DSLR's and Photoshop

I just checked my "stats", and someone searched for my blog by googling "the gibson girl wordpress blog katie gibson".  Hilarious.  It warms my heart to think I am a "Gibson girl".  So thankful for marriage.

So anyway, here is the deal.
Daniel and I are obsessed with professional photos.
I am obsessed with professional photos.
Not the Sears ones.

Awkward Family Photos.  Google it.  Be prepared.

The real ones.
But we just can't afford them- one session every other year can happen- but what about when we have kids?  I can see it coming:  I am going to want them all the time.  I will be going broke, pimping myself out for sewing lessons, and sacrificing food just so that I can have great photos.

So, I figured- I am pretty creative.  I think I have an artistic eye.  I can figure this out.  Then, I can bless other people with it.

I was scared to propose this to the hub.  I didn't want him to get upset- see the price tag of the cam and flip out.  But really, all I ever hear from people with DSLR's is that they truly pay for themselves as long as you use them right (and learn how to use them, not always shoot in auto) and have the right editing software.  We decided to invest in a good DSLR camera while we have the means to do it so that I can take our own pictures.  All of our major celebrations (anniversary, Christmas, birthdays) happen this month and next, so we gifted ourselves early thanks to Black Friday sales (free bag, SD card, and lens!  Woop!).

Anyway, after 2 rounds of pictures, this sucker pays for itself compared to what we would pay someone to do it for us.

I was able to earn a little extra income doing some sewing-on-the-side, so we also purchased Photoshop.  I have been playing with it a lot and feel like I am already learning so much.
Here is an example-
Before:

After:

Awesome!  I'm sure some profesh is looking at this and thinking, "Oh my gosh, that is a terrible photo", but whatev.  1.  Just starting with Photoshop and 2. Didn't do a single thing but add an action.  I know the lighting needs to be fixed, but I'm still figuring this out.

Photoshop language is like Kingon (I watch too much Big Bang...)  It's a process learning how to do everything.  One thing I learned quick is that if you just use the auto formatting settings, you might as well use Picasa for free.  I googled tutorials on blurring, filters, and actions and found this pin on Pinterest:

Which linked me to The Pioneer Woman.  This gal has FREEEEE actions (they aren't usually free!) that you can download/make your photos look presh.  There is a link on that website for another site that explains how to install everything-Texas Chicks Blogs & Pics.  Love this site, too- so many tutorials about how to use Photoshop.

I'm so excited to play around with it.  I learned a lot about the camera in general from Kevin & Amanda, including how to shoot in Aperture mode.  This tutorial explains a lot, as well as links to others on their site that I have totally stalked.

Daniel doesn't like when I take his picture (as adorable as he is) and the dog thinks the moving lens is a sniper.  I have nothing to play with!  I cannot wait to meet my new niece.  In a little over a month, I will have one of the cutest, sweetest little girls to practice on =)  If you want some free pictures that might not be the greatest (ha.  I will try!), let me know!

How to Wash Uggs

My feet reek.

I know, gracious.

When I was in elementary school and middle school, my friends and I played club soccer (indoor and outdoor... I started out atrocious.  At our first tryouts we were a "package deal" according to the mom of one of my friends.  Thankfully, one of my friends was so awesome, they just took us all.  I was the chubby defender.  Baha.  I got better {and lost some weight} over time).  At sleepovers, the "triple dog dare" during truth or dare was to smell my Adidas Sambas for 10 seconds.

Did you have these?  What tom boy girl didn't, can I get an amen?! Ha.

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude.

=)  I thought it was funny, no hard feelings.  Nonetheless, we're talking serious stench.

My sister bought some Ugg boots a few years ago and they stretched out so much they don't fit her anymore and now fit moi.  They must have stretched a ton because she wears size 5 shoes (I don't know how the girl stands upright.  She has webbed toes, too.  Hahah!  Something that pretty has to have something weird!) and I wear size 8.  I wear them a lot- but they are starting to fume.  I can smell them now as I type- and they are on my feet!

