Fun with Photo Editing

I know most people have photo shop or some variation and almost titled this "Fun with Photo shop" except I don't have photo shop anymore. "Fun with Memory Manager" just didn't have the ring I wanted, so you get the best I could come up with under the circumstances. I don't even know why I'm talking about the title. Who cares?

So, anyway, I've been trying to get a good portrait of each kid lately because my favorite photographer moved away. I've never really had a great experience with portrait studios though I'll probably end up there again eventually. There is something about a professional portrait. I've been trying my best to get some good ones of my own. I got this one the other day. I love it except for that red shirt that just glares at you. I wish my daughter didn't feel the need to control her wardrobe as she does, but she does and I just have to live with it. It's part of who she is. I'm fine with it most of the time, like when she wore a beautiful pastel dress and rain boots with bright red cherries the other day. When it starts getting in the way of getting good pictures I get a little annoyed. It makes me want to go put all those old shirts of Ryan's with Lightening McQueen and Thomas right back in the box where she found them. She loves them and that's what keeps me from going all control freak on her. Just let her be who she is, so when she is in her 20's she can look at me the same way I looked at my mother and say, "How could you dress me that way?" Then I can say to her, "You insisted on those clothes. See where stubbornness gets you?" Maybe she'll learn the lesson I'm still working on. All hypothetical future conversations aside, I really didn't like the look of that red shirt in this picture. I thought about trying to change the color, but that always looks so fake. I couldn't crop the shoulder out because that would ruin the composition. The idea of black and white seemed like a good one. While I was looking I saw this "take color out" tool. I thought I'd give it a try. I think I like it.

Original

I liked this one okay, but I thought if I could just lighten the color a bit...

This is what I came up with in the end.

I think I like it better than if the shirt had been a better color in the first place. A blessing in disguise?

The First Cut

Lily got her first hair cut. I was really unsure about it because I love her little curls. She won't let me put barrettes in to hold back the front though, so I had no choice. I had to get some bangs cut. I wasn't brave, or foolish enough to do it myself, so I took her to my good friend, Sheri. Sheri is wonderful. She does my hair, she's done my mom's hair and Ryan has never gotten his hair cut by anyone else. When Sheri was on maternity leave she came to our house to cut Ryan's hair! She's always been great with Ryan and Lily was no different. She sat on the chair all by herself. She mostly did everything Ms. Sheri asked. She was still and patient. She even talked about how fun it was later. The bangs are really helping keep her hair out of her face. I even had a little bit taken off the back. I wasn't sure when i went in if I would. I my exact words were, "Okay, here's the thing...I don't want to be one of those moms who can't bring herself to cut her little girl's hair and it ends up being a scraggly mess,[insert knowing laughs from every hair stylist within earshot] BUUUUUT I do love her curls. If you think cutting the back will make her hair look a lot fuller I'll do it." She did think it would help to cut off about 3/4 of an inch to help the shorter hairs catch up. I knew it would help to cut it, but I was afraid how much would have to be cut to make a difference and I wasn't sure with her curls how much of a difference it would make. It did make a difference and it really doesn't even look much shorter. All in all I'm happy I was brave enough to get it cut.

Oh, you want pictures? Well, if you insist. I think I have a few.

Bangs first. Okay, just don't cut off all her curls.

All done.

We got a smile!
That's more like it.
This is how we got the smile;-)
Do you love the boots? She picked out her whole outfit.

After shot.

It's Lily...with bangs:-)

Little Helper

Lily came into the kitchen while I was making dinner last night. When she noticed I was cooking she tilted her sweet little head and said, "Can I give you a hand?"

Where does she get this stuff? I don't think I even say that. It was very sweet though. She helped me add the spices to the spaghetti sauce, but that was really all I had left to do for a while. She seemed satisfied enough with that.

Ew

PETA is stupid. According to this article they want Ben and Jerry's to make their ice cream with human breast milk. Show of hands...who would never eat ice cream made with a stranger's breast milk?

http://www.wbaltv.com/health/17539627/detail.html

Ben and Jerry's is so right to say no. What about the fact that you can't control what humans eat or what medications or drugs they take that could be passed through the milk. What about those human babies that are not getting the milk they need? They will just have to be on, or be supplemented with, formula made with ::gasp:: cows milk. Plus it would change the taste of the ice cream and they wouldn't be able to maintain taste even if they found one that worked because what you eat changes the taste of your milk. Apparently the PETA people need to talk to some lactation consultants and get educated on breast milk. This is just silliness.

I can't believe PETA has any members and supporters anymore, much less 2 million, especially after they killed all those strays and unwanted pets they promised to protect. How do you measure supporters anyway? I'm all for treating all of God's creations with respect and care, but you can take things too far. And PETA? They are out there. I have a hard time believing anything they say. Sometimes I want to create a group of animal supporters and environmental supporters that have good heads on their shoulders and won't be taken in by this craziness. You know, just people who care about the environment and animals that do what they can and encourage others to as well. Ones who rely on real science and common sense, not scare tactics and sensationalistic garbage. Maybe some day there will be such a group.

::Stepping off soapbox::

Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging about kids and real life.

Really?!

So I'm walking through the local craft store. I've noticed this family because they are scaring this little girl(about 3 or 4) with the Halloween decorations. Mostly it was the big brother doing it. The mom would say stop meanwhile they were all laughing hysterically(except the poor little girl).

Cut to next scene:

Ryan, Lily and I were checking out the cake aisle. I hear the mom say, "Okay, bye." She walks by our aisle as we are emerging. The little girl runs toward them screaming. They met right in front of us and the mother chides the little girl, "Look at that little girl," pointing at Lily, "She isn't screaming. Why are you screaming? She isn't."

I just kept my eyes fixed on my kids and said, "It's time to go. This way, please." They trotted along with me. We checked out and left the store. What I really wanted to do was look this woman in the eyes and say, "Seriously?! Do you seriously wonder why your little girl screams when you tell her you are going to leave her in a store?!"

Just so you know, I am not trying to brag on my kids' impeccable behavior, far from it. Maybe if Lily had not thrown a fit when we left the party store with no balloons... ::sigh:: I'm just baffled at this woman's complete lack of awareness that she was causing the exact behaviors that upset her.