Secret Sunday | #18

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you've had a lovely weekend! If you're new here, this is a chance to anonymously share secrets you've been keeping to yourself and just need to get off of your chest. They can be anything from "I cheated on my math test" to "I cheated on my husband" This is for you as well as for myself (I may post a few of my own) We all have secrets that we have to live with, but the best medicine is not keep them bottled up inside. My hope is that this can act as an escape of sorts for a lot of you.

Source: squidoo.com via Shane on Pinterest

1. This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from a regular follower to casual visitor.

2. Post a secret anonymously, no names please (Choose the anonymous option under comment).

3. I do this for you guys - so you can get some weight off of your shoulders. If you are not comfortable with sharing, that is entirely well and fine.

4. I am going to participate as well. One of the comments will be mine.

**Remember: Nothing is off limits and we are not here to judge.

**To anyone who anonymously posts a secret here, if you ever need someone to vent to, get advice from, etc, do not hesitate to contact me personally through e-mail.  I have been through some tough stuff and know how alone it can make a person feel at times.  I promise I will never judge, and it will be kept soley between the two of us. There are so many of these I have read which make me wish I could give the person a huge hug and let them know everything will be okay.

 

DIY | Glitter Jars

Another one before the last movie of the night, three so far....

Just a fun little decor for my new room!! i will post photos when it is finished!!! <3

Here we go, again:
Glitter Jar 3 min. {per jar}

1st
you pick out your color glitter & get your glue, {you can use hot glue if you want} and find your jars!

 {excuse the iPhone & Lens cap, thank you!}

 {Izze bottle, mason jar, & mini jar.}

{I just choose silver glitter, I was going to do two different colors but, like this one the best}

2nd & 3rd
Apply a good amount of glue evenly around the entire jar & once done "gluing" add your glitter. {This is best done with a bowl underneath the jar while pouring the glitter, see photograph.}

{repeat with as many jars as you wish!}

That is it!! It is a easy, fast, & fun way to add some fun & sparkle to jars or any container! I did the mason jar with strips & the bottle plain just like my mini. :)

FINAL PRODUCT:

 {then add to any bedroom or office area!}

 {ignore the Ibuprofen...}

I hope you all had a great & fun Saturday! Comment below & let me know what you think! What is your next DIY?

DIY | Feather headband

So this Halloween my costume needs a few "accessories" & I wanted to make one of them. It is a simple & super cute feather head band! I decided that it would be easiest & cheapest to make it myself. I wanted a little bit of a challenge and a fun thing to do over the weekend! I wanted to share it with all of you! You can adjust the colors & feathers you use. I choose these because the pink went with my dress & the black went with my high heels & the gold was just a fun extra bit!

Here we go!
Feather headband approx. 5-10 min.

1st.....
You get all you supplies {I went to Joann's & got a tiny bag of little feathers, the pink & gold, then another baggie with just one big black feather. I also got a roll of elastic, sequined, gold "string"; you can also choose how thick you would like it to be.}

2nd....
You measure your head/the "subjects" head, you can also messager a headband that you have that fits you well. {Turn on the hot glue gun after this step.}

3rd
You cut the elastic a little bit less than the size you measured. It will stretch, you want that.

4th
You can now hot glue the two ends together. I used hot glue & it worked perfectly, you can also sew the ends together. No matter what you will need the hot glue. :)

5th
Now that you have your beautiful, basic, headband, you can now start to design you long sort & medium feathers {I used one big black feather & one medium gold feather with four little pink ones.}

6th
You can, once you have arranged the feathers, hot glue them together.

7th
Now you are ready for the final step hot glue the headband & feathers together! Now the beautiful final product!

I hope you are all having a great fall & a fun weekend! Now I am off to bake some pumpkin bread & go shoe shopping! {FYI: I want my costume to be a surprise, I think/ hope you know that I decided not to be Mary Poppins. haha}

Secret Sunday { #17 }

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you've had a lovely weekend! If you're new here, this is a chance to anonymously share secrets you've been keeping to yourself and just need to get off of your chest. They can be anything from "I cheated on my math test" to "I cheated on my husband" This is for you as well as for myself (I may post a few of my own) We all have secrets that we have to live with, but the best medicine is not keep them bottled up inside. My hope is that this can act as an escape of sorts for a lot of you.

photography. Of Ben & I

1. This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from a regular follower to casual visitor.

2. Post a secret anonymously, no names please (Choose the anonymous option under comment).

3. I do this for you guys - so you can get some weight off of your shoulders. If you are not comfortable with sharing, that is entirely well and fine.