I was weary of washing them- I know they are made with real wool and I see signs in dry cleaning establishments that they clean Uggs, telling me to proceed with caution.

Craaaaaap. 
1.  I refuse to pay someone to wash my clothing.  Ridic.
2.  How am I going to do this without ruining them!?

I googled it and found answers.  Here is what I did:

First, Soak with a mild detergent suitable for wool (Duh.  Woolite!) in the tub with lukewarm water.  Scrub any really dirty spots with an old tooth brush.

Rinse with cold water.  Try and gently squeeze any excess water out that you can.  (p.s. want to wash clothes like this?  Check it out!)

Place boots in the washing machine.  Do not add soap!  Start your machine on the spin cycle (thankfully I have an obsolete washing machine that allows me to just turn the dial.  Agh, some day high efficiency will come my way!).  Remove boots when spin cycle is complete.

Let boots dry indoors or out- just not in direct sunlight.  I heard they may be tight the first time you wear them again, but they will quickly stretch back out.

FYI- got that drying rack when we moved into our new church- left for dead by the previous church.  mine!  Love it.  Would also work fantastic at a garage sale.  Hmmmm...

 Uggs are now smellin' fresh and clean!  =)

Welcome, December!

Love love love December.  There are so many special things for our family that happen during December and January.  Besides the obvious much-adored family time we get to have at Christmas, there are several birthdays (and when I say several- I mean 7 between our 2 families!), our anniversary (4 years this year!  I feel old.), and vacation time.

I play Christmas music starting in October, if not a little earlier.  Thankfully, my husband puts up with it pretty well. Our tree tradition is to order pizza, put up the tree, and then watch Muppets Christmas Carol. Childish, I know, but we love it. I think originally the tradition was to just watch a Christmas movie, but we always end up choosing this one.

This year, we put our tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving.  We planned to do it on a Friday night because, well, it was the only night we had free. 
Disaster.  Here is why:

• Daniel had to work late, so he didn't get home until 9 (after 14 hours of work) and we decorated for an hour.  =(  He had a bad day, but did a really good job of leaving it at work and loving on me when he got home.  Still, I knew he was fuming inside.  My heart hurts when that happens.
• We had purchased a tree for $10 at a rummage sale and it was an 8.5 footer.  Gorg. Took it out of the box, and an entire section is missing.  Had to put up our Charlie brown 4 footer instead.
• Had gotten Muppets Christmas Carol from someone at work on a flash drive.  He said any newer flat screen should have a USB port for us to watch it from.  I didn't check until Friday night.  Nope.  No movie.
• Pizza was kinda cold.  I ate too much of it because of my emotional eating issues.

Ugh.  The whole time, I was thinking "I want to be the kind of person who says, "Well, despite everything, I am so joyful because I have my husband to share it with and so much to be thankful for".  I am ashamed to say that wasn't my attitude at all.  I was being a wretched human being- about to cry because my Christmas tree was only 4 ft tall and I couldn't watch a movie.  Really?  If I could go back in time, I would slap my own face and say "get over yourself".  Oh well!  Here is our tree- it's such an awkward size that I haven't found a tree skirt to fit it and haven't had the time to make one.  I feel like it's in an awkward part of the room, too.  I tell ya- the things we stress over.

I always listen to a local Christian radio station on the way to work and they are mixing in Christmas music with the normal praise and worship.  I heard this song by Casting Crowns the other day and loved it.  New spin on Joyful Joyful.  Not sure if it is new or not- but I would listen to this all year round!

I know everyone says this, but I just can't imagine an all-sovereign, heavenly king being born to be human on earth.  I mean, what was it like in heaven right before that happened?  What would it have been like to know the inner most being of every child- the number of hairs on their heads and number of their days- to then be born as a baby, so hopelessly dependent on a mother for so much?  If women, as mothers, struggle constantly with "am I a good mother", how did Mary feel knowing her Son created the Earth?  Wow.  I wonder if Jesus was some super-toddler.  Ya know?  Crazy.  Will be an exciting day to find that out!  =)

Hoping your are embracing December and much as I am- Love this time of year!