Lucid Imaging

NEW BLOG

2009-05-25T16:26:00.003-03:00

I've got a new blog!

I'm excited about bigger images, a groovy slideshow at the top, and now you can EASILY add comments!

Be sure to bookmark this new address:

www.lucidphotoimaging.com/blog

Kyle

2009-05-01T11:25:00.003-03:00

All that cuteness above is Kyle, my new little buddy. His mama contacted me months ago about doing his newborn pictures, and then he waited an extra 2 weeks to be born, so it has felt like forever for him to get here! He seemed so extra tiny to see and hold after being used to my big & porky 4 month old baby. With Kyle's seriously healthy appetite though, he won't be far behind! I must just add that I think that the image of his feet might be my favourite foot shot ever.... he has the best wiggly toes!!

Levi: 16 weeks old

2009-04-09T09:56:00.003-03:00

I'm so happy he's mine =)

Payton

2009-04-08T14:56:00.004-03:00

This is little Miss Payton. She's 6 months old and just recently mastered sitting up on her own. Her mom dresses her in the cutest things, like this super chic hot pink coat:

Payton also has the most plump and fabulous lips!!

She is just SO cute. Levi thinks so too. He looks at her with much love in his eyes and he loves it when those big dark eyeballs of hers gaze into his....

Levi... again =)

2009-04-02T21:27:00.002-03:00

Oh me oh my..... he is just the best....

Back to Work!

2009-03-24T14:09:00.003-03:00

Well, I've been (mostly) off from work since the beginning of November to be home and able to enjoy Levi... and I really really have! I am excited, however, to start doing sessions again! So, as of April 1st I am officially back to work.

So, in the spirit of spring, going back to work, and being a new mama... I've got some specials for you! For all baby sessions (newborn-2 years) done in the month of April:

50% off your session fee
50% off my *new* custom framing
15% off Book Art

For complete details on new packages & pricing as well as several new products, just get in touch!

Call: 324-0741
Email: info@lucidphotoimaging.com

AND, just because he's so stinkin' cute, here's Levi... 3 months old!

Grad: Cally

2009-03-11T18:26:00.005-03:00

While I am still enjoying my time off from work to be with the baby, I did go out with Cally today and do some grad photos. She was a great way to ease back into working again. She's pretty funny because she's not a girly-girl and even her mother's recomendation of some clear lip gloss just about pushed this photo session right over the edge =) BUT, um... how naturally pretty is she???

Me & Levi

2009-03-09T22:17:00.003-03:00

Since I'm always the one taking the photos, I tend to never be in them. He's almost three months old and so far I only have two photos with Levi! So, today Dave helped me get a few more. Here's some of what we got...

My Secrets Exposed

2009-03-04T12:39:00.011-04:00

I have faults. No seriously, I do. Some of them are unfortunate human nature, some of them I can blame on my parents for the genetics, and some of them very well may be because I used to love to breathe in deeply the smell of the fuel when dad tanked up the van when I was a child.

Today, I'm going to put it all out there. Well, not the really juicy ones. As if I'd share those. Here's what I will admit to though...

If we ever watch a movie together, you better not make lots of comments and ask questions or else we may not be friends by the end of it. This brings out a very dark side of me.

I get really really irritated when people touch my face.

If you ask if something looks bad on you, and I think it does, I'm going to tell you. So, don't ask unless you really want to know. Unless it's your wedding day... then I'll probably lie to you.

When we're out driving at night, I like it when peoples' lights are on so I can see the interior design of their home. (I know, it's creepy)

Mold freaks me out.

When I eat fries or chips, I pick through them and eat them in order of smallest to largest.

I thoroughly enjoy watching people completely humiliate themselves on national television during the preliminary tryouts on American Idol. The more that the contestant insists that they ARE talented, the more I love it.

I HATE crumbs in my bed. Even when I had sleepovers growing up, I had a strict "no food on the bed" policy.

I am terrified of clowns.... especially clown dolls.

I don't like uneven numbers. It is ok however if it is divisible by 5.

I hate to read, but I LOVE Chapters.

That's probably past the point of an acceptable amount of information, so we'll stop there. I'd love to hear some of your quirks, so leave a comment! It's very liberating!

Levi: Nudie Pics

2009-03-01T18:51:00.002-04:00

As you can see, Levi is developing one mighty fine physique. Don't you just wanna squeeze him??

More Levi Cuteness....

2009-02-20T17:01:00.004-04:00

Check him out in his Bumbo Seat!

Levi: Workin' it

2009-02-12T14:07:00.003-04:00

In his spare time, Levi has been working on some new looks since his mama is always putting a camera in his face. Here's some of what he's been coming up with.

Art Boards

2009-02-05T15:26:00.014-04:00

Here's a little peek at something that I've been working on for this year: Art Boards

Note: Everything inside the thin black line is part of the Art Board design, including the white strips on top and bottom.

Panoramic:

Standard (11x14/16x20):

Square:

Weddings

2009-01-28T13:49:00.002-04:00

Tis the season to be talking with newly engaged ladies and I LOVE it. Gosh, I remember how exciting it was to plan everything and I am so ridiculously happy to be able to work inside the wedding industry. It's such a happy place =)

So, this year is pretty much full, but if you're still not booked and are interested, you can visit my website and check out my 'wedding schedule' to see if I'm still available for your date. I'm a mom now so I'm no longer making myself available to do two weddings in a weekend, so if the calendar shows one wedding already that weekend, then I'm unfortunately not available.

AND my 2010 ladies are on top of things! I'm loving it too because I already have two confirmed trips to PEI and one to St. Andrews - a couple of my most favourite spots! So, here's what's booked for 2010: June 26th, August 28th and October 9th. Let me know if you're thinkin' marriage in 2010!

Book Art: Samples

2009-01-28T13:13:00.006-04:00

Alrighty, so FINALLY as promised.... here's some pictures of some wedding and baby books that I have done lately. I have more samples in the works with some incredibly cool covers that I am excited about too.

All wedding packages include credits to be used for one of these books, and so do my new 2009 baby portrait packages. With both Basic & Premium Books with varied sizes, pages numbers and cover options, there is definitely something for just about any budget. The best part is that I completely start from scratch with each book, so your design will always be customized just for you.

I've already started a baby book of Levi of course, and I'm thinking that since we've been married for over 2.5 years now, maybe I should do up a wedding book for us too =)

Levi: 6 weeks old!

2009-01-27T16:33:00.002-04:00

As of tomorrow my little man will be 6 weeks old! He's starting to smile and make cute goo-goo sounds and all of those kinds of heart melting things.

And what a good little boy to think that mommy is so funny....

Awwwww

2009-01-27T10:40:00.003-04:00

I've been hurrying around the house thismorning trying to do a few things while Levi sleeps. I went into his room a few minutes ago to grab his dirty laundry and this is what I saw =)

Thank You

2009-01-16T08:20:00.003-04:00

Well, Wednesday was the 4 week mark since the little fella entered our world and WOW, it's been a ride so far. First of all, I just want to say a HUGE thanks to so so many of you for leaving comments on here, via email, and through Facebook to congratulate us and tell us how cute he is. Thanks also for confirming what we believed (and hoped!) to be true.... that he really IS super cute and we weren't victims of some kind of unfortunate parental denial.

I also want to say an extremely public thanks to my husband, Dave. He's been amazing. He is amazing. See, he's wanted to be a dad for as long as I've known him, and quite especially since we've been married, so he's been very excited to be involved in it all - the conception =), being encouraging throughout the pregnancy, and being very helpful since Levi's been born. About halfway through my labor experience, when things were getting really tough while we were walking the hospital hallways, he hugged me and said, "Thank you so much for doing this." He was so calm and encouraging, and never once complained about how much I was hurting his hand. Ok, so he did complain, but it was a couple hours after so it wasn't so bad. Anyway, seeing him hold Levi and being so incredibly happy was just awesome. Ever since, he's just known what I need and would find helpful, and has been more than happy to do whatever he can, even without being asked. I've been really impressed with him and I just think everyone should know how awesome he is. He radiates pride and it's just adorbale.

I know it's completely unacceptable to blog about Levi without posting new pictures, but he has the appetite of a grown man and that keeps me rather occupied. Speaking of which, he's giving me the hungry growls right now, so I gotta go before the rage sets in.

I promise more pictures soon, as well as some pictures of some of those new product samples I was talking about a while ago. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Levi - 16 days old

2009-01-03T12:12:00.001-04:00

Here's the most recent pictures of the little man, taken yesterday - 16 days old.

Levi's Room

2009-01-03T09:03:00.004-04:00

Lots of people have been asking to see pictures of Levi's room, so here they finally are. Both the crib and the changing cabinet were made by my dad, and the quilt was made by my mom. I absolutely LOVE how everything turned out. They both worked so hard to make things exactly like I wanted them. It's pretty awesome to have connections to such talented and crafty people! We still need some photos on the walls, but that shouldn't be a problem =)

More Levi!

