Vintage Cars and Baby Bumps

Jan 29

Saturday I spent a couple hours running errands. While going down the freeway, I passed this car. I don't know what make or model it is, but it was gorgeous. There was a phone number in the back window, I'm assuming it is a rental for weddings and such. Wouldn't this be the coolest car to leave your wedding in? Especially if you had an awesome vintage/retro theme. I broke all sorts of driving laws to get this picture, but it was totally worth it. Of course, since I was driving, the quality of the photo wasn't that great. It is kind of blurry, and washed out. So I decided it was the perfect candidate for some over-zealous editing. Just having fun =]

Jan 30

Today, Sunday, I decided it was time for another baby bump picture. It's been a few weeks since my last one. Since the sun was actually out today, (a miracle for January in Oregon), I decided to get some sunshine in the picture. I set up the timer on my camera, and used the sunshine from the back porch. I turned off all the other lights in the house, so I could get a good shadow effect. I wanted the focus to be on just my belly. I really like how it turned out, what do you think?

Boys and Their Toys

Hubby has been at the Portland Auto Show all weekend. My hobby is sewing, His hobby is RC cars. We're not talking about the RC cars you buy at the toy store. These are serious hobby cars. They build them from the ground up. He buys the frame, shocks, motor, wheels, body, etc. all separately and assembles a totally custom car. The biggest part of the hobby are the rock crawlers. They have competitions with courses and everything. They even get extra points for any accessories that make them more realistic. The RC rock crawlers club that he is part of, had a booth at the auto show this weekend. They were a huge hit with the crowds. He worked the booth with a few other club members, pulling 14 hour shifts, 4 days in a row. I visited him at the show, but I totally forgot to take any pictures. Doh! I even had my camera with me! So instead I snapped a couple photos of one of his RC cars when we got home.

Jan 28

Jan 28

New Header, Collages, and More

For the last couple weeks, I have been searching online for a good free photo editing program. When I do the We Heart Wednesday posts, I want to display the photos in a fun collage, rather than taking up the whole page by posting each picture individually. I think it's easier on the eyes, don't you? I've also been trying to design a fun header that doesn't take too long to change. I get bored easily, and like to mix it up. Thirdly, I've also been working on making a button, in hopes that you guys would post it on your blogs to help share the love. *Insert cheesy smile here*

Well yesterday I finally found what I was looking for!! Picasa. It's totally free, super easy to use, and it doesn't bog your computer down a whole lot, like PhotoShop and Gimp tend to do. 

To make my header, all I had to do was pick my photos, click the "collage" button, and voila! I chose the polaroid border, and then arranged the photos. Arranging was super easy to, you just drag and drop! If you want them rotated, just click and hold while you move your mouse. Seriously, the easiest photo software that I have ever used. Once I wanted to add the words, I could have done that in Picasa too, but I wanted a fancy font. (Picasa has cool fonts, but I'm picky). So I clicked the "Picnik" button, and voila! I'm editing my photo in Picnik. They have tons and tons of fonts. I typed what I wanted, did a simple drag and drop to put it where I wanted it.. Then I moved the little slider to adjust the size. Click save, and it automatically saves it to my Picasa! Seriously, that is all I had to do. It probably took 20 minutes.

I had so much fun with that, I decided to make a button. Again, I used the collage setting to get my photo in the cute little polaroid frame. Then I added the words in Picnik. I then went back to the collage setting again, to get my green border. And I'm done! When you save your photos, you get to pick what dimensions you want. So I picked 800 pixels for my header, and I got an exact 125x125 pixels for my button. Seriously so easy.

But I'm not going to pretend that I'm super smart here and got this all figured out by myself, because I really didn't. I used these tutorials to help me out:

How to make a Blog Header for Free (Using Picasa)


How to Make Your Own Blog Button (And Add a Scroll Box for the Code)

If you haven't already, grab my button! Help share the love! I have a box over on the far left sidebar, with your buttons in it. If you have mine, and I don't have yours, please let me know! I want to return the favor =]

By the way, I was thinking about making a step by step tutorial, complete with photos, showing how I made my header. If anyone is interested, please tell me!

Wrapping Up the Evening

Monday. Yuck. I've never been a fan of Mondays, but this one was especially icky. After a very long 10 days of being sick, I'm back to work again. I spend 8+ hours every day in front of this keyboard. I guess it could definitely be worse. At least it was a slow week, so I wasn't completely overloaded while also trying to get over the tail end of my cold.

Jan 24

Tuesday morning was absolutely gorgeous! It's been a great week in general. Not much rain, and tons of sunshine. (Well, tons for an Oregon winter anyway.) I snapped this picture while on my way to work. I knew if I waited 1o more minutes until I got to work to take the picture, the colors would be long gone.

