Oh man, we love a good giveaway. I mean, really, who doesn't like to win free things?! We've talked about our friend Stacy multiple times because we can't get enough of her photography. Just recently Salvatori Photography did an awesome story session of Monica and her family. Basically, she followed their family around one Saturday morning to capture their everyday moments and they turned out fabulous… (This is one of Monica's favorites from the session)
Last year, she captured our entire families and as a result, we have photos we will love for a lifetime.
One of her photos even graces my walls in an almost life-sized way- remember my huge shaped frame? And this picture of my kiddos (they were so little!) is just priceless.
And, well, it's pretty nice to have a great photo of me and my best friend.
For Mother's Day, we are so excited to be able to give away a photography session with Salvatori Photography!
Here are the prize details you need to know:
~ 1 hour Session in one location ~ Up to 5 people ~ Over a $300 Value ~ Must live within 25 miles of Perkasie PA ~ Can't not be redeemed for cash value -Must be redeemed by August 1, 2013 Isn't this AWESOME?!! Just think, one of you could surprise your mom, sister, grandma or wife with a photography session for Mother's Day! I would be over the moon with a gift like that (*hint hint, hubby!). **Please make sure you click to LIKE Salvatori Photography- don't just click I'm a fan, unless you already are. Thanks!** a Rafflecopter giveaway
We'll announce the lucky winner next Friday, April 19th! Good luck!: )
P.S, We're the ones in a contest now and if we win, we get to give $5000 to a charity we love- Worthwhile Wear. We need your help, though- you can learn more about our project and the charity we chose here, or go vote for us every day for the next two weeks right here. Thanks!!
We're so excited to finally share this project with you. We wrote it for Infarrantly Creative last week, and now we can reveal it to you! We're going to give you an awesome, low cost way to frame a humongous photograph that will totally be a traffic-stopping scene-stealer! Not only that, this project is super easy and takes very little time. We were actually very surprised at how quickly it came together. You know when you have a creative idea, and you think it should be easy, but it almost never is? You won't have that problem here!
Here's our cast of characters:
1 Piece 4x9 Underlayment/Luan 24x36 Engineer Print (from Staples!) Spray paint Spray adhesive Modpodge Mini-projector (or a regular one will work too!) Picture hanging hardware
Luan, otherwise known as underlayment, is a type of plywood usually used in flooring. Not today, folks! It's ultra-light (I don't know maybe 5 pounds for the whole sheet?!), and so was the perfect medium for making a frame. We chose it because we were planning on hanging it high on a wall in Jess' entryway that has vaulted ceilings. We wanted something that would be light enough to stay put on the wall so that it didn't accidentally knock off one Jess' guests as they entered the house. Plus, because it's so thin, it was really easy to cut using a jigsaw (more on that later), and cost only $10 for the whole sheet. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We recently introduced you to engineer prints from Staples? Remember Monica's Industrial Art?
Oh.My.Goodness. They have completely changed us for the better. Just wait, you'll feel the same way. Take your favorite picture into Staples and ask for an oversized print (they come in multiple sizes, but the largest is 3 feet by 4 feet. That's huge!) They'll make a copy right there for you, and the best part…it costs less than 5 bucks for a print! You're only able to get the picture in black and white, but who cares?! It's 5 bucks! The tricky thing is that the picture is printed on very thin paper, so you have to be careful not to bend it or mark it.
Here's where having a crafty best friend comes in: Monica has an adorable mini-projector that was perfect for this project. She brought it over and set it all up using the image of the shape we pulled off of Google images.
If you can't get your hands on a projector, We're pretty sure you can make your own using this fun little tip. Monica downloaded the image of the shape onto the projector (you just use"save as" to save any file format you'd like to the drive)
Then we turned out the lights, and voila!
The perfect shape to trace!
Then, we took that bad boy out to the garage and started cutting out the shape using our trusty jigsaw. We use this thing more than is normal for a pair of moms, but what can we say? We love this tool!
