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I am starting a new tradition here on my blog to include some of my Favorite Photos of a particular subject, whatever I choose that Friday.
Today I want to celebrate my best friend from high school – Becky. She passed away three years ago on June 13th. She is still very much loved and very much missed. Here are some of my favorites of her.
Loved going to the beach with her.
We attended a church camp together called EFY and we scoped out for any hot boys, like always!
Favorite face EVER! She’s like “WHA??”
All dolled up for a high school dance. Beautiful!
She was good at pool.
We went to our high school Senior year Homecoming dance with our dates in the same group in 1999. Those were the days.
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Portraiture through photography has been around since the invention of photography. Before photography only wealthy people could afford to have portraits painted, but since photography’s invention portraiture became affordable to most people. It is the art of capturing an image of one or more people mainly to show the face or faces of those concerned.
The aim of a good portrait is to record an image of the face showing or conveying personality, mood and a good likeness. At its best we concentrate our entire attention on the face either very close up or viewing the head and shoulders of the subject. This doesn’t mean if the photograph shows any more of the body it’s not truly a portrait, all or part of the body can be shown but the main point of portraiture is to show and highlight the face and the expression of the subject.
Most of portraits taken today do not involve any professional models at all just ordinary people for a wealth of reasons; it could be a birthday, a wedding or a new baby, families often use portraits as a way of commemorating a moment in time or addition to the family this can form a lasting memory for years to come. These portraits are often taken by a professional photographer although not always, a skilled amateur can produce excellent portraits but this sometimes involves asking for favors, whereas when employing a professional it can be taken at a time and place of your choosing.
As well as expressions, good lighting is an important part of a portrait. Often in a portrait this is studio lighting where the photographer has complete control where the lights and subject are placed in relation to each other, He or she can place the light to produce more shadow across the face making a thin face more rounded looking or less shadow to have the opposite effect on a fuller face, changing the height of the lights has different affects as well, a good photographer doesn’t only have Photoshop in his bag of tricks!
One other great portrait photography tips on lighting for portraiture is to use ‘available light’ this is where simply the light in the room is used with no extra lighting added, the photographer does have to spend time placing the subject so that they are best illuminated by this light it may be near a door or window or perhaps nearer room lights or table lights, this which is also one of my wedding photography tips, may take some extra thought but the picture results from a skilled photographer can be fantastic.
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I bought my children aged fourteen and nine a couple of great gifts last week that I loved so much I have been thinking of getting myself one each as well. For my nine year old I got a a set of four Angry Birds Soft Toys. Angry Birds is one of the most popular games that people play these days on the phones of any kind and my little one has an iPod touch that she plays Angry Birds on all the time and recently she begged me to buy a copy of it for her Macintosh as well.
You can imagine how thrilled she was to receive four of those cute little birds in real life. Angry Birds Soft Toys make a great gift I think for people of any age and not just young children because even if they are not addicted to the popular game that has sold millions of copies they can still appreciate the cute little birds themselves. Even though I do not consider myself a gamer in the least I can not even begin to imagine how many hours I have wasted putting the little birds in sling shots and catapulting them at the little grunting pigs.
photo credit: Harshit Sekhon
For my fourteen year old I got what I thought was more of a brain teaser but it is also a really fun little thing just to play around with. Magnet Balls for teenagers or people of any age except small children are also a perfect gift as not only are they very cool to play with they can teach you a lot about shapes and structures. The pack I bought had more than two hundred tiny magnetised balls and the possibilities as my son soon discovered were endless. You could stretch them out into a line, you could make a loop with them and wear it around your neck and pretty much any shape you thought of. The boundaries were only the limits of your imagination.
And yes! The world is a stage after all, and we are all thespians. The only burden we have is finding the right lines to deliver in every occasion we hold or attend to. But sometimes we do need ad libs, but most of the time we need to be prepared or we might end up speechless. And for every thespian, this is the worst nightmare possible and the same goes for you if you have a friend to comfort, a family to congratulate, and a self to encourage. Good thing there are a lot of quotations, clichés, sayings, and words that make us express these emotions in the most dramatic and effective means possible.
