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Top 20 Posts of Twenty Twelve

I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful New Years day! We’re slowly easing our way back into real life around here after the holidays. We spent a quiet NYE as a family watching movies and hanging out in our PJ’s. NYE always involves sparklers at our house…what are some of your NYE traditions?
2012 has been a pretty incredible year. I’ll be sharing a few more wrap up posts throughout the week, but I wanted to kick off the New Year with a look back at some of the most popular posts here at Simple as That in 2012!
According to Google Analytics, here are your top twenty….

Simple things Sunday Photo Link Party No. 112

Welcome back to Simple things Sunday everyone! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I can’t wait to see what photos you share this week AND scroll down to the bottom of this post for the announcement of the Sassy Steals iPad Mini giveaway winner!!
I’m really excited to welcome Gayle Vehar of Mom and Camera as our simple things sunday guest this week. She’ll be browsing around your blogs and checking out the lovely photos linked up. Watch for a guest post coming from her this Saturday! Thanks so much for joining the simple things fun Gayle!

Now onto this weeks party…

SIMPLE THINGS SUNDAY No. 112
We had a fabulous Christmas! We had Christmas day all to ourselves and I loved that it was just a quiet, slow day. I think my favourite moment would have to be the little girls opening their dollhouse!  Such a fun surprise…there’s just something about giving handmade gifts that makes them all the more special. Watching them play with it has been a joy!
Now it’s your turn. What simple things are you celebrating this week?
If you’re new to Simple as That I’d love for you join us in this weekly tradition. Scroll down to the bottom of this post where you can find all the details on how to share your photos with us.  We’ll be taking a short break from our simple things special guest series while our friends in the US celebrate thanksgiving.

THE SIMPLE THINGS ON INSTAGRAM

Don’t forget you can share your simple things photos via instagram! Simply post an insta-pic of a simple thing/moment using hashtag  #thesimplethings and be sure to tag me @rebecca_simpleasthat so I can check out your photos! *This is new:  Each week I’ll be highlighting four of your simple things photos posted via Instagram in my instagram feed. I can’t wait to feature you on instagram!

Just a few quick rules to play:
1. Grab a button and include it in your simple things post.

2. Link back directly to your simple things post not your blog/website.

No links to other linky parties, giveaways or craft projects pretty please. 
This linky is all about the photos.

3. Be sure to pop by and visit at least 3 other links and leave a comment.

Leave as many as you can.

 

Many thanks to Sassy Steals for hosting such an amazing giveaway last week!! Thank you to everyone who entered as well! A HUGE congratulations goes to:
Entry no. 1059
ALLISON APPELL
Woohooo!! You just won an iPad mini!! 🙂 🙂 Shoot me an email at cooper{dot}rr{at}gmail{dot}com within 48 hours to claim your prize Allison!!

12 Quick Tips for Memorable Holiday Photos

12 quick tips for Memorable Holiday Photos.
To help make your Christmas photos both merry and bright, I’ve gathered my top twelve Christmas photography tips and ideas! With this list, you’ll be ready to take advantage of the festive props and backgrounds, capture your loved ones’ excitement, and preserve precious moments of family togetherness.
 1. Find a Festive Backdrop
Tip: Position your subject a few feet in front of a glowing holiday backdrop. 
 
Holiday decorations not only make your home beautiful at Christmas time, they also make excellent photo backdrops. Take advantage of the holiday decor around you (e.g., Christmas lights, Holiday wreaths, Christmas trees) and use them as backdrops for your next photos. Don’t sit your subject directly in front of your backdrop, set them a couple of feet in front to help get that beautiful blurred background. (On your digital SLR camera, set a lower F-stop number to have a subject that’s in focus with a blurred background. Learn more in my eBook, 40 Top Tips for Better Photos.
 
2. Establish Photo Traditions





 














Take a photo each year in the same pose or location; it’s such a fun way to look back and see how people grow and change through the years. We have a yearly tradition of taking the kids’ photos wearing santa hats. I just love seeing how the kids have grown each year when I look back through these photos.

