come as you are | charlene + emma

finally.  getting caught up with a few drafts that have been waiting eagerly to be shared!  with all the mom-friends from past and present booking these Come As You Are Sessions, it was a lovely surprise to have a family member call me in to capture her early motherhood days.  i come from a big family, with six aunts/uncles on each side of my family.  Char was one of the first of our generation and therefor was always looked up to, always harassed, and one whose lap was often occupied by a wiggly younger cousin with a bony-butt.  She was always generous and kind to us and I feel like all that patience must have paid off now that she is a Mother.  Capturing someone after a life-time of family get-togethers, through so many joyful births and heartbreaking losses took the meaning of this session to a new level for me.  We can choose our friends, but we can't choose family, so I'm so grateful to have had such a caring, thoughtful and supportive cousin in my life and so happy to have been able to give back with these photos.

Congratulations on having the sweetest little girl!
You guys are doing a great job

xo

 

fête carnival | south park's spring fair

Had one last shoot to check off my list the evening before my Cali weekend getaway, the photobooth for the kids' Spring Fair!  I can't take too much credit for the backdrop, I put it together, but all the elements were created and ordered and delivered thanks to the two organizers, Colleen + Lee-Ann!  Enjoy a few select images from our successful fair!

good times

xo
 


Family Session with Baby Avery

I might have to start an LFA Alumni tag for the blog soon!  I've got another family session this weekend with an old classmate.  I really fought my parents on going to LFA when the majority of my friends went East to St Pat's, but I must admit, being at an all-girls school was pretty terrific and having made friends with so many great women, it's a blessing to be able to meet and capture their mini-me(s)!  To have memories of so many heart-to-hearts, fun-but-bad decisions, falling outs, or even calling up the girl who sat behind/beside you for 5 years because she was Chiu and you were Chan and she was really good at math and you were not, and then to take photos of them 15 years later is pretty special.  Pamela Chiu is so up there on memories of highschool although we ran in different circles.  I'm probably giving myself a bad reputation as a Baby Floosy, but I really love Avery.  We were buddies right away because all Asians look the same, so it was super easy for me to pretend to be her mom! 

Jokes aside, photographing Alumni offspring is the best.  Seeing glimpses of your old-time buddies resurface in chubby yummy form and to see these old-time buddies smile with so much joy in their heart is like being magically transported to Candyland.  Jason, you're alright too :P
 

Love you Pam
Salvo, you're a lucky guy


xo


family session | happy 1st birthday Pierce!

I am in love with this little guy.

We first met for Pierce's Family Session shortly after his arrival to earth and to proud parents, Chelsea + Aaron.  We got together again for Holiday photos where I really got hooked on him!  He was the most smiley and chill little guy and by the time his First Birthday rolled around, he was still laughing and smiling throughout the entire course of our session (ok save the car ride, but who likes car rides anyway....).  I headed out to Abbotsford and jumped into the family car to our destination at Woodbridge Pond, the same location where Chelsea + Aaron tied the knot!  What an absolutely romantic and special way to celebrate Pierce's First year. 

Enjoy all the smiles from this cheerful little button :)

thank you for welcoming me into your lives
and allowing me to capture these joyful moments for you guys

parenting is no walk in the park
you are doing a truly fantastic job with this sweet boy

xo


Family Session with Baby Astrid

Throwing Back this beautiful Thursday to one of my favourite family sessions to date!  They aren't actually old, but I haven't had the opportunity to post them til now almost 2 months later...  No time like the present.  Shannon came in contact with me back in the winter for some Family Photos after seeing Holiday Session photos of Hanna + Ben, kidlets of her good friend Kate.  Keeping in theme with capturing the ordinary day to day, I couldn't love these photos any more!  I love that they chose to be in PJ's for this lazy morning session, these honest choices will ring louder and sweeter in a year's time (and year after year following...) as Baby Girl Astrid grows into a cuter buttercup.  Like Joon + Callum's session, these photos will not just capture the early family love, but capture their first home together as a family before they move this summer.

Enjoy!