apologies

ugh. i'm so sorry for the lack of posts lately (these past 2 weeks to be specific). i'll be honest with you all, because i always am, i'm beginning to get a bit frantic from not having a job. during the winter you hang out inside most of the time so i was cool being unemployed then - but now that the nice whether is here...i want to be out. doing things. buying things. traveling a bit. and, well, money is a little bit tight. so i'm doing a bit of job hunting which is not going so well so far. and then i think - i'm talented and smart...i should think of a way i can work for myself. so i've been racking my brain. i've really been into photography (as you all know) and i'm thinking - maybe i can do a bit of that? perhaps some family portraits or couples photos? [i have a 'shoot' this weekend with my bestie and her kids which will let me know if this is something i maybe want to do]. i've found some wonderful blogs that i've been devouring...soaking up a lot of knowledge and information. and i've been teaching myself about natural light, photoshop, and lightroom. i'm learning a lot but understand i have so much to learn - you never really know it all, ya know? i don't know if this is what i'll decide to do for some extra cash but it's something i am enjoying learning about. i promise i'll be back to regular blog posts next week - so thanks for hanging around.

and because a blog post without pictures is...well...unacceptable really - here's a couple photos i've taken over the past few days. 

one of my bros (it's a bit overexposed in the whites...hence learning lightroom)

another one of my brothers

i hate feet but i really like this picture. it's of my siblings (all but 1)

i think it's a bit telling...

(i applied an action to it)

and of course howard - who needs a bit of a haircut.

have fantastic weekend!

oh mai

one of my favourite fabrics is still shumacher's chiang mai dragon in the alabster colourway. i know, i know. it's been blogged by others oh...about A HUNDRED KADRILLION TIMES but still. i've never blogged about it, so...you know...

i don't know what it is about it. maybeit's the crazy business of it all or the kind of exotic taste of asia-ish feel...heck it could very well be the touches of hot pink but i just adore this fabric. i would LOVE to use it for custom drapes (ooooooooooh that would be sooooooooo pretty) or to upholster a larger piece of furniture like a bergere armchair, oversized ottoman, or a headboard (ooooh a headboard would be so fab!) but since i'm assuming it's outta my price range (i assume this because on the website they don't even list the price...that's usually a sign!) i'll just have to drool over images of it until that lucky day.

if any designers are reading this or anyone who knows someone who knows someone...or someone has some remnants they'd be willing to part with...let me know! seriously.

ask away

i heart my converse

i thought it would be fun to once again open up my blog to questions about me from you - the readers. i love when other bloggers do this because it gives me a chance to ask any random questions i have or to just ask something i may have been curious or wondering about. the rules? there are no rules! feel free to ask me anything you'd like. it can be about something i've written in a past post, about something i usually blog about [design, my apartment, travel, my dog...] about something i don't usually blog about [my family, personal life...] about something totally random [favourite food, colour...] or anything else you can think of. the sky is the limit :)

i'm really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with. and i'll answer the questions in an upcoming post.

photography friday: composition

today i wanted to talk about composition. that is - the way things look in your viewfinder/on your lcd screen in the finished product. i’m not going to go in-depth because there are literally entire books devoted to the subject but i did want to share a few tips that i find particularly helpful when composing some of my pictures.

the most important compositional rule [and of course rules are meant to be broken on occasion!] you’ll probably come across is the rule-of-thirds. haven’t heard of it? that's okay! 

this is basically how it works. when you look at your lcd screen [or in your viewfinder] divide the screen into 9 equal parts - so essentially you’re picturing 2 horizontal lines and 2 vertical lines on your screen which would form a 9 square grid. [some cameras even have a feature in the menu that allows you to turn a grid on - so that when you look in your viewfinder or on your screen there are lines there - making it easier for you!] now when you take your picture DON’T PUT YOUR SUBJECT IN THE MIDDLE! 