3. Get in on the Action

Tip: Use a vintage action to give your Christmas photos a nostalgic glow. You can see how the photo looked before {top image} and after using an action from Addy Lane’s new private collection.
Editing your photos after you take them can be a lot of fun. One simple way to do this is by using Photoshop actions—as I’ve outlined in a previous article, 3-Minute Makeovers. When editing my Christmas photos, I love using a vintage action to give them a bit of a nostalgic feel.
4. Use a Self Timer
Tip: Check your individual camera’s manual for instructions for how to use the self timer with your specific model.
 
Hop in a few photos or get a shot of the whole family in front of the Christmas tree using your camera’s self timer. The trickiest thing about self timer photos is getting the camera to focus where you want it to when you aren’t actually operating it. Pressing the shutter button halfway, locking the focus where you want it, THEN pressing it all the way to start the timer is the key. Sure, it’ll probably take a few tries but its totally doable.
 
5. Take your own Photos With Santa
Tip: Take some candid shots of your own during a professional photo with Santa. 
 
Did you know that when visiting some Santas in the mall, you can bring your camera along to snap a few photos of your own? Just ask the photographer on duty if it’s ok. If they charge money for photos, you’ll still have to pay for the shot the professional is taking, but it’s totally worth it to be able to snap a few candid shots with your own camera. I love this photo my daughter Emily and Santa discussing her Christmas list at length.
6. Capture the Details
 






















The magic of Christmas is all in the details. Don’t forget to snap a few photos of the little things that make Christmas special to you. Crop in close and let the little details take center stage—from treats baking to holiday décor to piles of Christmas cards received in the mail.
 
7. Shooting in Low Light
So many holiday photo opportunities take place indoors and we all know that photographing in low light can be a little tricky. Visit this post for 5 quick tips on taking holiday photos in low light situations.  
 
8. Take Photos of Yearly Traditions
 



















Don’t forget to take a minute, while capturing your Christmas in photos, to showcase the family traditions that make your holidays special: those new Christmas jammies, Christmas morning breakfast, whatever it is you do each year without fail throughout the holidays. These are the details of Christmas that are rich in memories, and they definitely deserve a place in your photo albums.
9. Capture Connections
Tip: Use your camera’s zoom to get close without interrupting the moment.
 
With family coming together for the holidays, our thoughts turn towards enjoying time with our loved ones and celebrating the connections we have with each other. What better time could there be to grab your camera and set out capturing these special connections between loved ones? A zoom lens can help with this, so you can take these photos from a distance without disturbing the authentic moment.
10. Seek out Expressions of Wonder
Tip: Use your camera to try to see the wonder of the holidays through a child’s eyes. 
 
There’s nothing quite like experiencing the magic of Christmas than through the eyes of a child. Capture the wonder of the holidays by getting down on your child’s level as she gazes at the tree or at other decorations. Instead of standing, kneel down or lay down. Photograph her expression and also focus the camera on whatever she’s looking at, from her vantage point, and capture Christmas from a different view.
11. Showcase the Tree all Aglow
Tip: Use a tripod or other solid surface and set the self timer to get the clearest shot in low light. 
It’s worth it to avoid using the flash.
 
Getting a beautiful photo of that Christmas tree can be tricky. If you have a digital SLR, you need a high ISO and a slow shutter speed (which allows more light to reach the sensor). You also need a steady hand to get an in-focus shot in low-light conditions, so let the self-timer take over for you. Set your camera up on a tripod/chair or other firm surface and put it on self-timer mode. Frame your shot, choose your focus point, press the shutter button half way to lock the focus and then all the way to start the timer. By letting your camera do all the work, you eliminate the camera shake that can happen when you’re holding it yourself at such slow shutter speeds in low light.
 
