Basic Photo Editing Part II

Yesterday we learned how to make your pictures look better.
Today I'm going to show you how to make you look better in your pictures.

Open up the photo we edited yesterday

Today we're going to use my favorite tools to edit the photo. The burn and the dodge tools. We're gonna use the dodge tool the same way you would use a highlighter (the makeup not marker) plus a little more.

Make a new layer by pressing the ALT/OPTION and clicking on the new layer button on the layers panel. Call this layer Dodge and change the settings to match mine in the picture below

Select your Dodge tool and set the exposure to 15%. We don't want to make it too dark otherwise it will look cray. Make sure your range is set to highlight

Then you need to pick the right brush. Try to pick a soft brush. The size doesn't matter because you will adjust it when you go to highlight, but you can adjust the hardness to about 50%

Now that you've have your brush selected you're going to highlight the parts in green.

I had to use green to show contrast. I promise your picture will not look like this

Now that we've added some highlights, its time to show some contrast. As before, make a new layer by holding down the ALT/OPTION key while clicking the new layer icon on the layers panel. Name this layer Burn and change the lettings like the picture below

Select your burn tool and change make sure the exposure is at 15% and your range is set to shadows.

Now burn all of the areas in blue. Notice that I darkened more areas on myself than Ken. You have to have a light hand when editing men to make sure they don't look like they're wearing make up.

Personally, I think this is a good look for me. 

Now you have your final picture.

You can thank me next time someone tells you that you look like a super model in your new picture.

p.s. I'm sorry if there is some spelling mistakes or anything. I am writing this in a hurry since I should be getting ready to go get some dinner with friends. :)

Basic Photo Editing Part I

As a blogger many people try and edit their photos.
I say try because plenty do a horrible job.
Luckily, you have me to show you the right way.

First things first, open your photo in photoshop.

Now that your photo is open the first thing you need to do is to tone your photo. There is many ways to do this but the absolute easiest way it to use Image> Auto Tone

The before and after the autotone

As you can see, my picture looks a lot better now but Ken's face looks a bit red. So our next step it to adjust the color balance. Like toning, there is many different ways to go about this process. Again, the easiest way is to auto color your picture. For this go to Image> Autocolor

This helped a lot but our faces still look red so we're going to adjust the color a little more. To do this go to Image>Adjustments> Color Balance

This is the screen that pops up

The best way to adjust the color is to add its opposite. Since my photo has too much red in is I'm going to add Cyan. There isn't an exact number to change it to, it's more of a feeling. 

As you can see my photo looks a lot better already. To some, this is good enough. If you want to know how to further edit your photo make sure you come back tomorrow!

Worst. Girlfriend. Ever.

So today I realized that Valentine's Day is a week from Thursday

AND Ken's birthday is two weeks from Wednesday. 

I don't have a present for either one.

I think this makes me the worst girlfriend ever. 

I actually had a plan for his birthday and I think it was pretty cool.

Some how I was going to sneakily apply for both of our FOID cards 

and then take Ken to the shooting range for his birthday. 

But I takes 3-4 weeks to get you FOID card and it's backed up because everyone and their mother wants a fun not that you can carry a concealed weapon in Chicago. 

So that plan is off the table. 

Then I had the awesome idea to get him a Kirk Heinrich jersey (one of his favorite players on the bulls)

but I guess they don't make them?

I could buy a Rose, Boozer, Noah, Deng, Korver, Rodman, or Jordan jersey but no one else on the team. This makes a lot of sense since Korver is on the Hawks now. And Rodman and Jordan haven't played for like 10 years. I wasn't the only one with the great idea for buy a jersey though.

He was trying to get me a Noah All-Star jersey for Valentine's Day. Which they don't make either. I'm still not really sure about this gift. Ken explained to me that they don't mass produce his jersey because there isn't a high demand for them. Which I think is really dumb. He was the captain of the Bulls before we traded him. Anyway, I can still get the jersey specially made, but now that Ken knows about it, I'm not sure if I want to get him that.

My last and final plan was to get us 1st level seats for a Bulls game. For those of you that don't know our star (Derrick Rose) tore his ACL last spring and is expected to come back this month after not playing all season. This is great for the Bulls but not so great for me. When we go and sit in the top level (there is 3 of them) we usually pay about $30 each. Since Rose is coming back any day now, those tickets are $70 each! You can only imagine how expensive level 1 seats are. 

So now I'm a week (or 2 depending on which one) away with no gift. I'm screwed. 

Movie Star

For once, I actually had a post all planned out in my mind to write today. But as usual, life got in the way and I'm not entirely in the mood to write about something like that now. Instead I'm going to put my headphones in and listen to the Fun. pandora station while working on the new design that I hope to launch soon. But I don't want to leave you hanging so here is a guest post I wrote about a month ago. 

Enjoy

 Instead of doing a boring normal guest post I am going to talk to you guys about an important question that has been on my mind recently, one without an easy answer.

Who would play me if my life were a movie? At first, this seems really easy, but then you really start to think…would she really be able to act that crazy?

Before I get started, I should probably tell you why my life deserves a movie. Sadly, my movie would be a comedy. Not a romantic comedy, but a comedy. Probably one similar to Super Bad and possibly the Hang Over. See, there was the time my window broke, the time I turned 21, and that time I met Joakim Noah. If those things don’t scream broke down hilarious, I don’t know what does.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, lets get down to business. I’m sure lots of people would be calling me and begging me for the part but only one lucky lady will get the part. And that lady would be:

Leighton Meester

I loved her in Gossip Girl (and pretty much everything else she has been in) and like me, she loves fashion.  There is something very edgy about her wardrobe and I am obsessed with it. I’m sure she would be totally down with some of the outfits I put together.

