Alternatives to Photoshop and Lightroom

Grrr...I'm so exasperated right now I could almost scream. I am trying to teach myself how to use Lightroom 5. So many websites, blogs and Facebook posts suggested using it to edit photos. I found it on sale so I bought it. For me it has an extreme learning curve. I've watched Youtube videos and read tutorials and it still is seeming like Greek to me. If only I could find a tutor to sit next to me! 

While I am trying to figure this out, I've resorted to using some alternatives. One of my favorites is Picmonkey. It is very user-friendly. I've gotten by with the free version but if you'd like more options you can pay for more. You can edit color and exposure. You can crop your photos and add text. There are fun things like makeup, frames/borders and overlays. Picmonkey has some cool seasonal things to add to your photos too. 

Another option is Picasa. I started out importing all of my photos here. Picasa again is very user-friendly. You can store your photos here unlike Picmonkey. You can crop and add text. You can edit the color and exposure. Picasa has frames and borders. There are some fun and funky things you can do to your photos. I use this all the time.

A third option is Gimp. This is a free graphics editor that can– like Photoshop– be used for some graphic design work.  Available as a free download for Windows, Mac, and Linux.I haven't spent much time with this program. The other two just seemed much easier and I'm not into graphic designing.

Hopefully you will find one of these sites to meet your needs. I can almost promise that you won't be gritting your teeth with frustration like I am. Truthfully, I'm thinking I might just shelve Lightroom for now and go back to Picmonkey and Picasa! (or if you know any Lightroom experts...send them my way!!)
 

Only Ones Smiling are the SnowMen (and Women)

If you've been watching the weather at all you know that Minnesota has been getting hit with feet and feet of snow. We've also been hit with wave after wave of Polar Vortexes. Schools have been closed because of the dangerous windchills. Many roads are barely passable and runners are surely sick of having to use the treadmill. Snow plow drivers are working overtime as are our furnaces.

 I'd say the only ones smiling are the snowpeople gracing our lawns. (and maybe the die-hard snowmobilers and skiiers)So what's a poor sun-starved Minnesota to do? 

Pamper herself with Gathered From The Garden products! Our spring and summer fragrances (Raspberry Lemonade, Sweet Margarita, Pomegranate Passion to name a few) will help to bring comfort to winter-weary skin. Our Goat Milk Lotion and our Satin and Silk Shea Butter Lotion are top sellers. They help soothe chapped and dry skin. If snowpeople could use them, they would! Check out our website for more great products to help move winter along. 
 

Wordless Wednesday

18 Incredible Snow Sculptures

We got another foot of snow last Thurs. (brings the total to 52 inches!) The banks are so high that I can't shovel snow over them anymore. If only I had the talent to create snow sculptures like these. Then maybe the winter wouldn't seem so long!

 

Happiness Photos

I'm continuing to work on finding something that makes me happy to photograph each day. Some days in this Minnesota winter (that won't end)it's a little harder than others. It's a good exercise to remind myself that there is good in every day.

Day 28  Our plane ride was uneventful and we made it home safely.
Day 29  Finding some quiet time to read makes me happy.
Day 30  One on one with little Maggie absolutely made my day!
Day 31  Watching my niece and nephew play in a basketball tournament. (different teams). It was especially fun because my brother was my niece's coach. 

What's making you happy today?
 

Life Has Its Ups and Downs

I got such a kick out of how much fun my little grandson had riding up and down the escalator at the mall. From the top of the stairs it must have seemed to be a long way down. He wasn't scared at all--as long as daddy was right behind, holding his hands. After the first trip up and down went off without a hitch, it was just the first of many! You can tell from dad's face in the last picture how much fun he was having.

A couple of things got me thinking. How often do we try something new and it seems daunting from the start? How often do we take that first step and it turns out to be so much fun? I'm guessing not often enough.  

 When we are considering trying something out of our comfort zone how often do we look to find someone that could be our support? How often could we be a support for someone else and haven't made ourselves available? I'm guessing not often enough.

If I take a lesson from my grandson, I see that I need to be a little more of a risk taker. There's more fun in life to be had if I just take a chance. Like little Jack, I also need to look for others to help me.

If I take a lesson from my son, I see that I need to be available if someone needs my help. And...I will probably need a boat load of patience just like Jon had with Jack.

How many times did they do the escalator loop? After 20 times I stopped counting! Jon did finally manage to divert Jack's attention so we could go home. I'm sure it will be top on Jack's list of things to do at the mall for a long time to come!
 

Wordless Wednesday