tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7752962485486697892024-03-19T03:41:22.610-07:00Little Gray KittehMarandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-88577614068544681982013-05-30T17:56:00.000-07:002013-07-26T07:50:45.361-07:00Tips on Photographing AnimalsTaking pictures of animals is <b>really</b> hard. Even with a nice, expensive camera. So I wanted to dish out some pointers that I use and have found to be very helpful. (Added bonus: these tips come in handy when photographing people, too!)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Number One</i></b></span>- <i>Focus on the face</i>. While this tip is not necessary 100% of the time, more often than not, it is very handy. When photographing people, it's okay to have a shot of your subject without much focus on the face. However, with animals, the face is very important.<br />
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For example, look at these self-portraits I did recently.<br />
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You can't see my face, but the pictures still look good. Now, compare these headless shots to this headless shot of Julio- one of the cats in the shelter.<br />
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This picture just looks goofy. So, let me repeat, focus on the face. (FYI: Tommy is the handsome kitty in the top picture, and Kate is the beautiful lady in the bottom picture).<br />
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Focusing on the face is especially important if you take not only artistic photos, but useful photos as well. I do some of the photography for my local Animal Control, so it is very important that the public be able to see what each cat looks like. While getting a good look at the body is valuable, it's not nearly as important as seeing the face.<br />
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If Domino were up for adoption, the picture of him lounging in front of a window would not be good because it's hard to tell what he looks like. So when I photograph cats specifically for the shelter, I make sure to focus on their face like I did in this photo of the gorgeous kitty named Luna!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1hAfpjoEZ59vynZp_FTG3Da-1KxEnBWB2WHyF_scZ6cBTOrlJDKo4WnwSkeybj2S2m6pMbXXaA68ZBltTNopT1dVURT3VPpp4HSvQhHOnE2fqLET4YRufqBw7Msr8UELM33JzvPkSfY/s1600/90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK1hAfpjoEZ59vynZp_FTG3Da-1KxEnBWB2WHyF_scZ6cBTOrlJDKo4WnwSkeybj2S2m6pMbXXaA68ZBltTNopT1dVURT3VPpp4HSvQhHOnE2fqLET4YRufqBw7Msr8UELM33JzvPkSfY/s640/90.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Little Side Note</b></span>- As mentioned before, you don't <b>always</b> have to focus on the face. You can still get good shots of an animal without seeing their face; it's just a bit trickier to do.</i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Number Two</b></span>- Separate the animal from the background.</i> In other words, don't always have your subject lying immediately on/against<i> </i>the background (as Tommy is doing in the picture above). I typically use my camera's settings to achieve a nicely blurred background. If I have to, I will use Photoshop to manually blur the background.<br />
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Here are two examples so that you know what I mean. (Robin is the pretty girl in the top picture, and Kingston is the lovely fella in the bottom picture, in case you were wondering).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlreCvMNJrAslHmpVb9u6aTOWq3NP5OawVEXLdztjC9__vs7Ud_wK9qh_uMjhKHjebdcSWOJ826S13ccggi9iNnMov44NhqEw1eG2J393qbJPOVsjLL5c6W892Cw9NDcomZaJrIhJedLs/s1600/Kingston+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlreCvMNJrAslHmpVb9u6aTOWq3NP5OawVEXLdztjC9__vs7Ud_wK9qh_uMjhKHjebdcSWOJ826S13ccggi9iNnMov44NhqEw1eG2J393qbJPOVsjLL5c6W892Cw9NDcomZaJrIhJedLs/s640/Kingston+1.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Little Side Note</b></span>- Don't be afraid to put/have other objects in front of your subject.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XnUKiQQwB6JrA8ADW9cyKUBR8rVXQubQFmfL0bcG7aQHUATrbpXKGONfulGJ6clfFdjpJLEJI2vMB3qE36bLYgzFL9Wvli2PtfzI17bPXmG9IdRPkHsBtOqZvb5JTa-3eKGlzS9cMKg/s1600/Kingston+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XnUKiQQwB6JrA8ADW9cyKUBR8rVXQubQFmfL0bcG7aQHUATrbpXKGONfulGJ6clfFdjpJLEJI2vMB3qE36bLYgzFL9Wvli2PtfzI17bPXmG9IdRPkHsBtOqZvb5JTa-3eKGlzS9cMKg/s640/Kingston+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Number Three</b><span style="font-size: small;">- Avoid the "posed" look as much as possible!</span></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Try to make sure that your subjects look as natural as they can. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Every now</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> and again, having your subject pose isn't so horrible- notice the picture of Lacy, my puppy, at the bottom of this post. However, if every picture that I took of her were to look that set up, then we'd have a problem. The more natural your subject looks, the better.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">For example, here is a picture of </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">5 month old Jekyll. His stance looks very artificial, but that's okay because his picture is not meant to be artistically appealing; it is just meant to give adopters an idea of what he looks like.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQygpu2h66STh4Dh4Sbj4fyP1Jpj5Mox9YqJNhLb_g7ZQnMHeJ_Nh77GtOwVpeAElxMWH6jjBc1nN1YyiUrNzl2o8g-ZeadrJeGT0ilFTl98324I1NTYsiE3S4VB9raL-p0i-JKe2Dn9I/s1600/121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQygpu2h66STh4Dh4Sbj4fyP1Jpj5Mox9YqJNhLb_g7ZQnMHeJ_Nh77GtOwVpeAElxMWH6jjBc1nN1YyiUrNzl2o8g-ZeadrJeGT0ilFTl98324I1NTYsiE3S4VB9raL-p0i-JKe2Dn9I/s640/121.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">These next three pictures of Pixie also help illustrate this idea. The top photo is meant to show adopters what Pixie looks like. The bottom two photos are more like close-up beauty shots. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ENpcdxgkpFcY1j4QdhuWX98pF-GvoWqoJYHb7_8zCVeT38Gawoix4iyyYhwJ48xV8odjEwevP3rs9kHTH3iaueons4mscrLV7-P7SyGmqo3cdmLxYtBgPA1WOI2upG8cyWJuOS6DrxU/s1600/84.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ENpcdxgkpFcY1j4QdhuWX98pF-GvoWqoJYHb7_8zCVeT38Gawoix4iyyYhwJ48xV8odjEwevP3rs9kHTH3iaueons4mscrLV7-P7SyGmqo3cdmLxYtBgPA1WOI2upG8cyWJuOS6DrxU/s640/84.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yfYk0WJm_ieDtUTNBvUeGwZxkQl4_PQdQav3CBXJcGZ5uY_aIxJ9Ts8-vF0Luva9ucD4xlCEkL5UAl8rmWh0Q-BIsB2n-5drAaQAERKVna3BiQZvkhMz72Lmyzmc5WglbMupghKdWQo/s1600/83.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7yfYk0WJm_ieDtUTNBvUeGwZxkQl4_PQdQav3CBXJcGZ5uY_aIxJ9Ts8-vF0Luva9ucD4xlCEkL5UAl8rmWh0Q-BIsB2n-5drAaQAERKVna3BiQZvkhMz72Lmyzmc5WglbMupghKdWQo/s640/83.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafd5zz1jY54Y8sd1gmgo0Ge-6J1SuCn9B7Tm9TYJ0KymospBsJCsnGvqhrL-4K1_k3efSyQJr4YPHuByNvp6XEWahqzwabWEe-mn58CdQtuIcjtxC7XWjO7WLqKzNzmfgbP3DTLLVfQc/s1600/86.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafd5zz1jY54Y8sd1gmgo0Ge-6J1SuCn9B7Tm9TYJ0KymospBsJCsnGvqhrL-4K1_k3efSyQJr4YPHuByNvp6XEWahqzwabWEe-mn58CdQtuIcjtxC7XWjO7WLqKzNzmfgbP3DTLLVfQc/s640/86.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Number Four</b></span>- Capture their personality.</i> This one is pretty difficult, but don't worry- you don't have to do it all the time. I just use this technique every now and again for fun, for an additional challenge, and to add some interest to my portfolio.<br />
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<u>What do I mean by "<i>Capture their personality</i>?"</u><br />
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Try to use your pictures to tell people something about your subject- such as their favorite activity, what they spend most of their time doing, or your subject's reaction to something that they just absolutely love<br />
For example, my boy Domino <b><i>loves </i></b>to watch/stalk birds. He spends most of his time in front of a window, and he gets so involved whenever he spots a bird, so I made sure to get a picture of him while he was stalking a bird.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvqz44PHsYPRIHQmub6zi27sPvLM3YoTyK_wJxzy94PTYVpidrVE6SlYBHLTqsLCrT2Rsr3J_npVNp-UlBAuaxGJj4eFa4K7pbu71OonZZ6nmjNXI16iM9BnUtRJ8IuV2QCNCUeH8vHk/s1600/Dom+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvqz44PHsYPRIHQmub6zi27sPvLM3YoTyK_wJxzy94PTYVpidrVE6SlYBHLTqsLCrT2Rsr3J_npVNp-UlBAuaxGJj4eFa4K7pbu71OonZZ6nmjNXI16iM9BnUtRJ8IuV2QCNCUeH8vHk/s640/Dom+2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another example is this picture of Lacy. Lacy is literally always happy. Since she is constantly so ecstatic, I made sure to get a picture of her smiling.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9krypQcb-V6nytXDdcw4LE2AVsjWocCguetHCcsST7dLSLta4tU3BWeV0KoOWpE6smZm33oOrnsaDHluvYNanATDTLhC3LBBM-Jg6Xm3U9nBYT5vruPh5xY2BaUzreMGSqymVO9pblZU/s1600/Lacy+smiling+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9krypQcb-V6nytXDdcw4LE2AVsjWocCguetHCcsST7dLSLta4tU3BWeV0KoOWpE6smZm33oOrnsaDHluvYNanATDTLhC3LBBM-Jg6Xm3U9nBYT5vruPh5xY2BaUzreMGSqymVO9pblZU/s640/Lacy+smiling+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Try to make your pictures stir up a feeling in their audience. When people look at my pictures, I want them to feel something- whether they feel the intensity in Tommy's bright, bold eyes; or they sense Domino's passionate concentration while stalking birds; or they perceive the happiness in the picture of Lacy smiling; or they feel the calmness and laziness in the picture of Domino sleeping. Point is, I want their viewing my pictures to be an <i>experience</i>.</div>
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So I hope these tips have helped you in some way. Be sure to practice these techniques and develop a style all your own so that you can share your advice with others, too. If you have any questions or would like to know anything else about me/my photography/these pictures/etc., just let me know! :)</div>
Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-56265929214572211512013-03-26T19:39:00.001-07:002013-03-26T20:02:42.194-07:00Easter CookiesLooking for an easy craft this spring? Well, instead of coloring eggs this Easter, why not color cookies? See how my sister and I made some super pretty Easter cookies, swirled with three different colors.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQi9ya8wstvhYhB6DLrENzCio5zOWwf1L8P-WzqgT1QpVY2bO2vfdNzluO0Rc8s6o2TA4Jkx9GHhC6wo7tov-6kmpkSjjPOwV1rgqgiNPsyMdHL3drp92n9Sh-G3rY2cjn3N3QyK1Lr8/s1600/Cookies+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQi9ya8wstvhYhB6DLrENzCio5zOWwf1L8P-WzqgT1QpVY2bO2vfdNzluO0Rc8s6o2TA4Jkx9GHhC6wo7tov-6kmpkSjjPOwV1rgqgiNPsyMdHL3drp92n9Sh-G3rY2cjn3N3QyK1Lr8/s640/Cookies+Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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First, decide what kind of cookies you want to make! We decided on Chocolate Chip, so we used this awesome recipe right <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/">here</a>. {Forewarning: the cookies don't taste as good once they've been colored, but they're much more fun and festive!}<br />
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Follow your recipe all the way until it tells you to scoop the cookies onto a pan. Before putting your cookie dough on a pan, separate it into a few different bowls- one bowl for each different color that you want in your cookie. We did 3, to be exact- our colors were blue, red, and purple.<br />
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Once you've separated your dough, pick your colors, and start incorporating the food coloring into the dough. Remember: one color per bowl! If you mix the colors now, your cookies will turn into an ugly color.<br />
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After you've done that, take your separate mounds of differently colored dough and throw them all in a big bowl together. Now you can mix and swirl them without the colors bleeding into each other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmfij7fC4GIzcjMNVPzby6A8hegXBBeOBHuoynx1tdVTuPjp6wogCQlmff9bc3atWqlszNIlxmQAu8VptUQb7qnRGTatOn0BUQ16PWpvj9HnbxaKbjI91aQ3w1_u-fO1_yuXbsgQ8cjo/s1600/Cookies+2+sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmfij7fC4GIzcjMNVPzby6A8hegXBBeOBHuoynx1tdVTuPjp6wogCQlmff9bc3atWqlszNIlxmQAu8VptUQb7qnRGTatOn0BUQ16PWpvj9HnbxaKbjI91aQ3w1_u-fO1_yuXbsgQ8cjo/s640/Cookies+2+sig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, I suggest either spraying your pan with a non-stick coating, or placing parchment paper on the pan before you put your dough on it. I used Parchment paper because it is easy, non-greasy, and makes for simple clean-up. Plus, it works every time!<br />
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Alright, scoop the cookie dough onto your pan- or parchment paper. I usually use one spoon to pick up the dough and another spoon to help get it off of the first spoon and onto the pan.<br />
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{Also, I would suggest not making your cookies too big. My sister made the cookies huge, and they took forever to cook. Plus, they were hard to eat because they were so enormous.} <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SuWPY7uDKYngmdLrgbEmSgWWLtOnJYj3Mos4zea3SnHwUJjeynjbGYarAnlaO1FTbmnuXCY46dN_nrgJzK2y0x_UUbQUOhi1Hl4psPWxLGr1d-cM8yUd5bEhhWbW50CwvH9uA4Mvw_k/s1600/Cookies+1+sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4SuWPY7uDKYngmdLrgbEmSgWWLtOnJYj3Mos4zea3SnHwUJjeynjbGYarAnlaO1FTbmnuXCY46dN_nrgJzK2y0x_UUbQUOhi1Hl4psPWxLGr1d-cM8yUd5bEhhWbW50CwvH9uA4Mvw_k/s640/Cookies+1+sig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once you're done with that, bake the cookies according to your recipe. When they're done, let them sit on the pan for a few minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZPV0kYZrGjgcIfWj-pdkHrei9HUpua_iQXzfL_0HcJxLz094yMtga0AsGi0j1I8DR8aZpTc9PE9HEhJKOf5YIPWFh3SZwIbcNJ4af2hyphenhyphenvm67Yzm-jdDoSoczFbCrzn5ygvUp_m6P_Ys/s1600/Cookies+4+sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZPV0kYZrGjgcIfWj-pdkHrei9HUpua_iQXzfL_0HcJxLz094yMtga0AsGi0j1I8DR8aZpTc9PE9HEhJKOf5YIPWFh3SZwIbcNJ4af2hyphenhyphenvm67Yzm-jdDoSoczFbCrzn5ygvUp_m6P_Ys/s640/Cookies+4+sig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZnEAES83vdiyMNAFm7u3D_08W5HWgMrQaa30gwndPvIlAGfRil2_mqaxN-lBAEAFBLrGYLjVLcm5WRTfLd91F6H_uvxOdjajYfML3xW08VQbkS5dyXLoP1YYc4zSC8Nb-A7preqZNCU/s1600/Cookies+5+sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZnEAES83vdiyMNAFm7u3D_08W5HWgMrQaa30gwndPvIlAGfRil2_mqaxN-lBAEAFBLrGYLjVLcm5WRTfLd91F6H_uvxOdjajYfML3xW08VQbkS5dyXLoP1YYc4zSC8Nb-A7preqZNCU/s640/Cookies+5+sig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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After they've cooled, dig in!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96kz7b8mOLDE3n9RHS6w6sBei3TkRyI9QLrovd-PtXL1HNZPex_bE_dw5y_rE0l3MLmtVXs776u-Opp8ptYVIThWjN9ciDloBYS6s5fo80DBoprSXfW6tjYwwrqxV3DZ0LkckFFtYbx4/s1600/Cookies+3+sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96kz7b8mOLDE3n9RHS6w6sBei3TkRyI9QLrovd-PtXL1HNZPex_bE_dw5y_rE0l3MLmtVXs776u-Opp8ptYVIThWjN9ciDloBYS6s5fo80DBoprSXfW6tjYwwrqxV3DZ0LkckFFtYbx4/s640/Cookies+3+sig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKtjk2Fbt_KEwaKsVACmebDSgOxNXisq4OEHvrIbNUT9hKfungrdhUTg-GKAW6evLJGUP5DXiQb5dtYnWEDAWW1K2WW4yocIeOaUT51BcqqOAqlWeitcj3MyMMsC3KLGQwZU4g8OnkwM/s1600/Cookies+6+sig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEKtjk2Fbt_KEwaKsVACmebDSgOxNXisq4OEHvrIbNUT9hKfungrdhUTg-GKAW6evLJGUP5DXiQb5dtYnWEDAWW1K2WW4yocIeOaUT51BcqqOAqlWeitcj3MyMMsC3KLGQwZU4g8OnkwM/s640/Cookies+6+sig.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy Easter!<br />
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{The Lord has risen; He has risen, indeed.} c:Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-30841627982096868692013-03-21T22:05:00.001-07:002013-03-21T22:05:58.917-07:00Best, Easiest Dessert EverWho loves dessert? I do! I'll show you how to make the easiest and tastiest dessert ever! And it doesn't even require any baking or hard work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvmj-y0EXMg02EPsbSef-3Er6xT1IQOoEbrqd8ViXopMGqAkx2d0R-5VoYyFuJ2TIoCVT4jJcMpacITbzD-1weaRPxIUABgo3z3WAhqaDH61bg2gtr3q7313iIlUDRGLM1PNwUmwsiK4/s1600/Straw-IceCream+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvmj-y0EXMg02EPsbSef-3Er6xT1IQOoEbrqd8ViXopMGqAkx2d0R-5VoYyFuJ2TIoCVT4jJcMpacITbzD-1weaRPxIUABgo3z3WAhqaDH61bg2gtr3q7313iIlUDRGLM1PNwUmwsiK4/s640/Straw-IceCream+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a>To make this mound of deliciousness, you will need:<br />
<ul>
<li>Shortbread cake (I used the mini ones that come pre-made, 6 in a package)</li>
<li>Ice Cream</li>
<li>Strawberries (or other fruit/topping)</li>
<li>Whipped Cream</li>
</ul>
First, place the shortbread cake in the center of your plate.<br />
Then, cut your fruit into fourths and spread the pieces all over the plate.<br />
Next, scoop your ice cream onto the plate. (I had about 4 scoops or so.)<br />
Finally, top the whole thing with lots of whipped cream.<br />
Done!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pguiF5wUJWaqIHhvDeWBL4xJvwXz3YDL_Gy5_WXh02Aqzo4cRsjwQzmAZEqxHE3xil8nUqZ4CYVN9nstpg8MKzxDsFYHI9jWm5V98eWyMyD-rRjTUnOIThUG9c28QMCiU1JQJJxfdyU/s1600/Straw-IceCream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9pguiF5wUJWaqIHhvDeWBL4xJvwXz3YDL_Gy5_WXh02Aqzo4cRsjwQzmAZEqxHE3xil8nUqZ4CYVN9nstpg8MKzxDsFYHI9jWm5V98eWyMyD-rRjTUnOIThUG9c28QMCiU1JQJJxfdyU/s640/Straw-IceCream.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
And it's <i>so delicious!</i>Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-27408113110184108012013-03-01T14:07:00.001-08:002013-03-01T14:07:24.355-08:0018February 27, 2013- I turned 18!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuczhfjkgU95amBFU-lDAvpZjqdMOPk9YJ71q0vffK56eqR3BeLsUKoWMMAAkqz8t0gZYM-rIIbgJzlFTs5-_lLQG5xkBtbf52bmRDvSjtMuO-3YHSJdhiuL3cKrLfgmUn0mw4JeDhew/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGuczhfjkgU95amBFU-lDAvpZjqdMOPk9YJ71q0vffK56eqR3BeLsUKoWMMAAkqz8t0gZYM-rIIbgJzlFTs5-_lLQG5xkBtbf52bmRDvSjtMuO-3YHSJdhiuL3cKrLfgmUn0mw4JeDhew/s640/18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-89107916400352619722013-02-21T17:42:00.000-08:002013-02-21T17:42:41.933-08:00Pasta and Potatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4kBdoZf-WxVF5PzmRvTDHlUnlqkLJ_PM9ncnYRqZa06Dnj-4JwLc4cxSlFu_eeBn2gs08uG8uacO5fJYSZ-Ikaz7kzfc4rFnoFS0zvG7VcnjMuuFtWST_bvJlBkGeUf_hbVNqk1wfCg/s1600/Pasta+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja4kBdoZf-WxVF5PzmRvTDHlUnlqkLJ_PM9ncnYRqZa06Dnj-4JwLc4cxSlFu_eeBn2gs08uG8uacO5fJYSZ-Ikaz7kzfc4rFnoFS0zvG7VcnjMuuFtWST_bvJlBkGeUf_hbVNqk1wfCg/s640/Pasta+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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1. Cook pasta according to directions on box.<br />
2. Boil chopped potatoes in water with salt until soft.<br />
3. Heat spaghetti sauce.<br />
4. Combine potatoes and sauce.<br />
5. Toss pasta in a skillet with a small amount of olive oil.<br />
6. Add potatoes and sauce to skillet.<br />
7. Mix and serve.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH91hOvSuwuk3dZhJroq1vIYhm97XeGfiQfeZWfAdb9NxM1GvsB-vD5jKyJDFHNKgvW7_wfNPmaekdaFe24fyq9f4zwXTpcM79_QCGuPHvmb6cf2yxXEQHrNv84DuRuEtVmnB0gAXkAfE/s1600/Pasta+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH91hOvSuwuk3dZhJroq1vIYhm97XeGfiQfeZWfAdb9NxM1GvsB-vD5jKyJDFHNKgvW7_wfNPmaekdaFe24fyq9f4zwXTpcM79_QCGuPHvmb6cf2yxXEQHrNv84DuRuEtVmnB0gAXkAfE/s640/Pasta+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-78301160675672694572013-02-16T20:45:00.003-08:002013-02-22T21:02:14.481-08:00What a DifferenceYou'd be surprised by the kind of difference you can make by simply editing your photos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxExSVN93i80X3CxMnS1OOmsP2wrfjFp4kiaZ9d7dUV7zP_KzujnjgjPvp-6DJwJ2WGQKjviRkph7O0-YQ0EmDa3bIwnEoI-KvtkyHvxbU6frDiz2LYiD36gQJiQr8Wbh2LE3hG2fXsXc/s1600/Lacy+mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxExSVN93i80X3CxMnS1OOmsP2wrfjFp4kiaZ9d7dUV7zP_KzujnjgjPvp-6DJwJ2WGQKjviRkph7O0-YQ0EmDa3bIwnEoI-KvtkyHvxbU6frDiz2LYiD36gQJiQr8Wbh2LE3hG2fXsXc/s640/Lacy+mix.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eewAtx2T2CSyrvGOnJ6Kcw21eJmzkPn1hgxeAM5m1Z0vW0Loy62FCSQp9XqtR16J4vqjYgwg40Y2aKvyYGgGBmUMLpniuZipqwyjmuwzs57VLYJVl-IH9jFeinVQsv6OBl1NW_feCTY/s1600/Pasta+Mix+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4eewAtx2T2CSyrvGOnJ6Kcw21eJmzkPn1hgxeAM5m1Z0vW0Loy62FCSQp9XqtR16J4vqjYgwg40Y2aKvyYGgGBmUMLpniuZipqwyjmuwzs57VLYJVl-IH9jFeinVQsv6OBl1NW_feCTY/s640/Pasta+Mix+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0lTHP7ats0aU_-vrtviGoCA7ollvlyOgOqnX7oYjvYi_PiO3NlVFgEjTzvChwLgJgd0Ob3UKTo54Lb-IVMvpyxHmcZR5nTWUy8xuKVgoWrZEiKPBmiuk8G-KZH20ekhW7irkzKLuEjM/s1600/Shea+mix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy0lTHP7ats0aU_-vrtviGoCA7ollvlyOgOqnX7oYjvYi_PiO3NlVFgEjTzvChwLgJgd0Ob3UKTo54Lb-IVMvpyxHmcZR5nTWUy8xuKVgoWrZEiKPBmiuk8G-KZH20ekhW7irkzKLuEjM/s640/Shea+mix.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