2008-12-24T11:11:00.006-04:00

So, I get a call from my sister last night that went something like this:

Jenn: "Hello."
Me: "Hey! How are ya?"
Jenn: "Annoyed."
Me: "Oh... why???"
Jenn: "Because I have a professional photographer for a sister who just had a baby, so where are all the stinkin' pictures???!!!"

She's not the only one. I'm getting this a lot. Why all the hostility at such a joyous time of year?? So, for the safety of me and my family, I've taken and posted more for you =)

Up next to be posted is pictures of Levi's room. I have a beautiful crib & changing cabinet that my dad made that I need to show off as well as a perfect little quilt my mom made him. I'll try to do that soon!

In case I don't blog again before tomorrow, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Contest Winners

2008-12-24T11:05:00.002-04:00

So, I took in over 40 guesses as to what date I would have the baby. Most of you thought I'd go late (the first week of January), but I was SO happy to prove you wrong!! One of you actually guessed the exact date (December 17th), and that brilliant lady was Eva Talley. Now, Eva lives in Florida so a gift certificate doesn't exactly benefit her, so she was just playing along for fun and told me to give it to the next closest guesser. But, let it be known that she is the actual champion here. Not far behind, both guessing December 19th, were Emma Slipp and my sister-in-law, Nicole Long. Both of you receive a $75 gift certificate!

Thanks for playing along!

Levi & Daddy

2008-12-21T18:27:00.003-04:00

Well, here he is... our little Levi, only 4 days old today. We had a busy day and only ended up with about a 15 minute photo session with Levi & his daddy as the light was fading. I LOVE photographing babies, but this is a whole new level and it just doesn't get any better than this. I'm hoping to get the chance to do some of just Levi by himself tomorrow, so keep checking in to see more!

Levi

2008-12-20T14:54:00.003-04:00

Well, finally I have a good excuse for a dry spell on the blogging.... Levi David Wilkinson was born on Wednesday, December 17th at 4:21pm. We got home Friday night and we're both doing really well. We're hoping to do some photos thisafternoon so I'm excited to blog about him in the next couple days to show you how incredibly cute he is! I'll also fill you in on who won the competition!

The Tree Incident

2008-12-15T13:13:00.003-04:00

That's right. That beauty is our Christmas tree. I would like like to start off my explanation by saying that I was not present at the selection & purchasing process. My husband quickly grabbed what he thought looked like a decent tree, paid the $29 and brought it home last weekend.

Our old farmhouse has some unlevel floors, and the corner that the tree is in happens to be the worst in the house. To make it even worse, the tree Dave chose has an extremely bowed trunk and when we finally got the tree standing what appeared to be straight, the base was about 18" to the right of the top. This probably should have sent up a red flag. But we decorated it to the best of our abilities with what we had, decided it looked decent, and there it stood strong for the last week.

At almost midnight last night there there was a crash. With all pets accounted for and free of guilt, we headed downstairs to find what we dreaded had happened. Our stupid crooked tree fell over. There was water and broken ornaments all over the floor, and now even more of the lights wouldn't work. All we could do was laugh.... hard.

So, there it stands once again, now propped up against the wall missing ornaments and covered in broken candy canes and lights that randomly choose not to work. But it's ours and we're not buying a new one so that's just how it's going to be this year.

Almost...

2008-12-12T11:26:00.004-04:00

Hello. Just in case you're wondering, yes... I'm still pregnant.

I've ended up having super participation in my little delivery day guessing competition with 35 guesses so far! Unfortunately most of the more 'likely' dates are full and can't be guessed anymore so unless you're guessing mid-January and beyond (and don't even think about it!), we pretty much need to stop taking guesses. The only dates left are today (yay!), Dec 13th-16th, the 18th, the 20th & the 21st. All of these would be just fine by me, so go ahead and guess 'em! Apparantly the rest of you think I'm going right on top of the holidays or LATE. I KNOW some of you are wishing and praying that I do go late and deliver on your guessed date. Shame on you. My mom, bless her heart, guessed December 8th. This excited me as I figured she had some deep motherly sense about these things. When I asked her why she picked that date, she said something to the effect of, "I don't know. I just like the number 8." Oh.

I have some of my samples arriving today!! I'll be doing a little blogging of some of that soon. Also, my website updates are like 80% done. All wedding galleries are updated as is the grad gallery and the 'raves' section. The baby & kids galleries are yet to be done (soon), and there will also be a couple new sections added with photos & info on the new products I'm offering. Oh, and let's be honest... there'll likely be a whole gallery of my baby added too =)

Today I'm wrapping presents, eating my Christmas baking, cleaning off my computer, putting together a client's wedding album, etc. Purolator Guy has failed to show today, so I'm still waiting on a few more Christmas orders to arrive. Speaking of Purolator Guy... my dog HATES that man. He basically tosses my parcel on the porch and beats it back to his truck.... even when Griffin is inside. Yesterday he simply drove by the house at full speed and Griffin recognized him and flipped out!

So, all the website updates are almost done, I almost have a bunch of my samples here, it's almost Christmas and I'm almost ready for it. The baby's room is almost done and then I can show you pictures!! My dad has made him a beaUtiful changing table/cabinet and crib. Once the crib is stained and delivered, I'll blog it for sure!

And, just because he's so cute....

I'm STILL Pregnant...

2008-12-03T10:38:00.012-04:00

Well, I'm still pregnant. Poor Dave... everytime his phone vibrates at work he gets excited thinking it's me calling to let him know I'm in labour. He feels that it's HIS turn with the baby.

It's been like 2 weeks since I've blogged, and unfortunately it's not because I've been busy giving birth and taking care of a baby. It's just that I've been doing boring things like fulfilling peoples' orders, organizing my new pantry, doing laundry & errands, etc. However, may I just say that I am VERY excited about my new pantry.... I just didn't figure that you readers would be. I've also completed my Christmas shopping!

Several people have asked when I'm going to blog again. I'm done doing sessions, so I don't have anything to share of client photos. I'd post pictures of the baby's room, but there's no furniture yet, so that's kinda dull. I've kinda exhausted using pictures of my pets, and I really think that blogging photos of my new pantry would clearly be a sign of desperation. I am working on completely updating my website though! The changes haven't been uploaded yet, but I'll let you know when it happens.

It just came to me a couple moments ago... a way to make this waiting time more interesting. Because, clearly, when this baby is born there will be no shortage of photos so I'll be back at it again. Until then, let's have a little competition.....

Let's take some guesses on when I'm going to have this baby. The person who guesses closest to the actual day will receive a $75 gift certificate with me. So, send me an email at info@lucidphotoimaging.com and let me know the date that you think I will have the baby. To help you out, I kinda have been given two possible due dates: December 29th & January 1st. Send me your guesses!!!

** UPDATE **
The guesses are rolling in here now! I almost fell out of my chair when I got a January 30th guess today!! (Turns out she meant December 30th - MUCH better!) I even had a guess for this coming Monday, December 8th.

The following dates have already received maximum guesses, so please guess a different date than these: Dec 25, Dec 26, Dec 28, Dec 30, Dec 31, Jan 2, Jan 3, Jan 4, Jan 5 - Thanks!

I'm a nerd.

2008-11-17T13:16:00.005-04:00

I'm a nerd. I've been aware of it for quite some time now, but one of the first important steps when you find yourself in these types of situations is admitting that you have a problem.

Today, I've been at one of my nerdiest peaks ever.... except for the weekend that summer before grade 12 that I went to yearbook camp in Truro, NS. That was my lowest point.

See, I get really really ridiculously excited about things like albums, frames, product packaging, photography related software, etc. My "favourites" list on my interet browser is packed with links to such companies whose sites I frequent often and even sign up for newsletters from.

Fortunately, I found a perfectly normal & amazing man that wanted to marry me anyway... and who isn't afraid to reproduce using my genetics.

Today, I'm all a flutter with excitement because I just ordered a TON of fantastic samples of some of my recent designs and the amazing products that I have chosen to showcase my images. I've been investigating suppliers (thus the extensive internet favourites list) for a long time now, and have chosen a couple that I am beyond excited to be working with. They offer extremely unique and customizable products with the highest quality that I feel are totally in sync with my photography & design style.

I am SO excited about these new products and services, as well as some other exciting things I'll be implementing and focusing on in 2009.... which is very soon by the way! I'm thrilled to be able to have these things here for you to see and feel and ultimately be able to have for yourself as well. I'll keep you posted when things arrive so you can check them out for yourself. I also plan to do a complete website overhaul before the new year and include a section to showcase/give information on these new products & services. Some of this of course is dependent on my little man waiting until his due date to be born. Approx 41 days till baby time!

