Unbelievably Fun Photo Ideas

Good morning, all! And happy Sunday!

Today's post has been inspired by my love for photography and my interest in bettering myself in the field. I'm also busy working on a project for my local library for a silent auction they will be hosting in the fall. Some of my photos and photo notecards will be up for grabs. I'm also always selling and giving away some of my photographs as well as photography services to anyone who is interested. If YOU are interested, feel free to comment on this post or contact me via e-mail or Facebook.

So here are some of my favorite photo ideas and tips that you can try out, or if you're going to get professional photos done, let your photographer know what you might like!

Friendship photos. These types of photos are oh-so-FUN. There are a million ways you can go about this. Here are several ideas:

• Jump for joy - 'nuff said. Get an awesome shot of the two of you (or three or four or more of you!) jumping in the air. I would suggest using a tripod and self-timer on your camera. These are not only awesome photos, but they're a ton of fun to make and you get in some nice exercise! Woohoo! 

• Flaunt that hair, girlfraaand - you've got long, gorgeous locks, why not show 'em off? Hang your head off a bed, mess around with your hair like in the photo to the left. Whip your hair back and forth. Do whatever you think is fun, silly, beautiful. Have fun with it!

• Use props. There are a thousand and one things (AND MORE!) you can do when you add props into the equation. Mix it up - look around the house, go out to the dollar store and buy some stuff. You can use anything and everything and have a ton of fun with it. Gigantic sunglasses, flowers, hats, scarves, you name it -- go craaazy.

• Go on an adventure - travel around town, around the country, around the world! And bring your friends! You can have so much fun taking a million photos in your favorite place, or in a new place! Find some great scenery and photograph away!

Friendship photos can be the most fun ever, and now you have documented proof that you have friends! Hooray! That's always a major bonus to taking all these photos.

Next up, family photos. Of course you have a family you love and you want to show the world how much you love them. Instead of taking those typical in-studio portrait photos, get out there and make beautiful pictures! Even if you're family is ugly. (I kid, I kid). Here are some fun ideas for family photos:

• If your egg-o is pregg-o... Maternity photos are some of my favorite photos. They can be beautiful and adorable and lovely all at the same time. Here are a few of my favorite maternity photos that you can give a try: gender reveal, "bump ahead," "about to pop!", week-by-week, scrabble tiles across the belly, baby announcement photos (little shoes, etc.) Being pregnant can be both fun and miserable - why not make the most of it and have some fun with it! 
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• Newborns and babies... Babies are the cutest things ever. So you need need need to photograph them immediately. A few ways to do so: frame your baby on a comfy bed, take shots of each adorable thing about them, photograph them week-by-week, and month-by-month, pose your baby in a variety of different ways. 

• Multiple children - stack 'em up! Capture them laughing, smiling, running around, being playful. Those are the moments you want to remember most. 
  

Babies and children make the cutest photos you will ever have. Cherish those times by taking as many shots as possible. You can never have too many! So shoot away! Also - black and white photos of your baby are absolutely gorgeous - just like this one here on the right. Get up close and personal, snap away. Sleeping baby photos might even be my favorite because they look so calm and peaceful and it's a nice, wonderful time for mama. Wrap them in swaddling clothes and place them on a comfy bed or pillow and you'll be all set! 

And now, my favorite, couples' photos. I have mentioned before that I am in a serious relationship and have been for over 5 years now. We plan on getting engaged and married within a few years and I would love love love to have a thousand photos of just us that we can hang in our house when we finally start our lives together. A few of my favorite couples' poses: arms from behind, arms around waist, forehead kisses, regular kisses, cheek kisses, hand-holding, head on shoulder, hand on chest, making a heart with your hands. The list could go on and on. I absolutely adore couples' pictures. Engagement shoots, wedding photos, even just anytime photo shoots for fun are fantastic.  

These are all just a very small fraction of how many photo ideas are out there! Get creative - have some fun - play with angles and lighting and time of day. Sit, stand, kneel, lie down. Do whatever pose you feel looks good or great! If you don't like the way something came out, try something a little different. Black and white, color, color splash, blur, etc. all make for intriguing and unique photographs. Try everything on for size. Check out Pinterest for some more fun photo ideas! They have a crap ton of awesome stuff - as usual. So get out there and start shooting like a mad man! You'll love it, have so much fun, and get some great pics! Trust me, you won't regret it!

xoxo,

Clare

'MERICA!

