Peanut Blossom

Gearing up for the Disney photographer

A huge portion of what makes me so excited about our trip to Disney is the photographic opportunities I'm going to be given. Our time with Handyman Tim is so limited and precious, I can't wait to document him having a fantastic time being playful with our girls. This is truly an adventure for all of us and it is something I hope to remember for a long long time.

So yes, I'm feeling a lot of pressure here. I debated long and hard whether or not to drag my full DSLR into the parks with us. In the end, it really just wasn't an option not to. While I may be jealous over other hobbyists who have more expendible income to afford professional gear, now is the time I'm actually quite grateful for my relatively small and light Canon Rebel. 

If you'd like to see the 7 items I found essential for my camera bag for our big Disney trip, head on over to Develop where I'm reviewing them all.

Spring has sprung

Don't mess with a pregnant lady. While I was not so patiently waiting for my Peanut, I told anyone who'd listen she was going to be a SPRING baby. Her due date was March 30 and I was praying she'd be just a teeny bit late so she could be an April baby. Just because that sounds more "officially spring" to me.

My girl had other plans though. We'll be celebrating her 5th birthday on the 28th this month. Spring arrives on the 20th. In the end, I was right all along. She is my spring baby. But just to supress the doubters, my pregnant self took a picture of the crocus blooming on the side of our house. If they're up, it has to be spring right?

My girl came running into the house this past weekend calling out about the pretty purple flowers she found outside. Handyman Tim remembered just what they mean to me and sent her to find me. I couldn't resist capturing them for my sweet birthday girl.

Little Pea's First Snow

This has been one crazy winter! I would never have guessed it would take until MARCH before I'd finally be able to take Little Pea out to play in the snow for the very first time. The few bits of snow we've had either haven't been enough for playing in or the weather has been too cold to take her out. 

We were hit with just about 2-3 inches of snow last night and it whirled around like a snowglobe. This morning, both girls were just dying to go out and enjoy the snow. I knew this might be my  last chance to get a photo of Little Pea experiencing this part of winter until next year so we all bundled up and headed out.

If you'd like to see more photos from our "adventure" head on over to Develop and check out my collage. I love the shots of the girls in the sled.

Little Pea had mixed emotions about the white stuff. After her initial thrill wore off, she was more than happy to come back inside for homemade cookies. It was hysterical watching her carefully step through the crunch of the wet snow. 

I can't say I disagree with her conclusion. I've captured my winter photo op. We're ready for spring now, thank you very much!

Doing something different for Leap Day

Today is Leap Day and I just can't let it pass us by without posting. I don't know why, but I feel the need to mark today as special somehow! In honor of a day I feel we should be doing something different and unique, I wanted to share this photo I took over the weekend of the Peanut. 

There's a big story behind this photo that I want to share soon but I have to collect my thoughts to do it justice. The big point behind it though, is a decision to be more intentional with our choices and with our lives. In fact, "Intentional" is the word of the month for March over on Develop's Monthly Inspiration Challenges. 

This crazy dino is a big favorite of my girls. We've seen him 4 times in the last month on our trips back and forth to visit Handyman Tim at his project site. They beg me to stop for gas at this one particular stop along the way and the Peanut was Beyond Thrilled that she got to have her picture taken with him.

This kind of crazy kid joy needs to be documented and I love her big smiley face, even if it is small in relation to the photo. I see this image and I can instantly remember how she skipped back to the car after we were done and how both girls waved and called out "'Bye Bye, Saur!" followed by a chorus of "Roar!!" from the backseat.

So happy Leap Year Day to you. Are you doing something different today?

Beat the winter blues: Roasted peppers & pineapple

Right about this time every year I start to get super sick of hearty casseroles, winter stews, roasted meats, and chili and start craving fresher tropical type foods. I'm sure it is a desperate attempt to take a mental vacation out of the snow and cold and into the sunshine but if ever there was a recipe that actually worked towards that goal it would be this one!

I found this recipe for roasted peppers & pineapple in an old Rachael Ray cookbook. It was part of a peanut butter noodles dish that was a huge hit with the family. The noodles part was a little too time consuming for me to try again regularly, but the roasted veggies stuck. This is a surprisingly versatile combination!