A few more of course

2008-11-12T09:28:00.002-04:00

Just because it's my blog, and well, that means I can kinda do whatever I want, here's a few more pictures of my new nieces.

Click on the link below to view them via a simple album design...

www.lucidphotoimaging.com/Rielle&Mya

Christmas!

2008-11-10T08:57:00.002-04:00

Well, let's be honest..... my belly is kinda big and the little fella is getting in the way, so my days of doing portrait sessions have come to an end until likely sometime in February. BUT, I am still working away here fulfilling orders, designing storyboards & albums, etc.

If you would like to have anything done in time for Christmas, pretty please let me know before the end of the month!! Things get crazy at the photo lab this time of year, and things are definitely bound to get crazy around here in December, so please be sure to submit your order before November 30th. Some items, such as storyboards & canvas wraps can take even longer too, so maybe let me know a week sooner if you're hoping to order one of those items.

THANKS!

My Twin Nieces: Mya & Rielle (2 weeks old)

2008-11-05T10:12:00.007-04:00

Here they are.... my new twin nieces, Mya & Rielle. The tiny one is Rielle, and the even tinnier one is Mya. I knew it'd be really amazing to see them, and especially to photograph them.... but it was even better than that. They have this closeness, that you would expect, but it's absolutely beautiful to see. They naturally curl in towards each other when they sleep, they'll often wake up if they are separated, and if one of them is unsettled, she'll calm when she can see or hear her sister again. How sweet is that???

I have SO many more images that I would love to blog, but I simply can't right now. I'm trying very hard to be responsible and work on the other things that I'm supposed to be doing. (blah, blah, blah...)

Check below as I also posted a couple new images of my little nephew Noah too!!

My Nephew: Noah (2 years old)

2008-11-05T10:05:00.005-04:00

Here's Noah, the hilarious and adorable big brother to Mya & Rielle. This little monkey is always interested in workin' it for my camera.

Awwwwww......

2008-11-04T10:33:00.003-04:00

As some of you know, I've been in Ontario visiting family including my new twin nieces. There's been a lack of blogging due to this..... sorry! But I'm home now and hope to be able to post some pictures of the girls later tonight or tomorrow so check back soon!

Grad: Sloan

2008-10-23T15:37:00.002-03:00

Here's a couple of Sloan's grad pictures from yesterday...

Grad: Abby

2008-10-21T11:22:00.003-03:00

It's been a little bit since I've posted any images from my ongoing grad sessions, so here's the beautiful Abby from yesterday:

Reilly & Carter

2008-10-17T14:13:00.002-03:00

Oh gosh. I love my job. I get to spend time with some of the most beautiful kids I've ever seen.... and Reilly & Carter are two of them. I just love'em...

They're finally here!

2008-10-16T23:46:00.006-03:00

Just wanted to tell the whole world that my sister safely delivered her twin girls tonight. Rielle was just over 6lbs, and Mya weighed in at a whompin' 5lbs. I'm told that they are absolutely perfect and as cute as can be. I'll be up visiting them in Barrie, Ontario in two weeks from tomorrow, so you can be sure I'll have pictures to post from that!

UPDATE: Here's a picture that my brother-in-law sent of the girls...

Jordan & Cate - St. Andrews, Oct. 12th

2008-10-16T15:37:00.007-03:00

How cute are they?? I LOVE how they play together.
Their reception was held at the Algonquin Hotel and had a really warm, old world kinda feel to it. Jordan & Cate took a year to travel around the world together, and they worked in a strong travel theme into all their details. Their guest book was an old type writer, and shown below is Cate's grammy writing them a message...

Jordan & Cate's wedding was the perfect way to end my wedding season this year. A warm sunny day, a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at her parents' home, fantastic personalized details everywhere, and an incredibly cute couple who absolutely adore each other.

Cate & Jordan, thanks so much for including Elisabeth & I in your amazing wedding day!

(To get a better view of the collages, simply click on the image to see an enlarged version)

James & Lynsey - St. Andrews, Oct. 11th

2008-10-16T12:18:00.003-03:00

They lived in Ottawa, just around the corner from eachother. She was the tenant, he was the landlord, and it all started with an ant problem needing dealt with. She thought he was cute, but was afraid that we wouldn't be into her. Apparantly he was =)

Saturday was warm & sunny, and it was just a feel good kind of day. As soon as Elisabeth and I stepped into Lynsey's family cottage on the water just outside of St. Andrews, we were wowed by the comfy magazine-like decor, and instantly warmed by her mother's sweetness. Then we met Lynsey, and the same sweetness was evident. Person after person that we met all day were just so gracious and kind, and we were really blown away by the amazing connection between all the family & friends. It really was the underlying theme of the day, and it made it so wonderful to be a part of.

Speaking of family... Lynsey's got a crazy bunch of sibblings & cousins!! It's a family tradition that the group of cousins prepares and performs a bit of a spectacle at each others' wedding receptions. This was hands down the most ridiculously hilarious thing I have ever witnessed at a wedding!! Turns out that Lynsey was an amazing speed skater, and almost went to the Olympics. Her cousins along with her brother & sister (shown in picture above), found all her old spandex suits and put them on over top of their wedding attire. The show began with a race around the ballroom followed by a medley of songs with words customized for the couple. The highlight was the the redo of the poplular "It's Business Time" by a group called The Flight of the Concords. H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S.

To see a bigger version of the collages of their beautiful details above, simply click on the image.

James & Lynsey, thank you so much for including both Elisabeth & I in your absolutely gorgeous, heart-warming day. We're so excited about the many many more images that we have to show you!

Adventures of the pregnant wedding photographers...

2008-10-15T11:40:00.005-03:00

8:59am - Heather & Elisabeth depart the Wilkinson residence to head to St. Andrews for a weekend of weddings.
9:06am - Exit highway for first pee break at Tim Hortons.
9:07am - Heather wacks head on sun visor trying to exit vehicle.
9:12am - Back on the road again with Timbits in hand.
9:17am - Realization that we should have brought water & juice. Our Timbits are making us thirsty.
10:47 - Heather is so proud of herself for not getting lost yet.
10:51am - Missed road. First U-Turn.
11:07am - Second U-Turn. Missed road again.

...off to a rockin' start...

My stomach always hurts and I cry alot when I'm with Elisabeth. We laugh SO much. Gosh this weekend was fun. Exhausting, but fun. Both weddings were absolutely gorgeous. Both couples were totally amazing and adorable together. I'm really excited to hopefully blog images from both weddings later today. Until those shots are ready, here's a shot that Elisabeth took of me while I was taking getting ready shots Saturday morning. I love it... my baby and my camera....

And here's a shot I took of Elisabeth looking extra fierce Saturday afternoon...

Saturday night, after 10 hours of shooting plus over 2 hours of driving that morning, our poor pregnant bodies ached badly as we waddled towards the closest elevator at the Algonquin Hotel to head up to our room. A king sized bed has never looked more glorious as it did the moment we opened our door. We weren't quite sure that we would wake up in time to make it to Sunday's wedding by 2pm.

Our pregnant bladders however wouldn't allow us to sleep in. We were hungry too. Really hungry. We headed down the road to Tim Hortons to be not so warmly welcomed by a rather cranky worker who was not so thankful to be working on Thanksgiving Sunday. She yelled something to the effect of, "Why is everyone here on Thanksgiving weekend. Don't you have better places to be???"

Two weddings, a couple Tim Hortons stops, and several pee breaks later, our weekend in St. Andrews was over. We both felt good about it. We also both felt like we might die from aches and exhaustion. Monday we had breakfast with my parents, then Thanksgiving dinner with Dave & Elisabeth's family. I definitely did some serious damage on the dish of stuffing. And apparantly some serious damage to my body because I was in pain for the next 2 hours. I didn't properly plan for the swelling factor with the stuffing.

Yesterday I drove Elisabeth back to the Bangor airport. She said, "Next time I see you you'll have a little baby!!" The onset of mild hyperventilation was felt briefly... followed by the joy of remembering that I was then headed to Baby Depot to buy the long-time coveted brown squishy chair for the baby's room.

And now I am back to normal life. I miss Elisabeth... but I finally have my chair =)

What's your deal, woman????

2008-10-10T06:36:00.005-03:00

I come before you humbly... needing forgiveness. I'm a bad, bad blogger. I know some of you count on this blog as a distraction from work, essays and so on... and I've let you down. Again. The truth is that I have SO many things to blog that it seems that I just kinda can't blog. With 2-3 sessions everyday it's hard to stay on top of shooting & editing plus blogging... and some other basics like eating, hygiene and errands.

So, thismorning I am up at 5:45 working away. Yesterday I was up at 5:45am to go to the hospital for a prenatal glucose test.... which by the way the bottle of carbonated sugar they give you to drink is a little wild at that time in the morning on an empty stomach. Apparantly I am now an early riser. Maybe it'll be my new thing.