As you all may (and SHOULD) know, yesterday was the celebration of the birthday of the greatest country on the face of this here Earth. July 4th, or the 4th of July, or Independence Day is the most fantastic day in all of history - it is the day that America was officially born. Our forefathers put together a Declaration of Independence on this day in 1776, setting the groundwork for the best nation there is and ever was.

Hopefully you already know all of this, but if you don't, then feel free to leave at any time (the sooner, the better). Anyway - the 4th of July is a day to celebrate our American pride and honor all of those who have helped to give us our freedom.

I'm a day late, but I figured since the holiday was on a Friday, why not celebrate all weekend long? So this blog post for today is about 'MERICA and all of its most wonderful aspects, and how you can enjoy the day and the weekend as best you can.

Whether you celebrate with beer, BBQs, fireworks, or all three, here is a list of ways in which you can make the most of the world's greatest day of the year:

-  First off, if you're not decked out in red, white and blue this weekend, you are doing an injustice to your fellow Americans. However, make sure it's not the red, white and blue of Puerto Rico or England... I saw a customer at my job yesterday wearing a British flag t-shirt and I nearly lost my sh*t. I'm one damn proud American, and I was offended by this small act of rebelliousness.

- Second, start up the grill. Ain't no other way to say U.S.A. like a grill full of hot dogs and hamburgers. Break out the rolls and buns, ketchup and mustard, and you've got yourself a mighty fine meal there, sir.

- Third, APPLE PIE. 'Nuff said.

- Next, fireworks. Don't go blowing yourself up - go out to your nearest park and watch some professional ones. We have a nice show presented by Price Chopper downtown by the Corning Tower and it's so much fun to see. I used to go every year until I started working every 4th of July. But at my job, a baseball stadium, we too have fireworks and it's also a wonderful show that people from all over the Capital Region come to enjoy. So get out there and go watch some, you good ol' American you.

- Lastly, go have a beer. If anything, you deserve it. But also, having a beer or two is just one way to kick back, relax, and join in on the birthday party of your nation. Cheers to you, America.

How to Be More Creative

Good afternoon, folks! I hope wherever you are reading this from, you are not dying in this heat. But it's about 10 degrees cooler than it was here yesterday - thank the Lawd.

Anyway, for today's post, I'd like to give you some hints and tips on opening your mind a little bit. In case you're stuck in a rut, like I am currently, I figured exploring some fun options to climb out of that hole will do us all some good.

I like to think of myself as a creative person - I love all kinds of art: to look at, to make, etc. I feel like art is a fantastic part of culture that shows us who we are and what we're thinking. Expressing ourselves through all forms of art can even be therapeutic, and I know for certain that it is for me, as well as many others.

Creativity is defined as the state or quality of being creative; the ability to transcend traditional ideas and to create meaningful new ideas. Even if you hate art, or you think all you can do is draw a mediocre stick figure family, there is some creativity in everybody. Sometimes you just gotta dig deep down to find it.

Like Einstein so eloquently put it: "Creativity is contagious, pass it on." As soon as you jump in to your creative side, you'll want the whole world to know how much fun it can be. So share your stuff, share this blog post, share Einstein's quote.

Here are some fun ways to explore your inner Van Gogh, Picasso, or Frida (whichever you'd rather associate yourself with)...

1. Pinterest is a Godsend. First off, let me just tell you that Pinterest is the greatest website ever for anything fun and creative, as well as basically everything. But for now, we're sticking with the creative side of things that Pinterest has to offer. I have entire boards of fun stuff to do and to make. So go to Pinterest.com, sign up if you haven't already, and get to pinning some awesome creative stuff to do. Here is my DIY board to give you some inspiration: http://www.pinterest.com/claremckenn/diy/

Other ways to get creative:

2. Go to your nearest arts and crafts store. Usually at Michael's you can find a whole lot of fun stuff to get some inspiration from. I usually wind up spending way too much money on craft supplies that I hope to use at one point or another. And to be honest, I don't get around to much of the ideas I would love to try out, but just in case I ever do get around to them, I have all the stuff I need!

3. Collect things. Starting a collection of things like magazines is not only a lot of fun, but will also provide you with some inspiration for some collage-y stuff. I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE collages, and I get a kick out of collecting a crap ton of magazines that I can use later to make some awesome art. I also dabble a bit in wedding planning collages. I love weddings, as well as art, as you know by now, and when I combine the two, I could not be happier. I don't have any wedding collages to show you on here, but here are a couple fun and random collages I have made in the past:

(Mountain Man, right). (Stepping Out, below to the left). (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Angelina, below to the right).























