How To Be Awesome ... Like Me

     One word: use picmonkey.com.

     Well, technically that was two words, but whatever.

     A few people have commented on how cool my blog looks. Thanks! Wanna know my secret? ;)

     When I wrote a post on how to download fonts, I got a lot of positive feedback. So we’re doing it again.

     This time, I'll be teaching you how to use my favorite website for photo-editing and graphic design.

     Now, I'm just warnin' ya, it might be a little long. So go make yourself a cuppa coffee and get comfortable.

What is picmonkey.com?

     It's a free website that allows ordinary people to feel like graphic designers. You (yes, YOU) can edit photos for any social networking site (e.g., Facebook, tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) with abundant filters, fun stickers, plentiful fonts, and fashionable frames. It’s simple enough to understand, but professional enough to make your photos look expertly edited.

     You can design invitations, cards, posters, calendars, or basically anything you want using this one free, simple website.

     Here we go.

1.  Editing photos

     To add filters, stickers, and text to your photos, HOVER OVER (don’t click) “Edit” on the home page. The cool thing about PicMonkey is you can import photos from your computer, Facebook, OneDrive, Dropbox, or Flickr.

     Once you choose your photo, the fun begins. Literally.

     There are 51 different filters alone, approximately 430 individual stickers to choose from, 39 frames (including Polaroid, my personal favorite). That’s over 50,000 possible combinations!!

     *mind blown*

Here are some of my favorite filters:

©    Cross Process, Green

©    Interpid

©    Tranquil

©    Black and White (a classic)

©    Daguerreotype, Shiro, 50% fade

Favorite stickers:

©    Arrows, top-right corner under Royale

©    Nautical, anchor with rope, and rope circle

©    Facial Hair, first mustache :{

©    Banners, third one down

©    Leaves, under Royale

©    Trees

©    Vintage Blossoms

Favorite frames:

©    POLAROID FRAME!!! Transparent background, rotation 0

Favorite themes:

©    School U

©    Winterland

©    Comic Heroes

Favorite textures:

©    Bokeh, first one

©    Paper, first one

     PicMonkey also has this really useful feature called “Touch Up." If you took a selfie or found a photo of yourself that you don’t like, voila!  You can use Touch Up and whiten your teeth, fix your mascara, remove wrinkles, and boost your blush. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can scroll down to the bottom and and grow a beard. J I think I look pretty good with a beard, don’t you?

2. Upgrading to Royale

     By this point, you’ve probably noticed that certain filters, stickers, and frames have a little crown on them, meaning that they are reserved for people who have upgraded to Royale.

     I am one of those people. I pay $33 a year to get more filters and stickers and frames, and it is SOOOOOO WORTH IT!! Yes, it is possible to edit photos without an account and without upgrading, but why would you just get a car wash when you could get a car wash, a wax, AND a vacuuming?!

     If you don’t want to pay for a whole year, they also have a plan where you can pay $4.99 per month. BUT if you upgrade for a whole year, it’s only $2.75 per month. Literally like half. You save almost as much as you pay. #doublewin

     I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much I enjoyed writing it. Be sure to check out PicMonkey and lemme know how you like it, k?