A Glimpse Of Summer

Whether it's the truth or just my guilt talking... I feel like it's been way too long since we've really enjoyed just being. Too often, there are places to go, things to do and people to see... or we are cooped up at home just putting around; and if we go out, we go to the usual places.

Summer makes me think of endless things and places to experience and enjoy - especially with the company of friends and loved ones. Today felt like Summer. I can't believe how warm it was!

We started the day with Maddi and I meeting some of our mommy and baby friends for a picnic. We haven't seen them for a long time and we were missing them terribly.

After the picnic, Maddi and I had a long walk and stopped in at our friend's gelateria in Coal Harbour, Bella Gelateria - sooo good! I had their award-winning salted caramel flavour and Maddi enjoyed a small cup of vanilla bean.

We met with Sean at the park nearby and just hung out. We laid out our picnic mat and played ball with Maddi. She has a great arm and throws pretty well, but today we taught her how to kick a ball. At first, she kept picking it up and throwing it; towards the end though, she learned how to kick it!

We had to move about 4 times trying to stay in the shade... but had a fun time in the sun, soaked in the fun of having some quality family time.

Maddi also made a friend, she is not a shy kid. Neither was Audrey, the friend she made. Interesting to think that if it weren't for our girls playing with each other, we probably wouldn't have talked to this couple; but because the girls did, we ended up getting out of ourselves and interacted with them. Children are pretty awesome.

I love seeing that smile on her face!

Maddi has a great arm and can throw a ball quite well!

Good throw, Maddi!

I just love those lips! And cheeks! And her cute hands and fingers! And....

Love The Aquabus!

The weather has been getting nicer lately. Yesterday, Sean had the day off work. Instead of going for a walk along the usual routes we take, I thought to take the Aquabus and stroll Granville Island.

It was Maddi's first Aquabus ride! We had lunch at the market, and enjoyed gelato in the courtyard where a lineup of musicians provided entertainment as people enjoyed the place, the weather, the views, their food & their company. It reminded me a bit of that Family Guy episode where there was soundtrack to life! hehe

Maddi has had ice cream several times and really enjoys it... but she's always had it in a bowl with a spoon. Yesterday, I taught her how to lick it from a cone. She liked the novelty of it.

We had planned to go feed the ducks, but we didn't make it there. Maddi was tired shortly after lunch, so we decided to head home to put Maddi down for a nap. It was neat to have caught one of the big ones they call the Cyquabus!

Enjoying the views from the Aquabus

Maddi's super excited to go to Granville Island =P

She might've been tired, she wasn't as friendly toward this girl as she usually is

Enjoying the music and dancing

Got to ride the Cyquabus on the way home!

Cute As Can Bee

Sean and Maddi were quite sick for the week after we got back from our cruise. Caring for two sick babes took it's toll and got really challenging after the 4th day. Maddi was extra clingy, and Sean couldn't help at all. I tried to handle it with as much patience and grace, but I'm afraid I started to crack towards the end. I think what saved me from totally losing it was my dad leaving me with pre-cooked frozen meals that I could just heat up throughout the week before he flew home.

I'm just glad that at least, we had a great trip; and also, that I didn't get sick while caring for both of them - that was freakin' amazing!

Now that they are both feeling so much better and the weather outside is so much nicer, I decided to take Maddi out on our first picnic of the year this afternoon - and she was dressed appropriately, buzzing with cuteness!

Side note: Maddi's hair seemed to have sprouted in the last month... I started giving her pigtails the week after we got back from our cruise to keep it away from her snotty nose.

She started crouching down every time I pull my camera out lately... I hope it's just a phase, I want to be able to take photographs of her!

How did she get so big so fast?!

That's the mischievous smile she gave me before running away from our picnic blanket!

I showed her how to blow on a dandelion

She thought it was interesting

She held it way too close to her mouth, the little bits started sticking to her snotty nose =)

Patience, Perseverance and Drive

It's been a couple of weeks of late nights for me now... I feel like I've got too much on the brain and it's keeping me up! I started out with a lot of excitement from watching the Sue Bryce workshop videos that got me on a high for about a week... then the tiredness set in and rendered me unproductive during my work hours (every night after Maddi goes to bed).

I probably still would have been able to keep watching the videos even if I was tired, but I couldn't continue with them because I haven't done any of the daily challenges. I felt like I couldn't keep going unless I take some action. To add to that, I got word from my designer on the progress of my website design and construction. It reminded me that I need to get going with collecting images to fill my website with, not to mention text for various sections.

Like many artists, I am my worst critic. I look through all the photos I've taken recently and I feel like I don't have any that I want on my site. I need better images. Don't get me wrong, there are many that I've taken which I like... I am just being super critical of my own work and I see all the things I would do differently - I guess that's what happens when you keep evolving and growing in your craft. So, the only way to solve this is to go out and create images that I will be a hundred percent happy to put up on my website.

On Saturday, when I saw that the forecast for Sunday said no rain, I scheduled a last minute portfolio session with my dear friend, Anne... so glad she was available at such short notice and happy to help. For this session, I decided to go on location in beautiful Gastown. I just love the character in the area; the characters that roam it, not so much - haha! My trusty assistant Neil was available and ready, too... making the trek all the way from Cloverdale - thanks so much for coming to help out!

Here are some of the images I got from the session... and I love them! Let me know what you think?!