Take, for example, the photo below. This was the original picture that my camera produced.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBQRNlP5EC9CRZJfjQ7D1M4H5Q9t6VZHHNvWTMH3KSi72Dh4Tv6oeqXt3kuvqBXAUo_-yVQ7rPG1DOH6iGFY8CqC-ChGZxAIy_QLXm0XDNUZORR7FiysIjnfXtwYoIKsbmn4T09wUft0/s1600/GEDC0895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBQRNlP5EC9CRZJfjQ7D1M4H5Q9t6VZHHNvWTMH3KSi72Dh4Tv6oeqXt3kuvqBXAUo_-yVQ7rPG1DOH6iGFY8CqC-ChGZxAIy_QLXm0XDNUZORR7FiysIjnfXtwYoIKsbmn4T09wUft0/s640/GEDC0895.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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This next picture is after a little bit of Photoshopping enhancements, such as cropping, adding contrast, and brightening the picture. For basic editing, I'd high recommend using <a href="http://lisaedoff.blogspot.com/2011/07/photoshop-tutorial-learn-basic-photo.html?">this awesome post</a> by <a href="http://lisaedoff.blogspot.com/">A Piece of Lisa</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNv1ss8SwYImJVR6IhHTPaVwvWs113iRex6BIMuhlcvATmGOx2CNSx8DOM07pVw-fJRtE0DDREsD9vJItPhj3jVHIJ3KrIZevjBzK2zF77kd1_Mey4ChyphenhyphenByFfica49s5i7U2rL3GPZd74/s1600/Lacy+snow+2+small+copy=.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNv1ss8SwYImJVR6IhHTPaVwvWs113iRex6BIMuhlcvATmGOx2CNSx8DOM07pVw-fJRtE0DDREsD9vJItPhj3jVHIJ3KrIZevjBzK2zF77kd1_Mey4ChyphenhyphenByFfica49s5i7U2rL3GPZd74/s640/Lacy+snow+2+small+copy=.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this last one is one that was created by using a variety of Photoshop techniques, including Curves, Selective Color, and Color Balance. <a href="http://goldenpinkdots.livejournal.com/17662.html">This</a> is the gorgeous coloring that I used to edit the below picture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap5rvrzAJp0pYYC89KaRzCAiwVRgO0xx4KKhFBegjvPeG6l_ESI1vhyphenhyphentpKoPw28v8LONbBfuXXp6Qw0RiwG6x6zFph1snlASEE-3PJUcO2FQjfx_LRiowi7NWm3zQoR3PXBDCwNWq9JU/s1600/Lacy+in+the+snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap5rvrzAJp0pYYC89KaRzCAiwVRgO0xx4KKhFBegjvPeG6l_ESI1vhyphenhyphentpKoPw28v8LONbBfuXXp6Qw0RiwG6x6zFph1snlASEE-3PJUcO2FQjfx_LRiowi7NWm3zQoR3PXBDCwNWq9JU/s640/Lacy+in+the+snow.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Below is another example of the difference between the first image (original) and the following image (edited).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIo790HSVy04n7IhK9y61nYMKsnobBqlmIY8-OLxx3sMUKtDI5jzclukGjVsBlh027flwDhpFQF_E1fTQciRjI5Zg7hGnLjkHLjEPaBzuyXK-ag0QTTkbEg2i9POm1KvlFCWzSuaKbrI/s1600/Pasta+2+original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmIo790HSVy04n7IhK9y61nYMKsnobBqlmIY8-OLxx3sMUKtDI5jzclukGjVsBlh027flwDhpFQF_E1fTQciRjI5Zg7hGnLjkHLjEPaBzuyXK-ag0QTTkbEg2i9POm1KvlFCWzSuaKbrI/s640/Pasta+2+original.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And this is the last example of going from dull and boring:<br />
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To totally awesome:<br />
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You can easily take your photos from plain Jane to snazzy and stylish in a snap. Pretty cool, isn't it? So which do you like best: the original, raw image; the slightly edited photo; or the over-the-top, vibrant finish? Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-25929333746126574192012-12-29T21:48:00.000-08:002013-01-15T15:16:21.794-08:00Shelter Cat ProjectRecently, a totally awesome gal shared with me the link to her site [<a href="http://www.peaceloveadopt.info/">Peace Love Adopt</a>] and the link to her outstanding photography of shelter cats. Be sure to check out her site and how she is <i>saving the world, one cat at a time!</i><br />
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After you've visited her site- or before, it really doesn't matter- you <b><i>absolutely have</i></b> to see her photos <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lalcreative/sets/72157626985045746/">here</a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZF91eAf5A1l1hempanJ-mztWMKriR0AZA60sdtgX2M0f57IhjV7WjGhjIFmD2l6ljVFXTTLkqelWzLtRUbk_qtTCgP7CDQDuxwc-YSnjvraVXIbQxqncnhhqXNgdfjo80tKTwxiPBQ4/s1600/shelcatpro+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiZF91eAf5A1l1hempanJ-mztWMKriR0AZA60sdtgX2M0f57IhjV7WjGhjIFmD2l6ljVFXTTLkqelWzLtRUbk_qtTCgP7CDQDuxwc-YSnjvraVXIbQxqncnhhqXNgdfjo80tKTwxiPBQ4/s640/shelcatpro+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lalcreative/6674143009/in/set-72157626985045746/">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I mean, look at this gorgeousness. She is really talented, and her photos are really inspiring.<br />
She does an excellent job of capturing the cats in a very natural setting. These cats don't even look like they are in a shelter, they look like they are in someone's home or perhaps in a professional photoshoot. Either way, she is extremely skilled at getting the cats to look comfortable in front of the camera. Being an amateur photographer myself, I must say that getting a cat to relax in front of a camera is ridiculously challenging. Then, once they do relax, trying to get them to look into the camera is a big pain in the buns.<br />
I don't even know how she manages to get the cats to look so perfect. She is truly one amazing lady.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvTNz_BvcQg1m7EfhilMvbLqY8EyBflB4sB2fnKZLhYbsObuXMl7f0nISq3Ha9afZaVGP_LNpMoPVk1iMO_M-pKxugPXoiT1C32ur8Qo3HqjgM4HlC-_24UzDftMRFFrj02-VYNcEw2s/s1600/shelcatpro+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcvTNz_BvcQg1m7EfhilMvbLqY8EyBflB4sB2fnKZLhYbsObuXMl7f0nISq3Ha9afZaVGP_LNpMoPVk1iMO_M-pKxugPXoiT1C32ur8Qo3HqjgM4HlC-_24UzDftMRFFrj02-VYNcEw2s/s640/shelcatpro+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lalcreative/5843109631/in/set-72157626985045746">Source</a></td></tr>
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I hope that my photography can be this beautiful someday. Until then, I will keep practicing.<br />
The unique thing about her photography is that it shows shelter cats in a different light. Instead of trying to get a typical body pose of the cat to show for adoption, she achieves a much more interesting side of the cats. She shows them as individual beings with fun personalities and distinctive characteristics rather than as mere animals in need of homes.<br />
Her photography is artistic as opposed to the generic photography that is used by 99% of shelters around the world.<br />
Her photos save lives by showing people that shelter cats are more than pitiful animals with sad lives and poor sob stories. She shows people that shelter cats are beautiful and valuable. And she does it all without even saying a word.<br />
As they say, a picture says a thousand words.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR3N1oMpNZ94tA4-HMSowzDBE90G0oaJt0Sav6vj6AiXcci30qsSQ2saF8bmrVlPDGo_t6kJ9xqZ6eZTkj7p4qBE7Y-R-IWU6B6c_lNvAJ0_sFoDVm_GZ1eznUNW8_yFxGRSnP2sDzuQ/s1600/shelcatpro+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhR3N1oMpNZ94tA4-HMSowzDBE90G0oaJt0Sav6vj6AiXcci30qsSQ2saF8bmrVlPDGo_t6kJ9xqZ6eZTkj7p4qBE7Y-R-IWU6B6c_lNvAJ0_sFoDVm_GZ1eznUNW8_yFxGRSnP2sDzuQ/s640/shelcatpro+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lalcreative/5810385621/in/set-72157626985045746">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nonetheless, her photos are so admirable. I really hope that you take the time to look through her stunning set of photos in support of her life-saving efforts.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>All photos - </i>Copyright © <a href="http://www.peaceloveadopt.info/"><b>Peace Love Adopt</b></a> </div>
Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-57394961923253347852012-12-24T13:29:00.000-08:002012-12-24T13:29:15.769-08:00Making Gingerbread Men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9eUSoprV9Qq6VpNKor_jk_Qy5FiVG4VmIu-7gnVU-FOl0w0Hi7nv_d08wmPaoOLu2AjJRMlb1IqoJS-5N8bXxT-Gpt3bmrVbUxpcd52oCwcKrbQxuMeTop98zNPkHAXf7iPDv3DYcMM/s1600/Ginger+1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs9eUSoprV9Qq6VpNKor_jk_Qy5FiVG4VmIu-7gnVU-FOl0w0Hi7nv_d08wmPaoOLu2AjJRMlb1IqoJS-5N8bXxT-Gpt3bmrVbUxpcd52oCwcKrbQxuMeTop98zNPkHAXf7iPDv3DYcMM/s640/Ginger+1+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This Christmas season has been amazing so far. Today, my mom and I made gingerbread men, which is something that we've never done before. It was fun. c:<br />
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I hope that God blesses everyone this Winter and gives everyone a very Merry Christmas!Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-39480679428944020862012-12-09T19:58:00.000-08:002013-02-14T20:41:18.084-08:00I've started a second blog - My pet photographyMy second blog is called <a href="http://graypawsphotography.blogspot.com/">Gray Paws Photography</a>. It is for my amateur photography, which is primarily focused on the lovely cats in my <a href="http://friendsofac.org/">shelter</a>. I'd appreciate if you'd check it out. c:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hIy1FqLRgMdDLRhK7zmyQc3kDpHjePUY9TP2ix4-FmlOl230OUFwFYwFDAAjeeGwrV54Wp8qpT2rhLoEO9HfxqHa1MU5qHqZ1uc0DqqM4lqnpaFnWyI8OOOQW5MgE0tJcJ1pfYlTGlQ/s1600/destiny.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9hIy1FqLRgMdDLRhK7zmyQc3kDpHjePUY9TP2ix4-FmlOl230OUFwFYwFDAAjeeGwrV54Wp8qpT2rhLoEO9HfxqHa1MU5qHqZ1uc0DqqM4lqnpaFnWyI8OOOQW5MgE0tJcJ1pfYlTGlQ/s640/destiny.png" width="640" /></a></div>
This blog is my little way of helping to spread the word about the amazing and adoptable cats from my local shelter, while also practicing my animal photography skills as well as my patience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxO7IfJ3vR3B50eI8jEFKSCZECunDtYQVBFVL-43GvG4-QanJxO5QgyesIazPnqYlzlVjTLU0laHXZY-2wusK0Spbs68dl8RCpGeae1Egs139Qy8CbKwRX7LBPGbwhE0_c0Iak9OnYNQ/s1600/Domino+2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVxO7IfJ3vR3B50eI8jEFKSCZECunDtYQVBFVL-43GvG4-QanJxO5QgyesIazPnqYlzlVjTLU0laHXZY-2wusK0Spbs68dl8RCpGeae1Egs139Qy8CbKwRX7LBPGbwhE0_c0Iak9OnYNQ/s640/Domino+2+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Each pet's post will include their age, gender, some information about them, and a link to their page on Petfinder.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYMAh8b7w1rZExdFirxMYqbk1xY3l-W_pxt40cTqYWXwItCsx-ti853NdCfZN46zmG1Uz_F_P9gIXymCRNLyteAJQDOQYuhgsbvcEie9-liKaQmtZWsr_Di94SMjVrn6f09DF9JVD0d0/s1600/Millie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYMAh8b7w1rZExdFirxMYqbk1xY3l-W_pxt40cTqYWXwItCsx-ti853NdCfZN46zmG1Uz_F_P9gIXymCRNLyteAJQDOQYuhgsbvcEie9-liKaQmtZWsr_Di94SMjVrn6f09DF9JVD0d0/s640/Millie.png" width="640" /></a></div>
