Callaloo Soup

Real Life Photography | A Review from Me

I just finished up reading the new e-book Real.Life.Photography by Rebecca Cooper published through Ella Publishing.

I'll just go straight ahead and say that I loved it! It's no big surprise since Rebecca was a frequent contributer to Simple Scrapbooks, as well as one of my team mates at Write.Click.Scrapbook, so we share very similar philosophies regarding scrapping and photography.

What I loved most about the book was Rebecca's practical approach to helping you capture photos of everyday life. Sure, she includes technical information as well, such as her camera settings for the photos in the book, but mostly she explained ways to capture real life as it happens. I am sure that we all have those moments we wished we were able to better capture, this book will definitely help you do that!

You'll get simple tips such as making sure your camera is not only handy, but also ready to fire, to more details like how to best use available light, and how to go about capturing relationships. Rebecca finishes up the book by covering how to use editing software to enhance your photos or correct slight imperfections. She covers simple editing techniques for correcting lighting and colour, and shows examples of photos enhanced with actions from Addy Lane.

The great thing about Real.Life.Photography is that you can start using the techniques right away. I wasn't even finished reading yet when I took these shots of Kieran.

I enhanced both shots using the Simple Fixes: Actions for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements which I bought bundled with Real.Life.Photography. These are the same actions that rebecca talks about in the book. Here's a look at those two photos straight out the camera.

I ran the Simply Boost action on both photos to make the colours more vibrant, as well as running the Simply Lighten action on the left photo as it was a little dark.

As we're heading off on vacation soon I am looking forward to using more of the tips in this book to capture lots of family photos!

If you want to get this book and the action set  (which is available for both Photoshop AND Elements), Ella has a special ending today for 20% off your purchase when you buy both items and use the code PHOTOFIX. I highly recommend them!

 

Tuesday To Do | Quick & Easy Embroidery Floss Tassel Garland

Tassel garlands seems to be all the rage of late. I love the ones that are made with fabric scraps, and have that idea pinned to tackle soon, but as I was looking at my skeins of embroidery floss recently I realised that they could be used to make a super simple and quick tassel garland too!

Supplies

• Embroidery floss in colours of your choice
• Bakers twine
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Cut your floss skeins in half

2. Use one piece of floss to wrap around and tie off a loop close to the folded end

 

3. Arrange your tassels in a pleasing order

 

4. Open up each loop like so

and thread a piece of baker's twine through them to form the garland

5. Hang and adjust the spacing

You can make this as long as you like by using more tassels. You can also make the tassels plumper by combining cut halves of skeins.

Have fun playing with it in your studio!

 

Really Big Bubbles - I Mean Really Big!

 

Yesterday we went to a birthday party for a two year old and his parents brought along the supplies for making really big bubbles.

 

 

I mean really really big bubbles!

It looks like a wind sock made of soap! I had seen this technique online before and even pinned it to my Kid Stuff board, and now after seeing it live I absolutely positively must try it myself this summer.

I also want to try this and this. I think Kieran would love those too! Yes, I am doing this solely because of him. What did you think? That I am the one fascinated with bubbles? Rolls eyes.

Have you ever made bubbles like these?

Sister Sketch June 2012 | Bath

This month Vernell and I are using this half-map from Page Maps

It is meant to be for a 12x6 page, but I just adjusted it to fit on a 12x12 page. I am noticing that I never use the suggested photo or sizes in these sketches, I just like using the same photo orientation.

My layout uses the photos I posted on Monday. Which means this is also a Blog Post to Scrapbook Page!

You can see Vernell's take on the sketch here

This month we would love it if you played along! Once you have a page done you can share it with us by entering your link below.

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Depending on the response we will make the linking up a standard thing.

Overcoming my Fear of Putting Myself Out There

It may not be obvious from my "online persona", but I am a fairly shy and introverted person. In fact I am thankful for the Internet, because it allows me to do many things that I probably would never do in person. Like open two shops, and talk to strangers - which is essentially what I am doing through this blog, Facebook and Twitter.

But even though I am "protected" by my computer, it is still difficult for me to put myself out there and go for things I want. Classic fear of rejection I guess. But my word for the year is Action, and that is propelling me to do things that I wouldn't normally feel comfortable doing (like self-promotion which always makes me feel somewhat icky).

One of the things I've been wanting to do for some time is to submit at least one of my shops to a curated exhibition. These exhibitions are great for exposure, but of course I just kept telling myself that my stuff wasn't up to scratch, no one would be interested in my silly little vintage shop, not to mention my photography is so basic and not half as cool as all the other items I see displayed. Eventually I got tired of listening to my own crap and tremulously submitted my shop to papernstitch. And I made it!

 

The papernstitch exhibition is a monthly one that is curated by Brittni Mehlhoff. Brittni selects a lovely variety of handmade and vintage shops to showcase every month. Some of the ones that caught my eye this month are That's the Cutest Thing, theLOVEstitch, Parsimonia and Gardenmis

I am exceedingly stoked that my little shop is featured in such great company and will be until July 8th. I am also offering a special discount code that is valid until July 15th. So head on over to check out my shop as well as the other exhibitors.

Let's call this one tiny step for me in the right direction. It definitely encourages me to be a little bit braver! And I hope that maybe it will help you do something you have been afraid of trying.

