Weekend fun

Wow. It has been quite the exciting and exhausting weekend. Friday night Brooke came and spent the night. We were up until 1:00 going over our plan for Saturday's wedding as well as general fun photography talk. We left here at 11:00 am Sat. morning and headed into Chilliwack. One thing I learned about myself this week is I am soooo bad with directions! You would not believe the number of google maps I had printed out. We had four locations to be at and I was sure that with a little help from my maps I would be fine. I was very wrong. Needless to say, we ended up being where we needed to be...on time at that! We shot in the rain, we shot in low light and we shot in the dark. Not exactly ideal. It was a long day. I got home around 9:00 that night. The house was peaceful. The kids were at my in laws for the night and Joel was in Vancouver for his company Christmas party. I had endles hours of editing to myself. The problem was, was that by 11:30 my eyes could not stay open and my body ached.

Yesterday I attmpted a run in the morning, but my body still ached and was very tired. I ran, but it didn't feel good :(

At 1:00 I had a shoot at the Stave Lake Powerhouse. It was a photographer's birthday and he had invited 5 of us (all photographers) to do a vintage 1920's era industrial shoot. He had arranged for the location, three models, stylists, hair and makeup artists. It was very cool, but wow, I have a lot to learn! I had never done a shoot like this before. It was fun but challenging.

On a side note, I got a wee bit lost going to the shoot as well... not reeeeally my fault since they had closed the road that my google map told me to go on!

After the shoot, 4 of us went out for coffee and talked shop fpr hours! It was another great day, but exhausting! I feel like I didn't see my family at all this weekend! But Chritsmas is coming, so things will slow down a bit.

Here is a favourite from the wedding and one from yesterday.

Oh fudge...

Personally it has always irked me when people have said this, but I thought it suited today's blog title.

I remember my mom doing a lot of Christmas baking, cooking and entertaining this time of year. Two of my favourite treats she made were Peanut Butter Balls and fudge. The peanut butter balls were creamy balls of peanut butter covered in a dark yummy chocolate... so good, but took days to make! The fudge, also very yummy, but didn't seem to require the same time commitment.

So today, I made fudge. With a candy thermometer and everything!

Things I learned:

*You need to be very patient. Standing at the stove for almost an hour stirring and watching the thermometer creep up ever so slowly can be very painful, especially if patience isn't one of your virtues.

*Being splatted by hot, boiling candy on the hand, numerous times, really hurts! It actually sticks to your hand... continually burning!

*Fudge is made up of nothing healthy. Pure sugar.

Well,that is my ramble on fudge. I also made tons of shortbread, so much simpler.

My flight plan...

Every night at 9:56 my e-mail dings and I get an e-mail from the flylady. In the e-mail she sends reminders as to how to make life run smoother.

Today's Reminders:

* Morning Routine:
-Get Dressed to Shoes including Hair/Face, Brush Teeth
- Make Bed
-Swish & Swipe
-Empty Dishwasher
-Reboot Laundry (a Load a Day Keeps CHAOS Away)
-Check Your Calendar
-Check Your Control Journal

* What's For Dinner? Chicken & potatoes & veggies

* Drink Your Water - ewwww

* Declutter for 15 Minutes

* 15 Minutes of Loving Movement (exercise) going to do an hour run tonight

* Before Bed Routine:
-Lay out Your Clothes for tomorrow
-Check Your Calendar
-Put things needed for tomorrow at the Launch Pad
-Where are your Keys?
-Spend Two Minutes Clearing off a Hot Spot
-Shine Your Sink
- Wash face/Brush Teeth
-Go to Bed at a Decent Hour

This weekend is going to be a bit crazy. Friday night Brooke is coming over for a sleepover and then Saturday we are shooting a wedding from 12:30 until 9:30 out in Chilliwack. I was asked by Elissa why she needs to come on Friday and I told her we needed to make a flight plan for Saturday. We actually need to make two, one for rain the other for..uh, not rain. On Sunday I am heading up to Stave Lake Power Centre for a commercial shoot with a few other photogs. I get to shoot real models and everything! That is a five hour shoot... super intense! I imagine by Monday I will have approx. 1000 images to cull, proof, and edit.

I had a shoot yesterday in my studio with an adorable 9 month old. That is my comfort zone. I can take pictures of kids, and I love it. Weddings... always more stress and although somewhat in my comfort zone, just not quite as enjoyable. And commercial stuff... well never really done it. Definitely out of my comfort zone, especially since I'll be working with some top notch photographers.

Anyway, this is truly a random post.

