8.31.2010

On the needles...

Really lovin' this color combo... The lime green just really makes it pop...







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8.30.2010

a friendly tip...


hey fellow etsians! in looking for some local sellers for my latest shop local post, i noticed that some photographs were, well let's just say, less than perfect.  photography is probably the number one thing that can get you noticed, or send people away from your shop, so it's uber important to make sure they look as good as possible.

the first step is getting a great, sharp image with nice even lighting.  see my light box post for tips on getting a great shot!

Another relatively easy way to get your photo to pop is to make sure the color and contrast is perfect.  I have a great way to do this in photoshop.  first, open your image, and size it accordingly (image -> image size), you only need a resolution of 72!  i'm going to use this photo for this tutorial (the iphone cozy that i personally use!)

notice how dull and dark it is?  we need to brighten this puppy up!


First, go to the layers palette and click on the little half black, half white circle and choose "levels."

A dialogue box will open up with a histogram.  it might look something like this:


Click where it says "channel" and choose "red."  You'll see the histogram shift slightly.  Now you're only working with the red-cyan channel of your photograph.  You'll see a small black arrow on either end of the histogram.  drag each arrow to where the histogram starts.  continue this for the remaining channels.  now, go back to the RGB channel.  your photograph might look something like this now:

see how the image has more contrast?  this is great!  now we just need to bright this guy up a little bit, and your photo will be ready for posting.  take the middle arrow and slide it to the left until the image looks nice and bright.  then, click "ok," flatten the image, and save as a jpg.  my picture ended up looking something like this:


better, right?

now, i would probably create a mask and make that background super white, but let's save that for another post! feel free to contact me if you have any questions about levels in photoshop!

8.29.2010

shop local- for you blue...

every week i do research for a shop local post,  i'm always worried that i won't be able to find new artists to showcase, but it never fails that i find new and interesting Etsy sellers that i haven't featured before.  thanks people for being so awesome, and coming out with new, amazing items- keep rockin'! 

this week, the color blue was really striking me, and i found a bunch of great blue items... enjoy!

 

Blue by lovlybelladoll



Southwest Splash turquoise and Coral Pendant Necklace by jemsbyjbandcompany

how gorgeous are those colors?!


Vintage Tin Ceiling Mirror by rustyrosepetals

 

Sea Glass Olive Oil Soap by EuphoriaSoap



Cerulean Knit Coffee Mug Cozy with Brown Bows and Star Buttons by vanillamonster

 

 

 

8.26.2010

new goodies!

well, just one in particular... a new lens!  last week i got a Canon fixed 50mm f/1.8 lens- good stuff!  i LOVE the shallow depth of field I can get on this thing.  the only problem- it really made me realize that i want a new camera body too.  maybe santa will bring me one this year...

we traveled down to warwick for the coolest baby shower ever, and i took some test shots with the lens to see what i could get out of it.  let me know what you think!



"son"flowers!

hands down, the creepiest thing i've ever seen.  definitely do NOT like spiders!

of course, there was lager!

and oh the food!  i'm really digging this lens for food photography... definitely more of that to come!

late night campfire- awesome!

8.25.2010

forgot to mention...

yesterday, (i guess i was too excited by all the treasuries i was included in) but now there's a way to see if you've been included in a treasury right on the Etsy site- thank god!  you used to have to go to craftopolis.com, put in your Etsy username, and then see if anyone has included you in their treasury.  now, you just have to go to http://www.etsy.com/treasury/ type your username in the search bar on the upper right hand side of your screen, and it's all right there!  i've found this VERY useful- thanks Etsy :)

8.24.2010

these colors must be in...

because this pair of gloves were featured in three different treasuries yesterday!  this particular pair wasn't very popular last fall,  but people seem to be liking it this year.  maybe i was just a year ahead?  I've always thought yellow and gray was a really cool color combo, so i'm psyched that others are enjoying it too.  Please check out the treasuries i was featured in here, here, and here...




8.23.2010

Cupcakes on Central

Last week I got word that the local bakery, Coccadotts would be traveling around the capital region with their cupcake truck. I was SO EXCITED, and decided to bring the girls for a field trip over lunch- MUCH needed!



And there she is- can't miss it!



They had plenty of varieties on display...



We decided to get a 4-pack to share!


My choice- chocolate and peanut butter. I think that this may have been the majority's favorite. Wonderful rich chocolate cake with creamy pb frosting with a peanut butter cup for garnish!



