beyond blonde

We've Moved!

2011-11-03T16:48:00.000-07:00

We have moved! Come visit us over at sparrow & me!
Hope to see you there, xox!

Adrienne {Introducing Beanilla Boutique}

2011-09-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Adrienne approached me about taking a few images for her soon to be launched, might I add, amazingly pretty online boutique - Beanilla, an online clothing boutique housing pretty pieces with a vintage touch.

Adrienne is the gal behind it all. I've seen her pieces in person and they are calling my name ... every single one of them (seriously). The dresses are divine and the jewels are spectacular. Of course, she's drenched in Beanilla attire in her images below from her mini session we did last week. We were forced indoors due to the true to form west coast weather but it didn't stop us. As soon as Adrienne launches her boutique, I'll be sure to post. Can I just mention how seriously gorgeous this girl is ...

two of a kind

2011-09-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of us recognize how special it is to have images of just you and your Mumma! I know I do. Look how cute this two of a kind pair is. Or three is you count their family Pup, Kilo. Sheri and her Mum met me for an early morning session together a few weeks ago. I sincerely love every one of your shots Sheri and I'm so glad that you made the time to make memories with just you and your Mum. Sheri has already booked another session with me in a few weeks so she'll be a sparrow & me star by the time we're through ;) Enjoy your memories! xoxo!

Just a little inside thought out

2011-09-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Not that this thought of mine is directed at anyone in particular by any means but I just wonder sometimes why some people in general feel that their opinion, comments or point of view are always wanted, always needed. Why do they always give them, asked or not? We all know people who do this - I know ya'll do (definitely in the blog and Facebook world now a days too). I use to be that girl. I know, so annoying right. At least, I hope I'm not that girl anymore. Am I Mom?! ;) It's been one of my biggest personal lessons in life so far ...

Hmmm, I think to myself. Are they unaware of the fact that it's perfectly acceptable and likely preferred for one to say nothing in circumstances that one feels as though they can barely contain themselves?! I know that silence isn't always the best choice. I can assure you that I'm all for standing up for what you believe in or saying something constructive when you feel it's necessary (I'm a Leo for cryin' out loud). However, I'm talking about things that really don't require your 'expertise' in the grande scheam of things. I do think though, that it all comes down to self awareness (another important life lesson for myself that a lot of days, I'm still growing with). Are we truly aware of the way that we may be making others feel with our little 'inserts' shall we call them?

I remember one day (I was maybe 18 or so) and my Mom and Dad said to me "You know Jess, the time to say nothing at all is the time that you feel you must say something or bust". I had never thought of it that way but it made a lot of sense to me the next time I felt that way in a situation. This also coming from the people who told me around the same year (and every so often they'll still remind me) that not everything is black and white. There is grey and a lot of it (I try to live by this now). The reason I'm adding in this little last bit of grey talk is because I find that often, those who speak whatever they feel regardless, are often those who see the world in rather black and white terms.

This is a blog post that I've been considering writing for months now, especially as I recognize it happening so often. Hopefully I've kept it short, sorta sweet and to the point. I'm not looking for agreement or disagreement. Just passin' on the thought for others who are interested in considering it ... or not. Either way is just fine with me. But for the record, my Mom and Dad are rarely wrong ;)

How to comment on blogs & an invitation to do just that!

2011-08-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

I need a little help from my friends! Would any of you be so kind as to give your opinion on which bundle is more 'me'? By me, I mean Sparrow & Me Photography, Beyond Blonde, or anyone who knows me in person. I do my best to make all my endevours very 'me' but if you had to plunk me into a design scheme, are any of these it ... ? If you would leave a comment below the post as to which one you love the best, I would be so grateful for your part in the decision making process. P.S. This is to help me narrow down a new look for possibly a new blog! A How to Comment tutorial is just below. Also, you'll be able to identify which one is which by their names located right below the words 'Digital Paper Pack' in the middle of the image. For example, the first image below here is called 'Darlington'.

Now ... for those of you who have asked me over and over again on how you can comment, I finally realized that I could just do a simple post about how to do so! Because I love to read comments when you leave them, hopefully this will help a gal out :)

Writing a comment on a blog is no more difficult than sending an email. Really. It's three basic steps:Write your comment, leave your name & press submit ... that's it!

The easiest thing to do is just look for the word "comment" and click on it. For example, on all blogger blogs (like mine) you'll see something that looks like this at the end of the post ...

When you click to comment, something like the image shown below also may pop up & in that case you want to do the following ...

Enter your name and your email address. Your email address will be kept private - no other blog readers can contact you through it, so don't worry
Enter your website/blog if you have one but don't worry ... you don't have to fill it in!

I hope this helps and I'm excited to see if anyone has any thoughts for me on what design colors they think would best for me to go with!

Sparrow & Me Featured on ONTO BABY!

2011-08-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to announce the feature of Jenn's "Waiting for Summer" baby shower on Onto Baby today! I put together the shower for her back in July just before her little munchkin arrived. I did a little photographing as the event went on and our other amazing friends took over some hostessing duties so I could do just that :) So a whole hearted thank you to them for allowing me to snap a few shots.

Onto Baby hosts some extra lovely inspiration surrounding bebes and all the adorable-ness that comes along with them. I feel amazingly honored to have my work featured on this site as Onto Baby is most definitely one of my fave daily reads. I often check out the Maternity session features on the site as well. There are tons of really gorgeous sessions to gather lots of pretty ideas and to help get your wheels turning in order to add that spark to every session you shoot. It's also a great tool for clients to take a look around and see if a particularly styled session might suit them beforehand if they're unsure of how they are hoping to be captured.

Thank you so much Onto Baby!

Amanda, Matt & Bebe

2011-08-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, Amanda is the most stunning expecting Mom ever. She was SUCH a trooper, wading through the river behind her parent's gorgeous property and crawling up on top of farming equipment all for the shots! Amanda and Matt are expecting their first baby this September. The baby's gender will be a surprise and I've got my vote in but I can't wait to hear! I'll be thinking peaceful birthing thoughts for you Amanda and I cannot wait to meet your new little bundle once they arrive.Thank you both for helping me along with my creativity in your session and for being totally present all morning!

Emily & Tommy

2011-08-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

Emily & Tommy were another couple from the family bbq mini session. Emily & Tommy are engaged to be married sometime in the next year or two and I may just be there snapping away photos of their big day as well! Their puppies are so gorgeous and so well behaved! We thought we'd make a quick attempt to re enact a little spider man action and it turned out to be my favorite shot of the session! The two photos are slightly different in terms of editing. The one on the left is a slight vintage feel. Speaking of vintage, Emily's ring is so, so stunning. It's definitely a vintage style rock. My ultimate favorite style. Ben and I are really excited for you Em and we're loving seeing you two so content. Love is pretty amazing. Thanks to your little family of four for sitting pretty for some awesome shots!

Dayna & Patrick

2011-08-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

Dayna & Patrick were part of the family bbq mini session I mentioned in my previous post. They were super easy to photograph. As you can see, Dayna's a total knock out with her dark long locks and tall stature! They were both willing to jump in trucks and sit in the middle of streets, no questions asked. Thanks so much you two for being such easy going, adorable subjects!

Brad & Kelsey

2011-08-23T10:41:00.001-07:00

Meet Brad, Kelsey, Brasen & little Landon. Brad & Kels are very good friends of ours that came out for a visit a few weeks ago. They don't live near by and we only see them once, maybe twice a year so we really enjoyed spending the week with them. Kels has the cutest smile ever and she seems to show it the most when she's around Brad. Brad's family wanted to have a bbq and have me there to photograph a little mini session for whoever wanted to, so that's what we did! We found a really pretty woodsy area right behind his families home here in the Valley. It's amazing how simple backdrops and locations like your front yard or your Dad's truck (session coming up next), can actually work out really well. I have a few more sessions from their family to post today so check back! Ben & I look forward to many more years of friendship with you two and all the excitement coming your way in the next year. Lots of love from us!

ALOHA

2011-08-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

* Our roadtrip to the most Southernest Point in the USA, was so windy that the trees in this place all grow completely sideways like the photo below
* There was a market in our little town. I bought myself a huge turquoise ring, Ben a few tee's, and a massive butter avocado and red pepper for our enchilada dinner we were making later on that night
* I was totally diggin the Bob Marley fabric poster at the market but something told me that it wouldn't quite match the rest of my home
* Gotta love the random zebra (and donkey which is not shown) on the side of a a random road with the please don't feed sign. Hana was overjoyed at the sight of the random zebra.
* The windmill photo was encouraged by my brother. He thought they were really cool and I was not all that impressed. He convinced me to snap a photo as we were driving by and I actually love the shot with those cotton candy hued clouds. So there you go Chayse, it's a keeper
* The grassy landscape was a total change from what most of our side of the island looked like. It was very pretty though with all the long grasses and bluffs. I love the very last shot of the little sparrows on the fence and the crazy blue sky above them
* You know the pineapple in Hawaii is yummy when it can make a girl who didn't like it before, suddenly crave it all the time. It was SO good. Everyone forced me to try it and I'm so glad they did. Can you seriously go to Hawaii and not even TRY their pineapple?!

I still need to get to editing the photos from the Luau we went to on the night of my birthday. It was so entertaining so those will be next & more beach shots of the prettiest beach we'd gone to. It was too bad we discovered it on the afternoon of our last full day there. Stay tuned!

I told you there were a lot of photos ...

2011-08-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

* Tiny frogs being carried in tiny hands

* Black sand beach

* A roadtrip with my brother & Hana to the most Southernest point in the USA

* Extra memorable fishing charter trip for the boys (they reeled in a shark!)

* Lots of laughter

* Swimming in the open waters with wild dolphins

* Snorkeling, snorkeling and more snorkeling!

* Lots of swimming in our pool and down at beaches near our place

More photos to come!

More Hawaiian Adventures!

2011-08-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

Some of the highlights from days three and four of our Hawaiian trip were ...

* Cracking open our first coconut (right off our tree in our backyard)
* Doing an early morning walk just Ben and I to the bay near our house
* Went to Hapuna State Park Beach w/ the whole fam (first time to a really typically gorgeous white sand Hawaiian beach)
* I had a serious bathing suit malfunction standing in seven foot waves
* We ate our first (and best through out the entire trip) fish tacos from a little stand at the beach
* The babies stayed home after Eli's long night at the hospital
* We did a little mini photo sesh with my brother and his girlfriend Hana. They had been to a candy factory the day before so we used their salt water taffy in some shots. One is posted below in black and white and the others will come another day ~~not so~~ soon
* Of course Eli has been working hard to walk. He tried and tried on the trip. By the end he was motoring along a lot quicker with a helping hand, then he was before we left.

There were likely more highlights but because I have been SO slow at getting these photos up and because I am way busy, I am just going to post a bunch today. They are not all from this day of course, but I need to get rollin so that's ok ;) I am crazy in love with the black and white one of Ben & the Colty holding hands, the ones of my Dad & Colty sitting in the wicker chair & the one of Chayse (my brother) photographing in black in white. The image of me in the yellow dress was taken by my adoring husband.
P.S. All the images have been taken by me & if they're not, I'll write otherwise.

Enjoy!

