Garfield Trail

It's been four years since I first started the Garfield Trail.

We started the day in Swayzee and ended in Upland for ice cream at Ivanhoe's. 

-Mandy

Home

"Your home should tell the story of who you are, and be a collection of what you love brought together under one roof."
-Nate Berkus

Hard to believe this place is empty.  My family filled it with 30+ years of memories, both awful and beautiful.  I wouldn't change any of it.  Now, we have a new roof to house our love and laughter.

-Mandy

DIY Photo Candles

Here's a fun project that makes a great gift for friends and family.

1.  You'll need wax paper, a pieces of cardstock, white tissue paper, scissors, a hair dryer, a printer, tape, and candles.
2.  Take a piece of cardstock and tape a piece of tissue paper to it.  Keep the tissue paper taut so that it doesn't jam in the printer.
3.  In your photo editing program, size your images to fit on the candles and print.
4.  Cut out your images.  Leave a small border all the way around.
5.  Place your image on a candle and wrap a piece of wax paper around the image and candle.  Make sure that the waxy side faces the image.  Turn the hair dryer on its highest setting.  The image will start to turn darker, and you may notice some wax "sweat".
6.  Once the entire image is dark, peel away the wax paper.  You now have a unique photo candle!

Be very careful when blow drying the candle.  Your hands might get hot.

-Mandy

DIY Photo Magnets

Looking for a fun little stocking stuffer for your friends and family?  Try making your own photo magnets!  These could also be used to promote your business.  :)

What you'll need:

*photos

*magnetic sheets (found at hobby stores)

*clear laminate contact paper

*sharp scissors

I already had some photos printed at a size of 3.5 inches wide by 2 inches.  You can use some photos that you have or print some out from your computer.  The size of your magnets will depend on the magnetic sheets that you use.

1.  Cut out a piece of contact paper that is large enough to cover your photos.

2.  Peel the backing from the contact paper and lay your photos face down.

3.  Turn the contact paper over and smooth out any creases or bubbles. 

4.  Peel the backing from the magnetic sheet and place the photos backside down on the sticky side of the magnet.

5.  Cut away the excess material, and you have your very own photo magnet!

-Mandy

A Polaroid Clothesline

It's finished!  I had mentioned before that I was going to hang some of my Polaroids (and Fuji film).  That's about the only progress I've made on my little workspace.  Hopefully, it'll be in a more finished state soon.  Probably not, though.  I'm not kidding anyone.

The Polaroids are mostly of different places here in Indianapolis and strange roadside attractions.  I used white elastic for the line, because it reminded me of the clothesline my mom used to have in our backyard.  I loved that silly thing.

I'm already plotting more of these and some framed photos on the walls.

-Mandy

How I Work: Yearbook Committee

A few weeks ago, I had a last minute shoot with Yearbook Committee.  There's no match for this talented and eclectic group of people.  They were incredible to work with, and I hope to do it again in the future.

Check them out:
http://www.yearbookcommittee.org/
http://yearbookcommittee.bandcamp.com/
http://www.myspace.com/yearbookcommittee73
http://yearbookcommitteemusic.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/yearbookcommittee

Tutorial: Miniaturize Life

I've discussed how to use tilt-shift to fix a blurry photo.  It can also be used to create "miniature" scenes.  Here are some great examples.  One of my favorite tilt-shift photographers is Keith Loutit.  He actually makes time-lapse films from his shots.

Here's a great tutorial for tilt-shift.  I do want to add something to it, though.  Once you've added the lens blur, slightly blur the left and right sides of the focus area with the Blur Tool.  I find this to be a more convincing miniature.

For those that don't have access to a program like Photoshop, use the online Tilt Shift Maker.  Try it out! 

The two top photos don't quite look miniature, do they?  This technique works best on shots taken from above.

How I Work: Float

This is kind of an easy one.  I honestly can't believe I haven't tried it until now.  This works best in an uncluttered room, which I do not have.  So, I used someone else's space. 

What you need: a tripod, an empty room, a model, and a chair/stool.  I didn't have my tripod with me at the time, so I used a large plastic container.  I took a shot of the empty room then another of me in an awkward position on the chair.

In Photoshop, I opened my two files and placed the model and chair image over the empty room image.  Then, I erased the chair.  Seriously, nothing to it.  When you try this, the light and shadow of the room may need to be adjusted in the photos.  I also added a touch of a shadow on the floor with the Burn tool.

Here's another variation of the shot:

Every Song Has A Memory Tied To It

 For me, so many people and memories are tied to music.  It's funny how hearing a song can instantly take you back to a certain moment in your life.