4. Grab your camera. Even if all you have access to is your smartphone or a cheap disposable, grab it, travel around, walk around your house, wherever you see inspiration, and start shooting! Take as many shots as you see fit - the more you take, the better chance you have of getting some good ones to keep. "Hire" a friend or family member to be your model for the day, and go out and photograph them wherever you want. Photography hasn't always been considered an art form, but I find it to be the most beautiful of all the art forms - and you can get super creative with it too. Tilt your camera to quirky angles and get some interesting perspective shots. There is so much you can do with a camera - play with the lighting, the zoom, the angles, etc. Get out there and start taking some awesome photographs.


5. Invest in a sketchbook or sketchpad. Buy a cheap one, buy an expensive one - do whatever you like. But find one you like and bring it with you everywhere. Stash it in your purse or pocket, along with a pen or pencil and whenever you see something you'd like to remember or draw, get out the sketchbook and start sketching! Your sketches could even lead you to make some more fun art later.

6. Art can make great gifts! It's true! My best friend Milly is the most creative person I know and she made me some FANTASTIC gifts for a variety of occasions. The last time I got home from the hospital, she made me a little gift that consisted of a small glass jar filled with rocks and some bigger-sized twigs, and she tied little pieces of paper around the twigs that had little inspirational and motivational quotes on them. It was the sweetest thing in the whole world and I loved it. For my birthday this year, she made me a big gift basket filled with my favorite things - some candy, a mug she drew on, a Batman comic book (I LOVE Batman), a small puzzle, etc. There is so much fun stuff you can do with a homemade gift or card for a friend or family member. So try it out!

7. Open your mind. This is the most important aspect of creating something. You can't be all scientific with art or creativity - although, sometimes we are inspired by science and make art out of it. But forget the numbers or whatever - grab some paint and a brush and slap it onto a canvas. See what you get! Be open to new things and ideas; you might just create a masterpiece!

I hope you learned some fun new things and ideas to try out the next time you get bored or are in desperate need of something to do. Give these tips a go and see what happens. HAVE FUN!

xoxo,
Clare

The Secret to Enjoying Life

Hiya, folks!

I'd like to start off this blog post with a favorite quote of mine.

"It's a good day to have a good day."

And it's so true! Everyday is a new opportunity to start fresh and new and be happy! I hope your day today started off well, and if not, may this post bring a little sunshine to your day. (Every hour, too, is a good chance to start over and begin anew). This is all super cheesy and corny, but you catch my drift, I hope. It never hurts to spread good vibes.

Anyway, for today's post, I'd like to share with you some of my tips and advice to "enjoying life." These are not exactly secrets, but they have personally helped me so far in my short life (only 23 years), and they continue to help me even when I'm struggling most. So here you go; read them with care and try to practice some of these things as often as possible, preferably on a daily basis. Enjoy!

To start off, you should know that I am not perfect (no one is), and I am not always this cheerful or happy. But I try my hardest to be cheerful and happy. And let me just say, it is SO DIFFICULT sometimes. But the idea is to not give up - and if you want something bad enough, you got to work hard to get it.

A few of my secrets to being happy and living and enjoying my life:

1. Live day-to-day. You can't rush your life away. Stop thinking about what you're doing tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year. It will only stress you out like crazy. And to enjoy your life, you gotta stop stressin' so much, man. So practice this: take things as they come, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Ain't no reason to worry about the future. It'll only make you nuts.

2. Remember to breathe. Take a chill pill. Figuratively or literally (hey, nobody's judging). Life will go on after you've accidentally spilled that glass of milk (but let's not kid ourselves, it was probably a glass of wine, or the whole bottle - but like I said, nobody's judging). Taking a timeout to just count to 10, or take deep breaths can make a world of a difference. So start following this tip and your life may in fact become much easier to handle.

3. Balance work and play. Of course we all need to work (except for those of you who are millionaires, in which case, share some of the wealth), but we all also need to play. Work hard, hardly work - whatever you do, make time to go out with friends or spend some quality time with family (unless your friends or family drive you crazy and you want to strangle them in their sleep - but if this happens often or at all, refer to tip #2). Go have a few drinks, or see a good movie, or eat a whole lotta soft-serve with some ol' pals. You will be much happier after a hard day's work + a hard day's play.

4. Make time for yourself. Some of us hate being alone; and that's okay. It's completely understandable. But, some of us love having alone time. In which case, feel free to climb into bed by yourself and sit and watch Netflix all day. Or, read a good book, make some art, take a nice hot bath, whatever you like to do by yourself.