So anyway, yesterday was a good day once I got past the glucose test part of the morning. We had our furnace repaired so we can be warm this winter, I got a couple things edited and sent off to the lab, and the best part: I got to go to Bangor to pick up Elisabeth from the airport!! (refresher: Elisabeth is my husband's cousin that I LOVE who is also a photographer in Florida) I have two weddings booked this weekend, one on Saturday & one on Sunday, both in St. Andrews. I wasn't too sure how I was going to be feeling, and well... able to move freely at this point in my pregnancy, so I made plans to fly Elisabeth up to shoot with me this weekend. Well, that and because it's just plain fun to have her here!

Back to Bangor... first of all, I drove down by myself so I got to listen to all the music that Dave doesn't let me listen to when he's in the vehicle. That's right, I busted out my Sister Act 2 soundtrack for a little jam session. Gosh I sound amazing in the car. Then I puttered around a couple of my favourite stores and headed to the airport. Elisabeth arrived safely and then it was Baby Depot time. EEEEEEKK!! I love Baby Depot. First of all, they have the best chair there that I like to visit each time I go, and I've pretty much decided that my baby's life would be enriched by me owning that chair. The place is filled with all things baby. Soft, pretty, good smellin' baby stuff. I got a crib mattress, flannel sheets, and these special pad things to put under him for when he soaks through his diaper so I don't have to wash the sheets each time. (Thanks Elisabeth for the heads up) This stuff excites me greatly. Who would have thought?? I found myself hugging packaged goods and muttering how excited I am for him to finally get out here and cuddle me on the outside. I also muttered alot about how I need that chair.

Today brings more editing, errands, packing, two sessions, then hopefully some good eating and visiting tonight. Tomorrow morning Elisabeth & I head to beautiful St. Andrews for the weddings. Did I mention that Elisabeth is pregnant too??? Yup. It's going to be hilarious. SO, there will be pictures from this weekend posted soon I promise. And likely a little story or two about the adventures of the two giddy overtired hormonally charged pregnant wedding photographers unleashed on society.

Sam

2008-10-06T09:45:00.002-03:00

Get ready for the cuteness that is my nephew, Sam:

hehehe... I KNOW, eh???

Wall Family

2008-10-01T11:19:00.003-03:00

I got the chance to hang out with the Wall family for a little while Friday afternoon in Fredericton. These guys are extra sweet and fun to be around, and the boys are just totally adorable. And what a workout trying to keep up to them!

I have the best job =)

Liam

2008-09-30T15:05:00.008-03:00

hehehe.... so, if you were having a bad day before seeing cute little Liam here, then I'm doubting that you're still not smiling. How cute is he??? I love love LOVE the first one extra much. He was pretty silly and showed me many of his different expressions and even dished out some pretty great sound effects too. That combined with minimal leaf consumption made for a pretty successful session =)

Payton

2008-09-24T20:25:00.002-03:00

Ok seriously.... babies are the best ever. This is my friend's baby, Payton, born only 5 days ago. We planned on her coming today for some pictures, which has made me a little giddy with excitement the last couple days. I LOVE it when babies come over.

She wasn't too sure that she was into this whole photo idea today, so she and I had a good snuggle for a few minutes and then she was all ready for me... and the images above are just a little bit of what we got.

I just love her, and I can't wait for my little guy to finally get out here.

BABY!

2008-09-24T07:53:00.001-03:00

Just wanted to say that my friend is bringing her NEW baby over later today for pictures!! I just LOVE baby days! I'll post some later, of course!

Landon

2008-09-23T20:55:00.003-03:00

This is Landon, and he is fuuuuunny. He came over last night for some pictures and I just totally fell in love with him. He makes me extra excited for my little guy to be born!
Landon with his hat....

... and this is what happens when you take away his hat....

Schimp Family

2008-09-23T13:49:00.002-03:00

These guys came over to my place this weekend for some family photos... of the rather non-traditional variety. I don't at all claim to specialize in family portraits... in fact, to be honest, they scare me a little. So, I found these guys pretty refreshing... and not at all scary =)

Grad: Travis

2008-09-19T09:58:00.004-03:00

Another grad from this week: Travis from Woodstock High...

Grads: Alyssa & Melissa

2008-09-17T13:15:00.005-03:00

Here's a small sampling of a couple more grad sessions from this week. First up, Alyssa from Hartland Community School, followed my Melissa from Woodstock High.

Grad: Heather

2008-09-16T12:56:00.002-03:00

'Tis the season for grad photos, and while I simply cannot blog most grad sessions, I do want to share a few from this one. This beauty is Heather, and she's graduating from McAdam high school this year. She also has amazing hair (that I am not at all bitter about not having for myself).

I only have a couple session spots left this year so be sure to call asap if you want one!

Mmmm... chocolate...

2008-09-11T17:14:00.002-03:00

This is my little friend, Everett. He came over to my house last night for supper with his family. He wasn't too into the ham & veggies... but he was pretty serious about eating his chocolate cupcake.

I catch the subtle vibe from the 2nd shot that he wasn't too into me taking his picture.

James & Laura - Fredericton, Sept. 6

2008-09-09T10:45:00.004-03:00

It turned out to be a beauty for a so called tropical storm day in Fredericton on Saturday. I'm pretty sure that even if it had been hurricane conditions, it wouldn't have frazzled these two anyway. See, they have this little love bubble and they appear to just stay in it all the time =) It's a goood thing because they also seem to attract drama....

....where it started.... James went to rent a car on Saturday and was told by the lady at the counter that his driver's licence had expired. Perfect. The Service NB office is supposed to close in a matter of minutes, so he speeds over there as they are closing and fortunately finds a lady who is willing to take pity on him and renew his licence. He no longer has time to rent the vehicle as he's already going to be late getting to the church. He makes it, they got married, and the day turned out wonderfully....

I get an email from James & Laura on Sunday thanking me for a great time at the wedding. (aren't they sweet??) Well, James goes on to tell me that their flight for NY left an hour late which meant that they missed their flight to Orlando and are stuck in a NY hotel without any of their stuff until they can catch a flight the next day. Again, though, not frazzled. Little love bubble.....

These two really are just that relaxed, kind, and in love and it was awesome to spend the day with them. I really really hope that they can finally make it to Orlando, and maybe, just maybe the drama can give them a break for just a few days at least.

2009 Weddings

2008-09-05T11:43:00.002-03:00

Alrighty... here's another update on what's already booked in 2009 for weddings:

May 23
May 30
July 4
July 11
July 18
July 25
August 1
August 8
August 15
August 22
August 29
Sept. 5
Sept. 12
Sept. 19

If you're planning a wedding next year and your date isn't listed above, then great! Let me know asap as available dates seem to be going quickly. I love to travel, so if your wedding isn't nearby, let's talk anyway!

My Vacation

2008-09-05T09:13:00.009-03:00

Yikes. It's been over a week since I've blogged, and I'm very ashamed. I have excuses though... and here they are.... First of all, we had company here for over a week. Matt & Elisabeth (Dave's cousin and her husband), came up from Florida to visit and do some camping with us. Plus, I've been trying to be very responsible and keep on top of all my editing. So anyway, back to Matt & Elisabeth... we love these guys. Dave, obviously, has known Elisabeth most of his life. I however, really just met her in January when I went to Florida for a photography convention. She's a photographer too, so we thought it'd be more fun to go together. Oh. My. Goodness. Those were 4 of the most hilarious days of my life!!! Then, that wedding that I photographed in Orlando in March was Matt's cousin... so Elisabeth & I did that one together. It was then that the dream was born of talking them into moving here so she and I could always work together.

So, while they were here, apparantly all budgets and responsible eating habits went out the window... but a fantabulous time was had. Elisabeth, who specializes in maternity & newborn photos, took a few pictures of me and my baby belly. The boys did some man things like splitting wood, and ripping up our nasty old kitchen flooring. Matt aka "Arms Nixon" turned out to be a machine and broke 2 axes that afternoon!! Elisabeth & I mostly laughed and took ridiculous pictures.

Then there was the camping trip. In usual Wilkinson fashion, our 2pm departure time turned into 5:30pm. Since we were headed to Fundy for the classic Hopewell Rock experience, it was a rather late start. Me, needing to pee often further prolonged the voyage there... as did the Regent Mall, as did the Riverview Sobeys & Tim Hortons. Long story short.... apparantly the national park gates close at 10pm, so it's best to be there BEFORE then. Huh. So, we set up our tents with the help of the truck's headlights at a private campsite just a couple km's from the famous rocks. Dave, being the super loving (and wise) man that he is, paid extra to have me close to the bathrooms =) The morning came and it turned out that we had actually picked out a very lovely campsite, so we decided to just stay there the next night too. We found a decent breakfast spot then headed to the Hopewell Rocks.....

