I know some of you are addicted to taking photos.  You run around with your camera taking pictures of everything and anything.

We too have a lot of photos, but we print very few of them, keeping them mainly on our hard drives and DVDs.

While we don't print 4x6 or 5x7 copies of those pictures, I do love showing them off around my home in other ways.  On gift items like mugs and calendars.

I tried out the new redesigned Photoworks site, where I tried my hand at making and ordering a couple of items with my own photos.

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muvee Reveal 8 automatically edits your videos and photos to make the movies you always wanted to make - in four clear steps.

1) Add your video and/or photos.
2) Choose a style.
3) Add music.
4) Click “Play” to preview.

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Grab your lightsaber (okay, just your pencil) and get ready to draw!

 

In a book not so far away, you will master the art of drawing all of your favorite Star Wars The Clone Wars characters.

Klutz's Draw Star Wars The Clone Wars is what you definitely want to get if you've ever wanted to draw your favorite characters from the show.
The book is amazing in the way that it allows you to draw the characters and practice to get them just right.

There are pages where you can try tracing, like this

Click to read more ...

As most of you know we vacation with "The Mouse".  A lot.  

Surprise an aspiring photographer or princess with a starter camera before you leave, or if your trip is after Christmas, this would make a fun stocking stuffer.

This post was

336 pages ISBN 9781592578238
02 Dec 2008 Alpha

Amber loves to draw. Loves, loves, loves it.  She's pretty good at it too, and that's not just a biased mom talking, really it's not. 

When I was approached to review some of The Complete Idiot's Guide books (see my review of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Slow Cooker Cooking), I right away knew that Amber would flip if I got this one for her.  What a great mom I am, heh?  So the following is a review from my guest blogger Amber who also has her own blog at Hyper's Corner.

To put it simply, this book is amazing.
I found this book to be extremely insightful on everything you need to know about drawing Manga.

It covers topics ranging from body types to speech bubbles, expressions to weapons, characters to speed lines, and even my personal nemesis:  the art of drawing hands. 

There are guides on backdrops and shading, close-ups, and drawing critters.

My only complaint is that the step-by-step guides don't have enough steps, so I get lost trying to figure out what to do.

This book is for anyone who thinks they want to draw Manga, and doesn't think they can do it!  However, the book is not for all ages, as some of the pictures (while not drawn to be bad) for the women charcter aren't quite right for young kids.

The following picture was drawn by me, with inspiration and teaching from the book.  It was sketched in pencil and gone over with black pen.

I received a complimentary copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing Manga for the purpose of this review.

Patti Tang, owner of Chic Moderne.  is a lover of all things creative and is sociallyconscious.  Her store, Chic Moderne pairs style with sustainability. Chic Moderne's productsinclude Italian recycled leather business accessories, natural palm oil candlesfrom Austria,and French soap made from vegetable oil and shea butter. Chic Moderne alsooffers corporate gift orders for employee recognition, sales force incentives, client appreciation and/or special event favors. Chic and green!

 Patti was kind enough to send me one of the French soaps to try out and review.

The scent I received was a Lemon Grass one, and my nose was wiggling happily as soon as I took it out of the envelope.  Wrapped delightfully, the soap is triple milled which means that the soap passes through the milling process three times which pushes the glycerin byproduct back into the soap.  That results in a fragrance that is entirely through the soap (not just on the top layer) and makes the soap mild and last longer.

I typically wouldn't use a soap like this on my face, but I tried it out while I was in the shower, and it really is mild because my skin didn't feel any different than when I use my cleansers.  I also used it when shaving (I had always been told never to shave with soap, I don't know where that came from, but I've always adhered to it!), and did not find that it dried out my legs at all.  The soap lathered up well, and had a very energizing scent when combined with the steam.

Chic Moderne's "business line" (that's not its official name, but that's what I think of when I see briefcases and portfolios lol!), is gorgeous.  Just like their stores name - chic and modern.  The colors are eyecatching and are sure to make a statement.

The candles they sell are very unique and would be conversation starters when displayed or burned.

With Christmas coming up, Chic Moderne is a place that you could pick up a couple of items for different people.  A new briefcase or accessory, candles or soap for the stocking.  Standard shipping is only $5.50 up to a $50.00 purchase and while there is a shopping cart on the site, currently orders are taken by e-mailing info@chicmoderne.com.

I received a complimentary French Milled Soap from Chic Moderne prior to writing this post.

Birds: beautiful to look at, sweet to listen to, but often pests when it comes to gardeners and homeowners.

Property owners have used many ways and options over the years to deter birds from destroying trees, gardens and homes.

