During WPPI last week, I had many requests for the sand and shells I used in my hard cover books that Mpix had on display.
CLICK HERE to see more about the Mpix hard cover books.

I created these images by collecting shells from right here in San Diego
and taking high-quality (super sharp) pictures of them.
In other words, these aren't stock images that I found or bought online somewhere.

The sandy backgrounds are jpgs, and the shells are png files with transparent backgrounds,
so it's really easy to drag them into the Mpix book software or into Photoshop.
BUT, you don't HAVE to have Photoshop to use them!

There are 5 shells (including a starfish), a sany background, and a background
with lots of jumbled little shells from Imperial Beach.

I've included lots of background sizes for different sized books, cards, and layouts,
so you don't have to worry about resizing or cropping to create the size you need.

The files are big, so you can make any size book or card or scrapbook page,
and you won't have to worry about quality loss when you GO BIG!

Here's a 100% view of some details.

GO HERE to purchase at myFUNcamera.com.

Once your payment is complete, you will get a link to download your purchase.

WPPI is coming soon,
and that means the THIRST RELIEF auctions are here!


Every year, great photographers donate their time (& a LOT of goodies) for "mentoring sessions."
These mentoring sessions are put up for auction, and all of the proceeds go to Thirst Relief.
CHECK OUT THE SITE to see how a little bit of money can make a HUGE difference in the world!

I'm honored (and feel a little out of place) to be part of the mentoring auctions again this year.
So many of my "grown-up heros" are on the list:
Kevin Kubota
La Cour
Nate + Jaclyn Kaiser (The Image is Found)
Brian & Mera
and so so so many more!!

CLICK HERE TO BID!!!

If you'd like to bid on a mentoring session with me, AWESOME!
The winner of my auction will get a 90-minute mentoring session with me
(over a Chipotle lunch, if you're a Chipotle-aholic like me).
We can have lunch in Vegas if you're going to WPPI,
or we can meet here in San Diego.
We can talk about whatever you want...
Portfolio review, shooting techniques, software, marketing, websites, anything!

BUT HERE'S THE BEST PART...
I've rallied my favorite vendors and gotten them to donate GREAT STUFF for the winner!
The winner will also get:

A new small yellow Jill-e bag, just like mine, shipped to you.
That's a $140+ value!



A 24in x 36in gallery wrapped canvas from Mpix, shipping included.
That's a big freakin' canvas!!! Choose any pic you want! That's a $170+ value!



A mounted 24x30 Innova Fine Art Print from Pixel2Canvas, shipping included.
Choose any pic you want! That's a $100+ value!
This paper is velvety soft & your image will look scrumptious!


The generosity of these companies stunned me to silence.
When Thirst Relief asked me if I wanted to join the mentoring auctions,
I sent emails to Mpix, Jill-e, and Pixel2Canvas asking if they wanted to pitch in
any prizes for the winner. I was hoping they'd toss in a few little things,
BUT WOW!! THEY BLEW ME AWAY!! Those prizes are FABULOUS!!

CLICK HERE TO BID!!!

The auctions end on SUNDAY NIGHT!

...a note on sniping...
Sometimes eBayers try to bid during the very last minutes to "snipe" other bidders.
They're outbidding other folks and leaving little or no time for the other folks to bid more.
This is usually done to save money, which I totally understand,
but in this case, let's try to keep the snipers away and just bid what you're willing to pay.
This is for charity, and sniping (trying to keep others from outbidding you)
will mean that Thirst Relief will not benefit as much as they could have.
...ok, I'm hopping off my soapbox now...

Happy Bidding!!

~Carey

You know you have a crazy life when:

You're shopping in Costco with your kids...

Something up high catches your eye, so you look up...

You see the signs hanging overhead swaying back & forth & back & forth...

and you automatically think that somehow your kid must be the cause...







and you're right.




Anyone else have a "crazy life" story? please share & make me feel more normal!
~Carey

"Well we can't all come and go by bubble!" is my favorite line from my favorite play,
and it's now Rory's FAVORITE play, too!

Elphaba, the "Wicked" witch, says that to Glinda the "Good"
during their catfight scene in the play.
It is HILARIOUS!
If you haven't seen this play, and you love musicals,
do whatever you can to go see it!

I've seen the play on Broadway a few times, and I took Jason to see it in LA,
but Rory has only listened to the music on her iPod and watched a few YouTube videos.
That all changed on Sunday!
My mom, her mom, Rory, and I all drove up to LA's Pantages Theatre on Sunday
to see WICKED before it leaves LA in a few weeks.
Rory has been SO SO SO SO very excited to see the show,
and it was absolutely magical to watch Rory watch the play.
And, Grandma spoiled us with FIFTH ROW SEATS, so Rory had a GREAT view!
Glinda is still Rory's favorite. "She has the prettiest dresses in the world!"


