befores & afters.

first off?  we are having a serious run of crap weather here in the pacific northwest.  like, flood warning torrential downpour weather.  and this is no fun for a photographer with a new camera who wants to get outside & put her stuff to the test!  i haven't been able to shoot a single session with my new camera & it's killing me.  killing me dead, people!  rain, go away!  i've scheduled a maternity session this weekend so i'm crossing my fingers & toes & eyes & whatever else that it happens because i'm getting a little bit anxious.

in the meantime what have i been doing?  making good on some of my home projects.  things are getting wrapped up around here & maybe it's nesting or maybe it's cabin fever but either way it's progress.  the toybox we started like a million years ago is now complete & sitting in our living room holding way more toys than the little basket we used before did & it feels like we have officially reclaimed our living room from the millions of blocks & cars & puzzle pieces that previously overran it.  although, the finishing of the toybox must be credited 100% to sam... and a post will be dedicated to this later.

for now, here's a little project that took me just a few days.

when we had our family photos done a couple weeks ago i knew that i specifically wanted something i could blow up & display that really captured my little family.  and the photo ledge in our entry way was waaaaaay embarassingly out of date so i knew i wanted to do something there.  after getting our photos back from stacy jacobsen, i went to work.

this was our photo ledge as it had existed for the last six years in our entryway:

random beach pictures of sam & me from when we were DATING.  that's like, forever ago.  parker wasn't even a twinkle in our eye at that point!  and if you look really closely, you may even recognize that there isn't even a photo in the last frame.  i guess i never got around to filling that one.  who does that??

ok, my concept for the new photos as designed in photoshop:

i measured the ledge & drafted the sizes that i thought would look good.  from left to right the prints are 8x10", 16x24" canvas, 5x7" & 8x10".  i also made the pinterest inspired date print in photoshop too.

after all the prints came back & i painted the ledge white {five coats later!} here is what it looks like in real life:

i am in l-o-v-e LOVE with it.  it really brightens up our entry way & finally shows off my little family to the rest of the house.  love it.

and one more little before & after before we go.

i remember reading somewhere {i'm sure it was a blog... sorry to whoever it was, i wish i could credit you!} but they encouraged you, as a picture-taker, to just plain & simply always take the shot.  if something's happening in the moment & your settings may be all wrong & you think in your head it won't turn out... who cares.  take the shot.  it may be improved a bit in photoshop & a crappy picture is probably better than none at all.

this has stuck with me.  if parker's doing something crazy i'll snap a couple pictures without even looking at my settings & then attempt at adjusting them to get that perfect shot.  but oftentimes the moment has passed.

that happened today.  he was cracking himself up by tickling his own neck... one of the most ticklish parts on his little body.  he was tickling & giggling & this was the first shot i took:

after some quick edits in photoshop, i was able to make it somewhat decent.

he is so goofy.  and if i could freeze him in this stage of life i might consider doing it.  but then again maybe not... because i'm sure someday it will be nice not to have to wipe yogurt out of those neck crevices after breakfast.