erin terrell clarkson [etc]

Travel Bucket List: The Amalfi Coast

You've heard of the movie The Bucket List, right? I thought I'd start my bucket list of places I'd like to travel. It's no secret that I consider any new location to be an exciting adventure. Near or far, as long as I am visiting someplace I've never seen before, then I'm pretty much guaranteed to be happy.

First up on my list of places I want to visit: The Amalfi Coast

Who could resist a place as beautiful as this:

Photo copyright Thomas Linkel, Iaif/Redux on NationalGeographic.com 

 

UNESECO World Heritage lists Costiera Amalfitana as a place to visit for it's great physical beauty, natural diversity, and because it is an oustanding example of the Mediterranean landscape. See the comments, gallery, and other interesting info HERE. 

I would be in photo heaven if I could wake up to sights like this (below) each day. I would wander around and explore with my camera in hand to capture every little detail.

Photo copyright (I found it on this website, but the author doesn't say if he took the shot or not)

 

Can you imagine what a dream job it would be to work as a travel photographer? I think I will make it my goal to do so and one day take photos like this to share with the world:

Photo copyright CubaGallery (on Flickr). Click the name to see CubaGallery's photos. Amazing!!!

 

One final picture:

Photo copyright MorBCN on Flickr.

 

What about your bucket list? Where would you go if you could travel anywhere? I have a huge list! It doesn't help that I search sites like Flickr and am tempted by all of the beautiful photos people post. I also subscribe to a few travel magazines and each time they hit my mailbox, I start dreaming of all the places I'd like to visit...

 

PS: Sign up for Groupon if you haven't already! Follow this link when you sign up and I'll get credit for it -which would be great, because then I can buy more fun stuff on Groupon. :o)

Photo Gift deals...

I wish I had checked my email earlier today so I wouldn't be posting this deal so late, but I'm still posting it so someone can hopefully benefit from it. 

If you use Groupon (or even if you don't - you should) click on the Groupon link over there on the right side of my blog [the fourth and fifth blinkies down under the "for the holidays" link section] --------->

You can order a 16x20 canvas print for only $45. THAT is an amazingly good deal for that size on wrapped canvas. There are only 3 1/2 hours left to get the deal, though. That even includes shipping and handling! Or you can get a gift card worth $126.95 (the regular price for a 16x20 print). It's one of the daily deals for San Antonio, but it's an online website, so you don't have to live in San Antonio to cash in on it. 

Same thing if you want to order a photo book. One of the daily deals for Chicago today is $10 for a 40 page 8x8 soft cover book from A&I Books. That's an online site, so you can order the deal no matter where you live. 

I happen to love giving photo books for Christmas. I have one I recently made for this awesome lady, and I can't wait to give it to her. It's full of photos from a recent trip to the Bahamas. Here's a little peek (a tiny photo because I have no idea if she looks at this little website of mine):

Also, did I mention that I received my Christmas card order from Tiny Prints? (that link is also under the "for the holidays" section) So pretty... I highly recommend that website for Christmas cards. I'm hooked on them, 100%. They have amazing customer service.

OK, I'm off to watch bridalplasty. Daisy and I are hooked on it - it's like watching a train wreck. Check back tomorrow because I'm going to show an easy idea for Christmas decor!

*edited to add... if the groupon link doesn't work, try this one: groupon link

Help Me Decide On Christmas Cards

This weekend Daisy and I had our Christmas card photo shoot with this fantastic lady. Jana is amazing and I highly recommend her if you are anywhere near the San Antonio area and want to have photos done.

Here are a few sneak peeks she sent me:

(My fave, bc I told her "you made me look skinny!". Hee hee...)

This one I love bc it looks like the perfect Texas setting, right? I'll taunt all of my friends up north and say "Warm Winter Wishes" or something like that. ;o)

I always send a photo of Daisy by herself in my Christmas cards so family can frame it or add it to the fridge or whatever. This is her favorite and the one I'll send out for her:

While the rest are being edited, I figured I'd put my Christmas cards up to a vote. I'm not making a single Christmas card this year. That probably amounts to something like blasphemy for someone who works in the crafting industry, but I don't care. I want a stress-free Christmas, so that means I'm ordering cards. 

