Tips on Photographing Your Kids

I enjoy amateur photography as a hobby. I take pictures mostly of wildlife and plants, but I find children far more challenging to photograph than any cricket, bird, or butterfly! I mostly practice on Whitney since she is practically my child, but I have taken pictures of a few others. They all proved to be just as tiresome. Here are a few tips I have for parents that want to get a few decent shots of their children.

1. Take pictures frequently of different activities. Children that are awkward behind a camera in my experience do not cooperate as well. For example, when Whitney bakes cookies I sometimes bust out the nikon. I let her take her own pictures and also use the remote so she is familiar with the camera. Nine times out of ten she is thrilled for more pictures!
2. For outdoors, watch out for shadows or direct sun. Shadows create splotches and direct sun causes squinted eyes.
3. Let them come up with some of their own poses. Whitney really enjoys creating her own poses. Although I would not have a large picture framed, the poses are cute and I love the pictures.
4. Try some smiling pictures and some serious pictures as well. I like to have a variety of emotions captured.
5. Relate the child to someone/something they look up to. I told Whitney she looked like Alice in Wonderland. Afterwards she went into a cute prissy mode that made for great pictures. I also let her use some AIW props. She really enjoyed that.
6. Scope out potential locations for the pictures and do a few practice shots to see how the lighting will be.
7. Remember to let them have fun too! If they're miserable it will show.

~Happy photographing!~

Recycling Candle Jars

Candle jars seem a little useless once the candle is gone, right? Wrong! The jars can serve multiple purposes. Since summer is fading I decided to make my most recent candle jar relate to summer. In order to reuse the jars, simply carve remaining wax out with a plastic knife, remove the wick, and wash it very well (especially if you intend on putting little treats inside!) Some ideas to fill the jars include:

• Little conversation  or cinnamon hearts around Valentine's day. They add a touch of color to any room and serve as a sweet little treat. Add a pink ribbon around the jar for an additional sweet touch.
• Mellowcreme pumpkins or candy corn around Halloween. This will add a cute touch of fall that is both festive and delicious! (If you really want the jar to yell Halloween, draw a spider web and spiders in elmer's glue and then pour purple or black glitter over the glue. Once it dries you will have a spooky yet cute container. Squeeze the glue slowly since most candle jars are rounded. The glue will be a drippy mess if you don't squeeze carefully!)
• Sea shells (my favorite idea!). This is a great way to display your oceanic treasures.Place your most prized shells, corals, and sand dollars on one side so you can display them easily.You can add a light blue ribbon around the jar and even glue a shell to it to really pull in the ocean theme.

Try to be creative and find other uses for glass candle jars. They may add the perfect touch to a room!

~Happy crafting!~

Stuck on You (DIY magnets)

Cute magnets are hard to find, and often cost more than they're worth to ship. The following DIY project is easy, affordable, and fun for all ages! (with parental guidance; a glue gun is required!)

The following items are the basic materials required:

• Accent gems (can be purchased at any craft store or regular store. I found these at dollar tree for 1.00)
• Magnet buttons (can be purchased at a craft store or walmart. This 52 pack  was 6.00)
•  A glue gun (can be low temp. or high)
• Sharp scissors

In order to decorate the magnets you will need either:

• A small picture
• Fabric
• Lace
• A charm or small figurine
• Or anything else that you can get to either glue to the magnet or glue behind the accent gem (like pretty material from an old article of clothing!)

Now onto instructions! (These instructions will be for magnets made from fabric)

1. Trace your accent gem onto the fabric with a sharpie (Tip: do not trace too closely to the accent gem or the sharpie will mark around it. You can go a bit past the gem and then cut it down later.)

2. Cut out the fabric. After is it cut, check to make sure the gem is the same size or very close to the same size. You can cut the fabric down gradually to make sure it fits properly.

3. Once the fabric is correct, glue it to the magnet first. Squeeze the fabric against the magnet for a few seconds to make sure it holds.

4. Once the fabric is secured, glue it to the flat side of the accent gem. You are now done!

Experiment with different fabrics to create a cute colllection

The magnets above are: a yellow flower, a deep purple floral pattern, and a snowman

Another idea is to take lace or ribbon and cover the accent gem. Pictured below is white scrap lace that I glued to the top of an accent gem.

You can also add glitter, confetti, or other shiny things underneath to give the magnets extra shine!

Coordinating sets is also a cute possibility

If you choose to glue charms or little figurines to the magnets make sure you hold them together firmly for several seconds or the glue will not bond well. If the charm or figurine isn't big enough to cover the magnet you can add fabric, ribbon, or paint to the magnet before glueing the piece on.

~Happy crafting!~