Stealing Memories : A Giveaway with Canvas Factory

I will say, it's not technically stealing per se since I am the one that took this photograph in the first place. But I did secretly do this for my girl. The day of her high school prom, we took what some might consider a ridiculous amount of pictures. But this one? It stood out for me.

The pure innocence of it combined with the pure joy on my Isabella's face. Still makes me melt every time I look at it. And if every picture tells a story - this one tells one of my favourites.

Canvas Factory made it so simple for me to create this keepsake for her - which she may or may not have received on the morning of her 19th birthday. Tons of available options for sizing, colour and effects; but somehow, I always go back to classic black + white. {you may notice my Julian's canvas in the background #creatureofhabit}

The team at Canvas Factory is giving you a chance to win a canvas of your own. Sized {like the one above} 16 x 20. And perfect for gift-giving to someone you love or better yet, keep this one for yourself.

Open to residents of Canada + the U.S.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.

                                                                                                                 - Dr. Suess

What Ava Wore : Swingin'

Sometimes, when we are taking photographs of ms. Ava Grace, we

get her in that sweet spot where she is such a joy and more importantly,

so FILLED with joy, that we just can't choose which pictures to share.

Last weekend, the sun was just so in the backyard, and I had her ready to go in this beautiful embroidered dress by Garnet Hill Kids.

see more of it here.

They went out to the backyard before I did and Izzy just snapped away.

Things I Learned in Berlin

I recently traveled to Berlin for work. Having never been to the city before, I truly did not know what to expect.

In my mind, I envisioned the Germany I knew from my childhood - and those experiences were very limited. To be specific, Frankfurt.

The city I visited was not a typical european city at all. 

With no true "city centre", a population of over 3.5 million people and cafes, restaurants and shopping malls galore - it is more New York and less ancient Europe. 

Although sadly, I didn't have a ton of free time, the city is laid out in such a way that if you plan correctly, you can see a lot. 

If you skip walking and hire your own personal cabbie, you can see even more.

What Ava Wore : Dancing in the Dark

If you don't follow me on instagram then you likely haven't seen the joy that is these photographs. 

On this particular evening, a certain ms. Ava Grace decided that dancing on the bed in one of her fanciest dresses would be a fantastic idea.

I quickly pulled her hair up, grabbed my camera and snapped away.

What Ava Wore : Reality Check

In case you hadn't noticed, I take a lot of photos of Ava. 

For the most part, I have to say, she is a pretty good sport.
So sometimes, I let her loose.
The result is reality.
The very best kind.

What I Wore : The Outtakes

When you attempt to take outfit photos once a week, there are bound to be pictures you just can't use.

Most times, I delete those and work with the ones that turned out best.

But sometimes, sometimes I just can't delete them.

They make me laugh, they make my kids laugh and they're a constant reminder that you just can't take yourself too seriously.

Is Instagram the new Blog?

I recently read some back and forth about whether or not instagram is replacing the conventional blog.

As someone who both blogs and shares photographs on instagram, I thought it was worth a debate - could still photos replace the written word?

I say no.

But in today's ridiculously crazy busy world, it seems many feel differently.

I see gals who have "made it big" on instagram alone - having never written a single blog post. That or they start out on instagram, gather followers and then start writing. 

Sloan's Ice Cream Parlour / Turnberry Isle / Toronto's waterfront / A Wedding Tablescape

An Amateur's Guide to Photographing Children {Part 3} : Editing

I remember the days when editing photographs before printing them was the stuff of dreams. Or at least the stuff of professional photographers.

You sometimes printed photos only to find that the subject had red-eye or the picture was too dark or too light. 

This need not happen anymore.

Really, even Costco offers customers the option to edit photos in the store. It's crazy how far we've come. 

For at home editing, especially fabulous for bloggers and individuals who like to share photographs on social media, there are a ridiculous amount of options available including many that are extremely low cost but provide an amazing variety of options. 

For the purpose of today, and my sharing what I personally use on the daily, I will focus on PicMonkey.

The service can be used at no charge for basic edits {think resize, clarify, add a filter} or in the vicinity of about $5/month for their "royale" features which allow you to do just about anything. Think photoshop but not as advanced. or as confusing.

I assure you it is money well spent.

Here is just a small sampling of what you can do in no time at all.

unedited photo

An Amateur's Guide to Photographing Children {Part 2} : Tips + Tricks

I take a lot of photos of my children.

Right now, just because she happens to be the youngest, Ava is my constant muse.

I did the same with each of them.

In fact, I remember spending many a day just changing Isabella and Julian from one outfit to another and snapping photographs.

I included photos in birthday invites, thank you cards...anywhere I could share them.