Words of Encouragement
You must have the idea that the term “words of encouragement” completely and exclusively pertains to those that can be spoken only at times of the downtrodden, the hopeless and helpless all the same, and to the depressed, but the truth is, it’s not. This term is actually referring to the means of encouraging the emotion prevalent at the moment be it joyous or sorrowful. Of course, there are a lot of words out there for you, but the best ones usually come from within. However, some people are not at all good in expressing themselves, so they end up quoting others, but this is not at all bad, it’s admirable. Knowing the fact that you might screw up a good occasion because of your trouble in coming up with the right words to say is purely noble. Quoting other people who gave you the right words is but honorable.
photo credit: FindYourSearch
When you’re feeling down and oh so lonely, what better way to beat this feeling, and to receive hope than reading and hearing beautiful sayings that give you a sense of happiness and hopes anew. Hearing a friend say meaningful quotations is such a good means of relieving your depression. And the same way goes if you give them what they want and need to hear. So try to encourage others so they can encourage you, too.
I enter the Thirty-something bracket today. Yay for birthdays. Not!
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography
This birthday is a sad one. I reflect back on my years and wish I would have followed through with a few life changing experiences – such as finishing my bachelor’s degree or getting married and starting a family of my own. SIGH. One of these years, those will happen I’m hoping.
But today is just another day for me. And I look forward to getting my hair colored and cut tomorrow morning! So far I’m thinking red streaks. Any suggestions?
Teenage years is the period where children undergo a process of growth, a search for acceptance and a phase of awareness and physical consciousness. As parents we approach this situation as a ‘rebellion’, while in fact it is a crisis stage for them, which bridges the gap of adulthood and childhood. One of the most common problems at this age is the beginning or worsening of weight loss problems. A lot of teenagers are very particular with their weight and some may even follow extreme measures to handle the problem. It is our job as parents to guide them and help them understand how to cope with this problem. The following weight loss tips can give you some ideas.
Check them out
The fact is that almost 25% of adolescents are already overweight or obese. The first thing to do is to assess and analyze their situation. Are they gaining weight too fast? Have they mentioned any concerns about their appearance? Have they been sad lately with their weight? You can absolutely confront them if you strongly believe that they are having these issues and work together to reverse the situation. Be approachable and maintain an open line of communication as well.
Advise them
Let them see that a lot of factors affect their weight; puberty may be one, also genes and body structure. Explain to them that they can reverse the situation by taking control of what they eat and what activities they do. The best advice you could give them is to let them understand how their existing lifestyle and eating habits impacts their weight. Today they usually eat fast food products, like French fries, sodas, chips and sweets and they spend their time on Facebook and PS3 which all contribute negatively to their weight.
As a parent you need to show the way. You are a model for them and if you want to convince them about the importance of healthy eating you need to lead by example. You can start by adding some healthy foods in the table and by preparing their school meals at home instead of buying the food of the cafeteria. Your goal is to make them eat less of those unhealthy foods which are full of fats and sugars. Encourage as well healthy activities, like jogs and walks or sports. Giving your family a weekend for hiking and camping is a good example.
Support them
Supporting them in all means as possible, you can try to be there when they want to have a game of tennis, or basketball. Encourage them to reach their goals, and be always there to back them up. You can even help them plan out their strategies and write down goals for their weight loss. Your objective is not to load them with targets and restrictions but to give them a hand when they are in trouble.
photo credit: orangeacid
Making them feel accepted and cared for
This is basically the most important tip of all. You should be able to accept your teenager as who they are and show it to them. If you notice that they are having issues with weight or if they are dieting excessively, then you should take appropriate actions. One action could be telling them that they look good, and telling them how much you care about them and that you will help them deal with the issue together. Let them open up to you, by confronting them and encouraging them to discuss their problems. Studies have shown that one important factor in weight control is a strong sense of self-esteem and you should try and make them feel that way.
It would be a fulfilling experience once you get to help your teenagers with such concerns. It can even establish a good friendship and bond between both of you. If you deal these issues together as a family the benefits are much more than weight loss. For more information you can read Weight loss tips for kids.
It seems to me that managing angry behavior can be mostly solved by improving communication techniques. The importance of communication can’t be overstressed, because when you evaluate the triggers to angry behavior, they tend to be either the actions of others, or what those people are saying.
Here are a couple of techniques I would investigate whenever anger reared it’s head in your day-to-day life:
- There’s an old saying: you have two ears and one mouth for a reason – start to recognize when you’re talking more than listening. Maybe your “talking” is perceived as “telling”. That’s hard to do if your mostly listening.
- Start to pay attention to and recognize that initial feeling of anger. Is it a feeling in the pit of your stomach? Are your muscles getting tense? Is your head aching?