Make sure you take a cheesy picture of yourself holding the frame for posterity.
See what we mean about how thin the luan is? I would say it's about 1/2 inch thick.
The next step is to sand all the rough edges so it's smooth. We recommend using a sanding pad vs. an electric sander because of how fragile the underlayment is.
Because my framed picture is going to hang high on a wall, I wanted our faces to be large so you could see them, so I printed the picture as 3 feet by 4 feet, and then cut off the extra space using an Xacto knife. You could avoid this step by cropping your picture close before printing. Make sure you're using a high-quality photo so that it prints clear. Our photo was taken by the fabulous Salvatori Photography, so we knew it would turn out great! (Need pics? Totally check her out!)
We used Rustoleum Painter's Touch spray paint in Satin Lagoon. It's such a pretty shade of blue- almost like a peacock blue.
It took a few coats, but the underlayment takes the paint really well.
Before adhering the picture, Monica added the hardward to hang the frame. We didn't want the picture to get messed up, so we made sure to do this first. You should definitely use actual picture-hanging hardware, but this is what we had on hand and it worked well. We screwed them in about a 1/4 of the way down from the top of the frame and then threaded picture-hanging wire through.
After determining the placement of the photo on the frame, we marked the corners in case we had any slippage during this next step. Since the picture is so big, we decided to place one hand squarely in the middle of it, and fold one half back towards the middle, spray the spray adhesive all over wood on that half and then smooth outward from the middle. You can use a rolling pin to help get all of the air bubbles out, but we didn't find it necessary. Having a friend help you with this is very helpful, though!
Finally, we brushed matte Modpodge all over the picture to seal it and keep it from fading over time. It just makes it look more finished, too. The Modpodge should be applied in a really thin coat to avoid any bubbling. Actually, if it's going to be in a place where it won't be touched, you could skip this step.
Then it was time to hang our beauty up!
Told you it was high! I'm not sure how Monica got this job because she's afraid of heights, but hey! She did it like a good best friend.: )
We're so in love with it, and can't get over the beautiful pop of color it brings to the entryway.
The total cost for this project was exactly $20, and the impact it makes is HUGE!
So what do you think? How many of you are heading to Staples ASAP?
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Trollheimen (home of Trolls) was the first mountainous area in Norway to be released from the grip of the last Ice Age, and archaeological finds from as long as 9,000 years ago indicate that this is where early Norwegians found their reindeer hunting-grounds.
Trollheimen lies south-west of Trondheim and east of Kristiansund
Over the last 2 million years glacial activity has shaped the landscape, resulting in a marked division between Trollheimen's mountains. Glacial arms and melt water torrents have created open U-shaped valleys in the east, and narrower V-shaped valleys in the west. Giant boulders broken loose by frost have crashed down into the chasms to form a harshly beautiful landscape. The western gneiss peaks are high and craggy; their eastern counterparts are composed of softer slate and limestone, more easily broken down to provide a rich, fertile soil. One of the remarkable relicts from this period is Litjhelvetet (Little Hell), beneath the peak of Trollhetta (Troll's hat), where a glacier has gouged a deep hollow. The little lake, now filled with clear water, is called Troll'yet (the Troll's Eye).
Sheep and cows find rich summer pasture on the hills but walkers may also spot less familiar beasts such as wolverine, lynx, arctic fox and otter.
Thank goodness it's Wednesday, folks! Monica and I have had a crazy week (which is why you haven't heard from us much lately on facebook or twitter). Most of my crazy came in the form of my first trip to Las Vegas for a friend's wedding. If ever there was a crazy place, it's Las Vegas, am I right? We had so much fun, and loved being with some great, old friends. Sarah, the bride, asked me to take some informal pictures for them throughout the evening of their wedding. Immediately, I told her "I am not a professional photographer", and I made sure to emphasize this over and over and over again (sorry Sarah!). But I was game and had a lot of fun snapping shots of the happy couple, and thought I would share a few of my favorite pics of the night. Note: All of you photographers out there, please be kind! Feel free to read the quote in bold as many times as you need.: )
First of all, isn't she gorgeous? And secondly, I am embarrassingly in love with that sparkly headband…and the fabulous jewels on her dress.