Dave looking pretty happy to be there...
Our little guy at the rocks....

And this is the part where I clearly was getting bored and was muttering something like, "Lovely, sure ... but they're just rocks."

And apparantly Elisabeth takes pictures of herself too when she's bored....

And here's proof of how nice I am... letting Matthew take MY front seat...

And, of course, the awesome Matt & Elisabeth...Sadly, last Thursday, we took them back to Bangor to fly home... and I'm still plotting my plan of action to get them to move here.

Cat Lady

2008-08-27T22:27:00.002-03:00

So, seriously.... is he not the cutest little thing??? This is my newest kitty (yup, #3), who is currently nameless and being referred to as "little kitty" or sometimes "little terror". He is HILARIOUSLY psycho and so sweet and cuddly at the same time. He's only 7 weeks old so he's still pretty tiny and can sit in the palm of your hand. Anyway... we just adore the little guy so I had to share.

Mike & Amanda - Fredericton, August 16th

2008-08-26T14:14:00.009-03:00

Well, following last Friday's wedding on Prince Edward Island, I made the trek to Fredericton for Mike & Amanda's wedding on Saturday. I arrived to find a very calm and excited bride who, maybe for like the first time ever, actually had to wait for the groom to finish getting ready =) The three of us headed over to the neighbor's horse stables where Amanda loves to spend a lot of her time. We then took a short hike through the woods and they showed me an amazing vantage point where they like to sit.

The thing that really stuck out to me the most about Mike & Amanda was their attitude towards marriage... which I really agree with and love that they feel so strongly about. They believe that marriage is permanent and they really wanted to express that. So, instead of traditional rings, they actually had their wedding bands tattooed on their fingers as a sign of their absolute life commitment to each other.

Thanks you guys for inviting me to be a part of it!

Braden & Charlotte - PEI, August 15th

2008-08-18T18:39:00.005-03:00

I am SO happy that I got to be a part of Braden & Charlotte's wedding day. They invited me to go all the way to Charlottetown, PEI to spend all day Friday with them and it was just awesome. For starters... um, look at Charlotte. She's just so naturally GORGEOUS and she wore the prettiest wedding gown that I think I've ever seen. These two are so stinkin' cute together, all giddy and snuggly and such, and it just made me happy to be there with them. They are both just so kind and sincere, and I just love how relaxed and silly they are. I totally enjoyed their entire wedding party too. They helped me not get lost and the guys carried my heavy camera bag for me. What nice folk =)

Friday was the complete package and I'm just so excited about how everything turned out. Thanks guys for asking me to be a part of your day. And thank you extra much for feeding me that cheesecake! Have fun in Jamaica!

Chad & Alysia - Moncton, August 9th

2008-08-12T12:25:00.009-03:00

... and they shall have the cutest babies ever. Chad & Alysia are just SO cute that I wanted to squeeze them all day. I've honestly never seen two people so excited during their ceremony that they are actually kinda bouncy and unable to stand still. These guys are the purest, most beautiful & kind couple who just oooooze with love for God, each other, their families & their friends. The entire group just had such a warmth about them and were such a joy to spend the day with.

And then there was the weather. My 2.5 hour drive to Moncton that morning was overcast, and then it was smotheringly hot sun, and then heavy rain showers after the ceremony which quickly turned into hurricaine-like downpour that no amount of umbrellas could save you from. Feeling discouraged since our plan was to head to Shediac to Parlee Beach, we sat in the safety of our vehicles deciding what to do. I just really really felt that we should go to the beach anyway, which of course made me sound like an absolute crazy person as we looked out at the nearly black sky that was dumping gallons of water on us. But, like total trusting troopers, they agreed and we started out on the 30 minute drive to the beach, praying the whole way there. The further we got, the slower the rain came down and the brighter the sky became. Well, God is good and we arrived at a rain-free Parlee Beach and were given all the time that we needed for pictures.

Absolutely warm, hilariously fun people PLUS strawberry cheesecake are the makings of a good day. Thanks guys for having me out!

It's a BOY!

2008-08-11T15:23:00.003-03:00

This is our little BOY! Yup, no question about it. The little guy was proudly displaying his manhood for us. We were really really hoping to find out the sex today, so we're awfully proud of his cooperation (we have such a good child). We got to see him wiggling around, yawning, and kickboxing my very full bladder. We are SO excited to finally know the sex, and to hear that as far as she could tell, he's a healthy little guy and that everything is as it should be!!

Josh & Katie - Petitcodiac, August 2nd

2008-08-05T20:47:00.002-03:00

These guys just warm my little heart. Without having ever met either Josh or Katie before Saturday, I still somehow had been really looking forward to this wedding for months. I just had this strong sense that it was going to be incredible. It totally was.

Having just known Katie for about 3 hours, and Josh for approx 15 minutes... there I stood at the back of the little country church crying through their personal letters to eachother. It was kinda embarassing really.... like, I wasn't sobbing or anything, but it was kinda hard to see for a minute or two through the tears. They are beautiful people with a great story, and a large group of people who adore them almost as much as they adore eachother. They are the kind of comfy, funny, and incredibly caring people who are just the very essence of why I love my job.

Josh & Katie... your day was perfect, and I am SO happy that both Dave and I got to be a part of it and spend some time with you guys.

Old Home Week

2008-07-30T12:08:00.001-03:00

Just a quickie to let you all know that I have my annual display set up at Old Home Week in the exhibition building. It's free to get in, so be sure to stop by to check it out.

If your picture is up and you're wanting it, I sell them at 75% off after I am done with them this week, so just let me know if you're interested!

Jacen & Sarah - Fredericton, July 26th

2008-07-30T09:51:00.003-03:00

Jacen & Sarah had a beautifully intimate wedding last Saturday at the Delta in downtown Fredericton. With only their closest family and friends, gorgeous weather, and probably the prettiest flowers I've ever seen, it all came together and made for a fantastic day.

When I arrived at the girls' room at the Delta, I discovered a very cute, but extremely nervous bride. Poor Sarah was pretty sure that she was going to pass out.... and let's be honest... I believed her =) The part that I loved, was that as soon as Jacen arrived at the door to pick her up for photos, she completely relaxed and all of the anxiousness was gone. It was pure joy and cuddles from then on. And lots of it.

It was a full day of great company, food, hilarious speeches, dancing and a whole lotta love between them as well as their families & friends. It was a good day, and I'm excited that I got to be a part of it.

Tyler & Gina - Hartland, July 19th

2008-07-29T19:15:00.003-03:00

Once again, I am really behind on my blogging. 10 days to be exact. SO, 10 days ago was Tyler & Gina's big day. It was a rainy weekend and well, it had us all pretty discouraged. But it wasn't long before we got out and started photos that the rain stopped, then it brightened, then the sun was out and taking over. Ahhhh.... everyone's spirits were lifted.

Gina is actually my second cousin, and we grew up as neighbors. Although she's a couple years younger than me, we played together a lot as kids. They had a cool swing set and the riding lawn mower with the wagon hooked on the back, and we both had Barbie's. We were all set.

That cute little guy is Jacob, their son and he just turned one not too long ago. He was kinda a big hit of the day and was extra cooperative for photos.... except that he had a thing with ripping apart peoples' flowers so you had to keep an eye on him.

Anyway, thanks for having me out guys and I wish you a happy start together and lots and lots of good years ahead.

Thankful

2008-07-25T22:00:00.002-03:00

I heard my baby's heartbeat today for the first time. It was totally amazing.

It was an especially great way to wind down what has been a rather horrible week actually. It just seems that things that simply should never ever happen to people all kinda happened this week to some of my clients (past, present & future) and it just got really overwhelming and discouraging. I had some good cries this week... and relied fairly heavily on a trusty bag of Fudgeeos and some strawberry tea for a bit of relief.

Tonight, probably more than I would have been after a great week, I'm just incredibly thankful for that little heartbeat and a relaxing night at home tonight with Dave.

Kayleigh

2008-07-24T13:29:00.005-03:00

Okay... time for a cutie break. I'm supposed to be doing wedding editing, but I just had to post these. This is Kayleigh, she's almost 2, and we hung out for a little while thismorning. Her aunt, when making the appointment, promised me that "she's the cutest kid ever." Trusting that her opinion was completely unbiased of course, I was extra excited to meet her.

So, she has the bluest eyes, and I just love her whispy blonde hair. She wasn't too sure that she wanted to smile for me, but also wanted to keep a close eye on me. I got some sweet pictures of her lovin' her grammy too. I'm having a hard time deciding, but I think that the first one is my favourite. I love the one where she's holding her grammy's hand too.... oh, and her stern business face in the last one.... okay, I love them all.

