if you don't use your own images. 

3. Sign up with companies to provide reviews and offer giveaways.
All of the ones I'm signed up for I found on slickdeals.net. Go visit the forum and you will also find awesome money-saving offers as well! 

4. Ask questions.
Whether you want advice from your readers or maybe you just want them to be involved in your blog, asking questions is a great way to spark conversations and make new friends! 

5. Don't post EVERYTHING on the internet.
If you don't want your mom to read it…or your boss, teacher, or best friend, don't put it out there! Guess what? The internet is a public forum! (Hard to believe, I know!) Typically if you post something you don't want someone to read, they have this weird way of gravitating toward it meaning you will, at some point, have to explain your actions (or words). Not fun. 

6. Love what you do AND have fun.
If you aren't blogging out of enjoyment, your readers will be able to tell. Furthermore, you will get bored of blogging pretty quickly. On the other hand, if you think you might be interested in blogging, give it a trial run! What is there to lose?

While I can't give you a play-by-play of what it was like for me during my first few months of blogging, I hope my list offers a bit of help if you are just starting your blog. There are definitely a few things I wish I had known before starting my blog! If you are new to blogging or have been blogging a while, let me know if I missed anything!


**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

The Fall: A High School Memory

Come February of my senior year, my best friend (at the time) and Justin were suppose to come over and hang out. I didn't know Justin very well except through AIM and looking back, I realize it was probably a set up since two minutes before my best friend was suppose to arrive, she called saying she wouldn't be able to make it. Somehow I had to find a way to entertain this guy.

After he arrived, we eventually found ourselves driving off to a wooded setting near our high school and his church. I've grown up spending a lot of time exploring the woods on my grandfather's property, so I already knew I loved it. Justin just happened to know where we could explore.

We explored for a few hours before stumbling upon a fence with a bit of barb wire on it. Granted it was not enough to prevent us from climbing, so what did we do? Climb it! Duh! Well…sort of. Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly dressed for fence climbing. I was wearing heeled boots, because I don't actually own a pair of sneakers or anything at all appropriate for hiking. The boots weren't necessarily the problem though. As I climbed the fence, my jeans snagged on the barb wire. When I went to jump off the fence, my leg didn't come with me. Justin only saw it as a fall, and I didn't admit to him that it had been anything more.

The next day I didn't go to school. Instead, I went to the doctor. As it turns out, when I fell, I had sprained my ankle and I would need to be on crutches for the next month. My best friend would not let Justin hear the end of it. "You caused her to fall, sprain her ankle, and you couldn't even offer to carry her?!" She jokingly decided it was because he was too weak to carry me. I'm not sure he appreciated that, but it definitely offered hours of entertainment for us.

Sometime later, I would find myself dating Justin despite how badly our "first date" had gone. Perhaps "I fell for him" that day. :)

Oh and don't worry! Justin had his chance to become my knight in shining armor the next year when I became dehydrated at a concert and passed out. The paramedic even said he must be my Sir Lancelot. I think he was ok with that. ;)

**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

Until the Stars Fall From the Sky: A Lyrics Challenge

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Justin was moving into his own room at his fraternity house and I was helping like the awesome girlfriend I was. The walls had been painted black by the previous tenant, and clearly that just wasn't going to work, so we found ourselves inside on a beautiful autumn day as Justin worked to paint the room a burnt orange color. (Why orange? I have no idea. His favorite color is green. #mindblown)

Anyway, Justin and I (as we usually do) were disagreeing on music. He liked…I don't know…weird music, and I liked everything else. :) (Seriously, it's really hard to find music I don't like.) I had given up fighting (which is rare for me), and we ended up listening to The Arctic Monkey's.  Honestly it's been so long since I've heard anything by them that I couldn't tell you if the music has since grown on me. (It probably has.) Nevertheless, my ears were going numb from the so-called noise I was being forced to listen to as a black room was slowly changing into orange.

Then! A song came on that didn't make me want to plug my ears. It was a song that was cute, playful, fun and very much oldies. I was in love. Immediately I had to stop and ask "Who is that? What song is that?"