Were they are they always perfect?

Definitely not. But that, in and of itself is what makes them so special.

An Amateur's Guide to Photographing Children {Part 1} : A Different Perspective

I take a LOT of photographs of my children.

And while I am not a professional photographer by any means, I have learned a lot along the way. 

When I look back at early photos of Ava, I shudder. 

My skills were even less stellar than they are today and my editing was so off. 

I really loved playing with effects often to the detriment of the photo itself. 

As mentioned numerous times on the blog, I have an enormous amount of respect for children's photographers. It is no easy task trying to get a subject to be agreeable on top of trying to get that "perfect" shot. 

Sometimes, I find that my very favourite photographs are often those that don't require the child to even look at the camera.

Taking Pictures of Children : The Outtakes

Since Ava was born, she has been my muse and the inspiration for this blog.

Hence, the blog name.

I have been taking photographs of her for just as long and though some days, she is totally in the mood and a pleasure {those days, I get more photos than I know what to do with...and of course, I can't delete a single one!} on others, not so much.

The good thing about being a mama again later in life is that I find I have SO much more patience. 

With the others, I remember getting so frustrated. Just smile already!

Now, if she's not in the mood, I know there is no changing her mind and we come back to it another time or another day. 

That said, there are still a fair share of fun outtakes.

And yes, of course I save those. 

the pick your ear {the nose is quite popular also}

I Should...

I have learned that I SHOULD leave the camera laying around.
And then I SHOULD leave the room.
In case Ava SHOULD  say "take my pitcher" when the light is just right. 
And Izzy SHOULD happily oblige.

on Ava:
top and leggings - Old Navy
necklace and bracelet - Stella and Dot

And you SHOULD too. 
So that you never have to say "I should have"...
Oh, and while you're at it, you SHOULD enter this Chicnova giveaway. Open Internationally!

Ava & The Bunny

Oh, hello bunny. 

Hope your Easter's were full of good things.

Pictures of You

If you're like me, at the start of the year, you are doing a lot of purging. 

Closet organizing. Christmas decor re-organizing.

Teddy bear condensing.

That kind of thing.

And among other things, I began to go through photos : old and new.

So many photos. The older kids as babies always make me smile. And feel a little bit sad.

The vacation pictures always make me wish I was still there.

And then, during all this reminiscing I realized something. 

I have very few photos of me with my children. 

Often times, as mamas, we are the ones behind the camera. Non?

Or else, we're the ones saying "no, no. i look awful right now." "in a minute, i just have to..."

I see hospital photos of other mamas in the with their new babes. Radiant and glowing.

I did not look like that. I did not feel like that.

I really did not want to record it.

Now, I wish I had. 

Afterwards, during the years time of so many sleepless nights, the last thing I wanted to do was be in photos. 

Heck, I'm just happy I had the energy to take photos of the little sleepless wonders.

And now, I regret it. I really do. 

So starting today, I am vowing to take more photos of both myself and my husband with our children. 

Embracing them. 

Loving them. 

Just plain old being present. 

Me & My Girl

I take a ridiculous amount of photos. 

But very rarely get to have a photo taken with the kids.

I promised myself to do more of these.

Because of this girl and her brilliant weekly link-up.

look at that face! {and what is going on with that neck? ugh.}

awww mama...

it kinda tickles and i kinda like it!

the money shot

Disclosure: know that I may have had a margarita on the table during the taking of these photos even though yes, I am always this ridiculously happy.

Jump! :: Hapari Swimwear Giveaway

The kids had a blast making sure I finally got the settings set up correctly on my camera for the ever-elusive jump shot.

How much fun are these?!

And speaking of all things summer, can we talk fabulous swimwear for just a little minute?

Hapari is a swimwear company that is definitely worth a visit. I was impressed not only by their amazing selection, but also by their extremely reasonable pricing (with lots of great looks on sale!). 

For us {ahem} no-longer-21 gals, they offer several tankini options that show off your curves without showing too much. 

Here are just a few of my many favorites: 

turquoise classic bandeau tankini

black classic bandeau tankini

lava sport tankini

From Hapari's website: 

Our swimsuits are anything but boring with colorful prints and patterns that flatter the figure and look beautiful on every woman. With our special style tabs, most of our tankinis can be worn one of three ways: halter-top, criss-cross, and tank, meaning that you can choose the style that you suits you best. Each will give you the appropriate coverage, comfort, and support that you want in a suit. In addition, all of our tops can be mixed and matched with any of our bottoms, so that you can create the perfect swimsuit that for you.

Can I get an amen?


Wanna win an $85 gift card to this amazing site?
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck.