montana

I've been rummaging through old pictures lately. I've been trying to organize and scan them all. Like I've said before, its some big family history project that I'm working on. And its a very, very long, time-consuming process. But I've come across some old pictures that I love and some that bring back so many good memories.
So I'm planning on sharing some of them as I go.

The one from my last post was a picture of wintertime at my grandparent's cabin in Montana. They never would stay up there for the winter. They'd head South in their motorhome until the snow was pretty much gone. Like vagabonds. Oh, what a life!

My grandparents moved from Washington to Montana sometime in 1992.
We'd go up there every summer and spend a couple weeks. The days were long, carefree, and filled with adventure. We'd spend them outside underneath the towering pines. Laying in the hammock. I remember running around barefoot, wildflowers, garter snakes, feeding the deer, hummingbirds, going down to the lake with our picnic lunch, nightly campfires and roasting marshmallows. I'm pretty convinced that they were the best summers of my life. These pictures were taken in 1992. This baby owl had fallen out of his nest. We happened to come across him and I got to hold him before Rick, a nature-wildlife-forest guy who knew exactly what to do, put him back up in his tree.This picture is of a bear that thought he was a bird. Yes, he is just splashing away in the bird bath that is a little too small for him.I love bears.My grandparents moved to Utah in 1999 to be closer to us. It has almost been 11 years since I've been there. I'd go back in a heartbeat if given the chance. Even though I miss it like you wouldn't believe, I feel so fortunate to at least have the memories.

I hope this is what heaven is like.

this place is magical.

I was going through old photos again today.
I came across this one.
And I smiled. It made me really happy.Because yes, this place truly is magical.

More to come.

meet my new best friend

her name is _____________.

photoshop and vintage photographs

So, I'm not good at photoshop at all. I just don't understand it or have the time to figure it out. I know how to darken or lighten an image, get rid of red eyes, and change the brightness and contrast but that is about it (what a waste, huh?) I came across a fabulous web page with photoshop tutorials. So, while I may not understand photoshop in the least bit, I am able to follow tutorials.

Before:After:

Still in the process of messing around with this tutorial (trying different values, etc.) but I'm having fun! I can't wait to try more! :]

lomo love.

So a few weeks ago I found another love. Lomography!
Mmm...I want one of those cameras sooooo bad! Right now I'm in the process of trying to figure out how they work, how much everything is going to cost (camera, film, developing, filters, blah, blah, blah), which model is best, etc.
I told myself that it would be my reward after I finish taking my boards in April.
I can't wait!
In the meantime, I guess I'll use the lomo effect that I found here.

For more lomography, check out the following:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lomo/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/lomography/

http://www.lomography.com/

http://www.lomography.com/holga/galleries

i love POLADROID

because it is sooooooooooo awesome!seriously, check it out.
go!

xo

projects....oh how i love them!

Right now I'm currently working on numerous projects. In fact, I'm drowning in projects. And I can't complain because that is exactly how I like it. I wouldn't have it any other way. My newest project consists of going through some family history stuff and organizing it. My grandparents had so many photos and love letters and I'm planning on scanning them and organizing things. Honestly, it will probably be a life long project but I'm totally up for it!

I'll share a couple of my favorite photos....

How adorable are these little kids?! They are my grandpa's sisters and brothers. Elva, Tom, Leola and baby Ray. This picture was taken before my grandpa was born...so sometime before 1923.

This next picture is of my grandma, Jewell. She is beautiful. I think we would've been best friends if we would've been the same age. I miss her. A lot.