I roast a huge pan of this mix and then use it in the following:

- Served over white rice with terriyaki meatballs (premade from Costco!)
- As a sidedish with multiple preparations of chicken
- Taco toppings for ground turkey browned up with traditional taco seasonings
- Over a bed of romaine with shredded rotisserie chicken for a tropical tasting salad
- And really, any recipe for peanut-y asian noodles would probably go absolutely fantastically with this.

The sweet juicy pineapple is a perfect compliment to the peppers & onions. Be sure to roast them long enough that the onions get nice and charred--the "burnt" black ones are the tastiest! Unbelievably sweet and savory all at the same time.

This recipe & photo are part of a monthly food photography challenge I'm participating in over at Develop. If you'd like to read about the photography part of it, you can see the post here. Otherwise, please be sure to keep clicking through the blog circle to see the other 14 submissions for this assignment. You're sure to come away with lots of veggie inspiration!

Next in line is Allison Jacobs | Orange County Photographer.

____________________________________

Roasted Peppers & Pineapple
from Rachael Ray's Yum-O

Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers
2 red onions
1 pineapple
2-3 tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Chop all the veggies and the pinapple into large bite-sized chunks. Toss on a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Sprinkly liberally with salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Roast for 40 minutes, tossing mixture with a spatula every 5-10 minutes to prevent burning on the bottom. Continue to roast until the mixture begins to char.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Kicking off Project 2012

As promised, more details are now available over on Develop about our Project 2012. You can check it out here. There's lots of info over there I won't completely rehash but I did want to share the big highlights!

I have three goals for next year's project:

1. Project 52:  I'll be taking 1-3 photos per week, likely to be lifestyle portraits of my girls. This is a continuation of this year's project because I've enjoyed the results so much. More manageable than a 365 but still a wonderful way to capture your world in a year.

2. "10 on 10": This is an absolutely new challenge for me. On the 10th of each month I plan to take one photo an hour for 10 consecutive hours. It is a condensed version of my annual Day in the Life project but spread out throughout the year. I love the simplicity of focusing one day a month on photography and sharing just 10 photos from the effort. I love this way of representing a year in my family's life.

3. Monthly Inspiration Challenge: Finally, I am going to be hosting a monthly creative challenge that will center around one word per month. I'll announce the new word and we'll all have 30 days to capture an image that represents the word. I can't wait to share comparisons of different visions of one concept.

As you can see, whether you're interested in shooting all the time, focusing in on just one day a month, or if you just want to share one single image a month, there's a little something for everyone in 2012. 

And just to share what a difference one year can make, check out this photo from Week 2 of my 2011 project:

And this one from Week 45:

How can you resist?? Come on over and check it out.

Pulling back the curtain: A very big announcement

I mentioned here that I'd be scaling back my posting a bit because I have big plans for 2012 and needed time to pull it together. Today I'm thrilled to share the first look at what I've been cooking up behind the scenes!

It's no surprise to you that photography has become a bit of an obsession for me in the last 18 months. I love sharing my projects with you and I've loved having you participate in Project 2011 and the Day in the Life project. And yet I feel like I haven't been able to give these fantastic creative goals enough space here. I fear that I'm boring half of you to tears by prattling on about my photo endeavors. I know most of you stop by for recipes and foodie stuff which is also a great interest of mine. 

With that conflict in mind, I've decided to branch off with a second blog! I am so proud to introduce you to Develop:

I'm sure you can still smell the sawdust. The site is live but pretty empty right now. Very very soon I'll be sharing more details on what it will be featuring. You can count on lots of photo sharing, some deeper photo tutorials and lessons, and plenty of creative inspiration. 

I will continue to write and share here on Peanut Blossom. This is my online home for sharing my favorite food and personal stories about raising my girls. My posting schedule will likely be reduced so I can manage the time for both blogs but I'm hoping that will only make all my posts that much stronger.

Project 2012 is going to be even bigger and better than Project 2011 was this year. I'll share some of the announcements and details about that here but then it is all getting moved over to Develop at the start of January. I really hope you'll join me over there or just pop in to say hi once in a while. 

You can be first to know what's going on over there by liking my new Facebook page:

 www.facebook.com/developandinspire

But most of all, whether you remain just a Peanut Blossom fan or whether you join me at Develop, I want to thank you for being awesome and supportive readers. I'm hoping this move makes your experience even better. 

