little travel princess

My Bella the amazing traveller!

She was so proud of her rolley bag and her new passport. She donned her tutu and polka-dot legwarmers at 4 AM with a smile on her face and was the first one in line to hand over her "ticket" to the gate agents. They got a real kick out of her. there was absolutely NO fear or even a tad of worry about flying, as the airplane began hurtling down the runway faster and faster she would quote lightening McQueen every time shouting out "Speeeeed, I am speeed.....KACHOWWW!!!!!" and a few hearty additions of "WHEEEEEE!!!!!"
She spent all of her time during the flights doing stickers and drawing and singing her happy little songs. Such a happy little sunshine girl, honestly.
The littlest of three girls sometimes just is in the mix of what her big sisters are doing, which is all fun and good...but it really is so so nice to be on a trip just the two of us.

Got2B Grateful sale

Happy US Thanksgiving to all. I for one have so much to be thankful for in my life that I really don't mind celebrating twice! ...one for Canada and now again for the US Holiday. Fun , Fun , Fun; y'know a holiday all about being truly grateful for what you've got is right up my alley so that is exactly what I am doing...my second Thanksgiving of 2008. It is great to be a part of this weekend with our friends here in Colorado. I haven't loaded any photos yet but I'll share a few when I go home later next week. Kaiella is having an amazing time with her new little friends and I am having a great time too, taking photos and spending time with my pals both new ones I have just met and the old ones I already thought were FAB! 

In honor of all things good in life I am throwing a quick little 3 day sale on my guest goodies over at TLP. 40% off on everything until  midnight on Sunday. 

God Bless, and wishes of health and happiness to you wherever in the world you may be this weekend

note to folks in Colorado Spring area

Kaiella and I jumping on a plane in the morning and we are going to be in the area for the next week. I have time to fit in one more 3 hour photo session while I am out that way. if you are interested please email me for more details.

And to everyone else out there, hope your week is filled with Blessings, too many to count.

soulographer and a few random thoughts

I haven't had a lot of time since I got back home to go through the photos that I took in Austin at the Soulographer workshop but I wanted to share these few from my first look through them.

the kids were amazing, and it was a beautiful location. Definitely a different experience than my usual photo shoots with kids, shooting at a workshop with 28 other women doing the same thing. It was fun. I didn't get to connect with the kids quite like I usually would of course, but that wasn't the point of the day.

In other news, gas prices have come WAY down WHOOOT. $45 filled 3/4 of our tank today and that, my friends, is gooood news. It is icy and cold here now which finally has me in the mood to create some Christmas cards and gift tags, the snow was late this year we were treated to a pretty warm start of November which is FAB but so strange for Winnipeg :)
Last but not least, the laundry has piled up once again...no one has 2 pairs of matching socks, and the fridge is nearly empty....ok so wanna know my thoughts on this? I JUST did a massive amount of laundry, and totally JUST went and bought the best ever groceries of a lifetime. Now really, aren't these things supposed to just stay done for awhile?! How the heck do they undo themselves in such a hurry LOL.
There you have it
Happy Monday

making christmas memories

We took the kids to the Santa clause parade here in Winnipeg yesterday. They LOVED it! We went in good time to get our spot right on the curb and sat breathing in the fresh chilly air and all of the excitement of the crowd gathering to line the streets. I can't believe how many people come out to celebrate and join in the fun!
I haven't gone since I was a kid but I still remember the thrill when the day finally arrived, getting ready, packing blankets and waiting in our spot along Portage ave to see the parade go by. I remember bundling head to toe and the smell of the hot chocolate steam rising from our thermos, I remember the excitement as the parade began and not caring that my toes had gone numb in my boots. Some memories are so clear as if they were just yesterday. We had such a great night watching all of the pretty floats, the kids rushed excitedly to a new spot at the end of the evening to get a good look at the man in red, and Bella who is still kind of scared of him settled for daddy's shoulders a safe distance away.
Then we went out for pancakes and hot chocolate together to warm up before the fireworks show. The kids even got to roast marshmallows at the campfires that were going. I love things like this that become traditions and memories we hold onto for a lifetime. I was listening to my father-in-law tell the kids about his memories of the parade from his younger years and it made me smile that such a cool memory has been made over generations of Winnipeg kids and is now being made for our little ones too.

for all of you letter lovers...

