Heth Takes the Plunge

I dragged my feet. I kicked and screamed. I resisted as long as I could, but finally I caved. I've started editing my photos.

This year for Christmas, Nate bought me Photoshop Elements. Photo editing was a world that I knew nothing about. It was a world that intimidated me and I wasn't sure that I wanted to join. I wrestled around with the thought in my head that it just felt false. That the image wasn't really the actual image that I had captured anymore. It was a new and improved image, with enhanced colors and smoothed out skin. Didn't I want my images to capture the truthful moment, no color boost, nothing added or taken away?

And then I tried it.

Oh my gosh, I love it. Why am I such a dorkhead sometimes? What's with the stubbornness? It has been so fun to play with. I know almost nothing about it so I'm watching tutorials and picking the brains of fellow photographers. One of the only things I know how to do is this. It's Pioneer Woman's "fresh and colorful" action, step by step for people with Elements. The "after" makes the original look like it has a thin grey haze over the whole image. Here, let me show you. And please forgive my amateurishness. (is that even a word? I guess so, spellcheck says yes) Here are a few before and afters:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Nate And Heth as Seasoning

Check it out. Nate and Heth as Salt and Pepper shakers:

One of the most amazing mommas I know made these a couple of years ago for all of the pastors at our church. Each couple received their own likeness as salt and pepper shakers. The other pairs are just as awesome as these. Angela's long black hair, Nate wearing his Fifth Element hoodie, Matt's guitar. Bill's might have been my favorite, complete with a bald head and microphone. These are up there in the top ten best presents I have ever been given. Kathy is a mom to seven kids, most of them grown now. She homeschooled them all and over the years (our families have been friends since I was small) I remember her having an intentional creativity despite a house full of kids. She has such a sweet, sweet spirit about her. Thank you Kathy, I think of you every time I season my food with salt that pours from my golden locks. Ok, now that I type it out, that sounds really gross. You know what I mean.

Whew. I Need A Nap

It's monday morning. The whole family oversleeping was a telltale sign of the pace of this weekend. Let's racap.

1. Nate was gone all last week on the West Coast. I was reminiscing that back in the day, when he would travel I would do some sort of a big project. Mostly repainting a room or something like that. Now? It's just survival mode. I get lazy, don't cook, stay home, and wear sweatpants 24 hours a day. It's fun times. Kudos to you single moms or military wives. You are amazing.
2. You all delurked. That was amazing and a highlight of my week. What an excellent and diverse group of readers there are here. I drank a cup of coffee out of my snowman mug for each of you. And boy am I on a caffeine high!
3. My birthday was on Friday. The highlight? Wii telling me that I'm 24. I'm going with it. Nate got home that afternoon and we had a date night at Pizza Hut. Don't judge me, that's what I was hungry for. I'm fancy like that. Also there were two trips to Starbucks. What more could a girl want?
4. Saturday night was Gourmet Club. I'm sure I've told you about Gourmet Club before but I'm too lazy to go digging in the archives for it. We've been meeting for ten years now, which is CRAZY! Maybe that deserves a post of it's own. The food was great, the theme country was Peru. Yum.
5. Sunday was cram packed and very busy but we made room for a quick birthday party with my parents. My mom made Red Velvet Cake. There are a couple pieces sitting on my counter right now, taunting me. I'm ignoring them but I can't ignore them forever.
6. Also, I'm so proud of this:

There will be no "before" picture because while I can be pretty transparent, I do have my limits. Let's just say, the kids were very surprised at how much space there actually IS on the counter when it's not covered in everyone's junk. Also, obviously it's time for some banana bread. The little Nate/Heth salt shakers on the left deserve their own post.

Super fun weekend, but now it's laundry, laundry, laundry and will power practice, what with that cake screaming at me and everything. Maybe it will be a reward for each load I finish...

Blog Land Delurks

It's de-lurking day in blog land. I would love for you to say hi. If only we could chat over a warm cup-of-something in my chipped nose snowman coffee mug that burns your hand when you grab it because the handle is hollow. Alas, we can't. So won't you please leave a comment instead?

Everly Sleeps

She's four and a half months old and I'm not sure exactly how that happened.

Fit Baby

This morning Everly was watching from her bouncy seat while Gemma played a little Wii Fit. I was in the next room and few minutes later Gemma said "Mom! Come see what Evy is doing!" One step into the next room revealed Everly, in her Bumbo, on the balance board, Wiimote in hand. So cute but not so great at Super Hula Hoop.