Florabella Actions!

Florabella Vintage Actions

The Vintage Set includes: Vintage Summer, Vintage Wine, Classic Vintage, Vintage Haze, Sweet Vintage, Retro Vintage, and Retro Lollipop. The set also comes with extra actions: Sunlight, Sheer Haze, Lighten/Brighten, Sharpen/Defog & Vignette.
Discounted packages are available. Click here to purchase.

Florabella Color & Haze Actions

The Color & Haze set includes: Milk & Honey, Milk & Honey II, Sweet Color, Sweet Haze, Soft Color Pop, Spring Haze, Cosmopolitan, Soft Urban, and Pastel Tints & Hazes. The set also comes with extra actions: Sunlight, Sheer Haze, Lighten/Brighten, Sharpen/Defog & Vignette. Discounted packages are available. Click here to purchase.

Florabella B&W Actions

The B&W Collection includes: B&W Platinum, B&W Champagne, B&W Champagne Haze, B&W Vintage Chocolate, B&W Vanilla, B&W Rich Vintage, B&W Vintage Buttercup, Basic B&W (base), and B&W Tints & Hazes. The set also comes with extra actions: Sunlight, Sheer Haze, Lighten/Brighten, Sharpen/Defog & Vignette.
Discounted packages are available. Click here to purchase.

Sophie & Santa!

A very rare successful shot of the three of them! :)


Sophie told Santa that all she wanted was a "Swimming Puppy" for Christmas... (I guess she forgot about the bow & arrow and stilts...lol).

Giveaway Winners & Congrats Mikabeth!

Wow, what a response! With almost 200 comments, I decided to choose three winners rather than one! So I used Random.org to choose the winner and then added the two comments next to it... Congrats Kate, Amy, & Kristi (click the image to the right to see the winners)! Please email me at florabellacollection@gmail.com to let me know if you prefer the textures or the actions!

A big congrats to Mikabeth Edwards who is now one of the 4 finalists in the Matilda Jane PhotoLove contest (thanks to everyone who voted)! Now the company will choose the final winner... good luck Mikabeth!!

Also, thank you to everyone for your kind words... they mean so much! ♥ The new texture set will be out next month just in time for me to be the Guest Photographer Judge on I♥Faces! (So excited for this- it should be lots of fun!)... :)

Mikabeth, Matilda Jane & Florabella Actions & Textures Giveaway!

Here, Mikabeth Edwards used Florabella Milk & Honey action (Milk & Honey II action) for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements...
(rollover with your mouse to see the BEFORE image)

This gorgeous photo by the exceptionally talented Mikabeth Edwards was chosen as a finalist in the Matilda Jane PhotoLove Contest. Not only is Mikabeth one of my very favorite photographers, but she used Florabella Milk & Honey II here (and I love that!)... The contest ends tomorrow, so go vote now! It's super easy... just click on the photo and "add it to your bag" to cast your vote. Oh, and when you hit Submit, a confirmation page appears asking you to double check everything. You must hit Submit one more time on this page for your vote to count.

Then, come back here and leave a comment on this blog post to be automatically entered to win either all three sets of Florabella Actions or Florabella Textures Set II (released next month)! And if you Twitter or Facebook with a link to this post, you can leave a 2nd comment to have a double chance of winning. I will use Random.org to choose a winner on Thursday!

So go vote now! ♥

E P I C

Still catching up from Florida last summer :)

What do you want for Christmas, Sophie Lu?

When I asked Sophie Lu what she wanted for Christmas this year, she said, "I want to leave Christmas cookies for Santa, and I want to leave apples and carrots for the reindeer this time!" My Sophie is so sweet that way... rarely does she have a wishlist already thought out. So I asked her what gifts she wanted Santa to bring her. She responded, "Hmm.... maybe some stilts. Oh, and a Barbie who has a dress that turns into a cape... Olivia brought one like that to show and tell." So I handed her some catalogs & asked her to look for some other possibilities. After looking through all the catalogs, Sophie was so excited to finally announce that what she really wants for Christmas this year is a bow & arrow! Stilts & a bow & arrow?... she is so funny! After my surprised "A bow & arrow, Sophie, really?", she answered with great confidence, "Yes, Mommy... a real one. Big girls shoot real bow & arrows." (I should have known that!) ♥

.

