Rewrite

After October 25 our mailbox has been full.
Hungry no more.

Thank you, everyone, for your sentiments: the cards, the blues, the letters, the bouquet of books instead of fresh flowers. Even Deseret Book got in on the postal pleasantries- by rejecting my manuscript. : )
Just in case you are wondering what a Dear John from DB looks like: From the title you can make a safe assumption what the manuscript is about. Those of you who thought I had submitted a creative work apparently are not familiar with my attention span’s height. It’s short, for future reference.
Instead of a novel, I submitted an activity book. My manuscript has over fifty ideas with instructions pertaining to family history for the enjoyment of the family and especially children and youth. It also includes with each activity a purpose statement (i.e. Purpose: to become familiar with the contents of a Family Group record sheet ) and the table of content is conveniently organized into descriptive categories for easy selection.
So, now what should I do with it? I guess it will just collect dust on the hard drive.
It has served its purpose: to keep my mind off things.
Those of you who keep tabs on my FB status updates, know I’ve been looking into MLS degree programs. I narrowed my sights down to two online programs: Florida State University and North Carolina Central University…. THEN I got my Simmons information packet in the mail with a nifty fact sheet about their dual major MA in Children’s Literature and MS in Library Services for Children... They really need to come up with a universal emoticon for salivating. It would probably look like this:

: P - - - O
(notice the puddle of accumulating drool?)

But the degree is not offered online.

: '(

And, being honest, I probably don’t have the drive to go back to school like my incredible husband. I’ll leave the graduate work to him.

Complacency is a dirty word in our house. When I told Mike about my new goal he was … {insert a word here that is not as strong as “offended” and not as concerned as “worried”}

Maybe a better word for my goal is “content”?

Yeah. That looks better.
In ideal circumstances I’d still be pregnant. And I wouldn’t be three weeks postpartum in November. Instead, it’d be January and I would be sleep-deprived and plenty busy with a newborn, juggling both Caleb and Emma.
But instead, because this situation is not my ideal, I’m three weeks postpartum and wondering what I should be doing because naturally, biologically, I would/should be doing something.
So, I guess with the manuscript, and with the interest in graduate school I’m trying to fill a void. When instead, I really should just try to be content to be where I am.

Which is hard.

Which makes my goal more of a challenge.

*You may have noticed a new button on our sidebar. Click it!

Make Room.

Make Room this Season:

“The innkeeper missed the greatest opportunity that an innkeeper could ever have had.
Years later it would not do him any good to say,
‘If only I had known who they were.’
In our busy lives, with ever so many others competing for our attention,
it is essential that we make a conscious, committed effort
to bring Christ into our lives and into our homes."

-President Thomas S. Monson

"We need to take the time to worship,
to meditate, and to develop a more personal relationship with the Lord.
We need to get acquainted with his teachings.
We need to fill our hearts with the things of the Spirit.
We need to be more practical and to begin to think today
what Jesus thought. We can fill our minds with our Heavenly Father’s purpose
and our hearts with an understanding of his ways.
We can open the door of our soul and make room for the Savior to come in."

-Elder George P. Lee

"Make room for the Church in your life. Let your knowledge of its doctrine grow.
Let your understanding of its organization increase.
Let your love for its eternal truths become ever and ever stronger."

-President Gordon B. Hinckley

"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!"

-Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Another How-To

How to Create a Line Drawing or “Stamp”
in Photoshop CS2

Yes, I’m aware there’s probably is an easier way to do what I do. A way my husband will enlighten me about, I’m sure, right after I publish this post. But this is how I do it. There may seem to be a lot to it but just like any project in photo editing once you do it, the next will be easier.
I don’t claim to be a know-it-all or a professional.

Disclaimer over.

Photoshop Tip: Create and label multiple layers. This will allow you to compare, backstep, and stay organized.

Step 1: You want to select a photograph that has obvious contrast, a balance of darkness and light. You will heighten this contrast further by adjusting the Brightness/Contrast of the layer. First duplicate the original layer (ctrl + alt+ j), label and adjust. Like So. See the difference between A & B?
Don’t forget to “hide” the original layer.

Step 2: Now you will create a desaturated layer or a “grayscale” layer. Duplicate the edited layer (the one labeled B above). Then press ctrl + shift + u.
Step 3: Duplicate desaturated layer and inverse that layer. To inverse the layer use the following key stroke: ctrl + shift + i

Step 4: Select Linear Dodge for the layer bending option. The layer will appear blank. Breathe. It’s still there. : )

Step 5: Select the Gaussian Blur Filter. Adjust the filter and using the preview provided adjust the layer to look like a line drawing.

Step 6: Merge the three layers: The edited layer, the desaturated layer, and its duplicate (now the line drawing layer).

Step 7: Select Color Range. Click the dropper over the white hue of the newly merged layer. Adjust fuzziness to a higher quantity. I can't give you an exact number here since it really depends on the image and what you want. Confirm your selection. You’ll see on the layer what is called “marching ants” press Backspace, this deletes the selected hue. Now instead of “white” your layer will have the checkered transparent void.

If you have any questions,
you know how to get a hold of me. : )

Also, if you readers

ever see something on the blog that you like such as stamps, silhouettes or fonts, let me know. I'm always happy to share!