#iLoveTBC, Day 5 - Doodle

The gift of stillness is a precious commodity. Especially when we are always busy. Have you ever tried to recall what you did the week before and your mind goes blank? That's called "Busy-ness" also know as "Too busy being busy." 

Today's prompt is a ONE MINUTE stillness or meditation. All you have to do is click on the YouTube link and listen to the flow of water & breath. That's all! Cool right? When you're done doodle how you feel in your journal. PEACE be the Journey.

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Techie Info

Subject: My Fitness + Self-Discovery Classes

Camera: iPad & iPhone

Annotations App: A+ Signature 

Annotations App: Instagcollege

DIY - Stock Photos

I like using my own pictures and if you're reading this you probably do to because copyright issues is a drag. Who wants the hassle? If you're new to creating stock photos or like your mobile camera this is a great place to start.

Opportunity - There's always a photo opp but it might not be where you expect it. Look down and think, "Honey I shrunk the kids." [Remember that movie & the mushroom scene?] I used A+ Signature drawing feature to doodle a dude chilling under the shade.

Start a Collection - Take several shots in the same light. You can choose different subjects but keep the lighting consistent. [I usually don't mark my pics until I'm ready to use them.] If you have iPhone it will categorize your photos.

Offset - Your subject in case you might want to add text to it later.

Build - Your stock photos and create themes that you can use in the future. For example Christmas comes every year and what you capture can be used next year. [Tip: Keep 3 to 5 pics in each session. Sometimes less is more.]

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Techie Info

Subject Random Mushroom

Camera iPhone5s

App A+ Signature 

DIY - Foodie pics and delicious fonts!

On most iPhones you can add the grid feature to help you line up your pictures but my favorite attribute is the touch screen lighting. [Check in settings under Photos & Camera to add the grid.] My suggestion...

1. Go close to your subject and be mindful of the background.

2. Take several shots moving in and out.

3. Try several angles because it will capture the light differently.  

4. Lighting - it's best when the light is toward your subject casting the shadow behind it.

5. I like to get my lens eye-level with food as if I was going to eat it up. 

TIP: Imagine that your lens is the spoon. I don't know why but that helps me. 

I used A+ Signature app to add thought to the picture. If you choose to bend your words around the subject be forewarned. The more curves the longer it will take. [Why?] Because you will have to do a separate text for each word or letter. 

After all that work I decided not to add the graphics [heart] and kept it really simple. At the end of the day you should want to eat the picture. PEACE be the Journey ~ Ho'o

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Techie Info

Subject Trophy Cupcake's D.C.P.B.

Camera iPhone5s

App A+ Signature 

BIG Announcement!

DIY Beauty + Buy Local + Vlogs By ME = Fun
I'm so excited to be working with my favorite Tacoma organic shop off 6th Ave. Together we are designing DIY natural beauty tutorials and kits. Yes you heard me right! What you see is what you can create.

The vlogs will be on The Creative Boost YouTube Channel and on hoomalamalama.com for you to enjoy. The easiest way to stay connected is to subscribe to the channel or get on our email list. We'll announce our big launch on Facebook and here.

Did you also know that, "The Creative View" is captured live and published every Tuesday. It's where a few of my creative/entrepreneur friends hangout with me to share and hash [#] trending topics. 

Have to say, this was the best Chai I EVER DRANK!!! The soup fed the soul with healthy goodness. You must try, if you're in the area and if it's available. All soups are made fresh by a local chef. 

You know what's also cool... booking an appointment with Kerri. [If you're in the area.] She's an awesome herbalist and long time friend. So much goodness. PEACE be the Journey.

Photo edit - A+ Signature on iPad Mini
Camera - iPhone5s #NoFilter

$5.00 MAKEOVER #Workspace

Let's be honest, how many of us have ever used our home office as a dump space? [Raising my hand.] I decided to make a few changes to my office/studio space. Because it needs love and attention :)

1. I moved my shelf to another wall. [Click here to see the old look.] 

2. Added some lights I got during the after Christmas sale at Target for about $5 dollars. 

3. DIY counter top. [Did you notice the nook? Someday I'll turn it into something, not now.]

If you want more ideas check out the webpage by Alejandra.tv she made a bunch of DIY projects to help organize creative space. There's something for everyone and she's a true creative soul. I especially like how she color coordinates her flies. PEACE be the Journey.