Stock Your Stash: Beginner DSLR gift guide

Today's edition of our Stock Your Stash series of holiday gift guides is focusing on that special lady in your life. There are many women I could choose to focus my contribution on but I'd like to take this opportunity to be a little bold. Today I'm sharing a gift guide for You!

If you've been watching my photo projects unfold for the last couple years and you're yearning for better equipment, now is the perfect time of year to take that leap. There are so many great deals out there on camera gear.

If you don't know where to start and are overwhelmed, today I'm not holding back. I want to tell you exactly what I would buy without sugar coating it! Because even though I'm a big proponent of needing to know how to use your equipment, sometimes it really is the better equipment that makes the photo.

Peanut Blossom's Official Gift Guide for the budding photographer wanting a DSLR:

Camera body: 

Canon T1i, T2i, or T3i series (I'm not even going to discuss Nikon. Not because they're not wonderful cameras but because I'm a Canon girl and don't want to steer you wrong with something I don't know enough about.)

 This series of camera bodies is a step up from the absolute beginner Rebel series. It is a fantastic place to start and has plenty of features for you to grow into. In the end though, it's not so much the body as it is the lens you put on it. The lens makes a far greater impact on the image, so keep on reading here. 

 

Lenses:

There are pros and cons for buying the "kit lens" that comes as part of a camera package. This decision is ultimately up to you. I did purchase a kit with the 18-55mm lens. I don't really regret it but I almost never use the lens. If money is an issue, just buy the camera body and then follow the next recommendations:

 - 50 mm f/1.8: CRUCIAL if you really want to experiment with photography and capturing that blurry background. Your kit lens will NOT give you that look because the aperture doesn't open wide enough. You want the f-stop number to ideally be below 2. The smaller the number the better (also the more expensive.) This is a fantastic and affordable place to start with the higher quality lenses beyond the kit. It's running about $100 right now and is by far the cheapest option available. 

- 35mm f/2: If money isn't as tight for you, splurge and get the 35mm lens. If you can afford it, you can skip the recommended 50mm altogether and just go straight for this lens. On the Canon T1i you will really appreciate the extra wiggle room this lens provides. For more info, you can see my entire post about it here. I LOVE this lens and I'd say the majority of the pictures of my girls you see on the blog are taken with it.

- 85mm f/1.8: If you're going all out, THIS is the dream lens I'd put on my wish list. The focal length is TIGHT on a crop sensor body like the T1i but it is an amazing lens. It is definitely a secondary lens though. Be sure you have either the 50 or the 35 listed above first. Most of my food photography was taken with this lens but I've also used it for some beautiful portraits. It's known as an outdoor portrait lens but I use it indoors as my "stealth lens" meaning I can capture my peanuts from so far away they don't know I'm taking their picture. Great for candid shots of real moments.

NOTE: All three lenses I'm recommending to you are prime lenses, which means they do not zoom. To "zoom" you need to move physically closer to your subject or back up and away. It takes a little getting used to but I don't even think about it now. It all becomes worth it when you find how incredibly crisp your subject becomes with these lenses as compared to most zooms in simlar price ranges.

A bag to put it all in:

Handyman Tim bought me the Kelly Moore 2 Sues bag in raspberry when it was on sale for Black Friday. I love love love it. It's big enough to fit my camera, 2 spare lenses, my new planner, my wallet, and tons of other purse items without being too big. For the hobbyist, the 2 Sues or the B-Hobo are exactly the perfect size for an every day purse/camera bag.

I'm addicted to the bright fun colors she offers but she has the standard black, grey, and brown style bags if you're more of a neutral girl. 

 

Polish those pictures:

Lightroom 3: This software by Adobe is truly the only software you really need. It is amazing, user friendly, and relatively affordable. It serves as an editor and a photo library organizer. I discuss it in far more detail here.

Photoshop CS5: If you already have Lightroom, Photoshop makes for a great piece of design software. I do blog layouts, our annual Christmas card and digital scrapbooking with it. You also can't beat it for major edits (like swapping heads and cloning out objects in the background.)

I could (and probably will) go into far greater detail on the items in this list over time. This guide is meant to be a quick and easy shopping list for someone overwhelmed by all the options out there. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, just send me a note or leave a comment and I'm happy to clarify anything!