Hawaiian Adventure {Day 1 & 2}

2011-08-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

I think the one and only way to blog our vacay in Hawaii is to go through it day by day. So I think I'll do just that. We stayed on the Big Island in Kona in a vacation home.

{Day One}

We arrived on Wednesday evening. Jumped off the plane and walked into the outdoor Kona airport. The air was super warm, super humid and we all instantly perked right up after our long day of travel. The babies were amazing ... they slept through each flight and were really patient with all the security and waiting. We pulled up to our place and we figured we must have had the wrong house ... this place was way too incredible. The photos that were advertised clearly didn't do it justice AND it was dark out. We realized that this was it and we were even more excited to get in and settled! The house had a huge wrap around deck with bamboo flooring, comfy outdoor furniture, a perfect jungle view and you could overlook the pool from the deck as well. The entire house was encased by huge banana leaf, coconut, papaya and avocado trees. We all went for a dip that night in the pool and then off to sleep since we had a big trip ahead of us!

{Day Two}

Today we needed to fill up the fridge and get some groceries for the next little while. We headed to a nearby Costco (the cheapest place to shop) and Target as well. I got a few new swimsuits (one of them with a major malfunction which I'll explain on another day).

Ben and I bought ourselves some snorkel gear that morning and went snorkeling at a small bay on Alii Drive (the main drag in Kona). Hana and Chayse came along with us and Hana and Ben both got bit by a fish! There are signs on the beach with photos to show you what a fish bite looks like, in order to help you correctly identify what your bite was from. Look below at the first video to see the sea turtle we swam beside! The water at this particular bay (video number two) wasn't clear and blue like all the other bays but there were turtles everywhere and it was a good little intro to snorkeling. Today we had our first shaved ice! No idea why I didn't get photos of it because it was the best thing ever. Below is a photo of Colty eating the last few bites of my fave flavor Coconut, Cherry and Pina Colada. Don't go to Hawaii without trying it. Actually, we 'tried' it quite a few times during our trip.

Eli had been running a bit of a fever that afternoon and he was being a little crankier than normal. Ben and I woke up in the middle of the night that evening to a running shower and loud footsteps running up and down the stairs. Their bedroom was right next to ours. I got up to see what was going on and realized that Eli was really unwell. He had a fever of 103. They decided to call an ambulance. We had no idea where a hospital was or even a clinic that would be open this late. And who knew if there was even a hospital in the town we were in.We were so thankful that the ambulance was there within 5 minutes. It wasn't far to the hospital from our place.They took Eli and C & J with them to the hospital and helped them to bring down his fever. Turns out, Eli had a bad ear infection from the plane and a sore throat as well. That baby can't catch a break but he must have slept it off because in a day or two, he was feeling much better (see him napping away in the photo).

The blue palm tree photo was the reflection of the trees in our pool. The photo was my Mom's idea and it turned out to be so pretty. The pink flower photo was also taken in the pool. The videos were filmed with our underwater camera that only worked in the moments that it wanted to (it's getting a bit old now and it doesn't take very good clips but it's done the job over the past few years). That's day two! More beaches to come for the next post of days three and four!

Skippin Town!

2011-07-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

We're leaving on a jet plane tomorrow! Off to The Big Island in Hawaii to get at least a few weeks of Summer away from home. The West Coast doesn't seem to be ready for Summer .. it's been unusually chilly, rainy and just downright gloomy the past few months. I think people are really legitimately needing some sunshine around here. I have to put down my Raspberry Rapture Booster Juice and actually finish packing but today the sunshine finally decided to come out to play and it's making it difficult to get things done.

I'll also be celebrating a birth day in Hawaii on the 26th of July which is pretty exciting! We are planning to do a Lou Out on that night and I'll, of course, be bringing my trusty camera along with me. I'll be back to catch everyone up when we return in the first week of August!

Cutie Pie Recap

2011-07-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

Our cutie pie nephew. Oh boy, he cracks me up.We had a sleep over last weekend and we even managed to get ourselves out together to watch Cars 2 and in 3D to boot! Colton kept pulling his glasses on and then off, to compare I think, lol. We packed up to leave twice, but wound up tricking Colty into staying a little longer each time. I think both Ben and I realized we do make a pretty good team together.Colty must have told me "I Yuv You Aunt (pause) Tee" a dozen times throughout the night. But I probably told him "I love you Colton" twelve more times than he told me. I love those boys so much. I can't wait to spend the next few weeks in Hawaii with them. Photographing all of my family there is going to be really special, especially photographing the boys.

In the last few photos of him running around in the morning with his 3D glasses on, I was trying to hard to catch him with the camera with them on. He made a little game out of it and so while some of the shots are not perfectly in focus, I thought he still looked pretty darn cute. With his blue steel like expression and his footie pj's and all.

Ta & Ryan Married!

2011-07-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

I posted a sneak peek of Ryan & Tereza's wedding, right after the actual event. I also raved about how amazingly magical this wedding was. Now that Tereza & Ryan have seen their images, I wanted to post a few ~~zillion~~ of my favorites. There are many as you can see and there were a ton more that I could barely choose from. Like I said before, Hornby is pretty magical. As you can see in some of the images, it started to sprinkle down rain just as they began their vows. I thought the rain was kind of cool though in their ceremony shots. It told yet another detail of the day and I think that's what lifestyle/journalistic style photography is really all about. A story, a tale, a peek into who they people behind the lens really are. I love that. Once again, thank you so very much and enjoy your images Ryan & Ta. I really, really do.

8 AM POPS

2011-07-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

I'm making cake pops this morning for Jenn's baby shower this weekend . Yup, bright & early baby ;) I would love to sprinkle them with these pretty sugar crystals like the ones below but I didn't even think about it until this morning and I don't know if I have time to run into town. I'll consider it while I'm writing this post. I finally gave in and bought myself the little squeeze bottle for decorating treats like cake pops. I kept trying to decorate them without it but I finally realized ... pay the $2 and get the ugly bottle and use it and your treats will be a whole lot prettier. So I did and I'm looking forward to using it today. Next on my list is the giant cupcake pan. We're thinking about doing a big giant smore cupcake for Eli's camping themed first birthday party along with a bunch of regular sized smore cupcakes as well. Does anyone know where to find one locally? Or if I need to buy it online? I haven't seen any kicking around town but I'll look a little harder. Today is supposed to be amazingly sunny. I can't wait.

{PHOTO SESSION INSPIRATION}

2011-07-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

Onto baby featured the most adorable twin sister maternity photo session. These girls are out of this world gorgeous! How fun would it be to expect at the same time as your sister, let alone your TWIN sister?! I honestly LOVE this session and I'm sure these sisters did too.
Onto baby features some of the cutest sessions {plus a million other fun ideas} and it's one of the places I head to for inspiration almost daily. One of my newest favorite photographers rebecca amber {who is originally from the Valley} recently had a session of hers featured on the site! I was so excited for her because I know how amazing this site truly is. Her featured session was full of extra natural light and true to rebecca amber form, tons of creativity. Be sure to check out rebecca amber on facebook as well. Her engagement photos are SUPER fun! You definitely won't be seeing any button down matching white tops and kakis with her sessions and I think that's what makes her stand out among others.

Bjorndahl Family {A WHOLE TON A LOVE}

2011-07-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

I always like to wait until each person gets to see their photos for the first time before I do a post with my favorites from their session. Today's the day so I thought I'd post a few from Janice, Neil & Reid's session on Father's Day! Janice came prepared with a few fun props and some great ideas of what she definitely wanted to try out - I love that. Sometimes what I see through my lens says a whole lot. They probably had no idea while I was photographing them but I kept thinking to myself as I snapped away, how totally in love Janice and Neil are with not their little man but also with each other. These photos speak for themselves. I can picture these photos hanging in frames on the walls of their home. One of my favorite thing about the photos all over the walls in my home, is the few moments I take every single day, to gaze at them and remember how much I love the people in them and the memories that go along with each one. I hope you can do the same with these photos from your session you three. Thanks again so very much Bjorndahl Family.

Dakota's Party {Pretty in Pink}

2011-06-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

Look how cute. I already raved about how adorable little Miss Dakota and her party was so here it all is to see for yourself now that Ally's seen them ;) There are plenty more but these are just a few! The fabric banner is the one Laura got me to make for Dakota's birthday gift. They thought we'd better get a shot of it after they unwrapped it. So sweet. Ally made a ton of paper poms and hung them vertically on twine (I think) and clustered them above the main table with all the yummy food. She had a bunch of different shades of pink to add some depth to it. And check out the balloons ... Nadia at Lots of Laughs in Comox made them up for her and they were so fun! Hope you love them Ally!

DAKOTA {ONE YEAR DOWN}

2011-06-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

Yep, Dakota is ONE and it sure was FUN! I don't wanna spoil the surprise of the photos for Dakota's Mumma Ally so I'll leave the rest for her. I worked like a crazy lady all afternoon through tonight to get her birthday session all finished up for her to have. Did I mention how ADORABLE Dakota is ... holy moly girl. I would love to add more once Ally gets them so check back, I think I'll do just that. They were WAY to cute not to (thanks to Ally's legit Martha Stewart skills!) Lots of love little Dakota ... everyone is crazy is love with you and I can see just why!

RYAN & TEREZA {SITTIN' IN A TREE}

2011-06-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

Umm, this adorable wedding made me re consider wedding photography all together! I have one other outdoor wedding this Fall which I'm so looking forward to, however, besides that I've had to let go of other wedding photography opportunities. I generally, just don't have the time to give to them but Ta asked me to photograph her wedding ceremony to Ryan. The timing was perfect and the idea just fit! Can I start off by saying yes I had never been to Denman OR Hornby Island before today and can I also say that I'm SO in love with Hornby! I wish I had a bit more time to spend on this gorgeous little island but I'll happily make the effort to go back ... again and again. It's magical, really!

Onto what I'm really supposed to be posting about. Another little bit of magic ... Ryan & Tereza (aka Ta) were married island style this afternoon on Hornby. The dark and hazy storm clouds were rolling in as they exchanged vows right on the beach in front of a ton of people who you could see, loved them both a whole lot! Ryan & Ta have a gorgeous little boy together, Makeef, who was runnin' around the shore looking fly in his tiny suit. Below is just a small part of the gorgeousness I captured today. Thank you to you both Ryan & Ta, for inviting me to your lovely little island and for being so much fun today. Also to your wedding party, who were super friendly and made everything so easy! Enjoy everyday together.

P.S. Don't you just love Ta's pretty DIY LOVE BANNER? Ta knows I can appreciate the DIY love she put into it ;)

Summer Solstice!

2011-06-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

I think today is the first official day of summer! Wow ... we people on the West Coast sure wait forever for this day! Winter feels like it last so very long and that can be really tough sometimes. I tend to stare out the window in amazement everytime we have a torrential down pour around here. Yes, we get light rain or even fairly heavy rain a little too often perhaps. But the night I took these shots at sunset, the sky was crying so loud, the rain was falling harder than I've ever seen it fall before. It's relaxing to me. This isn't to say that I don't appreciate the sunshine ... because do I ever. I'm so happy that summer has 'ofiicially' started. Ahh! Summer in the Valley is always a lot of fun. Last summer, we barely skipped one night of heading out to the river or the lake at the end of each day. We've been dying to take the jetski out and it just hasn't been nice enough to take it out quite yet. We're waiting patiently. Happy Summer Solstice! Enjoy that vitamin D.