It will be updated as often as possible, and cats are labeled as either adoptable or adopted (in the <i>filed as</i> section). For example, Kate <i>(below)</i> is filed as adoptable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgKukpim5Kz0JBkh1VgNno8NW6WNeM6FbaeCvHNw1lMiqKAR2qftclcvlvPxbLFiLpexr84vpxACFvwMV9uNneiu8UO0wov-XQ-Z1c_7LXZHNPTWkuh0BO14pag7yEH-byLTs6k6hD4c/s1600/Kate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgKukpim5Kz0JBkh1VgNno8NW6WNeM6FbaeCvHNw1lMiqKAR2qftclcvlvPxbLFiLpexr84vpxACFvwMV9uNneiu8UO0wov-XQ-Z1c_7LXZHNPTWkuh0BO14pag7yEH-byLTs6k6hD4c/s640/Kate.png" width="640" /></a></div>
And Miss Kitty <i>(below)</i> is filed as adopted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYI2vLxiPvR6deWm0dMrxTNxKovsBSBuYJYxUNP1BfeBDa69JZ3ZmI811UTzT5MznChnpHVEtp2FUosP9u56We-gTftVHt70QcEPx8m4ogDGjBKrkFO9EqGuSPCNolmCeY8RsWnryTNeM/s1600/Miss+Kitty.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYI2vLxiPvR6deWm0dMrxTNxKovsBSBuYJYxUNP1BfeBDa69JZ3ZmI811UTzT5MznChnpHVEtp2FUosP9u56We-gTftVHt70QcEPx8m4ogDGjBKrkFO9EqGuSPCNolmCeY8RsWnryTNeM/s640/Miss+Kitty.png" width="640" /></a></div>
If you wish to know anything about any of the cats, feel free to comment. c:<br />
Thanks much! And be sure to check the new blog for more pictures as they appear.Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-32591502539356711842012-11-25T13:03:00.001-08:002012-11-25T13:05:16.565-08:00Make your own little owlSo, Christmas is coming up, and so is my sister's birthday. She loves owls, and I've already purchased a few owl-related items, but I wanted to make something for her, and this is what I came up with. c:<br />
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All you need is some Sculpey (or other brand of clay, it doesn't matter), a small rolling pin, and a heart-shaped cutter. If you don't have a cutter, you could just use a knife.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Start by deciding what colors you want to use. I used turquoise, yellow, white, and black because those were what I had on hand. I originally wanted to use brown for the body and orange for the beak.<br />
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Once you've chosen your colors, take a decent amount of the background (body) color and roll it out so that it is even in thickness. <i>Hint: I always knead my clay before I roll it so that it is softer and easier to work with.</i><br />
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Then, cut out a heart shape.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWb1ViDqTrTwUiA5bF2ifn-QXi1DUlobGM-8qAUUTEGrbl4zQ-hf0EWkieQQrpVeYDTN9fsWriUyYNPsFWPP0Led_PojbrH9uJRWX9fLkjk0viiN6bGtQ4ridKv-E_-ZBpfPb5djEoUk/s1600/owl+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdWb1ViDqTrTwUiA5bF2ifn-QXi1DUlobGM-8qAUUTEGrbl4zQ-hf0EWkieQQrpVeYDTN9fsWriUyYNPsFWPP0Led_PojbrH9uJRWX9fLkjk0viiN6bGtQ4ridKv-E_-ZBpfPb5djEoUk/s640/owl+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Repeat with the color that you want for the eyes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodYoCAiNhWULXZ1f618S01HPYCxWtSo5XUrNtgbWZWgbxHhyHPUm2pyGqnvc9Wt9CUBprvFS89PilQQ3KDzAlA2634IaTiKug2OTlS6nOS2Y5480WPNs96hZiKP3NA6of0zawO0_WUKc/s1600/owl+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodYoCAiNhWULXZ1f618S01HPYCxWtSo5XUrNtgbWZWgbxHhyHPUm2pyGqnvc9Wt9CUBprvFS89PilQQ3KDzAlA2634IaTiKug2OTlS6nOS2Y5480WPNs96hZiKP3NA6of0zawO0_WUKc/s640/owl+4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now, place your heart shape upside down atop the white heart. If you aren't using a cutter, just cut two circles for eyes.<br />
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Press the eyes on top of the body without disfiguring them as best as you can. Roll out your beak color and use the tip of the heart to cut a beak. Press the beak below the two eyes.<br />
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Roll out the black clay, and use the cutter as an edge to cut off a small amount of clay. Roll it a little bit between your fingers so that it has a rounder shape, and press it into the eyes.<br />
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At this point, the rest is up to you. You could use a toothpick to create a hole so that this little owl can be used as a necklace pendant or keychain, or you could bake it and then stick a magnet onto the back. I think I'll make this one a magnet or something. Either way, if you use an oven-bake clay, <i>don't forget</i> to bake it!<br />
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<br />Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-51246653237500096202012-11-02T20:23:00.000-07:002012-11-05T12:54:36.346-08:00Easily form a lace design in clayCheck out this tutorial to see an extremely easy way to put a lace imprint on crafting clay, such as Sculpey. I used this technique to make a ring.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>First up, gather your supplies.<br />
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You need:<br />
<ul>
<li>a pair of scissors (optional; to cut the lace)</li>
<li>a piece of lace</li>
<li>some clay (I used Sculpey)</li>
<li>a pin roller</li>
<li>a shaped cutter (mine was a heart)</li>
<li>a toothpick (optional)</li>
</ul>
Now, if you need to, cut out a piece of lace. Mine was just a scrap piece, so I didn't need to cut it.<br />
Then, knead your clay and roll out your clay so it is all roughly the same size.<br />
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<i> </i> <br />
Then, place your lace over the clay, and roll it a second time. Be gentle, but use enough force to press the lace into the clay.<br />
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Peel back the lace. It may stick to the clay a little bit, but that's alright. Just gently separate the two.<br />
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Voila! You now have an elegant lace imprint in your clay.<br />
<i>Note: the imprint does remain in the clay even once it's baked.</i><br />
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Now, just out whatever shape you want from the clay. You could use the toothpick to create a hole for a jump ring to make a necklace pendant. Or you could glue it onto a ring base to make a ring- like I did. You could even use it as a gift tag for presents around Christmas time or birthdays.<br />
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If you decide to make one, tell me how it goes! c:Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-38796137490193044872012-10-30T14:36:00.002-07:002012-10-30T14:36:39.548-07:00Happy FallJust want to wish everyone a happy Autumn with a little card that I whipped up in Photoshop. I pray that God blesses everyone this season. c:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Nnj_kKsxOI_ZIoo2Lhz2EVn6qV44wjj_bMgcXRwiioQe18aZLeySXWXShU1_5mCRgPz5JYsDKeJG_IBLRM4Q9lSJINiG6wHUxHh5jcpe4wb-FbN4KlYRoOy532-577xc_mXDqYhdJUE/s1600/HappyFall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Nnj_kKsxOI_ZIoo2Lhz2EVn6qV44wjj_bMgcXRwiioQe18aZLeySXWXShU1_5mCRgPz5JYsDKeJG_IBLRM4Q9lSJINiG6wHUxHh5jcpe4wb-FbN4KlYRoOy532-577xc_mXDqYhdJUE/s1600/HappyFall.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-1461347354014361862012-10-28T15:17:00.001-07:002012-10-28T15:19:53.962-07:00Using Photoshop WiselyThe best tip for Photoshopping photos for blogging that I have ever heard is this:<br />
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Use Photoshop to enhance your pictures, not to create your pictures.</div>
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Photoshop can be an awesome tool to improve the look of your photos, <i><b>if you use it wisely.</b></i> Try to avoid over-editing (i.g. making pictures too bright/dark or too contrasty, or adding tacky texts to pictures).</div>
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<i>Before</i></div>
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<i>After (good)</i></div>
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<i>After (bad)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPggNr4edFXK_QKhiiVxyDfeLHvdjTnZFtSvxSBVc1yrXA7l7ofuo0h1kpzLiM191Gq4H36Y2OmCevJOMeFWvGtc2nnrf6BlCmSDBUZvSYFJYHd4FVIHQWVp9zHmwGBPrQfsfNC0CBWY0/s1600/bad+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPggNr4edFXK_QKhiiVxyDfeLHvdjTnZFtSvxSBVc1yrXA7l7ofuo0h1kpzLiM191Gq4H36Y2OmCevJOMeFWvGtc2nnrf6BlCmSDBUZvSYFJYHd4FVIHQWVp9zHmwGBPrQfsfNC0CBWY0/s640/bad+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To create the <i>good</i> picture, I used <a href="http://lisaedoff.blogspot.com/2011/07/photoshop-tutorial-learn-basic-photo.html?">this tutorial</a> (via A Piece of Lisa) with one alteration: my Soft Light layer was set at 30% opacity instead of 80%. I then added a color fill layer (<i>ffebc1</i> at 75%) to give it an Autumn color.</div>
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To create the<i> bad</i> picture, I used the Brightness/Contrast feature, with a lot of contrast and a little bit of brightness. Then, I used Hue/Saturation and increased the saturation significantly.<br />
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The <i>good</i> picture simply gives the picture a bit more contrast, as well as a somewhat warm feeling. It takes the picture, and brings it a step up.</div>
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The <i>bad</i> picture is simply bad because it is too bold. The white is extremely harsh, and the colors are too vibrant. It hurts the eyes of the viewer, and also shows that the editor increased the amount of color within the picture a bit too much. The original picture is a smidge dull, but the colors do not need to be adjusted quite so noticeably.</div>
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Keep in mind that these are tips for photos that are to intended to be used for <b><i>blogging</i></b>. If you edit these pictures for your own viewing pleasure or for artistic reasons, then you may wish to have an overly vibrant picture. As for the blogging world, however, harsh/bold pictures are not usually appreciated.</div>
Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-56610336640506593192012-10-27T15:06:00.000-07:002012-10-28T15:18:03.173-07:00Pet PhotographyPhotographing pets is <i>such</i> a challenge most of the time. Some times, a handful of treats will do the trick. Other times, a unique noise will catch their attention. Every now and again, holding their favorite toy will get them to behave. There is no fool-proof method for getting pets to do whatever it is that you want them to do.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPt6JDtaES8H4r3nkgPJUsMFFARDoLSIB_sofpnwQTsBd-lRPAw7yRcXqidEniX8_Gj7eGlCRbgFcR8PMPwjvMD8dnCtODBGmzZ53lZYDAXvfMAHta3o5yGaAVXcwgbxK7sflFdloHDc/s1600/Leaves+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicPt6JDtaES8H4r3nkgPJUsMFFARDoLSIB_sofpnwQTsBd-lRPAw7yRcXqidEniX8_Gj7eGlCRbgFcR8PMPwjvMD8dnCtODBGmzZ53lZYDAXvfMAHta3o5yGaAVXcwgbxK7sflFdloHDc/s640/Leaves+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>(Here, she posed for a treat)</i></div>
