What sort of manipulation do you do to your photos before posting or displaying them? Do you approve to photo manipulations?

My college graduation picture has some enhancements done to it. The photo studio did it. I had layers and pounds of makeup on, and yet the studio still felt the need to enhance the photo. At least, the photo ended up with me still looking like me only the fairer-flawless-skin-and-darker-shiner-hair version of me.

In this blog, our photos are guaranteed to be as close as it can be to the original, wrinkles, blemishes and all of that included. The photo-shopping manipulations I do doesn’t include altering how we look like. The photo-shopping manipulations I do are for the purpose limited to better display. [View my photos ... ]

College Graduation PortraitMe at 22-years old.

The photo manipulations I do before posting photos are:

• Stamping. I label and stamp my photos with my ‘Life’s a Charm! http://lifesacharm.net’ most of them anyway. My purpose for stamping them is to protect our photos. Although I don’t think anyone would be interested to copy them because they are mostly personal or family photos, and not landscape or professionally taken photos, I still feel the need to stamp them for the same reason – because they are personal and family photos. If there is anyone interested to copy them, hopefully the stamp will remind them to ask permission first.
• Light and Color Adjustments. Adjustments  on Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness and those sort of adjustments, like Red-eye removal – simply for better display.
• Cropping and Resizing. Not all of us are pro when it comes to handling cameras. So I crop or trim our photos to establish and re-establish the focus of the photo. I also resize them to smaller resolution and size so that it will be easier to load.
• Collaging. I do collaging but not to alter the photo, like putting Brad Pitt beside me, or something like that. The purpose is also for better display of multiple photos.

However, I have to admit that I am very selective of which photos to post. I mean if we don’t look nice or at least presentable in the photo, or if it’s showing us in a very bad light, with questionable gestures, or so, you will never see it, except if you will go through my hard drive.

But in the media, we often read about airbrushing to cover or remove celluloid or other imperfections in their models, or those kinds of manipulation to make the model look thinner or skinnier, or with longer legs, or so. I understand that their purpose for doing that is to sell a product, or an idea, so everything has to look nice and perfect. Plus, I’m sure those models-celebrity do want to look nice in photos. But I think it has gone overdone! That – I do not approve! Too much manipulation is delusional.

Hubby reads my blog from time to time. One time when I asked him what he did that day, he said he read my blog from the very first one I published to the current – that’s 3-years worth of entries. I don’t think he really minds about me blogging about him and our family. So far, he haven’t discouraged me about my blogging. So far, blogging has not been a big issue between us. He just don’t comment.

My sister follows my blog, and a few family and friends. Most of my friends blog, too. Friends and family who do not blog, I have to email them that I have published something that I know they would be interested in – like if I published my son’s photo, or after an occassion or celebration, etc. And I update my Facebook status about my blog. Only a few of leave comments, which is fine, ’cause most of the time we talk about what I blogged about.

Although, I know a few who would raise eyebrows about me disclosing our lives online, my blog hasn’t really become a big deal for those I blog about. And since I blog about my family and friends and they can read about it, the only problem there’s been is that I am so limited to venting or blogging about the more interesting controversial issues. That sometimes because I want to remain truthful, it’s just difficult to blog about topics that are interesting and controvercial with no consequences. But then, do I want to change anything about my blog, my style of blogging, or the people I blog about or those reading my blog? Not at all.

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough. -Rabindranath Tagore

Did you know? An adult butterfly probably has an average life-span of approximately one month. In the wild, most butterflies lives are shorter than this because of the dangers provided by predators, disease, and large objects, such as automobiles. The smallest butterflies may live only a week or so, while a few butterflies, such as Monarchs, Mourning Cloaks and tropical heliconians, can live up to nine months. Source: North American Butterfly Association

I don’t want a butterfly’s lifespan – to live for just weeks or months, but I sure want my life be filled with great moments.

If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves. – Maria Edgeworth

What is it about birthdays that make me look back to my life and somehow measure myself? I’m turning a year older in two days. I have to admit that it’s quite depressing since I don’t feel my age and yet more and more evidence of age are turning up. I’ve started counting gray hairs and wrinkles a few years back, and I wonder what more will I be seeing next. And the year added to my age feels like another year wasted on not accomplishing anything.

But over and over, I have to remind myself that my life should not be about my age, the time or years I’ve existed in this world. Life is about the more important aspects in life – happiness, meaning, and the friendship and love that we shared and received. These aspects make us sigh, smile and laugh, and swells our hearts. These more important aspects in life make up great experiences and great moments.

And sometimes, that moment of being satisfied with what we have is a great moment enough.

Life is not measured by every breath we take, but by every moment that takes our breath away. -Anonymous

Do you feel your age? How old are you at heart?

I think I have asked this question before but …

Anyway, I will be 32 next week, but I feel like I’ve remained 25 at heart because the truth is I don’t feel that I’m a day over 25!

When I turned 28, I was still working. With a few officemates, Japanese and Americans, we had a small birthday celebration for all the March Celebrants. I told everybody that I was turning 25! Those who really didn’t know actually believed me, and I never corrected that.

Now, I’m wondering if I can still pass up as 25 years old.  Eekkk … Maybe not.

Me and Matthew (3), Photo taken on Dec 8, 2009

Hear your heart. Heart your health.
~Faith Seehill

After being sick for days, coughs and colds, mild fever, pink eyes, fatigue, I’m glad we are recovering. Even my 3-year old Matthew is back to his energetic self.