Today

2011-06-14T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yes, I do. Last night, we were all watching the game and Ben's friend asked me if I had good luck. Ben piped up and said "no!" I didn't realize I didn't have good luck. I didn't realize that a lot of the times, I work really hard to get things done and it doesn't turn out the way I'd hoped. You could say that it happens a lot but I think it's probably because I do so many things so the odds are there. The more I do, the more chances that some of these things aren't going to quite turn out the way I'd planned. We started talking about the topic more when we got home and Ben asked me why I bother taking on so much ...

I replied ...

Yeah the times that don't work out, those times suck. But for the times that they do, it makes it all worth it. I don't want to just stop doing projects and creative endevours just because of one failure. I'll just take what I can from that and move on, try something different or new all together. I have a ton on my plate right now and I think ultimately, Ben just wants me to slow down a tad. Which I can appreciate. I have lots of decision to make this month and a lot of things that I need to get moving with. It's great really. Busy and a little daunting some days, but it's great.

Today I woke up when Ben did for work, I got a huge hug from him and I told him I was heading back to bed (I never sleep past 6:30 or so!) He was happy to hear that.I slept till 9 ish and now I'm blogging! Who knows what else I'll do before work this morning but it's a new day!

Year One

2011-06-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

365 {well 366} days as of today! Yesterday was our One Year Wedding Anniversary. The weather was pretty close to the exact same to the weather on the same day last year ... which is sort of amazing considering the wishy washer nature of the West Coast. I don't really have a ton of time today so I'll leave you with just a few photos and I promise to be back tomorrow with the deets on all the lovely things Ben planned for us this past weekend. It was such an amazing weekend, weather and all! I even got to wear a dress that had been waiting in my closet for well over a year and I thought it was time to dust off my metallic wedges that had been sitting in the same spot, just waiting. By the way ... the shoes .... thrifted! Enjoy Monday.

{CASH WILLIAM}

2011-06-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Introducing cute as a button Cash! Cash is my friend Courtenay's first born. He was born very early and very tiny but his personality is definitely not. Cash is growing bigger and stronger every day and each time I see him, I get a little comfier picking him up! I don't know what it is about tiny babies and the worry people have with holding them. I never imagined being worried to hold such a small baby but then again, all the babies I was use to, in our family, were adorably huge at birth. Court and I spent the afternoon moving sleeping Cash into sweet little positions, cozying him in her gorgeous turquoise throw blanket. I just love Cash. Love his name. Love the hardcore blonde Hawk he's got goin' on with his hair. Love. Him. To. Bits. Courtenay & Bob's puppy, Bailey, didn't leave our side the entire session so we couldn't possibly have left her out of the shots. She was a huge fan of cuddling in the blanket with Cash and I'm so glad we caught the memories on camera for them to remember forever. Love you three!

{LIONESS}

2011-06-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

I am, without a doubt, a Leo to the tee. While others don't believe in Zodiac sings (which is fine), I happen to myself. I can't not. I can often tell when I meet another Leo. People have asked me before what my sign is and when I've told them "I'm a Leo ...", they're surprised! It's crazy because I don't feel like there's much about me that's unseen. I feel like everything I do (good choices and not so good), and everything I feel, is really apparent. But the fact that some people are surprised that I'm a Leo, surprises me! ;)

While I love the fact that a Leo woman is generally a tower of strength, I also know that there are also many other attributes that I find I really do need to be more aware of. I try. I don't always do it in time. But then I try again. Life is one big (sometimes really tough) lesson but I choose to do as much good as possible with the strength that I've been given. Time for this Lion to do a big stretch and get up and on with the day. Enjoy yours wherever you might be :)

OH LA LACE

2011-06-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

This lace covered wire hanger is so pretty. Perfect way to beautify a space to hang your way too many pretty jewels. Cherie {who is my ultra chic Vancouverite cousin} ... this feels like a project for you! That is if you can even find an old wire hanger in your place but the thrift store will have one for sure :)

{A LITTLE RAIN CAN BE PRETTY TOO}

2011-06-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

Are these little mobiles not especially perfect for the West Coats inhibitor? I LOVE this Whimsical Rain Cloud Mobile for a child's nursery handmade by The Butter Flying! You can find these adorable little creations on her Etsy shop! It's no wonder I pounced right to the blushy pink powdery shades {insert eyeroll here} but it looks like she absolutely takes custom orders. Like the very last photo ~ a lovely jewel toned custom piece with a star & moon accent, headed to Australia to sit above an equally lovely little sleeping babe. I absolutely want one when it comes time to need one ... these are just so unique and so delicate looking. Perhaps even an olive green, grey and white for a boy? Check out her designs in the above Etsy link. I encourage you to poke around at other Etsy shops too ... there are some extra unique pieces out there for you and for your home, just like these :)

I do hope the rain can stay a away a little just for the weekend perhaps ... I have plenty planned and I'd love to wear sandals and fun dress for most of it if at all possible ;) It's Ryder's Second Birthday this weekend so I'm really excited to go snap a few action shots of him diving into his cake, tearing open gifts and being gushed at by a house full of people that love him. I've probably mentioned it before but in case I haven't Ryder is my best friend, Laura's, son. Along with Ryder's Birthday, it's mine and Ben's One Year Wedding Anniversary. All I can is time flies ... it's been an amazing first year and I think we grew taller not only together but individually. It was a big year for both of us in terms of careers and accomplishments and I've enjoyed being able to focus and spend the time together just him and I. For all those inquiring with love ;) ... Ben and I both absolutely want to start a family. However, we are both so very much wanting to have a few things pegged down before we do. So that's what we're doing :) We've got a plan. We're planners and it works for us right now. We're feeling like the harder we work to get our careers in order, the better of a position we'll be in. I know we've told a few people our plan and they say to us "you'll never be ready though!" I can appreciate the thought but I KNOW we can be a little more ready than we currently are, in terms of a home especially. That's number one for both Ben and I ... a home. I do feel like we've made this place our home in many ways, but it's not actually ours and I think both of us would thrive in a space that we can do what we want with. That's our story and we're stickin to it ;) Enjoy today, rain and all friends because it can be kinda pretty too!

LILAC LOVE

2011-05-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

My entire house smells as pretty as this lilac looks. It's amazing. It's fresh cut from Ben's Mom's yard. Enjoy the sunshine today ... I hear it's supposed to be nice and warm today! I am off to work but I got to enjoy the sunshine this past weekend so it's only fair that I work through it today ;)

Glowing Green Smoothie

2011-05-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hello green ... smoothie that is. I've been really into making smoothies for breakfast for a long time but my friend Ally suggested I try adding spinach. I don't know why I hadn't done it earlier! The color green is associated with refreshing vital energy and nutrition. Dark leafy greens are high in calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and zinc. One cup of most dark, leafy green vegetables supplies the daily requirement of beta carotene, as well as vitamins C, E and K. Dark leafy greens are also high in fiber, folic acid, and dozens of trace minerals and nutrients.

{Simple Spinach Smoothie Recipe}

A big handful of fresh spinach leaves

A small handful of blackberries or raspberries

1 cup cranberry juice

1 cup water

Palm full of flat seeds

A few ice cubes

In a blender or in my case, a magic bullet, add cranberry juice and flax seeds and blend until smooth. Add berries, fruit, water, ice and of course anything else your little heart desires. Use a fun straw to sip it out of! My light blue straws are from Superstore but I also found the cutest straws at Ikea a few months ago. They're bright purple, red, and green and they tend to make sipping a little more fun ;)

I usually alternate between strawberries, mango, banana, a tiny bit of yogurt, blueberries, pear. Whatever I have on hand for that week really. I stock up on fresh fruit and berries throughout the month and freeze them so I've always got something handy. I am also going to start adding more green to my smoothies this week. I think Kale. I also want to try and incorporate things like coconut shavings and maybe some almond hazelnut butter (thanks to a little tip from my girls at work) just to mix things up. The thing is, I LOVE cooked/roasted veggies but I can't stand them raw, unless of course they're blended. Tadaa ... a smoothie is the perfect fix for me!

{Hana}

2011-05-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

I met my brother Chayse and Hana at their school for a really quick photo sesh under the cherry blossom tree before her grad ceremony. Chayse was going as Hana's date. I told you her dress was killer ... she looked GORGEOUS. I had parked outside the school grounds and as I was walking up toward the property, I could see Hana's dress literally sparkling so brightly, even from so far away. It was so shimmery and so perfect! Chayse bought these shoes when he was in Sendai.They were a pair of Star Wars collectors edition shoes. He had sent them home to Mom & Dad's right before the earthquake. Guess he decided to get some use out of them. I said "only for Hana hey Chayse". They were half gold so they matched Hana to the tee!

It wasn't long before I had flung my sandals off and was laying on the grass in my dress to get the shots I wanted. It was a super warm day out so it was better than the usual west coast rain we're forced to endure day after day around here. As you can see, they're adorable. Adorable, adorable.

Happy Graduation Hana ... it's your night, have so much fun!

{PEONIES}

2011-05-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

I am so obsessed with peonies. So obsessed, in fact, that I choose our wedding date around their blooming season. This is a photo of my bouquet a few days after the wedding and although it was getting a little weary around the edges, I held onto it as long as I could. I actually remember the feeling I had when I knew it needed to be thrown out ... I was really, truly sad. I did keep the little gems because there were so many and I knew I'd likely re use them with one of my crafts/DIY projects and I have :) Since everything seems to be blooming late this year, I was hoping I could go take a scope around town this week to try and see if there are any pretty peonies that I can bring home. Thriftys had gorgeous peonies last year. I bought a few the day before the wedding and placed bundles of them in mason jars outside the yard around Ben's parents house. I put one near the front entrance on a bench they have outside their door and a few on the tables we had set up in the backyard opposite of where the actual reception tent was set up. It felt very cozy, very springy and very pretty - just the way peonies make me feel. In fact I've decided to have my god awful, 16 year old girl tattoo (on my back) re done with a fairly big, pretty peony. The one currently on my back has no sentiment and I hate that. But ... a peony does so problem solved! I've got a little wind burn from being outside in the sun/wind all day so I'm feeling like a homey evening is in store!

P.S. Speaking of peonies, mine and Ben's One Year Wedding Anniversary is next weekend and we're pretty excited to celebrate it. Cannot believe it's been one year already! Waaah, I miss my dress and my flowers almost everyday ... and I'm not kidding. lol. Someone recently inquired about buying my dress and although I know I don't NEED it, I WANT it and it feels really, really special to me. I did give them the info and I'm thinking I'll just cross the bridge when the time comes, if I need to.

Ok, I'm off to snap a few photographs of my my brother Chayse and his girlfriend Hana {she's gradding today!} They are going to look AMAZING. Her dress is killer! I'm sure I'll wind up convincing them to let me post some photos ;) Happy weekend friends.

xoxo

Construction Zone

2011-05-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed, I'm in the middle of trying to make some changes on the blog ... again :) I worked on things last night and a little this morning as well but I think nows the time that I need to take a little break on my day off and head over to visit with my two little pumpkins and the big pumpkin too {aka Casey, Colty & Eli}. I haven't seen them all week and I'm missing my boys! Thanks for the patience while I find the perfect groove for my blog!