Jan 25

Wednesday, January 26th. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!! Hubby and I went to my parents' house after work. My sister made a fabulous steak teriyaki dinner. Soooo good. I ate way more than I should have. After dinner, we had some of Grandma's homemade chocolate cake with some fabulous ice cream. Definitely a good way to wrap up the day.

Jan 26

Thursday. Nothing really fantastic about today. Another slow day at work, napped on the couch when I got home, Hubby is gone until late tonight. Since the beginning of this pregnancy, my biggest side effect/symptom/annoyance has been heartburn. Lots and lots of it. I take Zantac daily for it, but occasionally it still flares up. Another random symptom, I'm no longer lactose intolerant! Weird! So when the heartburn flares up, I nestle on the couch with a big bowl of ice cream. It helps soothe the heartburn, and I can enjoy an extra special treat. Definitely a great way to wrap up my evening.

Jan 27

WHW: Red Shoes

Update: I changed my collage since the original post. I didn't like it, and it was bugging me haha. I just downloaded Picasa today, and it is so incredibly easy to make awesome collages now! I'm having too much fun.

 I once heard someone say that you can never have a bad day when you are wearing red shoes. I have to agree. I only own one pair of red shoes at the moment, but I love them to death. They are a patent leather pair of bright red, peep toe, slingback heels; and they are shmexy. Love love love them. 

Sunday Drive

I've mentioned before that I've been sick all week. Today my hubby asked me if I wanted to go for a drive to get some fresh air. We drove along the Sandy and Bull Run rivers to check out the results from the recent flooding. One of the stops was the Bull Run Powerhouse. It's an old retired set of buildings. They recently had to close down the powerhouse due to maintenance costs. There is nothing that I love photographing more than old metal and concrete buildings. The first photo is definitely my favorite. I love rusty locks, but this one was cool because the lock itself was brand new, on an old rusty gate and chain. There is also a trail with access to the river below that is very popular to local kayak enthusiasts.

Jan 23 (My Project 365 Photo)

Jan 23 - Backside of the powerhouse, where it meets the river.

Jan 23 - The access trail down to the river.

Jan 23

This last photo(s) is actually a small waterfall that we stopped at along the way. I had a lot of fun editing all these photos, but I couldn't make up my mind on this one. The one on the left was made with an action in Photoshop, combined with some other contrast enhancement, etc. The one on the right was made with the same contrast enhancements, and a black and white layer with the opacity dropped. I was hoping I could get some input from you all. Which one do you like better? The left or the right?

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

Well I'm falling behind again. I'm still battling this nasty cold, so I blame it all on that! Being sick and pregnant at the same time really stinks. I can't take the same meds that I'm used to, and my immune system is already preoccupied. Bugger..

Anywho.. back to the photos. Thursday morning I wanted to try the new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal at McDonald's. The commercials and ads made it look so good.

Example:

Well this is what it really looked like.. Yuck. I tried it anyway, and I was not impressed, I didn't finish it.

Jan 20

Friday I stayed home sick from work. My cold has quickly progressed from a regular cold, to a mucus-filled cough, combined with a stuffed up nose, sore throat, and headache. In less than 24 hours, I have already finished off half a box of Kleenex.

Jan 21

Today, Saturday, I have been welcomed with some much needed sunshine!! It has been weeks since I have seen blue skies or the sun in Oregon. So beautiful. I have my back door open, letting in as much of this as I can. I'm hoping to soak up as much Vitamin D as possible to help battle this nasty cold.

Jan 22

WHW: Black Cats

It's Wednesday!! I'm excited, because that means it's time for We Heart Wednesday. I've only done it for one week.. and I'm already loving it! It's so fun to browse through all those pictures.. It's addicting, it really is. This week I decided to pick Black Cats for my topic. I have a black cat, his name is Bagheirah. I love him to death, I really do. I take a lot of pictures of him, because I think he is just so awesome-looking. Very handsome, and studly.

I decided to try one of these free photo collage thingies, since I don't have PhotoShop on my computer here at work.. I haven't quite decided if I like it or not. Input?

Click on the button to see what WHW is all about!

My Project365 photo for the day, naturally, is my studly furball. He posed so nicely for me =]

My Weekend in Photos

Saturday was a very boring day for me.. I stayed in a did chores all day while Hubby worked some overtime. One of the many chores, was laundry. I hate doing laundry. Mainly because it requires going up and down TWO staircases. That's a lot for a pregnant lady to handle. I have to take breaks in between haha. I figured I would have some fun with some close up shots this weekend, since I knew it would be a boring weekend. This first one is a closeup of some liquid laundry soap. My stupid camera wouldn't get a good photo in the dim lighting of my laundry room, so I messed around with some filters in PhotoShop instead.