place your subject [whatever is the focus] along one of the 4 intersecting points of the grid.you’ll immediately see that by implementing this one tiny step your pictures will become much more interesting and tell more of a story. the rule-of-thirds applies well to most scenarios but i especially love it’s use when dealing with horizon lines. mostly, when composition isn’t really given a thought, you’ll notice that in a beach scene [for example] the horizon line literally cuts the photo in half. this can cause confusion to the viewer - what do you want them to focus on? what should they be looking at? the sky - with the dark interesting clouds? or the water with the lovely boats floating along? unless you tell your viewer what they should be focusing on you risk them just taking a quick glance at your photo, reply ‘oh that’s nice’, and moving on without really “seeing” what it is you wanted them to see.

so how do you resolve this? well, if the foreground -the beautiful palm trees dotting the landscape - or the water - with its rocky waves or beautiful boats - are most important place the horizon line on the top horizontal line. this way there’ll be more of what’s important in the photo - in effect telling your viewer what’s more important. if the sky is more important - with the dark interesting clouds coming in - then place the horizon line on the lower horizontal line - giving more importance to the sky.

the importance here is on the sky

trust me. the rule-of thirds works. try it.

the next time you’re taking a quick snapshot of someone place them in the centre of the frame and take your pic. then place them off-centre to the left or right and see which photo you find more interesting.

of course you wouldn’t use the rule-of-thirds in every scenario but i find it a good rule of thumb, in general, to follow.

if you snap some photos this weekend apply the rule-of-thirds and let me know what you think!

*all photos mine except for ocean picture...that's from secondpicture.com

p.s. happy fourth of july to readers in the US :)

a bit of wednesday afternoon randomness 2

[happy canada day!]

just some random thoughts that, on their own, aren't quite enough for a post but together...well - together you have a bit of wednesday afternoon randomness.

• while i don't think the movie the island [starring ewan mcgregor and scarlett johansson] did particularly well at the box office i really enjoy it...despite the fact that it kinda scares the crap out of me because i can totally envision something like that happening in the not so distant future. actually i think that's precisely why i like the movie. twisted.
• i really want to go to cuba in august. must get some cash together.
• i kinda have a bit of a crush on him. seriously, i don't get hollywood crushes easily and the ones i do have are long-standing crushes but...everytime i see this guy in an interview he just seems so modest and humble...and funny. 3 traits i admire in people.
• since i got my haircut i've been into wearing fun nail polish colours. next up on my to buy list is russian navy - a really great dark blue with a hint of shimmer. any suggestions?
• lately, while walking howard, i've been trying to decide what my top 5 favourite books are. the ones that have meant the most to me for whatever reason and that i've enjoyed. so far i can only come up with 3. roots by alex haley, who will cry when you die by robin sharma, and the alchemist by paulo coelho. i think, i THINK #4 may be a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini. and #5 MAY be song of solomon by toni morrison [i read this when i was really young and remember enjoying it...but i'll have to read it again to be sure.] don't ask me why i'm so keen to note my favourite 5. maybe i want to be ready for when oprah's magazine calls.
• despite the fact that i will likely be going overseas by the years end i've decided it's time to look for a job [the cash flow is gettin' kinda low if you know what i mean]. i've applied for a few jobs in my field, good jobs [some are pretty exciting], that i'm totally qualified for and have yet to get a call back. i'm a bit frustrated, actually a lot frustrated to be honest, as to why i haven't gotten a call back. i'm 100% qualified and i write a pretty mean resume and cover letter if i do say so myself. i keep telling myself that because of this horrendous economic time there must be hundreds of applicants...but still...

