DIY Candle Making - Great idea for Christmas gifts!

We just came back from Thanksgiving in North Carolina with my parents and cousin Pete. While there, we decided to do some crafts. Candle making happened to be one of them. We stopped by Michaels and The Dollar Tree for the necessary things to put it together, and got to work.

Here is a look at what we did:

 ^My mommy's final product.

^She is such a cutie!

^Pete with his final product :)

1st Photobooth

Hey friends. 

So sorry for the long hiatus.

It's one of those busy seasons of life.

You know how that is.

Just wanted to share with you a recent project of mine.

There was an event called the Gaming Social at ignite April 23, 2011.

I was asked to do a photobooth at the event.

Let me remind you, I am still new to this photography stuff.

Nonetheless, I agreed.

You gotta start somewhere, right?

How else am I gonna learn?

So, like every pre-shoot I've been doing, I started the research.

I read any and every article out there about photobooths.

I joined a photography forum.

I read articles and threads about:

How and where to set them up.

What I need.

Aperture settings.

Shutter speed.

ISO.

Lighting.

Lighting.

The one thing I had no idea about.

So, I put a list of all the things I wanted for this shoot and all the things they wanted and I went shopping.

I bought props galore from Party City and a piece of fabric from Joann's for the backdrop.

Now, from all my research, you don't usually pin a piece of fabric to the wall for this type of thing,

but if you ever consider doing this, just buy a piece of fabric. 

It works just as well as all the other, more expensive stuff. Just sayin.

So the day came to try all of these things out. 

The trial.

I set up some lighting that was there.

The results were not to my liking.

Not horrible, but not great.

I knew I could do better.

I had to do better.

After all, this was reflecting my skills as a photographer.

On I went to do more research. 

This time it was all about lighting.

In the end I found a great informative article and began the search for local rental shops.

I went in with Ruben, told them what I was trying to do,
told them what I thought I needed, they helped, and we reserved the stuff.

The day before the event came.

We went to pick up all the stuff. 

I was SUPER nervous.

They taught me how everything worked.

Saturday, April 23, 2011 arrived.

No more trials. This was the real thing.

The results?

I would say for my first, ever photobooth shoot,

it was a success. 

Here are some photos from that night:



facebook.com/ignitenetwork

Not Everyone Likes What You Like

So recently, I have been attempting to learn more and more about photography. 

Today I'm going to talk to you specifically about one thing I discovered.

I worked so hard on specific pictures that I fell in love with.

Those very photos turned out to be the ones that were liked least by the photographed persons.

I, of course, told myself to stop trying to take pictures cause I'm clearly not good.

My friend Joel was there the first time this happened to me.

He explained that this should be expected and is common. 

People look that themselves, not the photo as a whole.

Then I remembered that I did the same thing.

When I got my pictures back from my wedding, I looked at myself.

I didn't care about composition, exposure, clarity, colors, anything really.

I just cared about how I looked. 

Now I look at photos very differently.

I try to keep in mind that "Not everyone likes what I like", 

and that's ok.

Just because someone doesn't like the way their ear looks in one of my pictures 

doesn't mean it isn't a good picture :)

I press on.

Here are some recent just-because-I-was-there shots:

(Believe it or not, there was no posing for any of these shots. 

I was just at the right place at the right time.)

Honey Dijon Salmon - Failed Attempt

I just want to let you know beforehand that, 

I am not including this recipe with these photos.

The reason I'm not including it is because it wasn't good enough.

I decided I don't want to post recipes unless I absolutely love the recipe.

I think this was a recipe-gone-wrong because I kind of guessed with a lot of it.

It was meant for grilling, but it's freezing outside so that was not an option.

I also didn't include the asparagus or Worcestershire sauce.

Also,for some reason I read corn meal instead of cornstarch..

Yea, I know. Way to go, Evie.

Anywho, if you want to try it the way it was meant to be, click here.

We used couscous as our side. 

That part actually came out delicious.

So here it is, my failed attempt at honey dijon salmon:

First, I thawed the frozen salmon filets.

Then, I made the sauce.

Then, I chopped up some walnuts.

Then, I got some foil out and put it all together.

Then, Ruben made some couscous.

Finally, we ate it.

Don't be fooled. It wasn't as good as it may sound or look. 

Well, the couscous was.

I'll try it again another time and if it comes out better I'll let you know.

Have a great weekend!