And be sure to stop by and check out the other gift guides for the special women in your life:

Diet & Ridicule

Let's Lasso the Moon

Flee Fly Flown

How NOT to take a Christmas card photo, 3rd Edition

Will I ever learn? I'm thinking no. 

This is my THIRD annual How Not To Take A Christmas Card Photo post. You can see the original here, and the second edition here. You'd think by now I would have run out of things to say on the topic but with each year the girls give me fresh challenges! Each pair of ages brings their own set of difficulties and this year was the Year of the Wiggly Toddler.

My struggles with the Peanut are in getting her to smile and/or pose naturally without a cheesey grin or awkward body position. Generally, I can make it work because she and I can communicate and she responds to bribes. {cough, cough} 

Little Pea on the other hand?! Not only is she not interested in even facing the camera, but she has almost zero interest in staying in the spot I'm hoping to capture. 

So with that in mind, here is the 2011 list of how NOT to take a holiday photo of your toddler and young child:

1. Do NOT dress a toddler in a dress if you don't want a diaper to be on display in your photo. Believe it or not, an 18 month old does not understand why she should keep her knees together like a lady.

2. Do NOT ask a 4 year old to smile at the camera unless you're going for a bug-eyed permagrin crazy face. Instead of asking her to say "cheese", tell her to say the phrase: "Daddy wears dirty diapers." Then be ready to move quickly with a photo. This may only work one time. It does not work on an 18 month old.

3. Do NOT ask your 4 year old to hug her sister. The photo above speaks to the reasoning why. Poor girl is actually trying to follow several rules all at once: Keep ankles together, keep bottom on chair, hug sister. NOT a natural pose at all but she earned lots of praise for trying as mommy disolved into giggles and moved on to a whole new tactic. 

4. Do NOT assume you will be able to capture the Christmas tree in the background of your shot if there is a toddler involved. Be open minded and shoot in an area where you might be able to capture several angles and still be happy with the backdrop. However, if you tie Goldfish crackers to the branches, you might have a chance of getting some greenery in the picture.

5. Do NOT require your photo to have all of your kids in the same image at the same time if you want to keep your sanity. In the end, I did find a keeper of a shot with both girls in it for the front of our card but neither one is facing the camera. My favorite two images came from hours after the session was over and features each girl separately. I found a template that let me tie it all together: Grandma pleasing group shot on the front, personality showcasing images on the back. Our card this year is definitely a snapshot in time of what our lives are like in this moment. And isn't that the point of the card in the first place?

I think I may as well admit that I'll see you about this time again next year with the 4th edition. Stay tuned.

Pay no attention to the girl behind the curtain

(Bragging rights goes to the first person to guess which girl's ornament this is.)

I have super big plans for 2012. The funny thing? I don't have any more time than I did before. To get the big stuff done, I have to let go of some little stuff. Something has to give. 

I've decided to scale back a bit on my posting schedule here for the next 4 weeks. I plan to have 3 posts a week through the end of the year, some weeks might have more or they might not. By taking that little bit of a break I'm going to hopefully have the time I need to ramp up an exciting project for all of us starting in January. Details coming soon! Pinkie swear.

In the meantime, I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season. So far we've been busy with:

- our Advent calendar (HUGE hit--even with Little Pea who snuck a candy kiss out of Door 20's slot when I wasn't looking and stuffed it in her mouth tinfoil and all before I could catch her)
- hunting our elf Eddy each morning
- reading a huge pile of Christmas stories that St. Nick will be adding to tomorrow night
- watching countless Christmas movies (when did my stash get so extensive??) 
- and a visit to Santa himself that will happen later this week.

I didn't exactly pick the best time of year for launching big projects, but apparently that's when I'm most inspired. So, you can bet your bottom if I'm not making merry for the girls, I'll be busy writing up plans. We'll chat soon. :) 

Capture the season: Macro shots of your decor

Over the next few weeks, I've decided to share some photo tricks for capturing great holiday moments throughout the season. I'm not talking just The Big Day but all the little things that make this time of year so sweet and memorable. Some tips (like today's) will be more for the DSLR owner and run more advanced but I promise to share some easy peasy tips for the point & shoot owners as well. 

