Recent Hipstamatic: 10/5/10

Flash Video

It was quite some time ago that I made this flash video. I had gotten this idea for a splash page for what was back then only awenblog.com, and I had worked on it pretty steadfastly for several days in a row. I designed all of the elements of the scene myself, meticulously working at the little details in the door, the windows, the planters on the windows, the brick exterior, the clouds, and so forth. After that task was completed, I got to work creating the flash elements. I knew that I wanted it to be raining, but I wasn't entirely sure how to go about creating that effect. So, I messed around for a bit and then marveled at myself as my first raindrops began to fall across the screen. The next thing to do was to create some kind of lightning effect, again without really a clue as to how to go about it. If you asked me now how I figured any of this stuff out, I don't know that I could recreate the process for you. It was an experiment that was eventually discarded for something less labor intensive. I still, however, return to this idea over and over again, constantly honing the little details and adding new things to make it look exactly as I want it to appear. I don't have any previews to show you right now of the work I've been doing lately, but perhaps soon... In the meantime, here is a discarded flash video of mine, having been unfortunately buried in a stack of backup disks. Maybe now it can at least fulfill the purpose of a random post.

New Gallery Posted: "Sarah Exclusive"

I'll just start this post off by saying that I almost lost these photos. Yeah. Lost to the whizzing abyss of an external hard drive that didn't want to give me back my files. Chug-a-lug was the experience of it all and not a very pleasant one at that. It was painful to sit at my desk for hours just waiting for the files to import, and I had to do them in several different segments. With a little bit of patience, I was however able to retrieve close to 100% of my files, although the experience of it all has been traumatic enough to cause me to create a backup copy of all my backup copies now. I am archive happy. Yay.

Anyway, I have been dying to announce something about my sister, but I decided to wait until I put up her gorgeous photos to do it. If you happen to notice a particular glow about her in any photos, that's not just photoshopping. It's the real thing! Yup, I'm gonna be an aunt! Again! Hehe! 

I laugh because Eric and I have been waiting almost five years for someone else in both of our families to announce that they would be having a baby. As time has passed, we had almost given up on the idea. Maybe babies just weren't in the future of our family. Babies aren't, after all, in our future any more, although we did have one. So, someone, anyone has got to do at least that. Just have one. So that we won't be the only ones who have had to suffer through the pains of parenthood.

And then my youngest sister had a baby. And then my second youngest sister announces to me one night in secrecy that she's pregnant. And then Eric calls me at work to announce that his second youngest sister just announced that she's pregnant as well. Babies!!!!

Oh, geez.

Here are some of my favorite photos of my beautiful pregnant sister, and check out the many others in her gallery!

From the archives: Rainy Day Photos 2008

Here are some randomly chosen photos taken on rainy days back in 2008.