5. Exercise and eat right. I am the worst when it comes to these two things. I hate exercise and I love cake. Two things that just don't go together. I'm happy with this combination sometimes, but at the end of the day, I think, "Ugh. I should have gone for that walk and not had that cake." But really it's more like, "Ugh. That cake was delicious. I'll go walk to the store to burn it all off - and then buy another cake for tomorrow." It's terrible, I know. But sometimes, and I really mean very few times, I get out and walk a couple miles, eat some veggies and fruit, and when I'm in bed for the night, I feel unbelievably proud of myself. And I feel refreshed and rejuvenated, and like I could take on the world. Ask any doctor - while exercising, lots and lots of endorphins are released by your brain, making you overall happier. So give it a try! But also, don't be afraid to break the rules sometimes - that cake in your fridge will just go bad if you don't help yourself to a slice.

6. Help others. This sort of correlates with a number of things I've already mentioned. First of all, when you're working, you're more than likely already helping others - your boss, your coworkers, your clients, etc. When you're playing or hanging out with friends and family, you're entertaining them as well as yourself. And when you're not wasting that cake in your fridge, you're saving some space at the city dump - yay for helping the environment! But on top of all these things, get out there and do something for someone else. Someone you don't even know. You could volunteer somewhere, or if you're not up for that, try little things. Like holding the door open for someone, paying for the next person in line's coffee at Starbucks, etc. It will not only make YOU feel good, but others, too.

7. Lastly, live simply. Do you really need that fancy coat or purse? Do you need that extra frappuccino from Starbucks? Do you need the newest smartphone? The answer to all of these is NO. Be grateful for what you have, and save yourself some money. Get out there and enjoy your surroundings. Enjoy nature, enjoy the company of others, enjoy time with yourself. You don't need a whole lot to be happy. They say that the more you have, the more miserable you are. Two of my favorite people, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau wrote about appreciating what's around you, like nature and people as I just mentioned, and living simply. Thoreau once said: “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb nail.”

And that's all for now. I hope you learned a few new things to try. Like I said, I'm not always happy, but when I am, it's a result of these seven things. So go forth and live your life - and enjoy the shit out of it!

xoxo,
Clare

Tips to Having a Successful Camping Trip

Hello, all!

Today I decided to start up with the real "meat" of this blog - I went camping last weekend and so I figured what better way to start then with some tips on making your camping trip a successful (and fun!) one.

So if you are planning a camping trip in the near future, this post is right for you! Here goes:

1. Research a nearby (or close enough) campground. Finding one nearby or within maybe less than 2 or 3 hours will ensure that you're not sitting in the car on your way there for what feels like forever. No one wants to be in the car for a long amount of time, especially with all the stuff you'll be bringing with you. It is also important to research campgrounds with a lot of activities or things to do - or a campground near a lot of activities or things to do. I will discuss this further on. Lastly, you don't want to be stuck with some awful boring and annoying friend in the car for more than 2 or 3 hours either. This leads me to my next tip.

2. Find a good friend or friends, who would actually enjoy a camping trip, to go with you. Like I mentioned above, you don't want some annoying friend with you in the car, but you also don't want to spend an entire weekend or however long you decide to go for with this person or these people. Make sure this person or these people knows what to expect on this camping trip. It also helps to go with someone who may have experience camping, just in case you have no idea what you're doing.

3. Choose a good weekend or few days to make the trip. This is quite important when planning your trip. You don't want to go on a very popular weekend or couple of days (like Memorial Day weekend maybe, or the 4th of July) if you hate people. Because the campgrounds may or may not be packed. To be honest, there really is no "bad" set of days or weekend to go camping, but keep in mind when you and your friend or friends are available. Also, you need to decide how long you plan on camping for. If you've never camped before, I'd suggest going for one or two nights. One night may be enough for you. But here's my thinking: after you've packed up all your crap to go camping, and then unpacked it once you get to the campground, you're not going to want to pack it all back up the very next day. Hence, why I suggest two nights minimum. That way, you get in one full day of camping or whatever else you decide to do while camping. This leads me to the next tip.

4. Make sure there is plenty to do around the area. Hopefully you've read about this briefly in tip #1 and that you've chosen a campground that offers a variety of fun activities. In my opinion, these include: any kind of boating (preferably canoeing and kayaking for me), hiking trails or mountains, beaches for swimming, areas for easy access to fishing, even nearby nature museums (or something similar to a nature museum). These are just a few of the fun things I can think of. When you're not putting up the tent, or hanging around the campfire, these will keep you occupied and happy.