There's nothing like pre-wedding nerves and the rollercoaster of emotions you feel in that day.
Since it was a destination wedding, the number of guests was small, but that didn't matter. We had enough fun for 100 people- especially in the elevators!
I mean, you can't have a Vegas wedding without a picture of some sort of game (True story: I'm an idiot about gambling and don't have a clue what that big wheel is!) in the background.
After the ceremony, we hopped in a cab to go to the famous Vegas sign. The groom, whom we affectionately call Chewy, is one of my hubby's best friends from high school. One of the funniest guys I know, for sure.
Sarah and Chewy, we wish you the best of everything in life! Congratulations.: ) And just because I love him to pieces, I had to include one of my better half and me at the reception:
So, tell me…what's your favorite thing about Vegas? Have you ever been to a wedding there?
We Interrupt this Post to Bring You Something HUGE! We've had to keep this secret quiet for a while, but now we can dish. We were contacted by Proctor & Gamble about being the face of their home division. SCORE! The one catch… we're one of 4 bloggers in the running. Oh SNAP! So, today begins the voting on P&G's Facebook Page. We need you (and basically everyone you've ever met) to vote for Monica once a day now until October 4th. I know that the daily voting thing is a pain, but man, this opportunity would rock our world! So, pretty please, with a cherry on top- go vote for Monica (you'll even get to see our very cheesy entry video!)
You can VOTE once a day for the next 15 Days!!
Okay, now onto today's post. Thanks so much for voting! **************************************************************************
Probably the part of my Garage Mudroom Makeover that I got the most questions and comments about was the huge artwork of my crew (or at least their bottom half!) Staples Engineer prints aren't anything new to our blog (we use them all the time!), but every time I fall a little more in love!
If you missed the reveal of my makeover, you can check it out HERE. You can check out the Custom Painted Rug tutorial HERE
On our final Nate Show episode, we used a really large wooden frame with some cool fabric and skeleton keys. All the furniture from the show was shipped back to us, so I knew months ago what I had in mind for it.
I knew I wanted to frame a picture of my kiddos' feet and put it in the garage, I just had to wait until my garage was no longer a disaster! Once the mudroom makeover was underway, I immediate saw the perfect place for my artwork!
I gave the Nate Show frame (originally purchased at a thrift store) a quick coat of spray paint using Valspar's New Avocado. I recently used the same color on some chairs and I'm a pretty big fan of it.
Since we've done this kind of project a few times before I'm not going to go into the full tutorial, you can check out one tutorial HERE or the other HERE. I know a few of you have had questions about what kind of print to ask for at Staples etc… I went in and talked to our store and got the low down on some details for ya.
I did make a few small tweaks this time around. Since the frame was empty, I needed to use foam core to mount my image and then staple it to the back of the frame.
I sort of underestimated the size of the frame- it's huge! So I just mounted the left and right sides and left the middle… shhh, no one would ever know.
The process was really simple, and would have been even easier if I hadn't run out of foam core. I actually caught my finger in my heavy duty staple gun and a month later, my nail is still purple. Ugh. Although, it doesn't compare to slamming your finger in a car door and cutting off the top of it while taping a TV show for Nate… not that I know anyone who did that: )
For $6.99 I'm over the moon excited about the impact that this art makes in my garage. I come in and out of this door a million times a day and it's pretty awesome to have something I love to look at.
So, what do you think of my Shoe Artwork? Are you ready to try a Staples Engineering Print in your home?
I have a thing for pictures that tell a story, and there are many of them. The stories they tell are appalling and shocking, heartbreaking and sad. They show a world of starvation, war, heartlessness and pure evil. They show the harsh reality so many people live in and though we might not want to see this side of life, I recon it's important to know they're out there.