Kayleigh was the perfect break from my computer for a while. All I want to do is pinch those cheeks!

Charles & Denise - Fredericton, July 18th

2008-07-23T08:36:00.003-03:00

I spent a rainy day with Denise & Charles in Fredericton on Friday for their wedding. I knew that I was going to like these guys. They are both so relaxed and love adventure and the outdoors. Story has it that Denise first attracted and won over Charles (a major fishing & hunting fan) by wearing a shirt with wildlife on it to a party that she was told he would be at. This was one of those reception speeches that may or may not be overly credible... but it was all pretty hilarious just the same.

Denise, not having worn make-up since her high-school prom, wasn't too sure about how all this girly stuff was going to suit her for the wedding.... but WOW she looked so amazing, eh?? I absolutely loved her dress.

Thanks guys for inviting me to tag along... and for making sure that the pregnant lady sat down and ate. You're too sweet =)

Ian & Angela - Woodstock, July 12th

2008-07-22T15:55:00.005-03:00

Whoa baby I have some blogging to do! Let's kick off the blogging marathon with Ian & Angela who were married just over a week ago here in Woodstock. First of all, I love love love her shoes! Now, these guys have one of those 'it wasn't so funny at the time, but now it kinda is' stories. On their way from one photo location to the next, they got a flat tire and had to change it themselves along the road... which resulted in nearly 45 minutes of down-time! They however, were still as happy and in love as before and at the end of the day they were married and that's all that mattered. Thanks for including me you guys, and I hope you enjoy this little preview!

Dave + Heather = Love

2008-07-16T10:53:00.007-03:00

Two years ago yesterday I married my most favourite person ever. These last two years have been full of change and adventure and it's been totally amazing.

We kicked it all off with a wedding that was totally our style, a fabulous camping honeymoon, then came back to move into our little home together that we had been renovating over the last few months. Then we took a trip to Manitoba for Dave's brother's wedding, then sold our house and moved to Calgary just for fun (which was awesome), then drove & camped back to NB last summer and bought another house. We've had two gorgeous nephews be born, had a couple awesome mini trips here and there followed by an awesome Florida vacation in March followed by the bestest news that we are going to have a baby! Life has been good!

This is us just after being married....

Around this time last year while we were in Calgary....

Our anniversary fell on on Tuesday this year and I had two weddings last weekend, and I have two this weekend so we definitely weren't going to get to go camping as we had hoped. So naturally, we just set up camp in our backyard instead....

And to finish off.... this is our baby Griffin. He's been our boy since before we were even married and since he's so cute and wanted his pictures taken, here he is too...

Niko & Brooke - Woodstock, July 11th

2008-07-13T13:08:00.004-03:00

Friday delivered another fantastic wedding. Niko & Brooke simply belong in front of the camera.... clearly. And how great does the wedding party look, eh?? Brooke wore exactly the kind of dress I was hoping she would, and Niko made me SO happy when he showed up in a seriously cool brown pin-stripe suit. I also LOVE all of the attention that was given to the woodsy theme and details at their wedding. Great people, great weather, yummy food, funny speeches, and there was also this amazing song done by a friend of theirs at the ceremony that he wrote himself. Yup, I pretty much loved everything about it.

Niko & Brooke.... congratulations! You guys looked AMAZING and were such a treat to photograph and spend the day with. Your love for eachother and your families & friends is extremely apparant. All the best as your start your life together in Finland!

Lucas & Tabi - Woodstock, July 5th

2008-07-06T22:28:00.007-03:00

I have the warm fuzzies. These guys are just soooo in love, and it was totally refreshing to be there with them yesterday. We met out on this lonely dirt road yesterday morning around 9am.... not a cloud in the sky, just the warm sun... and it was there that they saw eachother for the first time on their wedding day. It was pretty awesome to see. (The first three images are from those first couple of moments.) It's these insanely great moments that I am reminded of how blessed I am to do what I do.

I've known them both for a while, especially Tabi. A couple years ago I did both of their grad photos, photographed Lucas' brother's wedding, and well.... Tabi and I spent a LOT of time together in high school on the cheerleading team, both being in the same stunt group and having fun throwing girls around in the air. Needless to say, I have totally been looking forward to this wedding for a long time.... and it was as awesome as I had been hoping for.

So far I've peeked through only part of the first of many memory cards from yesterday, and already I am struggling to narrow it down to a handful of favourites. Therefore, all I am sharing from the day is actually from like the first 20 minutes. So, here it is... a very small sampling of the love vibes and simple beauty (and really great fashion) of yesterday.

Tim & Shawna's E-Session

2008-07-03T15:25:00.003-03:00

We had a bit of a silly time today. Today was my first time meeting Tim, but Shawna however, I've known for many many years. I like these guys... a lot. I don't really know how to explain it, but they are just so stinkin' cute and comfy. So ummm, so doesn't Tim have a bit of a Brad Pitt look to him in the last one?? Go Shawna =)

These guys are getting married December 27th, and I was supposed to be photographing their wedding too... but with my baby being due to arrive December 29th, I felt it was likely no longer a workable date for me. However, I'm really glad that we at least got the chance to get together today for these engagement photos before they move out west in a about a week.

I had a really good time with you both today and I hope your dreaded incredibly long roadtrip to Edmonton is actually really amazing.

Goooooood Stuff

2008-07-02T13:54:00.007-03:00

Happy Wednesday everyone. Today, I just simply feel like sharing with you a couple things that just make me happy. I'm not talking about the major things like my husband, puppies, and the sunshine, blah blah blah.... These are just two of the little things that have been making my week better.

First up: My new Buttercream Frosting body butter. OH.MY.GOODNESS. It's just soooo good. Honestly, if you could smell me right now, you'd seriously be tempted to lick my arm because it smells good enough to eat. I'm as soft as a baby's butt and it's glorious. Where can you stop everything and run as fast as humanly possible to buy it, you may be asking?? Made You Blush on lower Main Street in Woodstock has it, as well as some other great products in the same tasty scent.

Next, we have the Smartie Treatzza-Pizza from Dairy Queen. This has been a long-time obsession of mine. Last night we made the emergency trip to DQ to pick one up and it just never ever fails me. Fabulous everytime. It's goooy cookie-crumb crust, then the ice cream, then just this beautiful blend of smartie pieces, the dip cone chocolate coating, and then another soft chocolate sauce all layered up. They have them in the freezer already made up for those emergency cravings like I encoutered last night.

Despite how it may sound, I am not sponsored (unfortunately) by either of these products or their vendors.... I just really really love them enough to promote them shamelessly. Also, if anyone ever feels led to buy me a present, now you know a couple of my favourite things! Anyway, if your week is only mediocre, or worse.... super lame.... then I would suggest giving one or both of these a whirl.

Taylor & Melissa - Woodstock, June 28th

2008-07-01T19:22:00.003-03:00

Saturday delivered another awesome wedding. The super relaxed and fun Taylor & Melissa mixed with perfect weather made for a goodie of a day. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly applaud Taylor on being such a trooper and agreeing to take his baby (a beauty of a vintage mustang) out onto a dirt road.... and without too too much whining to top it off. I really did have a great time with you guys and all your friends and family. Thanks for including me!

Kyle & Marley - Woodstock, June21

2008-06-22T09:37:00.004-03:00

Despite the crazy weird weather yesterday ranging from extreme downpour to insanely hot sun... Kyle & Marley had a beautiful wedding. Don't they both look awesome?? Their 20 month old son, Calvin was hilarious yesterday, especially when he got his hands on the microphone at the reception and then later workin' the dance floor. There are just so many of their pictures that I want to post from the entire day, but here's some of my favourites of just the two of them. I'm especially loving the last one today. Anyway, congratulations you guys and thanks for having me out for the day!

A few updates....

2008-06-18T18:33:00.003-03:00

Hi there. Well, I'm realizing that I have a few things that I should be updating some of you on, so here it goes....

1.) I'm having a BABY!! Dave and I are beyond excited. Right now our little bean is 12 weeks old and we're told that he/she should be joining us out here on or around December 29th.

2.) With the baby brings some changes with availability this fall. I will be taking less grad/family/whatever appointments this fall, especially the later it gets, so just be sure to keep that in mind if you're hoping to have pictures done for Christmas. The summer slots are all full and September is filling up so be sure to make your appointment soon! I assume that I won't book much past the end of October as my rather large bump will prohibit me from my usual fence climbing/laying on the ground approach to sessions.

