FREE Customizable Instagram Printable (for 35 images)!

A little treat for all my bloggy friends!  Your very own customizable Instagram printable.  It is an 8 x 10 .psd file for Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.  Like all of my templates, it is very simple to use.  Just navigate to the layers that read ‘PLACE PHOTO HERE’ (highlighted in red) and go to FILE / PLACE to insert an image from your computer files.  Once inserted, all you have to do is resize your image to fit the frame.  When you are ready to print, remember to use photo paper for best results!  The paper I used for the print out in the images below was 8.5 x 11 HP Premium Plus Soft Gloss Photo Paper. 

HTML to insert images into your posts!

You know when my bloggy life changed?  The day I realized I should be using html to insert my images into posts. 

I was having some major issues with the insertion of images into my posts.  Whether I used my hosting server (Blogger) or blogging tool (Windows Live Writer), the image quality always suffered.  It used to drive me absolutely bonkers!  There is nothing worse than spending the time to process a beautiful image just to have it be compressed during insertion.  The scary thing?  I was even resizing my images and saving them as maximum quality .jpgs thinking it would make a difference!  You would think resizing them would negate the servers necessity to decrease the image file.  Unfortunately this is not the case and they were still being compressed.  Do you know what happens to an image during compression?  Pixellization (I promise, it’s a word).  In a larger image, the pixels are difficult to see since there are more of them and they are smaller.  With compression, you start to lose pixels and they become larger (and more visible).  This usually results in a block type appearance which can be confused as an out of focus image.  And let’s face it, there is nothing worse than a blurry/fuzzy image especially when your subject is a person.  Is it too much to ask that my blog readers see the beautiful, crisp, un-pixelated (okay, I’m not sure if this one’s a word) images I see in my photo editing software?  I don’t think so.

It should be simple

I’ve been away from my blog for so long I feel like I could easily write a book.  A lot has been going on.  Good things.  Not so good things.  Photography and blogging were put on the back burner.  Every time I’d look at my camera collecting dust on the floor, I’d wonder if I still remembered how to take a picture.   The thought was a little depressing.  Just when I was starting to improve and feel comfortable with photographing, I had chose to put it aside.  I’d like to say I had no choice so I wouldn’t feel so guilty about it, but it wouldn’t be true.  I had to prioritize and let’s just say it fell to the bottom of the list.  Along with blogging unfortunately.  Without the two, I’ve been feeling a little lost.  Don’t get me wrong, the break has been rather nice too.  I know confusing right?  I don’t get myself sometimes.  My hiatus, though, gave me more time to confirm, yet again, that I am definitely not an extremist.  Never have been.  It may work for some people, just not me.  I wasn’t happy dedicating every spare minute I had to photography and blogging, and I wasn’t happy removing these things completely from my life either.  Yeah, I’m more of the happy medium type.

The Missing Link – Week 20

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your life? Well, it could just be one of the links below. Hence my post title! You may ask yourself "Is she serious"? Well the answer is "No, I'm definitely NOT serious”. I'm just feeling silly. Seriously though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links with you in an effort to spread the love. What's better is that I thought I'd make this post a weekly thang! No that isn't a typo. I told you I was feeling silly. So the links below may not complete your life, but I'm hoping they, in some way, add to it. I separated them into categories for easy navigation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

The Missing Link – Week 19

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your life? Well, it could just be one of the links below. Hence my post title! You may ask yourself "Is she serious"? Well the answer is "No, I'm definitely NOT serious”. I'm just feeling silly. Seriously though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links with you in an effort to spread the love. What's better is that I thought I'd make this post a weekly thang! No that isn't a typo. I told you I was feeling silly. So the links below may not complete your life, but I'm hoping they, in some way, add to it. I separated them into categories for easy navigation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Finally shooting RAW!

Guess what?  I’m finally shooting RAW!  I didn’t think the ol’ laptop was going to be able to handle the RAW files, but I lucked out!  It didn’t shut down once!  It’s amazing how much you can alter a RAW photo file.  So much more than a JPG/JPEG that’s for sure!  You know what I love though?  A photo that barely needs any processing!  As much as I love to have fun with edits, it’s quite refreshing to get a shot that needs little to no tweaking!  Especially when you’ve taken hundreds of photos! 

I just want to cry!