- Act interested. Even if you aren’t. Ask probing questions – maybe you can figure out a way to diffuse your own anger by asking interesting questions?
- Just walk away. Or watch TV, or read a book or whatever. Get yourself out of the situation that is triggering this behavior.
- If you search in the library or on the net, you can find anger management worksheets that give you a check list of questions to ask yourself – things like what triggers the anger, how do you feel during it, how does it resolve, etc. These can be an important aid in figuring out the wheres and hows of your anger.
Ask for advice. If these simple steps aren’t enough to lead you towards a better outcome, get some help – either a close friend who can listen to you as you go through all these problems, or a professional who’s seen it all before and knows how to treat it. The professional route might just make the most sense – private and confidential. So only you know…
As my family already knows and most of my friends know, my relationship status has changed to single once again. After an almost three year span, the end was inevitable. Both he and I were not healthy for one another and it was for the best that we split. It happened on April 14, 2011 and we’d been together since June 6, 2008.
This has got to be one of the hardest decisions in my life as I’m very sad that it had to end this way but I also care for him and always will hope the very best for him. The relationship was volatile, especially towards the end, and I know I need to be strong and it was for the best.
I am moving on with my own life by enrolling in school this Fall semester so I can finally finish my bachelors degree. The weight of my unfinished degree has been looming on my brain for years and it will feel so empowering just to complete it!
My hope is that we both will better our lives separately and become better people.
Any words of encouragement or thoughts on the subject are much appreciated!
If you are a new parent and trying to figure out how to get everything you need for your baby without destroying your budget, you can make it happen. You just need to learn to have some self control over what brands you buy, and you need to plan your shopping ahead of time. I will share with you some of the things I do to keep my baby and bank account both healthy. Here they are:
1. Use Enfamil coupons for every formula purchase — You should always be looking for Enfamil coupons in the stores and online. You can find enough coupons that you never have to pay full price for your formula. How can that be? There are a lot of coupons in many different places. If you take the time to look and are persistent at it, you can save a lot of money.
2. Look for overstock promo codes for key baby equipment purchases — You will want to learn about Overstock.com before you have your baby if possible. If you check out the website for Overstock promo codes on a regular basis, you will be able to buy a lot of your baby equipment at a discounted price. If you are flexible about models and colors, this is the way to go.
3. Buy all your diapers at Sam’s Club or Costco — Get a membership at one of these stores and start to buy your diapers by the case right away. Buy the store brands all the time, and stay away from the big manufacturers unless you have a great coupon for them. You can really keep your diaper bills down if you plan ahead and never run out where you have to buy them in a small quantity.
I hope you are starting to see how important planning ahead is for your baby shopping. When you are able to take the time to find the best coupons and promotional codes, you can really cut down your diaper, clothing and formula costs. Follow these directions for the next month, and you will see your bills reduced by a good bit.
Children are naturally playful and active. As parents, we want to make sure that they are roaming around a child-proof house. More than that, we want to make sure that their bedrooms are free from anything that may harm our precious toddlers. And many parents start with removing furniture that may house unnecessary harm to these young people. How do you choose the furnishings you place in your child’s bedroom? Have you considered the safety of these furnishings? Or do you simply choose what looks best for a little boy or a little girl’s bedroom? Here are three tips on how to look for appropriate furnishings for children’s bedrooms.
Safety
If you will notice, many wood and metal furniture pieces are too heavy. The fear of many parents and childcare professionals is that children might accidentally trip over these furnishings and it might fall over them. You can just imagine the extent of injury that heavy furniture may cause your children. But with a lightweight wood pulp storage cubes, none of those accidents will happen. These wood storage cubes are so lightweight they may be carried effortlessly by a three-year old child. And yet, even if it is this lightweight, the cubes are strong enough to endure the weight of a child—if ever he/she thought of climbing up the storage cube tower.
Colorful
Children are attracted to colorful objects. It is a source of visual stimulus to them and this helps develops the mental faculties of a child. Choose different colors of storage cubes for your child’s room. Get him or her to come over the furniture shop to help you choose the colors for his storage cube. It will be a good bonding activity for you and your child. Not only were you able to accomplish the goal of getting child-friendly furniture, you were also able to spend precious time with your equally precious child. Furthermore, the youngster will appreciate your intention to include him in the decision making process.
Not only does this help the childs bedroom but it makes for great closet organization skills for your kids development. These storage bins are excellent at keeping your closet clutter at bay and teaching your child how to take care of their belongings.