• i want 2 new tattoo's. i already have 3. all of them have meaning to me and it takes me a long time to decide exactly what i want then i take months to make sure i can commit to it and to decide on placement. i'm 100% certain of what i want and 97% certain of placement. hopefully both will come before the end of summer. i also love this particular tattoo as seen on angelina jolie. i'd like to use it to symbolize something different but will have to give it more thought...or perhaps i'll save it & use it for when i have kids.
• i really love my hair cut. no regrets.
• i'd really love to take howard on a trip to seattle so i can have this talented photographer take his pictures. by far the BEST pet photographer i've ever come across. i've never seen pet portraits that i really like but these...they're freakin' amazing [and so is howard. so, you know...] i DARE you to take a look and not want to get your pet photographed too. [she also has a blog. you will fall in love.]
• i'm trying, when i remember, to work on my posture. any tips?
• a part of me wants to try revitalash but know i won't because i'm afraid of having an allergic or negative reaction. i have watery eyes in general and am always rubbing them and stuff so it's probably not the best idea to put some foreign substance on my lashes.
• i'm still loving this song.

• oh how i wish lauryn hill would make a come back. i can't hear this song or this song and NOT get chills and sing at the top of my lungs.
• i really want to bake cupcakes but keep putting it off. must. buy. ingredients. this. week.

i think that's it for now. feel free to share your thoughts on my random thoughts :)

that's pretty sweet

i recently discovered amy atlas via a post on decor8 and am totally smitten with her business - she is a new york city event planner who specializes in...creating high end dessert tables. ummm, how sweet is that! [pun totally intended]

i love reading about creative women who create their own opportunities and are rewarded with success. so inspiring! click here to read her interview on decor8 where she talks about how she started her business and more. you can also visit her blog here and her site here.

~images from amy atlas website

wearstler's favourite things

[btw-thanks for all the love on my haircut in this post :) i know you couldn't see too much of it so here are additional photos for those of you who asked - click here, here, and here. in these photos it's styled more 'pretty' and in the photo in the previous post i just put two big braids on the top, undid it in the morning and wore the top wavy for a fun playful look. i think i'm gonna take the back in a bit shorter but my stylist is in florida for a month! so i'll have to wait]

i meant to post this a while ago but forgot...so i'm posting it now. it is an interview with interior designer kelly wearstler that appeared in the october 2008 issue of canadian house & home magazine. 

i'm a huge fan of wearstler's work and enjoyed reading the interview and reading about some of her favourite things [i always like reading those type of quick question & answer thingys]. hope you wearstler fans enjoy too! [each image can be clicked to see bigger]

can i just say, for the record, i'm really loving this wider centre column for my blog posts and the ability to post such large pictures. love.

clearly i can't pick just one

[update to this post]

actually, the love you save is probably my favourite one. it's usually not the first one i remember but then when i hear it - it's like...magical. you've gotta listen to this version i just came across. acapella & vocals like that at like...10 years old?!?!? freakin' insane.

scream is also a fave. oh and so is beat it. oh crap, how can i forget i'll be there,and never can say good bye. wait! i want you back is definitely a favourite too. shoot. how could i forget man in the mirror. and the way you make me feel. oooooooh then there's smooth criminal. you just hear the first few chords and your start like - poppin' & lockin' lol. oh i also really love bad and don't stop 'til you get enough. sorry. clearly i can't pick just one... i really started this blog post with the intention of just listing the first two...i'm starting to get a bit sad looking up these songs to post...so much goodness. fyi according to my mom i was absolutely terrified by the video for thriller. i would run and hide when it came on. i am clearly showing my age ;) just thought you'd like to know that :)

oh. and i just saw transformers: revenge of the fallen. transformers = pure awesomeness.

that is all.

you're a pisa work

i've been having fun with bright nail polishes lately and this is one of my faves. it's a saturated hot pink with a bit of a shine. so fun & so pretty!

happy weekend!