The best advice that I can give is:<br />
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Be patient and persistent.<br />
Take time to figure out what works best with your pet- for the moment.<br />
Just because a treat held above the camera works now, doesn't guarantee that it will work later. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21gcXHMlzlnbi_C2Yd-F1Jkm-hSz-I_QANH53YBOenzZbmTWaMWGl-IrGJTTYpIMrClJYKXbyHDUA4CZHXmNMHF7yJuQEAM7Gp4cEEIFE8f9wPqG4cyfz1ycgTnwlIzy1dCFYqiqJdfA/s1600/Leaves+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21gcXHMlzlnbi_C2Yd-F1Jkm-hSz-I_QANH53YBOenzZbmTWaMWGl-IrGJTTYpIMrClJYKXbyHDUA4CZHXmNMHF7yJuQEAM7Gp4cEEIFE8f9wPqG4cyfz1ycgTnwlIzy1dCFYqiqJdfA/s640/Leaves+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>(Here, she posed because I was clicking my tongue)</i><br />
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You don't have to know what picture you are looking for, you just have to try a few different things. Try different treats; try holding the treats in different ways; try holding their favorite toy and making them wait for it; try making your camera seem like the coolest thing in the world so that they will sit and stare at it.<br />
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Also, try different locations. My puppy tends to focus best outside, and with minimal other distractions. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLJeX-TJXNnd564URIWR6F5KiCV84WfZA_qLuELt2yzAvwbDyVhGpC-jr7iAL4HxZLTsXZU04LjpARMjtAIitR5k8QMm7FgNSw_xzAl3Z6SMZDRhfRe46hrL-OiTRWwETeB_BcSBMEQo/s1600/Leaves+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLJeX-TJXNnd564URIWR6F5KiCV84WfZA_qLuELt2yzAvwbDyVhGpC-jr7iAL4HxZLTsXZU04LjpARMjtAIitR5k8QMm7FgNSw_xzAl3Z6SMZDRhfRe46hrL-OiTRWwETeB_BcSBMEQo/s640/Leaves+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>(Here, she posed because I was calling her name)</i><br />
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Along with that, try to find backgrounds that look good with your pet. The leaves and grass here really helped the white on her body to stand out, while the black and brown on her face disappear a little bit.</div>
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Once you have your shots, feel free to edit them. I used good ol' Photoshop to give these pictures a warm, Autumn feel.</div>
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So, have fun, and remember to keep trying. To get these three pictures, I spent about half an hour or so with her, and probably took about fifty shots. Pet photography isn't always easy, but if you invest the time and effort, you can get some really awesome results. c:<br />
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To see more information on editing your pictures, check out my post: <a href="http://littlegraykitteh.blogspot.com/2012/10/using-photoshop-wisely.html">Using Photoshop Wisely.</a>Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-56766207790855619642012-10-19T18:08:00.002-07:002012-10-19T18:08:34.738-07:00A Cure for HeartacheWhen it comes to losing someone, there is no one thing that you can do to feel better, move on, and let go. For me, when I lost my best friend (Deborah), I needed to do a variety of things. For example, I needed to accept that it wasn't my fault; it was inevitable; it was a good thing. I had to resolve a lot of problems that had been going on between us in my mind without her input. I had to analyze everything so that I could get answers to my questions:<br />
<i> How did she move on so fast? Did I ever mean anything to her?</i><br />
<i> Is she hurting as much as I am?</i><br />
<i> Why am I the one crying at school, while she is talking and laughing with all these other girls?</i><br />
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It took a bit of time and a lot of thinking, but I found my answers.<br />
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She didn't move on. She's not dealing with the pain of losing me; she's covering it up. At one point, I meant the world to her, but she has changed. I wouldn't want to be friends with the <i>new</i> her.<br />
She is hurting. A few days after we stopped being friends, I asked her about it, and she said that she does miss me, she will always love me, she's not completely happy. However, she's not hurting like I am because she isn't dealing with it like I am. She's trying to forget about it, while I am trying to resolve it now so that remembering it later won't be a problem. I wouldn't be able to fully move on from her if I didn't completely resolve everything with her and let go of everything relating to her.<br />
I'm the one crying at school because I am the strong one. I don't need other girls; I don't talk to them; they don't talk to me. I made it clear in my previous years of high school that I did not want to be part of their fake circles; I only wanted my best friend. So now that we are no longer friends, she is clinging to them for happiness, while I am finding happiness within myself, and <b><i>drawing strength from God</i></b>.<br />
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If I didn't believe in God, I wouldn't be able to handle this kind of pain. What she and I had wasn't an average friendship. I depended on her for everything; I drew my strength from her, my happiness from her, everything. She was more than my best friend; she was part of me. She knows things about me that I will never even think of telling another soul. Losing her really did mean losing a part of myself. <br />
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Through this pain, emptiness, and confusion, I discovered something. When you lose somebody, you lose a part of yourself, a piece of your heart. The best way to fix that, is to fill that hole, that empty space, with God. Ask Him to be not just with you, but in you and a part of you. Give it all to Him; ask Him to take over and to do what is best for you. That way, you can get through any pain. No matter how many people you lose, you will never be empty.<br />
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God will never forget you. He will never betray you. He will never stop loving you. He will never change and decide that He likes Amy more than He likes you. He will never be too busy for you. He will laugh with you; He will cry with you; He will always be there for you.<br />
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So when life gets too hard to stand, kneel and pray.<br />
When everything in life overwhelms you and knocks you to your knees, pray.<br />
And also, when life is going extremely awesomely, don't forget to pray.<br />
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God is my new best friend. I'm not going to blow Him off, or pretend to not see His texts, or only talk to Him when I am hurting or upset. I will go to and love Him all the time.<br />
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One last tip, be sure to spend time with some other friends. I spent the afternoon with Arden doing a bunch of random stuff, like going to the mall and Starbucks, and we had a blast. It was hard at times. I would think of the things that Deborah and I used to do together, and then I would get a little sad. But Arden would always smile and say something to cheer me up. It definitely helped with the healing process.<br />
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So, in the end, thanks be to God that through Him, we can get through any kind of pain that is thrown our way! <3<br />
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<br />Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-30680761040807390582012-10-19T17:27:00.002-07:002012-10-19T17:28:21.858-07:00Nature PhotosI love photography, exploring in my beloved Jeep Liberty, and nature, so here's the result of my blend of those three. (these are all from my Instagram account: xchangminniex)<br />
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(see the deer in the last two pictures?)</div>
Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-24251923423862478122012-10-12T20:28:00.000-07:002013-03-17T20:30:36.507-07:00A more detailed me.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I am Maranda.<br />
{The above picture was taken during my Junior year in high school, 2011-2012.} </div>
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I am 18 years old- a senior in high school.<br />
I don't wear make-up.<br />
I rarely ever style my hair.<br />
I <i>cannot</i> wait to graduate and move on to college.<br />
I am not sure which career I wish to pursue.<br />
Art is my passion, but I have been told by many that I am too smart to not go into a math/science field. <br />
So, I am conflicted on my own. <br />
Instead, I am letting God choose my path.<br />
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(this is my purity ring.) <br />
I am a Christian, abstinent girl.</div>
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I love my Lord Jesus Christ, as well as a wide variety of things.</div>
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Animals, Art, Crafting, Photography.</div>
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The list goes on.<br />
My favorite thing right now is the Walking Dead. </div>
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I adore animals with all of my heart.<br />
I think that God created me so that I can help them.<br />
They have no voice, so I will have a voice for them.<br />
I volunteer at the Animal Control in my county, and I dream of doing everything I can for the animals there.<br />
Some of them were confiscated from their homes due to abuse.<br />
Others found as strays.<br />
Others were relinquished by their owners.<br />
No matter the reason, these animals are in the shelter.<br />
And they need our help.<br />
Our attention.<br />
Our <i>love</i>.<br />
My most recurring prayer is for animals.<br />
After all, our God is the God of Love.<br />
Jesus is the Prince of Peace.<br />
Who would be better to bring love, rest, and protection to these animals?<br />
With God's assistance, I hope to continue to provide sustenance and care to them.<br />
Not only that.<br />
But I wish to improve all of those things.<br />
