Posts from the ‘Technology’ Category

Oct 14

Let me try that again

Remember I said I’d come back and show you my new tricks?

Look what Mama learned to do:

Pretty cool, huh?

Thanks to Angela for taking the portraits and to both Angela and Bri for hovering nearby to answer all my questions. I reached crisis mode a few times. But they held my hand and talked me through it. Hip hip hooray for Blogshop!

We spent some time learning how to “retouch” our portraits and let me tell you, that is a dangerous endeavor. Zooming in on your own face, smoothing here, erasing there. It gets kind of hard to stop. Oh, and mood boards. That is some good, wholesome fun that is also hard to stop once you get going. (For my non-bloggy friends who don’t know what a mood board is? Look here for a lovely example).

Sep 23

Blogshop here I come.

I am busy making arrangements for my personable and entrepreneurial young neighbor, Graham, (who had just come to my door earlier this week with copies of his hand-scrawled flyers advertising his new pet care venture), to care for my dog, Sweetiepie, for the weekend while I off here:

That’s right, I will be attending a two-day Photoshop boot camp workshop led by the lovely creative duo, Bri + Angela. While I can’t exactly remember what led me to believe back in June that I actually need to, or want to learn Photoshop, here I am, registered, tuition paid in full, Photoshop trial downloaded on my laptop. I’m just telling myself something about old dogs and new tricks being a good thing, (me being the old dog, in case you’re not following), and trying to not over think this. One just never knows where life will take you, and if you’ll be glad you’ve got Photoshop in your back pocket when you get there.

I have dabbled with Photoshop, trying to learn it myself, with some minor victories (see previous post here). I do love how this came out. And it only took me about 15 hours to figure out how to get this text over this photo I love of James and his shopping cart.

Most of my self-guided efforts have ended more like this (see previous post where I simply surrendered here):

That exercise also took about 15 hours. And raised my blood pressure a few points. Hopefully by Monday I will finally be able to solve the great big question of why this text kept coming out blurry.

I’ll report back next week on my voyage into technology and beyond. I may even show off some of my new deftly Photoshopped images. Unless I’m a terrible student. But I’m hoping Bri + Angela won’t let that happen.

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Blogshop offers classes in cities around the country (and now a few international cities, Paris + Berlin coming up). Check the website for upcoming locations.

Alix, my friend who knows things, recommends the online courses for Photoshop and Illustrator offered by Nicole’s classes. I personally need the instructor-standing-next-to-me experience that Blogshop offers, but she swears by these online courses.

Mar 14

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Things to do with kids, NYC: Get your tech on

Mr. Sweetpea had an early flight this weekend which left me with a full Sunday to fill. Here’s what I came up with:

Find it on the corner of Madison and 56th.

Carol ann. . . turn away from the light. . .

Thomas performing virtual surgery. He needs a little more practice before we put out his shingle.

Robots. Need I say more?

After our visit, we sat in the connected Sony Atrium kicking back with our Starbucks booty (may I recommend the chocolate peanut butter mini cupcakes if you can find them? Whoa.) I said something like, Gee, I was a little disappointed. I thought it was going to be a little better. Which was met with, What? How could it have been any better? It was awesome! Like the best thing we’ve done, ever! So apparently this trip comes kid recommended.

So did I enjoy Sony’s offering? Not exactly. But I notice, with some shame, that I don’t really enjoy many of the things I do for their enjoyment. I enjoy them, sometimes bickering, whiny, ungrateful them. There were lots of flashing lights and other people and opportunities for playing video games. Not to mention that the whole thing is pretty much one big promo for Sony. But I guess sometimes, for some things, I say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. We have different interests. We just do. And sometimes, just sometimes, you end up with a gem like this:

At the end of the day we had some time to kill while waiting for our train. Thomas asked to borrow money from me at the Grand Central Market. I resisted, lecturing (once again) that we just had such a nice day and that was enough and blah blah blah. . . but he was so insistent, promised that he would pay me back when we got home and you just have to let me, he kept imploring. He wasn’t letting it go. Fine, it’s your money. Ugh. . . it’s just never enough for them, I think as he walks away.

My boy returns, grinning proudly.

Flowers, for me.