Although we might not be able to help them it might help us to be more grateful for what we actually have ourselves.
The afghan girl, picture shot by National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry. Sharbat Gula was one of the students in an informal school within the refugee camp; McCurry, rarely given the opportunity to photograph Afghan women, seized the opportunity and captured her image. She was approximately 12 years old at the time. She made it on the cover of National Geographic next year, and her identity was discovered in 1992.
Thisphotograph has become synonymous with The Battle of Gettysburg, which was the most bloody battle of the American Civil War. Photographer Timothy H. O'Sullivan documented and recorded the battlefield, and this picture became a sensation.
For many, this was their first chance to see, first hand, the true extent of the Civil War. However, it was not until 40 years after the battle that the pictures were mass produced, as photo-engraving had not been established. The picture shows dead confederate soldiers on the battlefield.
Alberto Korda took this picture of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, titled 'Guerrillero Heroico' or 'Heroic Guerrilla'. It shows Che, as he was known, at a memorial service for victims of the La Coubre explosion.
Despite being one of the most reproduced images in history, Korda, a lifelong Communist and supporter of the Cuban Revolution, claimed no payment for his picture.
Lawrence Beitler took this iconic photograph on August 7, 1930, showing the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, two young black men accused of raping a white girl. It sold thousands of copies, which Beitler stayed up for 10 days and nights printing them.
It has become iconic over the years as it is one of the best and most recognisable images of lynching which at the time was commonplace, but now serves only as a reminder of the pre-Civil Rights era.
The photo shows a crowd that have turned out to view the lynching, and the audience a mixture of anger and fulfilment. The photo was so popular it has been the inspiration for many poems and songs down the years, 'Strange Fruit' by the Jewish poet Abel Meeropol (later sung by Billie Holiday) being the best example.
Possibly the most talked-about, debated and controversial picture in history, the picture of the moon landing has been seen as a feat of human engineering at its best, and has been speculated as a hoax by contractors of the event.
Those in doubt of the authenticity of the picture have come up with many suggestions as to why and how it might have been faked. However, none of the accusations have been proved correct and the debate continues in some circles.
The American flag installs national pride in the US as the winners of the so-called 'Space Race', and their establishment as the world's one remaining super power.
This photo of a naked and terrified young girl running towards Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Nick Ut has entered popular culture as a symbol of the horror of the Vietnam War. It was taken during the American bombing of the village of Trang Bang, Vietnam.
It is said that this photo ended the war in Vietnam and served as an icon for the peace movement that was prevalent in the 1970s.
Often considered the most iconic photograph in history, 'tank man' or 'the unknown rebel' shows an act of courage and defiance and earned the anonymous man widespread fame.
It took place during the protests at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, and has subsequently become a symbol of the end of the Cold War era, and one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. Four people claim to have took photos of the event, but the most reproduced image, and the most famous was by Jeff Widener.
Kevin Carter's photo shows a heart-breaking scene of a starving child collapsed on the ground, struggling to get to a food center during a famine in the Sudan in 1993. In the background, a vulture stalks the emaciated child. It is a horrific picture that gave people a true look at the dire condition in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Carter was part of a group of four fearless photojournalists known as the "Bang Bang Club" who travelled throughout South Africa capturing the atrocities committed during apartheid.
He won a Pulitzer Prize for this work and came under a lot of scrutiny for spending over 20 minutes setting up the photo instead of helping the child. Three months after taking the photo, he committed suicide.
I have seen this picture several times through the years and it touches my heart more and more each time. It brings tears to my eyes and my heart aches for this little, helpless girl.
This image of a child in Uganda holding hands with a missionary shows big contrast between the two people and serves as a reminder of the difference in wealth between developed and developing countries.
Mike Wells, the photographer, took this picture to show the extent of starvation in Africa. He took it for a magazine, and when they went 5 months without printing it, he decided to enter it into a competition. However, Wells has stated that he is against winning a competition with a picture of a starving boy.
