Weekend shots with my Canon EOS Rebel 3ti

I had an amazing weekend. I broke my routine of working and house chores for an impromptu trip to Reno with my little family. When we go to Reno, we always stay with my grandparents.  They have a huge home and are always looking forward to family visits. 

I recently upgraded my camera, and felt this weekend  was a great time to try out my Canon EOS Rebel 3ti. This particular model is a couple years old, but perfect for me.  Its easy to handle and takes beautiful photos.  I have always loved photography.  I took a small course in high school and knew it was something I would love to expand my knowledge in.  I have yet to do so, but after my photo session this weekend, I am going to take a look into classes.  Over the last 10 years I have owned a few different cameras, but haven't made it a regular habit of going out to take pictures. I feel that is going to be changing soon; It was so relaxing and felt good to be behind a camera again. 

As I was taking photos, I knew I was going to want to share a few of them here on my blog. But I am such a worry wart. Feeling like someone may snatch up my amateur photos, I decided to go ahead and add a watermark. Better safe than sorry, right?  So I downloaded GIMP to my computer and went on YouTube to self educate. within 30 mins, I was adding watermarks to the photos I felt were share worthy.  For my watermarks, I decided on the name Java Bean Photography.  Even though the full word isn't capitalized, Java is actually an acronym for my full initials (first, middle, maiden, and marriage). Plus, I love coffee, so it works. I was planning on using GIMP only for watermarks, but I was quite impressed with all the different features this particular software offers.  I am going to be playing around with it some more so I can use it to it's full potential.   

Below are a few pictures out of the many that I captured (I noticed as I was uploading them, I did a lot of side views...sorry in advance).  These are all shot in the backyard and patio of my grandparent's home. Please keep in mind, I have very little knowledge when it comes to lighting, angles, white balance, exposure, etc.  But I love finding the beauty in the ordinary. So as usual when it comes to photography,  I clicked away and hoped for the best. Enjoy. 

I loved the pop of red the bird gives as well as the pop of green the tree in the background gives

during winter, he sits on a small heap of branches, but in spring he will be sitting on branches full of life and leaves

I love the imperfections statues tend to have once they have been around for a while 

I love the crack going along his neck. A little bit morbid, but also a little bit beautiful

I really like the pops of white that she had. I also love the tips of the leaves that made it into this shot

Probably my favorite shot of the day

Again, I am loving the red color

Pussy Willow branches from California, starting to bloom in Reno

I love patterns, sidewalks, bricks, etc.

He was too cute to not take a picture of. Reminds me of Spring and Easter

Drugstore products I love under $5

I love drugstore beauty products, especially when I find something I love that doesn't break the bank. Not only are these products amazing, but they are all cruelty free:

1. Cantu Care for Kids Curling Cream (purchased at Target; $3.97)
Product description: Cantu Care is designed to gently nurture the curls of boys and girls. Use the Curling Cream to define, condition, and moisturize little locks. Made with 100% pureshea butter, coconut oil, and aloe vera plus formulated without harsh ingredients and chemicals. No Mineral Oil, Sulfates, Parabens, Silicone, Phthalates, Gluten, Paraffin, Propylene, PABA or DEA.

 

Over the years, I have had plenty of issues finding a hair product to tame these curls of mine. I am mixed (Puerto Rican and Japanese), so I have a hard time finding products for my mixed hair. (I did a whole post regarding my curls and products I've tried that you can find here if interested). I had already been loving the Cantu line and was beyond excited when I found this particular product. It holds my curls perfectly and keeps them defined all day. Another plus- as it is for kids and doesn't have harsh chemicals, I can use it on my little one as she has similar curls to mine.

A picture of my curls after using the Cantu Care for Kids Curling Cream

2.  Illumi-Naughty Highlighting and Concealing Pen in the shade, A Happy Medium (purchased at Walgreens; $4.99) Product Description: This 2-in-1 highlighting and concealing pen will help cover up those naughty areas and illuminate your best features! It's a lightweight, liquid pen that gives you the ultimate control to instantly lift your features for a flawless complexion. Formulated with Vitamin E and Chamomilie to moizturize and condition for improved skin texture. 