Birds though seem to have memories better than elephants, because more often than not, even if shooed away they will come back. So what can you do to fix the problem once and for all if you experience it?

Enter Bird Irator. A product available at InventHelpStore.com.

The Bird Irator consists of 16 stainless steel discs (and silicone rings to protect them), 8 hooks with split ring connected and 8 3-ring connectors(split ring & jump ring & split ring).

Easy to put together simply slide the silicone ring onto the stainless steel disc, slide the split ring that's on the hook into the upper hole of the disc. Then slide one split ring from the connector into the lower hole of the disc and the other split ring from the connector onto the top hole of another disc.

Altogether your kit will make 8 Bird Irator units. Here is one of the units assembled (of course you would hang it from your trees, or elsewhere around your yard or home to deter birds, and not on an office chair!).

We don't have any fruit trees or a garden. Actually, we live in a condominium unit on the second floor. Our problem lies in the Barn Swallows who nest on the sprinkler head on our balcony.

While I'm sure no fire codes are being broken, we can't take the chance of them dislodging the wick and setting it off. So far we have tried hanging cds (which our assembly and hooking have been too flimsy to keep up amid strong winds), and with a spray (which incidentally is not poisonous to the birds, but washes off in the rain), neither which much success. Right now our best course of action is checking the sprinkler head every day to make sure the birds just aren't building on it, which works if we're home, but not so much when we're traveling.

We generally only have the problem in spring when they are first building their nests, so I'm eager to see if the Bird Irator keeps them away. For our sake, and for theirs ☺. Tune in next spring for part two of this post....

For more information on the Bird Irator visit InventHelpStore.com.

For our homeschool art class we are using Spear's Art Studio curriculum. I love these art lessons and if you are interested in reading a review you can see one here.

A couple of weeks ago we did a lesson based on the works of Georgia O'Keefe. Then Amber did a picture of her own similar in style. The lesson was entitled Larger Than Life.

We still haven't figured out where her drawing talent came from as both Hubby and I are art challenged!

(added 7/10/09) I am entering this drawing in a contest at Toddler Craft. Go and see the rest of the entries they are fun!

You Can Make This, is a website that sells all sorts of cool patterns, written in such a way that you really can make any of them even if you aren't "crafty". I was able to receive their new Personalized Name Pillow pattern, and can honestly tell you it was fun and fairly easy to make.

First you receive the pattern by download so there is no waiting for it once you have purchased it. It's also handy that you only have to take one piece of paper to the store (the one with the material list), to get what you need.

I have to say that while I enjoy crafting projects mine usually flop because I just don't "get" instructions much of the time. You'll see that the patterns produced for You Can Make This are something like the Dummies books. Think of them as "crafting for dummies". While that is true, don't think that you won't get a quality looking product out of it, because you definitely will.
I admit to not following the instructions to a "t", just because I hand appliqued, rather than machine appliqued the letters on. I did this because I like to keep my hands busy while we watch TV in the evenings (so I don't eat lol!), but regardless the instructions for that part were just as clearly spelled out as the rest of the pattern. The pillow came out very presentable as you can see, which is a good thing since it is going to be a gift for my nephew!

As a "wanna be crafter", I can definitely recommend You Can Make This. As a mom and a homeschooler, I think there are many choices in their shop that you could use as part of a Home Economics course as well. I'm looking forward to making another pillow for my new nephew or niece when they arrive in the fall!

Please read **About Reviews at the bottom of the page.

You Can Make This is giving two of my readers the chance to win a copy of the Personalized Name Pillow Pattern.

To enter check out You Can Make This and comment with another item (besides the pillow) you would like to make.

Extra Entries
1. Tell me how many children you would make a pillow for if you won.
2. Follow me on twitter (http://twitter.com/threedifferent) and tweet about this giveaway, leave a link to your tweet. You can use this tweet if you like:
Blog Post and Giveaway - You Can Make This Personalized Name Pillow >> http://tiny.cc/pillow688 @threedifferent
3. Subscribe to my blog via e-mail or feed
4. Follow my blog
5. Kirtsy this post
6. & 7. Blog about this giveaway with a link back to my blog - leave the permalink in the comments.

This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm cst, May 27, 2009. Open to residents worldwide ages 13+.

Shidonni is a website designed for children ages 4 and up.

For an interactive website, Shidonni is extremely interesting. There are many websites geared for children but Shidonni is unique. Why? Your child can draw their own interactive pet and have it animated. It is extremely easy to use, and kids just love it (Genius who will be 13 next month, has been playing on it for days, even though it is designed for children about ages 5-9).

Shidonni makes a fun and creative way to spend time, for children who enjoy drawing. Parents should look into it because it is a safe place to let their children play, and the basic version is free.

After a quick and simple Microsoft Silverlight download, children begin by drawing themselves a pet (Genius drew a number of them, her favorite being the phoenix bird shown on the top of the post), which then gets drawn to life.

The pet gets to inhabit a world, in which the child can design the background. After this, more pets can be created. Perhaps though, your child would also like to draw some food for their pets to eat. They are alive now, they are getting hungry! Chili dogs are often on the menu for Genius' pets.

Kids can go through 2 Star Missions a day. Star Missions are puzzles that are comprised of pieces that are earned by completing other activities on the site. Once the Star Missions are done, players can then unlock bonus items to use.

We were impressed that the pets that you draw get animated. While the animation function is not elaborate, the pets are visually interactive. The pet will, if for example it is a bird, actually appear to flap its wings across the screen. It is also a very positive affirmation for kids to see the pet exactly as they have drawn it, in action on their computer.

The pros of Shidonni are

• It is exceptionally easy to use
• The immersing activities it offers
• The creative elements it allows
• Designed for young children
  

The cons of Shidonni are

• Even with a cable modem connection, the site could be slow in transitioning the commands

So if you are interested in age appropriate content and want something that will appeal to your kids, check out the following video and then head on over to Shidonni and have your kids create an original pet to play with!



WIN IT!! One random commenter can win a 3 month Shidonni Pro Account. (a $16.95 value)

To enter, have your children play around on the basic version of Shidonni and comment about what you like or don't like about the game.

The above step is required before you use any of the extra credit options.
Please leave an e-mail if it is not visible in your profile.

Extra Entries! Leave a separate comment for each one you do.

1. Blog about this giveaway, leaving a link to this post.
2. Follow me publicly. Click on follow this blog in the right sidebar. (If you already follow that counts)
3. Subscribe to my blog via rss feed. (If you already subscribe that counts)
4. Add my button to your blog, located at the top left sidebar (If you already have it, let me know with a link to your blog)
5. Follow me on twitter and tweet about this contest. Leave the link to your tweet in the comments.

Contest ends April 4, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst. Winners will be chosen at random. This giveaway is open to anyone ages 13+.

I have been enjoying the Friday Funny that my friend over at The View From My Beach Chair has been posting on her blog, and thought that I should spread some funny too!

It has long been Hubby's claim that I have a problem when I shop. There is no such thing as a quick trip to Target or Walgreens. I somehow get bogged down at every aisle and end cap.

It has long been my claim that it is a genetic disposition to those that have XX chromosomes though, and the following funny proves it.


Join the fun at Homesteaders Heart!

At a young age, we impart the wisdom to our children to not talk to strangers, look both ways before they cross a street and wear helmets while bicycling or rollerblading, among other things.

We watch them grow, often letting them become more independent as the situation warrants, and when they hit 9 or 10, have some confidence that if they were in a precarious situation they would know what to do.

But in this day and age, we have one more safety concern to battle against, and that is technology and the Internet. According to a 2006 study done by the Zandi Group, 30% of children ages 8-12 have access to the Internet at home. That puts large targets on our children. Everyone from legal corporations (such as Nickelodeon and Disney) to their own peers, have access to them through this media.

What's more, most kids in that age bracket, know more about the technology than their parents do. However, most of them lack the maturity to know how to handle muddy situations that they might encounter using it.

Creating the series together Karen Child Ogden MA. LMFT. and Danielle Tiano, author of Temptation of a Generation: The Series, recognized that this is a growing concern in our society. This is a series of books to help tweens tackle the tough issues that go along with the technology that they are growing up with. Karen, also has a page of great tips in the back pertaining to the subject discussed in the book.

Don't Hit Send Just to Fit In educates tweens and parents about the reality and dangers of cyber-bullying.
A group of four middle school students, decide that in order to be "in" they need to follow the crowd. That comes in the form of posting pictures of themselves on social network sites, and being cyber-bullies themselves. Through the help of their "computer keyboard" and caring adults, they learn some tips on how to be kind and stay safe using their technology.

I thought this book was well thought out. It has colorful graphics (illustrated by Edward Pollick) to hold the attention of the tween, and very neat text. There are some hard words to understand for the younger set that the book is targeted for, but I like that, because it gives more reason for a parent and child to actually read the book together. I'm guessing that if your child has had any exposure to e-mail, message boards, texting, cell phones or instant messaging, one or more parts of this book will be prevalent to them.