4. I am going to participate as well. One of the comments will be mine.

**Remember: Nothing is off limits and we are not here to judge.
 

Film Friday | Uncharted

These days my whole life is uncharted....

Feel it in my bones

I hope this explains my absence for a while { I put my Secret Sunday posts on a timer, for the next two Sundays.}

{And in that moment we were infinite. 

Love when you are ready not lonely. 

People cry not because they are weak; it's because they've been strong for too long. 

Don't you dare give up on this life not tonight not tomorrow not ever. 

Sitting next to you doing absolutely nothing is absolutely perfect. 

Sometimes, i just want to get far away form it all... 

if only you knew. 

It is not the good-bye that hurts but the flashbacks that follow.}

Secret sunday {#16}

16!! Wowzers!! So excited we got this far! I can't wait to see how far we go! <3 hope you all are having/had a lovely weekend!

Happy Sunday everyone, I hope you've had a lovely spring weekend! If you're new here, this is a chance to anonymously share secrets you've been keeping to yourself and just need to get off of your chest. They can be anything from "I cheated on my math test" to "I cheated on my husband" This is for you as well as for myself (I may post a few of my own) We all have secrets that we have to live with, but the best medicine is not keep them bottled up inside. My hope is that this can act as an escape of sorts for a lot of you.

1. This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from a regular follower to casual visitor.

2. Post a secret anonymously, no names please (Choose the anonymous option under comment).

3. I do this for you guys - so you can get some weight off of your shoulders. If you are not comfortable with sharing, that is entirely well and fine.

4. I am going to participate as well. One of the comments will be mine.

**Remember: Nothing is off limits and we are not here to judge.

Change in thought.....Change in heart | Life lately

In life there are ups & downs. You have to get through the downs & tears in order to celebrate the ups & laughter. When something bad happens we almost always go straight to thinking, 'nothing will ever be the same, ever again' And yes, sometimes that is true. We also have to think about how some changes can be for the better. We need to take the pain & tears & change them for the better. Make people believe that you can get through it & you can. You just need a little love & hope along the way. I am not saying it will be an easy road, I know it will be bumpy & rough but, everybody has times like this. Times where you have no one to turn to & times where you just feel alone. Everyone can get through them, all you need is to keep your head held high & never forget to breathe. 

This has been heavy on my heart lately, the thought that with just one action or reaction everything can change. To be honest, it scares me. I really have a hard time changing this about myself or about how i do things. My life is filled with flaws & that is how i like it. I never once thought that I would be in the position to have to change a big or small part of my life. I know that changing any part would be hard for me to grasp. I guess the thing that hurts the most is that I am/was told i had to change. {I know I should change this & I have thought about it before but, I am not ready for anything to change. I know it MIGHT help me but, that can be a BIG risk.} I like to change over time, slowly so then it doesn't feel much like a change. 

Source: 29.media.tumblr.com via Hailey on Pinterest

I always go back to this^, keep going! You have to keep going. No matter what there will always be a group of people, family & friends, there for you at the end & during the bumpy road. You never give up & show everyone that you can do it. Anything you put your mind to, you can do! You just need a little love! <3

I think the tough part for me will be the memories, not the good bye. There can be good in any good bye. I have no doubt that it will be hard that day but, all the memories that come back to me will hurt more than ever. When I have them I can almost guarantee that I will cry. But I will always remember that I need to keep going & that everyone has a rough road sometime in there lifes.

Source: Uploaded by user via Hailey on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Hailey on Pinterest

Never give up on yourself....

Wordless Wensday | Fallish

{1} Hawaii in a month!! {2} Homemade Gingersnaps yum!!! {3} I knew you were trouble. On replay [new segment coming] {4} New big girl bed!!! [fits two <3 & all homework....] {5} Homecoming Football game!! {6} Mother's Birthday! October 2nd {7} We are never ever getting back together, get it in your head. NEVER GONNA HAPPEN! [sorry a little freak out for a moment] {8} Fun' summer' edits!

