heck, i've got mad skilz.

For realz. I am wicked talented and everyone should aspire to be like me. Since I'm in going through a narcissistic phase, I feel the need to remind everyone just how awesome I really am. Yeah... right. Truth is, I'm not that talented at all. I'm just a poser. But I am pretty proud of what I've done and slightly impressed with my abilities given that I have zero formal training and I'm using a program that was most likely bootlegged and doesn't have all of the necessary components to make the program run properly.

When M was here we had our good friend J take our family pics. The poor girl... I threw her a camera in the worst possible time of day for lighting and told her to take pictures of 2 cranky kids and their tired parents, and then told her to take as many pictures as fast as she possibly could, but to be sure to get some good ones. We needed to break the record for the fastest time to fill up a 2GB memory card because 1) we only put enough change in the parking meter for an hour and 2) I knew M and the kids weren't going to last long and we had about 45 minutes before they were d.o.n.e. Me, I could have my picture taken allllllll day. Because I am that pretty and because I will be America's Next Top Model one day. Yeah... right.

I was really impressed with the outcome of the pictures, especially because the time of day was less than ideal to be taking pictures and because somehow she managed to get more than 1 of all of us looking at the camera at the same time. But the lighting sucked. I mean, it was really really bad. It wasn't her fault at all. Her timing is flawless and she can always capture moments that are priceless. It was all my fault because I should have rolled my fat butt out of bed an hour earlier to get out the door an hour earlier so we could have had better light.

It is for this reason that God invented photoshop. Some people have ethical issues with photoshop and that is fine. Everyone needs a cause. I for one truly believe photoshop is a gift from heaven. I don't go too crazy with it, mostly because I don't know how, but I can do simple things like fix the lighting or take the bags out from under my eyes or remove the graffiti from the chairs we are sitting on. Be rest assured though, if I knew how to make my arms look more defined or could take 3 pounds off my behind, I'd do it and wouldn't think twice. I have no shame.

Before these pictures were edited, I really didn't have any photo editing skills other than clicking on the "Auto Adjust" and "Levels" slider to lighten or darken a picture but I went all out when I was teaching myself how to edit these. I even read directions and stuff. I know some of them are a tad over edited, but that is the look I was going for. I am breaking out of the mold. Look out. And, yes, I am that pasty white color you see in the pictures in real life.

(J, I'm sorry I've been too lazy to email these to you and that you are seeing these for the first time here... I'm not a very good friend these days.)

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Not only have I been doing photo editing, but I've also been dabbling in the world of custom invitation making again, which I totally dig.

Here is my latest creation. The painting in the invite is the painting the parents are using as their inspiration to decorate the baby's room. How sweet is that?


I heart photoshop. Photoshop = good. I cannot wait for my legit and fully functional version to get here in a few weeks so I can really do some damage. Oh the possibilities... This could be dangerous.