iPhotoshop...letterpress effect

I'm going to try and post Photoshop "how-to's"...

how about... on Wednesdays?

I have my reasons, but mostly because iPhotoshop, and you should too.
most of it has been learned on my own, with a few painful classes along the way.
It is the epitome of a love-hate relationship for me.

EXAMPLE:
me & in n out.
me & snow.

You get the idea.

So please enjoy this post, tell your friends, and try it next time you want to make
your invitation just a little bit more fancy.

1. Create a new document in Photoshop.

File > New

Any sized document will work, but for this example I've chosen to just work
on a 5 x 5 in canvas.

2. Change the foreground color of your canvas to an off-white or other light color. For this example, I'm using #cfccc.

Choose background color, and then apply by hitting
Option/Alt + Delete

3. Add Texture.

We want the invitation (or whatever it is you crazy people are doing) to have a softer, more realistic texture. You can find your own here at one of my favorite websites and apply it as a filter, or use a Photoshop texture, which is what I'm doing.

Choose Filter > Texture > Texturizer

I'm going to keep the Canvas texture, but I've changed the scaling down to 87%,
and the relief scale down to 3.

Play around with the options until you're happy with the texture.
Burlap works well too.

Press OKAY.

4. Add type to your canvas.

Bold, thicker fonts work well for letter press, but as fonts are VERY expensive,
websites like these offer free fonts for downloading.

In fact, I'll use the font RiotSquad from dafont.com, but any other Retro type fonts
tend to work well too.

Choose a bright font color, so you'll be able to see the letter press.

I've used blue #396dcc.

5. Add an "inner-shadow" to your text.

On the layers menu at the bottom:

fx > inner-shadow

Change the color of the shadow from the default black (black is much too harsh for this the effect you're going for), to a color a few shades darker than your original color. The effect should be subtle.

Change the opacity to 70%.

Hit Okay.

6. Add texture.

Since the last filter you applied was the same for the paper, you can hit
(on a MAC) Command + F

or

Filter > Texturizer

(You may receive a warning message asking you to rasterize the image, hit OK)

7. Finish.

For finishing touches, I ran the dodge tool over the center of each letter, with a highlight effect.
Feel free to try other finishes, until you get the look you want.

Let me know if you want a specific tutorial, we'll try to get it on here!
And if I don't know it, I'll learn it. For you.

Merry Easter!

Dear San Diego,

thank you for being 75 degrees every time I come.

thank you for allowing me to take naps on the beach in both February and March
while it is snowing in Provo.
thanks for feeding me fish tacos, frozen yogurts, and the best Diet Cokes I've ever had.


if it's not too much to ask, please let me intern here this summer. right next to here.


I've been in Provo for THREE summers in a row, and I am tired of seven peaks.

it's pretty clear I'm meant to be here.



so please. before I sound like I'm begging.

Love, me.

an affair to remember

Wow. So many things happening lately.

I spent March 17-20 of last week in New York City, on UVU's dime. Holler.
The Communications department picked 7 students with stellar resumes, obviously, to go to NEW YORK and meet with public relations professionals at the top of their game.

We flew into Newark, NJ via a nonstop flight with no food. Peanuts only. Really Delta? And half a Diet Coke. Apparently we're in a recession. It's a good thing I'm always packing protein bars.


We checked into the hotel, none other than the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. NBD.

I met up with my good friends Ed Felix and Casey Lewis that night to go to dinner, so fun! It's possible that Thai food tastes better in SoHo...but not as good as Siamese Hut.

Thursday was ridiculously busy, but went a little something like this:

Starbucks. Nonfat Chai Tea Latte. Check.

Meeting with Rachel Cohen, Director of Multi-Media at SVP Worldwide.
She was darling.

Subway. Check.


Meeting with Maneesh Goyal, President of MKG Productions.

My dream job. Enough said.

Meeting with Kathleen Huddy, Textiles Director at Good Housekeeping.
She was so on point. So sharp and exactly what an editor should be.


Ate dinner at SushiSamba in Union Square.

Went that night to go see In the Heights on Broadway with Ed..featuring Corbin Blue. Aaamaaaazing.

Dessert at Amy's Breads. Eat the monkey cake. Seriously.

Friday.
Meeting with Randy Herbertson, co-owner of SeeSaw.
Again, another one of my favorite appointments. Nothing quite compares with talking to people who are doing what you want to do, who also happen to be the leaders in the industry. Such a thrill to be able to pick his creative brain.

also spent a lot of time with this talented young lady. she is such a hard worker and I'm sure she will succeed wherever she goes! But Kaiti, as much as I love you I'm not much of a cuddler at 4am. Stay on your side of the bed!

Meeting with Mark Newman of Hunter Public Relations.
Super informative and he was so down to earth.

And finally, we met with Ahmad Corbitt, the Director of International Affairs in New York for the church. And we got to speak with four UN Ambassadors. I asked a question. In the microphone.


Dinner at Carnegie's Deli...dessert crepes at the Creperie..and a poetry slam in the Lower East Side. Thanks Ed. I'm pretty sure I was one of three white people there. I did learn that "purchasement" is a word in Brooklyn, courtesy of Mahogany Brown.

Saturday we checked out of the hotel, did some shopping, some Central Park, and Ed and I stood in line at the ShakeShack for an hour.
But it was sooooo worth it.


It went by so fast, and was an absolute blast. I loved every minute of it, and was so grateful for the experience and the connections made there!

