Better Blog Pictures for Under $5!

We are off to another great week here and I am thinking about...pictures! How do those great big blogtastic sites in webland get such fantastic photos, I wondered? Are their authors pro photographers? Do they have a studio helping them out?

I started doing some research on what I could do from home knowing my photos, especially of close up crafting projects, could use some help! Thanks to a great site called Via U! I got some great tips to get me off and running on making my shots look better! I thought I would share what I've learned today and hope you'll pass on your tips in the comments section as well.

First, I needed more light and a great background. So I chose the sunniest room in our house which is our bonus room upstairs. Then I snagged Isla's baby gate and Teagan's table that she uses for Legos. Don't fret if you don't have a baby gate hanging around. The original tutorial called for a cardboard box where you cut off two sides and the tops to get basically the same shape.

This table was just the right height to catch the best rays from the sun. The gate was sturdy enough for what came next....

I bought two pieces of 20 x 30 x 3/16" white foam board and pulled a few bits of burlap and felt I had from previous projects. I put the two pieces of foam together at a 90 degree angle and used the tape to secure them to the gate. 

Next, I wanted to experiment with adding in texture and a bit of color so I took several shots with the bare table as a background, felt and burlap. I've also read wrapping paper makes a great base for pictures. Ultimately I found neutrals work best.

This setup allowed the light to reflect and made for a wonderful, soft background that highlighted the subject of my photos.

This is loads better than the pictures I took to originally introduce this vase. I edited the picture using an amazing free site called Picnik. This site is sadly going away in April but in the meantime I am putting it to good use. I cropped the photo, added rounded edges as a frame, my watermark, and an airy matte finish.

I think next time I just need one more piece of foam board to use as a base to give it an even softer finish.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am lovin' me some burlap and St. Patrick's Day decorations this year!

I also revisited the felt Valentine's wreath from the tutorial I posted here. In this photo I used a thumb tack on the back of the foam board to hang my wreath for pictures. And I used Picknik again to crop, add a matte finish and my watermark. In addition, I used their clone feature to fill in some areas that needed more fullness and intensified the pink color with a Vibrance feature.

I love my new shamrock from Hobby Lobby this year! It is hanging over my mantel which is decorated for Paddy's Day!

I did this during nap time while the kids slept (kinda) and Daddy snuck off for 9 holes of golf. All told it took about 30 minutes and I learned a ton! I hope this helps you as well!

Do share if you have photography tips! I especially need help photographing my mantel which is in a pretty dark room...with blue walls (I so haven't been able to talk Brian in to painting them neutral).

Have a great Monday! And be sure to join us for Tuesday's Destination: Inspiration linky party where you can link up crafts, recipes, Etsy shops and more, as long as it is family friendly and you made it!

Our Trip to Colorado

Brian, Teagan, Isla and I took a trip to Colorado...all the way back in October! Yes, October. It was a short trip and oh, there were so many friends we wanted to see but didn't get to. Still, I am so, so, so grateful for this group of friends we did get to hang out with. I truly mean it when I say we love them with all our hearts and miss them SO much!! I am just posting the pictures now because when we returned from that trip we all came down with virus after virus, colds, ear infections...you name it and we had it. Then just as we were lifting our heads out of the fog the holidays came flying in at super sonic speed. I felt like I was posting away and couldn't keep up with all the fun activities we had going on.

So now I have a ton of pictures to post from October through November including this trip, Halloween, an awesome time at the zoo and Thanksgiving! And did I mention I like to take pictures? Hunnnnnnnnnnndreds of pictures. We lived in Colorado for about eight years. It was just amazing getting back there and feeling like not a day had past since we saw them last! So I snapped, snapped away. Here are some of my favorite shots:

Three of my favorite girls: Michiko, Ann-Marie and my baby Isla. We met a bunch of friends at the coolest park the morning after we arrived. Luckily our visit fell in between two crazy snowstorms! We got great weather while we were in town.

Big guy Cian! I still remember holding him as a baby in the hospital!
He's so big now but just as cute as ever!

Sweet little Stephen, Brian and Michiko's son

And his brother Sean. How cute is he???

Super cool Paul who is French!
Just like mom Valerie he's got style...check out the cool pants!

I love this shot of the kids in front of the barn door.

Teagan with a bunch of boys...Daddy beware!

Leo, Ryan, Paul, Cian, Sean, Teagan and Stephen

Our godson Ryan!We stayed with him and brother Cian. The kids had such a blast playing and became fast friends. This makes my heart so happy: the second generation of friends between our two families. Conor and Ann-Marie were our little matchmakers years ago! 