Secret Sunday {#15}

 If you're new here, it is a chance to anonymously share secrets you've been keeping to yourself and just need to get off of your chest. They can be anything from "I cheated on my math test" to "I cheated on my husband" This is for you as well as for myself (I may post a few of my own) We all have secrets that we have to live with, but the best medicine is not keep them bottled up inside. My hope is that this can act as an escape of sorts for a lot of you.

1. This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from a regular follower to casual visitor.

2. Post a secret anonymously, no names please (Choose the anonymous option under comment).

3. I do this for you guys - so you can get some weight off of your shoulders. If you are not comfortable with sharing, that is entirely well and fine.

4. I am going to participate as well. One of the comments will be mine.

**Remember: Nothing is off limits and we are not here to judge.

Thoughts? Suggestions? If this gets positive feedback, I'll be sure to keep it around :)

Summer photo edit | DIY

 I know summer is over but, we all have those summer photos lying around and you are not sure how to or what to edit them with....

 So I thought this would be the perfect time to share some tips on how to give your photos a dreamy, summertime-inspired look using some of the features available in Photoshop Elements .  The main editing technique I'll be using for this is the lens flare filter, but I'm also going to show you guys a couple of extra steps that I like to incorporate to create an ethereal, summery aesthetic.

In photography, a lens flare is achieved when rays of (usually bright) sunlight hit your lens and create effects that can include sunbursts, circles of light, haziness and warm-toned glows.  A lot of times this happens unintentionally with back lit photos, but it can also be done intentionally by placing your subject in front of your camera with the sun behind them. 

It can be a challenge to get this just right, but thankfully, the same effect can be accomplished in just a few easy steps with Photoshop Elements tools.  Want to create this look on a photo that isn't back lit?  No problem.  You can still use these tools to give your image an airy, summer sun-kissed appearance.  To demonstrate this, I'll take you through the steps using a photo that is naturally back-lit.{you can do the same for a photograph that is not back-lit, just adjust where the "light" or flare comes from.}

When you're going through this tutorial, keep in mind that there are no right or wrong adjustments, levels or tweeks.  We're going for a warm, sun-drenched, slightly washed-out look with this image.  We're not following any "rules" for a technically perfect photograph.  Just have fun, experiment, and allow your creativity to flow freely!

{I found this demonstration "photo walk thru" online, but at the end you'll see my before and after}

Open your photo file in PS Elements 10 (File > Open). 

2. Duplicate your background layer (Layer > Duplicate layer).  This step is optional, but I like to do it so that I can compare the edits to the original image, or even revert back to it if I'm not happy with the edited image. (This can also be done using Layer Masks, but we'll save that for another tutorial).

 3. Create your Lens Flare by going to Filter > Render > Lens Flare. 

4. Tweek your flare in the dialog box.  A dialog box will pop up with options where you can choose Lens Type, Brightness, and location and size of the flare.  Place your cursor over the cross to adjust sizing and move the flare to the desired place on your image. One you've made your adjustments, click OK.  As you can see, for this image, I chose the 50-300mm Zoom Lens, increased brightness to 150%, and positioned the flare to the top left.

5. Review your image.  I'm happy with the flare effect on my photo (zoomed in on this shot by going to View > Actual Pixels), but I'm thinking it could use some more tweeking to make it a little warmer and more radiant.

6. Create a Photo Filter adjustment layer by going to Layer > New Adjustment Later > Photo Filter.  Click OK in the dialog box. (An adjustment layer allows you to add an effect to a layer that you can edit at any time while still preserving your original layers.)

7.  Choose a Warming Filter from the Adjustments menu (this will be in the lower right corner of your screen), and use the slider to select Density.  I chose Warming Filter (LBA) at 45%.  I also unchecked the "Preserve Luminosity" box.  This allows the color overlay to cover all areas of the image, without it affecting the shadows or midtones.  If the back lighting in your photo is very bright like it is in mine, this can give the image more of a washed-out, vintage effect.  If the lighting is more balanced in your photo, you may decide to keep this box checked.  Try it both ways and see which way looks best for your photograph.

8. Now create a Levels adjustment layer by going to Layer > New Adjustment Later > Levels > OK. Unchecking the "Preserve Luminosity" box in step 7 darkened this photo quite a bit, so she wanted to brighten it back up.

9. Adjust the Levels in the Adjustment Layers menu to adjust the exposure, contrast, etc.  Use the sliders to play with levels on your photo until the desired effect is achieved.

 Before:

After:

 I hope you will use this for all you fun sun kissed photos!