Kaitlin Has Little Patience for My Teasing...

So, Kaitlin’s really got a thing for High School Musical lately. The other night, High School Musical 2 was showing on Disney and Kaitlin was watching while I was uploading some pictures to Shutterfly.

Troy, whom I pretended not to know, was in the middle of singing a solo and I saw Kaitlin mouthing the lyrics.

“Kaitlin, who’s that guy again.”
“That guy?” she asked pointing at the TV.
“Yeah.”
“That’s Troy.”
“Do you like Troy?
She hesitates…
“Like like like?”
“Yeah.”
“Like a boyfriend?”
“Yeah.”
“No…I just like him like a TV character friend, Mom.”
“Do you like he’s cute?”
“Moooommmm!” Clearly, the end of the conversation…

Here's My Page in Simple Scrapbooks "Scrapbook Play!"

Scrapbook Play, the Simple Scrapbooks special issue that is home to one of my layouts it OUT!! I saw it for the first time in Archiver's in Omaha last weekend.

It was just as exciting as the first time to actually see one of my layouts in print. Even though I've known for months that it was coming, there's just nothing like having the publication in hand.

I'm 'playful play prompt' #101 on page 134. Here it is:

I haven't had a chance to make it through the whole magazine yet, but what I have seen, I LOVE! There are some great ideas in this special issue.

Just a side note on the Sunday Spur for Scrapbookers...as I am getting ready for several days travel on the road for work this week, there will be no SSFS tomorrow. Stay tuned and in the meantime visit (or revisit) some of the previous SSFS's editions for a little extra inspiration.

A Review of The Digital Photography Book

A Review of The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby.

Amazon Description:
Scott Kelby, the man who changed the "digital darkroom" forever with his groundbreaking, #1 bestselling, award-winning book The Photoshop Book for Digital Photographers, now tackles the most important side of digital photography--how to take pro-quality shots using the same tricks today's top digital pros use (and it's easier than you'd think).

This entire book is written with a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: "If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, 'Hey, how do I get this flower to be in focus, but I want the background out of focus?' I wouldn't stand there and give you a lecture about aperture, exposure, and depth of field. In real life, I'd just say, 'Get out your telephoto lens, set your f/stop to f/2.8, focus on the flower, and fire away.' You'd say, 'OK,' and you'd get the shot. That's what this book is all about. A book of you and I shooting, and I answer the questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I've learned just like I would with a friend, without all the technical explanations and without all the techno-photo-speak."

This isn't a book of theory—it isn't full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts: this is a book of which button to push, which setting to use, when to use them, and nearly two hundred of the most closely guarded photographic "tricks of the trade" to get you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with your digital camera every time you press the shutter button.

Here's another thing that makes this book different: each page covers just one trick, just one single concept that makes your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you'll learn another pro setting, another pro tool, another pro trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. There's never been a book like it, and if you're tired of taking shots that look "OK," and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, "Why don't my shots look like that?" then this is the book for you.

MY REVIEW:

The ONLY thing I can think of right now that I don't like about this book is that it isn't available in hardcover. Seriously, I'm going to wear this book out! I love the personal, down-to-earth approach in which Kelby authored this book. He also has a bit of a quirky sense of humor that really appealed to me and made it seem as if I were learning from a close friend rather than the President of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). I also love the fact that every page is like a mini lesson, focusing on ONE aspect to help improve your photos...no droning on with complicated terminology for page after page in this book!

The book has 11 great chapters:
*Chapter 1 - Pro Tips for Getting Really Sharp Photos
*Chapter 2 - Shooting Flowers Like a Pro
*Chapter 3 - Shooting Weddings Like a Pro
*Chapter 4 - Shooting Landscapes Like a Pro
*Chapter 5 - Shooting Sports Like a Pro
*Chapter 6 - Shooting People Like a Pro
*Chapter 7 - Avoiding Problems Like a Pro
*Chapter 8 - Taking Advantage of Digital Like a Pro
*Chapter 9 - Taking Travel & City Life Shots Like a Pro
*Chapter 10 - How to Print Like a Pro and Other Cool Stuff
*Chapter 11 - Photo Recipes to Help You Get "The Shot"

Initially, you might be thinking (if you're like me), "I only want to be able good shots of my kids (or something else). I don't need to know about flowers and landscapes or that other stuff." Don't be fooled by the chapter titles, though. TRUST ME...you will learn something that you can apply to your photography goals in EVERY chapter of this book!

Not only that, but I have been wanting to make the upgrade to a true DSLR (I currently use a Canon S3IS) for some time now, but didn't really know where to start in terms of equipment. This book also really helped me flesh out my needs in terms of the photography I would like to achieve and create quite the wish list. Not all of the following items are specifically mentioned by Kelby, but through his tips and suggested products, I was able to better develop a list of the equipment that would serve my needs (at least as a beginner's DSLR set).

My Wish List:
*Canon Digital Rebel XTi 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens (Body Only - Black)
*Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM SLR Lens for EOS Digital SLR's
*Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM Standard Zoom Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
*Bogen-Manfrotto 725B Digi Tripod with Integrated Ball Head with Dove Tail Plate and Carrying Bag (Black)
*Canon Wireless Remote Control RC1 for Digital Rebel
*Canon PL-C 58mm Circular Polarizer
*Photoflex - MultiDisc Reflector 5-n-1 Kit 32"
*Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Inkjet Printer

Yeah...pretty expensive list, but I'm saving my pennies.