If you’ve been following me, you’d know that I got my new MacBook Pro in the mail, however, I’m typing this on my old laptop.  Why, you ask?  Well I’ll tell you…

First, and most importantly, Windows Live Writer (which is the tool I use to write my posts) isn’t supported by MAC and after hours of searching for a new blog posting tool, I’ve come up with nothing!  That’s right NOTHING!  I’m not yelling, I promise.  I’m just venting.  I tried publishing some test posts using two different applications but with no luck.  Ecto removed my formatting so my post was a mess and MarsEdit apparently published my post but it wasn’t showing up on my blog!  Really?  Qumana couldn’t find my blog at all even after multiple installations and I’m pretty sure Bleezer was the program that needed my FTP host and path which I still have yet to find!  I’m worried that I will not find a blogging tool!  I could use the Blogger interface but I’m cringing just thinking about it.  They always remove my formatting so my posts are all over the place.  You know, paragraphs and images inconsistently spaced!  It drives me MAD!

Which edit are you digging?

So here’s the scoop.  I need some help.  If you follow me, you’ll remember seeing this picture of my hubby already.  I've decided to print it but not sure which edit I like better.  I thought you guys could help me choose.  Please, however, do not take #2’s crop into consideration when you are choosing.  It’s really not cropped like this; I just wanted to fit it into the same size box as the rest of the photos and I was working with a collage template.  In my original crop, his chin is not cut off and you can see more of his hair.

In the market for a desktop?

I just wanted to apologize for being MIA lately.  I’ve been putting all my free time into researching a new desktop to replace my old and VERY slow HP laptop.  I’ve been having so many problems with my laptop, I’ve kind of been waiting for it to die already.  I guess I’ve just been lucky! 

I decided on a desktop thinking I wouldn’t be able to get the specifications needed for photography in a measly little laptop.  Apparently I was wrong.  After careful consideration, I bought the Macbook Pro with the Retina display!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you tell I’m a little excited?  No, I’m not typing on it at this very moment (unfortunately).  Since I customized it, I had to order it online and it’s estimated to deliver around mid August!  Not sure I can wait that long! 

The Missing Link – Week 14

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your life? Well, it could just be one of the links below. Hence my post title! You may ask yourself "Is she serious?" Well the answer is "No, I'm definitely NOT serious." I'm just feeling silly. Seriously though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links with you in an effort to spread the love. What's better is that I thought I'd make this post a weekly thang! No that isn't a typo. I told you I was feeling silly. So the links below may not complete your life, but I'm hoping they, in some way, add to it. I separated them into categories for easy navigation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

The Missing Link – Week 13

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your life? Well, it could just be one of the links below. Hence my post title! You may ask yourself "Is she serious?" Well the answer is "No, I'm definitely NOT serious." I'm just feeling silly. Seriously though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links with you in an effort to spread the love. What's better is that I thought I'd make this post a weekly thang! No that isn't a typo. I told you I was feeling silly. So the links below may not complete your life, but I'm hoping they, in some way, add to it. I separated them into categories for easy navigation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

The Missing Link – Week 12

Have you ever felt like something was missing from your life? Well, it could just be one of the links below. Hence my post title! You may ask yourself "Is she serious?" Well the answer is "No, I'm definitely NOT serious." I'm just feeling silly. Seriously though, I thought I'd share some of my favorite links with you in an effort to spread the love. What's better is that I thought I'd make this post a weekly thang! No that isn't a typo. I told you I was feeling silly. So the links below may not complete your life, but I'm hoping they, in some way, add to it. I separated them into categories for easy navigation. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

New Pics… Some painted piggies

Who doesn’t love piggies?  I can’t get enough of them!  When you add polish, though, it just makes them that more appetizing!  I polished Livvy’s toes for the first time on Wednesday.  She was so good staying still for her Mommy.  I only applied one coat and then she sat still and watched me blow on her toes to help them dry.  I even filled up the sink with VERY cold water for her to soak them in to really make sure they were dried good.  In case you are wondering, I learned this little trick in nail school a long long long time ago.  Did I mention it was a LONG time ago?  No, seriously though, it works awesome.  I highly recommend this method.  I do it for my own toes when I give myself a pedicure.  In fact the colder the water, the better it works at drying the polish.  And it’s also supposed to be running water which is what I use for myself.

The Versatile Blogger Award

Go me; it’s my birthday!  Go me; it’s my birthday!  Nah, I’m just kidding.  It is, however, a great day to be a blogger!  I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by the wonderful Jeni and Kendel over at Two Shades of Lovely!  I can’t thank them enough!  I’m really VERY honored especially since I’m fairly new to the Blogosphere and have been working really hard to meet other bloggers with similar interests!  This award will allow me that very opportunity.  Please feel free to click on the button below and it will bring you to the Versatile Blogger Award website.