Before and afters!

Sorry to be annoying-but this is the easiest way to show my family and friends these photos!  After getting frustrated with my limited Photoshop skills-I decided to purchase some actions from a photographer I admire-her Florabella collection.  I'm so happy I did-with just one click I can add 10 layers to a photo!  Here's what I've been doing:

Pose 1 before (my editing):

 After Florabella Pandora action:

Pose #2 before (my editing):

 After FB action (Mademoiselle)

Pose 3 before (my B&W conversion)

 After FB Mink action (I can't tell you how much I adore this pic now!):

Pose 4 before (My editing):

After FB action Vintage Wine:

Pose 5 before(my editing):

After FB  retro lollipop action:

 Pose #6 (original raw image):

After FB vintage wine action:

What a difference, huh?  Of course-this is just making my decision for the canvas wrap even more difficult (I'm leaning toward Pose #2 or the B&W Mink Josie now  . . .)  Either way-I'm ordering a lot of prints!

Wanted: New friend with photo editing skillz!

So-I bought a Groupon for a great deal on a canvas wrapped photo but I'm having trouble deciding which photo to pick and am being a total hack in Photoshop Elements. There's a couple good ones of Josie-but I'm loving the ones of both Marina and Josie. I could use some input on which photo to have canvas-wrapped at a 16X20 inch size.  Anyway-I think I'm leaning towards #2-any thoughts or advice?

1.) Love this-did a soft white-light overlay

2.) Same pic with a warming filter

3.)  I was playing with this one-can't seem to get it right . . .

4.)  Again-so close but oversharpened?   I dunno . . .

5.) Probably not a contender for the canvas-wrap-but it's cute. I really like the antique-y look. Also-somehow I added the frame but don't know how I did it!  ;)



6.) B&W



7.)  Probably a bit too out of focus and dark-still a cute shot.

8.) Same with this one . . .

9.)  Just throwing these in-had fun once I learned how to highlight just the eyes or lips to enhance the color a bit.  Filters and overlays are fun!

I can do that . . .

Josie and I were discussing Halloween costumes the other day.  She asked me what I was going to wear for Halloween.

Me: "What do you think I should wear?"

Josie: "A shirt!"

Me:  "Good idea.  I'm pretty sure everyone would appreciate that!"

Is THAT what she said?

Holy cow-I have to document this before I forget . .  .

On our way home from Josie's first dance class (a WHOLE OTHER post-the cute was so overwhelming i need to recover!) we passed the community garden at the middle school nearby. 

Josie:  "Wow-look at the garden!  Did you see it Mama?"

Me: "Yes-that's a big one isn't it?"

Josie: "That's what the girl said."

NO JOKE!  Is this a coincidence?  Do I have a budding Ellen Degeneres on my hands?  I don't go around making the "That's what she said" jokes-so I have no idea where she got it.

But I am soooo proud!

Girly Weekend!

A couple of weeks ago-Josie and I spent a weekend at the beach with good friends.  Natalie is the mom to Taylor and Chloe and Shali is Priya's mom.  All three of us used the same adoption agency and ended up following each other's blogs and/or meeting up in Portland for playdates through our agency's yahoo group.  Josie and Priya turned 4 in June (same birthday!) and Taylor and Chloe just had their 4th birthday.  We all had such a good time. The kids were so good-only a few arguments about toys and whatnot but nothing major.



We arrived on a Friday afternoon and headed to the beach-we were worried it was going to be too cold to play in the water but of course, the kids paid no attention to the temperature of the water and were wading in the creek almost immediately.  I dressed Josie in shorts because I KNEW this would happen.  I made fun of Nat for dressing T and C in long white sweatpants because it didn't take long for them to be soaked.  First, she tried rolling them up.  Pretty quick-with the exception of Priya who didn't seem to mind wet pants-the rest of the girls got rid of their pants altogether.  And of course, we didn't think we'd need swimsuits that day.  Oh well.  They had a blast and when we got cold and hungry we decided to head back for a bath and dinner. 

The next day was really foggy and cool.  We bummed around a bit and then hit the outlet stores for a little shopping.  After lunch, the girls watched a movie and Josie promptly fell asleep and didn't wake up.  The other girls hit the pool while i stayed and tried to wake Josie up.  She must've slept for over 3 hours!  The pool was heated (cuz c'mon it IS Oregon here . . .) but by the look on Priya's face in the last pic-it was COLD when you got out!  We ended the evening at a local restaurant so we could get our seafood and chowder fix.  The other girls went to bed early while super-napper Josie hung out with the grown ups until bedtime. 

Sunday the weather was much nicer and we put the girls in suits and snapped a few pics.  We headed back to Fogarty beach and did go on the surf side for a bit but the sand was covered in shells and seaweed.  We saw a seal, watched the waves and then headed back to the creek where the adults didn't have to panic every time a wave hit the shore.  It was beautiful but waves like that take on a different meaning after you have a kid and have to worry about sneaker waves, riptides, and driftwood!  Of course, thanks to Shali-now Nat and I have to worry about STAGNANT BACKWATER.  Yes-the things we learn from a water engineer . . . .

We had a great weekend and can't wait to do it again!  Oh and yes-Nat, Shali and I get a kick out of dressing the girls alike and can you blame us?  The CUTE!  These children are way too adorable.

Josie and Mina-smizing!

If you don't know what "smizing" is-well, then you watch a lot less of crap TV than I do!

My SIL and I had a little photoshoot with the girls and I had some fun playing with photoshop with my set of pics. She has a better camera and I'm looking forward to playing with her pics. However-not too shabby with my point-and-shoot! I gotta tell you-I think we're going to have to lock up Marina-she's way too beautiful! Look at those eyes!

Statements that send you running

Some things you don't like to hear from your 4-year old.

"Josie-what are you doing?"


"Cleaning the toilet!"

Now-if she was a teenager-I'd probably be doing cartwheels at the fact she was cleaning a toilet.  At 4-all this gets her is scrubbed down and grilled on exactly what did she mean by cleaning the toilet and WHERE DID YOU PUT YOUR HANDS??!!

Poor kid.  I'm already giving her a complex about public bathrooms (when we walk in she says, "I know-don't touch ANYTHING!")-now she'll have one about cleaning bathrooms.

I'm DYING of curiosity . . . unless you're a pervert of course!

So-according to Feedjit,  I have people visting my little blog from all over the world.  I would love to know who you are and why you are here if you're so inclined.  Unless you are trying to see pics of my child in a diaper to which I say, 'bite me".  So please, introduce yourself!