(of course the bow & arrow kit in the Magic Cabin catalog isn't really real... but to her it will be. Now where can I find some stilts?) :)

Halloween 2009 (video)

Unedited- but at least I'm posting... :)

Best Friends...

Sophie Lu & her best friend Megan... :)

Blogger Block (a note to myself) :)

I'm writing this just hoping it will help me get past my "Blogger Block"... I just feel so behind that everytime I think of blogging, I get too overwhelmed and can't do it! It's like I just want to avoid it and keep putting it off and off.... So instead of worrying about catching up and filling in all the blanks, I'm just going to try to post one thing, ANY thing on one or all of the kids blogs everyday for a week. A wise friend (Kim from 3Peanuts) always tells me it takes 7 days of doing something to make it a habit. :)

So this is my post for today...

Also, I'm going to try really hard to post more snapshots... things I want to remember.... without worrying about editing them, etc. I'll post the pretty photos I take too, but I have so many that just make me smile (whether they're great quality or not). And those are the photos that will make my kids smile too. I started these blogs because I don't keep photo albums and because I want my kids to have their childhoods documented. I want them to know how much I have always loved them. I want them to see just how adorable, funny & sweet they have always been.

Oh I feel better already! I think this helped me get past my block. So the next few posts may be out of order, etc. but at least I'll be posting again. Yay! :) Oh, and I just posted details on Sasha's blog, but check us out on this bottle of wine being sold to benefit breast cancer!
CharityWines.com

Interview & Giveaway on Citrus Hearts Blog!

New Giveaway & Interview on the beautiful Citrus Hearts blog! Most of us know Bree (CitrusHearts) from Flickr... her photos are so gorgeous and inspiring... well now she has a new blog that I am in love with (so much inspiration). She features photographers she loves, daily polaroids, beautiful finds, interviews, and... giveaways. Today, she has posted an interview with me and a giveaway for the actions or textures. If you already have the actions/textures, you can win some for a friend- or you can have the new textures when they come out. Either way, though please visit her beautiful blog and leave a comment there to enter. Also, try not to laugh at my scary/funny photoshoot experience. Like my husband says... I'm "Lucille Ball" with a camera...lol! (Karl Jochen and Carrie Richardson are the winners of the Fanpage contest!)

Florabella Actions & Facebook Fanpage Contest!

I have been away working so hard for the release of all three sets of Florabella Actions: Vintage, Color & Haze, and B&W.... They will be available this Tuesday, November 10th! I'll be posting a gallery of photos for each set on FlorabellaCollection.com and before/after slideshows here on the blog.

And I finally joined Facebook (finally!)... so please become a "fan". I will randomly choosing a fan who will win all three actions sets. I will announce the winner on Tuesday!

Become a Fan... Florabella Facebook Fanpage :)

B L O O M

Florabella Textures: Pure Milk & Ginger Overlay (and also one of the new actions).... Sorry I haven't been posting much- I am working so hard on the PS / PSE actions and new textures! The actions should be out by the end of next week (hopefully)! There will be three sets: Vintage, Color & Haze, and B/W. There will be special introductory promotions (especially for those who already purchased Textures Set I)... so watch for an email from Florabella Collection! ♥

J E W E L S

Processed with "Vintage Summer" action (coming soon for PS and PSE), "Pure Milk" overlay, and "Ginger" overlay...

Sterling Roses

Ginger Overlay (screen) 30%... New textures and actions coming soon!

Giveaway & Tutorial on I ♥ Faces!