12. Put the Camera Away
Once you’ve captured some meaningful Christmas memories this year, which you will have done if you tried all 11 of my tips so far, then take the opportunity to put your camera away and enjoy a few hours with your kids—without that camera around your neck. Let go of the idea that you need to preserve every moment, and simply enjoy being in the moment.
For more photography tips and tricks for this holiday season and year round, check out my eBooks, Real.Life.Photography, 40 Top Tips for Better Photos and Don’t Say Cheese! How to get great, natural photos of your kids.
For more Holiday photo ideas + inspiration download my FREE holiday photo checklist filled with 50 photos to take this Christmas! You can download it here or check out my printer friendly Photo Checklists with over 400 Photo ideas for all year round!
This printable also coordinates with my 2012 holiday card templates and these FREE printable thank you cards!
gift guide
If you’re looking for ideas for the photography lover on your gift list this year, be sure to check out my 2013 Photography Gift Guide where I share some of the products I use and love and ones that I recommend to my family and friends! 

Reader Cards + 17th Ave Design Giveaway Winners

Thank you to everyone who’s been sending in their Christmas cards created with my 2011/2012 templates! They are all so beautiful and unique! I just love seeing what you’ve done! Here’s a peek at just a sampling of the amazing cards you’ve sent my way!
Love this card by Danielle! She changed up some of the fonts and I love the colours she chose! Loving the polkadots too! Danielle used one of my FREE templates that can be found here.
Isn’t this card created by Alacey so fun!? She used template 2C and made it all her own with colours to match their outfits and some cute fonts! Thanks for sharing Alacey!
I’m dying over how cute Leah’s card and photos are! Love how she changed the format to fit four photos instead of just three! Leah used template 1C.
I created this card for my sister in law Rachelle using template 2C. I changed the colours to match their outfits and added a few stripes for a bit of texture. Not your traditional Christmas colours but its unique and so pretty.
Denine created this lovely card using one of my 2011 templates! Love the beautiful BW photos Denine! Thanks for sharing.
How sweet is Maria’s little family!? Such darling photos and they couldn’t have matched more perfectly with this template!  Thanks for sharing with us Maria! 
Nicole used templates from this set as well, to create a card with front and back designs. Love how it turned out Nicole! Thanks for sharing your lovely card with us.
Amanda had me do up this card for her which came together so quickly. The colours matched well with her photos already and with a simple change in the name we were done!
Here’s another card created with the same template as above. We changed The colours to match the photos and I think they look fabulous! Love this card from the Hicks family so much! 
Thank you for sharing your beautiful cards with us everyone! 
If you’re still trying to get those Christmas cards out you can find where to purchase/download all my template sets here. Send a card out via email to friends and family or use them as New Years cards! 
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
I’m really excited to announce the winners of the 17th Avenue Design Studio giveaway from last week! Four lucky winners will each receive a premade blog template of their choice! Can’t wait for ya’ll to give those blogs a fun makeover for the new year!!
The winners are…

Chelsey Stowell
Brighton Harper
Denise Tubiera
Kimberly Matteson

Congrats ladies! Shoot me an email at cooper{dot}rr{at}gmail.com to claim your prizes!  


Be sure to follow 17th Avenue Design Studio online to stay up to date on the latest:
facebook | twitter | pinterest | etsy

2013 Project Life Creative Team

I’m so excited to finally share how thrilled I am to be a part of the 2013 Project Life creative team! 
I can’t wait to get started on this Project Life journey in the New Year and to share the adventure with all of you! For those of you stopping by from Becky’s blog, welcome! It’s so great to have you! 
Here are some posts you might want to check out to get to know your way around Simple as That and to get to know me a little bit better. I sure can’t wait to get to know YOU over the coming year!

MORE ABOUT ME + THE SIMPLE AS THAT BLOG:
– I love sharing printable freebies here on my blog, here’s a link to most of them! Inspirational quotes, gift tags, photo checklists and lots more! 
– Here’s a peek at some of the Christmas fun we’ve been having this year. Can’t you believe there’s only  8 more days until the big day!
-I love sharing some of our favorite family recipes. These ginger crinkles are one of my favorites things to make during the holidays!
– There’s nothing that brings me more joy than being a mom. Read some of my thoughts on motherhood + the importance of recording your everyday life through photos here and here.
-Each week I host a photo link party where we celebrate the everyday, simple joys of life! If you have a photo to share – stop by each Sunday to join the fun!
– We’re a family of crafters, I just love crafting with my kids and I enjoy sharing many of 
our simple projects here on my blog.
– As a photographer I love capturing the everyday details through my camera and am always sharing quick photo tips on here at Simple as That! 
– I love recording memories through scrapbooking – both traditional paper + digi! I absolutely can’t wait to dive into recording our family memories in 2013 with project life!