I hope you enjoy the glimpses of sunshine today :)

Purolator

Okay, I realize this is a total "you had to be there" kind of stories, but it made me laugh so much that I HAVE to share it!

Okay, so I seem to frequent the Purolator store in Abbotsford Village fairly often. Usually there is this sweet lady there who is about 5 ft tall and about 85 pounds overweight. She has really long gray hair that is usually somewhat tied up in a bun. She is so super friendly and always very chatty. I always hope to get her since the other gal that works there is super b****y. (That is a whole other story unto itself)

So this afternoon I walk in and she says "it's the photographer girl!" I say hi and proceed to the computer to start entering in my info. She is standing next to me chatting away, asking about my business and the kids, when all of a sudden Shania Twain comes on over the speakers and she breaks into her own version of "Any Man of Mine!" It was so funny! She sang it straight from her heart and even had some fun little dance moves to go with it.

Anyway, I was still laughing to myself while getting into the car.

I hope you had something in your day that caused you to smile and even laugh out loud.

~L

Ran 10km in the beautiful misty rain tonight! Yay!

Weekend away

On Friday night I headed down to the States for a Women's Retreat. It was so great and it felt so needed. I spent my time connecting with women, learning about my spiritual gifts and how to use them, eating yummy food that I didn't have to cook or cleanup after, laughing, playing games, shopping and I even got in a 7 am run!

We did different "inventory" worksheets to help us discover our gifts. My highest ranked gift turns out to be Encouragement, with Administration close behind. We also did another inventory thing that told us what "colour" we were. These were the colours and what they represent... can you guess which one I am?

GOLD: Ruled by the clock: efficient, time conscious, detailed person, organized, structured, goal oriented

GREEN: Ruled by the mind: intellectual,thoughtful, reasoning, reflective

ORANGE: Ruled by the moment: spontaneous, energetic, active, perpetual motion, risk taker

BLUE: Ruled by the heart: personal, people oriented, warm, friendly, good eye contact

No person is one pure colour - we all have these traits to a varying degree and mixes. A person tends to be stronger in one or two colours than in the others. Most people express their strongest colour in positive, comfortable situations, but move to their second colour when under stressful or challenging conditions.

misty morning

After days of cold rainy weather, I decided to go back to my summer pictures. I found this one I took one misty morning on Pender.

"Lock you knee, lock your knee, lock you knee!" This is what is done in so many postures in my yoga class. It sounds a lot easier than it is. I actually am finally able to see my quadriceps and lock my knees now though.

My legs are a wee bit sore after my run today and yoga yesterday. I only hope I will be able to make it through my class tomorrow!

This is very random post, just my thoughts.

what to do...

Last night as I was watching the snow come down I was wondering to myself, how on earth am I going to do my run tomorrow morning? I then remembered my mom has a treadmill and I could actually do 10 kms on it! I was very excited at this concept, but when I awoke this morning to find beautiful sunshiny weather I began thinking that a run outside would be so pretty! I still am undecided, but I need to go soon!

Here are some quick pics of my knitting thus far... although these were taken a few days, so my scarf looks quite different now...not because it's longer, but because I've torn it apart 50 times and started over.

rain & wind

I went out last night. With Hannah. Just her and I. It was cold, windy, and rainy. As I was walking I was remembering the warm summer nights I would walk her. The sun would be setting, the coolness of dusk was refreshing after a hot day, it was nice, really nice. I was wishing I could go back, back to the warmth. But alas, we live in a part of the world where we experience four seasons. Thankfully we do, because I can now really appreciate the beauty of summer nights.

I continued walking in the dark and rain. There is something soothing about the rain and darkness. No one can really see me, and the although the rain is cool against my face, it's nice. It was even a bit foggy which always adds a bit of drama to the street lights reflecting in the puddles.

So tonight I will run in the dark and possibly the rain... without a wet dog.

Mmm... Soy

After doing a fair amount of reading this week on natural remedies I have decided to switch over to Soy products. I have had a few tummy troubles recently and although I know some of it is related to stress I do know a lot of it is related to what I put into my body. My Dr had suggested years ago that I may be lactose intolerant and for me to cut down on dairy products and switch to soy. I was never able to do this, just b/c I love milk, but in my reading this week I also read that dairy can also lead to break outs, which I do seem to suffer from. So For the past 3 days I have been enjoying soy lattes, steamed soy milk, and cereal with soy milk. I am actually starting to like the taste, my tummy has been better and my skin is clearing up!

Yay for inspiration!