"J E W E L S"

Florabella Collection is featured on I ♥ Faces today! If you don't already know this amazing photography site, you just have to check it out... tons of inspiration, resources & giveaways... and weekly photography contests! There is a Florabella Textures giveaway HERE, and a texture tutorial written by Rita of Coffeeshop here. ♥

Florabella Featured on I Heart Faces Blog!

"J E W E L S"

My Florabella Collection is featured on I ♥ Faces today! If you don't already know this amazing photography site, you just have to check it out... tons of inspiration, resources & giveaways... and weekly photography contests! There is a Florabella Textures giveaway HERE, and a texture tutorial written by Rita of Coffeeshop here. Also. there is a discount code under the tutorial. ♥

R O S E S by Shana Rae

S U N R I S E by Shana Rae

Florabella Textures: "Milk & Honey" and "Vignette"...

Happy 1st Birthday, Baby Sasha!

Dear Sasha,

You are one year old today! I can hardly believe how fast time has passed... you are such a big girl now, and you even took your first steps today! We are here at the beachhouse, so Grandma Rae got to see you walk and was here to celebrate with us. Grandpa Felix and Grandma Loretta are also here, so it's been a really special time for you. We took you out to dinner and all watched as you refused to even touch your little pink birthday cake. You did like it when we sang Happy Birthday to you, but then you fell asleep on Daddy's shoulder (so sweet). ♥

You've had so many firsts lately, and you definitely have quite the little personality. You love to growl (it's so funny), and you loooove to pull Daddy's hair while you growl! You also love to clap your hands, and you dance by swaying your head back and forth. You like to make clicking noises, and you purr on demand. You wave and blow kisses, and you giggle all the time. You are such a sweet, happy baby... and you are so very very beautiful. You are a girly girl too (just like your Mommy was). Your favorite place to play is in the cabinet where Sophie Lu keeps her tiaras and wands. You are still my tiny princess.

We all love you so very much... you are bring so much joy and laughter to our family. I thank God for you every day, my precious baby girl. Happy Happy 1st birthday!

Love always,
Mommmy xoxo

Birthday (9-6-09)

Family Photos (Sasha almost 1)

We're on a Wine Label to Benefit Breast Cancer!

I have been so lucky to have had my floral images published on cards, prints & canvases worldwide, but I never ever consent to licensing, selling, or lending any photos of my kids... (until now that is). I was asked by CharityWines.com to donate this photo of me and Sasha for a special collection of wines bottles being sold to benefit breast cancer. Such a great cause- and hey, now I not only drink the wine, I'm on it! lol Here is the link...

CharityWines.com

Drink up! ♥

Sasha's First Babydoll!

a gift from our dear friends Mariko & Marty... ♥

Beachbabe...

Sasha thought the beach was just okay... I think she'll enjoy it much more next year! She also just turned one, so I'll be making a birthday post soon. So much catching up to do... ♥

Sophie's Smile: Then and Now

Sophie Lu age 2 (I used my Florabella Textures to "revive" this photo which I took with my old point & shoot...)


Sophie Lu age 5 at the same beach... with the same beautiful smile! ♥

Sasha & Santa! (12/15/09)

Sasha didn't like the idea of sitting on Santa's lap alone...


So Mommy sat with her... ♥

J E W E L S

I gave her a pretty seashell, but she tossed it in favor of the jewels... ♥

By the Seashore (Shana Rae)

Florabella Textures: Ginger Overlay 30% (overlay) & Vignette 35% (overlay)

Before & After Examples

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..............................................{After}



Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: 85mm
Mode: Manual
Exposure: 1/2000
Aperture: f/2.0
Focal length: 85mm
ISO: 320

