Windmill!

Here's a couple shots of a windmill at Taylor's mom's house, where we had Julian's THIRD birthday party this year.

 Kat asked me to snap a few shots (because she is in love with old windmills) so I did, and since Grace is hosting a "bokeh" photo challenge this week, I'm linking up! 

Oh yea, and here's the birthday boy (with Mom and Dad) working hard to blow out candle 2 of 3. 

Happy birthday, lover boy!

PARTY!

 Flexin' in the Hulk undies... I love this kid!

 Sweet, silly Julian.

 

 gettin' downnnn!

Naked Sundays- Round 13!

So I fully intended to be on time with my Naked Sunday post this week.
I even woke up bright and early Sunday to get the job done.

But (scary!) my laptop seems to be infected by some sort of crazy virus, and won't even let me on the interweb :( 

Which means, I had to wait until I got to work this morning to post, among other things. 
(Any virus gurus out there? I scanned AVG and it said there were no infections. But this weird spammy thing keeps popping up telling me my computer is infected - I think its a virus in disguise. I don't know what to do?!? Guuhumph.)

Anyways, here is my Naked Sunday shot, which I took this Saturday of Julian at the Wright Park sprayground during Hempfest.

(For the record, bringing a toddler to the Tacoma Hempfest isn't what it probably sounds like. This was a completely smoke-free event, family-friendly event, and there were tons of little ones running around getting sun. We played in the water and then watched some bands. Then home for nap time, of course...)

These shots are special to me because Julian was absolutely hilarious running around stomping on and trying to drink all the water spraying up out of the ground.
This was also the first time he wasn't too scared to go get wet.
By the end of the day, it was an all-out-shirts-off-free-for-all, and Big J was holding his own in a water fight with the "big kids."

This shot was taken while he was still "easing" into the whole idea.

Also just wanted to share this gem that Julian's mom Taylor took of us at the park... I love how we are cracking up :)

All in all a fun day in the sun, and a great excuse to get NAKED!

Naked Sundays - ROUND 11!

Slow yardsale + bored grown-ups = giving mohawks to defenseless 3-year-olds

See, it ended up being fun for everyone! 

365 Day Project - Day 337

Our little cowboy.

Here's Julian, looking as country as his poor ol' Mamma could ever ask for (although a hat and a piece of straw-in-mouth would have really been the icing on the cake.)

Linking this up to to Paper Mamma's touch up Tuesday.

Here's the original:

For the final edit, I ran Coffee Shop Press' creamy chocolate black and white action... blended the chocolate with soft light to 100 percent, turned down the creamy, burned in the wrinkles in the T-shirt and dodged out the detail in the boots, bumped up the contrast a little more and added a light vignette, all in an attempt to give it a dustier, old Western feel.

I only wish that ghastly shadow weren't so distracting... still in need of purchasing a bounceable flash for dim-light situations.

Anywhoo, let me know what you think of the finished product! 

365 Day Project - Day 301

Merry Christmas Julian!

So Julian is a little on the scared side of Santa Claus, but certainly not shy about opening presents!

Today "Auntie Nay Nay" and I brought over our gift a little early for our boy, Julian. We gave him pretty sweet lego-like "block table" and chair set, with some extra big animal blocks (shown here.) 

 We think he likes it.

365 Day Project - Day 253

Hoolian and Lionel

Here's my man J and his horse we've dubbed Lionel (after Mr. Ritchie). Don't ask why.

Anyways,
I got the urge to link this up to Paper Heart Camera's "Touch Up Tuesday" this week (my sister would be so proud).

I touch up almost all my photos, but I think the use of three levels adjustments layer on this shot prompted me to jump on the Tuesday train ... (plus I'm a little bored at the moment.)

Here's the original:

Like I said... three levels adjustment layers (the first just bringing in the right and left input levels, the second and third using the eye dropper tool to adjust based on black and white levels) and I used the "Screen" blending mode at 35 percent on one of the levels adjustments (I think it was number three).

Then, I used a cooling photo filter to correct the yellow-color cast and  over-sharpened just for kicks (using the Smart Sharpen filter with 7.5 at 90 percent).

Viola!

365 Day Project - Day 224

True happiness.

Today I finally got around to collecting photos of Julian's second birthday for my friend Taylor (Julian's mom). 

I promised her back way back in August that I'd take pictures of the party, and then she could pick some of her favorites, which I would print/frame for her as a birthday gift.

Anyways, I had put this off for so long, I figured I might as well get ALL the photos I'd taken of Julian together, and came across this adorable shot from his first birthday in 2009. 

I don't even remember seeing this photo before, but when I saw it today it warmed my heart and made me happy.  
Obviously this is an old photo, but it's my POTD because I fiddled with it a bit in Photoshop (brightened up his face, removed a bruise on his head etc...) 

and his genuinely happy, youthful expression brightened my day - and I'm hoping it an do the same for YOU!

365 Day Project - Day 218

Goo-goo... Gaga?

So, I know, babies traditionally are known for blurting out the phrases "Goo goo, ga ga" in the early years before they have a fully-formed vocabluary. 

But this baby is literally "goo goo" for (Lady) Gaga. 

I introduced Julian to "Bad Romance" a few weeks ago when he needed some entertainment. 

He quickly picked up the phrases "Ga Ga, O La La" and started singing along.

Today, we put the song on for fun and Julian's love for Gaga came out in full force.

He was singing along (with or without the music), bobbing his head, tapping his feet, literally dancing his no-pants-wearing-Gaga-loving booty off as "Bad Romance" repeated. 

Over... and over.

At one point, he even started stripping:

Gaga would be so proud of her "Littl(est) Monster"

365 Day Project - Day 183

Happy Birthday,

Julian!

Two years and going strong!

365 Day Project - Day 156

It's totally bed time.

365 Day Project - Day 153

Itsa woof woof!

Julian loves "woof woofs" so much, he wanted to be just like one and crawl through the doggie door!

...Ok, so honestly, it wasn't his idea to go through this door - it was mine (I coaxed him with a "treat") but whatever- it was still fun for us both - (I think?)

Well, regardless of how he felt about it, it was pretty cute and made for a great POTD subject!

And also -  isn't this what being an "adult" is all about, really? Getting kids to do weird things for your own entertainment? I mean, what five year old really enjoys wearing pointy party hats or playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey?

My money says it's for the enjoyment of the birthday party planners, not the party guests....

365 Day Project - Day 132

Playtime!

Afternoon venture to Lincoln Park with Julian, Taylor and Court. 

I forgot how much fun slides are!

365 Day Project - Day 91

Oy!

Julian learned a new word today.

365 Day Project - Day 51

ME AND HOOLIAN!

My lover boy, Julian Emiliano Davila. I give most of the credit to Taylor...