A DIY DAY

2011-05-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few of the changes that I made during a long day of DIY projects around our house ... it's a good thing I enjoy doing them! I spent from 9 am to 11 pm just about straight, doing little projects about the house. 90 % of the knick nacks in these photos are thrifted. The fabric flowers were all handmade from the fabric left over from my maternal Grandmother's wedding dress. I met her when I was little but I don't remember her at all. I've seen photos ... she's small like me. Her wedding dress fit me when I was in grade six, can you IMAGINE being that tiny as an adult, let alone one who carried three children?! I wore it for a Halloween costume .. I was dressing up as Frankenstein's bride I think. A few years ago, the dress popped back up at my parent's place and I thought we mine as well do something with it. So we kept it and I used it to make our little cousin Shyanna's, flower girls dress in our wedding. I kept all the left over fabric that we salvaged and I won't ever throw these fabric flowers away I will always try to incorporate them in my space somehow. I would have loved to know her now but I'm sure we'll meet again one day. For now, I have her name as my middle name (as well as my paternal Poppa's too who I also know I'll see again one day) and I cherish that. The idea of having left over fabric in a photo frame was given to me by my friend Ally. She had her own dress made so had tons left over. I didn't have mine made but I had lots from my Grandmother's so I decided on using hers instead. I love sentiment.

I found the candelabra at the thrift with the Cody & Company tag STILL ON IT which said $50 but I bought it for .49 cents and it's one of my favorite purchases to date. The mirror above the mantel is second hand, re painted a light sky grey/blue. All the vases shown as well as the books (simply painted white), frames, the clutter of things hanging on the wall, the teapot and other mirror in the kitchen ... all thrifted. Not only would do I suggest thrifting as a great alternative for your pocket, I like the idea of reducing waste and re vamping pieces that you may otherwise grow out of (which happens a lot with me!)

P.S. My best girlfriend, Laura, called me from Victoria this afternoon to tell me about a customer she had at her store who mentioned that she reads my blog ... how fun is that?! I really appreciate all the readers sticking around even though I don't get to posting as much as I'd like. I am going to get a few new things going on the blog asap, things to make it better organized and to find what you might be looking for a little faster. SO I'm sending a shout out and a thanks so much to that reader for tuning in. Feel free to say hello one day if you haven't already :) What a small world!

xoxo

{MY HEART IS YOUR HEART} THE MILBURN FAMILY

2011-05-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

So it started with two ... then there was three ... and cuter than cute came Little E! For those of you who don't know, this lovely little family is my family :) My sister, her partner and their two beautiful babies and mine and Ben's nephews. The babies were actually pretty easy going today and the weather turned out to be perfect right as we were meeting for the session. Both babies were asleep when we arrived so we took a few minutes to snap a few shots of Jon and Casey together. I don't think they've ever had photos of the two of them (let alone family photos) so I was pleased as punch to be the first to photograph them. My sister has the most gorgeous skin and it truly is as smooth as it looks in these photos. I'm a little envious (in a lovingly sisterly way of course, lol!}

Casey and Jon clearly make amazingly beautiful children and I know I'm a little bias because we do share some of the same genes but really these babies are head to toe, inside and out beautiful. Colton Scott didn't want to have too much of the photos (we did a little bribing with his favorite Aunty Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies) and Jon ate a few too ;) These are just a few of the photos we took and I know that when they're hanging on their walls and they walk past them everyday, it'll mean a lot to them to have had them taken. I hope you enjoy this little gift that I can give back to you both because you know you've given us two of the best gifts I could have ever imagined.

Love you tons you Four, xoxo!

P.S. The photos of Colton in his pj's near the end were actually taken during one of his crazy dance off's on our spare bed at our house during the last night we babysat him ... he was continuously yelling "YOWDER ANNIE" or in adult terms "LOUDER AUNTY!" I thought they might fit in well with this post!

today

2011-05-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

Everyone use to poke fun at me and call me "Aunty Poperazzi" ... lol. Because I would usually always bring my camera with me everywhere. It never bothered me much though because I knew that when the boys started to grow so quickly and precious stages moved on to the next, everyone would appreciate the capturing of those memories annnddd I have to say it because I think I deserve it in this circumstance ... I was right! It's like all of a sudden, we are sort of realized that Colty is not a baby anymore. Today Casey popped over with the kids and I walked across the street to the Freakin Coffee Shop with him and I realized right away that I didn't even have to lean over to hold his hand. He just grabbed my hand and we walked hand in hand ... just like that. It was a little sad in some ways. I tried to remind myself that I am pretty short so maybe that was a factor ... lol ... but really I think he is just growing up ;) Back to where I was going with this ...

I feel so passionate about photography because I feel like it's so rare that we take the time to create memories. Usually, life feels so rushed around our neck of the woods. I really need to practice what I preach because I feel like I am always the one behind the lens and I would LOVE to have some recent lifestyle shots of Ben & I together one day soon. That's my goal ... make time and organize a shoot for Ben and I. He'll ~~hate~~ love it ... well not necessarily love, but he'll do it because he loves me and really that's just as good a reason as any :) This is an old photo I took of our rings with our vows the day before the wedding (and before I got my new camera). I've been thinking about taking some new ones, with our rings and with our vows but with my current camera. I'll post if I do! Enjoy the sun this afternoon, I sure did.

{THE PIPER FAMILY}

2011-05-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

Isabelle and I headed out extra early on Thursday morning to soak up that tiny bit of sunshine we were expecting to get for just a few hours that day. We each packed a baby & a handful of props and got right to it. It was pretty nice out but definitely a little on the windy side down by the Comox marina. I'm usually pretty involved when it comes to my sessions. A lot of the times, the people in front of my camera are people that I know quite well and of course Isabelle & I are close friends so I felt super comfortable getting right in there for some gorgeous shots of her and her favorite two little people, Nicole & Justin. I love these kids like crazy ... of course they are both ADDDORABLE and both of their personalitys are oh so sweet. I love the smile on Isabelle's face in the photo of the three of them together ... even though both babies are off looking at all the wonder going on around them ... it's clear that she is so in love with them! Thanks very much for helping haul all my stuff around Iz & I hope you love your shots. I'll have quite a few more to give you soon!

xoxo

super smoothie

2011-05-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

I never feel like I make enough time for breakfast. Lunch yes, breakfast no. I'd say about five days out of the week, I depend on a packed full smoothie to get me through the morning, usually till about 2 pm or so. I almost always add a handful of frozen berries (cranberry, raspberry, blue or blackerry). I also add a little yogurt, a good amount of ground flax seeds, a few tablespoons of soaked oats, and a little cranberry juice. If you're feeling like you need more, try adding a squeeze of a fresh lemon (which I did today) or a banana to add a little froth. I also add a few ice cubes to make it extra chilly cuz I like it that way! ;) I don't know how I'd get to 2 pm each day without my magic bullet, I LOVE IT! I tell everyone. I'm like an un official spokes woman for the thing!

Photos and a yummy recipe found at divya-dilse.blogspot.com! Lots of fantastic ideas on this blog, check it out friends.

xoxo

LemonDrop Love

2011-05-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

How could I have NOT known that it was possible to BUY already made, perfectly gorgeous backdrops for photography?! Why did I not think about searching for this before now ... sheesh! Well, this is the place to go for anyone else thinking about some new photography props! LemonDrop Stop Backdrops and Floordrops has the most adorable backdrops ...

Some of my favorites are below! So awesome. I can't wait to have a little more time to look at them all! I've done my Sunday night grocery shop and I'm onto making some late night Chocolate Cranberry Buttermilk Muffins ... Mmm!

xoxo

{THE PETERSEN'S}

2011-05-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

I spent an early morning in Cumberland with the Petersen Family today! Two amazing little boys {Brett & Blake}... two amazing parents ... a gorgeous home and a very cute family pupp! It can sometimes be tough for Mom and Dad to gather their children in order to take photos, especially when they reach the almost two year mark. Although, I told them this then and I'll say it again ... my very favorite photos are ALWAYS the ones that are un posed, natural, and lifestyle like. I love the one of Brett & his Dad playing outside (the very last frame). It was clear today that Heather is so incredibly natural with her boys and I really admire her go with the flow style. It's even more clear in the photos of her with her littlest darling.

This is their first little peek at their session :) Thank you so much for thinking of me and for all your patience and multitasking today Heather & Aran!

P.S. Happy Mothers Day Heather!

beauty-full

2011-05-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

I came across this gorgeous wedding at the famous Style Me Pretty site. I am so in love with her bouquet and while I'm not normally sold on this this type of flower, the deep orange hue and the whimsical willowy branches are amazing. Um, not to mention that ring and cuff the bride is wearing ... wow! The intimate dinner {literally}at sea is breath taking. Can you imagine sitting down together to eat your first meal as a married couple? Incredible. The Photography for this particular wedding was done by Serendipity Studios.

We are watching the game tonight with Colton so his Mom and Dad {and of course E} can have a little Mexican dinner for her birthday tonight! Colton would rather watch hockey I'm sure anyhow ;) 'CO CO NUCKS!' as Colton says.

xoxo

SPRING IS HERE & SO IS A GIVEAWAY!!

2011-05-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Sparrow & Me Photography is doing a FREE Springtime Session Giveaway!

Here’s what you need to do to enter and hopefully win a FREE Springtime Photography Session with me!

There are 3 steps (or just 2 if you’re already a fan on FB) :

1. If you haven’t done so already, “Like” Sparrow & Me Photography on Facebook!

2. Help spread the word ;) Post the Sparrow & Me Photography page to your Facebook wall!

3. Leave one comment on the Sparrow & Me Photography page saying you did the above. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS COMMENT IS YOUR OFFICIAL ENTRY.

You have until May 14th at 9am to enter the giveaway!

*** A couple of quick clarifications***

This giveaway is for a Two Hour Outdoor Photography Session. The session must be used within a months time (before June 14th) and includes edited images on a CD that is yours to keep!

Absolutely anyone can enter! However, the session must take place here in the Comox Valley.

How it will work: On May 14th, just after 9 am, I will make a list of all the entries based on the time they were received. All the entries will receive a number. The numbers will be submitted to random.org which will pull one winning number. I will contact the recipient to verify they want the prize and then will announce the winner on the Sparrow & Me Photography Facebook page as well as my personal page and blog! Hope that makes some sense friends.

Have fun & good luck! Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

sweet surprise

2011-04-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Look what I got in my inbox today! Many of you might know just how expensive it can be to have a custom logo and/or business site made. This extra pretty one showed up in my email inbox today by the very talented Samantha at obadesigns. Her local company is called Oba Paper Design and she specializes in gorgeous stationary and invitations. Clickity click here to get to know her and what she does a little better! Samantha generously offered to make me this logo, although, we've never even spoken to one another before. She mentioned that she feels strongly that small businesses need to represent themselves professionally but cannot always due to budget. I love that and often that is the case when you're just starting out. I so very much appreciate her time and generosity and I told her just what I thought of it when I opened the email ... I couldn't have designed it any better myself! The heart detail, the little sparrow chickadee, the soft pink and fun font ... I love it so much. I think that's pretty neat considering I've never ever spoken to or met her before. Don't ya'll think?! I think I'd better pass on the kindness in the next few days here :)

Happy weekend all!