Help me out by picking your favorites from the ones below. I'm probably going to do one of the tri-fold type cards for family, so they will get more pictures, and one of the simpler ones for everyone else on the list (to save $$$).

Love/Peace/Joy Tri-Fold card from Tiny Prints

Holiday Hat Tri-Fold card from Tiny Prints

Merry Christmas Ornament card from Tiny Prints (genius! a card your recipient can hang on the tree!)

Joyous Wishes Square card from Tiny Prints

Inspirational Square card from Tiny Prints

Joy/Peace/Love Ornate Snowflakes card from Tiny Prints

Merry Modern Collage card from Shutterfly 

Peppermint Pink card from Shutterfly

OK, that's enough. I could go on picking out various card styles forever. Help me narrow it down -- what should I pick? Thanks!

Shake It app

Do many of you have an iPhone? I do, and I find it to be a great addition to many of the other tools I use for scrapbooking. The camera on my iPhone is probably my most used feature (other than texting, of course). The photos aren't high quality, but I love that I can carry my iPhone with me anywhere and snap photos I would otherwise miss out on. (My bulky digital camera only sees the light of day on vacations or when my cute niece and nephew are visiting.)

I have a few apps I like for the iPhone. Photoshop, of course - that goes without saying. It does tend to frustrate me at times, because I find myself wishing it had the same capabilities as the full version. Hipstamatic is another one I like. It simulates different lenses and has a lot of neat effects. The ShakeItPhoto app is also fun. It's a lot like having an old Polaroid camera on hand at all times. Plus - it happens to be kind of fun to shake the phone so the photos will process faster. :o)

With my iPhone I can collect the mundane images of my everyday life that I normally wouldn't capture on film, such as...

breakfast:

 

or, me driving:

(it's a fun way to pass the time when you're stuck in traffic):

lunch:

Daisy, being her usual cute self:

Let me know if you've discovered any apps I need to try out. They don't have to be photo related, either - just any app that makes life easier or more fun.

Page Share: Now...Let The Games Begin

Here is a fun little page to showcase some photos from play date at Dave and Buster's. I rarely scrapbook photos like this, because they are indoor shots and are often dark and blurry. I seem to have lots of photos like this (@ Mr. Ghatti's Pizza, Incredible Pizza, Laser Quest, Chuck E Cheese, etc), because it seems every birthday party for kids age 10 and under is held at one of these indoor play places. If I have the photos, chances are good others do, too...and need good ideas for ways to scrapbook them. So, here's what I did with mine:

SOURCES  Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper. Font: Underwood Champion (journaling). Stickers: SEI En Route Epoxy Stickers (small colorful circles), SEI En Route Perforated Tickets, K&Company Embossed Stickers ("& The Winner Is" and "Super Star"). Rub-ons: Doodlebug Design (thin yellow), source unknown ("games"). Chipboard accents: Imagination Project GinX (blue chipboard arrow). Ribbon: BasicGrey Hang Ten (brown trim). 

Here is a detail shot:

I'm well-known for my extreme dislike of indoor flash photography, so I rarely ever take a flash photo--no matter how poor the lighting is. These photos are no exception. My best advice is to make the most of the lighting you have available. For example, in the main photo on the layout above, I took a picture of my niece as she was looking down at the game she was playing. The light from the game acted as a reflector and bounced light back to illuminate her face. I did the same thing in the other shots and tried to capture Daisy and her friend as the lights from the game were reflecting towards them. 

To create the page, I used a classic scrapbooking technique and pulled colors from the photos to use on my layout. Light blue, orange, browns, and yellows seemed to jump out at me most, so I went with those colors. I was actually stuck and couldn't decide how to scrapbook these photos, until I asked for advice on the Scrapbooks etc. forums and user Keithann_2003 got me going. She came up with the title and advised I use stickers for a bottom border. I was trying to use bright and colorful embellishments at first, which is likely the reason the page wasn’t coming along as I’d hoped. Once I selected embellishments with a warm tone to match the photos, the whole page fell into place!