I have BIG love for this family!

Sweet Kelly and baby Maeve who is just a few months older than Isla.
 Don't you just LOVE that name?!

Hi Maeve! I see so much of your sister Bridget in you! Isn't she precious?

Ann-Marie with baby Isla!

Another family I can't get enough of! Bridget is closing her eyes (no doubt because I totally interrupted their lunch to get this pic)!

Marty, Maeve, Kelly and Bridget

Da girls! Oh this makes me homesick!

Ann-Marie, me, Kelly, Aileen, Rachael, Michiko, Valerie and Renee

My dance partners! Up to no good, no doubt.

Valerie and Ann-Marie

Kisses girls!!!

Ann-Marie, me, and Rachael

Happy Is: Seeing old friends that make us smile!

Out on the town Halloween night!

Three Amigos

Conor, Brian and Vince

Aileen, Rachael, me, Kristen and Ann-Marie

Teagan and Cian weren't so keen on me taking pics nut Ryan totally let me capture lots. I can't wait to share our Halloween pictures in tomorrow's post....

Tuppence & Puddin' Up! - Isla is 5 Months Old

Happy 5th month my baby Isla! This month your Nana Betty is visiting from Ireland and she absolutely adores you! She has dubbed you with the new nickname Tuppence which she pronounces "Tup-pins." It is such a cute name and has stuck. Now when you read this as a twenty year old you'll know how in the world we came up with that one!

*Today you weigh ...15, 16 pounds??

You are asleep and to be honest there is no way I am waking you to find out!

*My goodness. You are growing out of six and nine month clothing faster than I can get them on you. I can't believe how big and healthy you are and I am so grateful for it! You seem to be growing much faster than Teagan did at this age.

*You wear a size 3 diapers

I love this picture and playing around with the cool features on Picnick

My favorite thing to do is to hold and just cuddle you. My girlfriends do too and they call you my squishy baby as the baby boys in our group are all lean muscle! You hated rice cereal but do so love baby oatmeal. Today we are trying carrots for the first time and I bet you'll be a fan!

You are Super Happy Baby!!! We went out today and women's hearts just melted as your little face lights up with a toothless grin when anyone talks to you. This month we started playing a game where we make faces and noises and you giggle back at us. Your big sister Teagan loves that and says, "Look at ME Isla!!!"

I have a picture of Teagan in these Kiss Me I'm Irish jammies. Most often I get comments about your super beautiful red hair! Grandpa Gerry was delighted to hear of it as his dad and grandfather both had the Irish red. I think your grandma Dillard did too. Betty says you look so much like your cousin Shauna who lives in Australia. We've talked about how fun it is going to be to get the Irish, Australian and American cousins together someday!

This month you've started putting your pacifier back in your mouth which Daddy thinks is brilliant as it means less work for him! Ha! And you have a few toys that you like to play with including an awesome polka dotted elephant that makes all kinds of fun noises from John, Blair and Lauren.

This picture makes me laugh! Here I am thinking we'll have a great mommy-daughter photo together as I never seem to sit still long enough to get my own pictures with you two. I had no idea you were "puddin' up" as your Nana Betty says it! Oh well, we'll try again.

I love you Sweet Tuppence! And we are off to another great month....

Teagan is 23 Months Old!

Happy April my sweet baby girl! On April 30th of this month you will be two years old! I am simply amazed at how fast these years disappeared. I still remember the moment when the doctor told us we had a beautiful little girl. We didn't find out before the delivery and Daddy predicted all along that you would be a girl. His heart just melted for you instantly. He even had tears in his eyes as he held you for the first time, don't let the big guy tell you otherwise!

Today you weigh 26.6 lbs!

This is such great news as you are a pretty picky eater most days. Your latest love is for mandarin oranges and raisins!

You wear a size 2T

You wear a size 7 shoe

You are in size 5 diapers, you moved up! I promise, promise that we will begin potty training soon as we stick closer to home with the baby!

My big girl! You might collect the post and drink your milk with an Irish accent but you are a southern girl at heart when you insist with a new southern drawl that "Mommy! Come h-ere!" And I think you've picked up a couple of Mommyisms as you start many a sentence off with an "Anyway..."

You are changing your French poodle's diaper which just goes to show you are gonna be an awesome big sister and mommy's helper when the baby comes!

But you are still my baby and always will be. This month you've become aware of boo-boos and come to me with pretend ailments and pseudo tears that can only be cured by a kiss. You've also taken a cue from your favorite Wonder Pet, Ming Ming and say, "Daddy, it's serious!!" Could this be a sign of girl drama to come????