{Cake Balls/ Cake Pops 101}

2011-04-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

How to make my ever favorite CAKE POPS! Or in this case, Cake Balls. I had intended to make them two days ahead of time for Courtenay's baby shower, although, Baby Cash came pretty early and she actually delivered him on the day her shower was supposed to be. I know I have posted the recipe before although it was a long time ago so I'm trying my hand at it again.

{1} Get yourself your favorite Latte or Tea Misto or in this extra early morning case, a jam packed smoothie with oats, cranberry juice, blackberry, blueberry, flax seeds, and a little peach yogurt. Then I drink it with a bright purple straw just to make it extra fun.

{2} You will need ...
Cake Mix (any flavor really, but most times I stick with chocolate or vanilla.

One Can of Frosting (any flavor but I prefer the regular vanilla frosting. This time around I used the Whipped Cream Cheese flavor and it wasn't quite as yummy as I thought).

Melting Chocolate (Tip: Go to Walmart and buy the exact bag pictured below for $3 or so rather than buying it bulk. This chocolate melted WAY easier than any other I've bought and it was far cheaper. You can find it in the back isles where all the Cake decorating and Martha Stewart stuff is. P.S. Buy the white if you plan to dye it or buy the chocolate if you don't).

Colored Dye for your White Melting Chocolate if you plan on coloring it.

A baking sheet lined with parchment paper (just to make your life a little easier, although you could technically lye the balls on a plate if you needed to).

Pot for boiling water plus a mixing bowl to heat over the boiling water for melting your chocolate.

{3} Bake the cake as directed and be sure to let it cool completely. Don't worry about making it pretty because you're about to destroy it once it's done!

{4} Once the cake is cooled, using your hands, crumble it to tiny pieces. This is the best part! Transfer it all into a big mixing bowl.

{5} Begin adding your canned frosting. Start with half the can and if it's still looking pretty dry, add a little more. I used 3/4 of a can for this batch and it was perfect. (Tip: Homemade frosting would be delicious as well. Whatever you have time for really). Use your hands to mash the 'dough' all together. It's a messy job but your hands are your best tool for this treat. It should look something like this below! If your dough is feeling a little too moist, pop it (bowl and all) in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes while you get things together for your next step. The harder your dough, the easier your dipping job will be so a little freezer time is usually a good idea either way.

{5} Depending on how moist your dough is, you may want to do this next step now or wait till it's sat in the fridge or freezer for half hour or so. In any case, you will need to use your hands to form ball shapes like this! It is a little time consuming so this is why I suggested putting the dough in the freezer to harden it up so it gets soft a little less quickly.

{6} Get together your double broiler or in this case, just a small heat resistant bowl sitting above a pot of simmering water. Keep the temperature on medium. Not too high, not too low.

{7} Add a handful of your Melting Chocolate at a time and stir until melted. It should look super soft so always start with your temperature low!

If you are using Lollipop Sticks, you'll want to stick them into the Cake Balls now. If you are sticking to the simple Cake Balls, you'll go ahead with dipping one ball at a time in the chocolate. This use to be the trickiest part for me. It can be a little tough until you find what works for you. I usually use one big spoon (like the one I was stirring the chocolate with pictured above). You need to do this all pretty quickly, so that your ball doesn't get too mushy. So you want to place the ball in the chocolate, and GENTLY pour lots of chocolate over top of it until it appears to be covered. You then transfer the chocolate covered ball to your wax covered baking sheet. This is also when I would add your sprinkles if you are using them! If you decide you want to drizzle another colored chocolate or sauce on them, that can be done at any point so letting them dry first is actually better. They come off of the wax paper perfectly so don't worry about them sticking even though they look as though they will.

Place them on a pretty platter or cake stand to make them extra presentable. I wound up not going all out because we found out we were needing to cancel Courtenay's shower. So I got off easy and just popped them into a container and brought them to her hospital room for them to snack on. Of course, I saved a few for us. They are to die for ... I added coconut shavings to some just to try something new. I had planned on dying some of them light blue, but by that time, I realized I was out of blue. Keep in mind, you can make your dough ahead of time, days even. In fact, because I found out we were cancelling the shower, I wound up stopping my Cake Ball production that day and I rolled the rest of the dough into a ball and packed it into the freezer for the next time I want to make some. Hopefully the next time will be for Courtenay's REAL shower which I'm assuming will be sometime when Cash comes home from the hospital. He is doing so well so I'm sure he is well on his way!

I hope someone found this helpful!

xoxo

easter luv

2011-04-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

There's quite the history behind this car the boys are sitting in. Any one of the kids in my family can tell you. We all ate our Easter dinner outdoors in my Aunty's back yard, soaking in the first really incredible day of sun we've had in months. Both boys were barefoot and happy but Colty spotted the cars which were actually hung up on the garage wall. My Uncle happily crumbled under the pressure of Colton's sweet "pleaseeeeee!"

Our Uncle had to do a ton of re organizing to get it down but he did it anyhow so Colt could try it out! I explained to Colton that Mommy had driven in that car and Aunty too had driven in the car when we were little. He responded saying "Mommy drive, Aunty drive, Chayse drive, Toton's little too". He looked at me for a minute and then said "Uhhh, Tolton drive car too". He was so patient while our Uncle moved other things to get it down. We thought we'd let Eli have a quick chance too and although Colton wasn't quite sure at first, he whipped around and gave his brother a kiss on the head. Now if that ain't cute, what the heck is?!

C is for Colton and E is for Eli :) I bought these bags pictured below to house their Easter goodies in (the only two left in the store). They suited them pretty perfectly with the green bunny and the baby blue chickadee. We had an Easter dinner at my Aunty's house last night and because we wouldn't see the boys today, we gave them their little bags there. Get ready for the worst Aunty moment I've had yet ...

I bought Colty the Crayola Colored Bubbles and FYI they are awwwwwful! They're pure dye, they DON'T rise out simply as they state they do, and when they say blue they mean BLUE. As you can see in the photo right above this of Eli in his hand knit sweater we bought him for Christmas, Colty happened to be wearing his that we bought him too when I started to help him open his colored bubbles. As I was opening them, they seriously started dripping everywhere. ALL over his hands, his bare feet, all over the grass we were sitting on and even in his hair. He started vigorously trying to wipe the bright blue dye off his hands and onto his sweater and I started screaching "no, no ... someone get a cloth!" My little OCD panic attack scared him so badly, he started crying and crying hard! Ohh my did I ever feel bad once I realized that my panic made him panic. I swear I do realize that the more you freak out, the more the child will do the same but I didn't even realize I was sounding so panicky. In true Colty fashion, my terrible Aunty-ness didn't seem to phase him all that badly because once we wiped up the excess dye the best we could (which wasn't really all that good at all, thanks Crayola), he ran off to go "dig dirt" with the blue streak of dye stuck in his hair and all. Meanwhile, the crowd of family around me was congratulating me on my awesome Easter gift. I had faith in Crayola ... what can I say?! P.S. Colton is potty training so I thought he needed a few pairs of big boy under pants. I figured the Mr. Happy collection would do the job. We'll see.

For Eli, we bought him some SUPER cute retro style swim shorts for our up and coming trip to Hawaii and a pair of jeans for the summer. Casey offered to snap the shot of Eli and I because I don't yet have one shot of him and I together. I am so thankful he is around. Him being here makes me feel exactly the way I look in that photo ... so happy. Just so it's even, I have to say I feel the exact same way about Colty too! In case their Mum reads this - she always wants them to have an equal amount of love ;) I guess that's one of the reasons she's such an amazing Mumma. Happy Easter!

xoxo

SARAH {SWEET SARAH}

2011-04-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

Just a peek at Sarah's blustery April maternity session we did today. We pretty much escaped the rain this afternoon. We finished up in perfect time as the rain started to fall just in the last few minutes of our shoot.This girl is honestly gorgeous - inside and out. Sarah is a Mumma of a little boy already and she's ready any moment now to birth her second baby at home. This will be Sarah's second home birth, which I admire so very much. Happy birthing friend ... I'll be thinking peaceful thoughts for you in the next few weeks!

xoxo!

bar star

2011-04-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

What about a fun bar for your event? Guests tend to lovvvve something a little different, something a little more fun! Something like this is especially perfect for when guests don't know one another very well. It gives everyone something to talk about and something to do together. Gather your girlfriends or Aunts and ask if anyone might be interested in baking you one pie to contribute to your wedding pie bar. Honor their graciousness in helping you by labeling each pie with Aunt ___'s Bumbleberry Pie! What about an ice cream bar ... YUM! Try adding gormet flavors and toppings like cherries or crushed almond. I think my most favorite of all is the idea of the pie bar or a made with love cookie bar. If I did it all over again {our wedding that is}, I would definitely beg my Mother in law to bake a few of her FABULOUS fresh pies for our big day instead of a cake and I would have definitely done a homemade cookie bar! One of my Aunts made my very favorite Ginger Cookies for our big day and we added them to our candy bar. Ya can't go wrong with cookies (and milk) folks!

xoxo

ohhh today ...

2011-04-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

I can't help but pass on a few ridiculously funny things that have been said to me in the past five hours. I'll repeat it ... just five hours.

Client: I called you at 6 pm last night and no one answered.

Me: Ohh, unfortunately we close at 6 pm, therefore, that's likely why no one answered.

Client: Well, why ...

Me: Why .. do we close at 6 pm?!

Client: Yeah, why.

Me: Well, that just happens to be our closing time.

* * * * *

Client: Can you hold on a minute?

Me: I can, yes.

Client: Good 'cause I have another call coming in! * click *

Me {in my head of course}: Well I wouldn't have said yes to THAT. I thought perhaps your child needed attending to for a moment or maybe you needed to check a date to book your appointment.

Me {a solid 5 minutes later still on hold}: How rude ... * hang up *

* * * * *

Client: Which facial would you suggest?

Me: I think I might suggest either the __ or the __.

Client: Well you would ... wouldn't you?! What are you, 17?!

Me: Umm, nope. I'm 25. But thanks ... {although my mind was saying 'not that it's ANY of your business but I'll appease your unbelievable rudeness }.

Client: Hmm ...

If I haven't posted this poster before, after today it means even more {yes I rhymed unintentionally}. I immediately made my run to Starbucks straight after the end of my shift. I ordered my usual and I didn't even have to say a word to the girl at the counter ... she knew exactly what I was wanting and it was lovely to not have to say a word except thank you of course! Never forget thank you. It makes all the difference in the world to the person on the other side of the counter. I had to out my thoughts here tonight while I sipped away at my tea misto. What else is on my agenda tonight after a day like this? My best girlfriend is calling me after she puts her sweetie pie to sleep, for one of our weekly phone marathons to catch up. I'm also going to try and put my bathroom back together after I painted it a fresh, light grey color yesterday. I'm also catching up on my Oprah episodes from the past few days while I blog.

xoxo

bake cake

2011-04-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm giving it another go at the beloved cake pops for my bestie's baby shower this Sunday. P.S. Yes, you can bake them ahead of time. Not too much ahead but you can by a few days in order to save yourself some time on the day of your event. I'm excited because I feel like maybe I'm ready to get a little more adventurous with my baking these days! The last time I made them was over a year ago I'd imagine so I'm excited to try them out again. I'm loving these ones below but I've already bought my ingredients to do light blue with white drizzle. We'll see how it goes anyhow! I'm going to photograph it and do a tutorial with my hints I've learned over the past few years of making them!

reflections of chaos

2011-04-11T10:06:00.000-07:00

... on my mind today ...

