Week 3 Photo Challenge

Alright, I have taken my photos but want to work a bit more with editing so I will be posting twice this week.  For now, here is my challenge for the upcoming one. Enjoy!

Casey

Second Week Challenge, First Week Pics

I did it! I stuck to it and got the shots that I needed!

For the second week of January I will be focusing on taking the following shots:

And the results from my first week (all taken with a Canon Powershot P520):

Celebration

My Christmas tree, of course
(slight edit with lighting in Photoshop)

Macro

A little cactus in AZ
(no edit)

Distance

View of multiple ranges from a vineyard in AZ
(slight edit with warm colors)

Architecture

okay... so it's not a large structure
(crop and edit of shades)

Lights

Glass and lights from the ceiling of a restaurant
(no edit)

Something You Made

Four identical canvases in my craft room

Sunset

Let me know what you think and share links to anything that you may have started yourself!

Casey

The One Where... I made up my own Photography Challenge

I know it's been quite a while, but the last semester caught up to me hard and I simply wasn't able to do much crafting, much less post about my projects.  I did finish that Chevron board, and I even did quite a bit of crafting for Christmas.  However, what I am going to talk about today is my new prized possession.  Because this last semester was insane and I hadn't thought of an idea for my own Christmas/Birthday gift I was checking through the Best Buy site on Black Friday and spotted a pretty awesome camera.  While it's still a point and shoot, it's still the top of the line and I really want to learn to work with it in every way imaginable.  I got to thinking about some of the photography challanges I have seen on Pinterest but wanted to go more in depth so that I would have to learn different settings on my camera.  My plan is to make my own based off of some that I have found in order to do just that and here's the kicker.... do so for the next full YEAR.  Since I seem to have a hard time getting on multiple times through the week, I will be posting each week's in advance and post the pictures from the previous week at the same time.  Hopefully I will get something out of it and you will too!

For the first week (coming up January 1st through 7th) I will focus on the following:

Have fun with it! I will also be re-learning how to edit pictures in Photoshop Elements throughout the way, so you may see some pictures that are edited vs. not.   

Casey

Also, follow me on Bloglovin so you won't miss out on any posts!
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The One Where.... I started to decorate my craft room walls

Yes I know, I said something and didn't follow through and after I barely started this new project.  I apologize from the bottom of my heart. promise.  I went on that vacation and was spoiled with air conditioning and a very dark hotel room so needless to say it took me a while to get used to my ordinary life once I came back.  However, today I have a project to share with you for a craft room or decorating any ol' wall space.

First off I started by finding a few printables and putting them on my wall with my (quickly becoming obsessed with) washi tapes.  I got these tapes at http://www.theplaidbarn.com/ during one of their washi sales. Check them out every day for a new deal.

You can find links for the printables on my wall at the following locations:

You had me at craft room:
http://missiekrissie.blogspot.com/2011/02/you-had-me-at-craft-room-random-freebie.html
Check her out, she has lots of great prints! Like....

C:
http://missiekrissie.blogspot.com/p/free-letter-jpgs.html

(And just about any other letter you could want in various styles and colors)

The expert:
http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2012/01/linky_party_71/
Micque also has some great freebies!

I plan on adding more prints, frames, small shelves, and a clock, but for now... this is my start.

Do you see that book on my desk? It's called a SMASH book and it's pretty much my dream come true.  While I would love to scrapbook and take pictures all of the time, I am still working on these skills.  A SMASH book is for a few pictures and all of the odds and ends you keep in your junk drawer.  So far I've filled quite a few pages with memories from Vegas.  When it gets a bit more in it I will share some of my pages and tips.  Until then... look it up, this thing is perfect for someone that just doesn't have time to scrapbook.

Check back in a day or two for my chevron bulletin board to fill that empty space above my desk!

Casey

How to: Fix Ripped or Too Big of Sandals

SO here's the scoop, I'm getting ready to go on vacation. We're staying at Mandalay Bay in Vegas baby! Do you know what they have at Mandalay Bay in Vegas baby?! They have the best stinking pool on the strip, complete with a lazy river and sandy beach. Now.... it's going to be around 115 degrees F the whole time we are there and I do not need my feetsies burning on the insanely hot sandy beach no matter how tough I would look.  I am in need of a pair of sandals on my feet at all times but they can't be regular flip flops because I don't want to carry them on that Lazy River, so..... I took to the interwebz. I found these babies:

But some of the reviews said the back strap was too big and that right there would just do me no good.  On the same page I saw how most of them said they fell apart at the overlapping part of the strap (this is because they were glued and can come apart quite easily).  I also saw another person's comment on how she fixed her with some sewing supplies.  While I don't have time to go to the store, get the supplies, and figure out what the heck she did on my own it did give me another idea....  I just so happen to have an overwhelming large supply of brads at the moment.

So I got my shoes and sure enough one was definitely too long on the back and the other could use a bit of help. So I took out the rivets that were already installed and peeled apart very slowly where the bits of strap overlapped.

Sorry for the fuzziness in that one (Note to self: Use Macro setting even when late night blogging!).  See where it overlaps?  Next, I placed my feet in them and wrapped the piece around the back to where I wanted them to fit.   I marked the spot with a fine tipped marker so I would be able to remember where I wanted them.  I then used just the tip of my Exacto knife to make a slice for a big brad to go through the first main whole and a small hole for a mini brad at the second hole.  Yet another note: Make sure to slice vertically and not too far so that the brads can lay horizontally with the strap instead of peeking out above or below.  Next, you can apply some sort of glue, I used a low temp glue gun, but I'm sure an E6000 or something that can withstand getting wet would be great as well.  Place the big brad and little brad in each shoe and.... voila!

See the stinking brad sticking over the top? Ah well, my feetsies shall be most happy! (I hope).  After you are finished placing the brads in you can seal them with a clear nail polish or find a matching polish (which I will do today) and they should look good as new! 

I will update later to let you know how they stood up in the sand and water.  While it may be another week until I post again, just know that my future posts will be covering the Smash Portfolio Bundle I bought specifically for my Vegas trip and lots of pictures and tips from my vacation! Until next time, my friends!

Casey

And So It Begins

Alright, it's finally time to start my crazy new adventure and take on life.  I am ready to become more eco-friendly and thrifty and let out the stress from everyday life as I do it. I can't wait to transform my house into a home and share the details with you as I learn through trial and error what works best.  My Pinterest addiction should definitely come in handy and if you have any suggestions, please share!  After I've finished getting this whole webpage thing figured out I will be sharing my little adventures frequently.

For now I will leave you with a great blog post by Barbara over at 21 Rosemary Lane that explains through great detail and pictures (I am a visual learner) on how to create a blog header!  Find the link here: http://decoratingwithbarbara.blogspot.com/2013/02/creating-header-for-your-blog-using.html

I can already tell that PicMonkey is going to be a favorite editing site of mine and they even have a Facebook Banner option. Enjoy!