You love baby dolls and strollers! As much as you like pushing the baby dolls around you also like dismantling the stroller. New expressions this month include, "I broke-ted that!" and "I fix-ted that!"

After talking to my friend Jennifer about how slurpees were good for the soul and the fact that I hadn't had one in about five years I picked one up at Target...but you little munchkin, decided it was in fact, YOUR slurpee. I think I got a teensy, tinsy sip of it!

On the eve of The Masters this shot makes Daddy's heart happy. He so hopes you will be a golf pro and he can follow you round the world as your caddy!

Your sweet babysitter and buddy Madeline gets a squeeze in!

You've been saying, "I can't find it." and "I forgot." Hmmmm...that could be due to my increasing brain cell loss as the pregnancy progresses and you witness me search for keys, purse, cell phone, etc....

Your first MP3 experience! I wonder what other technology you'll have in your lifetime that we didn't as I grew up?

That's all for now Little Mouse. You have been such a joy and blessing. We simply couldn't imagine life without our Teagan and I can't wait to celebrate you this month! - Love, Mommy

Teagan is 22 Months Old!

Happy 22 Months my sweet baby girl! We had a great time in February and are ready to tackle March, one of our favorite months as it is Nana Mo's birthday and host to St. Patrick's Day, a most excellent holiday where we celebrate all things Irish!

I love this picture of you looking so happy playing the piano. Nana Mo got her start at three years old and from the looks of this you inherited her love of music!

Today you weigh 25 lbs
You wear a size 18 mo - 2T
You wear a size 7 shoe
You are in size 4 diapers

Your growth has slowed down a bit so there hasn't been much of a change since last month. That is just fine with me as I am thinking more and more that I simply want to capture you at this phase forever. I love you little mouse.

Can you believe this is what you looked like last St. Patrick's Day? I loved this cute outfit with its big puff of tutu that you wore to our downtown parade.

You were my little Zebra in the Sun as we got outside in March to welcome spring.

My goodness how much you've changed! You are busy all the time and such a delight even as we enter the phase where you have many...many new opinions on just how things should be! Your favorite thing to talk about now is how you are feeling. You often declare, "I so happy, Mommy!!" as you jump up and down. Or a sleepy, "I so tired." which doesn't necessarily guarantee you are ready for a nap. Another favorite is, "I like to dance!" Today you surprised us with a new one. I took your milk out of a bag you were pretending was a purse and you said, "I no yike it. Put it back!"

Look at you coming down the stairs! You look like such a big girl! This still scares me but you want to do it yourself with no help so we hover just a stair or two below ready to catch you if you stumble. You are always on the move and most often runnnnnnning to your next destination. You hold up a hand as if directing traffic and tell me, "Be bright back mommy. Hold on." Then from another room you say, "I coming!!!" Another new development is that you call us to you. Now on Saturday mornings we wake up to hear you say, "Mommy, Daddy come here!" And if that doesn't work you say, "Watch this!" which makes us wonder what in the world you could be up to and so we get up crossing our fingers that you haven't decided to get out of your crib again!

You still love books but now you want to read them to me or tell me what to read to myself as you sit next to me reading your own book. This week you handed me my book from my bedside table and said, "Mommy book. Read it." The process of settling in to read our books takes some time with you going back and forth, climbing up and down on chairs and beds to get into just the perfect position with the perfect books in hand for each of us. After all that work you decide, "I sit down." and so we begin....

This picture cracks me up because it is so me, so you! You hate having anything on your hands and get very upset saying, "Made a messsssssss." Recently a teacher at your church nursery took you out to their sandbox playground. She said you had a great time but it took you a while to warm up to having sand on your shoes. I know baby, mommy knows. We'll never be surfer girls.

You had a funny moment this month when I ran into some friends at a local restaurant. They hadn't met you and we've been working on introductions. You shook their hands and said, "Nice to meet you." You got such a reaction that it inspired you and before I could blink you'd run five tables down to a surprised group of moms and daughters to meet them too!

Little Teagan the days are flying and always full of some kind of fun. I can't believe in seven short weeks or less we will welcome your baby brother or sister. I cherish this time we have, just the three of us and hold you a little tighter, even on the days when I am just super pregnant mommy exhausted. I worry that maybe we are bringing a new baby into the mix too early and taking away your chance to be the baby too soon? I so hope we haven't messed up your world forever. My prayer is that you and Kade embrace this new little one and aside from normal sibling rivalry that you all grow up as close as my sisters and brother are to me.

I kiss you. Mommy