It has been one month today. One month since the night that I drove in my pj's to my Mom's house at 1 am to sit with her while we watched as news stations overwhelmed the world with the devastation that was wiping through Japan. On my way out the door, Ben stopped me and asked me if I needed him to come - if my Mom needed him to come. I said no. I didn't yet have any real idea of where exactly in Japan this was all happening but I felt sick to my stomach as I started my car. I think I just knew that it was Sendai (the exact city my 16 year old brother was in for his year long grade 11 student exchange).

I ripped into my parents driveway way too fast and barged through the front door. Flinging my rain boots off, I asked Mom if she had heard from Chayse since the earthquake hit. She said she had received a text from him right afterwards. This was great news I reminded her. We still didn't know anything about whether or not we had heard from Chayse after the Tsunami had hit or not (which we figured was the most eminent threat to them in that area). We decided that we needed to stay on top of where he and the other students were as best we could because the devastation seemed to be worsening every few minutes.

It was just Mom and I for a while. We didn't say a whole lot, we just sat up straight, watching the t.v in her huge king size bed just the two of us and of course our family pomeranian, Tucker. Dad was not even half way through his shift in Africa - he had basically just left to go. As much as she didn't want to add chaos to my Dad on the other side of the world, Mom thought she'd better get in touch with him before he wakes up and see's it all over the news. I agreed and the same thing went for my sister Casey. We all deserved to know what was potentially happening, whether it was the middle of the night or not. So Mom called Dad and I called Casey. I thought Mom would have the more challenging phone call but I was wrong. She asked me what was wrong and I told her that I wanted to let her know that there had been an earthquake and Tsunami in Sendai. I told her exactly what we knew thus far which was pretty much nil but that Mom got a text from Chayse saying he made it through the quake a few hours prior. She was sobbing so hard, she didn't say anything except 'okay' a few moments. I asked her if she was okay, but she'd already hung up the phone.

Mom's laptop started ringing and it was Chayse ... he was in the dark but he was with others. They were bundled up to keep warm in their snow gear and in my opinion they looked cold. It had been snowing there recently and went on to snow again just days after the disaster. We instantly began rambling on with questions that had been killing us to know the answers to for the past few hours but he didn't even have enough time to answer most of them. Do you have food and water? Yes, some. Are you alright? Yes. Is there an adult with you all? Yes. We ended the call with shouts of tips that we had been conjuring up for if he had a chance to call us. Things like "Conserve your power - you might have none for days! Do not leave Tsitika's side, you need to stay together! If you leave to another location, please try and tell us where you've gone!" As if these were things he hadn't already known ... the kid's so damn smart. There were other students that needed to get in touch with family as well and they were using Chayse's laptop so we hung up pretty quick. Most importantly though, we said our I love you' but the call still left us feeling plagued with even more questions and a ton more anxiety seeing all of them without power and looking pretty chilly.

Minutes later, Casey and little E showed up and filled up Mom's cozy king bed a little more. Eli dozed off while we continued thinking about things like how many stories his school building is and how far away it was from the ocean. Dad had been there to visit him a few weeks prior so we relied on his memory to try and conjure up some faith that Chayse and the other students were going to stay safe through the Tsunami.

There were no more tears that night, just business, trying to find a way to keep them safe from across the world. We thought we'd hear from him within the next 24 hours and we'd just simply know where to go from there. Not only 24 hours went by, but another few days and we didn't hear anything. With our whole family staying with us, we crowded around skype as my Dad called us and told us that if we did not hear from Chayse in six hours (after almost forty something hours of hearing nothing), he was coming home regardless. As if I didn't already know it was serious. But it just got a whole lot more. I happened to catch him on Facebook a few hours later and we were chatting and I said to him "Dad I would never ask you this if I did not whole heartedly mean this but we need you here. We can't do this without you any longer." That was it, he was on the next flight out. P.S. None of us turned off our Facebook for days. It turned out to be a great connector in terms of other ppl who had heard from others that claimed they'd seen Chayse, ect. While it's not the end of our story, these are the parts I needed to reflect on today. Back home here, Chayse is making every effort he can to try and do whatever he can to bring awareness and charity to the people of Japan. He has a deep connection to this country and he's feeling eternally grateful for the time that he spent there as are we (his family).

While 'anonymous' people have had issues with us wanting Chayse home while others could not make it home, I know that they have not found themselves in a position similar to ours and I deeply hope that they never will. It is difficult to understand where others are coming from when we have not endured situations like theirs before. I choose to believe that this is where their cruelty comes from. Please, please have compassion for others. Please, please be aware of your judgments. We really just don't know their stories, we don't know their pain, we don't know their situations. I never would have thought but time really does stand still and nothing else matters when someone you can't live without is in a situation like this. At home, we did not plan past the next hour, we really didn't. No leaving the house, doing not much more than the necessity to get out of bed that morning, very little/no sleep, a lot of phone calls and emails, and probably the most important thing of all ... a lot of family to wrap their arms around you super tight (you know who you are) when you loose it because everyone does. Hours turned into days and people would call and ask we'd say nothing. Helplessness is torture.

This is just a part of our story but there are so many others that we won't forget. We stood with many other families and waited for the plane from Tokyo to say arrived on the screen at the Vancouver Airport. We saw little ones running to their Dad with balloons and sisters screaming in excitement to see one another after their time apart. We know that there are so many other families (in and out of Japan) who are still apart and many who will never be together again. I've had my moment of silence to honor the strength that Japan has shown in their time of defeat and I will likely have many more for them today. I also want to honor with silence the families not in Japan that are still waiting for the people they can't live without, to come home to them.

Sending out love today.

So many people gave it to us when we needed it the most and now I'm passin' on the love!

Design Tip!

2011-04-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

I was doing my morning blog reads, having a big glass of cold water and a jam packed smoothie when I came across a fabulous little party decor tip this morning! Hopefully this means today is going to be a great day! ;) Because I usually always use some type of backdrop for a main party table (a table that might hold your food/drinks/decor/whatever else), this little tid bit might make it so much easier and maybe a little more fun.

Next time you need something to use as a backdrop maybe try happily spending twenty something dollars on a pretty SHOWER CURTAIN rather than fabric that might cost you quite a bit more. Shower curtains are actually much wider than the standard fabric width therefore they will give you more coverage than a piece of fabric might. Also, the fact that shower curtains already have loops for hanging is a bonus PLUS they're already hemmed at a handy length. Try places like London Drugs, Target, Zellers, Walmart or if you're local try Fabricland - the one here in Courtenay have the best choices for pretty patterns (like this garden flower shower curtain in the photos below which was found at Target). I'm gunna try it!

xoxo

{photos courtesy of hostess with the mostess blog}

baby max {sweetness}

2011-04-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

There is definitely no real need to explain how seriously cute Max is but I can't help but say it again and again anyhow! He is such a doll. Even with missing his nap earlier that morning, Max was so full of soul (just look at those eyes). It was really incredible watching Max's Mum & Dad interact with him. They were so very patient and laid back, as we let him decide what he wanted to do next. He was probably the most content in his Mumma's arms and she's so totally gorgeous herself so photographing them in a lifestyle fashion was perfect!

I'm really loving taking photos as people are going about their everyday lives, even better, in the comfort and creativness of their own homes. Lifestyle photography tends to make for some truer than true photos and I think that I captured that in our few hours together.

Thank you so very much to Lori, Keith, Max & their first baby (their very much loved puppy - Aly).

xoxo

honey mooning

2011-04-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

I just remembered yesterday that I had started doing a third post with our honeymoon photos but for some reason, back then, my blog was acting up. So here are the others I was wanting to add. Ciao! We would love to go back to Mexico, maybe we'd try another resort but we did love it. For now though, we are focusing on our up and coming 10 day trip to Hawaii. I cannot WAIT to click my camera like mad there. It is going to be amazing and it's coming up quick - July!

xoxo

To Do ....

2011-04-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is what I'm doing today. All of these things are what I'm doing/done today. Yesterday there was just as many things to do. It feels good to get things checked off your list though. I'm happy today is Friday. I think Ben and I both look forward to a Friday night. We usually go get something to eat and just really relax, the two of us. I haven't seen much of him at all this week so I'm looking forward to tonight. Happy Friday!

xoxo!

blushy pink photo play

2011-03-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

Ben bought me a new lens for our camera. I'm really loving it, although, I was hesitant at first. It probably goes hand in hand with things like when I classically order the same food at my same favorite restaurants or my morning ritual of opening my bedroom window and blinds right away then crawling back into bed for a few winks. Maybe I'm stuck in my stubborn ways but I hope I don't behave that way when it comes to things that really matter.

I remember my Dad telling me (in my teen years) that it took him a long time to realize that most things in life are not necessarily black and white. He said he could see that my thinking was very similar to how his use to be. He explained to me that in his life experience, this kind of thinking did not get him far. In the same conversation, he urged me to widen my thought process and recognize the reality of the grey in between the black and white. I thought I'd give my new lens a try even though it seemed a little uncomfy and unfamiliar but I pummeled through my stubborn nature and I actually really love it. I whipped off my wedding rings and uncovered my blusher veil/headpiece that I wore for our wedding. I put the two together for some trial shots and below is the outcome. I wish I could wear my headpiece again. I hope I will one day. I'm just not sure when. For now, it makes a pretty darn pretty backdrop for my playing around photography!

xoxo

heavenly day

2011-03-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

You stood quietly, arms crossed, on a piece of beach wood with your eyes squinted, listening carefully. Two sea lions were dipping in and out of the water past the shore line. You don't stand quietly all that often. Without words, I pointed toward the mountains. They were painted white with fresh snow and in clear view. I figured that this seemed more your type of scenery. We don't take time to be just me and you very often so this was undoubtedly my favorite day I've had in a while. You told me that we need to make more time for days like that and I agreed. You knew I would.

xoxo

DIY Fabric Banner

2011-03-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Just a little reminder that will sit in my kitchen ... in case I forget where the heart is maybe ;) I've been looking for a blue colored fabric to make a banner out of for a while now and I happened to be in Walmart with a gf and we spotted new fabric bunches that Walmart seems to be carrying now. They had tons of options and there was more than enough to make maybe even a second banner. Even better, the fabric bunches are only $2 per bunch. The fabric rosettes are my latest obsession. I can't stop. But I think I should because I'm not so sure that everything needs a rosette added to it ... or does it? It makes life a little prettier and I know sometimes we need a little extra embellishment here and there.