Jan 15th

Sunday I started feeling pretty sick. We're talking all-over body aches, headache, sinus pressure, coughing.. it was lovely. Whenever I feel sick, I think of my Grandma, Anna Marie. I called her Granna. She always brought some Ginger Ale and Saltines over whenever she heard we were feeling sick. When we would spend the night at her house, she always made us cinnamon toast and hot cocoa for dessert. So naturally, when I'm feeling icky, I make myself some cinnamon toast. The leftover mess on my plate looked pretty, so I decided that would be my picture for the day.

Jan 16

Monday, I'm still feeling sick. I begged Hubby to go to the store for me before he came home from work. He brought me some orange juice and Acetaminophen.. the only pain relief a pregnant gal is allowed. Ahhh relief.

Jan 17

Today, I'm feeling much better. Hubby and I decided to make our regular run to the grocery store after work tonight. One of the things that always ends up on our list, is eggs. I'm not sure why, but we really use a lot of them. I think it's mostly from his pancakes. I ask him to make those a lot. Haha. Anyway, since I can't seem to remember to take my camera OUT with me.. that is my picture for tonight. Eggs.

Jan 18

There is my weekend in photos for you.. pretty exciting, huh? Haha.

Caiti's Wallet

A couple weeks ago, I got my sewing machine back from the repair shop. I was so excited to get back to work. I had visions of dozens of completed projects dancing around my head. But then I got sick.. bugger.. Any extra energy I had went to doing the dishes and laundry. Last night I finally finished my first wallet since being back on my wonderful machine. This wallet was a semi-custom order. (I don't usually do those, so don't ask haha) This one was for a dear friend of mine, Caiti. She has been so incredibly patient with me, and I couldn't be more grateful =]

Two Days in One

   Yesterday, I posted the WHW so I decided to skip my Project365 post for the day, and just combine the two for today. Last night, my wonderful Hubby gave me a bunch of beautiful roses. He knows these are my favorite flower =] This picture is also SOOC (straight out of camera) too!! I didn't edit this one at all.. Quite proud of myself.

 
   Today, we bought our crib mattress and got everything set up. This white blanket was a Christmas gift from my Mom. She crochets baby blankets almost non-stop and she is always giving them away to all the Moms and Babies in our church. This one will definitely be a very special one for me. The sock monkey was a Christmas gift from my sister. She knows I loved my sock monkey growing up, and she wanted to make sure our little girl had one too. Two very special gifts for our little monkey =]

We Heart It

    Yes, the side effects are really a serious pain in the butt.. but overall I love being pregnant. I love feeling my little one move around.. I love having a round belly.. and I love knowing that I am a Mom. <3 I also love maternity photos.. I really really do. Haha. Maybe it's a weird obsession, I don't know. I'm going to be getting my own maternity photos done in about a month, and I am super excited! In the meantime, I will have to just look at other people's photos. Creepy? Maybe. I found these photos on We Heart It. It's an awesome website, you should check it out! This other nifty site, Brie Marie, has set up a weekly thing called We Heart Wednesday. It's really cool! Every Wednesday, other bloggers will post a collection of photos that they found at We Heart It. Then, we all link up at Brie Marie and share our stuff! It's a great way to build your following, and I'm excited to join the group! So this week is my first edition of We Heart Wednesday.

Macaroni Mix Up

   So I opened the cupboards tonight, ready to make dinner, and I realized something.. I had no idea what to make. I hate it when that happens.. and it seems to happen a lot. Haha. I started digging around and found a packet of sauce mix. It was for some cheesy tomato basil sauce. I whipped up the sauce, boiled some noodles, and mixed it all together. Still missing something.. So I added some corn, and shredded cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. I still wasn't pleased, and I could already hear my husband saying "Where is the meat??" Haha. So I grabbed a can of Spam. Yes, Spam. Diss it all you want, I don't care! =] I chopped it up, and grilled it in the pan, and tossed that in. Perfect!! Hubby liked it. Definitely a success.

Breakfast for Dinner

   My husband officially makes the best pancakes EVER!! 'Nuff said =] But seriously.. they are a-ma-zuh-zing!!! Tonight, I was feeling uber lazy, so I begged him to make some heavenly pancakes for dinner. I always cover them in lots of butter, and homemade strawberry freezer jam. Yummmmm. We have pancakes all the time, and I don't think I will ever get tired of it.