I have some pretty dark circles and have been having a hard time finding something that doesn't emphasize my circles, but actually conceals them. My favorite beauty guru, Kathleen Lights  mentioned this particular concealer from Wet and Wild on her beauty channel, so I decided to give it a go. What I love most about this product is the color. because the shade has a hint of salmon/orange undertones, it covers my circles perfectly. (Have circles or blemishes and need a color correcting guide? Click here ; Casey does an amazing job explaining all you need to know regarding color correcting).

Beofre and after photos of my circles with and without the Illumi-Naughty Highlighting and Concealing Pen in the shade, A Happy Medium 

3. Essence Pure Nude Highlighter ( purchased at Target; $4.49) Product description:  This Essence Pure Nude Highlighter adds natural luminescence to cheeks, temples, and brow bone for a gorgeous glow. The baked formula applies smoothly while the light texture blends easily for a natural finish.  

This was another recommendation from Kathleen Lights. Oh.M.G i know the last 3 years or so, EVERYONE has been into highlighting literally everywhere. Some people enjoy a very intense highlight. I myself try and keep my makeup natural due to my freckles and personal preference. So once Kathleen showed this particular highlight on her channel, I knew I wanted to try it. Its perfect for everyday wear. The glow is so natural  but can be intensified if you like something a touch more bold. 

Top is shown with flash and the bottom without.  The glow is so natural and subtle, you can barely see it without the flash in photos. But in person, it's beautiful.

Do you have any must have beauty products that you have been loving? Let me know what they are, and I will check them out! -Random Thoughts

The Little Thing of February

I did a post about appreciating the little things back in 2015 and I have no idea why I haven't done another one since.  I really feel its important to stop and reflect on those small moments that make an impact on us. A moment that can seem so insignificant to another person. Here are my moments that meant the world to me during the month of February:

1. A family picture: My parents and brothers decided to treat me for a belated birthday at one of my favorite restaurants,  The Old Spaghetti Factory.  The only person missing was my husband. His work schedule has been impossible to work around (but I so appreciate all the hard and long hours he has been putting in). Anywho, one of the serving staff caught us trying to take a group selfie and politely asked to take the photo for us. It is the first photo I have with both my parents, my two brothers, and myself together in. The photo itself is a little dark due to the dim lighting inside the restaurant, but I absolutely love it.

My parents, brothers, and my daughters at my birthday dinner celebration

2. Good morning cuddles and kisses: my eldest daughter can be a bit of a grump in the mornings and I have learned to respect that. Especially as she gets it from me; we are not morning people.  Now my little one LOVES mornings. This last month, she has gotten in the habit of waking up, running out of the room while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She greets me with the hugest hug, which turns into a long cuddle with a good morning kiss. It melts my heart every time.

after cuddles with mom, she cuddles with her bestie, Snowflake

3. Homemade cards: Cards are always special to me. Its a little something that says 'Hey, I was thinking about you'. But there is something extra special about a card when it's homemade. My

eldest daughter made me a Valentine's Card this year and her words touched me so deeply. She is only 10, but she has a way of expressing herself through her writing.  My biggest hope is that she stays writing and allows her gift of writing to grow.

She asked me not to share a picture of her card, but trust me, it made me cry

4. Late night laughs: my husband and I have been together for 17 years, and out of those 17 years, we have been married for 11 of them. The fact that this man can still make me belly laugh to the point of tears, blows me away. Last week we were in bed and were talking about something quite serious,  and he made a side comment that put an awkward pause in our conversation. All of a sudden, we look at each other and could not stop laughing. I literally laughed on and off for about 20 mins. It's moments like these, that make me look at him and love him even more.

Did you have any moments that stuck out this month that put a smile on your face? No moment is to big or to small to share. I would love to hear about them:) -Random Thoughts

DIY digital invitation using your smart phone

I am hoping the photos in this post come through okay. when I uploaded to blogger, their clarity changed a bit.