In conclusion, I think this is a WONDERFUL reference for any photographer who wishes improve their skills. You will not be disappointed!

MY RATING:
5 STARS!

A Little Rant on Pachelbel's Canon

I actually really like Pachelbel's Canon in D...but this is still way funny:

The One & Only Goal!

So, Kaitlin had her first soccer game tonight. I am very proud of how she did...she got in there and gave it her all.

The other team had one little boy who obviously had played before and was just killing our little "Big Shark Team" (they chose this name). He scored all the other teams goals...quite a few actually...I lost track...but as Kaitlin insists, "There are no losers! We're all winners!" Great attitude, honey. Well, the "Big Shark Team" did make one goal and amazingly, I have a video of it to share. She's the one in the black shirt and hot pink shorts. Take a look for yourself:


Never mind the screaming lady who couldn't control her camera at the end of the video...don't know who that was! :-)

She really got in there and played with the boys! I can't wait to see how she's going to learn and improve over the next month and a half.

SSFS #30 - The Question Every Scrapper Should Ponder

Why scrapbook?

I get it...some people just don't understand the concept of scrapping. Why spend all that time, effort, money just for a pile of pictures?? And in all actuality, I probably would have been one of those people about six years ago.

For me, so much has changed in six short years.

Debra Roby posted the "Why Scrapbook?" question on her blog at BlogHer the other day and many scrapper's have logged on to voice their opinion.

Here was my response:

I began scrapping in 2002 shortly before the birth of my only daughter, Kaitlin, because I couldn't find a baby book that I liked. I thought, "Well, I'll just make my own." Little did I know that making a baby book for her would turn into a HUGE OBSESSION...

I enjoy the whole process…taking pictures of the people and places that I love, finding new and beautiful product to showcase those photos, and preserving the stories and feelings behind the photos through journaling.

It makes me feel fulfilled that I am recording memories that I might have forgotten completely. It makes me feel fulfilled that my daughter will have a better record of the portion of her childhood she is not old enough to remember for herself as well as a testament to how precious she is to me. It makes me feel fulfilled that one day her grandchildren will not have to wonder what their grandmother looked like or what her life was like as a child (as I do of my grandmothers). They will be able to relive it together through her scrapbooks…and maybe even learn a little bit about me, too, in the process.

That was my answer today. Tomorrow I could probably come up with five different reasons. Scrapbooking is just that much a part of my life now...it's part of who I am.

There are some very insightful and inspiring responces to this very personal question already in the thread. Reading others responses helped me to 'discover' even more reasons why scrapbooking has become so engrained in me.

YOUR CHALLENGES THIS WEEK:
*Visit Debra's post and read her post and the comments.
*Then, ponder the question for yourself. Why do you scrapbook?
*Put you reason in writing as a comment to Debra's post (remember to leave a link here) or in the comments right here if you prefer.

Josh...You Were Everything I Expected...and SO MUCH MORE!

I have been super excited for Josh Groban's Awake Concert in Omaha for months now. Despite spending what, to me, is a lot of money for a ticket, I knew it would be a great show. Well, I was most certainly not disappointed. Nor were my mom or sister, who previously were not quite as 'in love' with Josh as I am (my sister didn't even know who he was...gasp...the horror!). However, after the concert, I think they are believers in the wonders of Josh as well!

This is what I knew about Josh:

*He has a voice that moves me.

*He is amazingly handsome in a very unconventional way.

This is what I didn't know about Josh:

*He is musically inclined beyond his voice. For a few songs in the performance he took to the piano and it was beautiful and for a song towards the end of the show, he took over the drums as well.

*He's FUNNY. No, really funny. Not liked staged, comedian funny, but off-the-cuff funny. Some of it, of course, was more in the way that he said stuff than what he said, so it's hard to express it here, but believe me, he's funny.

*He may be talented musically, but the boy can't dance. After his duet with Kidjo (his opening act), she attempted to get him to dance. (That, too, was also a little funny. :-)) At the same time, the fact that he was willing to 'expose' one of his 'weaknesses' makes him just that much more charming.

In all seriousness, I cannot remember a time in my life that I have been moved from tears of emotional awe to laughter and back and forth so many times within a 2 hour period. This guy is a true entertainer. Honestly, there were moments within the show that I felt a bit like Julia Roberts in Pretty Women in the scene where she attends the opera for the first time and she is so awed that her chest swells up, eyebrows raise and blinks away her tears.

Really, I've mainly shared my impressions of Josh and my experience at this concert, but if you'd like more 'details', here is a great review I found of the concert. It seems this reviewer agrees with me that Josh is much more than what you might initially suspect. She also gives a great rundown of the content of the show and although it was for a different location, it sounds pretty much the same.

One major difference was that we got not one, not two, but THREE encore songs...either Josh just likes us Midwesterners a bit more or we're just a little more persistent! :-)

My only regrets...now I wish I would have gotten over the price a bit more and paid more for closer seats and I now kind of wish I would have taken my daughter along. Yes, she's only 5, but I know she would have loved this experience, too. An appreciation for GREAT music can never be developed too early.

I'll make up for that the next time Josh comes back our way...I would pay double to see him again...and next time Kaitlin will be with me.