Pics: iPhone5s

App: A+ Signature

You can do MORE with your iPhone + ōlloClip

A recent trip to the Museum of Flight was out of this world! [Sorry for the pun.] All I had was...

1. My iPhone 5S

2. One ōlloClip 

3. Used the WideAngle side of the lens

4. Watermarked my pics in A+Signature 

I didn't use flash and here's the result during sunset with low light. It turned out to be a great memory for the children, na keiki, and educational for all of us. Time flies by and after two hours we were HUNGRY!

It was kind of hilarious watching everyone chugg huge camera bags and lift these giant lenses into the sky. Most of them were trying to capture family memories so my advice is keep it simple & light. Especially around little ones.

I follow a few simple, non-professional, guidelines that you can adapt and use.

1st Pick one dominate subject, even when taking group photos, and use that as your focal point.

2nd Touch the screen on your subject. Snap if you like the lighting. [Take the pic]

3rd If the lighting is too dark then reset the auto focus by moving your lens away and then back.

4th Don't be afraid of empty space, negative lighting, having your main subject on the side or corner. [The pic with a model of the Explorer is an example of my subject being off to the side. Your eyes should look at the Spaceship Explorer and then drift away.]

Have fun & catch me on FB - PEACE be the Journey, Ho'o

What's in my bag?!✨

We [Sista & Möi] especially enjoy "Day Trips," because they're mini adventures within surrounding communities. The best part is that it plays an important role in staying connected & creative. [And we all know how important creativity is.]

If you want an eclectic and color-filled experience try Wallingford in Seattle. It has an array of boutiques that I have yet to explore plus so much scope for the imagination. It began it's life as an education center and you can see the historic preservation throughout the building.   

On this particular day we decided to check out Pharmaca which was a great surprise. They sell homeopathic, natural care products and so much more. We also noticed that a lot of the products were priced better then competitive stores in our neighborhood of Tacoma. Was it worth the drive? Ah, YES because this was only one of several interesting stores.
  

It's my sister's b-day in a few days and I decided to spoil her with some self care Andalou goodies. She's promised to blog or vlog about her experience. So I guess we'll all have to wait... unless you're tried it before :)

They do have a few samples at the store of various products and helpful staff. Make it a day-trip and tell them about this awesome blog you read. Chances are that they probably won't know us but that's not a biggie. Enjoy the visit. PEACE be the Journey.

Evite made with your iPhone apps.

Let's say that you're planning a party and want special evites for email and other social media formats... but there's a few problems. You're not a graphic designer and you don't want it to look like other evite templates. AND [deep breath] all you have is a iPhone or iPad. 

[I apologize, I only have experience with Apple products but I'm sure the apps work with all smart-devices.]

I was in the same place with my parents 60th birthday bash. I wanted something I could use on all platforms like Facebook, Instagram & Text. Here's the final product...

I used my two favorite apps to create my evite. They're easy to use and since I didn't have time to stage a photo session and hire a graphic designer this was a simple solution. 

Like I said, "I didn't have time" which translates into last minute planning. I dug into my iPhotos and pulled them out of the virtual cloud. This pic had potential but it was too cluttered.

I took a blank screenshot on my iPad Mini and pulled it into "Cut Me In" then I selected this pic. Now comes the work... erasing the clutter. [It was actually therapeutic.]

Above is the final result. This came after I shrunk the image and pulled it to the corner. Ahh it looks better already. Next step is to add the party information and a few elements of design. I imagined the two of them having a conversation about turning sixty. 

Below is an image of their conversation bubbles from the A+ Signature app. I completed the rest of the evite in this app. [Tip: there's a lot of fonts so keep it minimal, possibly two.]

The final invitation was fun, informative and easy to use on multiple platforms. Notice how I reflected the colors from my Mom's 2014 Seahawks Championship jersey. That's their favorite team.

Have fun and don't forget to LIKE & SHARE us on Facebook so that we can bring you more creative boost moments. PEACE be the Journey.

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