Learning My Camera

I'm finally trying to learn my camera. We have a Canon camera. It's not a digital point and shoot. It's a camera made to have pretty lenses and take professional quality images. I've had it for coming up on three years now and within the last week I've done something new and for the first time -- I've put it in manual mode. I've relied on auto-focus and flash for far too long and I'm trying to learn how to get away from that.

I threw it in manual focus and holy bonkers did I have some fuzzy pictures. I desperately need practice in manually focusing my lens. But, I'm working on it. Here's some pictures of our new(er) cat, Sophie. I took them on my first day (heck, my first twenty minutes) of manual camera play.

With manual focus + flash.

With manual focus + no flash -- natural light.

I love it. It just looks so much softer. Of course, now I'm looking to Pioneer Woman's camera lessons to learn about aperture. I have a ton to learn! I really need to read my camera's manual to figure out how to adjust everything in a snap too. I might need to write myself a small cheat sheet.

So, with this girl's aspirations to be better at using her camera -- what's next? Well, I've been eye-balling some lens for my camera for well over a year and heard nothing but rave reviews about the "nifty fifty". My birthday is coming up next month and for around $70, it'd be a perfect gift.

Then I go online and see it nowhere for cheaper than $110! Even the product reviews talk about buying it at $70. I'm bummed out big-time. Hoping I can find it locally for something cheaper than that. Price hikes don't please me. But this new lens, I must have it. It's hard to eat that much of a price hike when I could put that much money elsewhere. Oi.

B didn't flinch when I mentioned the price hike. He's a love, really. So, I'm a real big baby on this manual camera thing, looking to improve and oh-- get a new lens to build on that. And there's the possibility of learning photoshop basics. As it stands now, don't ask because it's already way too much to take in. Baby steps!

Living Room Updates

Remember this list?

Well, we can cross a few things off of it. I've finished the tie-backs, received my throw pillows, started swapping out the color bubbles in the DVD organization, ordered two more DVD storage cases. Life is busy though. I have a lot to write about and little time to do it!

I'll break this down as quickly as possible. New throw pillows. I adore them and can't thank my Mom enough for making the cases for these. They pop so well against the colors. Couldn't be happier with them! B gave the fabric his thumbs-up and I was worried he'd hate it.

As for the tie-backs, I took these hooks which I believe we picked up at a Home Depot.

I then measured on the curtain tie-back where I'd need to make a button hole to secure the retro-fitted blinds tie-back. I cut off the excess fabric, hemmed it, hand-sewed my own button-hole, added a button and voila! Hooked the tie back onto the little hook, and we were set. I like them :)

No flapping blinds for us.

Now, to update my little list.

Living Room Still To Do:

- Hem the bottom of the curtains so they're at floor, but not piled up -- eww.
- Finish tie-back for the blinds
- Repair the water damage on the wall under the AC unit (go bad landlord!)
- Move the boxes to the left of the media cabinet to storage
- Put new slipcovers on the sofas (when they get here -- agh!)
- Stain the furniture a nearly black color
- Acquire a coffee table (stain to match other stained furniture) Update: Might not do this after all.
- Add pillowcases to the throw pillows
- Acquire four more throw pillows
- Organize the media bookcase (thinking to buy some of these and store all of our dvd cases in storage -- cutting down on so much shelf space!) Update: We've bought two  four of them and want 3 more to finish compiling our storage.
- Make cloth "curtain" for the media bookcase
- Acquire some sort of decorative element for the lamp shelving
- Build onto entertainment center (as seen here)
- Build entry storage case (as seen here) We bought some ClosetMaid storage at Target

Added List:

- Use extra paper from clock project to categorize the DVD storage cases.
- Finish pillowcases for new throw pillows
- Cut down dogwood branches in umbrella tin
- Get another basket for the shoe shelves
- Finish "word art" to hang above the shoe shelves
- Paint TV trays fun color like "Navy"
- Paint umbrella bucket with stripes (Navy?)
Oi, I don't feel like I've made much progress after all. Here's to kicking into gear and finishing up my DVD storage. I have two new ones waiting to be filled.

Updated Pictures for the House

So, we've made a few more changes and I have improved pictures of our living room to show off. There's still much to be done but here's the pictures + the To-Do List updated. Let's get down to business. I'll apologize for the messy "befores."

Couches Before


Couches After (The mess near the lamp is going soon and I didn't put the tray in between the sofas away -- I'm a slacker).