Last week I used the video feature on my new camera (which is now at Canon for repairs.. ugh)
to record Rory singing her favorite song, "No Good Deed"
It's Elphaba's "turning point" song where she decides "So be it! I'm Wicked!"

I've been meaning to share it here, and I finally got around to uploading it to YouTube:

(at the very end, the video stalls for a bit because I tried taking a still shot
while shooting video...now we know what that does!)

Here's a video someone got on Broadway of the "catfight" scene and "No Good Deed"
(with my favorite line delivered by the incomparable Idina Menzel)


Email readers, go to The Blog to see the videos.

Enjoy!
~Carey

There are two foods I make really well:
Steak (proven with my trophy this summer)
and Apple Pie from scratch

My sister, Heather, is a really good chef.
If Jason put his mind to it, I bet he could be a really good baker.

Cooking is not all that precise.
You add in ingredients and seasonings and tweak recipes till the cows come home.
Cooking is creative and free flowing.

Baking is precise. Every measurement has to be RIGHT ON, every temperature perfect.
Jason's got the meticulous detail-oriented mind to follow a recipe to perfection.

I'm stuck somewhere in between the two.
I'm nowhere near fastidious enough to measure out 1/8th of a teaspoon of anything,
but I can follow directions and keep an eye on a few details.
I think that's why I'm good at steak & apple pie.
Neither one is really cooking or baking.

Since we're ditching Grandpa for Thanksgiving, I decided to make him an apple pie,
and we'll take it to his house today before we leave.
He really likes my apple pie.

I thought it would be fun to share my methods for the PERFECT APPLE PIE
in case there are any other baking/cooking limbo folks out there.
You could try it out for your Thanksgiving!

Here's what you absolutely have to have:
-big mixing bowl
-9in GLASS pie dish
-rolling pin
-Pam cooking spray
-White sugar
-Ground cinnamon
-Nutmeg
-Cornstarch
-Flour
-Betty Crocker pie crust mix (comes in a box)
-Real butter
-wax paper
-7 or 8 medium sized GRANNY SMITH APPLES
-Christmas music playing in the background

Here's what comes in very handy, but not necessary:
-Apple Peeler/Slicer/Corer. Jason got me THIS ONE a few years ago. LOVE IT!
-A cute husband who's willing to help clean up the mess when you're done

I've got a recipe from "Joy of Cooking" that I loosely follow,
but I really only use it to remind myself of the correct temperature settings for the oven.


Here's what you do:
-peel & slice the apples. Not paper thin, not thick. Put the slices in a big bowl.
DO NOT WORRY if they start to turn brown as you work.
They turn brown when you bake the pie, so it doesn't matter!
Don't soak them in water or put lemon in there to keep them from browning
(learned that the hard way!!)
-set aside the apples, and start heating the oven to 450.
-mix together about 3/4cup sugar, a few spoons of cornstarch, & a tiny spoonful of nutmeg
-NOW, mix in LOTS of ground cinnamon, and keep adding cinnamon until the mixture
is the color of a perfect beach's sand (like La Jolla). Not white sand!
(this is a LOT more cinnamon than the book says to use)
-sprinkle the mixture all over the apple slices in the bowl, and toss it like a salad
until it's all mixed up & the apples are coated. (this is a good time to take taste tests!)
-follow the instructions on the pie crust mix to make 2 crusts.
-use a rolling pin, roll the crusts out on pieces of wax paper with flour sprinkled on there
to keep the crust dough from sticking
-spray the pie pan with Pam cooking spray
-Put one crust in the bottom of the pan.
-OPTIONAL: I like to put in the bottom crust and bake it in the over for just a few minutes.
I like a crispy bottom crust!
-spoon the apples into the pan. DO NOT POUR them in! There's a lot of liquid there that you don't want in the pie.
-put about 5 or 6 pea-sized blobs of butter on top of the apples
-put on the top crust
-pinch the edges
-slice from vent holes
-sprinkle some cinnamon-sugar on top

Put that in the oven at 450 for TEN MINUTES, then lower the temp to 350.
Cook it at 350 for about 45 more minutes, but keep an eye on it.
Take it out when the crust looks golden brown, not dark gold, and not creamy white.

Let it cool at least 2-3 hours before you slice it,
then serve it with whipped cream and/or vanilla ice cream.

Let me know if you try it for your Thanksgiving!
It's a GREAT Black Friday breakfast, too!

Enjoy, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

~Carey