I want to eventually build a better building- with painted walls, and more activities for the cats.<br />
I want the shelter to feel like a home for these animals.<br />
Not just a roof overhead with food and water.<br />
Don't get me wrong; the shelter is nice.<br />
There are plenty of shelves for the cats to climb and sleep on- as well as toys and scratching posts.<br />
But it could be better.<br />
So I pray that God will help me to accomplish all of these things.<br />
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I have changed a lot since I started this blog near the end of my Junior year in high school.</div>
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I've lost my best friend, gone through a lot of pain and confusion, and learned a lot about myself.</div>
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So far, I haven't discovered why I have this blog.</div>
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I don't know if it's to share crafty ideas, to express my thoughts and interests, or just to socialize.</div>
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I have big dreams for this blog, but I am a rather slow person.</div>
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So for now, it is a work in progress- in a visual manner as well as a contextual one.</div>
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Please excuse the lack of stylish little touches in my blog for a while. c:</div>
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There is so much going on my life, good and bad.<br />
Some times, I struggle with an overwhelming depression.<br />
Some times, I'm insecure.<br />
Other times, I'm overconfident.<br />
I don't often let people into my heart for fear that I will lose them.<br />
I don't follow the crowd; I follow God. </div>
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In the end, everything that happens brings me closer to God.</div>
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{by the way, I have a slight Starbucks obsession.}</div>
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I don't even drink coffee, but I practically live at Starbucks.<br />
I could survive on nothing but their hot chocolate. </div>
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I know that this blog is not famous.</div>
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I whole-heartedly appreciate every pageview I receive, and every comment that is published.</div>
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Thank you for your support. <3</div>
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For some more basic information about me, visit <a href="http://littlegraykitteh.blogspot.com/2012/06/this-is-me.html">This is me.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug1vcJ2hRH_U1SK20Q3-yRQmlIQ-5mtbpWMBavrkYh1HCYQ8wsrPh40FDm5KaQIaZ_qVAAoUp1QjL5pMsfMYCHkXTM5HIWM57r1i7NYyQuC2fynxgOJpdPU7MT1x5Jn0cxj2duPRnonY/s1600/park+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhug1vcJ2hRH_U1SK20Q3-yRQmlIQ-5mtbpWMBavrkYh1HCYQ8wsrPh40FDm5KaQIaZ_qVAAoUp1QjL5pMsfMYCHkXTM5HIWM57r1i7NYyQuC2fynxgOJpdPU7MT1x5Jn0cxj2duPRnonY/s640/park+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Romans 12:9 <i>"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."</i></div>
Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-14813500633804761832012-10-07T14:31:00.002-07:002012-10-07T14:43:45.254-07:00Easy Pumpkin ShirtJust in time for Halloween, I decided to craft a quick and easy shirt inspired by the festive expression of a jack-o-lantern.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f6cQ6CRBSCdZJBjL7n2coVOEpvoKCocmEO3idMeYQ2WJ6K-HfqcxOwaZDm-C2kgRBKJutCENtSc0gbrNl5Hhls14kR0cHsyFV9KkaMpO54yDM1GBPmzuBJ3XEoDX_OuiD7T6mmq96f0/s1600/shirt+1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8f6cQ6CRBSCdZJBjL7n2coVOEpvoKCocmEO3idMeYQ2WJ6K-HfqcxOwaZDm-C2kgRBKJutCENtSc0gbrNl5Hhls14kR0cHsyFV9KkaMpO54yDM1GBPmzuBJ3XEoDX_OuiD7T6mmq96f0/s640/shirt+1+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Kady, however, doesn't seem to to be too enthusiastic about the shirt...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuMwR7v6MwbC4vUDWaHpMbSf275tiFMr4IKkwU-o9WRz6BOk0z2qJ_U-5WvnJFXcmJsmMj_nRAsCVCfzv6QxEk6K3zMR92c2GnE3g7wQpA8Vn3GdcTZFGJFTBHDTZkgNp3fjCWEwJJqg/s1600/shirt+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixuMwR7v6MwbC4vUDWaHpMbSf275tiFMr4IKkwU-o9WRz6BOk0z2qJ_U-5WvnJFXcmJsmMj_nRAsCVCfzv6QxEk6K3zMR92c2GnE3g7wQpA8Vn3GdcTZFGJFTBHDTZkgNp3fjCWEwJJqg/s640/shirt+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Check out this tutorial so you can make one, too! It's <i>super</i> easy, I promise. c:<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>1. Gather your supplies:</b><br />
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<li>a shirt (got mine from Michael's; it was on sale)</li>
<li>a pencil and paper, <i>or</i> a template of whatever shape you want to put onto the shirt, <i>or</i> a pre-made stencil</li>
<li>scissors to cut your design out of the paper</li>
<li>a fabric marker (got mine from Michael's as well)</li>
<li><i>optional</i>, a kitty cat to watch you as you work, lol.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLo6j61kEhkSgOfFGNER2OLNAlVt8J-BM5gpyI7fnSISDvBHDGsr721ynTmihkvvWlkKPxR2YfBqefo_FM1UJebVqQlsOQGRvqrm1oGRAfqgmrxOylU3LxxKRQWXVjnxZs-PrXlHGlLU/s1600/shirt+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLo6j61kEhkSgOfFGNER2OLNAlVt8J-BM5gpyI7fnSISDvBHDGsr721ynTmihkvvWlkKPxR2YfBqefo_FM1UJebVqQlsOQGRvqrm1oGRAfqgmrxOylU3LxxKRQWXVjnxZs-PrXlHGlLU/s640/shirt+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>2. Either draw your design, print out a template, or grab a stencil.</b><br />
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{sorry that the design is hard to see on the paper, I drew it pretty lightly.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EmDZc8y5T3lbv6B3am6vFYtM8bXS4nkOaGJdKTxKztHvhyEuk3HEHHYYTiB6ma8bKqronfnKMXcJHiuRb8btuiiyimdDF3zFsYe8WLbWiFEawpsAEC0pqpJ4ww4BkU56UAUw5qTLKqE/s1600/shirt+4+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EmDZc8y5T3lbv6B3am6vFYtM8bXS4nkOaGJdKTxKztHvhyEuk3HEHHYYTiB6ma8bKqronfnKMXcJHiuRb8btuiiyimdDF3zFsYe8WLbWiFEawpsAEC0pqpJ4ww4BkU56UAUw5qTLKqE/s640/shirt+4+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Cut out the design (if it isn't a pre-cut stencil) and position it on your shirt.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO0a6s9nh6f6quonwIkoEs6oOKYRe6ph462kq_a_An1vEF-vUvddLoFzNulBisCKdBzTcnq3xNymAGRhMZxx54OsI_YT6mRGcX0B8nYlmxGNMwXxRFCvulGkjnXeg5anBTz3SZuKzoWA/s1600/shirt+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO0a6s9nh6f6quonwIkoEs6oOKYRe6ph462kq_a_An1vEF-vUvddLoFzNulBisCKdBzTcnq3xNymAGRhMZxx54OsI_YT6mRGcX0B8nYlmxGNMwXxRFCvulGkjnXeg5anBTz3SZuKzoWA/s640/shirt+5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>4. Trace around the design with the fabric marker.</b><br />
<b><i>Plus</i>, be sure to place something between the two layers of your shirt just to prevent any bleeding.</b><br />
Hint: you could tape the design down with double-sided tape if you want. I just held mine in place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEQ5Tju7W6cXRMLRf2-3dIVIhv6xRIhMojhipZNEi0d-Z-9ncffm3BEpf4wNaeRruRyd4t7PpQgIibkgLv3nn_HrC0t5rFtloFXOZp8QggkeEZum-UMIkCT0-HIeUdUsj3BTwtZMhjFE/s1600/shirt+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEQ5Tju7W6cXRMLRf2-3dIVIhv6xRIhMojhipZNEi0d-Z-9ncffm3BEpf4wNaeRruRyd4t7PpQgIibkgLv3nn_HrC0t5rFtloFXOZp8QggkeEZum-UMIkCT0-HIeUdUsj3BTwtZMhjFE/s640/shirt+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZw-MuGV3Ih4wxzmDJGn8plac99WWQqCeClDHmekV4kvYAUFNTE4Ka6sHhfU0UlUpSRS5AD-kdmzLZzuAMdQLOuJeIgXFuYxd2NWQnvyGSYQqy-3eFnVQPvDAuA4ReLm4aLmOjhZYLXg/s1600/shirt+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZw-MuGV3Ih4wxzmDJGn8plac99WWQqCeClDHmekV4kvYAUFNTE4Ka6sHhfU0UlUpSRS5AD-kdmzLZzuAMdQLOuJeIgXFuYxd2NWQnvyGSYQqy-3eFnVQPvDAuA4ReLm4aLmOjhZYLXg/s640/shirt+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>5. Color in the design.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6uLzT3gzRk7PTw0lLWQ3ikpty8emZkRmFO_M-_dybzChBtAYXoVghHzJ8EfD3t_pErJNdHciDW4QCiEyPzjCCiuACkaUVKyb_-ltjQuJmWOZF10Vd2Y5UVdC4RQN2buKpxDIofO1S48/s1600/shirt+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6uLzT3gzRk7PTw0lLWQ3ikpty8emZkRmFO_M-_dybzChBtAYXoVghHzJ8EfD3t_pErJNdHciDW4QCiEyPzjCCiuACkaUVKyb_-ltjQuJmWOZF10Vd2Y5UVdC4RQN2buKpxDIofO1S48/s640/shirt+9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Ta-Da! You're done!<br />
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Now walk around with your new shirt and enjoy the surprised reactions on peoples' faces as you tell them that you made the shirt yourself.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGeRYuU2mEdR_XjnPbWRimWLGcCZN_VAIipCrpJgqwBQR6prir6FamNsU9cqstjpopE2eCqau3Cq-4DI9V7B6Uj_LTkslhRIzCpwU_-6Ze4oK6GtfPEfmYuf0s-5W60boPV0DLI05TuU/s1600/shirt+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbGeRYuU2mEdR_XjnPbWRimWLGcCZN_VAIipCrpJgqwBQR6prir6FamNsU9cqstjpopE2eCqau3Cq-4DI9V7B6Uj_LTkslhRIzCpwU_-6Ze4oK6GtfPEfmYuf0s-5W60boPV0DLI05TuU/s640/shirt+10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even Kady was amazed. Lol. Happy Halloween in about 24 days!<br />
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1 Corinthians 13:1 <i>"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."</i>Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-72330012942091917282012-10-07T13:35:00.003-07:002012-10-07T13:35:38.997-07:00A Beautiful WeddingOn Wednesday, October 3, my uncle married one of the most beautiful women in the world. She is not only gorgeous on the outside, but her personality is just as admirable.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ54lS1n1CZN51efb8bU69nEDlcJNV1PzS4ID8G71HkIUUqkxinhaGN1p9jffl9Fy3UqIWjBjuaWLzvCKgqDnMrVovz4obe60O0R5juw7AN54a6JKOc9yDsv2T02vdXfH4hS8WIPQOghw/s1600/wed+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ54lS1n1CZN51efb8bU69nEDlcJNV1PzS4ID8G71HkIUUqkxinhaGN1p9jffl9Fy3UqIWjBjuaWLzvCKgqDnMrVovz4obe60O0R5juw7AN54a6JKOc9yDsv2T02vdXfH4hS8WIPQOghw/s640/wed+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiY225C7BhZ1LoZuVuOkd9bLbcEWgU397LK-saUsrcxWTysNHyIsctFA792CHIRd5zuUzD4iMpwPNOeHvj-qg3PGpzdrP92eMH1kIVoiK920IHfuxAbmJh92Qh-TYILv7UJUMGX9v6ss/s1600/wed+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAiY225C7BhZ1LoZuVuOkd9bLbcEWgU397LK-saUsrcxWTysNHyIsctFA792CHIRd5zuUzD4iMpwPNOeHvj-qg3PGpzdrP92eMH1kIVoiK920IHfuxAbmJh92Qh-TYILv7UJUMGX9v6ss/s640/wed+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxVYDW0B6P9mDZFmmnOXLWCT9rkL3JOi2k4N0uEJI_tZ5ShvSp34QgXxEp1qVSsZHQ_amW_m0R9lpoCB4gzRlrgoRd_9h62BKljCWN_qpvH6PQcm9F-W_VgdrQQYY_dGODvi0bMuRNGc/s1600/wed+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxVYDW0B6P9mDZFmmnOXLWCT9rkL3JOi2k4N0uEJI_tZ5ShvSp34QgXxEp1qVSsZHQ_amW_m0R9lpoCB4gzRlrgoRd_9h62BKljCWN_qpvH6PQcm9F-W_VgdrQQYY_dGODvi0bMuRNGc/s640/wed+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Perhaps later, I will upload more pictures. c:<br />