5. Also make sure you are close enough to civilization, just in case. This tip is mucho importante. You should be near a gas station, as well as a grocery store, even a hospital. Gas stations or general stores are extremely helpful in that if you forget to pack something (which I will go into further a little later), you have them nearby to get what you need. If you live in New York like me, a campground near a Stewarts' or Price Chopper is your best bet! And the hospital thing is a given. A lot of campgrounds have a medical tent or cabin, however, for minor things like scrapes and boo-boos. Also keep that in mind. Lastly for this tip, you might want to be near a town or village or any sort of civilization in case you lose your Goddamn mind alone in the wilderness. However, to get the best experience from camping, I suggest not relying so much on what you're familiar with.

6. Put the damn smartphone away. This is just... Frustrating. Sure, you can bring your smartphone or whatever other electronic device you may need on the way up to the campground or on the way back, and in case of emergencies, obviously. But to really fully enjoy nature and your camping trip, the point of it is to escape your everyday stressors and things, and be one with nature. You don't need the phone or the tablet or the iPad. And plus, there's no outlets or anything for you to charge your technological junk, except maybe in the car. But don't be that person and sit in the car charging your stupid phone. If you get bored without your phone, continue on to the next tip.

7. Bring some form of entertainment (something that doesn't need to be CHARGED). There is so much more out there in the world that can keep us entertained. How do you think people lived a hundred years ago? They didn't have phones or tablets or anything. They entertained themselves in other ways. GAMES: oh my God, who has ever heard of such things? Cards, board games, frisbees (Kan Jam is the world's most fun frisbee game, so you should look into it), baseballs and gloves, footballs, etc. The list could go on forever. Bring something to keep you busy. Reading is also a wonderful past time to keep your mind occupied. Bring a book, magazine, or newspaper. There is so much to do that doesn't involve something with a battery.

8. Packing: be fully prepared. I won't list everything you need to pack here, but I will help you figure out exactly what to pack. A few days before your trip, Google some good lists of things to pack. I found that Pinterest had some great lists filled with awesome ideas of stuff to pack. They even remind you to pack some of the little things. Here are just a few things you really, truly need: tent, sleeping bags/blankets, AIR MATTRESS and air mattress pump (we went this past weekend without an air mattress and we woke up sore every morning from sleeping on the cold, hard ground), rope, pocket knife, flashlights/lantern, sweatshirts, long pants, socks, variety of shoes (sneakers and/or boots, shower shoes, etc.), other necessary clothes (always pack at least one extra pair of underwear on top of what you think you may need), toiletries, BUG SPRAY, SUNSCREEN, lots of food (bring a big cooler and pack it with foods that need to be refrigerated - fill with ice, continue to buy ice throughout your trip), kitchen tools (such as tongs, spatula, cast iron skillet, oven mitts, etc.), paper products, plastic silverware, matches, newspaper, and firewood (DO NOT PURCHASE until you get to campground - they will yell at you if you bring your own, especially if you are traveling far... Google "Emerald Ash Borer Beetle" and you will see why this is super important). For other things to pack, like I said, Google lists or use Pinterest.

9. Embrace the dirtiness. You're going to get dirty - it's inevitable. Be prepared for it. Don't bring your best Sunday outfit. A t-shirt and some old jeans will do the trick. There will be a crap ton of bugs, so you might as well get used to that, too. You're gonna feel gross and dirty and smelly, but it's fun - so suck it up.

10. Take lots and lots of pictures. You want to remember this trip, right? Bring a camera! And you can have a ton of fun with it. My boyfriend and I like to get our picture together whenever we go, and he's a complete goof - but it makes for some fun and silly pictures. Plus, the scenery is GORGEOUS. Take pictures and show all your friends and family when you get back home. They might even be jealous.

11. Don't stress; chill out; enjoy yourself. Don't get all worked up about anything - it is a lot to remember, but if you forgot something, go out and buy it. No big deal. Maybe you can start your own collection of camping things you need. Don't worry about keeping busy the whole time either. You can be bored from time to time. Hence, the book, the games, etc. And if all else fails, start up that fire and make yourself a dozen s'mores. It'll be alright. It's fun; it's supposed to be fun. Make sure you have some.

That's it for now, folks. I hope this list helps you out. And if not, well, the internet is full of helpful hints and tips for you. Have a fun time camping and send me some pictures of your trip if you like! I'd love to hear about your trip and see how much fun you had!

xoxo,
Clare