Thank-you SO much for sharing the things that you love with me.
It makes me happy. I LOVE the things that you all wrote, life really can be filled with simple joys when we look for them:) If you haven't yet You should totally go and read these comments and get a dose of happy yourself.
My little Kaiella ( who can't read) closed her eyes and picked the winner of my two alphabet packs.....
and the winner is

" janice said...

I LOVE the changing of the seasons! The colors of SPRING when everything is turning green, fresh and NEW! And then again in the FALL when God takes his paintbrush and gives us the wonderful colors of red, gold, green, and brown! What could be better?!!"

congrats Janice!
email me and I will send over your goodies

guesting!

I am super honored and totally excited to be doing a little guest appearance for the month of November over at the Lilypad!
here is the results of my happy hand crafting the other day :)

the designers and CT over at TLP are a super great bunch, and I have started my month by joining in on their big build your own collab kit. Here are my 3 packs and as I can I will add some more to my little section of the store!
Whoo hoo for creative fun!!!

On the fly

Hello from Toronto airport *waving*

I am on the go again today, Heading to Austin Texas for a few jobs, and also heading to the the Soulographer workshop this weekend. I am really looking forward to learning about being a rawkin' RAD photographer. The workshop is put on by Skye Hardwick; check out her photos she's pretty darn awesome!

For now; I left home at 4 AM this morning and I have 6 hours to wait here so I am taking a deep breath and settling in for a book and a tea.

hand crafting

I hand stitch because it makes me feel domestic, I love the softness and the homespun feel that it gives to whatever I am working on.
I paint because I love it, experimenting, layering colour, adding and washing away... sometimes the outcome is great and sometimes I have to wait for it to tell me where to go next in hopes of becoming good. But I love it.
I color because my hands were made to layer strokes of colour on paper ( or anything else that may jump under my pencils) to see what the outcome will be as it takes shape, because I think I may have been born with dreams of art in my tiny heart.
I create because i just have to, I crave it like I crave cold water; it makes me feel alive. Always evolving, growing and changing, I love that something which has always been there within me can take so many different paths.
Today I am making things, and both my hands and my heart are blissfully happy.
I wish the same to you.
Peace

Party Day

the girls and I spent today at kaiella's preschool Halloween party. it was a blast! the two big sisters were thrilled to help the little ones with their crafts and games and we even got to hand out candy as the 3 and 4 year olds went around to different doors with their little treat bags and buckets. here's our little preschool princess getting ready for a game of musical chairs and feeling like a million bucks. she was all grins in her head to toe pink.
Then came the family fun at night. SO super cool to be on a Friday night this year and totally avoid the day after Halloween-late-night-and-sugar effects as we try and herd tired kids off to school . That just might have been the best part....in my opinion anyways.
Every year without fail Cam and I turn back into a couple of kids for a night it seems. Each Halloween he lets the girls pick what he should be, it is a tradition. They are always full of giggles as they dig through the costume box and conspire to turn Daddy into something, anything, that he probably won't want to be. That is half the fun right? Last year they dressed him in a curly wig, pink tutu, wings, and a wand as "the tooth fairy" and being the wonderful fun loving Dad of 3 girls that he is, he went along with the fun all night and played the part quite well! This year I put my foot down and told them that they had to at least let their poor dad be a guy thing. So he still got a nice long blond wig but this year it had a headband around his forehead a peace sign on his cheek and a guitar hanging around his neck. My big "hippie" was strumming all kinds of interesting chords as we walked the streets LOL. I still attempted stubbornly to take pictures with no flash because the darn thing totally obliterates the real glow of the pumpkins and the mood of waiting on a dimly lit step. I can't say that my results were fantastic but I did get a few that captured the mood and will be so much fun to look back on when the threesome are not quite so little.It is good to take time to skip and giggle and embrace the carefree fun of childhood right along with our children.
Oh so good.