Layout

I completed my first layout in the Now We're Rockin with Photoshop class from www.jessicasprague.com

Everytime I do one of these I learn something else. Finally I know how to manipulate brushes - I mean really know how to move them, and alter them, not like before when it was all trial and error and when it worked I didn't really know what I'd done differently.

Sookie Stackhouse

I'm currently enjoying listening to a series of books by Charlaine Harris. They are the Sookie Stackhouse series which are of the paranormal genre. I wasn't sure how much I'd like these books but they came highly recommended from a friend.

This is the fourth book in a series of eight of a young woman who has begun dating Bill the vampire. I began this book and was disappointed that Bill was 'out of the country' so I was worried that there wouldn't be a love interest in the book, a crucial element to novels I enjoy. While the love interest wasn't Bill. I needn't have worried lol....... Sookie has to 'look after' Eric, a viking vampire who is being hunted by witches, and Sookie's brother is missing. The book goes through the process of Sookie looking for her brother and many surprises alight along the way.

It's good fantasy, that leaves you wondering what it would be like to 'have' a vampire....

Can't wait to read the next book.

Actually I panicked while reading the book as I didn't have the entire book. So, here I was at a crucial part, with a quarter of the book missing. I downloaded the .rar file again, but it didn't containe the last of the book. I had to venture into the realm of e-books. I downloaded the entire e-book and then had to find an e-book reader for Mac OS X. I was very excited when I saw that this format is compatible with an iphone...... Mmmm, is it trying to tell me something lol.......??

Cheese Platter for Dinner

I mentioned in the previous post about our cheese platter for dinner. We added some smoked oysters on toast with french mustard too, and only made a tiny dent in the cheeses. It's so rich, you don't need a lot. The cheese board was a birthday present from Karen. I love the knife in the foreground, it's for cutting hard cheeses and does a great job and feels nice in your hand.

Giveaway

I've got this from a girlfriend's blog.... I'm a bit behind in my blog reading, so sorry about the short notice......

The article below is copied directly from Alaine's reading blog, which is very well worth bookmarking as she's an avid reader and writes great book reviews. I love her blog as a great reference point, her best friend Sheree also does great book reviews, so these are my great resource for selecting what to read (or listen to) next.

I have recently 'discovered' Christine Feehan and how much I love this Paranormal Romance author. One of the books I've read for the Read-a-thon was Magic in the Wind and I would really like to convert other readers (I am reading book 4 in the Dark Series as well). If you'd like a copy of the first two books in Christine Feehan's Drake Sister Series then follow these instruction.

1. Leave a comment on this post for one entry
2. Become a follower of my blog for another entry. If you already follow, let me know and you'll receive another entry.
3. Post about this give-away on your blog for another entry
4. Please leave an email address or ensure you are contactable via your blog.

Compitition closes on April 28, 2009. Winner will be announce on my blog so please check back on the day to see if you're the winner. Winner will be given 24 hours to contact me or I will redraw. Competition open to everyone, not only participants of the Read-a-thon. Good luck!

Post a comment on Alaine's blog here.

A Day at the Beach

The two photos above - the top one uses the Landscape Picture style, while the second one is using the Standard style. I love the extra saturation in the above picture. I love how these picture styles will reduce post processing. I normally can't help 'tweaking' (read - fiddling) with photos and if I'm happy with the colour SOOC (Straight out of the camera) then I won't be tempted to adjust them. It's cool having the control over the colours in my camera. For close ups, the Standard setting is excellent and I'll enjoy using that in my home, especially as colour in my house can often over power the subject.

A little crab the kids found and showed me.

I played with the Picture styles in my camera. The above one is Standard, which leaves images fairly neutral. I love the effect in the above photo.

The above photo is edited simply with 'enhance' in iphoto and the photo above it is using the Standard picture style. Not quite enough saturation for my liking.

Today was just the most gorgeous day. Unfortunately summer time is often not the best time at the beach for us, as the wind direction often makes it blowy, rough and sand gets everywhere. Plus it's stinking hot then too. We've always had the best beach days in Spring and Autumn. The kids had a ball, catching waves, playing frisbee, exploring in the sand. We had fish and chips for lunch and followed up with an ice cream. I took my camera along, and read some more of my field guide and played with some of the settings.