I'm off to visit with my cousin who just touched down from Colorado. She's coming straight here to see my brother who is finally home from Japan. He's sort of in high demand right now around our neck of the woods ;)

P.S. I remember I had written a post a day or so before the earthquake happened & I had said that part of my heart was in Africa (my Dad) & the other part (my brother Chayse) was in Japan. As the excruciatingly long week unfolded, somehow (I don't really know how or ultimately why) but we were all brought back together. My Dad has never come back home for any reason amidst the middle of his turn around in Africa. I overheard someone ask him "so they just let you take a personal leave then?" My Dad looked at us, smiled and said "well they didn't have much choice". I am so thankful to have had my Dad home with us for this past week. I know he had to go through hell and high water to get home but it's no surprise ... that's just who he is. Don't forget to really love the ones you love friends.

xoxo

for Japan with Love

2011-03-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Today I join hundreds of bloggers around the world in a Blogger's day of silence in honoring the lives lost in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami. We are also honoring the many, many people suffering from immense loss. Loss of people, and loss of things. While not all of us are able to provide Japan with monetary assistance or on ground volunteering, bringing awareness to the rest of the world will surely help out someone, somehow. For more information or to donate anything you can, please visit for japan with love.

tutu luv

2011-03-09T17:33:00.000-08:00

I know, two posts in one day. Can you see that I'm tryin' to get back at it here with my little blog set back. My lovely girlfriend Laura came to visit me today and she brought her sister Aly over too. Aly made this breathtakingly gorgeous pale pink tutu for me! i.am.so.in.love. She thought I could use it for newborn photo sessions and {of course} for my own little babe one day if we're blessed with a girl. Although, if we are blessed with a boy, blessed we'll be indeed.

I whipped out my camera as soon as they left {so I wouldn't seem like a total freak in front of them of course} and photographed it's prettiness for you to see! Aly has her own little bundle of girly joy, Dakota, who's always decked out in pretty accessories. Isn't Dakota the cutest name! You can likely find Aly's tutu's at Shipwrecked, located downtown Courtenay on 6th Street, right next to The Atlas. Do you love the simple butterfly tag attached with twine like I love it?! Can't wait to try it out - thanks so much Aly!

xoxo

i will be ...

2011-03-09T08:22:00.000-08:00

It's one of those really extra rainy, 'wind warning', typical westcoast weather days. I don't mind it though. I would call it cozy ... familiar ... and more than anything else, I'd call it home. While I have many pieces to my heart, two of them are on opposite sides of the world and I think they would most definitely be ultimately grateful for this day, rain and all.

the love look list

2011-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

A Chanel gown like Michelle Williams wore last night just doesn't need a whole lot surrounding it. The simple, straight lined gown and Harry Winston diamond stud earrings suited her chic blondey blonde pixie hair style and minimal make up, especially her nude/peach lips. Perhaps her look was my favorite ...

And Holy smokes - 7 gowns for Miss Anne Hathaway! A gal could dream ... but she didn't have to! Lucky girl. The prettiest of her ensembles in my little eyes though (probably no surprise to those who know me) was her funky Lanvin tuxedo, show stopping Brian Atwood sparky pumps (uhhmazing!), the broach button closure and of course her Tiffany jewels! She totally rocked it.

Also on my look love list was Natalie Portman's ultra beautiful plum gown (her expecting tummy poked perfectly through), Mila Kunis's lilac gown (draped in all the perfect spots), Scarlett Johansson's lacey purple Dolce and Gabbana gown (bonus points for her messy, sexed up hair style yes?!) and probably my second favorite of the evening was Halle Berry's pretty sparkley train number. Her dress was stunning and the nude colored tulle along the neckline was to die for. It was a dress that I would have killed to wear for my wedding. It was incredible!

Let's just say that I expected more from a few hollywood gals such as Amy Adams, and although I know many of you might disagree, Jennifer Hudson. Her new body is so smokin' and I just didn't love her choice. But then again, the pros were drooling over it so what do I know?! Reese Witherspoon was another. She always looks pretty but I expected something amazingly adorable on her. I am sure though, that what they all wore was a lot hotter than what I wore to watch the Oscars ... black tights and an over sized sheer brown tee ... lol. There are so many opinions bouncing around when it comes to the Oscar attire choices of the stars, and so this was just my take on the red carpet looks. Agree, disagree?! I always like to hear because sometimes someone else see's something in a gown that I may not have.

xoxo

The reasoning voice of reason

2011-02-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

Holy smokes it's been a busy weekend - starting Friday with a day of Aunty duty. We have had baby birthday parties all weekend. Colton's 'friend' birthday party was yesterday and today we have little Nicole's (our friends little girl) and then afterwards, Colton's 'family' birthday celebration.

Since Colty has recently decided to epitomize the so called 'terrible twos' (which I really don't like to call them), Mom and Dad are happy to hand him over for an afternoon here and there so they did just that. We opened his birthday presents early because Aunty hadn't wrapped it yet and had it sitting on the table. He knew right away it was "Tolton's". He grabbed his plushy toy story mini chair off the table and we opened up his Buzz Lightyear walkie talkies. As you can see, he was thrilled. He sat in his chair and watched his Cowboy movie (Toy Story 3) and I photographed his happiness. We had a smoothie (a ritual when they come to Aunty's), and we went for a long walk at the airpark. Colty walked and walked and walked. But I learned the hard way that you never go somewhere like that without a stroller on hand even if he doesn't use it. Because you'll likely go most of the way and he'll need it, and maybe you won't have it, and maybe you'll have to carry him a long way. Maybe he'll even be kicking and screaming because he'll have wanted to run the complete opposite direction of where you needed to go.

Maybe. Lesson learned.

I really never use the 'terrible two' term. I rather see it as him exercising his new found independence (can you blame him in a sense?!) I think at this age, children start to recognize that they have choices. They can ~~scream~~ say no at you if they please, walk the other way, or they can even completely ignore you if they so choose (which is often the case, around here anyhow).

Our Mom has always said that you can't reason with a two year old. I'm still not sure if I fully disagree or not but I definitely always try - I feel like I need to try at the very least. If I really think about it, I probably spent more than half of our time together repeating things calmly and slowly (and in different tones and sentences) in hopes that he would eventually understand what I was asking of him. I didn't even consider it until later, but the truth of the matter is that he fully understands what he is being told - he's been quite communicative since he was young. The bottom line is that he doesn't really care, he's learning what it's like to be free, to do as he pleases. I can appreciate that, I really can. I'm so happy for him when he realizes he's accomplished something he's never done before or when he makes a choice for himself (even if it between the blue or orange cup).

The hand in the air photo below is a perfect example of Colton telling me exactly what he wants me to do. He gently shoved me into the kitchen, put his hand up in the air and as I started to walk toward him again, he said STOP in a stern voice. I agreed to stand there and I peeked my head up a little more as I watched him wander back into the living room by himself (only ten or so feet away from me). I couldn't quite see him because he was squatted down toward the floor. But I heard him grunting over and over and I quickly realized just what he had been trying to tell me he needed ... a little privacy to take a ****!

Can you blame a boy - lol!

I'll always try to continue encouraging my nephews (and of course our child one day as well) to express their wants, their needs, and any other feelings they'll have in the healthiest way possible because I see most of their expressions as just that - healthy! They'll absolutely need some guiding (yes, probably even half or more of your time in a day with them) but that's okay. It's our job as people who love them.

P.S. Poppa if you read this, Colton pointed at every big grey truck yesterday and asked "Poppa's big truck?" He also said "Poppa bye bye" when he saw one truck and so we had a talk about how we said bye to you but we get to see you again soon and he said "yaaa, soon!"

While I don't consider myself to be religious, I do consider myself spiritual. But I saw this verse from the bible that I really love.

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

1 John 3:18

xoxo!

Honeymoon Part Tres!

2011-02-21T15:02:00.000-08:00

The resort was super pretty. Lots of pools (they were a tad chilly but nice to have when you needed a dip) and tons of lush greenery all over the property. There were, I think, five properties on the entire resort. We walked around as much as we could but we definitely liked our particular resort the best that we saw. It seemed as though our specific resort was a little more adult orientated. So for our honeymoon it was lovely!

Well, blogger is telling me I've hit my limit for photo uploads ... whatever that means. So perhaps this might be all the photos for now that I can upload. Uhhh, technology! While I've been waiting forever for them to upload, I've been trying to figure out how I can re arrange my living room in order for it to be more functional. It is THE most awkward layout with majorly angled, 10 foot ceilings, NO light fixture at all (paper floor lamps only) and a fire place smack in the center. Do you make things revolve around your television (I know that sounds couch potato like but it is kind of part of the functioning aspect. We watch quite a few movies, lol) or do you center things around your fireplace and focus on the mantle? Or both ... I'm leaning toward the fire place. Ben won't be happy if I move things that I shouldn't attempt to move on my own. I know better. I'll absolutely think twice about it, maybe even three times but I'll probably do it anyway. It's just who I am. I think this living space takes a little more creativity than the usual space so wish me inventive, happy decorating thoughts pretty please!

xoxo!

Honeymoon Part Deus!

2011-02-21T09:50:00.000-08:00

Most of you know how awful our flights were so I won't re tell the painful tale too much, lol! Although we vowed to never fly the one particular airline ever again, we were thankfully given credits to use for two of the airlines as compensation (this alone explains how bad it all really was). We're going to try and use them but clearly not for anything really big.

Airplane disaster story (one of many more to choose from) - There was a family on board our flight from L.A to Cancun with a two year old little boy. The little boy was coping so very well - especially considering this was the most unorganized, unfriendly, crammed full flight I'd ever been on (a little bitterness is ~~not~~ okay right?!) An older, unpresentable, unprofessional and unkind stewardess walked over to the family (a mere one hour into the painful seven hour flight). She bent downward toward the little boy, put her fingers to her lips and violently (yes I said violently) shushed him! I was in shock ... seriously. I ripped off my earphones (I could read her lips and clearly comprehend what was happening even without fully hearing it) and said out loud exactly what I was thinking. "Omg Ben, I can't believe that stewardess just did that!" He was blissfully unaware of the annoyance I was already harboring to this stewardess (for all the above mentioned "un's" of course). I think he was a little bit taken back by my outspoken OMG but in all honesty, I'd hoped that she heard me! I was torn between whether I should have pressed the service button above my seat and given her a gentle suggestion and reminder of how challenging it must be for most parents to be travelling with small children and how honestly out of place she was with her choice of actions. Instead, a moment later the service bell rang and I could see the light blinking above the particular familys' seat. The father had rang the bell himself and told the woman she was out of line and asked her what she expects from a two year old child?! Get this ... the stewardess rolled her eyes, walked away from his mid convo and loudly said "whooa, sooooorry, geez! Ok!" I was mortified but imagine how irate the family must have felt! I'm still considering complaining to the airline somehow.

Ok so that's it. I had to share that. Nowww, I'm done! I've got all my favorite old movies being recorded on the pvr over the next day or so - there's tons on all of a sudden! Like my ultimate My Fair Lady (I was crazy about this film growing up and really I still am), Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sixteen Candles, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (my sister and brother and I were OBSESSED with this one growing up).

Today though, is my Dad's last day home for another long two months. So my Mom and him and I are going to head to Miracle Beach for a wintery walk out there this afternoon. Far weather comparison to my beachy honeymoon photos below. I'll have some more to add tomorrow of our actual resort.

{Thought of the day}

Most of our days are made up of things that really are just a matter of how you choose to look at them.

xoxo!

Honeymoon Part Uno!