I came back even more excited to graduate this year, and even more senioritis. Am I allowed to have that already?

Get me graduated and back in Manhattan.

ultimate punch

1. people that read out loud to themselves.
2. people who clap in movie theatres.
3. people who bring toddlers into said movie theatres after 11pm.
4. heavy breathing dorito eaters.
5. leprechauns.
6. UNLV fans
7. people that don't know how to drive and take it out on you by flipping you off.
maybe in the sunflower market parking lot.
8. double negatives.
9. washing your hair in the kitchen sink.
flour...vanilla...cereal...suave...bread...
10. pedestrians
11. $1 blockbuster rentals that say they're free but actually still charge you a dollar. plus tax.
12. people who write "noone" instead of "no one" and "should of" instead of "should have".
you know who you are.
13. being seated in a party room at a restaurant when you're not there with the party.

things I do appreciate:

HANDICAP PARKING.

adds 10 minutes to my sleeping time and allows me to be on time to class.
this month anyway.

really useful when it is a blizzard outside, which brings me to fourteen.

14. 55 degree weather and then being kiboshed by a blizzard.

jack's birthday

On Sunday, we went to my aunt's house for dinner. She always has us over for birthdays, and cooks the most amazing food! Plus we can always count on having Texas Sheet Cake for dessert. Sooooo GOOD. This time it was Jaclyn's birthday.

Jaclyn is my oldest sister, and has been such an amazing example to me.
Not to mention she's built like a supermodel with legs for days and a perma-tan.
The girl is a straightup Cindy Crawford Lamanite.


She is the most incredible mom, sister, friend, wife, and everything I'd ever hope to be.
She never stops thinking of others, and is constantly concerned over others well-being.
Not to mention the most protective older sister ever. Which is awesome.
I love how capable she is of loving people, and being the first to be empathetic towards them.
Even though we haven't lived together in over ten years, I love how close we still are! I feel like
I could always call her for anything, and she'd put down anything to be there for me.


Not to mention she is the mother of the two most darling nephews in the whole entire world.
I'm not being bias. Look at them.
I credit her for actually making me want to (and think I might be able to!) be a good mother.


Jackie, you make crafts, I buy them.
I'm a shopaholic, but you wear the clothes like I never could.
(5'11" and 135 pounds after two kids? are you kidding me?)
you cook. I find good places to eat.
we probably couldn't be any more different, but I love that.



I feel like you make me a better person. I'm so glad you live so close, and that neither of us are going anywhere anytime soon. Your example and Christlike love mean everything to me.
I love you!

Happy 27th Jaclyn!

best part about being handicap, is being handicap

It is official. I am a handicap. following my doctor's appointment yesterday, I got booted.
yesterday, I went and got a 'bone scan'. I heard this, and I thought to myself,
"I don't like the sound of that. "Bone scan".
turns out, I was right. I went into the American Fork Hospital at noon for an injection,
and was sent home to drink "a few quarts of water". for those of you trying to do the math,
that is a lot of water. 4 cups in a quart.
I WASN'T EVEN THAT THIRSTY.
I went back at 3:30, and got my scan. it was dark. it was lonely. it took a long time.
I didn't like it at all.

But I do get better parking.

baby's got bieber fever

things I want to ultimate punch in the face

this has been building up in me for some time now.
there are more than a few things I cannot stand, and that I have more than once felt
an urge to ultimate punch in the face.
and so should you.


here are the things I would like to ultimate punch in the face.


1. obamacare
2. people that describe themselves as fun..but spell it out "F-U-N"
3. people that say "knock-knock" after they've already opened the door.
4. provo parking police
5. testing center fees
6. people who think it's funny to text you from a number you don't have saved and then refuse to tell you who it is.
7. the person who thinks they've been "chosen" just because they got called before you in the doctor's office.
8. "wowzers"
9. at home tai-bo
10. guys who lift together and yell, "you've got one more in you boss!" at the gym
11. professors and students who preach anti-byu propaganda at school. get over it.
12. 50 degree weather turned snow
13. dishes in the sink, and clean dishes being taken from the dishwasher without unloading it
14. people that eat tuna. and then leave the can out.
15. people who don't think Seinfeld is funny

16 miles to the promised land...or to the orthopaedic clinic

so I have been training since January for a marathon.
this marathon.
Megs and I have been putting in about 30 or so miles every week, and
it apparently was a little too much for my little body.
this is what a stress fracture looks like on film.

there you have it people. this is what hard work looks like.
not much to look at it, but it hurts. a lot. we had our long run last week, 16 miles.
I felt completely fine afterwards! in fact, I felt great! don't get me wrong, I was tired. but no shin splints, no bruising, nothing but normal fatigue. I was fine Sunday, then Monday woke up
with some serious pain in my right ankle. I went ahead and ran as usual (outside, it was finally 50 degrees!) but the pain didn't go away. after expressing my concern to my mom and Megan (my two go to's), and my mom encouraged me to make an appointment, just to make sure I was okay to continue training.
I was hesitant to make the appointment, because I think I kind of already knew something wasn't quite right.

sure enough, Dr. McLane at the Sports Orthopaedic Clinic confirmed my worst fears.
A stress fracture and bone thickening of the right lower tibia.
I get to wear a very attractive brace, which means no skinny jeans for the next month. my logic may be a little flawed, but who cares?
I think I can still go to spin class, so I might try that, and lifting is still okay'd.

I go in for a bone scan on Friday...updates later.
I best be taking my painkillers and heading to bed.