Post Processed in Photoshop CS4: After cropping the photo, I duplicated the background layer and used the clone stamp tool even out the background. Then I used my Florabella Textures: "Bombay" at 29% (overlay blending mode),"Ginger" at 11% (linear burn), "Ginger" again but at 21% (screen), and "Milk & Honey" 15% (screen). On the Bombay layer, I used a layer mask at opacity 35% to lightly erase the textures from the focal point areas. Basically, just cropping & textures! :)
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.................................................{After}



.................................................{Before}


Camera: Nikon D700
Lens: 85mm
Mode: Manual
Exposure: 1/1600
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal length: 85mm
ISO: 320

Post Processed in Photoshop CS4: First I duplicated the background layer and used the clone stamp tool to fill in missing parts of the background. Then I duplicated the layer again and desaturated a bit to make the colors less bright. I duplicated the layer yet again and changed the blending mode to "screen" and changed the opacity to 60%. Then I used my Florabella Textures: "Patina" at 18% (linear light blending mode), "White Linen" at 16% (screen), and "Milk & Honey" 35% (normal). On the Patina and White Linen layers, I used a layer mask at opacity 35% to lightly erase the textures from the focal point areas. Voila! :)

By the seashore...

I can't believe I'm almost caught up with Sasha's photos (I do have lots of snapshots, videos etc. to back fill though...) We are at the beachhouse and having lots of fun. Sasha really loves the ocean, she points and gets so excited when she sees the waves. The kids are all having so much fun swimming with Grandma! :)

B L O S S O M II

Florabella Overlay: Pure Milk 30% (screen)...

"First Dance" by Tami Curtis

This gorgeous wedding portrait is by the exceptionally talented Tami Curtis (Jane's Attic). I just love her vintage antique stye... If you are looking for a wedding photographer in/around London, I highly recommend her! Here Tami used Antique (screen) at 23%, Bombay (screen) 17%, and Memory (linear burn) at 36% (all warm tones.) She also desaturated her previously processed image so it wouldnt be overhwhelming. Thank you for sharing this, Tami!

"Bougainvillea" by Shana Rae

Here I used a vintage texture from Set II and also Florabella Vintage Summer action (both to be released soon)...

Ready to Go?

We're off to our beachhouse! Sasha's 1st time at the beach... can't wait! ♥

Vintage Rocker

Sasha Lili in the old rocking chair that belonged to her Daddy when he as a little boy! So special ♥

Bouquet II by Shana Rae

Florabella Textures: "Platinum" 86% (overlay) and "Pure Milk" 30% (screen)...

Little Funny Face

Love this little face she makes... ♥

Naptime ♥

Sasha absolutely LOVES balloons. If we even walk by one, she goes crazy! Grandma Rae kindly asked a restaurant manager if she could have this one (we were just walking by) because Sasha wanted it so badly! She loved this red ballon so much that she wouldn't let it out of her grasp, and she fell asleep holding it in her tiny hand. ♥

O L I V E R

Florabella Textures: Tea Stained 75% (overlay) and "Milk & Honey" 20% (screen)...

Her face...

I just love her face... ♥

B L O S S O M by Shana Rae

Florabella Textures: "Champagne" 45% (overlay), "Clover" 30% (overlay) and "Milk" action (coming soon)...

Little Funny Face

Florabella Textures: Tea Stained 85% (overlay) & Vignette 35% (overlay)...

Pink Roses in Vintage Urn

Florabella Textures: Patina 45% (overlay), Memory 28% (overlay), Cappuccino 64% (overlay), Milk & Honey 31% (screen).

H Y D R A N G E A

Florabella Textures: Reverie 28% (overlay), Allure 74% (overlay) and Milk & Honey 27% (screen)...

Another Textures Giveaway (PropInsanity.com)

Florabella Textures giveaway today on PropInsanity.com (a great site... be sure to check it out!) Here is the link:

PropInsanity.com

If you already have them, you can win them to gift to a friend! :)

Bouquet II

Florabella Textures: "Platinum" 86% (overlay) and "Pure Milk" 30% (screen).