There has been times I am hosting a small shindig, and decide to send a text/email blast instead of traditional printed invitations. Even though I am sending an invitation digitally, I still make the invitation super cute and usually in theme with the type of gathering I am hosting. Side note: I know there are e-vites that you can create, but I find creating your own a touch more personal and convenient being everything is done on your smart phone. I am going to share how I create and edit my digital invitations. Let's get started:)

1. First you will need a photo editor.  Most smart phones come with a photo editor of some kind, but they tend to be limited. My all time favorite photo editor is PicsArt. PicsArt is a free app that can be found on the google play store. There are many other great photo editing apps out there, but for the purposes of this post, I am going to be talking solely of PicsArt. 

2. Download a background image and clipart you would like to use for your invitation. You will be downloading these images directly to your smart phone's gallery. For this particualr post, I am going to be creating an invitation for a gender reveal party. ( If you are unfamiliar with a gender reveal party, click here.)  Below are the images I used.

Background image

Clipart #1

Clipart #2

Clipart #3

Keep in mind, when trying to find clipart to use, you are going find PNG files are easier to work with. PNG files have a "transparent background" which make layering photos easy.  Alot of clipart are JPEG files. JPEG files can be a pain as they tend to have a white background behind the clipart. Just in case I lost you, below is a visual of what I mean.

Notice how this image of a frame has a solid white square around it? This is a JPEG

This frame doesn't have a white square; it has a transparent background. The frame image shown here is a PNG file. 

Hopefully that makes sense.  Just a FYI, the second photo is lighter in color because I used a filter while editing it for my invitation. Now back to the actual DIY portion..

3. Once you have your back ground image and additional clipart downloaded, you are going to open PicsArt. You are going to start off by editing the background image. This is going to be the base/foundation of your invitation. Once the background image of your choice is on your screen, you are going to start layering the different clipart you previously downloaded. For invitations, I tend to use a frame. A frame isnt necessarily needed, but looks great to put the invitation text in.

As mentioned, I used a filter to lighten the photo

 Adding additional clipart!This is the fun part. Dressing up the invitation.  I decided on a BEE theme for the gender reveal, so my clipart is bee related.

In PicsArt, you are able to edit each individual clipart you add. So I took the buzz trail off from the bumble bee, and soften both the bumble bee and the hive by using filters

4. Adding text. In PicsArt, they have a good variety of font styles with plenty of customization options (color, outline, shadowing, orientation,  etc.)

  

I used a variety of fonts with a white and gray color scheme, adding a pop of pink and blue. 

5. Finalize your invitation by adding anymore images.

I added two additional bumble bees, lightening them with filters as well

  I have been using PicsArt for years already, so I am pretty good at navigating and editing my photos. This gender reveal invitation took me less than 15 mins to put together.

Do you find your self sending text/email blast as quick invitations for informal events?  If you ever decide to go the route of customizing your own digital invitation and need some quick tips and tricks, feel free to contact me:) 

Valentine's Day 2017

Sometimes us ladies want to be smothered with love, complimented, and taken out on the most perfectly planned date (especially around Valentine's day). But what about our men? They deserve some extra attention too:) This year I am making it all about him.  Me and my husband have been married 11 years this year, and have been together in total for 17 years. So I decided it's my turn to plan a date and I decided to plan Valentine's Day.  We will be celebrating Valentine's on Sunday the 12th, as the hubby works on the 14th, but we are still going to have fun. 

We are going to start a little cheesy (but extra cheesy is our style:) 

1. I am taking him to a few local spots that he made special to me.  We are going to be visiting the place we had out first real date, our all time favorite pizza place as kids, the park he named a flower after me, and the burger joint that we found out we were going to be parents at. Of course each place we stop, we will be snapping a selfie. Now, before you think this is about more about me, at each spot we stop at I will be telling him how he made it special by sharing old memories from our early dating years. (See, cheesy; but its going to be fun).

2. Sushi. We both love sushi and trying new rolls and what not, but we don't get to go too often as our youngest 1 is a picky eater. Our kids are always with us (which we totally don't mind; it's part of parenting:), so we try to accommodate all of our palates when eating out. Being it's our Valentine's date and all, we will have a sitter for the evening. So bring on the sushi!!! 