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1 Corinthians 13:4a <i>"Love is patient, love is kind."</i>Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-516845347568768942012-09-30T17:55:00.001-07:002012-09-30T17:56:06.250-07:00Make a picture harsh black and whiteIn my <a href="http://littlegraykitteh.blogspot.com/2012/09/walking-dead-pendant.html">Walking Dead pendant tutorial</a>, I said that I would show how I edited my picture to be harsh black and white, so that is what I am going to do now.<br />
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In Photoshop (I use CS2), open your image.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizs6-T_Wn9AGmpe76njcbQy7BxobLtZTHQ1fRCuJnM4H2Q2DJBZnjQllTTr06BNrL8Sj7u5U0L5goi1K_VHuLMv4N_riKifMMppe8Mlymk4VgprHHqFSiVJyrriYCAin2M1N7XD2JGwK8/s1600/daryl+60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizs6-T_Wn9AGmpe76njcbQy7BxobLtZTHQ1fRCuJnM4H2Q2DJBZnjQllTTr06BNrL8Sj7u5U0L5goi1K_VHuLMv4N_riKifMMppe8Mlymk4VgprHHqFSiVJyrriYCAin2M1N7XD2JGwK8/s1600/daryl+60.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then, select <i>Image-Adjustments-Channel Mixer</i>. When the pop-up box opens, check the Monochrome box; this will change the picture into black and white. Another way to do that is to select <i>Image-Adjustments-Desaturate</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0n50tHMX-BSC9-eJvdJTwHrLbAF1aVmwWukNP_VjN6bfcWeN4McHHrTg2qkoYFgF4rsIFHrOsWsMwRZTSy9mBfbavjvHhXjCmupzj1AGskv2VCeD9yTJ7zhF_QI_RVLa3IHNZdFVYQA/s1600/bw+daryl+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-0n50tHMX-BSC9-eJvdJTwHrLbAF1aVmwWukNP_VjN6bfcWeN4McHHrTg2qkoYFgF4rsIFHrOsWsMwRZTSy9mBfbavjvHhXjCmupzj1AGskv2VCeD9yTJ7zhF_QI_RVLa3IHNZdFVYQA/s1600/bw+daryl+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then, select <i>Image-Adjustments-Brightness/Contrast</i>, and play around with it to get a good image.<br />
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I used:<br />
Brightness: +27<br />
Contrast: +56<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeBJ15Dq5ZIAtFw9dYTlCLpIsPWsKqXFm4mMSf8qTzt3RXUlEmlV3pBrZe4ThXfYSRc99ATR6L_vd1N8M2-_bPv5Y6Q0sirwQb4dqrLPea56oGiceRz6TFfs-33K2gWNlaRyYlGbXRuk/s1600/bw+daryl+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeBJ15Dq5ZIAtFw9dYTlCLpIsPWsKqXFm4mMSf8qTzt3RXUlEmlV3pBrZe4ThXfYSRc99ATR6L_vd1N8M2-_bPv5Y6Q0sirwQb4dqrLPea56oGiceRz6TFfs-33K2gWNlaRyYlGbXRuk/s1600/bw+daryl+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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And there you have it.<br />
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Here's another example, just to prove that each picture will look different, and each picture requires different settings in the Brightness/Contrast area.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gTfCwkSR8O4J3uF4xJ4udaoCvcM5_6mnSlYeRtCWfAUjLs0yALX7_gWRDaVPDmpM5qySrT8Wz4FGDpLUbQ92y7w9NMQ0Jf0C08IIM-8HovmKZfm9NU9QaffH_AZcITTFdqOl1LZmxz8/s1600/bw+daryl+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7gTfCwkSR8O4J3uF4xJ4udaoCvcM5_6mnSlYeRtCWfAUjLs0yALX7_gWRDaVPDmpM5qySrT8Wz4FGDpLUbQ92y7w9NMQ0Jf0C08IIM-8HovmKZfm9NU9QaffH_AZcITTFdqOl1LZmxz8/s1600/bw+daryl+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Romans 15:17 <i>"Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God."</i>Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-1718521106703957862012-09-30T11:59:00.001-07:002012-11-05T17:32:32.697-08:00Walking Dead PendantI <i>love</i> The Walking Dead, especially Daryl Dixon (portrayed by Norman Reedus). Therefore, I decided to make a necklace pendant inspired by him. Want to make your own awesome necklace? If so, I'll show you how in this tutorial.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ12C7-QedWvtSDxpZ4XEFJ7U3nz3_bNAZ2QjMuWwSI_V3O8hwYS1_cKdyk8o34eOPHA3hkcLC8Olhw-8r79KgfbQyC8ZuKfrRiVw5Ao7eZRrPNRjLrpkqELlcmhOcQcAA0Zfu9F5ADwI/s1600/WD+necklace+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ12C7-QedWvtSDxpZ4XEFJ7U3nz3_bNAZ2QjMuWwSI_V3O8hwYS1_cKdyk8o34eOPHA3hkcLC8Olhw-8r79KgfbQyC8ZuKfrRiVw5Ao7eZRrPNRjLrpkqELlcmhOcQcAA0Zfu9F5ADwI/s640/WD+necklace+3.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeX90za51zEFWspUqC0ZcjMFGNJUtqxpp_u8UHRlBrRpAq0hx52aD8inMLElTDswx1D4ucj6FlNiQmvYya_pxQncHyM77TQY2f5uNEmVBkIZTS76OWjmjIEsEDNKYdjuN0G2iROhjk-A/s1600/WD+necklace+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFeX90za51zEFWspUqC0ZcjMFGNJUtqxpp_u8UHRlBrRpAq0hx52aD8inMLElTDswx1D4ucj6FlNiQmvYya_pxQncHyM77TQY2f5uNEmVBkIZTS76OWjmjIEsEDNKYdjuN0G2iROhjk-A/s640/WD+necklace+4.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrul5-Xser85L-hV8i1LpNjrs1GXuV7UKq91_8kUh8V8Vb2qSBKUKVMpfL_D8ELVhtHtdvGi4Cna-JImimy9vuF0W5gpRC2e9XJOoIIWU4JyFYU723sKLPrdi5oQMHRcARQSRaAwbQJk/s1600/WD+necklace+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrul5-Xser85L-hV8i1LpNjrs1GXuV7UKq91_8kUh8V8Vb2qSBKUKVMpfL_D8ELVhtHtdvGi4Cna-JImimy9vuF0W5gpRC2e9XJOoIIWU4JyFYU723sKLPrdi5oQMHRcARQSRaAwbQJk/s640/WD+necklace+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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{Can you tell that I love Starbucks?}<br />
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On to the Tutorial! (click on the images to enlarge them.)<br />
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<b>1. Gather your materials.</b><br />
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<li>Your picture (<a href="http://littlegraykitteh.blogspot.com/2012/09/make-picture-harsh-black-and-white.html">This</a> is how I edited my picture to look the way that it does)</li>
<li>Hole Punch</li>
<li>Scissors or Paper Cutter</li>
<li>Corner cutter if you so desire</li>
<li>Jump Ring</li>
<li>Pliers for the Jump Ring</li>
<li>Mod Podge Dimensional Magic (or some other form of raised resin/enamel)</li>
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<i>Other information:</i><br />
-I printed my picture with an inkjet printer onto good quality card stock.<br />
-Make sure to measure it before printing so that it comes out the size that you want it to be. [If I hadn't fixed the size for mine, my pendant would have been about five inches wide instead of approximately two inches.]<br />
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{Please ignore the lame photo setup here, I was in a hurry and my puppy wouldn't allow me to actually plan out my pictures.} <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHiioBwc5L7aQXBmAtXQeWJom5noO06gpPhaYvlHQ12Kti3kA2zGD9hhBGjCXCKkFvirMp_DN_6a_WmAadAdK9ctpPk9aKe3ol5aCyCR3NQAGxSTTyNGPNLNmgl1lijFCCfQ8NKazbEY/s1600/WD+necklace+5-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCHiioBwc5L7aQXBmAtXQeWJom5noO06gpPhaYvlHQ12Kti3kA2zGD9hhBGjCXCKkFvirMp_DN_6a_WmAadAdK9ctpPk9aKe3ol5aCyCR3NQAGxSTTyNGPNLNmgl1lijFCCfQ8NKazbEY/s640/WD+necklace+5-.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Print and cut your picture.</b><br />
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<b> </b>Have fun with this step. You could use a shaped punch to cut your pendant, or go with a geometric shape. I decided to do a plain rectangle with rounded edges. <i>Plus, be sure to punch a hole in your pendant for the jump ring!</i><br />
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<br />
<b>3. Lay on the Mod Podge Dimensional Magic.</b> (or other raised resin/enamel)<br />
<br />
Don't be stingy here! Lay on plenty of this stuff. Then, wait for it to dry- about 3 hours in my case. After that, you could turn it over and cover the other side, but I decided that only the front needed to be covered. <br />
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<b>4. Once your pendant is dry, use pliers to add the jump ring.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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<br />
<b>5. Take your new pendant to Starbucks to show it off!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
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Romans 15:1 <i>"We who are strong ought to bear with
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<i>-Copyright: the </i><b>Starbucks</b><i> logo is not mine.</i>Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-26899573195926178542012-09-19T17:20:00.001-07:002012-10-18T19:41:23.496-07:00ButtonsInstead of using other peoples' buttons with codes and stuff, I just save their button picture and put the picture as a gadget on my sidebar with the blog's link attached to it. So I decided to make a few pictures for my blog that could be used as buttons. {I'm too lazy to make them into actual buttons with codes right now}<br />
More pictures will be added as I whip them up in Photoshop.<br />
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Romans 4:18a <i>"Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed;"</i>Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-3334863597417935532012-09-18T18:55:00.001-07:002012-10-07T13:34:10.439-07:00HomosexualityHere are my two cents on the tricky topic and why I believe it is a sin against our dear Lord.<br />
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<b>Psalm 52:1 <i>"Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man? Why do you boast all day long, you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?"</i></b></div>
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People often attack me for my beliefs, but I know the truth. Homosexuality is wrong; it goes against God's will; it is a sinful desire of the flesh.</div>
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People come to me and say, "You are a cruel and hateful person. Who are you to judge? Don't you Christians say that your <i>"God"</i> loves everyone? Learn to be open-minded and accepting, loving and tolerant. Learn to coexist, and stop forcing your beliefs down the throats of other people. You contradict yourself, saying that you love everyone, but then you hate homosexuals."</div>
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Statements like this make me sad. Not because I am being attacked, but because the world is going against God; non-Christians think that they know our God and everything about Him. In reality, they understand very little about me and my faith, and they don't care to learn more. They just want me to keep my opinions to myself simply because it goes against what they think and they do not want anyone to be offended. But I have a problem with that. My opinions are not my opinions because my mind formed them. They are my opinions because they are the powerful and true opinions of the Lord our God.</div>
