The Scarecrows are Sweating

Fall Mantle

Easy Fall Decorating Tips to Spruce Up Your Home

by Samantha Conner

This time of year is always hard for me. Once the Fourth of July passes, it seems like all the retail world moves straight into Fall. Since I have lived in the South for the majority of my life, I have a skewed  internal calendar. Summer lasts a good 6 months and then the other 3 seasons fight it out for how the remaining 6 months of the year will end up. Some years we get weird, cold snowy weather. And some years, we go straight from Summer back to Spring. This inconsistency in weather is what makes the time of year so hard for me.

My favorite hangouts, crafty stores and Nordstroms,  keep tempting me with apple cider candles and snuggly cable knit sweaters. I realize it is September, but in the South, September is still summer and  the poor scarecrows are even sweating.

So those pumpkins, orange leaves, and ceramic turkeys aren’t going to make an appearance around my home until October. In the meantime- and to keep my mind off those all the cute fall crafts– we have been doing a few things to spruce up the house for the change of seasons. Looking for a little change around your home? Try these quick fixes!

Work from Home Jobs for Mom

Work from home jobs for mom

Work from Home Jobs: Tips & Opportunities

by Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs

Now more than ever, professional jobs are hiring that moms can do from home! Positions run across the board, including everything from administrative assistants all the way on up to CEOs. The fact of the matter is that allowing the option to work from home actually saves companies money, from overhead to real estate, but also from less employee turn over! Working from home does take discipline but removing the time it takes to drive to work during traffic hours alone saves several hours a week. With more and more small to large companies (IBM, AT&T, United Health Group, Cisco, etc.) jumping on board, the big question remains – how do you find the positions?

7 Ways to Take Better Photos

by Samantha Conner

Photos have always been magical to me. I love how time can be frozen. With a quick click, a memory can be preserved forever.  In high school, I took photojournalism. We learned to process actual film in a dark room. Watching my images slowly appear on that glossy white paper got me hooked. Since that time, I have been a ‘documenter’.  Our life, our adventures- big and small- they all end up in my camera.

I used to collect all those photos in scrapbook after scrapbook. But the gluing, cutting and stickers became too time consuming. I found myself dreading it. So I started a family blog—a place to preserve the photos and all of our stories. At the end of each year, I print my blog and have it bound into a coffee table book.  It’s a great way to ‘save’ memories.

That instant sharing of photos and ideas then led to the creation of my “Crafty Texas Girls” blog. It has become another outlet for me to continue documenting through photography. I think between the two sites, my family blog and my “Crafty Texas Girls” blog, I have taken thousands of photos.  But that does not mean I am anywhere near calling myself a professional! Instead, it has been a learning process. Some photos are great, some not so good. But from each photo a little something.

Now, if you are a professional photographer, own the latest version of PhotoShop, or know how to work your camera in ‘manual mode’—this article is not for you. But if you have a decent camera and the desire to capture your family and the moments you hold dear, read on. With a few simple tips, even the most novice photographer can take photos that are ‘frame worthy’.

TIP 1- Turn Off the Flash! Everyone, children, adults, even pets look better in natural light. The flash creates harsh lines and washes out color. Natural light is warm and soft. It illuminates smiles and highlights hair. The best natural light comes just before sunset, around 5pm. But even bright morning sun streaming through a window can look dreamy.