It also helps that Leighton knows how to act like a bitch. Which could come in handy playing me. I tell it like it is. If I have an opinion about something (and I always do), you’ll know about it.

The only thing that won’t work is her ability to sing. I can’t carry a tune to save my life, but that doesn’t stop me from trying. I guess she can pretend that she can’t sing right? She is an actor. Lol

So now that you know all about me, be sure to stop by and tell me who you think would play you in a movie about your life. Or tell me I’m crazy for putting this much thought into something as silly as this, whichever.

p.s. Leighton, call me!

Girl, Get Your Priorities Strait

I completely planned on blogging about my Magazine Project.
It is Wednesday, and that's what I talk about on Wednesdays.

But then I started thinking about something else…
about a month ago I got a notification on my iPhone that someone liked one of my pictures on Instagram, I didn't recognize the name so I clicked on the notification and it brought me the picture. Except, it didn't say that person liked it. For some reason it really stuck in my mind. I even went through my followers and the people I follow to see if it was one of them. But there wasn't a user name that was even close.

By now I figured it was a blog reader that went to my account, didn't find anything interesting, and decided not to follow. Me being me, I had to see who this person was. Since the iPhone saves all your notifications I clicked the name instead of the whole notification. Yea, it wasn't a reader.

It was my ex's current girlfriend. The one he dated while he was still dating me. I'll be honest, I was pissed and I considered doing something very immature. Luckily my maturity got the best of me and I decided to make my instagram private. But then I made it public again. The way I see it is that if she wants to compare our lives, she can. It's only going to make her miserable. (Because I found an amazing guy, not that my whole life is better).

The reason I'm telling you guys about this is because I think it is a common thing to lash out at other girls. I've been dating Ken for 3 years, so that whole thing with my ex happened over 3 years ago and my first instinct was to be mean to her. That isn't right. And I highly doubt that she was just looking at my page to catch up. I know I'm not alone with this one either. I think too many woman would rather blame the other woman than just admit they're dating a pig.

Listen here ladies, if you man cheats on you with another woman you should be mad at your boyfriend, not that girl. She might be a slut (depends on the situation) but no matter what the situation is, He hurt you. He is the lying piece of shit. He broke your heart, not her. So please remember who that anger is really towards.

Luckily, I don't have to worry about that stuff anymore. See when you start to date a decent guy you stop having to worry about him cheating on you. It really is one of the plusses of dating someone who truly cares about you.

I picked a winner

3 Years Baby!

Last Wednesday was my 3 year anniversary with Ken.
I know, I can't believe he put up with me for this long either.

Because of his work schedule and my class schedule we decided to celebrate it on Saturday.
I didn't think he had anything planned until I got this in the mail on Thursday:

I almost just opened it right there.
Luckily I had enough self control to give the package to Mary so she could hide it until Friday at Midnight.
Technically it's the 26th then!
I was going crazy trying to guess what was in it.

On Friday morning I decided to make Ken a candy card since he told me not to spend a lot of money on him. I think it turned out pretty cool and he said he is excited to eat all the candy.

In case you can't read it: Dear Ken, All my life I've dated duds and nerds. I finally found Mr. Good.  I wouldn't trade you for a payday or a 100 grand. Now it's our three year anniversary, I was gonna get you a put kitkat, but I didn't think you would like that. Then I tried to save up for a trip to New York, but the money slipped trough my butterfingers. But I am not dum dum about how extra special you are. You've been my lifesaver these past 3 years. You're my hot tamale and I love you to pieces. 

Finally the time came and I could open the gift. Inside was:

Victoria Secret Perfume and Lotion, a necklace and bracelet from Rue 21, and a note saying to be ready by 7 and to wear a dress.
I was excited to say the least.

Ken picked me up wearing a suit.
He also had too more presents for me!

He took me to the Melting Pot and I was really happy because I've been wanting to go there for years.
For those of you that don't know, its a fondue place. The cheese wasn't that good (next time I'll ask for no beer in it) but the entrees were delicious. I got filet mignon, teriyaki sirloin, and shirmp. Ken got a different find of sirloin, chicken breast, and anddouille sausage. The food was good but sadly I didn't get any pictures of it. I did get a picture of my drink though, if you go there. Get the Meltini, it's amazing.

After that we went to a friends house then to the bar. Then me and Ken finally took pictures together.

This would have been so cute if I had my eyes open

Another cute one, too bad Ken's annoying friend decided to ruin it

There was a good one in there but Ken didn't put it on facebook. But there is another picture of me from that night. Me and a girlfriend of Ken's friend decided to take a picture like men. This is what we came up with:

We hadn't even drank that much yet

Over all, this weekend was a success. I can't wait to see how we top it next year.

High Five for Friday

1. My three year anniversary with Ken was on Wednesday. We decided not to go out until Saturday, but he surprised me with Chipotle and Jamba Juice!

2. My humanities class was canceled on Wednesday so I sat around and watched hours of how I met your mother

3. This package came in the mail from Ken on Thursday. I can't open it until the 26th so I had my roommates hide it from me. I CAN NOT wait to open it!

4. Its snowed last night, so I finally got to wear my new boots! (shh I know they're rain boots).

5. I've wanted these shoes from Target forever, and I found them on clearance for $9! Hell yea!