Tagged!

Winner first for Friday's comments: ZOI! (Manuella) How fun to see an old friend! I had no idea that you had two cuties now! Email me at info@phauntactions.com to let me know which action set you want. And let me see some pics of your cuties while you're at it! ;)

I see the Tagged thing has been going around blog world again... I got tagged a few times by various people, so I figure I better comply. Is it like those chain letters, I'll be walking down the street and be hit by a bus if I don't pass it on? :p

 

Okay.. so 8 random facts about me that you may not know...

1. My last name is NOT Phaunt. I actually have had a few people ask me, and I didn't even really realize that it may have been confusing. My last name is BANKS (hence the name Kylie BANKS photography). The phaunt thing came about because I have been an elephant lover for as long as I can remember, and have collected elephant statues/etc. Back when I was pregnant with Lilly I got on the "mommy boards" and needed a username. I wanted to use something having to do with elephants, but didn't think that "elephantgirl" sounded so pleasant, so I made it "sillyphaunt".. after some revisions it went down to just "phaunt". Now it's my username on most everything I sign up on.  So, that's where phaunt actions gets its name. 

2. I shop at a specific grocery store not because they have the best prices or selection, but because if you go shopping after 7pm they play great 90s music (Think Wilson Phillips). I love to cruise for groceries while singing " I know that there is pain, but cha, hold on for one more day... and ya, Break free from the painnnnnn..."

3. I have one tatoo, on the top of my right foot:

4. I almost died when I was 5 years old, run over by a truck. I have vague memories of right after it happened, standing up and trying to walk, seeing my aunt come out of her house and start running towards me, then passing out. I came to again in the hospital hallway, then I remember waking up when they were re-inflating my lung. That's about all. I also remember getting a bunch of cool presents and thinking that it was fun to be in the hospital!

5. My husband is a United States Marine. He joined right out of highschool (graduated in 1999). He was deployed to Iraq Jan-October 2005. Besides being a wonderful husband and father, he is also my personal hero.  I couldn't explain how proud I am to be a Marine wife and support him as he serves our country.

This picture is from the day he was deployed, Jan 4th, 2005. Horrible quality (and I didn't really know how to work the camera at that point either), but it still holds a special place in my heart. That's Lilly he's holding (only 1 1/2 years old then!)

6.  I secretly want to be a dancer, any type of dancer really,  I love watching dancing, especially ballet, but I know I could never do it. My body is totally the wrong shape, and my coordination isn't so great either.

7.  I hate talking on cell phones. If I can avoid it, I will. I only use mine to make calls when I'm out of the house and have to get ahold of someone. If I'm anywhere I can use a normal phone I do. I also lose my cell phone at least once a month, most of the time it stays lost for a week or so, or I have to get a new one (thank God for the equipment replacement policy on our cell phone bill).

8. I love the Backstreet Boys. A hold over from my highschool days I guess. I love their music, still listen to it regularly. I have all their CDs, and can't wait till they come out with something new.

So there you have it.. I fulfilled my end of the tagging. I'm going to be a rebel and not tag 8 more people, because I think most everyone has been tagged already, and I'm really too lazy to go find 8 that haven't.

Tomorrow (if I have some time), I'm hoping to make an announcement regarding elements actions, and answer some questions that keep popping up. So check back. Hope your week is starting out good! :)

Fun New Stuff

Yesterday was a great day.. I finally got my Wacom Intuos3 Tablet that I ordered last week. I ripped open the box and immediately jumped into Photoshop, giddy with excitement.

I knew there would be a learning curve, but I was determined to make it work. I had visions of beautiful brushes I'd make, and the gorgeous fonts I'd create. I just knew that I'd be pumping out works of art in no time.

But my dreams were crushed when I realized that if you don't have any artistic/drawing ability IRL, you won't have any when using a tablet on the computer either. Uh yeah, really novel concept, right? But somehow that fact escaped me, and it was a bummer when I realized that since I have horrible handwriting and no drawing ability whatsoever, I probably won't be the next digital Picasso.

Just another dream shot down before it had time to fully blossom; much like my dream of becoming a famous ball dancer.. my husband keeps trying to convince me it's never going to happen, but I just know there's gotta be SOME dancing ability in me somewhere, I just need to coax it out somehow.

Anyway, after I got done crying over my lost drawing career, I'm really liking the tablet. A bit to get used to, but I can see how it will definitely be a plus when doing detailed edits.

Speaking of New and exciting things, phaunt actions is teaming up with Michele at Pinkle Toes for Photographers to be a grand opening sponsor in her new endeavor!



From the PT4P blog:

What exactly is PT4P?
PT4P (Pinkle Toes 4 Photographers) will be an ever-evolving marketing and resource website and forum for professional portrait photographers--those who are experienced and those just starting out. The ultimate goal is to become the one-stop shop where you can find tools, resources, and ideas to keep your business fresh, fun, and growing all the time.

I wanna shop! What can I get at PT4P?
PT4P will operate on a membership basis for one year from the date of the site launch. To start, this membership will get you:
- A business materials starter kit (too many to list them all, but examples include business card templates, invoices, pricing info, promo cards, etc.)
- Coordinating book, announcement, canvas, and card templates (some with matching brush sets). Design tools to help you create displays for clients.
- A set of basic proofing actions I use all the time.
- Membership to an online forum for mad marketing and photography brainstorming.

Then, throughout the year, you'll receive:
- Ideas and templates for seasonal promotions.
- Holiday promotion plans and card templates.
- Opportunities to request design materials to be distributed to the group.
- Any new action or template that I create during the year.
- And there are even more things in the works that I can't even tell you about yet!

I haven't been able to see all the goodies yet either, so I'm just as stoked as everyone else for Michele to unveil everything. Hope to see you there!