Genius also read the book and these were her thoughts:
I thought it was a great book, the plot and pictures are cool, and the characters are believable. There's a rhyming pattern that makes you read it like a poem, that I sort of enjoyed. The theme is awesome, and could really help kids to remember to read what they type before they send it, and that you don't have to fit in.
The bottom line is we need to be informed about what are kids are doing both off and on the computer. These books provide an engaging platform for your tween, to help tackle some of the tough issues you may not know how to approach or discuss. The books are available at Beyond Your Words and cost $9.99 each.

Would you like to win a copy of Don't Hit Send Just To Fit In, for your family? Thanks to Kara at KBPR I have one to giveaway.

Here's how to enter: (By leaving a comment you agree to the Privacy Disclosure and Rules)

• Visit Temptation of a Generation and leave a comment telling me one of the two other books that are in this series. (I will keep from publishing the comments until the contest is over so everyone has a fair chance!)

For additional entries

• Follow my blog publicly (that's the only way I can verify) if you already follow publicly just comment with that and your blogger id.
• Subscribe to my feed, if you already subscribe just mention that you already do.
• Write a post and link back to this contest on your blog.
• Spread the word to your friends via twitter and leave your username with the link.

US Residents ages 13+ only please.

Contest ends on February 14, 2009 at 10:00 am cst.

I've shared in so many posts already how Genius just loves to draw. Both on paper and on the computer.

Doug Hatch of Core Learning so generously sent us Corefx Three Level and the Crayola Art Studio to enjoy and draw with!

Corefx Three Level is a graphic design program that has three levels to learn and play on. Crayola Art Studio was released in November and it has the first two levels from Corefx plus some additional art images supplied by Crayola. Crayola Art Studio is great for young children who art starting to work with digital art.

Level One is pretty basic with little children in mind. It has a crayon, marker and brush for manipulating colors to draw with.

Level Two is more advanced than the first level. Though not difficult to understand. It has a wider variety of textures to use and clip art to add more options to create.

Level Three is what Genius declares is "a winner". She stated that Corefxhas a lot of feature that for her make it better than Photoshop.

Different textures and types of brushes you can use.
You can create a picture using pixel by pixel (or manipulate an already created picture).
It has a straight line tool (very important for drawing).
It is much more user friendly and very easy to use and understand, than other graphic design software.

For me as a mom, I think it is a great program because it is very versatile to use with many ages because of the three levels. It is also a more affordable option than most graphic software available, the cost of it is $59.95. It has been awarded a number of accolades as well, which to me shows that others also think it is a quality product.

Here is a picture that Genius created using CoreFX.
She used the following tools to create this image:

• Felt brush
• acrylic paint
• fill button
• pencil
• smearing & darkening
• highlighting edges

See how many options there are to this program! And there are far more! Besides, drawing, painting and photo editing, this program also does animation.

Core Learning provides more than Corefx and Crayola Art Studio though. They offer Math, Health, Language, and Critical Thinking software as well.

Head over to Core Learning to learn about all their products. There are 3 day download demos available for both the Crayola Art Studio and Corefx, as well as screenshots of some of their other software. All of the products sold have a detailed description of what they entail, and make sure to check out their Current Specials page in order to get the best deal possible!

Genius has three ideas for career opportunities that she would like to explore for her future.

The first one is engineering. She is interested in getting a degree to be able to use that to design roller coasters, and if that fun job doesn't pan out, maybe just bridges (lol!). She will be attending a one day seminar at the state college in March to get a better idea of what an engineer actually does. That should be fun!

The second is to be adept at computer networking. That hardly surprised me. Hubby has had three computers networked and running since she was old enough to walk and talk (meaning she has had her own, since the day she was able to use it). Watching Daddy disassemble, insert memory/hard drives/dvd drives etc, and reassemble the computer is a daily activity around here.

The third one is to become a graphic designer. Again this didn't shock us. If she isn't drawing with paper and pencils, she's drawing on the computer. Last year I bought myself Photoshop Elements to do digital scrapbooking with, and Genius promptly absconded with the discs to load them on her computer so she could draw with it.

She designed the above book cover, for a language arts assignment, after we read the book Frindle. She was tasked with drawing an alternate cover that would explain the book. If you've ever read it, I think she did a great job, how about you?

In any case, I'm too cheap to look for any other programs for her to fiddle with at the moment. They can be very expensive, and some aren't user friendly. We've checked out some of the downloadable free ware programs, but again, either they're not easy to learn or don't have the options she's looking for.

Core Learning (who incidentally was a part of the TOS Crew Marketing Campaign, but I never received a product from them to review), has a program called Corefx Level 3, that looks perfect for what Genius aspires to do with her graphic designing.

A fellow TOS Crewer, has a giveaway on her blog for this software, courtesy of Core Learning, the deadline to enter is Friday, January 9th at Midnight CST. If you are interested in winning, head on over to Freely Educate!