I used perforated ticket accents from an SEI travel scrapbook kit as the bottom border, because they reminded me of the tickets the girls won while playing the games. Too bad I didn't keep any of the actual tickets, but they had to turn them in for prizes. The small colorful epoxy circle stickers reminded me of the shiny lights we saw throughout the restaurant/arcade, so I thought they were an appropriate addition to the page, too.

If you're ever stuck and don't know how to scrapbook difficult photos, the internet is a great resource to turn to for assistance. Ask for advice in a scrapbook forum, or just browse layouts with similar topics until you find something inspiring!

Photography: Spring Colors

Spring is probably my favorite season of the year. Being from the south, I grew up seeing beautiful dogwood trees, magnolia trees, azaleas, and hydrangeas all beginning to bloom this time of year. After a dreary winter of gray and brown, it's very energizing to see color in every direction I glance.

I've made it my goal to get shots of some of the pretty plants growing here in Texas this time of year (before they fade away in the scorching heat of summertime). It's prime wildflower season right now, so I definitely need to get some shots of bluebonnets and indian paintbrush lining the roadway.

I hope you'll get out and take some spring photos when the plants start blooming in your area. I know it's still cold and wintry where many of you live, but those beautiful blooms will make an appearance before you know it! Here is a mountain laurel bloom from my front yard:

When taking shots in early spring, many of your surroundings may still be brown or dead. For example, in the photo above, the grass was still brown--even though the trees and plants are blooming. I selected a manual setting for my camera and used a large aperture to get this shot. The effect is a blurred background so the brown grass isn't noticeable (until I point it out!). If you aren't comfortable using manual settings on your camera, you can select the portrait mode ("P" or a silhouette of a person's head) to obtain similar results.

Remember to shift your body positioning to get the best background for the photo. If you take a shot from above you may be able to get green leaves from the plant as your background. If you take it from below, you may get blue skies. Move to each side of the bloom as well to see what perspective offers the best background. Why have a road with power lines and cars in the shot when you could have other plants or a nice fence instead?

If you want inspiration for plant photography, you can always check out Kathleen's blog. It appears her neighborhood is covered in snow today, but just take a peek around and you'll find gorgeous flowers all over her site!

I used a Canon EF 50mm f/1:1.2 lens for the shot above, for those of you into the tech details:

Decorating: Christmas Photos

Today I'm sharing a quick tip for holiday decorating.

I just replaced two scenic beach prints in the living room with some of my favorite Christmas shots of Daisy. It's a simple way to add an extra touch of the holidays around the house.

If you already have frames on the wall, all you have to do is print extras photos. Add one to the frame and keep the original photo tucked safely behind it. Swap them out again whenever you take down your holiday decorations. 

 

What's your favorite easy tip for holiday decorating?

Thank You

Thank you to all who have selflessly served our country. We appreciate your sacrifice!

Tech Tuesday: Dropbox

I wanted to discuss online storage options today. I mentioned in this post that I am pretty good about backing up my computer files. My photos are so important to me: I would hate to ever lose them. Because of that, I  back them up to an external hard drive, but I also back them up online. It's nice to know if I ever lost my photo albums (aka: scrapbook pages), I'd still have a backup I could access online.

I've used Flickr for years, but I have so many photos I have to pay for a Pro Account there. Recently I was searching for additional storage options and my pal Laura sent me to Dropbox. (Laura is a wealth of information!) I signed up for an account, and I'm now using it religiously to back up more and more stuff.

Other than the secure feeling of having my photos and documents backed up, I love how easy it is to share photos with family through online photo storage.. I am a slow scrapbooker, so by the time I finish a page about an event it may be weeks, months, or years later! I don't scrapbook in any particular order -- just whenever the mood strikes. My family appreciates when I share photos online so they don't have to wait forever to see what we've been up to.

Here is an example of one of the photos I just uploaded (Daisy with one of her favorite birthday presents):

She is quite the little poser. That's a makeup kit and we had just exited ULTA -- where she experimented with every type of lip gloss and eyeshadow in the store (or so it seemed).

Have a SWEET Halloween.