Photo Christmas Cards

Wow, I can't believe it's already time to start thinking about family Christmas cards for 2009... I try to take new photos of the kids around this time of year (trying to plan ahead) to include on our family Christmas cards.  If I take the photos in November, then I have time to upload them to a website, like Walmart.com, Shutterfly.com or Vistaprint.com and order custom cards before my self-imposed Christmas card mailing deadline.  To add color to the shots, this year I bought scarves and hats at Target.

I decided to use Walmart.com for the printing of the cards because this site offered a custom card that let me include more than the standard 2 or 3 photos.  The front of the card is above... click the "read more" link to see the back of the card, pricing info and tips on photographing your kids.

Product List for Greenhaven Show Home Room

The product list below is posted in the Command Center room of the Greenhaven Show Home. Many thanks to my sponsors Lakota Cove, Alejandra Dunphy, Verde Home and ecoEMPORIUM.

Come by the Greenhaven Show Home from July 10 to August 9th 2009 and see the Command Center room that I designed.

Greenhaven showcases the latest in green building techniques, sustainable design, state-of-the-art-technology and energy efficiency.... eco-living is attainable even in the suburbs!

Click image below to see full-sized image.

Shade instead of Direct Sunlight

How does direct sunlight affect a photo?
On sunny days look for an open, even shade for picture-taking and set your camera's flash mode to fill-flash.

How many times have you taken photographs on what seemed to be a perfect day; beautiful and sunny? I've always heard that when you're taking a photo outside, make sure the sun is behind the person taking the picture. The only problem is if the sun is behind the person taking the photo, then the sun is shining directly into the faces of your subjects.

To see what I mean, take a quick look at the photo to the bottom, right of the two girls squinting in the direct sunlight.

Actually, overcast days are much better for picture-taking. There's plenty of light on an overcast day and the colors are rich and vibrant. Your camera's fill-flash setting adds just enough light to highlight your subject.

So, remember, if you need to take photos on a sunny day, look for an open, even shade. The picture to the top, right was taken around 4 pm in an area that was totally shaded from the sun with my camera's flash set to fill-flash.

© Photos copyright, Susan Chambers. All rights reserved.

Going Green means Going Shopping

There's a lot of talk these days about living the green lifestyle. I'm much more in tune to it now days because I'm working on a design project for a green show home. When we think about what it means to live a green lifestyle, most of us are probably thinking... okay....I bring my own bags to the grocery store.... I purchase sustainable products when possible...I recycle cans, glass containers, plastic bags.... But, while recycling is good, reuse is even better.

And reuse also means saving money when it comes to clothing. For years, my Mom has been shopped regularly at upscale consignments shops for children's clothing for her grand kids. So I decided I'd give upscale consignment stores a try for myself. I was amazed by what I found. As a mother's day gift this year, my husband took the kids to a movie and sent me out shopping for myself.

This is one of the tops I purchased for half the cost of a new one at Unique Boutique.

Canton Festival of the Arts

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend an arts festival in Canton, Georgia, hosted by the Cherokee County Arts Council.

The morning started out a little bit rainy, but the rain was gone by around 10am. The rest of the day was perfect for an arts festival: cloudy, cool and no rain. The festival included artists, musical entertainment, some pretty good food, a youth art exhibit and a hands-on area for kids.


 
Just 45 minutes from downtown Atlanta, Canton offers the charm of a historic river town with a view of the north Georgia mountains. The festival location is in Canton’s newly revitalized historic downtown district.

To see photos from the festival, click on the flickr photostream below...

www.flickr.com susanchambers.com's Canton Festival of the Arts photoset

Susan meets Kent Schneider of Verde Home

While working on the Greenhaven Show Home project, I've had the pleasure of meeting several new people lately with very diverse backgrounds.  One of which is Kent Schneider, part owner of Verde Home, a transitional eclectic boutique store specializing in eco-chic furniture and accessories.

Founded by Laura Walker, Paul Baird and Kent Schneider, Verde Home is located at the intersection of Howell Mill Road and Marietta Street in the BricksWorks commercial center.

Verde Home served as one of the decor vendors for the show home, loaning their beautiful furniture, Tibetan rugs and accessories to the designers working on the project.  They loaned a beautiful, 5' by 7' Aria Silk/Wool 100 knot Tibetan Rug (retail value $3675.00) for use in the room I designed.

Susan meets Alexis Veremakis of ecoEMPORIUM

While working on the Greenhaven Show Home project, I've had the pleasure of meeting several designers lately. One of which is Alexis Veremakis, designer and Assistant Manager of ecoEMPORIUM, an Atlanta eco-lifestyle store.

Founded by local Atlanta residents Carol and Bruce Held, ecoEmporium is located in Atlanta, Georgia at the intersection of Howell Mill Road and Marietta Street in the BricksWorks commercial center. They offer earth-friendly, organic, and non-toxic products for folks wanting to live a greener lifestyle.



ecoEMPORIUM served as one of the decor vendors for the show home, loaning their eco-friendly accessories to the designers working on the project. They loaned a bamboo, 52" x 72" throw (retail value $75.00) for use in the room I designed.



Here's what the throw looks like in the Greenhaven room...