Baby I'm yours

And I'll be yours until the stars fall from the sky

Yours until the rivers all run dry

In other words, until I die 

Baby I'm yours

And I'll be yours until the sun no longer shines

Yours until the poets run out of rhyme

In other words, until the end of time 

I'm gonna stay right here, by your side

Do my best to keep you satisfied

Nothin' in this world could drive me away

'Cause everyday you'll hear me say 

Baby I'm yours

And I'll be yours until two and two is three

Yours until the mountains crumble to the sea

In other words, until eternity. 

The song, "Baby I'm Yours" by the Arctic Monkeys quickly became "our song". He liked that I liked a song he had on his playlist, and I liked that he had a song as cute as that on his playlist. (Okay, so I'm pretty sure the song originated in 1965 or so long before the Arctic Monkeys were even born, but still!)

Years later Justin still finds the most random times to catch me by surprise with this song. For example, last year he had set his phone up to work with itunes on his laptop, and as he was leaving the driveway all of a sudden this song starts playing over the speakers. It took me a good 30 seconds to realize why a song had just all of a sudden come on the radio, because sometimes I am that slow. :)

Mostly this song just reminds me quite a bit of our time out and about at night while we were dating (and even now!). There is something so romantic about going to the lake at night and sitting on the dock, or looking up at the stars, or sitting on the front porch together. You just never want it to end. :)

What does this song make you think of? Have you ever heard it before?

**This post is part of The Daily October Challenge. Visit Secret Obsession's blog to find out more and join in! :)

October Challenges & Why I Blog

Apparently I like blog challenges enough to keep it up! This month I will be following along with Secret Obsession doing:

  

Unlike the last challenge, The October Daily provides a challenge for every day in October. While I love you all, I will be taking a break on the weekends. (How else do you come up with things to write about unless you actually get out and do something?!) I would, however, love for other bloggers to join in the challenge with me! If you leave a link in the comments section, I would love to come check out your The October Daily Challenge!

I will also simultaneously be following along with Dave Cross as he does 30 Days of Photoshop on Creative Live. I missed the first two days, so I'm not entirely sure what the plan is, but I'm hoping to gain new skills with daily watching (which will hopefully result in more pictures?!).

a floating "hotel" in Chattanooga, TN (yes. you read correctly!)

With all of that having been said, let's get started on the first challenge!

Share at least five reasons why you blog.

1. To communicate.

Whether I'm talking with immediate friends or online friends, I like to share about positive (and negative) experiences and services. I like to offer advice and get advice. It's also nice to know that you are aren't alone in the world. Blogging is a great way to meet people and learn from them.

2. To document.

I have a lot of goals I'm working on and blogging allows me to document my progress. I can look back a year ago and see how far I've come in budgeting, or photo editing… The best part is that my blog followers get to learn from my mistakes!

Plus, there is something about being consistent. You can't get anywhere in life unless you are consistent. Practice makes perfect, yes?

3. To learn.

There is something about putting your voice out there that encourages you to ask yourself: is this my best? Is this true, positive, encouraging, or helpful? Would I be interested in reading or looking at this?

I can't promise that I will always write something that is interesting or beneficial, but knowing that my words and pictures are out there is enough to make me second guess and look over my work again before posting.

4. Along with #3, to challenge myself.

Some days it is really hard to write. Even when you are completing blogging challenges ala Blogtember or The October Daily. It takes time to think of responses.

I also like to give you all a new image I took and edited myself for each of my blog posts. I don't like posting things I'm not proud of, so it takes me a good hour + to edit the image to happiness AND to come up with a (what I consider to be) a strong post. There are definitely some days when I don't think I will ever get everything done in time! 

5. Because you read.

If I didn't have readers, I don't think I would blog. Yes, sometimes I blog for my own benefit, but if I can't offer advice or communicate with someone in some way no matter how small, I really don't need to be putting my voice out on a public forum.


Now that you've heard all of the reasons why I blog, I would love to hear why you blog (or don't blog as the case may be)! Be sure to link up on The October Daily or comment below! :) And as always, have a fantastic Tuesday!