{iheartsunnydays: Feeling Loved at Shorely Chic}

Just a quicky today.  Something terribly exciting happened last night and I wanted you all to know!!

I was featured by the beautiful Liz of Shorely Chic.

Go there now and see what lovely things Liz says about me!  I'm quite chuffed and honoured that I am one of Liz's favourite Instagrammers (yes - my head is big today!!)

And while you're there you'll have to check out Liz's Etsy shop too - jam packed with with coastal/beachy goodness.  What can be cooler than chevron AND flamingos?  NOTHING!  Thats why I have my eye on one of these iPhone cases made by Liz and available here

{I Have A New Toy}

I love my iPhone.  I can sit on the couch or outside and do just about everything on it instead of sitting at the desk on the laptop. I also love Instagram.  This week I posted my 1000th photo on Instagram - and I've only been using it since late February!  I'm totally addicted.

This week hubby bought me a new toy - which has to do with my iPhone and Instagram.  So now I totally love it too, and am becoming very addicted.  Its called an Olloclip, which is a little 3-in-1 lens kit thingy that clips onto your iPhone over the camera lens and transforms your iPhone camera lens into a macro, fisheye or wide angle lens!

No, I've only really fiddled with the macro lens at this stage, but it is pretty amazing for such a small thing.

*raindrops caught in a spiderweb in the grass*

*starfish*

*green ant*

What do you think - Would you try an Olloclip?

If you dont live near an Apple store check out the Photojojo online store (these guys have way cool stuff!) or try a search on eBay - you'll love it too!

(This is not a sponsored post - just my thoughts on a new toy.  And I know I'm not a great photographer, but I am having fun and thats all that counts - to me anyway!)

{How To Print Your Instagram Pics}

I'm slightly addicted to Instagram.  To me its like blogging, but in real time, and with no words, just hashtags.  You get almost immediate responses and it takes only a few minutes to answer comments or like and comment on other peoples photos.  I love it.  I take part in challenges (including Fat Mum Slims #photoaday challenge) and take photos of everyday life and random things that catch my eye.  Its a non-themed free for all, and you don't have to have things in order or a set way ready to write a lengthy blog post about or around.

Do you print your Instagram pictures?  I must admit most of the photos I've taken I wouldn't need to print, but some of my earlier photos are from when I was on holidays in the US/Canada, and most of these I wanted to have copies of.  Plus every now and then I really surprise myself and take a good picture!  So it would be nice to have these little reminders around and not just out there in internet cyberspace.

There are some good companies that you can upload your Instagram pictures to and get prints in the mail.  But I'm too impatient to wait for them to come from overseas.  I tried one company and couldn't get it to work properly and even after emailing them for help, received no help at all.  So besides being impatient, I also hate spending money.  If I can't thrift it or successfully DIY it I don't really need it!

Which led me to search for a way to print my Instagram photos at home.  I have a half decent printer (that is quite a few years old, and hardly used!) and photo paper.  I have all I need to print them, I just need to know how.

Enter the wonderful Jennifer from SimpleScrapper.  Jennifer has kindly done all the work and provides a free (requires registration) template to use in Photoshop.  (I have Photoshop Elements) And Jennifer provides an easy to understand video tutorial on how to use the template.

First you will need to download your Instagram photos.  I used instaport.me - this is a great tool to use if you want to download direct from your instagram account (an added bonus is you have options about what you want to download.  Either all your prints, ones uploaded on certain dates, or with certain hashtags). After downloading the ZIP file, saving and extracting the files (takes only a few minutes, depending how many photos you are downloading of course) you now have a copy of your Instagrams ready to play with.  

After watching the video tutorial, and a few minutes playing around in Photoshop Elements.....

Taa Daa!  I now have an A4 size photo page with 12 Instagram prints. (One page printed, another 100 to go!!)  Now my dilemma is what to do with them.  Turn them into magnets, put then into a travel scrapbook, make posters, frame them.....the list goes on and on with whats possible!

P.S.  You can find me on Instagram as @iheartsunnydays or you can see my #photoaday challenge photos on my Pinterest board!

{Where Can I Find You?}

What ever did we do before Social Media take over?!  Back in the days of when I was growing up, there were no smart phones, computers or internet and if you weren't home the phone would just ring out. 

Nowadays, we have answering machines, mobile phones, 24 hour internet access and social media to let the world know what we are doing, where we are, and what we're eating.  It seems strange and a lot different from growing up.  If you weren't home you were uncontactable but now we can't seem to hide!  Not that I'm complaining, I'm very much guilty of letting everybody know just about everything about me through social media.  Are you the same?

If I ever go missing, (and fingers crossed I never do!) please use the check-list below before getting worried!  (Linky buttons can be found at the top of my sidebar)

Instagram:  Get worried if I don't post at least one photo a day!  This has me totally addicted.  You can find me @iheartsunnydays  or if you don't have a smart phone or iPad for Instagram access find me through Statigram. 

Twitter:  I swore to myself a few years ago I would never become a 'Twit' but 6 months ago I gave in and started tweeting. (Purely through frustration with Facebook - another social media craze).  It took me a while to get into it, but find myself hooked.  Lets be 'Twits' together, tweet me: @lizzy_sunnydays

Pinterest:  Since Pinterest came along my Favourites Bar on the now abused and often ignored laptop has never been cleaner!  Instead of adding things that catch my eye to my favourites and then spending hours and hours trying to find what I favourited, I have embraced the idea of 'pinning' everything instead.  Find me @iheartsunnydays 

Tumblr:  Although not as fun as Pinterest, I also post pictures on Tumblr.  Beachy and decor eye candy can be found here and casual comfy fashion inspiration can be found here

I also take part in a Photo-A-Day challange run by the brilliant Chantelle from FatMumSlim.  To see my enteries check me out on Instagram or find my new #photoaday Challenge board on Pinterest.  (Linky button now on my sidebar)

Blog:  Right here of course!

A big check-list I know, so if you can't find me on one social media site, I'm more than likely on another!

Linking up with gorgeous Natasha's -  Say G'day Saturday Social {Media} Linky Party.  Come on over and say G'Day