[talk: Feeling Lovely.]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - I think that most women would agree that wanting to be feminine, pretty, lovely ... those are things that are right down in our DNA.  Looking at our young daughters, at our friend's teenage girls, at even our own selves ... God put something in us that makes us want to  put on a coat of lipgloss for a special event, or lose that extra 5lbs to fit into a much-awaited dress ...

Well, this past week I had the pleasure of going away with a few close girlfriends.  We shopped, we worked out (yes - you read that right ... I did my first 1km sprint in 4min20seconds) - we ate sensibly, read books in the sun and didn't have late nights.  We are all moms and didn't want to come home exhausted - but rather refreshed and better than when we had left.  We all wanted our husbands to be "wowed" when we came home ... maybe not super realistic - given the 5 day timespan *grin*.

On Saturday evening, though, we did something that we had done last year:  a photoshoot.  This was something I had wanted to do last year for my girlfriends - as a special treat, just to remind them how beautiful they were and honour them as the beautiful women they are.  And this year was no different - when I threw out the idea, they all laughed and said, "oh yeah - let's do it again!".  We were like a dorm of teenage girls getting ready ... trying on outfits, doing our hair and makeup ... getting each other's opinions while the music blared *grin*.

Super silly.  But fascinating ...  because we all just wanted a "pretty" picture taken.

Why? *laughing* I'm actually really not that sure.  I mean, once you have a new FB profile pic, then what?  I mean, it's not like you're going to print out a bunch of 8x10's of your top 25 pics from the session.  But for some reason, that didn't matter.  It was the experience that was fun - we didn't think about anything but being girly girls ...

So we headed out to the desert - with each of us armed with TWO (yes, you read that right) outfits.  The light was perfect, the girls were ready - and I started snapping pics.

It was just so fun.

Just watching these incredible women "strike a pose", just having fun - just celebrating the beauty that God put inside each of them ... really - it was remarkable.  So much laughter, so much "wooooork-it", so much ... well, fun.  And what was really interesting was comparing last year's shoot to this year's.  My friends were more comfortable - and I think their pics showed that.  And it was also pretty fun directing my friend who was trying to figure out my camera ... I was grateful that she wasn't afraid to try - most people get nervous when I hand them my professional camera and say, "would you mind?"

Now ... I JUST got back ... I haven't edited all of the 200+ pics (yes ... again - you read that right *grin*).  But I will show you a few of myself that I just edited - and it is a STRANGE thing editing photos of yourself, trust me.

But.  Looking at these photos actually brings a happiness to me - how I felt during this hour with my girlfriends.  I had said to one of my friends as we drove, "... I haven't felt this pretty in a long time."  It was true.

I've felt like I'm working hard, succeeding some then failing large at all the expectations I put on myself physically; I feel like I'm blessed with incredible family and friends and a great church; I feel like there's never enough time to do it all ... and that I wish I were so much better at everything I already do.  But feeling pretty?  No.  I'm sure most moms would say hat is not a daily occurrence by any stretch.

So for 1 hour on Saturday - we felt like queens ... and I felt like my hubby would be proud, like my hours of running paid off, like God didn't make any mistakes ... and please - don't interpret this as a post on a massive importance on outside appearance and such ... it's just how I felt for a very short period of time.  And it was nice.

Enough.

Here are a few of my own pics ...  I'll be posting my friends over the next week or so ...

So.  Silly, yes.  Fun, for sure.  But lovely for us all.

Have a great one ...

[talk: She Called Me A ...]

Ok.  Relax.  Yeah, yeah - the title's a bit much *grin*.  But hey - I had wanted to be a journalism major many moons ago ... sometimes the writer in me gets a bit cheeky *grin*.

Where have I been?  Oh, you know ... twiddling my thumbs - wasting time - watching paint dry. HA.  No, of course not.  Life has been full - and it's now 11:22pm on Monday night and if I don't get THIS in today I'll be really mad at myself.  I love to blog ... and so here I am.  Blogging.

So much to write about - but tonight I will just type that I had a lovely day with my mom.  Yes - I was unable to spend actual "mother's day" with her on Sunday, so today I took her to White Rock for lunch, for a walk along the ocean and to a kitchen specialty shop for a brand-new teapot.  It was a lovely few hours full of laughing and talking ... catching up, asking questions,  watching a stunning view while munching on exquisite food.  And after lunch, we walked arm in arm along the pier and I even asked someone to snap a photo with my IPhone.

It's funny what moments we remember, isn't it?  No rhyme or reason ... but this lady painstakingly took a few photos with my phone, and as she handed it back, my mom said - "oh, my daughter's a photographer" ... and honestly?  It was profound.

Why?

My mom is an RCM examiner.  Basically, she's pretty darn high up in one of the most known Canadian music schools.  I had been following in her footsteps, with three music degrees under my belt, and my own thriving music studio.  Then, we lost Shalom ... everything went spinning - and I found myself  in a place of recreating who I was, in the photography field.

It's only been recently that I've felt confident and non-apologetic for saying "I'm a photographer".  I was always like, "... I used to be a piano teacher.  I'm qualified.  I'm educated ... I was doing really well *yadayadayada* ... and now I just do my bit - some people like my photos, some don't.  It's ok - you don't have to ... I still really like it ... " with my head hung down.  I've felt like people just roll their eyes with my career change - I mean, can't anyone be a "photographer"?

But today, my mom told a stranger that I WAS a photographer.  Not that I "used to be a piano teacher", or my qualifications or whatever.  She seemed proud of it ... and for some reason, her words made me feel like I was legit.