Michelle's pick was a lemon cupcake, and my second favorite. It was such a light, delicious contrast to the chocolate peanut butter goodness above. The frosting on this cupcake was to die for!



Our favorite Georgia peach's pick- red velvet cake! How adorable is this cupcake with the pearl garnish?!
I'm not the biggest fan of red velvet with its cream cheese frosting, but I had to say, this is one of the best red velvet cakes I've ever had.



We collectively decided on the smores cupcake- I'm so glad we did! Wonderful chocolate cake (that actually was different than the chocolate pb cupcake) with vanilla marshmallow frosting and a marshmallow garnish. This cupcake was original and delicious and wonderful!

Best. Lunch. Ever. Coccadotts- please come back soon!

8.22.2010

shop local- earthy edition

looking through the shop local feature on etsy last night, i found a bunch of super cute, earth-inspired items.  check out these great, albany-area shops!

5 Wooden Cigar Boxes by OpheliasChamber

 

 

FAB 3 tier table top terrerrium with a venus fly trap plant by wesbenn

 

 

Hand Carved Mahogany Necklace by Revel

 

 

fairy house by dollfaced1508

 

 

Earthy Olive Green and Amber Swarovski Crystal Ring by MelodyMorse


Monogram custom cloth book by exlibrishandmade

8.21.2010

You know what's awesome?

Pizza. Since I was a child, pizza has been one of those foods that I've always been in the mood for, and I've always loved. Being 26, this still rings true!

You know what's better than pizza? Homemade pizza! That's exactly what happened the other night. The good old iPhone was in tow to document the occasion.




Whole wheat dough (from walmart, don't worry, it was delish!) Keep it from sticking to your countertop with some cornmeal. The great thing about using an unbaked dough is you can make the crust as thin or thick as you like (thin!)




Mmmm... Mozzarella cheese, sliced nice and thin.

Note: I forgot to photograph a very important part of this process here- the sauce! Matt made an awesome sauce that I spread so quickly onto the crust that I forgot to take a picture of it! Trust me though, it was amazing!




Italian? Yeah, we're going to need some wine!




And here she is, a wonderful pie. (after a disaster pie that stuck to the pan and was really hard to get off of the pan but was still delicious!) Make sure to use oiled foil people, it definitely makes a difference.



Sorry local pizza joint, I think I'll be making my own pizza from now on!

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8.20.2010

Sneak peak...

into some new designs! Here's some of the yarn I've been using for my latest creations.




This is the 2nd new pair I've started in a week. I'm super excited to be getting back in the swing of things, even if it does mean that summer is quickly coming to a close!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

8.19.2010

Shout out to mama

I was born and raised in PA, and a good amount of the food that we ate is considered Pennsylvania Dutch. One of the greatest bits of food created by these dutch people is shoo-fly pie, and my mom just so happens to make an amazing one. Here a shout out to the greatest baker I know- my mom. Thanks for baking this pie, and bringing it all the way up to Albany, and not letting dad eat it all... You rock!






Look how good that looks! Best ever!

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8.18.2010

most ridiculous breakfast ever....

miss. albany. diner.  say it with me, because those are the words that should come out of your mouth every morning.  i've heard rave reviews about this place, but never thought anything of it when i was walking past it to get to the biergarten.  but, i wanted to take my parents someplace interesting on sunday morning, and that's what we got!

looks harmless huh?  you will never understand how cool this place is until you step inside...

it's like a step back in time... amazeballs (that's for you, ashley)

drinks are called lubrication... and then i fell in love...


even the cream in my coffee looked cool...

but it's the FOOD that is AMAZING!  these are the MAD eggs... and english muffin, scrambled eggs (you can get them however you want), a mild curry sauce with scallions, with a side of homefries.  it is the MOST full i've ever been in my life, and i just couldn't stop eating it!  it was the strangest thing ever, but the flavors just fit so well together.  two freaking thumbs up.  GET THIS and you won't be disappointed!

this was my mom's plate... she went with the eggs and bangers, which i tried and love... i'll probably get these next time...

oh, dad got eggs over easy, homefries, and sausage, but he ate them so quickly, i coudln't get a picture!

this was matt's crazy benny with super cheesy hollandaise sauce... i don't even like bennys and thought this was delicious!

my recommendation is to just go, and get something that sounds ridiculous, because it will be delicious, and you'll be happy you got it!

can't wait to see you there!