Today I want to share my first attempt at true macro photography. I was inspired over the last few weeks by the ladies on the Bloom Forum to give "Poor Man's Macro" a try. I've seen that method mentioned here and there but never really dug into exactly what it entails until now. After playing with it over the weekend, I'm kicking myself for holding off for so long!

The true macro lenses I've had my eye on run between $450 - $700. Not exactly in my budget. But $6 sure is! There are two ways to manage this effect:

1. You can mount 2 lenses on your camera using a coupling ring. I mounted my 50mm lens onto my camera body as I would normally do. Then I screwed on the coupling ring on the front of the lens. Then I mounted my 85mm lens to the end of the 50 with both faces touching each other and the back of the 85mm lens facing out. You can see the ring I purchased here. Total cost: $6.95.

This system really gives you an intense amount of magnification if you're wanting to capture something truly tiny. When I flipped the lenses around so that the 85 was attached to the body and the 50 was on the end, it was even more intense. Look at these comparisons SOOC:

85mm 1.8 lens attached to the body of my camera with a 50mm 1.4 lens reverse mounted on the end:

50mm 1.8 lens mounted to my camera body with an 85mm 1.8 lens reverse mounted on the end:

That is the same ornament in both images. You can see just how seriously close the double lens method can get you to your subject. Unfortunately, in the second example, you see the harsh vignetting that is nearly impossible to avoid. In the pinecone image at the top, I just edited it out as best I could by cropping. 

2. You can mount a single lens onto your camera body backwards using a reverse ring adapter. I haven't tried it yet but I'm hoping St. Nick will stuff my stocking with this one next week. From the examples I've seen, it appears you can get even more of your subject in the frame with the single lens. You also should be able to avoid the vignetting. I'm very excited to play with this method next.

If you know how to shoot in manual and have one of those rings, you can definitely play with macro. Here are my tips:

Look inside the cap: In order to figure out which size ring to get, look inside the cap of the lens you want to use. My 50mm 1.4 and 85mm 1.8 were both a 58. BUT, my 50mm 1.8 was a 52. Be sure to double check.

High ISO, low aperture: Light is going to be the biggest issue. In order to get enough of it into these shady pictures, I had to shoot at ISO 3200. My aperture was set at f/5. Any lower and focus would have been a significant problem. This particular tip might change if you're attempting the single lens method.

Be sure to have enough light: I took a few of the light bulbs from the string of lights and tucked them around the pinecones to provide plenty of light.

Shoot Very Very Close!: The tip of my lens is almost touching the pinecones I'm shooting so close.

Forget autofocus: To focus the image, I moved my camera back and forth microscopic movements until the area I wanted in focus became clear.

Brace yourself or better yet use a tripod: I was able to brace myself against the wall and the tree branches helped cradle the camera to keep me steady for all my ornament/decoration images. 

With these tips in hand and an adapter on your camera, just imagine all the holiday images you can capture! What would your tree trimmings, floral centerpieces, Dickens village houses, wreaths or even the snowflakes outside look like up close? Images like these give texture and fantastic detail to any  holiday album or scrapbook and make fantastic screensavers for your computer! I know I am going to be looking at everything differently from here on in.

Finding my sanity

The Peanut likes to play "Detective." She comes to me with a notepad and marker and says, "So, what's the trouble? I heard you lost something and you need me to find it."

So on one particularly busy evening, I told her, "I've lost my sanity."

"Ok, ma'am. What does your sanity look like?"

I chuckle. "It's . . . round. And . . . fluffy. With. . . purple spikes on it." before turning back to the casserole I'm prepping.

And lo and behold, look what she finds!

"Mommy!! I FOUND it! Here's your sanity." 

So the puff ball is blue and not purple. I say close enough. Like any good mother, I squealed with joy and promptly placed "my sanity" on the fireplace mantle so I don't lose it again.

And there it sits now in it's place of honor. This is one childhood treasure I am hanging onto for sure.

Patience is a virtue when photographing peanuts

I've been waiting for a good sunny day to take Little Pea's 18 month portrait. I can tell already it is going to be a loooooong and painful winter. We finally got our sunny morning and I decided to go for it. I've been around this block enough times before, I thought I had all my ducks in a row:

1. Little Pea was well rested, it was still 2 hours before her nap was due.

2. She had a nice filling breakfast and a satisfied tummy.

3. I cleared her room of absolutely any background clutter so I could relax about where she wanted to stand or sit. I planned on getting a natural shot of her in her environment. 

