colorblocked dolman tee and leggings {refashioned wardrobe}

This is the second outfit I refashioned for my daughter this season (find the first one here). I wanted to make something that was super comfy and perfect for playing, climbing and dancing. I also wanted something a little more interesting than a plain t-shirt and leggings, so I used mustard yellow and gray in a colorblocked design. This was (by far!) the easiest of all the outfits I made and I think just about anyone could do it. (Keep reading for photo tutorial.)

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eight steps to better photos on auto {step 3: eliminate distractions}

This is the third installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Here's a fun little story to start things off today: last summer I was visiting my parents and we decided to take advantage of their nice backyard to snap a family photo. It's kind of a miserable process trying to get a good family photo when your family includes five kids under the age of 12, and we spent a good twenty minutes cajoling, bribing, and threatening kids to sit down and look at the camera while one of my sisters took 75 pictures of us. I figured I could do some head swapping and come up with something good enough, right? Well, I looked through all the pictures, focusing on finding the ones with the best expressions so I could start compiling things into one nice photo. That's when I realized that due to the child on my lap pulling at my dress my bra was clearly visible in every single photo. Very visible. Visible in a  I-don't-think-I-can-fix-that-in-Photoshop way. It's the only thing I see when I look at those pictures now. All that work to get a family photo and one silly but extremely distracting detail means it's never going up on my wall. 

Today's post is called "eliminate distracting elements" but it could just as easily be called "actually LOOK at what you are taking a picture of and make adjustments if needed before you waste a whole bunch of time and end up super disappointed because there's a dumb tree/piece of trash/undergarment in the way that's ruining the entire photo!" Take this picture for example:

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easy ranch cheeseball recipe

I'll admit it: my favorite part about holidays like Thanksgiving and Easter (after the things we're actually celebrating!) is the food. And it's not even the turkey or the ham that I'm talking about. It's the side dishes. And appetizers. Everything from a simple veggie tray to special scalloped potatoes to those darn little smokies that are so much better than they ought to be - I just like an excuse to make all the extra goodies that I don't normally add to weeknight dinners. A cheeseball is one of those extra goodies. I love cheesballs, but I don't make them very often because I'd just eat the entire thing. So I save it for holidays or other get togethers. It's the perfect thing to make in advance and put out on the counter for people to snack on while the final bits of meal prep are under way. (Keep reading for recipe and photos on the process.)

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schoolgirl sweater and skirt {a refashioned wardrobe}

Today's outfit is the first of seven I made for my daughter's spring/summer wardrobe this year. I don't usually make all or even most of my daughter's clothes, but as I mentioned last week I took on a fun little project this year. I decided it was finally time to go through my closet and my pile of random clothes I was holding on to in case I decided to refashion them at some point...it was a pretty big pile. Or maybe a really big pile. Anyway, I sorted through things, donating stuff I'd never sew into something else, keeping things that might work, and pulling out anything with colors or patterns that seemed really interested right now. I paired old items together into outfit possibilities and started figuring out what I could make with them. The pile for this outfit had a pretty coral/red sweater and a plaid scarf I'd purchased at the thrift store for two bucks only to realize I really don't like wearing scarves (keep reading for sweater info and skirt tutorial).

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8 steps to better photos on auto {step 2: outdoor light}

Today is the second installment of Eight Steps to Better Photos on AUTO. Most people think the only way to really improve their photos is to learn to shoot on manual mode, and it's true that using manual gives you the most control over the finished photo. But what if you don't have the time or energy to invest in learning about exposure and aperture and all the other details of manual? That's where this series comes in. There are plenty of things you can do to greatly improve your photos even when shooting on auto, and every Friday for the next eight weeks I'll share one of them with you. Step one | Step two | Step three | Step four | Step five | Step six | Step seven | Step eight

Hi everyone! So last week I told you to turn off your flash and use natural light to get better photos. Click over if you missed it - you'll be amazed at the difference it makes in your photos. Today I'm going to talk about taking photos outdoors, because that's the best way to get natural light (i.e. light from the sun and sky as opposed to artificial lights). Outdoor lighting makes everything look better - just take a look at these cookies for proof: 

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giveaway winner, a new series & how to sponsor

Hi everyone - I'm popping in for a quick post to take care of some business and make you aware of a few things coming up here on the blog. 

FIRST: we have a winner from the Creating Keepsakes subsciption giveaway I posted at the end of Feb (yup, I'm really on top of things lately) - it is Allisa, who said Just signed up to follow your site via e-mail! Please use the contact button at the top right to let me know if you'd like a paper or online subscription, and send your full mailing address for a paper subscription. Congrats!

SECOND: It's Always Autumn is now accepting sponsors! If you're interested in reaching a large number of crafty and photography minded ladies, consider advertising here. Find more info via the advertise button at the top right.

THIRD: I have a guest post up at eighteen25 which you should go check out - I'm sharing a tutorial for making the cool background you saw in these pics of my spinach&orange smoothies:

FOURTH: I'll be running a couple of mini blog series concurrently on the blog for the next few months. The first one started last week - did you see it? - and it's called 8 Steps to Taking Better Photos on Auto. If you want to improve your photos WITHOUT reading your camera manual and learning how to shoot on manual, this is the series for you. I'll be discussing one easy step each week that can vastly improve your photography, so be sure to keep checking back (and pin, and tell all your friends, right?).

And then next week I'll start sharing the new spring/summer wardrobe I've been sewing up for my daughter. I made seven outfits, and here's the best part: all materials came from clothes in my donate pile! That's right, it's a refashioned wardrobe, and I'm excited about it. Yes, I know I'm a geek. It's ok. But taking a bunch of old clothes and making a bunch of new stuff (including a skirt made from a scarf!) makes me happy. Each Monday I'll share photos of one of the outfits plus mini tutorials or refashioning tips.

Alright, I think that about does it. I'll return you to your regular Thursday programming and see you back tomorrow for more photography tips.

sun&surf pattern tour {the sunshine dress}

I spent a few happy hours Monday sewing up this Sunshine Dress. The pattern is by Schwin Designs and is part of a cool new pattern anthology that's just been released this week: The Sun & Surf Collection, which is a joint effort from See Kate Sew Patterns, Shwin Designs, Go To Patterns, and Blank Slate Patterns. This pattern collection is pretty fantastic: fun, modern, and easy to wear spring looks for both boys and girls. When the creators of this pattern anthology contacted me about joining the blog tour to introduce the patterns and reviewing one of them I was pretty excited. I haven't been using patterns much lately, preferring to muddle through on my own, so I was more than ready to use a great pattern that would tell me exactly what to do to get the perfect finished product. And the Sunshine Dress pattern delivered! (Keep reading for more info on the pattern anthology and more photos of the Sunshine Dress.)

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Easter chalkboard art printable

So, do you ever think you'll be able to do something (that looks easy!), just to give it a try and fail miserably? Well, that's what happened with this project. I've seen so many cool hand-lettered calligraphy printables around lately and I thought, why not make one of my own? Apparently I forgot that my handwriting stinks and I'm completely art-challenged, because I bought myself a little calligraphy pen and went to town trying to create something beautiful for Easter. (Keep reading for printable.)

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