Look at these gorgeous pillowcases. I adore them!

This is the fabric I picked out for the new throw pillows. Just got to finish it up and they'll get to snuggle up to the blue ones.

Here's a better picture of my shoe shelf by the front door. I still need to get a second basket. The frame hidden behind the umbrella tin will eventually hang above the shelf with some "word" art in it. On the top to the far right is a sideways sign that reads "welcome".

I was planning to repaint the sign but with the slightly tan slipcovers, it ties the color in after all. I adore the little rectangle lamp on the shoe shelf and think it matches our corner lamp well.

Onto the curtains!

Curtain Before (note the crazy lack of space on the shelves too!)


Curtains After hemming (love). I think the hemming really improves the look so much! I also love how much space was opened up by just two of those storage cubes. Can't wait to order a few more.

I'll change out the little colored spots on the DVD storage using the extra paper I have from my clock. Depending on how clean this shelf looks after we get all the storage handled, I may opt not to bother with covered it with a curtain.

Living Room Still To Do:

- Hem the bottom of the curtains so they're at floor, but not piled up -- eww.
- Finish tie-back for the blinds
- Repair the water damage on the wall under the AC unit (go bad landlord!)
- Move the boxes to the left of the media cabinet to storage
- Put new slipcovers on the sofas (when they get here -- agh!)
- Stain the furniture a nearly black color
- Acquire a coffee table (stain to match other stained furniture) Update: Might not do this after all.
- Add pillowcases to the throw pillows
- Acquire four more throw pillows
- Organize the media bookcase (thinking to buy some of these and store all of our dvd cases in storage -- cutting down on so much shelf space!) Update: We've bought two of them and want 3-4 more to finish compiling our storage.
- Make cloth "curtain" for the media bookcase
- Acquire some sort of decorative element for the lamp shelving
- Build onto entertainment center (as seen here)
- Build entry storage case (as seen here) We bought some ClosetMaid storage at Target

Added List:

- Use extra paper from clock project to categorize the DVD storage cases.
- Finish pillowcases for new throw pillows
- Cut down dogwood branches in umbrella tin
- Get another basket for the shoe shelves
- Finish "word art" to hang above the shoe shelves
- Paint TV trays fun color like "Navy"
- Paint umbrella bucket with stripes (Navy?)

Well, what do you think?

School + Pictures

Since school has started, I'm wiped and really have no energy for doing much of anything. I'm too tired to even write about what it is I'm doing, how long I'm doing it for, and all the fancy details. I'll save that for this weekend when I've had a day to unwind.

In other news, we took our newest set of Family Pictures -- Summer Edition! We went to China Beach in San Francisco. There's a long story behind that but I'll point to my last paragraph in regards to details. We went with Trizza Grantham Photography again! Trizza has already posted a single picture as a teaser.

How cute is Cole's outfit? I love, love, love that shade of blue.

You can't tell in the picture, but he was soaking wet from the waist down -- we played in the waves a bit. He was also shivering like a leaf and he's got a cold! He's got the cheesiest smile in the world and that's because the poor kid was terrified to be alone on the rock, but the picture looks fantastic and he's a lot braver since he was and did fine.

I'm excited to see the rest. She's promised a blog preview next week. Group cheer anyone?

Updates to the House!

As you may recall, here was my mock-up of what I'd ideally have near our front door. We found something very similar at Target. These in Espresso. We bought three of them, but didn't install the shelf on the top one so we could instead place baskets for jackets or other like outwear.

Excuse the messy photo. I truly couldn't wait any longer to take one. I'm disappointed that the shelves aren't centered on the wall, but since there's carpet and linoleum there, it wouldn't be level to have one "foot" on and off. I'm thinking about bugging B to move it to the edge of the carpet so it looks better.

The white tin has ugly flowers on it so we'll be repainting it. I'm thinking about adding 1 or 2 navy stripes to the top. It will hold our umbrellas. The small wooden bit on the top right is a "welcome sign". I have my silver feather plate next to it to hold wallets and keys. The white rectangle is a light from IKEA. Love it. It matches our corner lamp well.


This is a preview of our slipcovers! As I thought, they're a little sandy tan, but I can handle that. It's such an improvement to the mismatched sofas. We need to do work to get the wrinkles out and I need to smooth them out and tuck them in good to keep them tight.

Then I will be posting an after picture!

By the way, you can see a TV tray behind the sofas. I'm seriously thinking about painting them a fun color like navy for the living room. Thoughts?