2011-02-20T10:25:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm finally posting some photos of our honeymoon! There are a few reasons I hadn't yet and I'm sticking with the fact that I believe they are all pretty valid ;) 1. Even simple editing sometimes seems to take forever. I can no longer upload photos right from my camera and just stick 'em up. I wish I could. 2. They were so many to choose from! I went partially crazy and to think that Ben was convinced taking our camera was not an option. I was able to coax him into the (obvious) realization that THIS IS OUR HONEYMOON! We can't possibly go away for two weeks and not bring it along. I couldn't even fathom it. Yes, perhaps some might see my argument as a tad dramatic. Although, those of you who know me I'm sure, understand just how much photography or more specifically documenting our life means to me. He finally agreed and ended up saying just how happy he was that he did!

We spent the first few days in Disneyland before we arrived in the Mayan Riviera. LA was pretty warm, a lot warmer than Canada anyhow! I had always wanted to go to Disneyland with Ben. I knew we'd have way too much fun and we definitely did. He kinda snuck in the extra few days at Disneyland as a surprise and I am so very glad he did. We took videos of us on rides like the tea cups, the Monster Inc ride (my fave characters) and the train one. We stayed most days from open - close and Ben was right, I DID end up opting for wearing my running shoes because we really did walk and stand all day. I told him prior to the trip that I wouldn't be caught dead in runners but I packed my pretty white and pale pink ones to humor him and I wore 'em! It's like maybe he does sometimes know what's best for me - can you imagine?!?!

Our honeymoon was so relaxing. It was all that it should be despite the sun being on strike for the most part of each day in the Mayan. You could tell that we were from Canada - we were the only ones on the beach some days, soaking up the warm bits of rain and teeny specks of sun that showed itself every few moments on and off. You know, while we teetered back and forth about whether or not we should invite some friends, we were glad in the end we took the time for just us. We even wondered if we'd get bored but surprisingly we didn't. My Mom was a little worried when I told her that we had thought we might get bored together eventually for that long with just us. But you know, we are very independent and while we love the time we do spend together, we also spend almost an equal amount of time doing our own thing and enjoying it really. We aren't dependent on each other and we aren't afraid to have our own interests. While that style may not work for everyone, it works for us. It is important though to be sure we don't neglect our needs to spend quality time together, which I feel like is pretty well balanced. Of course, some weeks are better than others. Sunday is usually our day together if none other (due to work, and Ben's sports, mine/his school, whatever else) but we choose to spend all day yesterday together in the sun so we are free to do whatever we individually please today. This morning I choose leisurely grocery shopping, my Starbucks tea misto and of course blogging ;) Who knows what else I'll get up to today but I am betting Ben will wind up doing something pretty crafty, he lovessss to keep busy! Can't blame the guy!

* For some reason, blogger takes forever to upload photos like this so I'm going to add more, but break up my posts so more to come! *

Bebe Reveal Party!

2011-02-17T16:50:00.000-08:00

My little bestie, Courtenay, is having a baby! When she first told us that they were going to find out BOY or GIRL, I threw the idea out there about maybe having a little party for them to reveal to our group of friends if we are all going to have a new baby niece OR nephew! I won't reveal the verdict because there are lots of people who know her and read my blog too (which I love) although I, personally, want the news to be hers to share. We had a pretty even amount on "team" boy and "team" girl! We had anyone who thought GIRL wear something GREY and anyone who predicted BOY wear something GREEN. Courtenay was hoping to go for a woodsy, owl theme regardless of the babies gender so I decided to kick start it off with this little party too. I used my wedding chalkboards (but painted them a light, uneven cream color which I've been wanting to do since our wedding). And of course I had to make some paper poms. They're so simple and they can really add a huge presence of color and shape to your main party area. I like to have a "party area" - is that ridiculous or smart?! I'm still not sure. I like to think it's smart though for a few reasons. One is that you have less of an area to decorate, therefore, less money, less time and of course sometimes less is more. The second reason is that it seems to look more complete, rather than having random decorations sprawled through out the course of a few rooms. I know there are times when it's much more appropriate to decorate in more than one room or a few spaces for a specific event and I've done that before too. Although, this is just a good way to do things if you're hoping to make a big impact with all the "less's" that I mentioned previously.

I have quite a few baby items around here anyhow because of my two little nephews so I thought I'd use a few pieces, string them on twine with wooden clothespins and voila! The white knitted booties were actually my Dad's from when he was first born. My Grandma passed them onto my sister and she recently passed them off to me for when the time comes that I'd like them. I showed them to my Dad today and he barely believed me - I had to bust out a special card that was with them along with the rest of the outfit! The last photo below of the fabric banner is the banner I made for Court to take home. Hopefully it's a good addition to the start of her baby nursery.

I just have to say that I feel so strongly about loving and embracing people who mean something to you whether they are your biological family or not. While I have two nephews of my own who mean more to me than I can express, I feel like when your very close friends have children of their own (like a few of ours/mine have), it's another little life to love as part of your family. I guess what I'm saying is that the biological aspect of "family" isn't defining to me and I'm sure that when the day comes for Ben and I to extend our family, our very close friends will love our babes just the same. Hopefully you are still awake after reading all of this. Whoever and wherever you are though, thanks so much for listening, xo!

fresh thinking

2011-01-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across a very cute site today ~ leslie sarna dot com! I was in search for a deliciously, more veggie packed alternative to a classic lasagna. I've been really making an effort to try to buy and cook with some fresh veggies that I normally would have been totally intimidated to buy and use. Like swiss chard, or kale, beets, and turnips. This recipe below was exactly what I was looking for because I bought some yummy looking organic swiss chard yesterday and I am in the mood to cook somethin' up. Ben has been recently super interested in eating more veggies so I've been trying to take full advantage of this completely out of character request and get him hooked while I can. I am obsessed with dishes loaded with veggies and generally, he is the opposite so over the years, cooking has been challenging. I usually wind up eating much more bland and veggie-less than I would if I had it my way. So check out this gals site, because I'll be doing it right alongside you. It looks like she has tons to offer and how adorable is the name of her site.

P.S. Here is the swiss chard 'lasagna' roll up recipe!

ain't always easy

2011-01-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

A few important lessons I've learned this past week ...

* Eating in the Mayan Riviera is not without it's consequences

* I can breathe my way through pain like I never thought I could

* You cannot reason with a two year old (sometimes that's just fine with me)

* Always find out what is expected of you (when it applies)

* The choices that others make are just that ... choices that they have made

Needless to say, this week is not going to go in the favorites folder but I've decided that a good mid weekend nap will probably make me feel a lot better. I'm still unwell and it's getting to be a little exhausting. Here's to moving up & on and hoping for more peaceful, uplifting days ahead friends!

What to Rock for your photo session!

2010-12-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

Wanna know what to rock for your photo session?! Especially if it's a family shoot, organizing everyone's outfits can seem a little daunting. Well, you can be sure that I will always suggest COLOR in terms of what to wear for your sessions! Even if you are hoping to keep things neutral with a simple white, it looks totally amazing if you add a touch of color perhaps in the form of a scarf, or cute shoes, a toque, or any other fun colorful addition you can think of. For family sessions, I suggest coordinating your colors but not in a matchy match fashion. Choose a color palette and stick with it.

Because family sessions usually take a lot of time, multitasking and coordination on your family’s part - whether you're a couple, or a family of many, you want to be sure to look your best so that your shots will be classic and everlasting. I whipped up some examples of coordinating outfits to look at if you need a little inspiration! I'll add some other examples incorporating some inspiration for kids' outfits soon.

Our Christmas Tree!

2010-12-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

Although I hate to admit it, we did consider not putting up a tree this year (shame, shame, I know). Not for any other reason but the fact that we knew this year it was going to be a super low key holiday and my entire immediate family was going to be in different corners of the world for the first time ever. While my Dad has unfortunately had to be away for work for I think one, or maybe two Chirstmas' in the past, we have always had our Mom around. My Dad is away in Africa working this turn around and doesn't return until January, and my younger brother is in Japan in the middle of his student exchange this year. My Mom decided to go with our Aunt and Uncle and their kids to Disneyland for the holidays (and a visit out to see her and my Uncle's Dad, which I'm so happy for her to have the opportunity to do). My Mom is feeling sad about leaving for the holidays but we all know that this is what's best for her this year (even though she may not agree). She likely won't get the chance to do it again as our family continues to grow and the babies will definitely be old enough to realize their "Gamma" isn't here next year! ;) In saying all that, this is still our first Christmas completely apart from our parents, all three of us. It's just my sister and I here together this season, although, she has her own amazing family of four now to celebrate with. I gratefully have Ben's family who I consider my own and we'll be celebrating with them. A side note to Mom, Dad, & Chayse - Casey & I will miss you! Although, one Christmas apart won't erase all the memories we've shared together over the holidays in the past, we promise ;) Plus, we know we don't have to physically be together to remember how much we all love each other. We'll see you on skype Christmas morning!

To make a short story long ... I told Ben that while I originally "didn't see much point" to setting up a tree and decorating, "it doesn't matter to me how much work it is to decorate for the holidays, or get and set up the tree. It's only once a year and for me, the memories that we make doing it are worth the work". It's not Ben's style to steer away from something just because it's inconvenient (thankfully because there isn't a whole ton in life that is convenient) and it's definitely not mine. So Ben turned on the original Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on t.v and we decorated. It was exactly the night I had planned. Here is our tree. We both LOVE it this year more than we ever have! Next year I WILL learn to sew well enough to make simple stockings out of burlap. I hope to get more creative and more adventurous each year. So far, so good!

wedding chicks shout out

2010-12-12T23:18:00.000-08:00

This weekend I headed to Nanaimo to photograph a staff party. We made a "photo booth" with damask fabric and added a holiday banner that read "joy" and tada! I made this sign on the wedding chicks website to match. They have tons of fun customizable goodies to take a peek at. I've used their layouts for lots of other things besides weddings, like this, so go now and check it all out here! Ben and I decorated our tree tonight which I think we both equally enjoyed. Tomorrow I'll post the photos!

DIY Scrabble Piece Ornaments

2010-12-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

Try this! Such a simple way to personalize some of your tree ornaments. It feels a little rustic, yet modern enough to fit the style of most homes. You may be totally into scrabble {no judgement, lol} and therefore you may not want to dissemble your set so instead you can check local thrift stores for old scrabble games.This might be a fun little project to do with your kids - let them choose some words that remind them of Christmas, like brr, grinch, cheer or hohoho! {images via mysweetsavannah}.

What you'll need:

* Scrabble pieces

* Glue gun
*Scrabble trays
* Hand/Chop Saw or something to cut the scrabble trays to fit your chosen words

Simply choose your word and line it up on the scrabble tray. Mark the ending of the words with a pencil and then cut the tray to the marked size. Next, glue your letters in place. If you chose to hang them on the tree, you can use a small drill bit to drill two holes in the top middle area of each tray. To make it extra pretty {cuz I know we like it that way}, use a candy cane striped red and white ribbon to hang or something that coordinates with your tree ornaments. VOILA!

P.S. For the record, I love scrabble.
P.S.S. I would use this idea for other occasions/crafts as well. Maybe thanksgiving or a dinner, as part of a centerpiece or at a child's birthday party on the table, spelling out the child's name and age or even as labels for your food and drinks at any party.