But we all know how often a well-orchestrated plan plays out right? So here we are with two cars, one that needs to be replaced in 2 years and one that WAS supposed to be replaced 5 years ago!

So we are way over due for a new car!

We’ve been debating on what kind of car we should get – should it be a larger SUV (bigger than my Santa Fe) or a hybrid gas saving sedan.
Right now we are leaning towards a 4-door sedan like the Toyota Camry – Hybrid. I had the opportunity to test drive one during the Car Show at the LA Convention Center was presently surprised by how much power the car has as a hybrid.

Our other option is the Toyota Highlander which is much larger than my SUV and it’s available as a hybrid and best of all you can still maintain the third row seats if you need them.

So many decisions come to play when choosing a new car besides aesthetics like color and leather and cloth seats.

I want our new car to be “geeked out”, I would love to see a way to integrate my iPad into the dashboard. I would love to see screen in back seats that can be easily hidden from possible thieves, I need a GPS system that works and great safety features that will keep my babies safe and comfortable for every ride. But with all the safety features it still needs to have a lot of power because I like to get going whenever ever there is some free space on the highway which is rare here in LA especially on the 405.

What things do you look for when buy a new car?

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program withClever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the
views of the Toyota.

You will have the option to download a zip file of the images or you can simply transfer them over to Google+. If you were a Premium member of Picnik you will be receiving a refund for the entire annual fee – even if you are on the last day of your year.

And for those that never experienced the premium services you can use them from now until April 19 for FREE. So feel free to play around while you can. From now until the last day of service you can touch up, add textures and so much more.

So what do you go when Picnik finally does close down?

You can now use some of the same features from Picnik on Google+ with Creative Kit. Creative Kit allows you to edit, add textures and more to your pictures all online and all with Google+. Be sure to check out the Creative Kit on Google+.

I can’t be the only one…

Well now there is a photography lens wrap that is designed to fit almost any lens size from 24mm to 200mm which covers just about any lens size I think I’ll ever need. But be careful you don’t want to mistake this lens for a yummy burrito.

The Photorito is lens protection wrapped up to look like a burrito. Now when you feel like just grabbing you camera for a quick hike or tour of the city, wrap an extra lens in the Photorito Lens Wrap and toss it in your hiking backpack or day pack or any bag you desire. You lens will be protected and you don’t have to be bogged down by a heavy camera bag.

The wrap is made of Tyvek (hazmat suit material) and cushioned with neoprene so you know your lens will be well protected.

Where can you find these not so yummy but deliciously helpful Photorito Lens Wraps? You can get your very own for $20 on photojojo.com.

Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter is free. Laughter comes in an ample supply.

So, basically, everyone has gotten into the act. Judy Holmes and Greg Baer think most people could use a little help. Okay, in some cases, a lot of help.

“Taking good pictures is about so much more than pointing and shooting,” said Holmes, a 20-year veteran professional photographer. She and co-author Greg Baer have just written the friendly, no-nonsense, how-to book That Picture Stinks! (www.thatpicturestinks.com).

“While there are many things that make a bad picture, there are three things that jump to mind: they’re too light or dark, the composition is poor or people don’t use the flash enough,” added co-author Baer. “The results can range from lousy to boring to, well, embarrassing. With just a few basics, people can dramatically improve the quality of their pictures and ensure that they capture memories worth preserving in a manner that’s worth showing.”

Holmes’s and Baer’s off the following great tips!

Too light or too dark
Too many people see the program mode or auto mode on the camera and think, “That’s for me!” It isn’t. The auto mode should be the last mode anyone thinks of using. If you want that beautiful sunrise or sunset to be all it shouldn’t be, or that winter wonderland to look more like nuclear fallout, by all means use the auto function! Otherwise, learn where to point the camera to “fool” it and give you the perfect exposure. Hint: Want the sunset deep and dark? Baer says point at the lightest area. Want the snow nice and bright? Point at the darkest area.

Photo by Godzilla
Sometimes people take bad pictures of their kids, and they know the shots are bad, but they can’t put their finger on why they’re bad. The primary reason kids’ photos turn out bad is that, as grown-ups, we usually take pictures of our kids from the angle of looking down on them. After all, they’re small and we’re tall. As a result, we create all kinds of shadows, awkward poses and perspective issues that make it look like Godzilla is towering over them, grabbing a shot of them with our iPhone for a Facebook page. If you want to take consistently better pictures of your kids, get down. Really, get down on the floor and take pictures head-on from their level. You’ll get more of them in the shot, their eyes won’t be squinting from looking up at you into the sun, and the perspective will show a normally proportioned child (instead of this tiny creature with a huge head, skinny arms and feet that poke out from under their pants). Do the same with your pet pictures for an “Ahh” reaction instead of the normal “Ugh” one.

A little more light please
Adding a flash to outdoor photographs, especially with people in them, is one of the quickest ways to look like a genius. Taking pictures in the bright sun can cause horrible dark shadows on your subject or worse, make them squint so they go blind. Turning the flash on instead of “auto flash” will help in these situations. It can help to lighten the shadows and balance the picture and if you move your subjects into a more shady area, using the flash will light up their faces. If you think that’s cool, just wait until you show off that picture. Then you’ll really see their faces light up!

“There are a lot more ways people can improve the quality of their photography, just by tapping on a few icons on their point and shoot,” Holmes added. “However, if they can follow these three basic rules, they’ll produce a lot fewer stinky pictures!”

About Judy Holmes & Greg Baer
Judy Holmes has been a professional outdoor photographer for 20 years, specializing in capturing nature’s motion and magic, often in extreme weather. Her particular emphasis is on simplicity of style and equipment. That Picture Stinks! is her fourth photography book.