Photographer Eddie Adams took this picture of the execution of Nguy?n Van L'm by Nguy?n Ng?c Loan during the Vietnam War. Adams later apologized in person to General Nguyen and his family for the irreparable damage it did to Loan's honour while he was alive.
Picture from an Einsatzgruppen soldier's personal album, labelled on the back as 'Last Jew of Vinnitsa', it shows a member of Einsatzgruppe D is just about to shoot a Jewish man kneeling before a filled mass grave in Vinnitsa, Ukraine, in 1941. All 28,000 Jews from Vinnitsa and its surrounding areas were massacred at the time.
Ok, you moms know how difficult it is to take good pics of your little ones and their squirmy, high-energy selves, right? Well, we are thrilled to have Stacy fromSalvatori Photography guest posting for us today! We met her at a boot camp we were both attending, and one thing led to another, and here she is today sharing her top tips for taking great pictures of kids! Stacy is truly a talent. She captures everything from the excitement of a bride waiting to see her groom, to a family having a total blast together. Head on over to herwebsiteto check out her amazing work. But for now, stay here and read on.: ) You won't be disappointed. “Momographer” Tips From Stacy Salvatori 1. Change your perspective. Sometimes as Moms we get locked into patterns, this is not a bad thing all. But when it comes to capturing some fun images of your Little Ones it never hurts to get out of the ‘norm’ and change up your perspective a little. Often times we pull out the camera and do the same old face shot from 3 feet away. Ever thought about lying on the floor and looking up at them? Maybe climbing up on the swing set? Switch it up a little. You might be pleasantly surprised to see something new!
2. Play. Everyone has a different opinion and everyone has a different vision of what they may want their pictures to turn out like. I personally love, love, love when I get candid’s of my children laughing and playing and enjoying life! It’s those little in-between moments that tend to move my heartstrings. A Daddy, Aunt, or Grandma also comes in handy for this one! Get them running, swinging, playing and best off all laughing their little hearts out!
3. Wait. Often we like to pose our kids, and tell them sit just ‘like this’ or ‘move over here’ like that. I’ve found that their patience level runs low when I do that, and they tend to look a lot less ‘real’ and at ease. More times than not, just waiting and watching is the best trick. I can be lounging in my lawn chair watching them play or draw with chalk on the sidewalk… and then BAM! I see the perfect opportunity!
4. Set up different scenarios. One of the most fun things you can do is set up new and fun situations that might produce super original and creative pictures! So, for instance, rather than just tossing them in the back yard and hoping for something to happen… create a new scenario! Get out the bubble machine and capture them running through the bubbles. Turn on the sprinkler. Get out colorful paint or shaving cream… and let ‘em at it!! Play dress up. Get your daughter dolled up like a ballerina, or maybe your son is really into being a Pirate or a Fireman! Just have fun with it!
Wow, Stacy, those pictures are inspiring! I can't wait to get out there and if give those tips a try on my two little loves. Thanks so much for being here! And because Stacy is AWESOME, she is giving away a ONE HOUR TUTORIAL PHOTO SHOOT WITH YOUR KIDS (including 10 awesome images from that session!)* WOW!
Here's how you enter to win: 1."Like" Salvatori Photography on facebook HERE. 2. Leave us a comment telling us that you became a fan, and why you desperately need this photo shoot tutorial. 3. For an extra entry:"Like" The Real Housewives of Bucks County on facebook HERE, and leave us a separate comment telling us you did it. 4. For another extra entry: Become a Follower of The Real Housewives of Bucks County Blog. Use the button on our sidebar and then leave us a separate comment telling us you did. **That's 4 entries for you! Yippee!** Ok, now go and enter!
*Photo shoot tutorial is good for use in Eastern PA, unless you want to pay for travel.: ) Which, by the way, would totally be worth it.