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<b>When they say</b>: <i>Don't you Christians say that your "God" loves everyone?</i></div>
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<b>What they mean is</b>: Don't you think that your God accepts everyone? He does not think anything bad of anyone, so neither should you. He will not make anyone pay for their wrong doings, because he loves them.</div>
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<b>My response is:</b> Love the sinner; hate the sin. God loves everyone in that He sent His Son to die for everyone (see passage below), to give everyone a chance, so that all of creation may have eternal life through Him. His Son did not die so that we could live contently in sin and still be saved eternally. We must turn from our sins. Right there in Psalm 52:1, it says, "-you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God-" This clearly states that God does not accept everyone; we are pitiful in his eyes, but he loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us. So, yes, my God does love everyone- just not in the way that most of the world understands it.<br />
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Romans 5:8 <i>"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."</i> <br />
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<b>When they say:</b> <i>Who are you to judge?</i><br />
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<b>What they mean is:</b> Who are you to tell anyone that what they do is wrong? Who are you to think that you know what is right and what is wrong? <br />
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<b>My response is:</b> I am not judging them. The Bible clearly states that intimacy is meant to be shared directly between one man and one woman- even more specifically between a man and his wife. Homosexuality is unnatural to God, but natural to the world.<br />
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Romans 1:26-27 <i>"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged <b>natural relations for unnatural ones</b>. In the same way the <b>men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another</b><b>. Men committed indecent acts with other men, </b>and received themselves the due penalty for their perversion."</i><br />
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<b>When they say:</b> <i>Learn to coexist, </i><i>and stop forcing your beliefs down the throats of other people.</i><br />
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<b>What they mean is:</b> Nobody is right, truth is relative, not absolute. You cannot force your opinions on other people because that is just wrong and mean. No one can tell anyone how to live their life. Your beliefs are not the same as mine, so what makes your beliefs true? </div>
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<b>My response is:</b> There is absolute truth. The Bible is the true Word of God, so I match my opinions with the Bible. Plus, simply stating what I think is not forcing my beliefs down anyone's throat. In all technicality, according to your standards, by saying that I cannot force my beliefs on other people and by stating your own opinions as superior to mine, you would be forcing <i>your</i> beliefs down <i>my</i> throat.<br />
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Psalm 33:4 <i>"For the word of the Lord is right and true;"</i><br />
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Side note: many people, even Christians, think that Coexist means to live tolerantly and harmoniously with everyone. {I accept that you have that religion and set of beliefs, and you accept that I have this religion and set of beliefs.} But nowadays, it is intended to mean that nobody is wrong. No religion is false, and no religion is better or more correct than the rest. Truth is relative; there is no absolute truth that applies to everyone. But I know that that is false.<br />
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John 14:6 <i>"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"</i><br />
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Matthew 7:14 <i>"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."</i><br />
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Clearly, not everyone will make it into Heaven. If you want to know more about the road to Heaven, check out <a href="http://www.gty.org/resources/study-guides/40-5163/the-way-to-heaven">this interesting and insightful article.</a> It has a lot of good information with plenty of Biblical references to back it up.<br />
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Back on topic!<br />
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<b>When they say: </b><i>You contradict yourself, saying that you love everyone, but then you hate homosexuals.</i><br />
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<b>What they mean is:</b> Well, they simply mean to say that I hate homosexuals simply because I speak against what they do.<br />
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<b>My response is:</b> Again, love the sinner, hate the sin. I do not hate homosexuals. I do not hate anybody. I love murderers, thieves, adulterers, homosexuals, and everyone else in the world. But I disagree with what they do. All of us have had a friend that you love(d) dearly, but didn't like/disagreed with something that they do/did. It doesn't mean that you stop loving them, or that you hate them.<br />
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John 13:34-35 <i>"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."</i><br />
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I do not hate anyone, I just don't agree with the things that many people do. This is why I get so frustrated when people say that I am a heartless, hypocritical moron who has no idea what I am saying. But at the same time, I just sit back, pray for all who speak against me, and rejoice in the fact that I know the truth. I am truly blessed to know that God has called me to be apart from the mainstream of society. He has called me to know His truth and to spread it to the world. I love you, Lord. And thank you for calling me to be yours. <i>I love you.</i><br />
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John 13:18a <i>"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen."</i></div>
Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-58229628101349656502012-09-17T19:55:00.000-07:002012-09-19T19:40:54.095-07:00What does LittleGrayKitteh mean?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, as you may or may not know, my blog here is called Little Gray Kitteh. You may ask why that is.<br />
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I have a very sweet and small cat named Oddball. She is small, cuddly, and scared of absolutely everything in the world besides me. It has been that way ever since she was born. Her mother, Leslie, was the offspring of a Sarah- one of the cat's that we adopted from the streets when my older sister and I were very young. Sarah and Lucky were siblings. Sarah was Emily's, Lucky was mine. Lucky ran away; Sarah had many litters of kittens. Eventually, our house was overrun with 15 (no joke) kittens, plus Sarah.<br />
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Anyway, Leslie was always very skittish and only liked me. She refused to associate with anyone but me. So, when she had a litter of kittens, it was a huge struggle. She was too frightened and weak to take care of them. Five of her six kittens didn't make it. <3 Oddball was the only who did. Oddball and I have a very strong bond.<br />
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{there's more to the story.}<br />
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Then, when I was in about eight grade, we brought in Kady (pronounced Kay Dee) - a tabby from the APL animal shelter.<br />
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Oddball didn't like Kady; she was scared of her and hissed at her. So we decided to keep Oddball in my room for a while. I am now a senior in high school and Oddball is still living in my room. She likes it though. She doesn't try to escape, and we do what we can for her. She even has a sweet little window perch above my bed, which she loves. (Really, the perch is just a shelf with a blanket on it, but like I said, she loves it.)<br />
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She also has a blanket and bed atop my shorter dresser. She loves to jump to it, and she sleeps there <i>all</i> the time.<br />
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Then, there's a three ring structure that she really enjoys sitting on, using to jump to her perch, and scratching. The cool thing is that my dad made this three ring thing a long time ago, when Oddball was just a tiny, gray ball of fluff with big green eyes. Side note: whenever people first see her, they always point out how big her beautiful eyes are. </div>
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Point is, she is happy. And she means the world to me. Whenever I cry, she comforts me. She cuddles with me at night- even when I would rather be sleeping. She listens to me when I talk to her. She loves me, and I love her. She's one beautiful and amazing kitty, and she's always been my best friend. So that is why this blog is named Little Gray Kitteh.<br />
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Psalm 35:1a <i>"Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;"</i><br />
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Oddball contends with me, God. So please contend with her; please give her a long, happy life; please let her understand that I love her so much, and that I would do anything for her; please just keep her in your care and watch over her.Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-775296248548669789.post-48403450164173239112012-09-17T15:38:00.000-07:002012-10-16T19:20:04.267-07:00Beautiful FogWhat a beautifully foggy Monday morning. Thank you, Lord, for such lovely weather as this.<br />
{click the pictures to enlarge them for better quality.} <br />
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Psalm 54:1 <i>"Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might."</i><br />
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Marandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04611457188860927516noreply@blogger.com2