Down By The Riverside

One of the nicest things about our walk to and from Kieran's playchool is that we have to cross the little river that runs through the town. Each time we approach it and Kieran hears it rushing by he tells me "Mummy, the bath!" Bath is what he calls all bodies of water from the tub to the ocean.

Usually I will lift him up from the stroller to peep over the bridge to watch the water flow by, but these days he is more likely than not to be walking alongside me. Last Friday as he crossed the bridge, he stopped in the middle and pointed downwards saying "Mummy look!"

He could see the water flowing through the planks! he then ran to the end fo the bridge and discovered that he didn't need me to be able to see the water!

He remained enthralled for several minutes and happily babbled telling me everything he could see.

It is such fun being three!

A Couple Little Things I Stitched Up

I've long been fascinated with making my own clothes. Growing up this was a common thread (pun fully intended), as all around me various family members made their own clothes. I remember as a child using my grandmother's sewing machine to make clothes for my dolls. I'll never forget my first lesson in seam allowances, as I proudly finished a doll dress then couldn't get it to fit her!

As a teenager, my mum sewed a lot of my "trendy clothes". Remember balloon skirts? My mum made me a fantastic one in a black & white polka dot fabric. Oh they are back by the way, I can;t believe that I am seeing fashion trends from my teens reinvented!

I laugh as I remember that whenever she was finished a particular garment, she would tell us "Well it's finished, now you have to make yourself fit it because I'm not making any adjustments!"

Gathered skirt made by combining these two tutorials at See Kate Sew

Around 16 or so I wanted to start making my own clothes, and my first endeavor was a gathered skirt, but with a set in waistband. I was so proud! I have searched my old photos but can't find any with me wearing it. I remember it to this day though, it was a flowery fabric and I loved it. I wore it a lot to go to various summer jobs.

Fast forward to many years later while living in St. Lucia: my friend Donna and I took a pattern making class. We would get together every Saturday to sew and we made some cool, if not basic stuff. Mainly more skirts for work. Sadly, in my move back to Barbados, I lost all my notes and materials.

Easy linen summer top using this tutorial from Talk to the Trees.

Since then most of my sewing has either been simple stuff like curtains and napkins, or sewing on paper. But with my discovery of craft blogs and Pinterest I am getting back into making clothing, and it makes me so happy! I am starting off with some basic items like the skirt and top shown, just to get back into the habit and the flow of sewing. I have many many projects pinned to two separate boards that I hope to make my way through over time.

Do you like to sew your own clothing? Or work on any kind of sewing project?

 

I've Been on A Quinoa and Sweet Potato Kick of Late

Ah, quinoa. Where have you been all my life?

It all started with this burger. Sweet Potato and Black Bean burgers to be exact. The recipe inclues quinoa and other yummy and healthy stuff. it was the first time that I actually cooked with it. We've had it before, but it's always been Lucas using it. So then I started seeing other recipes pop up on Pinterest using these two ingredients. I was intrigued by this salad and had to try it out.

It was so so good.  The recipe makes up quite a batch and we happily ate it three times in the space of one week. At that point I realised that I like the quinoa as a base for a salad, so then I started pinning quinoa salads left and right.

Last night we had this quinoa, cucumber and grapefruit salad, which was delicious and refreshing, and I can't wait for blueberry season to try the quinoa, mango and blueberry one.

As far as the sweet potatoes go I have used them in a roasted vegetable side dish, and can't wait to try these crash hot sweet potatoes.

And I plan to pair the two again in these quinoa and sweet potato cakes.

Are you obsessed by a particular food of late?

You Say Ladybug, I say Ladybird

Whatever you call them, I am happy to see these little creatures in my garden.

Ladybird on flowering cilantro plant.

According to Wikipedia, the right species are good for the garden as they will eat aphids or scale insects. These look like the right kind to me! Kieran is always happy to see them and will tell me "Look! A ladybug!".

And yes, I have sung him the nursery rhyme

Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home
Your house is on fire and your children are gone
All except one, and that's Little Anne
For she has crept under the warming pan.

To be completely honest, getting to sing it repeatedly is the main reason I am happy to see the ladybirds!

This French Life | 10 Photos from Today's Flea Market Trip

Oh how I love going to the flea markets in France! I would go every weekend if I could. Yesterday I found out that there would be a market (Vide Grenier) in a town close by, so we decided we would check it out if it didn't rain. We were lucky, as it only began raining as we were on our way back home. Here are ten photos from today's experience

Lots of shoppers looking for good deals.

 

A vintage sled!

 

I was very tempted by this lot of three items: a bread bin, a frame and a shelf. Sadly we don't have the space for them. Isn't it cool though, the juxtaposition of old and new? You just never know what people will be selling.

 

Our view while we took a break for a picnic lunch. We can still see some snow on the mountain tops.

 

Kieran enjoying the space to run around without us constantly saying "No, don't touch!"

 

 

Pick a doll, any doll.

And how about a rocking chair for her to sit in?

 

Still lots of deals to be had

 

Maybe these would be nice in the entryway of your country house?

 

I could have spent hours browsing this stall. I'll take one of everything!

I adore the flea market. Do you?

See more lists of 10 here