The Notebook: June

Summer is in full swing here since we are hitting close to 100 degrees these past couple of weeks.  Uggh!  But we are thoroughly enjoying summer fruit, outdoor live music, popsicles and ice cream, and ending our days sweaty and worn out. 

Learning

More and more about processing photos. It is starting to sink in and I’m slowly moving back to Photoshop to create my vision. Not on every photo, but on some. I still primarily use Lightroom though. I’m learning more through a thread I recently found at Clickin’ Moms called Makeover Monday (seriously there is so much there that after 2 years I’m discovering this thread for the first time) where they post the processing magic on a photo. This thread is convincing me to push my processing even more.

Doing

Traveling and enjoying the 100 degree heat (ha!). I traveled (almost) the entire stretch of I-40 in North Carolina in one week. We were in Knoxville, TN one weekend and the beach the next! This past week we’ve still managed to walk up to the farmer’s market even though the heat was pushing 100. It was all in the name of free ice cream.

And of course the pool.

On the Web

I found two new places to learn this week! And some great reads! (I am not compensated in any way for any of these – I only love them).

Drawspace – Have you ever wanted to learn to draw or develop your art skills? This site is it!

Kadenze – A new site offering free courses but with a focus on the arts (just what I love).

I mentioned in this post that there are free alternatives to Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom and this post over at LightStalking gives you 5.  (I started with GIMP and it works very much like Photoshop). 

I really enjoy Marie Forleo because she cuts through a lot of the stuff that is out there and delivers honest messages. I really appreciated this video on what to do when people tell you to slow down or take a break. (I get it a lot from my husband, and every so often I take his advice). It is completely opposite of some of the mentality out there, therefore it probably would only apply if you are an entrepreneurial person.

When I saw the title – The Right Way to Hug Your Child – I balked.  Really?  There is a right way therefore implying there is a wrong way?  Read the article.  There is no wrong way but there is proof that hugging your child heart to heart at least 6 times a day is beneficial.  Worth it.

The craft train wrote a little different post this month.  Instead of creating crafts for your child to do, let them direct.  Lately Taryn is into creating her own craft explorations and they usually are messy but she loves it.

I completely related and giggled with this post on finding mom friends.  

Books

I finished one whole book this month.  But I am in the middle of three others, and I gave up on one 3/4 of the way through.  It’s been a busy month. 

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen – I picked it up because the book takes place in the mountains of NC, and since I am from there, I couldn’t resist.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I will be reading her other books for sure!  It is an easy, and I would definitely say beach book but it also includes some deeper character building.  

Favorite Photos

I am behind this month – as I mentioned in this post on my 365.  So far these are my favorites.

There are affiliate links in this post because I am promoting something I may make a little money off if you buy anything, yet this does not mean you pay more for it, and it does not mean you have to buy anything by clicking on the link. It only means you help me out a little when you do purchase something, and I wholeheartedly appreciate it! Also, everything I’ve written are my own words and beliefs and the products I’ve told you about truly are awesome!