One Photo 6 Different Ways

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Do you like playing around with photo editors and filters? The photo above featuring me, the husband, and our youngest  is pretty close to its original. I imagine Emily, who took and edited the picture, doctored it up a bit. She might have enhanced some colors like the reds and the browns. She is also really good at adding textures, which I know nothing about. While she uses a professional editor there are also cheap and easy ways to edit your pictures. Below are six different versions of the same picture.

First is the picture in sepia tones.

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Next is one of my favorites, good old black and white. i-nWrNHJL-LTo get the dreamy look I added brightness to the photo using the online and free PicMonkey photo editor. i-Vj42pBG-L

Next i softened the photo and added a black border also using PicMonkey.

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For a vintage look I applied a filter called 1974 using the Camera Bag photo editor.

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Lastly I added multiple filters again using Camera Bag. Here I combined the filters Helga, 1974, and Instant.

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Which version is your favorite? Do you have a go to photo editor?

Have a great day taking pictures!

-Sofija

P.S. Who noticed that I actually used two different pictures?

 

One Photo 6 Different Ways

friday grams

Friends,

how was your week? Are you getting near the end of your school year? Hang in there, this is the hardest time of the school year. I was at a home-school planning meeting yesterday and I could just see the fatigue in a lot of mom’s eyes. Maybe these photos will cheer you up and keep you going. Yesterday my two year old looked particularly cute in her polka dots and pig tails.

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Today I am heading to a Human Trafficking Summit for our city hosted by a local church. I love when the church gets involved in important issues. Hope to have a report next week.

What’s ahead for you? Any exiting plans for the weekends? My oldest will be turning 15 on Sunday. A bitter sweet day.

Have a sun filled day!

Sofija

 

friday grams

A Fun School Day

Hi there,

one thing I love about home-schooling is that I have the freedom to every once in a while let my kids pursue their interests for a whole day. For my 9 year old son that means playing and building with Legos. Sometimes he will work his way through 50 pages of instructions to built a Star Wars ship, but sometimes he comes up with his own ideas. Here we have Hobbits enjoying a great feast, and a chess set.

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I love the detail he puts into his creations.

Have a lovely, creative day!

Sofija

A Fun School Day

Easter Egg Hunt

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Friends,

How was your Easter? Did the weather hold up for an egg hunt outside? Ours  was beautiful. We did an impromptu hunt with our neighbors. We have done it several years in a row so we can pull it off pretty fast. Take a look.

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ella easter 2013Below is me with my 4 year old.

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I have a confession to make. After buying the ham, asparagus, and potatoes we ended up getting pizza!! I think this was my first time not eating a festive meal for Easter. With my husband still recovering and not feeling so well I ended up doing the church/basket/easter hunt largely by myself and I was too tired to worry about cooking the meal. Oh well, there will be a large, festive meal in our near future.

With Easter behind us it is time for met to get ready for birthday season. Most of our children’s birthdays are stacked up in April and May, add to that my niece’s birthdays, holidays, and Mother’s Day- the party never ends…

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

All pictures by Lonely Mountain Photography. Feel free to share but be kind and credit.

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Eggs

Friends,

Last week, after my husband’s operation, we came home to a clean house and to these beauties. Am I the only one who didn’t know about jeweled eggs??? My lovely daughter Esther (an 11 year old version of Martha Stewart) made these. She colored the eggs, added the shiny embellishments, and then did some final touches with markers.

 

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The egg colors and embellishments all came with the store bought egg coloring kit you can find at Target or a local supermarket.

The anticipation of Easter is steadily rising in our house. How about yours?

-Sofija

 

Easter Eggs

Outside

PicMonkey Collage

It is getting warmer in this part of the world. It was a few days ago in the afternoon. Everybody was outside. I took a minute to capture that moment.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

I used PicMonkey, a free online photo editor, to make this collage.

 

 

 

Outside

Our Week

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Friends,

how was your week? Ours took an unexpected turn to put it mildly. Last Friday evening, my husband is out riding his mountain bike, I got that dreaded call. You know the call from a stranger telling you that your husband asked him to call you because he is too hurt to do it himself?? The dreaded ride to the trail head where you wonder how bad it is. Cause you know it is bad when he can’t get home himself or even call. Then the relief to see two people helping him into the car. The nervous ride to the nearest ER (which ER do you go to anyway, urgent care is probably closed, the hospital ER is always crazy busy). All this with a husband who is trying hard not to pass out. The kids at home alone worried about their dad, and wondering when we will be back.

To make a long story short: his elbow was broken pretty badly. He had surgery 5 days later, where they placed a plate in his elbow with tuns of screws holding it all together. He will be in a cast for six weeks and might lose 10% of motion.

So that is how our week went. The pictures of the tulips is a calming distraction from the mayhem surrounding us. But I am grateful because it could have been worse. And I am grateful for good friends and neighbors willing to help. And awesome kids who can be trusted to stay at home.

-Sofija

 

Our Week

A House Concert

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Friends,

Have you ever done a house concert? A real life band playing at your house? We did our first one recently and it was so much fun, I can’t wait to do it again. Our friends, the Hollands! showed us how to do it. Not only is Jana Holland a great musician, she is also a seriously talented host. I learned a lot from her.

Here is a recap how we organized the evening. We invited about four families. We ended up with 12 adults and 22 children. A good amount for the living spaces we have. Jana and I picked a food theme. Jana made the main course, and everyone else brought side dishes, dessert, and drinks.

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When the guests arrived we ate, talked, and talked some more. The group was so well matched that it took some time to corral everybody to start the concert. Below are the children waiting with no adults or musicians in sight.

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The Hollands! started the concert with lots of kid’s participation. They always bring a bag of instruments children can play. Below is my Ella singing with Craig.i-vsVBSQc-Li-NqN292B-Li-tMWvKQB-L i-zQ3jqqJ-L

While my friend Emily took pictures, I filmed the whole concert with my iPhone.

Have you ever had a life concert at your house? Would you try it? Every time I have musicians at my house I am reminded how much I enjoy life music in an intimate setting. Sort of like going to an Irish Pub listening to random musicians jamming. This week I restarted piano lessons with my kids. Since I don’t have a musical bone in my body I am hoping my kids can supply me with music.

Have a lovely weekend, I will see you back here next week.

-Sofija

All pictures taken by Lonely Mountain Photography.

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A House Concert

Keep Them Safe

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“See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.”

Matthew 18:10

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I wanted my post to be cheerful, as I always try to be positive and cheerful. But sometimes life happens and you can’t do business as usual. In the last few weeks I have heard too many stories about children getting hurt. It makes me ever more thankful for each day my children are safe and are allowed to keep their innocence. My prayer is for all parents to be able to do the same.

This is my one of my favorite morning prayers the church prays during Lent:

Lord God almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

-Sofija

Keep Them Safe

Saying Goodbye

the busFriends,

I hate saying goodbye. I feel like there is always a part of me that leaves with the ones who are departing.

After spending close to three weeks with us the Hollands left for their next destination.  This past week was so full with music, dinners, shows, school, friends, and life I had no time to do a post. I had no time to process.  As it is raining outside right now, my two year old’s word’s describe it well: “Tasha miss my Craig and Jana (and Banjo and Grace)!”  Picture here at the table with her fists tucked under her chin looking really sad.

I will see you here next week when I am caught up with sleep.

-Sofija

Saying Goodbye