Before and After

Yesterday I took some photos of Miles' parents' neighbors for them to send out with their Christmas cards.  I had to bring along my makeshift backdrops and stands and use my flash and diffuser.  First off, let me expand on how I am not at all satisfied with my diffuser.  There are times when I have pretty good luck with it and other times, like yesterday, that I absolutely hate it.  I think for it to work properly there needs to be white walls and ceiling.  Jack and Patsy have wooden walls and ceiling, so it made it a bit difficult.  But, I've been working on editing three of the shots (they're going to use only one pose for all of the prints) so I can show them on Sunday when we go to Bible study. 

Anyway, long story short:  I wanted to show a before and after.

For all intents and purposes this is the straight out of the camera shot.  I shot in RAW, so this was lightened and the white balance was fixed a bit.

That's finished!  The sad thing about this picture is that Jack's face is a bit out of focus...oops!  It's not terrible, but it could definitely be better.  In my defense, I'm used to shooting outside, so when I have to shoot inside I get all kinds of flustered.

In other news, I'm making peanut butter rice crispy treats tonight.  I think they'll be tasty, so I'm excited about that.  Amber is coming over in a bit and I'll be making dinner at some point.  I don't know what I'm going to make, but hopefully it'll be something good.

Listen to Me Whine

I never know how to start blogs.  So, let's get passed the awkward start and get into it!

Anna still isn't walking regularly.  I don't think she's ever going to walk.  She absolutely loves to walk around the house while holding our hands, but it HAS to be both hands.  If you let go of one of her hands she sits down and cries.  And, when you're done walking around with her she cries.  I think I've got a bit of a whiner on my hands.  She'll do a bit of walking from chair to toy and things on her own, but it's usually not more than two or three steps, and she'll hardly ever walk when pressured.  She's going to be 10 and still only walking while Miles or I hold her hands.

I really don't like when people say "So-and-so and I's blank."  That's just not correct.  Neither is labeling a picture of yourself with someone else "So-and-so and I."  It's me, not I!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I'm not stoked, but I would be if I could actually comprehend that it was tomorrow.  Does that make sense?  November has gone by ridiculously fast and I can't believe it's almost over.  I'm making mashed potatoes for my aunt's house tomorrow.  Then, Saturday we're going to my grandma Pike's house and I'll be making a caramel macchiato cheesecake.  Fancy, fancy.

I'm so incredibly tired of taking pictures.  I think I've just gotten burned out on it.  Actually, it's not taking pictures, it's editing them.  It takes so very long and I rarely have time to work on them.  Sure, I'm home 99.9% of the time and about 75% of that time I'm at the computer.  But, about 100% of the time I have a baby on my lap who doesn't like to let me get things done.  Sadly, whenever I have time to myself I do things like update my blog cough cough, or search diligently for nothing on pinterest.  I CAN'T HELP IT!  I have about four people I need to get back to with picture information.  This weather makes it difficult to plan anything, though.  I don't have anywhere inside to take pictures, so bad weather kind of means I'm out of commission.  The other thing is that I really just want a break.  I want to WANT to take pictures again.  I like to look forward to editing pictures...that's one of the things I like about the winter.  Also, I have quite a few things I want to sew and make for gifts.  Poor me, poor me!

Oh, oh!  So recently Anna has been pretty difficult to get to sleep.  Then, once she would fall asleep she'd wake up between two and four hours later, and either stay up for a bit of go back to sleep fairly easily.  Then, she'd wake up again about two or three hours later and I'd change her diaper and pull her into bed with us.  She falls asleep so incredibly easily when she's in bed with us.  (Sidenote:  Anna sleeping in bed with us always terrified me, as Miles is a pretty deep sleeper and he doesn't turn over, he rolls over and elbows are a-flyin'.  But, now that she's able to move herself around and smack Miles in the face, I feel better about it.)  Last night she fell asleep while eating (which she used to do every night, but had since stopped) and actually stayed asleep after I put her in bed (again, which she used to do but doesn't really do anymore).  I think she woke up once last night to get her pacifier back, but that was it.  She went to sleep just after 1am and is still sleeping...in her bed, mind you, at 11:23.  Amazing!  I wish she'd do that every night!  Here's to hoping this is her new schedule!  (Don't worry, I don't actually expect that to happen every night...but a girl can dream!)

Okay, enough.  I've got to work on pictures!

I fear that this is super boring.

I need to get in shape.  About two weeks I decided that I should start exercising and started doing a little workout I found on Pinterest.  I thought about posting about when I started, thinking that if I did I'd feel a bit of pressure to keep it going.  I think the idea would still work, but alas, I didn't post about it.  Really I should take before photos and update about it.  Maybe that'd make me stick with it?  I don't know, but I hope something will.  I lack motivation something awful.

Anyway, I've been thinking about Christmas presents lately...kind of.  I think I know what I want to do for Anna, but I'm not completely sure yet.  Generally I make presents the girls I see at my grandma Pistole's house along with my sister-in-law and mother-in-law.  The last couple of years that I've done it the presents haven't really been all that useful.  First I made small notebooks and magnets, then it was hot chocolate on a stick.  I fear that the hot chocolate was a fail because all of the ones I had weren't very good and wouldn't melt correctly...but they sure were cute!  I have an idea of what I'm going to do this year.  It's a bit different and not everyone would be getting it.  That sounds rude, but I have something else in mind for Miles' momma (I'm thinking maybe a new paper carrying bag or something with pictures of all of her grandchildren) and something else for my grandma.  I'm not going to say what it is, because 2/3 of the readers that I at least think I have would be getting one.  The problem is that I'm not sure if I'll be able to execute it correctly, so I'm attempting to make one for myself first then deciding from there.  Hopefully I can make it work because I'd like one.

That whole paragraph is just stupid since it's so vague. 

Well, I should be working on pictures right now.  It's hard to get them done, you know?  On a regular day I have the photo folder and Photoshop open and I get about two pictures done in an hour.  It's sad that that's not even a joke.  It seriously takes me that long.  Anna generally hates to be put down, so I hold her on my lap for most of the time.  She usually takes a pretty good afternoon nap, but that's when I get my shower and wash a couple dishes and maybe move around laundry.  So, by the time I'm ready to get to work she wakes up.  Also, the times Miles plays with Anna are usually when I can get a few done without being too interrupted...and wouldn't you know it, Miles hasn't been feeling great the last couple of days so that time has been erased.  I guess it doesn't help that I'm currently working on three different sessions.  I try to do a few from each session every day, but it's difficult. 

Today Miles went in at 6am and is working until 7ish.  I'm planning on vacuuming today.  Sadly, vacuuming is an event around here.  Seriously, it's a big deal.  Our carpet is somewhere between red and maroon so EVERYTHING shows and Anna is at the wonderful stage of eating everything she finds on the floor.  The problem is that she is afraid of the vacuum.  So, I have to hold her while vacuuming...20 pounds gets heavy after a while.  I'm excited about it, though.  I like to have clean floors.

Now it's almost time to get Anna down for a nap and do some work.  Here's to hoping for a long nap!