Psst.. Did you know it's 1/11/11 ?? Yeah.. pretty cool. =]

Kitchen Toys

   Most of my Christmas wish list this year was made up of random kitchen gadgets. I love baking, and I love it even more when I have fun new tools to use. This year, my wonderful hubby got me a few things from the Martha Stewart Kitchen Collection. I was ecstatic. I have a brand new all-metal, no-flimsy-wire pastry blender, a set of heavy duty measuring cups, and some super cute new towels! Yes I am a dork, but I don't care. =] Today, I finally got the chance to use my new tools for the first time! I made an apple crisp for a get-together at our neighbors tonight. I was so excited to use my new toys, I could barely hold it in haha. I completely forgot to take a picture of my gorgeous apple crisp before everyone gobbled it up, so I snapped a picture of my new helpers.

During Creation

   Today I spent most of my day working on another wallet. Half of the time spent making a wallet, is absorbed by ironing, cutting, and more ironing. All fabric is ironed, then all the pieces are cut, and then all of the stabilizer is cut and ironed onto each individual piece. It's time consuming, and definitely my least favorite part of the job.

Reunited

   I got my sewing machine back today! She has been at the repair shop for a few weeks now.. and before that she was broken for a couple months. I have missed her terribly. BUT we are back together again =] I must get back to work.. I have so many things to do!!!

My Favorite View

Today, I had my 24 week doctor appointment. All is well with the little one. While I was relaxing on the paper-covered table, waiting for my doctor to come, I looked down at my growing belly. I've caught myself doing this a lot lately, wondering what she will be like. It's definitely my favorite view, and I thought I would share it with you =]

My Wallets

One of the main purposes of my new blog, is to share my wallets and get some more business for my Etsy shop. I started making these wallets a couple years ago. I was growing increasingly frustrated that I could not find a cute wallet at any of the stores I shop at. Everything was boring, and one solid color. I wanted a cute fun print. So I started searching the web for a pattern. I couldn't find anything that fit my needs perfectly. I'm a picky person. So I started combining several different ideas I had seen, and threw in a few of my own. After about 6 "concept" wallets.. Voila! 

 Handmade clutch style wallet. Velcro closure.

Features:
- Three separate pockets for cash, receipts, and checkbooks.
- One zippered pocket for coins.
- One pen loop
- Ten credit card pockets.
- One transparent ID pocket.

All pockets are fully lined. Made with 100% cotton fabric and fully interfaced. All pieces are carefully topstitched and all seams are reinforced.

I posted a picture on Facebook.. and it only took a couple days before I had friends asking to buy one of my wallets. I had no idea how quickly things would take off. By Christmas, I had made 3 dozen wallets, and I had orders in process for about a dozen more. Eventually, I had to take a break. A few months later, I started things up again with my new Etsy shop.

Click here to go to my shop =]

I had a couple special requests for wallets with additional features. One of my close friends asked for an extra flap with more credit card slots, and an in-law asked for an extra flap with a fourth pocket to fit an extra checkbook. This 'extra flap' was definitely a challenge, but after a couple failures, I got it! These wallets are slightly larger to accommodate the extra contents. They have proven to be more popular than the originals!

I have several plans in mind for new designs. Including: a smaller pocket-sized wallet, a men's wallet, a cosmetic bag, and a checkbook cover. I'll be sure to post them as soon as I have them ready to release!!

Shreds

A few days ago, I decided to buy our first paper shredder. When I emptied the bucket yesterday, I thought it would be a great close-up photo.

I did it!!!

I finally did it! I've been contemplating starting a new blog for months now. I wanted a blog that was all mine, just for my sewing and photography, and voila! Here it is!

Thank you to Adrienne from Right Here, Right Now for getting me motivated! She knows I love to take photos.. and she noticed that I have been slacking. Adrienne started a link up for Project365. Basically, you post a photo every day for 365 days. Thanks for the push Adrienne!! Since I'm starting late, I have posted a few of my favorite photos from past photo sessions =]

I took this photo while on my way to church one day. This car was parked outside, and I was immediately drawn to the intense color. It was parked in the owner's lawn, next to the road, with a For Sale sign in the window. Oh how I wish I had the money to buy it. What a beautiful car.

Sunset

This has always been my favorite photo. It's actually the first photo that I took to start my whole photography obsession. I snapped it with a disposable camera when I was about 12 years old. This is the Peter Iredale shipwreck, at Fort Stevens, in Astoria, Oregon. I have always loved the colors and warmth of a sunset, and I feel like this photo captures it very well.

Old Red Barn

This photo was taken along the highway in Onalaska, Washington. It's an itty bitty town, not far from Chehalis. I've always loved the idea of living on a farm, and I especially love the old red barns. I actually snapped this photo while the car was moving =] I used a warming filter in Photoshop afterwards.

Purple Beauties

Missing Summertime