3. We will be doing one of his favorite things, going to a shooting range. We have never been shooting together, so I am excited to share a "first" experience with him.

4. My husband enjoys music; all types of genres,  So I decided to try out a piano bar in the city. I have heard great things about piano bars-people have piano duels, playing classics as well as modern music. When I heard about the piano duels, it totally reminded me of that scene from "Who framed Roger Rabbit", the scene with Daffy Duck and Donald Duck ...

 

This scene! 80's kids will totally know this scene lol

5. And of course we will end the night under the covers..(No explicit detail necessary:)

I feel so blessed to have found love at such a young age.  We both have grown and matured together. It hasn't always been easy, but it has been worth it. He truly is my better half, my soulmate.

What are your plans for Valentines? What kind of dates have you planned for your significant other?

-Random Thoughts

Highlight Hunt: Drugstore Edition

I have been on the hunt for a good drugstore highlight. Last year, Wet and Wild came out with two shades, Precious Petals and Crown of my Canopy (part of their 2016 summer collection), but I have yet to find them at any of my local drugstores. They either did not carry them or they were always sold out. After 8 long months,  I finally got my hands on them! I was visiting my hometown of Alameda, Ca.(about 30 mins away from where I currently live) and I so happened to of popped in their local Walgreens. Side note: This particular Walgreens holds so many memories for me. We didn't have a Wal-Mart or Target in Alameda when I was growing up, so whenever I wanted something new makeup wise, me and my mom would go to Walgreens and hangout for about an hour,  checking out all of the latest and greatest. Those were the days! Any who, they had them! I could of done a happy dance in the makeup isle. My 10 year would of died of embarrassment,  but I literally was that happy! They are super glowy without chunks of glitter and are super beautiful on the skin. And the best part? They are only $5.99 each! These 2 shades were supposed to be limited edition, but being they have received so much hype from the public, I am hoping they keep them for good. Now if I didn't have to drive 30 mins away to find them, that would be amazing! -Random Thoughts

They are so pretty!

Crown of my Canopy

Precious Petals

My lighting super sucks, but I tried:)
Top: Precious Petals
Bottom: Crown of Canopy

I left my heart in Seattle

I have the best husband ever. Not even saying that to brag, but I do. He planned a birthday trip for the big #30. And I must say,  he did an amazing job. We stayed in a smashing Hotel and ended our trip staying on a houseboat. We tried so many different foods and did lots of touristy things. We visited the first Starbucks EVER, Market Place, the Space Needle, and the famous Gum wall. We did somethings outside of the main city like visited Bruce and Brandon Lee's grave, found the Fremont Troll, a cute used books store,  and an amazing stationary store.

One of my favorite authors wrote about Seattle. I think I fell in love with the city before this trip. You know an author is truly talented when she can make you fall in love with a city through her writing. I hope one day to possess such talent.

We are already planning our next adventure. We want to explore the beauty around us before traveling outside the U.S. I think every couple needs a get away every now and then. That is not to say that we won't be traveling with the kids, because we definitely will (our next trip is going to be a family vacation in fact). But a couple's get away to recharge and have lots of adult alone time is so refreshing and a must in a marriage.

One of my Favorite beauty guru's,  Kathleen Lights, mentioned that she likes to buy a new fragrance in every city she visits, so evertime she wears that particular scent, she is reminded of her trip. I LOVED this idea and decided to do the same (I know, total copy cat). So for this trip, I bought Daisy Dream. I am in love with this purfume! According to the description, it has note of "Blackberry, Grapefruit, Pear, Jasmine, Lychee, Blue Wisteria, White Woods, Musks, Coconut Water." I don't know about all that, but it is amazing! I have been wearing it ever since we have been back (which I need to relax on so I don't run out of it too quickly).

This trip did wonders. It was our first true vacation since being married. It almost felt like being on a honeymoon.  We never had a honeymoon since we became parents so young, but in my mind, this was it. Seattle is going to forever hold a special place in my heart. Until my next post!