With my photo shoots coming to an end I have found myself craving other creative outlets. On Wednesday I went to Vancouver with a friend and we did the big Circle Craft Fair at Canada Place. It was so not what I had imagined! No little hokey painted woods signs here... there were amazing designers from all over Canada who were selling clothing, jewellery, pottery, soaps, and tons of other really neat things.

It was so inspiring seeing what others have come up with and how they are making a living off of doing what they love. Although I do find it really hard paying for something that I think I can make myself. Sooooo...

I have begun a knitting project. I've been wanting to start something for a bit now, but after seeing knitted scarves being sold for $130, I thought, huh, I think I could do it for $10. Of course that's not including the hours of labour. But I really do enjoy knitting and find it a great way to relax.

Enjoy our crazy weather!

~L

LOVE this!!!

goat commercial

Another quote that touched me tonight...

“Remember that everyone you meet is afraid of something, loves something, and has lost something”

So true.

In search of peace

We all want peace right? Do any of us really have it? I believe some do. I actually believe a lot of us have peace every day, maybe not all day, but at some points during our busy days. I believe I have at times felt very at peace. But more recently I haven't. I feel as though I am on the search for it, and I do feel like I am getting closer. I came across this quote this morning...

"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Interesting I thought. As I head out the door to my yoga class, I will be thinking more about this.

May you all find some peace in your day today!

~L

To IPhone or not to IPhone

that is the question. I have dreamt about having an IPhone now for the last year or so, but b/c I am in a plan with Bell I have to wait until next year when my 3 year contract comes up. Or at least I thought I did, until now... Bell has now taken on the IPhone and I could easily switch over. When I first heard about this I was very excited and thought of it as a no brainer, but as I am reading more and more about simplifying life and I am seriously rethinking it.

Do I really want to have access to e-mail all the time? Do I want my clients to think I am at their beck and call? Do I want to be one of those people who is busy texting/e-mailing while waiting at a red light? No, not really. Do I need to waste more of my time downloading and playing with cool apps while on the go? No. This does not sound like simplifying my life, it sounds like it would create more distraction away from what is really important. Not to mention my phone bill would at least double every month, which I really cannot justify.

So for now... I am holding off on the IPhone... maybe one day when I grow up and have a super busy business that requires me to be in more contact with clients I will reconsider. But for now, I enjoy getting back to clients when I'm ready :-)

I went out this afternoon for a run. I've been feeling a bit sick these past few days, scratchy throat, and just a bit lathargic, but I really wanted to go. So when the rain stopped this afternoon I headed out. It was so beautiful and peaceful. As I turned out of our back lane, there was a perfect rainbow. It was amazing. I did the Whatcom run and managed to shave off another minute, so I was happy... and I didn't even feel like I was going to puke!

Came across this tonight

and thought it was kind of cool...

Simplicity, many people think,
is an end in itself
But they’re getting it backwards
Simplicity is the path, the means
It’s not a far off destination,
somewhere in the future
It’s right here, right now
It’s taking things one at a time
It’s asking simple questions
It’s taking simple actions
It’s doing it slowly
It’s considering and being conscious,
with everything

When you find yourself becoming overwhelmed
on the path to simplicity
Taking a complicated, frenzied path
to get there
Stop, consider, and choose
the simpler path
And take it slowly
And easily
And lovely

Simplicity is the path, not just the destination, by Leo Babauta

Mmm.. gingerbread lattes are back!

And they are almost as good as the Pumpkin Spice lattes. Either one is perfect for a windy fall day like today. I have some vegetable soup simmering on the stove and fresh buns for dinner. I have a run planned for tonight at 5:30, but I am feeling a wee bit achy now and my throat a tad scratchy... yuck. I had similar symptoms last week and managed to bounce back fairly quickly, so here's hoping! Perhaps I will go rest and read, although I really just feel like closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep.

Found this pic of El and I taken in Sept. It was so warm then... I am craving warmth

Wow, I apologize for the dreariness of last night's post. Sometimes I just have down days, yesterday was one of them I suppose. Although I had a rough sleep last night I woke up and was happy to see the sun. I had my yoga class in the morning which was very refreshing and gave me a lot of time to think and re-energize!

I am inspired to do get going on a lot things. I have pictures to edit, e-mails to reply to, and a few phone calls to make. I've been bouncing some new business ideas around as well as logos/branding and marketing. I am feeling inspired to cook, organize, and clean up my yard. I want to try some some new things with my camera and take some pictures for me! And maybe get them blown up, and maybe even put on a canvas! See, I am feeling much better today!

Thank you for all the love...