3.) WEDDINGS.... oh my, people are on top of things for 2009! In the last 24 hours I've booked three more '09 weddings and sent out info to several more so I guess that's something to consider if you're thinking marriage + Lucid Imaging in 2009. Because of the baby and some much desired lifestyle adjustments, I will be accepting quite a few less weddings next year.... as in I'm planning on accepting only 12-15. Also, I will no longer be booking two weddings to a weekend (such as a Friday and a Saturday). SO, here's what's booked for 2009 so far:

May 30
July 4 & 25
August 8, 15, 22, & 29

Anyway, I think that brings you up to date and hopefully will help you plan your desired photo session/wedding date to avoid disapointment. Just send me an email or give me a call if you want some info sent to you or would like to set something up!

Lazy Day

2008-06-18T14:12:00.002-03:00

Okay, so maybe blogging about my cats twice in the same week is lame, but I swear I'm not a crazy cat lady..... they just do the cutest things and I can't help it! This is Bob, who.... well, he's just different. He seems to suffer from a bit of a split personality disorder and extreme paranoia, has a major waddle, he snores when he sleeps, and randomly goes into these coughing attacks. This is why we love Bob. He's just such a weirdo and he's so easy to love. He really is the cuddliest kitty, well... when the voices in his head aren't freaking him out making him hide under the bed. Anyway, Bob likes to hang out in here with me a lot when I edit, and the rain today is making him (and me) pretty sleepy.

And yes, I have a sticky-note obsession.

Laura: Grad '08

2008-06-14T10:24:00.004-03:00

So, do you remember cute little Laura Clendenning that lived here in Woodstock a few years ago? You know, the little girl with the big voice that sang at lots of big events? Well, cute little Laura is now 'super-hot, all grown up and graduating next week' Laura.... and she's got a whole lot of sweetness in her too. She and her family live in Fredericton now but she came up yesterday for a little photo shoot, and I'm definitely glad she did. Laura, you made my job very easy and there's tons more gorgeous photos of you to come!

Grant Family

2008-06-12T14:50:00.003-03:00

Brad & Tracy and their girls came over to my place Tuesday morning for some family photos. How cute are they??? The girls are adorable and it's just so fun to watch a family play together. They're just so cute.... that's all I can say.

The Life.

2008-06-12T13:16:00.003-03:00

Milo here has the life. I totally want to be this cat for a day. His days consist of people (okay, mostly just me and Dave) telling him approx 9o28 times how cute he is, feeding him treats, and rubbing his belly whenever he flops over. Today, I'm sitting here at my desk editing as usual, and this (as shown in the photo) is what happens..... and so here we are. Milo is my favourite kitty ever.... and I've had my fair share of cats. I grew up on a farm along the Trans Canada Highway. Yup.... you see where I'm going with this. The average life-span for one of my cats was roughly 8 months, so I've had a few since my first in grade 4. I adopted Milo from a shelter almost 2 years ago. He flew with our other cat, Bob (weirdest cat ever) from NB to Calgary to live with us there, then drove (and camped!) the whole way back with us.... all 5 days. People just don't roadtrip with their cats enough, you know?

Anyway, unfortunately I think I've exhausted the Milo thing and can't possibly waste anymore time on this. It's time for me to continue working.

Tom & Emily - Woodstock, May 31st

2008-06-02T19:29:00.002-03:00

So, it rained.... all day.... but it just didn't matter to Tom & Emily. The fact that they got to marry eachother cancelled out the less than fabulous weather. Both single parents, Tom & Emily found themselves with a lot in common, then in a rather amazing friendship, which then quickly turned into love. Saturday marked a new start in their relationship, but also a blending of two smaller families into one. Only their closest friends and family joined them on Saturday which resulted in a most intimate and happy event.

You guys, thanks so much for braving the rain and being most wonderful to work with. Your love for eachother and your children is totally apparant, and I'm so pleased to have been able to be a part of it all.

Noah!

2008-06-01T09:53:00.003-03:00

It's Noah time again! Last weekend, my parents, Dave and I all made the trek to Halifax. Never before has there been such an attraction to Halifax. It's amazing what a cute little boy can make people do (ie. drive for 5.5 hours, stay one day, then drive another 5.5 hours home). Obviously, we were looking forward to seeing his parents too, but you know how these things are. It's all about Noah.... and he LOVES it. He's running around, talking quite a lot, and gives oodles of snuggles. My mom, in her usual domestic-goddess-like self made Sunday morning cinnimon rolls to which Noah always gets very excited about (as do we all). He also loves toast with jam and just goes from person to person, acting as if he wants to cuddle just so he can move in on your toast... he'll even lick off your fingers! Ahhhhh... so cute, but anyway.... that's all for now. Enjoy your Sunday everyone!

Mark & Stephanie - Fredericton, May 17

2008-06-01T09:34:00.005-03:00

Well, I'm a little bit (alot) behind on blogging this one. Normally, I blog a wedding then do all the editing. The last two weeks have been rather weird scheduling with being away alot that I've been trying extra hard to just keep on top of my editing, therefore blogging hasn't been a priority. SO, the good news though is that I'm completely done editing this wedding.

Mark & Stephanie were married two Saturday's ago at Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Fredericton. The forecast was telling us to expect to get rained on all day but it didn't happen until the very end when it was time for the reception anyway. Speaking of which... these guys had probably the most elaborately beautifully decorated reception that I've have ever photographed. It was held at the already amazing Kingswood Lodge, but oh my goodness.... it was amazing.

Thanks you two for including me in your beautiful wedding, and thanks for your patience with the lack of blogging!

Chuck & Sarah - May 18th, Fredericton

2008-05-23T14:25:00.002-03:00

Poor Holly... sitting at her desk all week anxiously checking the blog waiting for pictures from her sister-in-law's wedding. Today I got a note from Holly begging me to hurry up and post something! Well, here's a little preview my dearest blog stalker!

The super adorable Chuck & Sarah were married on Sunday at Brunswick Street Baptist Church in Fredericton. Chuck & Sarah are just soooooo cute. They totally adore eachother and aren't shy about showing it.... even to all the bikers on the busy hiking trail. And, a bonus.... these guys have some of the funniest friends ever. Their wedding party totally cracked me up and were full of great ideas for photos. There was some Backstreet Boys posing and the often overlooked classic - the human pyramid.

These guys are roughing it for 5 whole weeks in a whirlwind tour of Europe for their honeymoon.... but I'm not bitter at all. I hope you guys have found a computer along the way to check these out, but more importantly, I hope you're having an AMAZING time. Thanks for including me in your special day!

I'm Home!

2008-05-21T20:43:00.002-03:00

Hi there! Well, I just got home a few minutes ago from my 2 day trip south to Augusta, Maine. The workshop went well and my hotel wasn't too gross and was only a minute away from both a Target and a Tim Hortons... so, all things considered, it was a success. My travels were fairly uneventful as it's a truly boring drive, so naturally, I spiced things up the only way I know how... I busted out the Sister Act II soundtrack. I'm not really allowed to play it when I travel with Dave because I really will sing every word to every song, and with great passion.... even the notes I can't actually hit like that super high one that little guy hits on 'Oh Happy Day'. My rapping on 'Joyful Joyful' was a little rusty too.

Well, it's about that time to go watch David Cook (hopefully) win American Idol, so I'll be back at some point tomorrow to blog both the weddings from this past weekend. Nighty-Night

And it begins....

2008-05-13T19:42:00.003-03:00

And it begins.... the time of year where I look at my calendar and say to myself.... "Wow, you are going to be such a loser for the next 6 months with no social life at all."

Or maybe it's the opposite... I mean, what kind of "loser" gets invited to weddings every weekend??? It is rough..... gorgeous, happy people... beautiful places... great food.... maybe I have a super-charged social life for the next 6 months. Yeah, that sounds cooler.

So anyway... things are coming into full swing around here. I have two weddings this weekend... one on Saturday and one on Sunday, both in Fredericton. Then on Monday I leave for Augusta, Maine for a two day workshop which I'm really excited about. And naturally, I'll be stopping in Bangor for some Target goodness.

Lots and lots of people are calling and emailing about booking portrait sessions, and due to so many weddings this year, I really have a limited amount of spaces. If you are thinking about booking a session then I'd advise doing it soon as the summer is pretty much full already and I'm currently booking into September. Grads, this means you too!!! As for weddings, this year is booked to the max, but it's not too late for next year.... but not too early either as some spaces are already being filled. Contact me asap for more info if you're interested!

Well, I should be doing something productive.... but I think I might go upstairs and watch the hockey game with Dave instead. Goodnight!

Yikes

2008-05-08T08:30:00.004-03:00

Goodmorning! Okay, so this has absolutely nothing at all to do with photography, but I came across this rather interesting fact yesterday that I just had to share....

Mrs. Vassilyev of Russia had 69 children between 1725 and 1765:
16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets. - Guiness Book of World Records

I don't really know what else to say about that, but thought you might find it interesting too!