[by the way the colour is called you're a pisa work :) by OPI]

the day the music died

[i know that's a dramatic title post but hey...]

my internet access has been practically non-existent this week hence the lack of posts. but i of course had to log on quickly to acknowledge the loss of one of the music industry's greatest performers [if not the greatest] michael jackson.

really, what can you say? i mean honestly, when you think about it - could you imagine him living to become a really old man? passing on because of natural causes? it's like...his life was anything but normal from childhood so to think that his ending would be normal (for lack of better words) just didn't seem like it would fit with his story. (i hope this train of thought makes some sense). i think in his later years people really forgot about his music (and admitedly that was easy to do with all of the other stuff going on in his personal life). but boy, when you REMEMBER his music...it really knocks your socks off and you are left in awe of the talent he had. it's really a big loss to music lovers and the music industry. surely he will be imitated but never duplicated in the years to come.

what is your favourite michael jackson (or jackson 5) song? i can't pick one. just when i think i have one i remember another. geez, i really know more jackson songs than i think i do.

now it's time for a wardrobe overhaul

with my new hair cut it's time for a new wardrobe. i'm probably one of the last people to discover the blog ...love maegan but now i have (thanks to tiffany) and i gotta say - that maegan has style. and really, really, really, great hair.

first - i. need. this. dress. i mean - it's perfection. and the back? so great. the fit? the cut? the length? oh my gosh i can't stand it it's so perfect. i normally don't go this bodyfitting but i think this would be so amazing and it really just embraces your curves - if you have 'em. which i do. time for me to stalk ebay. chances of me finding this dress? slim. will i try? you bet i will.

change

change is good.

photography friday: actions

hi all! so i've decided to start a new reoccurring blog feature called 'photography friday' which will be about...photography and posted on...fridays. ha, i'm so clever, eh?

anyways, i'm NOT a professional so please keep that in mind. i'm just a gal who likes photography and is teaching myself. i still have a lot to learn and as such i spend a bit of time each week discovering new photography blogs, articles, tips etc. that i find useful. they are helping me to learn more about photography, how to make (notice i purposely said 'make' and not 'take' haha) photos, how to do post work in photoshop, and many other things. 

i know some of you are also into photography so i thought by introducing this new weekly blog feature i'd be able to share some of what i learn & find with all of you. i don't know the answer to everything. heck, i probably don't know the answer to most things. but...i do know a little bit and will do my best to share what i know. and you never know - someone else reading may know more and we can all help each other out :) hopefully we can all help each other learn via being active in the comments section too :) please let me know what you think of this new blog feature.

so for today's first 'photography friday' i wanted to talk about actions. i discovered them a few weeks ago and fell in love. literally. where had they been all my life?!? now i don't know all of the technical terms but in the simplest terms an action is a set of steps that you do in your photo editing software, like photoshop, to give your photo a desired look. when you bundle all of the steps together [some have a few steps some have a lot] you get an action. essentially, you can then just click that action name and all of the steps will automatically happen to your picture giving you the desired look of that action. it's a time-saver because you don't have to do all the steps - you just click a button, wait a few seconds and voila!

[before - straight out of camera (sooc). not bad.]

[after - action: 'boost' from *pw's set. you can now see

that the colours been..boosted :) just a bit more intense.]

since i've discovered actions i've been having a lot of fun editing my photos.probably too much fun. before discovering actions i didn't really edit my photos in photoshop - i didn't know how and to be honest i didn't really care if i learned. "i want to learn to make the pictures as good as possible straight out of the camera [sooc]," i'd say. "photoshop seems like cheating or something." how wrong i was**.

i'd see photos on the 'net and wonder how people got their photos to look like that [you know like that] and try harder. now i know the secret...actions. don't get me wrong. getting the best picture as possible straight outta the camera is still hugely important to me but i've discovered that all of the photographers that i admire use actions. wait - let me make this perfectly clear - i am NOT undermining their talent or creativity. i'm certain their pictures sooc are still amazing. however, even if it's just a little boost in saturation, a tweak to sharpen, a wash of vintage colour...no matter how small some work is still done. and i've learned there is nothing wrong with that [but there are things i will definitely not do in photoshop].

