Cards, Crabs, and a Flash

I hope all of you mothers out there had a wonderful day surrounded by those you love!

I sure had a great day today, from sunrise and counting...well maybe from 9 am anyway since I slept in!  I actually got way more gifts than I expected.  We aren't big present people except for birthdays and Christmas, so when I had 2 boxes to open I was so excited! 

First Mr. Tide bought me a very cool piece of camera equipment, a bounce flash!  A bounce flash allows you to bounce the light off of the ceiling, or almost anywhere, so that your photos are much brighter but don't have that harsh light which is often created when using a flash.  When shooting interiors of homes, or at dimly lit events, having a good bounce flash is critical.  I got the chance to try my new flash out on Saturday (he let me open it early so that I could use it for my two shoots on Saturday) and it made a HUGE difference! 

I took the picture above without using the bounce flash.  You can see how light the area around the window is, but the further you move away from the window the darker the room appears.

Here is the same basic shot, but with the help of the bounce flash the lighting is much more uniform.  Both photos were sharpened using PS Elements and the second one was lightened slightly, but you can see what a difference using a bounce flash can make.  This was such a great present and will make my photo shoots much less dependent upon the weather, and I can now shoot in low light as well as bright light!  *Happy Dance*!!!  Oh, and if you didn't already know (and no, I don't get compensated in ANY way), if you buy camera equipment from B&H Photo in NYC, be sure to do it through Kate, from Chronicles Of A Country Girl so that she can get a little pocket change out of the deal!  She has a button for B&H on her sidebar, that's what Mr. Tide used, and I know Kate greatly appreciates the support!

Today, I was served a yummy breakfast which included pumpernickel toast, bacon, walnuts, and fresh organic strawberries... yum!  And then it was time for me to open the present from my son and daughter!  They both admit that now that I am a blog-a-holic, buying presents for me has gotten a lot easier.  

And they also know what an addiction I have to dishes, so they gave me these gorgeous melamine crab plates from Pottery Barn!!!  I love anything with crabs on it, I'm a native Marylander after all, and these plates are perfect for summer dinners on the back patio overlooking the water eating corn on the cob, fresh peaches, and what else but...crab cakes, of course!  Thanks Bugs and Angelfish!

They also each gave me a beautiful card with the sweetest handwritten messages inside.  They make me tear up every single year, no matter how old the two of them are!  Mr. Tide tried to buy me a card a few weeks ago, but I insisted that he give me a back rub instead, and I think I won out in that deal!

So there you have it, my wonderful Mother's Day 2010, surrounded by the ones I love the most and lavished with presents, good food, and warm wishes, can you really ask for more than that?!

Oh and did you notice that sweet changing table in the "bounce flash" photos above?!  Well I'll be showing you lots more pictures of that darling nursery one day this week!  It is too sweet, and you won't want to miss seeing it!  

Until then my friends, enjoy your week ahead!