You can also follow me online here:
You can find the announcement of the entire creative team here on Becky’s blog and check out everyone’s names/info on the creative team page! 
Thank you Becky for this amazing opportunity! I can’t wait to get to know the rest of the talented ladies on the team and to share my project life adventure with you in 2013!

Ginger Crinkle Snowflake Cookies

I’m so excited to be sharing this fun Christmas twist on one of my all-time favorite cookies. I shared this recipe back in February, but it’s definitely worth sharing again! You can check out our valentine’s version here. Scroll down to find the recipe, along with some step by step images + a short and sweet video tutorial on how to create the snowflakes. Enjoy!



Ginger Crinkle Snowflake Cookies

2 ÂĽ cups butter
2 ÂĽ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup molasses
Âľ tsp salt
5 ½ tsp baking soda
2 ½ tsp cloves
2 ½ tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ginger
6 cups flour

Mix together all ingredients. Chill dough. Roll into balls and dip top half in sugar. For a flatter cookie, use the bottom of a cup to tap down each cookie slightly before baking. 







I used a Vollrath 47157 cookie scoop to keep all my cookies the same size + shape. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Don’t overcook, you want them moist and chewy. Allow to cool. 



To add snowflakes simply melt white chocolate wafers carefully in the microwave. Place melted chocolate in a regular ziplok baggie. Cut a tiny hole cut out of one corner of the baggie and use it to draw a snowflake on the top of each cookie. Here’s a quick video to show you how to make them:

This recipe makes a huge batch, but they freeze really well, so they’re perfect for making ahead. We’ve got our cookies all made and will be giving them out to the kids teachers for Christmas. Yay for getting one more thing crossed off the holiday to-do list!

To package the cookies I used some 4 X 9-Inch inch cellophane bags and attached these cute printable gift tags.


Like this idea? You might also want to take a quick peek at simple + inexpensive gift my kids will be handing out to their friends this year. You can download the FREE printable tags here:


2012 Christmas Cards from Hello! Lucky

Our Christmas cards are all mailed out {phew!} and I’m super excited to give you a little peek at them. I was thrilled to be contacted by Hello! Lucky to try out one of their beautiful designs this year! I went with something completely different than my usual simple + graphic style and I’m so happy I did!  I really love these cute cards! 

I was so impressed by their attention to detail, the quality of the paper/envelopes and the speed at which they arrived on our doorstep! Check out even more of Hello! Lucky’s unique holiday card designs here.

A little late on sending out cards this year? Check out their beautiful selection of New Year’s cards! They also have:
Stay up to date on the latest from Hello! Lucky here:
Use coupon code LUCKYDECEMBER now through Dec 21/31/2012 to enjoy
15% off your next order from Hello!Lucky.

Simple things Sunday Photo Link Party No. 111

Welcome to Simple things Sunday everyone! I loved checking out some of your photos from the link party last week! Here are just a few that caught my eye!! I love seeing all the beautiful Christmas images that are being shared! 

puzzles | melissa
cherry chocolates | kate
Thank you so much to everyone who linked up! If your photo was featured, be sure and grab yourself a featured button below! 🙂
 

I’m really excited to welcome Gayle Vehar of Mom and Camera as our simple things sunday guest this week. She’ll be browsing around your blogs and checking out the lovely photos linked up. Watch for a guest post coming from her this Saturday! Thanks so much for joining the simple things fun Gayle!


Now onto this weeks party…

SIMPLE THINGS SUNDAY No. 111
We’ve been having lots of Christmas fun around here this week. Can you believe there’s just 10 short days until Christmas!? I’ve been posting lots of pics via instagram this week. Stop by and follow me here for all our Christmas updates! 
Now it’s your turn. What simple things are you celebrating this week?
If you’re new to Simple as That I’d love for you join us in this weekly tradition. Scroll down to the bottom of this post where you can find all the details on how to share your photos with us.  We’ll be taking a short break from our simple things special guest series while our friends in the US celebrate thanksgiving.

