I heart faces Week 27 "Sports in Action" & "Pets"

This week's challenge at I Heart Faces is sports in action. This winter our family enjoyed a few sledding trips. Isaac is such a daredevil and wanted to go over and over.

Sports in Action Category

This past week I took my kids to a local farm. We spotted this darling little calf. I instantly fell in love with his bucky beaver teeth. He was so calm and just let my kids pet him.

Pets Category

Week #26 Telling My Story: Patriotic Edition

I'm proud to be an American! I feel so blessed at this time of year to live where I live. I think so often we take for granted the many blessings that living in this country affords us. I'm thankful for freedom of religion, the right to vote, freedom of speech, and life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I'm thankful for my ancestors that helped give me that right(my genealogy has been traced back to George Washington) and thankful that my children will grow up with these rights. So for this post I am sharing our Independence Day in pictures.

Our church has a cute parade for the kiddos in the morning, followed by a home-cooked breakfast!

I had to include this picture I took of Alex on July 3rd when we were decorating Isaac's bike for the parade. He was pulling of the decorations faster than we could put them on.

Gearing up for the parade...

Happy Birthday America!

Alex, just being his chill self...

We went up to Grandma Norma and Grandpa Ron's house for a lunch time BBQ. I was so tired, I took no pictures there. After much needed naps the boys went outside to play. When I came out to check on them, this is what I saw. I love seeing my children play together. The older Alex gets, the more they play. They spend hours in this sandbox.

Before the actual firework show, we decided to light some sparklers before Alex went to bed. He was quite intrigued, but then got mad when he wasn't allowed to hold one.

Around 8:30pm, Mimaw and Grumpy came over with the arsenal of fireworks they bought for us to light. Harmony and Jason joined us too. Isaac was beyond excited. I think this was the first year he has really shown an interest in them. Sparklers and pops were the appetizers and a few fountains for the main course. When we were done lighting ours, we were sitting around visiting. We noticed my neighbors two houses up lighting their fireworks. Now to preface the next comment, I have to tell you what a weed infested yard the particular neighbors have. The weeds are as tall as me, no joke. So jokingly, I said "I wish they would light their fireworks in the middle of their yard and burn all their weeds down." The next thing we knew the weeds next to their driveway were burning. They got it out with the hose, but it was pretty funny. I guess I better watch what I wish for.

When Isaac saw that I was taking pictures of the fireworks, he decided to get his camera and snap a few. Too cute!

Here's Grumpy, Mimaw requested no pictures be posted of her due to nighttime shower and bed time apparel. Request granted. We love you Mimaw!

After our show was done, Travis took Isaac up on the roof. From our house you can see many of the city's firework shows. I think Isaac just liked being on the roof best.

Fix it Friday #19

It's fix it Friday. Yeah! I love editing all these cute girls since I only have two boys.

Here is the original:

Basic Work flow

Ran Noiseware-Portrait Setting

Opened in Adobe Camera Raw:

exposure +35

blacks +13

contrast +24

white balance +6 on yellow slider.

Opened in PSE7

Crop 8x10

DPM Defog action-used layer A Little Foggie

Created a levels layer and adjusted mid tones.

Created brightness/contrast layer :brightness +9

Ran Coffeeshop Powder Room 2 Action

Whiten whites layer: using 100% opacity white brush whiten the whites of eyes set layer opacity to 49%

Eye define Layer: using 100% opacity white brush went over entire eye. Set layer opacity at 100%

Bright eyes Layer: using 10% opacity white brush, I brightened the iris' of the eyes to my taste.

Soften skin Layer: using 15% opacity white brush, softened a few areas on the skin.

Sharpened just a bit.

Edit #1On a copy of #1 I ran Coffeeshop Color Pop 2 Action
Selected Color Pop Layer and adjusted layer opacity to 31%

Set vignette layer to 33% opacity.

#2

On a copy of #1 I ran my new favorite Coffeeshop action: Golden Vintage

Vignette layer 100% opacity

Darken Layer 63% opacity

Vintage Layer 49% opacity

#3

On a copy of #1 ran Coffeeshop Classic BW & Bittersweet Vintage Action

Vignette layer 100% opacity
BW layer 100$ opacity

#3

I Heart Faces Week 25 "Just for Fun"

This week at I heart faces the theme is Wedding Bells, I looked through my photos, but all the pictures I have of wedding are not really worthy of posting. You know there are going to be some amazing wedding shots. They are also having a "just for fun" category. The pictures won't be judge so at some point we can use them again. I had to pick a FUN picture for this one. Last week they had a great little carnival for kids. My kids had such a blast and Isaac wanted a tiger painted on his face. These face painters really did an amazing job! Check out all the fun by clicking the button below!

Fix it Friday #18 Sad Little Guy

It's fix it Friday again. Why are pictures of kids with tears so dang cute?!

Here is the original:

My basic workflow is

1. Run through Noiseware and selected Portrait setting
2. Opened image in ACR(adobe camera raw). I adjusted exposure, brightness contrast and recovery. The white balance was right on for me.
3. Opened image in PSE7. Cropped square.
4. Using clone tool I removed the black mouth on the hat, I found it a bit distracting.
5. Ran Digital Photography for Mom's Defog Action. Selected A Little Foggy layer at 100% opacity.
6. Ran Coffeeshop Perfect Portrait Action. Adjusted the levels a bit. Whitened whites with 100% opacity white brush and then adjusted the layer opacity to 40%. Used Eye Define layer, with 100% opacity white brush covered the entire eye and each eyelash. Kept layer at 100% opacity. On Bright eyes layer, I used a 10% opacity white brush on the irises until it was to my liking. I soften skin just a bit. It didn't need a whole lot after being ran through Noiseware. Set the sharpen layer at 60%. Flattened image and that is edit #1.
   
   Edit #1

Ran Coffeeshop Golden Vintage Action. Turned off the darken layer and set the vintage layer at 59% opacity. Turned on vignette layer at 100%.

Edit #2

Ran Coffeeshop Retro Honey Action. Turned off Dark Burn Layer. Adjusted Light Burn to 28%

Edit #3

Ran Coffeeshop Irish Breakfast Tea Action.

Turned off the soften layer and adjusted the levels in the lighten layer.

Edit #4