Steve & MaryLee - Woodstock, May 3

2008-05-05T12:09:00.005-03:00

MaryLee's make-up was done by the fabulous Suzanne at Made You Blush on Main St. in Woodstock. Stunning!!
Steve & MaryLee met in high school. It was reported at their reception by a reliable source that Steve used to always bike back and forth past MaryLee's house "stalking" her. One day, he worked up enough nerve to steer in the driveway and decided he was going to talk to MaryLee. Pretty much since that day, Steve & MaryLee have been together and looking forward to this past Saturday's big event. Honestly, these two are just so beautiful together. Their passion for eachother, their families, and God just radiates from them both. They completely adore eachother, and are so thoughtful and respectful to eachother and everyone they meet. Steve & MaryLee, I was SO excited to be asked to be a part of your day and can't wait to share the rest of the images with you! I hope you've found a computer somewhere along your travels so you can catch this preview!

Tyler & Stephanie

2008-05-02T19:32:00.004-03:00

How cute are they, huh??? Seriously, these two are so stinkin' adorable and were such a treat to photograph. I headed to Fredericton yesterday afternoon to meet them both for the first time (other than our budding Facebook relationship, of course). These are some "just because we love eachother" photos, which to me is really all the reason someone should need. Well, so far I have it narrowed down to these six favourites, however, these are the only six I've done so far.... soooo basically I love them all. Thanks guys for a great time yesterday! Hope you enjoy the little preview.

Tisdale Family

2008-04-28T09:34:00.005-03:00

So, if you don't already know the Tisdale family, then you should probably put it on your list of things to do this week because well.... they are pretty great. I've known them for a long time, and actually did a fair amount of my growing up in front of Natasha (far left) and Jan, the mama of the family. Natasha and I were on the same cheerleading team for like 6 years and Jan co-coached us for 3 or 4 of those years and had a big hand in helping us win our 3 provincial championships. Jan is totally amazing.... like, she color-codes her calendar for all of her family's busy schedules and actually pulls it all off, always showed up to like EVERY game and practice, plus kept up with her son Nick's super busy hockey schedule while also helping to run their trucking business. Somehow, she still had time to bake us cookies, show up at school during lunchtime for quick team meetings, and even wash & iron our uniforms for special occasions. (this woman can get out ANY stain!!) She was (and still is) the first to give you a hug too. We used to have team sleepovers at their house (yup, like 14 crazy girls!). We'd set up the camper out in their driveway and practice our stunts and dance routines on the lawn till like 3am. We ate a very very abnormal amount of junk food and played a lot of Twister. Gosh.... that was fun stuff. Dave (Mr. Tisdale) was often the unfortunate driver of the school van when us girls would head off to competitions in Moncton & St.John.... and I must confess that we weren't exactly the quietest, calmest bunch to be stuck in a small, confined space with. Dave never complained or even appeared to be annoyed though..... not even when we were singing "Going to the Chapel" over and over and over and over. And then there's Nick, who has always been Natasha's cute little brother with the super adorbale raspy voice that just makes you want to pinch his cheeks all the time. So, I'm sure these guys do sometimes drive eachother crazy, but seriously, they've always been such a loving, happy family that totally looked out for eachother and were really a fun bunch to spend so much time around.

Okay, so apparantly I'm getting a little bit nostalgic here thinking about days gone by, but photographing these guys yesterday out at their place just reminded me about soooo many things that made up such a HUGE part of my life in high school. Although I totally don't miss high school it was really nice to be out there again for some laughs and, of course, the classic Jan hug.

Tom & Emily's E-Session

2008-04-27T00:05:00.003-03:00

If you can't kinda catch the "we're totally in love and getting married soon" vibe off of these two then I'll help you out..... Tom & Emily are totally in love and getting married soon.... in 5 weeks actually. I hung out with them for a bit today to take some engagement photos and they are two really friendly, comfy people who are a pleasure to be around.... and well, pretty taken with eachother too. Hanging out with them today made me extra excited for their wedding! Hope you guys enjoy the little preview. (I think the first one is my favourite)

Matthew

2008-04-26T09:48:00.003-03:00

This sleepy little cutie is Matthew and he's 3 weeks old. He came over to my house yesterday with his mom & dad to be photographed. When he arrived he was sleeping, then he decided that he didn't want to miss a thing so he was going to stay WIDE awake! After much snuggling, feeding, back-rubbing, and some lip-quivering whimpers, the little man gave up and fell asleep. Isn't he sweet????

Help!

2008-04-24T12:20:00.002-03:00

So, supposedly one of my favourite tv shows Private Practice was supposed to resume last night, but I missed it. Did anyone see it??? Can anyone tell me what happened? Anyone...? I need to know these things!

Molly

2008-04-22T19:45:00.003-03:00

I love my job. Today I had the opportunity to photograph Molly, who is only 11 days old. I photographed her mommy & daddy's wedding a couple years ago, then her mommy's pregnancy, and now finally her in all her cuteness. There's so many goodies, but here's three of my favourites that I've edited so far!

Bad, Bad, Blogger

2008-04-21T12:40:00.002-03:00

I've been a bad, bad blogger the last week or so.

I've been a total nerd, investing all my time into my relationship with my computer. We've been really busy lately with much editing and office work and have neglected the fun stuff... like blogging. My apologies to those of you who depend on this blog as a method of procrastination and distraction from studying/work (ie. Lauren). I'm pushing really hard to finish up a couple things today and tomorrow, then we should be back to normal blogging. I have several sessions in the next two weeks plus the beginning of wedding season (YAY!) so I'll be making up for this dry spell, I promise.

OOOOOOPS

2008-04-16T13:23:00.004-03:00

Today is one of those days that I apparantly cannot be left unattended. I somehow deleted my Facebook account. That's right, deleted. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you.... but.... it really IS a big deal. So, for the many of you that were my friends on Facebook... it's nothing personal. I did not delete you, or bail out to avoid you... I'm just simply out of control today. So, I can't even create a new account with my email address because somehow it's still reserved. Grrrrr.... I'll keep you posted when I am up and running so that we can all be friends again!

**Update** I'm set up again.... but it's just not the same. I only have 4 friends now! Look me up and we'll be friends again.

Lydia

2008-04-10T11:21:00.014-03:00

This beautiful young lady is Lydia, my husband's cousin (who is the younger sister of Elisabeth if you've been following along). Elisabeth and I both photographed Lydia and her friend, Mindy while Dave and I were in Florida. I love love love Lydia's freckles! (check the March archives to view a couple of Mindy's images) While editing Lydia's images I was thrilled to come across a picture that I took of Elisabeth while she was taking pictures of Mindy. So, while it is definitely great fun to photograph with another photographer, you do unfortunately run a high risk of having photos like this posted of you on their blog later =)

Cutest Rubber Boots EVER

2008-04-09T15:47:00.004-03:00

You might recognize this cute little man from a few previous posts. He's my nephew, Noah and he's been visiting here the last couple days. He's 17 months old and yesterday for the first time we had him out in his rubber boots to check out the dirt. He wasn't too sure of it yet, but I feel confident that the obsession with getting dirty will set in soon enough. I think he's just the cutest, most lovablist little man and I loooooove him.

Natalie

2008-04-05T15:26:00.003-03:00

This little beauty is Natalie, and she's 3 days old today. Natalie is the second little girl born to our good friends, Peter and Barbie. They all came by the house today for a little session and Natalie was so cooperative, letting me move her all over the place while she was trying to sleep. (there was only a couple times that she seemed truly annoyed with me... and rightly so) She's just so sweet... and so tiny! I'm in my glory here, sitting in front of my computer with a cup of strawberry tea editing pictures of a beautiful baby. Life is good =)

Cory & Lindsey - Mar.29th Orlando, Florida

2008-04-03T13:04:00.005-03:00

I sat down two hours ago to put together a couple favourites to share from Cory & Lindsey's wedding last weekend and it turned out to be a big job! I have soooo many favourites so it's been nearly impossible to choose! For now, I've chosen a few from the 'day after' shoot that we did with just the two of them around downtown Orlando. As I edit more, there's a good chance that I'll do another post from the actual wedding.

Cory & Lindsey were amazing to work with. They are totally into eachother and were simply up for anything.... including laying in the middle of the rather busy sidewalk for me =) I LOVE it when people don't tell me I'm crazy and just agree to go along with whatever idea comes into my head. Elisabeth (who also got tons of amazing shots) took that picture of me taking a picture of them. Actually, she also took a lot of other pictures of me 'getting the shot' which was kinda interesting for me to see. Apparantly getting in really awkward positions helps me photograph better. Huh... anyway, we'll save those for another day. So, during the process of creating that image of them laying on the sidewalk, we got a rather ridiculous speech from a man passing by about "the problem with weddings today... blah blah blah..." Seriously???? Know your audience, buddy.

Anyway, like I said, this is just the beginning of the editing so I'll probably be sharing a few more as I go. Thanks for checking in! Happy Thursday, everyone!