THE SIMPLE THINGS ON INSTAGRAM

Don’t forget you can share your simple things photos via instagram! Simply post an insta-pic of a simple thing/moment using hashtag  #thesimplethings and be sure to tag me @rebecca_simpleasthat so I can check out your photos! *This is new:  Each week I’ll be highlighting four of your simple things photos posted via Instagram in my instagram feed. I can’t wait to feature you on instagram!

Just a few quick rules to play:
1. Grab a button and include it in your simple things post.

2. Link back directly to your simple things post not your blog/website.

No links to other linky parties, giveaways or craft projects pretty please. 
This linky is all about the photos.

3. Be sure to pop by and visit at least 3 other links and leave a comment.

Leave as many as you can.

 

17th Ave Design Premade Blog Template Giveaway

I’m excited to introduce today’s giveaway from 17th Avenue Design Studio, the creative talent behind the blog design here at Simple as That! Did you know, that in addition to their beautiful custom blog work, 17th Avenue also offers premade blog templates? How fun would it be to give your blog a quick makeover just in time for the new year!?

Keep reading to find out more about 17th Avenue Design and find out how you could be one of FOUR lucky winners to receive a premade template of your choice from 17th Avenue!
17th Avenue Design Studio is a small graphic & web design company specializing in premade blog templates, custom blog design, and business branding. Their designs are always unique, fresh, and modern. 17th Avenue is passionate about what they do and absolutely love making blogs look beautiful! In their Etsy shop, you’ll find a wide variety of blog designs that suit any design taste, ranging from fun and feminine to professional and sophisticated.
17th Avenue Design Studio creates  beautiful premade templates. These are blog designs that have already been designed and coded. They are very easy to set up and look just as awesome and professional as a custom design. 17th Avenue Design Studio offers over 50 blog templates in their shop. 
You can follow 17th Avenue Design Studio online here:
facebook | twitter | pinterest | etsy
Today 17th Avenue is giving away FOUR premade blog templates to FOUR lucky winners! Each template is a $35 value and each winner can pick whatever design they’d like. MUST select an item from THIS section of their shop.
Follow the prompts in the rafflecopter widget below to enter!
Giveaway closes 12/18/2012 at 12:00am.

Holiday Gift Giving with Kiwi Crate

It should come as no surprise that one of our top picks for Christmas gifts for kids ages 3-7 this year is a subscription to Kiwi Crate! We’re a family of crafters and after having a chance to review one of Kiwi Crates fabulous monthly kits we’re hooked! These monthly craft kits make crafting with the kiddos so simple for mom and are a whole lot of learning, creative and imaginative fun for the kids!


 Check out our review of the Antarctic Kiwi Crate and find some fun holiday projects from the Kiwi Crate Studio here! 

Kiwi Crate’s award-winning, monthly subscription service makes such a wonderful holiday gift for kids ages 3-7. For less than $20 per month, your little one will receive multiple arts, crafts, and science activities – delivered right to your door. Order by noon PST on December 19th for Christmas Delivery! shop now ››

Recently featured in InStyle, Parenting Magazine, and US Weekly, Kiwi Crate has also been awarded Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products of 2012, Parent’s Choice 2012 Gold Award, and an Oppenheim Gold Seal Best Toy Award. Kiwi Crate is already a celebrity favorite, and is sure to delight the little ones in your life!
Kiwi Crate offers a range of subscription levels, all shipped for free
monthly subscriptions – $19.95 a month
3 month gift – $59.00
6 month gift – $110.00
12 month gift – $220.00
Limited edition crates and projects can be found in their shop:
Crafty Christmas – $19.95 + shipping*
Gifts Made by Me – $19.95 + shipping*
*These special crates can be made into the first month of a gift subscription to receive free shipping!

Don’t forget there’s still time to enter to win an entire year of Kiwi Crate in the Win a Year of Holiday Cheer contest. 
Click image below for details!

Enter to Win a Year's Subscription to Kiwi Crate! >>

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