Isn't it funny what different people can say, how they can say it - that makes all the difference?  Words are so much more than power.   They are life ... or death.  I've been learning a lot about words ... watching my own kids with what they say and what's said to them, watching people stand tall - or be struck down - by the words others say to them ...

Hmm.  It's a big thing ... and I'm much to tired *yawn* to go much more into this.  But.  Basically all I wanted to say was that 1) I had a great day.  2) I'm so glad I got to spend time with my mom  and 3) validating words bring life.

Ok.

Not the most amazingly written post ... my English prof would be eye-rolling at the "all-over-the-place-ness" of my thoughts.  But I don't care.  I'm not a writer.

I'm a photographer.

Boom.

[talk: What Do You Do.]

Ok.  So - I thought I'd throw this post back at you, the reader, for some help.

I am far from a no sugar, no flour, only organic kinda gal ... but I'm kinda on the pathway.  More like a trying-to-make-better-choices-than-others-but-not-gonna-beat-myself-up-when-I-can't kinda gal.

I'm wondering how many moms out there are feeling like I am?  Like processed food is the most convenient but EVERYTHING is processed.  Dairy products, cereals and grains, meats, fruits and veggies ... they are all contaminated in one way or another.  Hormones, antibiotics, unsanitary conditions (like feces in the slaughter house ... hate to say it, but if you think it's NOT in our meat - well.  I think you might be wrong.)

I was watching a show about "Food Inc", which is a documentry.  The guy (who wrote this book) said that the super market doesn't sell food, but more like "edible food substitutes."  Yuck.  He said to "not eat what your great grandmother doesn't recognise (using the yogurt tubes as an example ...)".  To eat things that are seasonal - rather than eating foods that come from around the world, picked way too early, and gassed (that's right, GASSED) to have them shiny and ready for our own supermarket.

All this to say, that being a consumer is painful now.  Being a mom - making both economical and healthy AND time effecient decisions is a tricky thing.

So - what do you do?  Do you buy your meat elsewhere (like the farm, or butcher, rather than the supermarket ...)?  If so - WHERE??  I'm lost ... but I know that I want to feed my family grass feed beef, and free range chicken ... Do you buy organic?  Do you think it's a scam?  Do you buy what's in season locally, or do you buy whatever you need, whenever you need it?

Would love to hear your thoughts!!

[tias: Baseball - Game One.]

For the last 2 weeks, Tias has had baseball a minimum of 3 times each week.  Except for when he's been sick ... but that's another story.  It has been SO great ... after two years of dealing with his grumbling with hockey - he absolutely loves baseball.

Wednesday night was a beautiful evening - and I picked up Subway sandwiches with Siah and Katia and met my hubby and Tias at the ballpark.  Dinner at the park - how perfect.  And the game was already underway ... 

Tias was on third base ...

I loved this moment ... Siah and Katia acted like Tias was a RockStar.  He knew it too ... it doesn't give him a "big head" - it gives him confidence.  It was a beautiful thing ... 

The spectators prefer to eat, more than spectate *grin* ...

Tias did so well.  He got to base twice - which brought two team members home.  And he came home as well, once.  So - out of the 5 points scored, Tias was involved in three of them ... he was beaming.

I can hardly believe he's 7.  And a half, I guess.  It's crazy.  He's changing and staying the same - growing up, and acting like a kid ... all at the same time.  I am so proud to be his Mom.

And on a side note ... a pic I managed to capture of our littlest peanut.  This photo means a LOT to me ... because I can never get her to look at me.  This time?  "Hey Katia, do you see the clown inside my lense?"

The next photo is of her giving me a "yeah, whatever" look ... but this one?  Melts my heart.

Have a great one :-) ... 

[redhandedphotography: NEW SITE. NEW BLOG.]

Hey hey hey ...

SO ( I seem to start off like that a whole lot, don't I ... ) ... 

After 5 weeks and hours and hours and hours of time ... I launched my BRAND NEW RHP (RedHanded Photography) website!!!  It's been a labour of love - frustrating and exhilarating all at the same time.  I designed it from scratch, with so much thought and effort into every detail ... I hope you go check it out *grin*.  

And ... a NEW BLOG to boot at www.redhandedphotographyblog.com.  Yes, I ventured out of blogpost and into the world of ProPhoto Blogs.  I designed this one as well, but from a template - and I wanted to keep it simple, and more about the images than "cool gadgets".  You can check it out HERE ...

And honestly? I am SO relieved that it's DONE.  Ok ... well, I'll probably tinker and fiddle with them for a while, but basically I won't be dreaming in fonts and layouts at night!!  I'm mighty happy about that ... 

On a different note, I headed to the doctor to get a note so I can get orthodics for my running.  I'm mighty happy about that too ... And I also had a bit of a therapy session about my sugar binges and my body ... it was good.  Basically, I needed someone to give me a bit of a scare - not even about now, but about the future.  And if I don't want to be over-weight, suffering from diabetes and potentially risking losing limbs and blindness (how's THAT for a reality check), I need to start getting things under control.  He explained to me what I'm scientifically doing to my body every time I crash and every time I binge.  Binges on sugar can cause my metabolism to get completely messed, my pancreas to over-use and ... well.  It's bad.

Will this help?  I actually think it might ... instead of me just rambling on to friends about it, instead of looking for a community of people who feel the same - which actually validates me instead of giving me a reality check - hearing it from a doctor ... yeah.  It felt a bit like a smack on the back of the head.

I needed that today.

ANYway ... that's all for now I hope that your day brings you closer to those you love, closer to who you desire to become, closer to the One who gave Himself for you.

Have a great one!!