After being sick for days and almost recovered, I am back to taking preventive measures to not get sick again – like drinking orange juice, making sure we’ll drink 8-glasses of water a day, being active, spraying lysol all over, …

Being sick is tough! But why is it always like that (for me anyway), that only after we get sick that we start to think and take measures to not get sick again.

If I’d known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself.
~Leon Eldred

We have been sick and since I’m pregnant, I’m so careful about popping pills. Well, actually I have only taken 2 colds tablet so far and stopped at that. Also, with my sick 3-year old, it’s also hard to find him medicine that appropriate for his age, and that he will actually take. For myself, I relied on home remedies.

Power of Salt

Gurgling with wam water with dissolved salt relieves sore throat. The relief is not too instant but it did the work. It also cleared my nasal passage. This is definitely the home remedy that I am going to try with Matthew when he is older.

I should have thought about the power of salt, since while we were growing up, when we had cough and colds, my mother would take us the the beach and go for a soak/swim for 30 minutes a day. We didn’t actually had to drink or gurgle the salty water, but I think being surrounded by salty water helped. Our colds and cough took lesser time to linger.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Also, for the first time I tried, gurgling with warm water with apple cider vinegar. Supposedly, it heals strep throat in a day. But it was just too strong for me. My teeth just couldn’t handle the acid.

Vaporub

Rubbing vaporub on our chest, throat and back helps us clam down, relax and doze off. Actually, I grew up with vicks! It’s always on my mother’s medicine cabinet. We also use if for rashes, bug bites, and even gas pains.

I’ve also heard that rubbing vaporub on the feet, and then putting on socks also relieves coughing. I always do this on Matthew when he is coughing at night. I can’t really say that it made him stop coughing, ’cause sometimes he’s still couching even after I do this, but I continue to do so.

From one my favorite book, ‘ The Gifts of Life and Love’ by Ben Zion Bokser.

The thin kindling wood gives off a brilliant flame, but that flame cannot last, and does not give out warmth. It’s function is to ignite the heavy log, which will burn with less sparkle, less glitter, but with the most glowing steadiness. The fire of later years is not as brilliant as the blaze which burned at the beginning but it is firmer, surer, warmer.

Let us not permit the kindling wood to flare up and burn itself out in a beautiful but brief exhibit of flame, without being sure it ignites the thicker log for the more enduring fire.

- Ben Zion Bokser

To my loving hubby, my Valentine,

There were sparks and fireworks, and most especially there was you.
But the sparks and fireworks – they come and go throughout our years together,
and what remained constant, enduring, and ever so loving and kind,
I’ll never trade for sparks or fireworks or anything else,
You.

To all my family, friends and readers,

Have a great Valentine’s Day!

The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word unsaid. -Anonymous

I appreciate people who are thoughtful in their words; those who wouldn’t let unkind word slip through their tongues. I appreciate more those who have to gift of saying the right words – words that matter, words that help, uplifting words without being preachy, at exactly the right moment.

Words unsaid burns in the heart. Words unheard scars the soul. -Anonymous

I think it’s easier to shut up when there’s nothing good to say. The struggle has always been – saying what we mean in a manner that conveys our good intentions, especially when a criticism is involved; or when saying what we mean means a little bit of self exposure is needed or if it means risking self preservation or appearing silly and becoming vulnerable.

9 days to go and yes I am thinking about Valentines day!

At most, I’m thinking about the last valentines I’ve had. I think I need to browse through the photos of years past to verify if I’ve remembered correctly. I always mix up valentines day with my birthday.

My fondest valentine gift was a plant that hubby gave me. It thrived for years. If it wasn’t complicated to bring it here to the US from Japan, I would have brought it with us. I gave that plant along with my other plants to a friend, whom I know will take good care of it.

NOTE TO HUBBY: This is not a hint-hint that I specifically want something this coming valentines day. A kiss will do.

Soon there will be four, but right there’s three men in my life.

Hubby and Me. Photo taken on December 26, 2009

My loving hubby, Michael. He is more than I could ever ask for in a man, a husband, a father to our kids! I’m so glad I married him. While I was trying to find a recent picture of us together, I realized that we don’t take pictures of us as much anymore.

Matthew's Star Wars Tent. Thanks to Grandma for this fabulous Star Wars Tent.

Matthew, my little man. So adorable, with the sweetest smile. At 3-years-old, he has managed to melt my heart and drive me insane at the same time. No matter how old he gets, he’ll always be my baby.

This is me and my brother JC, on his way to the Senior's Ball. Photo taken on 2007 March 25.

The other man I’ve not written about so far is my baby brother, JC. But he is not a baby anymore. The last time I saw him was during my vacation in the Philippines in 2007. He was graduating high school then. He is pursuing college now.

We are a generation apart in age, 12-years age gap. When he was so young at a toddler age, it’s so funny that we, his big sisters and big cousins, would call him Kuya, which means older brother. I think he carried being called ‘big brother‘ very well. He grew up not getting in too much trouble, especially as a teenager. He grew up to be very observant but you’ll have to guess what goes on in his mind because he is not so outspoken, not too expressive.

He was in pre-school when I left home for college. As a big sister, I regret that I didn’t see him grow up. So I don’t know how much a positive influence I am for him. But he’ll always be my Kuya! I always love him and hope great things for him.