2009 Review

I am having a hard time these days finding time to scrapbook, but I can always find a few minutes to put together a quick digital page. Here are 2 I did this morning. I love that I can use the same template and make layouts that look very different. I love that I do not have to pull out my glue and paper cutter and the rest of the supplies. I love that there is virtually no cleanup. I love that in the span of 30 minutes (after choosing photos) I can have 2 layouts done, blogged and uploaded to costco for printing. I love digital scrapbooking in a way that I never thought possible...thanks mom.

My Beautiful Kids

I took these pictures of the kids early in the morning on Owen's birthday. I had them sit on the family room table and look out the window. I love how the room is dark and the look of the natural light on their sweet faces. I also love their expressions - such a little glimpse of who they are.

Owen is my serious one - he loves science experiments, loves to figure out how things work, loves to read and is currently reading the first Harry Potter novel with me, loves to play video games, loves gymnastics, swimming and tennis, worries sometimes. Owen: my sweet serious boy!

Isabelle is my happy one - she always has a smile on her face and generally brings out the cheese face whenever she sees a camera, she loves to play games, adores her big brother and is a big Dora fan. For her birthday party she has specified the following "I like it to have Baby Riley and Sydney and Paigey and Skylar and all de girls. All everybody have fairy wings on and all everybody have fairy wands and all everybody have fancy shoes and all everybody wear pink clothes. I like it to have pink plates and all de girls eating pink cake and balloons are pink and pink and pink. Bella: my sweet happy girl!

Love these two kids so much! xoxoxo

Another photo re-do

I cannot say enough about Picasa. Here is another 5 minute photo makeover. The old:

A little warmify, a little brighten and the result is (in my opinion) a much better pic. Here is the new:

Photos & Picasa

Can you believe how grown up Isabelle is? She is 2 1/2 years old; although don't tell her that...she thinks she is a 5 year old just like her brother. Here is a photo of her from the park last week:
Now look at this picture before I edited it:

Do you know about Picasa? Definitely old news to you who are a little more seasoned with photography. But something I definitely felt like mentioning today because it just may change your life. Okay, that's a strong statement. But if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about, read on.

I am not ... I repeat NOT ... a good resource for technical questions. Seriously. Don't ask. I just need to be sure you know that. But a friend at work recently convinced me to install Picasa and I have never loved software like I love this little gem.

It took me less than a minute to take this photo from a mundane OK photo to WOW. It was a little dark, so I adjusted the lighting (fill light), I used Warmify (yup, that is what they call it) to adjust the skintone and Sharpen to make it just perfect.

If you have not tried Picasa yet, click here, it is free to download and definately worth it!

Chipmunks eat fruit

While on vacation at the cottage a curious little chippy started eating my peach. Here are a few of the 85 shots I took of him:





Gotta love these little creatures. The will eat peanuts out of our hands, they chase each other around the grass, they dart in and out of their holes in the ground...so much fun to watch.

That is one of the things we love about the cottage, taking the time to appreciate nature.
~jen~

How beautiful...

Lately we have had the most beautiful sunrises. The odd time I am up before the kids I get a real chance to just enjoy the beauty. I love these colours:

Here is another view from our front window...gotta love that blast of orange & red:

~jen~