And now, to sort out my price list... and to organize my thoughts and put them down on paper for a business plan! I knew starting a business is a lot of work, but realizing now just how much! Everything seems to take a lot longer than I anticipated, too! A lot of times, when I set out to do something, I discover something else that needs to get done. So far though, although it is a lot of work... it is work I am happy to do and I am learning a lot. Patience, perseverance & drive... please don't run out on me, I can't wait to see where you'll take me!

p.s. a mommy sidenote - Maddi took her first unassisted steps and started walking last Thursday, just 2 days shy of turning 17 months! It was a mix of feeling "OMG, she's growing up way too fast!" and a sense of mama pride on her milestone accomplishment.

She's Beautiful... She Is A Woman

Today, as I walked to and from Gastown to meet with some friends, I noticed that I started seeing women differently. I started seeing how beautiful each of them are, whether they were dressed up with makeup on or in their sweats and not done up at all. Sue Bryce said she can find beauty in every woman because she knows what beauty looks like. I think I'm getting there, too. So exciting!

Now to set up a natural light studio within my townhouse and practice through the daily challenges from the 28-day workshop that I purchased. I'm also looking forward to drier days ahead, so I can head outdoors for some shoots. Again, on my way to meet my friends, I was reminded of how many cool backgrounds there are around town.

I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being.
~Hafiz

Peace Out, Recharging My Batteries

I've been having late nights for the past 2 weeks, staying up till at least 1am and sometimes as late as 3.30 in the morning. I've been in such a high from the marathon of Sue Bryce workshop videos that I have been watching at nights after Maddi goes to bed and sometimes also while she naps during the day.

Sue is not only a photography instructor, she is a coach. A couple of days ago, I heard she was awarded the Framed Most Influential Photographer of the Year. It didn't surprise me, because she was exactly that to me. She did not only help and inspire me as a photographer, she has also improved my life on a personal level. She reminded me to be grateful, to choose positivity and happiness over negativity and fear, to value myself and my work, to focus on finding a way to work out of any challenge and not let excuses get in my way.

I purchased the creativeLive 28 Days With Sue Bryce course, where I get a video challenge daily for 28 days. It's day 4 today and I've watched all the videos. However, I haven't actually taken any action; so, I'm feeling a little antsy. This weekend, I have to go and source out the supplies I need so I can start working on the challenges.

Last weekend, before the workshop started, I had a session with my friend Liz. It's my first one with professional hair and makeup artists. I loved the shoot, although I shot with flashes and softboxes. I would love to try shooting in natural light, I do like the flat lighting that Sue shoots in. Shooting in natural light seems to make the image look more soft and dreamy; the light seems more subtle and well, more natural.

Hmmm. I was so busy the last few days and really wanted to blog as I had a bunch of thoughts swirling around in my head that I wanted to get on "paper;" yet somehow... now that I have the time to sit down and write a post, I don't seem to have much to say. All the words that crowded in my mind seemed to have vanished into thin air... and although I stayed up late again last night and tonight... I have not been as productive these two nights. I'm just too tired, and have to get to bed and start getting a bit more sleep to make up for all the late nights I've had. The high can only carry me through so many late nights in a row.

Since I'm blanking out and productivity has been down, it's time to recharge my batteries. Other than watching the daily videos from the course and getting the supplies I need on the weekend (while the hubby is home to help take care of the munchkin), I'm taking tomorrow and the weekend off.

The thoughts are still there, albeit a little hazy in my head. I think a little more sleep will coax them out... I hope.

There's A Fire

It's 1.30 in the morning and I just climbed into bed. And although I am in bed, I lay awake thinking about my photography venture. Just. Can't. Stop!

This reminds me of my dad. He has told me stories about times when he has laid awake thinking, planning, dreaming about how he can expand, what he can achieve, how he can make things better. My brother has had similar experiences too. Although I may kick myself in the morning when I find it hard to wake up or when I am too tired to keep up with Maddi, this encourages me; I'm in good company!

It also makes me excited because according to the law of attraction - what you focus on expands, what you think about becomes your reality, what you visualize shows up in your life... what you're happy about and grateful for, the universe gives you more of! Also, I had already brushed up against something along these lines that felt eerily (in a good way) paranormal to me in the last week.

Tonight, I spent some precious sleep time chatting with a fellow mom & photography enthusiast. We talked about our love of photography, and covered topics from props, marketing, pricing, sales, etc. We are both moms that have demanding young children (she actually trumps me, she's a mom of two!)... why aren't we sleeping? Why are we spending our precious time chatting about this stuff? It's because there's something bubbling within us. Borrowing Adele's words (although not in the same sentiment as how the rest of that song goes), it feels sort of like a fire starting in our hearts - hard to contain, there's a dream that wants to become reality!

If we went to bed, we'd just lay awake thinking to ourselves... so we chatted about it a fair bit (at least we had each other's company for a little while), then we went to bed. Yes, I'm now still laying here awake, thinking; but can you imagine how much longer I'd be laying here if I hadn't released some of it when I was chatting with my friend?!

When you feel tired, but your heart is jumping in excitement and there's a smile on your lips... It's a good thing and a good omen of good things to come =)

Good night, all!

Below is me with my Maddi Boo... whom I should be so fortunate to be blessed with! My love, my inspiration, my muse; the one that has ignited the fire, whose face I would do everything to keep a smile on... the major WHY to pursuing my dreams.

p.s. Every dreamer needs a strong WHY(s) to keep them in the running, especially when times get tough and when doubts and discouragements set in.