4. I opened up her blinds all the way to let the morning light flood the room. 

5. I prepped my camera settings before I even went and got her dressed.

With everything prepped and ready, I placed my little girl on the floor of her room. The conditions were perfect. And then this happened:

What's wrong little girl?! Think this is just a moment? Nope. Check again:

I couldn't believe it. The light in her room was gorgeous. She was dressed all cute. I was being relaxed and flexible (SO NOT LIKE ME). I would have let her stand or sit or play wherever she wanted in her room and I could have worked with the lighting. But there's not much I can do to mask a screaming red-faced tantrum throwing toddler. 

Do you know how easy it would have been to just call it a morning? To turn the camera off and walk away? I considered it. But then I had a thought: "What do I have to lose by just sitting here and waiting?"

I got up from the floor and planted myself in her rocking chair in the corner of the room. I sat there still and quiet and let her rage and run and toss her body on various spots on the floor. She ranted and screamed and cried for nearly 40 minutes and even now I could not truly tell you why. 

But all that waiting? It paid off. I didn't get the sweet smiling photo I had imagined, but I did get this:

And this:

I'm still new enough to indoor backlighting photos, I didn't realize I was sitting in the completely wrong spot of her room until I parked myself in that rocker. Had she actually cooperated from the beginning, my photos would have had a far different feel to them and I'm not sure it would have been for the better. 

Sticking this session out and waiting for her to calm down were two of the best decions I made that morning. It truly does pay to take a deep breath and slow down sometimes. Someone please remind me of that the next time this pint-sized tornado goes whirling. 

Make the most of your iPhone camera: My fave photo apps

Welcome to the final day of "We {Heart} iPhones Week!" I hope you have been enjoying the shares from our guests the last few days. Now it's my turn to chime in on apps. In honor of the cute phone case from ClickinMoms (the winner of which I'll be announcing in just a few more hours--last call to enter here), today I'm giving you a peek at my favorite photography apps. 

When choosing my apps for this list, I had a specific audience in mind:

Busy mom on the go who may or may not have photography as a hobby.

I have found that most apps listed under the "photography" category in iTunes are for people who have the time and interest in editing and putzing around with their images. I most definitely do not. If I'm going to spend time editing, it's going to be on images from my DSLR in Lightroom on my desktop. My camera phone is for fun snapshots. They are what they are, I'm not even remotely concerned with white balance or exposure.

So with that in mind, here are my absolute favorite apps for making the most out of your phone's camera:

Instagram:

I love love love this app. It is fast and fun. There are other similar apps out there (Hipstamatic, I'm glaring at you) that attempt to turn your phone into a fun camera with filters and "lenses" but they are all painfully slow. With Instagram, you snap the photo and then can select your filter later which really speeds things up. I love that this allows you to see which filter looks best on your particular image. Once you've chosen, it is easy as pie to share that photo to Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. 

Something to keep in mind: Photos you take in Instagram are saved in your Photo Album as well. I've been known to take the photo there and then hop over to my social media channel of choice to share through that app instead (Flickr, Facebook, email, etc.) I think this is a super neat feature of the app.

...........................................................................................................

Batch:

This is a new to me app. I don't have a ton of experience with it, but from what I've tested I love. The peanuts' grandparents have a nearly insatiable lust for more more more photos of the girls. With Batch, I can easily select a whole collection of snapshots and send them as a group via email. They display like a little photo album. Very handy. Even handier for those of you who may enjoy sharing photo albums on Facebook (which is also an option within the app.) You can even tag your people right in the app before it loads to FB. 

........................................................................................................... 

Flickr:

The Flickr app is far from perfect, but I do enjoy it. I'm really active with my photo project participants over there and I love being able to look for their most recent uploads via my phone. I can also check in on comments made to my own images. If you join me for Project 2012 (more details coming soon!), you can rest assured I'll be keeping up with you via this app. 

...........................................................................................................

Golden Lite:

This app is so useful for natural light lovers like myself. All my backlit images from my natural light workshop were taken during the "golden hour"--2 hours after sunrise or 2 hours before sunset. Golden Lite tracks those times for you so you can plan to be on location at just the right moment. I really gave the app a workout during my class and what a difference the right timing can make!

...........................................................................................................

