Ok, let me first say I am by NO means a Photoshop expert - I am just learning a few useful tricks here and there, and try them out whenever appropriate. However, I wanted to share my new discovery of the clone tool because it’s wicked cool…

Here is the original picture. It’s my uncle and my cousin’s kid (his grandson) in the pool at R’s birthday/pool party this past weekend. The other kids in the pool I don’t know, they aren’t relatives, and I thought it could be a generally decent shot of the two of them in the pool together, minus the kids we don’t know…

So, after reading up on the purpose of the clone tool, I decided to go for it and try it on this photo. Along wtih a few other edits to brighten it up and give it more of a sunny/summer feel, this is what how it turned out…

The first kid on the right was a cinch to remove, the one towards the top left gave me fits. This is why the yellow seal has somewhat of a blurry nose, but whatever - the kid is still gone, LoL… and, it was my first try with the clone tool. I think it will become a dear, sweet friend of mine. I may have to give this photo another go with Mr. Clone because it’s bothering me now that the seals nose is blurry… but for now, at least you can see how easily I can make anyone I don’t want in my pictures disappear, hahaha… kind of creepy, huh?

Yesterday we had a birthday party to go to, which resulted in me not getting a nap in before my first NIGHT of work. This is not a mistake I intend to make again anytime soon, so I will be off to take a nap very shortly. Even though I didn’t do anything physically exhausting, just having to stay awake involuntarily exhausted every bone in my body. I will get used to it, I’m sure. I definitely like the atmosphere of the night shift much better, it’s way more my style. I am just still intimidated by the job, and feel like it’s an overwhelming amount of information to learn. I don’t have a choice though, so I will get it.

I’m not very talkative today. I’m way tired, but I got some great shots of N and his cousins at the birthday party yesterday, so I’m going to share those with you for now. I took so many, these are just a select few, because it’s almost nap time….

The birthday girl at her pool party. Being cute.

The other cute cousin, being cute.

My cute kid, obsessing over bubbles.

Is he a frog? Or a pirate? Ask him. He will growl. You figure it out. He’s still cute, and that’s all that matters.

I love how fearless he is in this picture. His mom and grandma didn’t love it so much, but I did. I wish I could be as fearless as him. He’s 3.

Did you know I have crabs? Hermit Crabs, that is. I was talking with my friend S today and told her that I cleaned the Hermies tank and gave them baths today and she had no idea that I had any, much less 8! I was surprised, since their 25 gallon tank sits right next to my computer desk. And she’s been here more than once! Actually, we’ve almost known each other 2 years, and I’ve had my crabbies for almost 2 years…

Jake and Patrick were our first two hermies… I’m happy to say, they survived my learning curve and are two of our most outgoing crabs. I particularly love this picture, because they are what started my hermit crab addiction. Jake is on the bottom (Jake Long, the American Dragon) and Patrick is on the top (from Spongebob). They really just want out of the tupperware bowl…. they were in there to dry off from their bath before they went back in the sand.

Anyhow… I’m not a huge proponent of bathing hermies on a regular basis, but it’s been SO hot here lately and their tank really needed a deep cleaning, so I thought the best way to get them out, and let them have some fun was to bathe them while I cleaned out their “crabitat”. Yes, owning hermit crabs comes with it’s own lingo, you’ll get used to it.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to bombard you with pictures of my hermies, as cute as they may be. However, you must endure some photos of them. Why? Well, because I take pictures of everything I do, and that goes on around me. Duh!

They loved their baths. All except for Wilma… she’s quite the shy hermie. When we first got her she dug herself underground and stayed down for nearly 6 months! She’s not used to being handled as much as the rest of them are, and is very skittish. I’m just upset with her that out of all of the beautiful, shiny, natural shells I have provided at her disposal, she chooses to remain in the chipped painted one she arrived in. I hate painted shells. I’ll save that story for another day. See all the shells she could be choosing from?

Look at these fella’s… it’s a conspiracy, I tell you. “Let’s climb on top of each other to see if we can escape this horrid tupperware bowl and get back to our crabitat paradise!” As if they didn’t see me with the big ole’ camera lens right up in their itty bitty faces!

Oh, Look who is peeking out! Finally.. this was about 20 minutes after I sat her in that very spot! She has such pretty colors, and I just know she would look spiffy in a shiny new shell *hint hint, nudge nudge*.

Jake says Hi!

Wait - STOP the press!!

Jake trampled her, and she has arrived!! Aww.

Now, go shell shopping young lady!