Christmas Memories

Well, check it out - Christmas Memories is finally available for listening and purchase. I hope you enjoy! Listen to / Buy the CD!

Kitty Thoughts

Kitty Thoughts

Isn't this picture just adorable? It was taken while I was at home visiting my parents over the Christmas holiday, and I just had to play with the color and mood of the image. Here's some of the steps I took, in case you are looking to reproduce a similar feel:

• Crop to the desired subject. This photo had a lot of extra "bits" that didn't need to make it into the final image, so I cropped them out first.
• Duplicate the layer and adjust the Curves to emphasize the color of the image.
• Blend with the background until you find a good effect.
• Duplicate the layer, and apply a Sepia tone (I use Virtual Photographer)
• Duplicate the result, and apply grain until you get a good effect
• Merge everything to the background
• Duplicate the layer, and apply a Gaussian Blur with a radius of 50
• Add a layer mask to the blurred layer
• Create a circle gradient from black to white so that the black area is in the area to where the viewer's attention should be drawn
• Done! Export for the web, upload to your photo album, or keep playing for different results!

Cool Links

Here's some links that I found to be interesting:

Design:

• Below the fold: Why scrolling isn't a bad thing

Photography:

• 23 awesome photos that look like they're photoshopped but are not

Fonts:

• 12 Handpicked free thick fonts that you can't miss
• Why exactly designers hate Comic Sans

Blog

I've started up a blog - I hope to focus mostly on Web and Graphic design, but some personal stuff will make it there too. View New Posts...

Ack!

Isn't December a strange month? Here I am, at home with my parents, and we're under a Tornado Watch with Tornados on radar all around. The temperature is approaching 70 degrees, and yet in a few hours we'll be like at 30 degrees. Oy!

Oh well, somehow we always manage to survive (Thanks to God), and there's a nice basement here. I just hope my apartment is still there when I get back home!

Where has the year gone?

No, I mean really! - where has the year gone? It seems like January was only a couple of months ago, and yet it's only days away. Not only that, but it'll be 2009. Which, shockingly enough, also means I'll be 30 in less than a year. (ACK!)

Here's hoping that 2009 doesn't go as quickly - I'd like to slow down and enjoy it a bit more. Maybe a couple long vacations somewhere. Less stress. A new brain and body. Well - a girl can dream, right?

Anyway - here's hoping you have a Merry Christmas, and Wonderful New Year, wherever you are!

Spotlight: December

Amazingly it's getting close to Christmas... I can hardly believe it, can you? I've nearly bought all my presents, and hopefully you yours, but while we're at it, let's not forget one thing: the reason for the season. Jesus came so that He might save this world - what better gift could there be? So while you're out in the busy and hectic days, don't forget to help those in need.

If You Want To Help...

You can help by donating to the Salvation Army, or by giving to your local church, homeless shelter, or other social organization.

Photo Gallery

I love photography - and now you can see some of my work! Hope you enjoy these photos! View Gallery...