1.  I nearly crumble whenever I hear "One" by U2 or "Everybody Hurts" by R.E.M.  Brea (Peapod) put those songs on a mixtape that she gave to me before she moved to California.

2.  Listening to The Lemonheads is the best way to start the day.

3.  When I hear "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash, I remember driving around in my Jeep with my friends Nate, Regina (Shnitzle), Faith, and Kara.  We were singing so loud that people on my college campus stopped and stared.  Probably one of the best nights of our lives.

4.  Weezer's sophomore album, Pinkerton, is like a strange sort of play that Shnitzle and I have to act out.

5.  "Long December" by Counting Crows almost breaks my heart.  I heard it for the first time when I was in 7th grade on a trip to Toronto.  It also reminds me of a friend from that time who always seemed so lost.  I often wonder about her.

6.  "Stay" by Lisa Loeb got me through my freshman year of college.  I was so sick that I had to move home "to live out my last days".  That song gave me the strength to live.

7.  When I hear "Run-Around" by Blues Traveler, I have to dance.  HAVE to.

8.  I was getting ready with some friends to see the play Beauty and the Beast in Toronto when Beck's "New Pollution" video came on tv.  My friend, Jennifer, and I froze.  It was like nothing we had ever seen before.

9.  "Start Choppin" was the first song I heard by Dinosaur Jr.  I was 10.  I've been hooked on the band ever since.

10.  I picked up Bjork's album Telegram on a trip to Illinois to visit my nephews.  I was about 13 or 14.  "Hyperballad" (track 2) woke up every one of my senses.

11.  "Crossing Line" by Sea and Cake will always remind me of Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Such a beautiful town.

12.  My friend, Kati, and I saw She & Him perform at the Barrymore Theater in Madison, Wisconsin.  That was probably the greatest live show I've seen.  "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" is my ringtone for all of my Wisconsin friends.

13.  The Empire Records soundtrack (including songs that only appear in the movie) is my all-time favorite soundtrack.  It fits the movie perfectly.  "Seems" by Queen Sarah Saturday, "Free" by The Martinis, "How" by the Cranberries, and "Til I Hear It From You" by the Gin Blossoms are my top song picks.  The scene that features "If You Want Blood (You've Got It)" by AC/DC where Joe plays the drums is so memorable.  I always try to dance like Lucas.

14.  I swiped Peapod's iPod in Chicago so I could listen to "Divine Hammer" by The Breeders.  By the end of the song, I was jumping on the bed.

15.  Weekend drives to Calumet City, Illinois/Cedar Lake, Indiana included listening to Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, and The Beatles.

16.  I was at a concert where the Jabbawockeez performed a tribute to Michael Jackson.  They chose "P.Y.T", which rarely gets any radio play.  It's my favorite song.  I had tears in my eyes.

17.  Peapod made a cassette tape of the band Shallow for me.  I think she gave it to me around 1998 or 1999.  I listened to it all the time.  I tried to find the cd of it, but no one had even heard of the band.  I was at a music store in Bloomington, Indiana about 5 years later and found the album.  It had been specially ordered by someone but had never been claimed.  The guy at the counter said it was all mine.  Instant thought:  FATE.

18.  My mother's favorite memory:  My mom (Mama Bear), Shnitzle, and I were at a used music shop called Penny Lane.  I had them on the hunt for The Cure album Boys Don't Cry.  Mama Bear found it and called out to me.  I literally leaped over two racks of cds to grab it from her.  I proceeded to rub the cd across my chest.  Mama Bear says, "not in front of god and everyone".  Shnitzle and I almost died laughing.


And to end with some lovely quotes:

“I've never tried to block out the memories of the past, even though some are painful. I don't understand people who hide from their past. Everything you live through helps to make you the person you are now.”  - Sophia Loren

“Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.”  -Kevin Arnold

One Wing Necklace

 

One of my new personal faves.  This is another repurposed necklace.  The wing charm is from an earring and the bead came from a bracelet.  At first, I had some trouble finding the right chain.  I eventually found this one at Hobby Lobby.

 

 

My hair's gone now.  :(

 

Inspired by Wilco's One Wing.  This necklace was available in my Etsy shop.  It sold quickly after I added it to my shop!  Thanks Faith!  <3

Winter Fun

 

Gunner gets so excited in the snow.  I'm not sure if it's a dog thing... or just him.  He goes completely nuts.  I'm not a fan of snow, winter, or cold temps.  I still go out and play with him, though.

How could I say no to that face?

  

 

  

  

Gunner loves his mom. 

  

...attacking me