 

Postcard on the Run:

I so wish I had this app when we were in Mexico earlier this year. I can't wait to go on a real family vacation to try it out. Basically, you snap a photo with your phone, load it into the app, type out a message and add a snail mail address and they print and create a one-off postcard to be mailed to your recipient. Prices range from $.99 - $1.69. LOVE this.

 ...........................................................................................................

 

Cam Scanner with Evernote:

I'm an ex-magazine hoarder. I have such a hard time recycling my Martha Stewart Living and Better Homes & Gardens magazines. I discovered Cam Scanner a while ago and it has made it far less painful to rid my house of the clutter. I use my phone to take a picture of the article I want to remember within Cam Scanner. The app then cleans up the image so it is more readable and I can then file away the image in Evernote. You can read more about Evernote here. So handy!

...........................................................................................................

ClickinMoms: 

I was obsessed with the ClickinMoms' forum before, but now that they've released their app I'm a goner. The app only works if you have a forum membership, but it brings the tutorials and conversations into your pocket and on the go. I confess most of my downtime spent in doctors' waiting rooms or drive-thru lines is spent reading up on things here. It may not directly use your camera, but it is one of the best photography apps out there.

We {heart} iPhones Week!

I hit a really big milestone at the end of last week: I have 15,000+ followers over on Pinterest! What? Yep. 15,000! I'm so excited about the community over there and I wanted to do something really fun to celebrate and thank all these new pinners for joining my boards. So what's a girl to do? Throw a party! And what's a party without some friends and a prize? 

So this week I'm hosting "We {heart} iPhones Week" and I've invited three blogging buddies to share their favorite phone apps with us. And the best part? ClickinMoms has generously donated one of their super cute Leica-inspired iPhone cases for me to review and one for me to give away to you! Yay for goodies!

So let's get this party started with a look at that fancy case:

I choose my purses based on the pockets where I'll stash my phone so it only figures that I'd be equally as picky about the case that goes on it. The design on this hard case makes me grin from ear to ear. You all know my obsession with all things photography: my phone is filled with photography apps and serves as my portable point & shoot/video camera. It's only fitting to outfit it as such!

The case itself is sturdy and very smooth. It glides in and out of my purse pockets with an ease my last case did not. It molds around the buttons giving clear access to all the switches.

When looking at the front of the phone, it almost appears as if there is no case on it at all which is a definite change from my last case:

I had a silicone case by Switcheasy up until now. You can see how it covers the front button as well as the side and top buttons. It is smooth but grippy and sticks when I try to put it in a pocket. The plus side of that is that it doesn't slide around in my car or slip out of my hands as easily. I do love the silicone case (as does Little Pea who absolutely cannot resist pushing that front bubble button.)

I'm a total clutz. I've dropped my phone in both cases many more times than I'd care to admit. Both did a fantastic job protecting my phone and I haven't had any troubles so far. (Knock on wood!)

If you have a dock you put your phone in, the ClickinMom's case is far superior. The bottom piece slides off for docking where you'd have to remove the entire Switcheasy case to do the same. Both cases are extremely easy to put on and take off the phone.

My biggest concern with the CM case was that the cute design might rub off or get scratched up. My life is crazy and the case has really gotten a workout. No scratches or fading whatsoever of the cute design. 

In the end? I have really come to love this new case. The slippery factor took a little getting used to but it is definitely a pro for me now. I love being able to slip it into smaller pockets knowing I can get it back out without struggle! Both my girls think the design is eye catching.

So what do you need to do to win your very own case? 

Pin this post on Pinterest, of course! You're welcome to use the following image for your pin but be sure to come back and leave a comment telling me you did. (Not on Pinterest yet? Send me a message with your email and I'd be happy to give you an invite.)

Pin It

Bonus Entries:

1. Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite app is on your phone. 

2. Fan my Facebook page. Feel free to spread the word over there about this iPhone Party but simply "friending" me counts for your entry. Leave me a comment here on this post telling me you did. If you're already a Peanut Blossom friend, just let me know in another comment.

You have until Friday, November 11 at 10 a.m. to enter. The winner will be announced at 1 p.m. central time. But be sure to come back the rest of the days this week because we have lots of fun apps to share!

*Case donated by Clickin'Moms but all thoughts and opinions are truly my own.