Greg Baer has been a professional photographer for over 15 years. He has been published in magazines, calendars and cards. For the last 10 years, he has been running Corporate Cards using his photography to provide a novel way for businesses to communicate.

Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter is free. Laughter comes in an ample supply.

Week Two – 52 Weeks of Laughing
My daughter was home again this week, the last week of her winter vacation. So I decided to break out the camera and let her model some of her new outfits. I’ve been struggling with the lighting in this house, there are plenty of windows but the trees in the backyard make it almost impossible to get some decent sunlight indoors.

Are you participating in a 52 Week Photo Challenge?

Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter is free. Laughter comes in an ample supply.

Week One – 52 Weeks of Laughing
As some may know I’m am 2000x more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it – so much that I’ve become a closet self portrait’er. I figured the best way to get comfortable in front of the camera – is to GET IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA. So here are some pictures of me taking pictures of me and laughing my way through the ordeal.

Are you participating in a 52 Week Photo Challenge?

For the past several years I stopped making resolutions, I set goals and aspirations and this year I’m doing one better. Don’t get me wrong I have some major goals I want to accomplish, like participate in a 10K, get a new job I love, create a professional inner circle, increase my traffic on BizzieLiving.com, take more pictures and improve my craft, enjoy life, create more streams of income, and enjoy my family – you know just to name a few. But this year I’m working on an all around annual motto.

Three words that will probably drive everything I do for the New Year, three words that I will live by.

Believe. Create. Laugh.

Believe
In order to succeed you need to believe in yourself, you need to believe you can run that marathon, you need to believe you can speak in front of that group, you need to believe you are talented and smart. If you can believe in yourself – so will everyone else. And if you don’t believe in yourself you shouldn’t expect anyone else to.

Create
I want to create a better life for myself and my family. I want to create photographs that people will cherish for a lifetime. I want to create sites for new businesses that people will want to visit. I want to boost my business while helping you boost yours. I want to create pictures that help boost confidence. I want to create blog posts that people will love to read. I want to create a life that I will fall in love with.

Laugh
Life can get overwhelming and it’s too easy to get stressed out. Laughing is the healthiest and cheapest narcotic out there so why not get addicted. This year I want to laugh more and cry less. I want to stop stressing and have more fun. Laughing will be my addiction for the New Year – that and a side of Red Bull.

If you are working on your New Year goals be sure to check out my post on LifetimeMoms.com Making and Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions.

Clean Start Challenge – Reinvent Your Dreams Event
This year I participated in the Clean Start Challenge on Lifetime and had the opportunity to crawl out of my comfort zone with video confessions and hosting a networking mixer. While I wasn’t the winner of the challenge I walked away with a better understanding of whom and what I want to be and a decreased fear in on-camera work (decreased not diminished).

Interviewed Karen Walrond of Chookooloonks.com
I managed to muster up enough courage to request an interview with Karen and was so happy to take the leap. I was immediately drawn to her blog, not just because her photography is amazing but because she is living what I’m trying to achieve. She is doing what she loves and owning it 100%. Visit her at Chookooloonks.com.

My favorite quote from the interview, “Do something that lights you up.”

I actually was standing right next to Karen in the Shutter Sister suite at Blogher in Chicago a few years back – but was too intimidated to talk to her. At BlogHer San Diego – I finally met her in-person, it was brief but so glad that I said hello.

Attended the Me Ra Koh Confidence Workshop
After several attempts of entering myself as a candidate for the the “Running on Empty” seat in Me Ra’s workshop – I actually won! I attended the Sacramento workshop and shared a room with one of the most amazing moms I ever met, Karen Bohnsack Diffley. I have to say I was extremely nervous about going, after all owning the name “photographer” has been a challenge for me.

“Are my pictures good enough – to earn the label?” I was pretty comfortable shooting in AV mode and Manual but during the workshop I finally “got” metering. I can’t forget that I also met some of my fellow Soar sisters in Sacramento. I’m more confident now then I was before the workshop.

Experienced Disney World with the Family
I was lucky enough to get an invite to the launch of the HP Hands on Experience at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The trip was amazing and the technology HP added is sure to be a hit. I was so happy we were able to attend as a family and visit all the different parks. I had no idea how much there was to do and how many parks there were. Next time I’ll bring a swimsuit because all my daughter wanted to do was swim in the hotel pool!

I inadvertently lost most of the pictures from the trip due to some “cloud confusion” but I’m thankful that we went and hope to go again when the kids are little older.

Re-launched/Re-branding BizzieMommy
As I’m sure you are all aware of it by now but I changed my site to BizzieLiving.com. The concept was sparked by an Intel event I attended this summer, Upgrade Your Life. On my train ride back to Sacramento (from Palo Alto) I managed to develop the entire concept of the site. While I’m still working out tweaks I’m proud of the new site and new changes.

Became a Work at Home Mom
While it wasn’t necessarily the way I dreamed I became a work at home mom for the second half of the year and during the stint I realized that I would rather work outside of the home. I’m not looking to debate about it or anything I just realized that I enjoy the social aspects of working and I really miss getting dressed in more than jeans and a t-shirt.

Launched my Photography Services Website
Okay it’s kind of a soft launch but I did manage to squeeze in a few family sessions and a lifestyle shoot before the year ended. More details are available on BizziePhotography.com.
This year has been filled with the good and bad and I’ve had my share of struggles. But the year is almost over and it’s time to start with a clean slate. It’s time to sweep the negative energy out of the front door and start the New Year with positive vibes. Cheers to a New Year and a New Beginning.

What are some of your 2011 accomplishments? I would love to link up with everyone and start a virtual toast to an even better 2012!