[before - not bad. one of my fave photos from my trip actually]

[after - actions: boost & vintage. looks a bit more interesting to me.]

there are all types of actions to do anything you can imagine. sharpen, lighten, darken, vintage, grain, boost colour, take away colour, change to black & white...i can't even begin to name them all because the names are unique to the action. and if you make up an action...you can name it anything you want! there are actions to brighten the eyes, bring out the blue in a picture [good for the sky and such], bring out the green in a picture, add various textures...the list goes on and on and on and on...

[before - not bad...so i thought ;)]

[after - actions: boost & quick edge burn. notice how intense the

colours are now and how the clouds now stand out more.]

and here's the beauty of actions - you can make the changes be so subtle that unless you told someone you did it, they wouldn't know. you can play with the intensity of each action. 100% being full strength. so if you add an action and you like it but it's too intense...knock it down to %78 or %50 or whatever you want! you can also combine actions. so maybe first you add an action that boosts the colour - making your colours pop. then you add an action that darkens the edges a bit so that the focus is more on the centre of the photos. then you add an action [sharpen] that sharpens the picture so parts that are a bit soft or fuzzy aren't so fuzzy anymore and voila! a picture that's just your style :) 

[before - perfectly acceptable i think]

[after - ooooh has much more presence now, don't you think?]

so where can you get actions? if you do a google search you'll find TONS. i think the most popular are from totally rad actions and kubota. they are somewhat of an investment though. totally rad actions offers a small sample for free which i use and they are great. i definitely plan on actually buying a set in the future. rhea of the pioneer woman also has 2 batches of actions that are really great and are FREE [those are the ones i've used in the above photos]! she also has really great photography tutorials and tips.

i hope i explained the function of actions okay. if you want to add something please do so in the comments. tips, suggestions...anything like that! do you use actions? have a favourite combination? i'd love to know!

this weekend if you find yourself at your computer wondering what to do - experiment with some actions. i'm sure it'll have you looking at editing in a whole new light!

*pw = pioneer woman

**well, you can still use photoshop to 'cheat.' but i've set some rules for myself to maintain my...photographic integrity :)

D.I.Y.

hey! some of you asked how i made the changes to my blog [see this post] so i thought i'd share the links here for any of you interested! believe me when i say i'm not html or css proficient and i found these directions to be the easiest most straight forward ones i came across on the 'net...and i came across a lot.

to widen the centre column - where the actual post appears.

to enlarge your pictures - i am SO happy to have found this.

to use a cool font for your blog title & sidebar - this takes a few minute to do but the instructions are super easy to follow.

to get some cool fonts [for free!] - i got a couple of fonts here [including the one used in the blog title and sidebar] i love handwriting fonts and they have tons of really cool ones.

if you currently have a 2 column layout and want a 3 column one click here.

if you happen to implement any of the changes let me know! i'd love to see your new blog look :)

tongue in cheek

while i do have a set of napkins i don't use them. something tells me that if i had these though - i'd be much more prone to using them. these napkin rings are just too damn cute!

i also kinda really like this lamp. it's a bit cheeky and the lucite base is a nice touch.

and i'm posting this picture because as soon as i saw it i thought how cute it would be for tiffany of the blog i am style-ish. 

all pieces are new & are from none other than jonathan adler. available here.

ruffled scarf

oh gosh. this entire outfit is so fierce i can hardly stand it. especially the scarf. anyone know where to get a ruffled scarf like that?

*image from karla's closet

it's just hair...right?

i'm having that intense urge, yet again, to cut my hair short. i really just need to do it and get it over with. it's something i've wanted to do for a few years now and just always chicken out. this time though...i think i'm gonna do it.

so, because we all like visuals, here are a sample of the photos i'll be showing my stylist. yes, i'm that girl who brings several pictures. but hey, better to be safe than sorry. they are basically all the same cut - long on the top and in the front, short on the sides and back - but styled different ways. sometimes edgy/casual/dressy. sometimes curly. sometimes straight.