It's not the Way that is Should be

Recently, we made friends with some of the guys who live across the back alley behind us. The main friend we made is named KD. I wanted to hug him as soon as I met him (he looks like he's a really good hugger), but I didn't cause that would have been super weird of me. We let them borrow some tools to install their new system. They worked hard for 3 days and we caught up with him every time we came home. When they were done he looked like a little kid with a new toy. He was super excited to use his new system he and his friends have worked so hard to install. They spent the last day thoroughly cleaning the old van to make it look as perfect as possible. I told him I liked the blue lights he has on the new radio/mini tv he installed and he said he might put some in the back. I told him he had to cause it would look awesome. He doesn't have them yet, but assured me he was going to get them. When Ruben mentioned how hard they have been working on this the past few days KD responded with, "you know, just trying to stay out of trouble." 

If you know where I live, you know that it's not the best neighborhood in Chicago. I was so encouraged to meet this young guy who is breaking the chains. Breaking this cycle of a life that is not productive, but instead very painful and destructive. He is a hard worker and so are his friends. They give me hope. Hope that the next generation of this neighborhood and neighborhoods alike will break the cycle. Will see there is another way. Will stop the violence and increase the peace. I hope that the younger ones will see there is another way. I know that we are living here for a reason. I hope that we can do something to help. I hope that we can be what we need to be here for our neighbors. Likewise, I hope they can be what they need to be for us. We can help each other learn and grow in so many beautiful ways.  We can work together to do something great here. I hope to still be here when (not if) something great happens.

There are too many words to explain how heavy my heart has been for the people in my neighborhood. I want to help. I want to love. I want to serve. I want to provide a way out, but I don't know how, yet. Thankfully, I believe in a God who does.

I really liked this song when I heard it. You may not like it, and that's ok. 

Since it's my blog, I wanted to share it.

Jahaziel - In My Neighbourhood

Everyday another gun gets manufactured 

Another man's blasted

Some blame gangster rappers

I ain't trying to say gangster rap's the problem

But it don't solve them and it keeps on revolving

And nothing won't change lest we change

And if you wanna see change then be changed

And rearrange your thought pattern towards action

Cos if we do nothing then nothing what's gonna happen

As for this thing we call rapping

Time to use in it's true power and give the youth power

Cos death and life is found in the power of the tongue 

and it's not in the barrel of a gun

I'm shocked at how has become

Every coward's got a gun and 

They're letting shots shower in the slum

Young soldier's bling for gun culture

They the one's dying 

Who's flying the guns over? 

It ain't the way that I would wish it, but it's just the way it is…

In My Neighbourhood

It's not the way it should be, but it's just the way they live…

In My Neighbourhood

I'm waving a white flag

Trying to make somebody aware and be like 

'Dag, how did we get here?' 

Cos by this time next year another young buck 

Loses the chance to breathe fresh air

That's why I make tracks trying to catch your attention

Praying that my raps don't fall on death ears

For sure, the real cure is prevention

And we don't need to see a mother shed tears

How many funerals do we need? 

How many families grieve and crying

Their son was too young to leave them

And some claim it's a catch 22

Either get jacked by a crew or pack a 22

And that's exactly what many do

That's why so many of our youth never see 22

Now what we gonna do about it

As for me I'm a stand up on the roof and shout it 

I'm a tell the truth about it 

It ain't the way that I would wish it, but it's just the way it is…

In My Neighbourhood

It's not the way it should be, but it's just the way they live…

In My Neighbourhood

See the words that I speak are sincere 

It's death that men fear

I know that life I've been there

If it wasn't for the fact God filled me

I'd probably still be

Sticking up shops and robbing jewellery

Licking shots at the judge and jury

'cause they don't understand

Why a brother got a gun in his hand

I'm a young man confined by limited chances

In a system that's run by political gangsters

I see their gangster tactics

They got us paying taxes like it's a protection racquet 

But still, I'm the one who gets labelled as the thug they hate

For distributing them drugs they make

Man, I thought that it was much too late 

I've gone too far

But God's love was just too great

I drew faith from the bible pages

And truth loosed my mind out of iron cages

Listen…

It ain't the way that I would wish it, but it's just the way it is…

In My Neighbourhood

It ain't the way it should be, but it's just the way they live…

In My Neighbourhood

It's time for us to fight back with Peace man

Fight back man, by the Grace

And Let me hear you say

Silence the violence

Increase the peace

Silence the violence

Increase the peace

Silence the violence

Increase the peace

One life, one love

One life, one love