The popular statement, " From here to Timbuktu." conjures up images of remote, isolated and distant parts of this earth. Very few people are aware of this ancient city's location, and fewer still ascribe any kind of civilization to this historic area. Timbuktu is located in the western African nation of Mali at the edge of the Sahara.
Timbuktu was founded by the Tuareg Imashagan in the 11th century. Whenever it started raining in the desert, the Turareg will leave their heavy goods with an old Tuareg women called Tin Abutut who stayed at the well. In the Tuareg language, Tin Abutut means "the lady with the big naval". With the passage time, the name Tin Abutut became Timbuktu.
By the 12th century, Timbuktu became a celebrated center of Islamic learning and a commercial establishment. Timbuktu had three universities and 180 Quranic schools. These universities were the Sankore University, Jingaray Ber University and Sidi Yahya University. This was the golden age of Africa. Books were not only written in Timbuktu, but they were also imported and copied there. There was an advanced local book copying industry in the city. The universities and private libraries contained unparalleled scholarly works. The famous scholar of Timbuktu Ahmad Baba who was among those forcibly exiled in Morocco claimed that his library of 1600 books had been plundered, and that his library, according to him, was one of the smaller in the city.
The booming economy of Timbuktu attracted the attention of the Emperor of Mali, Mansa Musa (1307-1332) also known as 'Kan Kan Musa.' He captured the city in 1325. As a Muslim, Mansa Musa was impressed with the Islamic legacy of Timbuktu. On his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa brought with him an Egyptian architect by the name of Abu Es Haq Es Saheli. The architect was paid 200kg of gold to built Jingaray Ber or, the Friday Prayers Mosque. Mansa Musa also built a royal palace (or Madugu) in Timbuktu, another Mosque in Djenn' and a great mosque in Gao (1324-1325). Today only the foundation of the mosque built in Gao exists. That is why there is an urgent need to restore and protect the mosques that remain in Djenn' and Timbuktu...
In 1893, with the colonization of West Africa by France, Timbuktu was brought under the French rule until Mali received her independence in 1960. To this day, many manuscripts originating from Timbuktu can be found in French museums and universities.
The manuscripts of Timbuktu cover diverse subjects such as mathematics, chemistry, physics, optics, astronomy, medicine, Islamic sciences, history, geography, the traditions of The Prophet peace be upon him, government legislation and treaties, jurisprudence and much more.
Today, this entire African intellectual legacy is on the verge of being lost. The brittle condition of the manuscripts i.e. pages disintegrate easily like ashes, the termites, insects, weather, piracy of the manuscripts, and the selling of these treasures to tourists for food money pose a serious threat to the future of the manuscripts of Timbuktu.
Architecture and landscape. Those are my two favourite things to photograph. Nothing is the same, every new place, every new city, there's always something new to see and capture. If I could, I would visit all the cities on earth (and beyond, if that's the question) and all nature there is. But then again, who wouldn't?
Blanche Scott was the first American, female aviator. She was born in 1885 in Rochester, New York and early became an enthusiast of the automobile. In 1910, she became the second woman, after Alice Huyler Ramsey , to drive an automobile across the United States and the first driving westwards from New York City to San Francisco.
The publicity surrounding automobile journey brought her to the attention of Jerome Fanciulli and Glenn Curtiss who agreed to provide her with flying lessons. She was the only woman to receive lessons from Curtiss. On September 6, 1910 she flew, for the first time, to an altitude of forty feet before making a gentle landing.
Scott became a professional aviator and she was the first woman to fly at a public event in the US. She became an accomplished stunt pilot known for flying upside down and performing "death dives".
In 1911 she became the first woman in America to fly long distance when she flew 60 miles non-stop. In 1912 Scott began to fly for Glenn Martin and became the first female test pilot when she flew Martin prototypes before the final blueprints for the aircraft had been made.
In 1913 she joined the Ward exhibition team where she flew a Baldwin Red Devil airplane.
She retired from flying in 1916 because she was bothered by the public's interest in air crashes and an aviation industry which allowed no opportunity for women to become mechanics or engineers.