 

^view from the side^

^kelis has extremely thick hair like me & i like how it's styled. it's much

shorter on the sides than i would go but the overall idea is there.^ 

i don't know exactly when i'm going to do it but definitely so i can have it for the summer - so probably within the month. i'm actually pretty excited and not as nervous/apprehensive as i normally am. perhaps that's a sign that the time is right? and i think having short hair will force me to dress more feminine. more dresses and skirts. more earrings and pretty necklaces. maybe more makeup. summer is the perfect time for dressing more girly & dressing more girly is something i've wanted to do for a while but i get lazy and don't go and buy the appropriate clothes - now i'll kinda have to :)

last summer i cut my hair like this. now it's mid-neck length. actually it pretty much looks exactly like this:

and this is pretty much the same after look i'm going for:

[before and after pictures of karla of karla's closet]

i pinned the back & sides back and left the top like in all the pictures above and...it looked pretty good. i asked my mom and she liked it. i asked my teenaged brothers and they said it looked good. i showed the pics to my girlfriend and she wasn't sure how it'd look but when i showed her, roughly, how it would look on me she thought it would work. my goddaughter is the only one so far who's thought differently. she's 9. "i dunno. i just don't think it'll look good on you," she said. "with the sides short - you'll look different. i'm not used to seeing your hair like that. i'm used to it being here (points to her neck)." i had to tell her "that's the point. it's supposed to make me look different. that's what i want." hahahaha kids, eh? my face shape is round (i have trouble knowing the difference between heart and round but think i'm round since my chin isn't too prominent...like this famous heart shaped beauty) but it's not too round. so the length of the hair on top makes my cheekbones more prominent - which is nice. 

i understand it's somewhat of a trendy cut right now but it is what will work for me so trend be darned. it's actually very similar to the cut i first wanted (like 4 years ago) but just longer on the top and front.

anywho, i think i may just post a pic once i get it done. we'll see.

that time i was on hgtv...

did i ever mention that i've been on hgtv? i don't think i have. considering most of you reading (myself included) are into design and probably watch several hgtv shows i'm kinda shocked i haven't mentioned it before. actually it was more my sister that was on hgtv and i was her 'side kick' the person she brought along for a 'second opinion.'

 

the episode filmed just over 2.5 years ago and it STILL repeats. i swear every 6-8 weeks or so i get a message on facebook that says "...i was watching hgtv and just saw you!" or "hey...did i see you on hgtv?"

very funny.

one day for fun i googled some keywords about the episode to see if anyone online was talking about it (i was bored) and noticed that, to my amusement, there was an entire forum of haters hating on my sister. LMAO. we had a good laugh about that and she is even more convinced that she should have her own show. (she is quite entertaining).  hey, it's not her fault she makes good television! on the rare occasion i'll be out shopping and someone will say "hey, were you on that show...with your sister...oh my gosh me and my mom/boyfriend/friend were watching and couldn't stop laughing! your sister is sooo funny. does she sill live there?" followed by a few other questions. haha, that's always a bit weird but cool.

i just checked hgtv.com/.ca and noticed that the episode is even available online. i was thinking of having a little contest for the first person to correctly guess what episode it was but since i still haven't sent out the prize from this giveaway (i know i'm horrible and i do feel really bad but i WILL send it out) i don't think that's such a good idea. so let me just throw it out there that if you'd like to do a bit of sleuthing and take a guess - your prize will be a virtual pat on the back or high 5 (your choice) from me :) and a promise for coffee when you're in town. you'll have to call on your memory but i think i've mentioned enough things here & there on the blog that you may be able to figure it out ;)

similarly if you don't wanna guess that's fine too :)

minor changes

you may have noticed a few minor changes to the look of my blog. i finally figured out the following (1) how to widen the centre column - where my actual posts appears. (2) how to insert larger images. and (3) how to add some funky text to my blog titles and side bar.

i've been trying to figure out how to do all this for some time now so i am extremely happy that i finally did! and i must say, i really like the look. 

so...just because i now can, here's a nice LARGE picture .

[taken of my accommodations in dahab, egypt 2007]