Death by Photoshop

So it turned out to be a love/hate relationship. I went into meltdown mode the day after my last post while trying to learn Photoshop the, "proper way." Turns out you have to know a bunch about the program to even begin to comprehend the manual. Let's just say I may have spent more time throwing the manual against the wall than actually learning from it. I did Google tons of helpful tutorials, on "How to learn about how to learn Photoshop" and "Support groups for photographers-turned-cutters attempting Photoshop for the first time"...etc. At one point I had myself convinced that I never wanted to take or edit another photograph in my entire life.
And then there was Gibson.

My good friends Ryan and Lisa just had sweet baby Gibson Lee (what a cool name for a rock guitarist's son) on May 19th, so this little guy was only 10 days old for his first portraits. He inspired me to press on with Photoshop, and here are a few of my favorites from our shoot.

Baby Gibson, your adorableness saved me.

Patience is annoying

Ahhhhhh, I'm in love!

I bought Photoshop CS2 and it arrived on Friday. Rhys installed it while I was away on my "alone-time weekend" and the moment Jude went down for a nap this afternoon I ran and tinkered around with it. Oh my gosh, there are so many applications and actions to learn, and I want to know it all NOW! Have I mentioned I'm not an instruction-manual-reading type of girl? I'm more of a trial-and-error learner, which takes at least twice as long and creates a constant little voice in my head that chants "am I really doing this right?" until I finally break down and read the manual. I still have no idea what most of the buttons on my fancy camera do, I just shoot "blindly" in the natural light & manual settings. Here is my first attempt at Photoshop, before reading any instructions. I promised myself I would though. Eventually. Why can't Jude take all-day naps when I need him to?

The Happy List

The arboretum.
This is my new favorite spot. There is a bench hidden in the tall redwoods with a stream that runs right in front of it. I bring my lunch, book and journal and park it here. It smells so crisp and piney, and the sound of the brook just completes this pristine setting. For an hour or so I completely forget that I'm in Southern California. Until I pull out of the parking lot and almost get sideswiped by a bleached blond who is too busy texting to drive, then gives me the stink eye. But oh, the beauty of this spot, for that sweet hour.

The gratitude journal.

I started a journal of things I am grateful for in my life, because by writing them down I am able to truly appreciate how abundant they are. I'm in a particularly wonderful place in my life right now, where motherhood & creative Carrie have intersected. I was worried it would never again connect since mothering takes so much time and energy (and frankly, sucks out my very soul at times). But I've achieved a peaceful balance lately. I've made it a priority to feed my soul fresh air, good books, and more alone time. And from that came a gratitude journal that is overflowing with things that I have been blessed with... as a mother, a wife, and an artistic spirit.

The happy list.

One of the books I'm reading suggests making a list of the little things that make your heart glow. I thought it would be fun to post it so that I could look back on this moment in time and remember them all. This font was made from my own handwriting on this website which is so cool. I did it when it was free but I think they charge $15 for it now.
This weekend I have another hotel vacation all by myself, woo hoo! I will be eating a ton, shopping like a madwoman, and hopefully surviving to blog about it.

Easter, Poker, and other Frivolities

Alright, this is going to be a long one. I'm torturously behind on my photo editing and realized that I haven't even posted Easter yet. This will be the Cliff Notes version of April events with the Bucheles.

This awesome little hand-crafted wooden chair was $16.99 at Home Goods. Are you kidding me? I almost felt guilty paying that little for it. The secret to getting this shot was dropping Jude in the middle of a tall, vast field of flowers. He hates walking in overgrown grass, therefore is "stuck" until I move him. I'm so bad. So what may be interpreted as a serene Spring moment was actually Jude worrying about how his next meal would find him in this field.

After realizing two days prior to the Easter egg hunt that I'd forgotten to get Jude a basket (then frantically trying to find a Pottery Barn one that I loved on eBay) I decided to just make him one. This worked only because it didn't require fancing sewing, only a bit of hand-stitching around the J inside the basket. I was amazed at how well he was with the egg search since he's never done anything like this before. He went around and collected every egg like an old pro. He must have been informed about the sugary snacks inside. A few days later we played poker at a birthday party. Here's Jude's poker face. He plays a mean Texas Hold'em.

We went back to the Mission Inn in April for our 4th wedding anniversary and it was so great to take Jude with us this time. On our wedding day I imagined we'd bring our kids back to visit someday, so it was really sweet to be there with him.

Also in April, Jude began his new "cheese face" for pictures. He does this when I make him pose for photos for more than a few shots... which is often. It makes him look a bit like Phillip Seymore Hoffman, not a particularly good look for him.

It's not easy, this stay-at-home-mom gig. Trying to think of new activities to entertain and educate your toddler all day is a daunting task. I find myself spinning Jude in an office chair, riding escalators in Nordstrom, coloring our atrium with sidewalk chalk, pillow fighting, reading the same books a thousand times, cutting endless amounts of food into tiny pieces, playing freeze dance with a musical greeting card, dancing to Zeppelin on crackling vinyl in the living room. Over and over. Yet somehow, I'm not sick of it. Somehow, this tiny person has taught me how to live in the moment. Sure, sometimes I get burned out or have days when I'm just not in the mood to be a mom~ but that's the case with every job I've ever had. I'm happy to report that I am really enjoying these precious little things that will all be gone before I know it. When I'm straightening his tie as he races out the door to his junior prom, I'll be happy to have these silly little memories with me.

Mother of the Year Award 2009

It was an honor just to be nominated...

(Turn down my radio and click this link:) http://news.cnnbcvideo.com/?nid=PSg7Md6k47kAhaHSFKIeLzExMTU2MDY3&referred_by=4057973-Ot8AYex&p=moveon

Thanks Sharon, for sending me this. You're the best!