Time Management?
I know not this term “time management.” Okay, so I do, but with trying to juggle all sorts of stuff last week, we actually didn’t get our tree up and decorated until last night. Which is what I did instead of writing up a blog post. So no perfume review for this morning (I tend to write them the night before since I’m only technically awake in the morning.) But I figured I may as well share our tree with everyone:
Believe it or not, this was the best shot I got… I still haven’t quite figured out all the gizmos on the digital camera, and have exactly zero knowledge how to deal with the light coming off the strings of tiny bulbs when using a digicam. Most of my shots were all blurry, and if they weren’t blurry, then I of course ended up snapping with the camera while holding it at a crooked angle. Sigh. If anyone has tips on how to deal with the light from the tree, I would really appreciate it, since I’d like the eventual Christmas Eve and Day pics to come out looking decent. I usually only ever like taking pictures outside anyhow, but this is my first Christmas with the digital camera. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
And since this is Oregon, and I can’t even remember a time when we’ve had a White Christmas, we have an umbrella ornament, to symbolize our usually Grey and Wet Christmas.
December 12th, 2005 at 6:34 am
Awesome tree.
December 12th, 2005 at 8:11 am
ohhhhhh….cool tree. Have you tried doing a photo without flash, but long exposure time (you will need to place your camera on solid ground for that), this might give a nice effect. Or you might consider using adobe’s photoshop: Cool effects, you can change whatever you want, but it may take a few hours until the picture is what you want it to be.
but for sure: Great tree!
December 12th, 2005 at 8:14 am
Nice tree and beautiful ornaments. Is it a natural tree?
Growing up in the Northwest, we always had real trees. I don’t know if people still buy real trees or if most have switched to artificial.
Here in So. California, it’s mostly fake because decent real trees cost an arm and a leg. I miss the smell of a real pine, but I don’t miss the mess the needles make!
December 12th, 2005 at 9:19 am
Drat, looking forward to your thoughts on Lust & Sloth! But of course, the tree must come first ;-)
December 12th, 2005 at 11:07 am
Pretty! ♥ xoxo
December 12th, 2005 at 11:34 am
I think the umbrella lights are the cutest!
December 12th, 2005 at 3:32 pm
First things first - thanks, and sorry no perfumey things today. Admittedly I did waste most of my computer time yesterday on reading the heated discussion on Luca Turin’s blog that devolved into what I can only classify as a soap opera-ish cat fight. It was interesting to say the least.
Andy, I’m not so much worried about capturing the tree on camera as I am worried about the light futzing up the focus for when I take snapshots of my twins around it for when Santa comes. You have some excellent ideas though for me to chew on, though. I’m gonna have to look into it a bit more, and/or get a new and nicer camera actually.
Iris - nope it’s a fake tree. I am sad about it, but we had to do it, since my husband’s allergic reactions to a real one just grew worse every year. The last year we had a real one, his face and eyes got so puffy that we knew we had to kiss our years of real trees goodbye. I really miss the smell, too, but I don’t miss my poor husband’s sneezing fits, gross snotty allergy nose, or his general misery at Christmas due to the tree. Alas, I wish I could have a real tree anyhow. Trees are fairly spendy even here in the Pacific Northwest, but not outrageously so, and if you know someone with their own tree farm it sure helps.
Christina, the umbrella is actually just a glass ornament, not a light. The glow is just an effect from the flash and a light bulb behind the umbrella :)
December 12th, 2005 at 8:46 pm
Love your tree! - very pretty. Being in the Pacific Northwest myself, I understand the desire for umbrella ornaments : )
I also read the brawl on Luca Turin’s blog. Quite an interesting debate.
December 13th, 2005 at 4:47 am
Luca’s blog:
Dear K
I stopped reading the discussion (not Luca’s part)….it was too much…. but I must admit that the part that I followed was droll and funny. With a bitter touch to it: I sometimes had the impression to follow a religious debate of long past days…..
December 13th, 2005 at 10:22 am
Gorgeous tree my dear!
December 13th, 2005 at 3:57 pm
cheezwiz, now if only the winds here would tame down so I could actually use a real umbrella when it rains on our corner of the globe!
Andy, yeah, there was a bit of fervor there that started to emerge that was nearly religious in nature. Some rather petty posturing as well, which is unfortunate, since the “let’s agree to disagree” aspect the whole discussion(s) started out with seemed promising enough.
Barry - thanks :)
December 15th, 2005 at 7:56 am
Great tree dear K! Have a wonderful time.
I have been reading your reviews but not much time to post.
Mwah!
December 15th, 2005 at 12:21 pm
Thanks Neela, we will. Hope you’re not too overloaded and busy this month, take care, and you have a lovely Christmas as well.
December 17th, 2005 at 3:49 am
K, dear, as I prioritize my life because of an already-tremendous workload disrupted by that soap-opera, and realize I haven’t gotten any Hanakkamas stuff done, a small smile crosses my face when I see that perhaps someone realized my “let’s agree to disagree” stance was tried. And ignored. Such wackiness! Such fun! Such libel! LOL.
About your tree lights: do you have a brightness exposure setting? I think you have to do the “negative compensation” thing. (no, the irony of such a statement following my first paragraph is not lost ;-) I would try a low setting like -6 or -9. Let us know if that works, I can help you fiddle some more, if necessary. Must have those “pretty lights” pictures!
Scentwise: I recommend some fir balsam absolute, diluted and sprayed, for fragrance. It will make your Yuletide merry and bright, while sparing your husband’s rhino-fluids. In a pinch, spruce or fir EO, diluted in water, in a spray bottle. It will be cloudy, so hide it from the guests. Aesthetics *do* matter, lol.
PS for all who worried needlessly,(none from this savvy crowd) in a rather distraught manner, on other forums, about “the poor perfumers” caught in Luca’s agenda-driven rant, they’re just fine. Rolled off their back. In fact, one is putting in a $5k order for Brosse bottles this week, so her Yuletime is merry and bright too ;-)
December 17th, 2005 at 12:40 pm
Thank you, I’m looking at my camera now, and fiddling with the settings to take some test shots.
No EOs though for me - I happily discovered some really lovely candles made by a local (to me, of course) woman that I have been using to scent the house all Christmas-y. Lucky find for me.