PhotoShop Elements, my new friend ...

So I've been having a bit of fun with PhotoShop Elements. I was first exposed to PhotoShop in college, but I figured I'd never be able to afford the $800 program. Then I learned about PhotoShop Elements -- a smaller version that is also a lot smaller in price. I'm loving it!

Mind you, I bought it years ago and there are two new versions (well, as of next month anyway) since mine was released. However, I'm thinking I can upgrade to the next version for something like $40 now that it's the "old" version. I don't need all the new features anyway, although I'm sure they really would be nice.

In any case, I'm having a blast making baby announcements for people. I HAVE to share the one I made for my friends Scott and Marilee Gillins. Not only did the announcements turn out cute, but isn't that baby adorable?!? I took these pictures in the hospital when she was just two days old. I can't wait to see here again because she's so cute:


I also made one for my sis-in-law a couple of months ago, and she got an adorable picture of her baby smiling:


If I ever decide to open up shop and do these for money, I have some cute samples stored up, which is easy to do when the people around me are all having such adorable little babies!

Oh, back onto subject. Well, kind of. Did you all know that one day I plan to get braces? I went to the orthodontist for years and my parents paid a bunch of money, but my teeth came in so late that I didn't really get much done before we couldn't afford it anymore. In any case, I plan to -- when we CAN afford it, and probably after all of my kids have had them -- get braces one day. In the meantime, I can use PhotoShop Elements to straighten my teeth:


Really I just wanted to show off my new BYU T-shirt. Isn't that awesome?!? And it was on clearance at the BYU Bookstore. In any case, I'm enjoying learning a few new PhotoShop things and am having a bit of fun doing it.

In case anyone is wondering (based on this blog), I don't do digital scrapbooking. I prefer putting on all the stuff separately and "getting my hands into it." I figure maybe one day I'll do some digital pages, but I'm still enjoying the "old-fashioned" way for now.

For those who use PhotoShop Elements, what are your favorite tricks? Let me know if you have any sites you peruse with cool ways to do things. :)