First day of school. Elmira Children's Photography

My oldest set off for her first day of school this week.  She picked out her new dress, pulled on her backpack - even though it weighed more than her, and I grabbed my camera.  When I was young, we always got our picture taken on the first day of school.  And usually in front of the family car.  I decided to continue the tradition, but added a few little fun facts about my monkey.  After highschool, she will have a collection!

And her poor brother just wanted to be included - dress and all!

My chocolate addiction

I'm a chocoholic and I don't care who knows.  I seek it out.  I eat it, I eat it, I eat it.  I try not to buy it...so I won't eat it.  But I can't help myself.  And when there's no chocolate in the house, I eat chocolate chips. 

“If there's something that you're dreaming of then may it all come true, because you deserve it all...HAPPY BIRTHDAY.”

The kids and I tried to be sneaky, but with 2  and 4 year old voices, nothing is a secret in our house.  We snuck out to the grocery store to pick up everything we needed for celebrating.  We got out mixing bowls and large spoons and I preheated the oven.  Together we baked.  We licked fingers and "cleaned" out bowls of cake batter.  Charlie sat in his highchair eating cookies and singing while Maria, William and I stirred and mixed.  Today is Joe's birthday and half the fun was making his cake and decorating his gift (with an idea I saw on pinterest)

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful man, father and husband I know! 

"Each new person is a new mystery..." ~Tamara Lackey

I recently applied for a scholorship to a workshop of one of my fave photogs, Tamara Lackey.  She's an amazing photographer, and a beautiful soul.  I had to describe why I was a portrait photographer.  Here's my response:

 Portraits are everything.  I love showing families what it really looks like to be them - to be together - to be one.  I also love what it represents to my own children.  That following your dream IS an option for them.  That doing something you love - everyday - is so important for our own lives.  Our health, our sanity and our well-being.  But it also takes a lot of work and dedication; and those are good things.  It means we are invested in what we do.  It means the best for our clients' families and our own families.

Here's what I see.

“Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” ― African Proveb

I decided a month ago that I wanted to organize my workspace. Business has been picking up and I know it's going to take off over the summer months.  So I needed to get myself together and streamline my workflow.  I tend to stare at to-do lists and not know where to start or what to tackle first.  At times I feel overwhelmed by what I need to accomplish (and the little time I have to do it).  Plus I refuse to stay up until 2am editing.  It isn't good for me, my work or my kids.  So when I came across a blog post by another photographer about organizing and making your workspace pretty - I went for it.  I'd still like to add some flowers or something to make me feel like I'm enjoying the outdoors, but it is definitely a start and I'm already working more efficiently. Let me know how you stay organized, I'd love some more tips, tricks and inspiration!

check out my inspiration here

"I wonder if you smile at my texts, like I smile at yours." ~ Unknown

I recently looked back at a text message I had sent Joe and was a little ashamed.  Since I've been writing the Green Apple Photography blog and now the point.click.change blog, my writing has improved a lot and I'm actually quite proud of it.  So when I read the text, I thought who writes like that?  It doesn't even make sense.  And the worst part is that Joe actually knew what I meant.  I actually send messages like that a lot.  It's faster, easier and well, you know what I mean!

"oh. ok.np.k"

"Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact." — Robert McKee

Recently my 4 year old, Maria, wanted to write a story.  It was a princess story (of course) about her and Ariel.  But the story took a turn and got deep.  As she was dictating, I began to laugh.  I couldn't stop.  I was giggling and crying and trying not to drool.  Seriously, I was laughing that hard.   I felt wonderful and horrible at the same time. 

Here are a few lines:  ...Fun was nothing.  The days were over.  Next page: now it was so much fun. The days were not over...

Am I mean for laughing?

 

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? ~Milton Berle

I stared longingly at my bed.  The pile of blankets.  The soft mattress.  The cozy pillow.  I had just put all 3 kids down for a nap, and my bed was calling me.  But I knew I wouldn't sleep.  I had too much to do.  The house resembled a line drawing made by my 2 year old son.  My to-do list was a scroll of book-keeping, editing and writing to complete.  I knew that whatever I chose to do with my only free time of the day, I would feel like I should be doing something else. I am constantly pulled in 6 thousand different directions at the same time  By little hands and voices, by the hum of the computer, by a pile of blankets and pillows, by the mess in the kitchen, by the dog at the door, by my husbands arms, by life.  Life has a way of feeling like a tornado most all a lot of the time. I have to remind myself that I'm so lucky that these are the problems of my day and that I have the choice to jump into bed and cover myself with the blanket.

Here are a few shots of my little hands and little voices!

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it. ~Plato

Oh boy, my legs are sore.  And by sore, I mean it hurts to climb stairs, bend to pick up the kids and even sit at my desk.  Must have been the 3 hour fitness class or 5 km run yesterday.  Oh wait, I didn't do that yesterday.  I didn't do that ever.ever.ever.  I had a photo session with a newborn baby and his 3 year old brother.  That's what this pain  stiffness awesome feeling is from.  I did squats for 90 minutes straight, without even thinking about it.  Can that count for my exercise for the day, or am I that out of shape right now?  But these images make it all worthwhile.  Lactic acid and all.

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

A big "thank you" to everyone who helped me name my latest project.

and the winner is...

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point.click.change

Soon point.click.change will have a new home and a space for all photographers to share their stories about giving back to the community.  A big thanks to Sandy Puc' and CreativeLIVE for inspiring me!  It really was an amazing experience to be a part of the live audience.  Stay tuned for the new home and where you can learn more about making a difference.

"You ask me if I keep a notebook to record my great ideas. I've only ever had one." Albert Einstein

I had this idea...I could try to explain it...but the video is better.




So help me come up with a name for this project.

*A blog-based challenge for photographers
*donate their time, art and skills
*showcase their chosen charity

do you have a creative name idea?

Tweet your project name to @GreenApplePics
Use #nametheproject

Submit before March 17, 2012

"What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it"

At this point it is even difficult to process, let alone reflect on the last 2 days of CreativeLIVE with Sandy Puc'. But I can tell you it has been amazing and so, so much fun. We joked on day one that it was like being on Oprah. Sandy speaks, we sit on the edge of our seats and then she gives away stuff. At one point she actually said "you are all going home with one". Sandy's favourite things!! I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. But the truth is I didn't need prizes or this trip to Seattle to know that. I have the most generous, supportive, loving family in the entire world and I'm so lucky to have this forum to share that with you. Sandy has broken it down to what really matters: Time with the people you love. She's been inspirational and genuine and really, really funny. Benedryl!! LOL. Thank you for everything - everyone.


Thanks to Kenna for taking this shot. She's one of the beautiful people in this world too.

Families are like fudge - mostly sweet with a few nuts. ~Author Unknown

I love my family - my brother, sisters and parents.  I'm happy to report that we are all very close.  But my family is constantly changing and growing.  Each year my mom asks (so kindly) if I will take a family photo.  It isn't easy.  It involves a tripod some running and a lot of luck.  With 4 - oops now 5 (soon to be 6) young grandchildren, we tend to get a lot of pictures that don't quite cut it.  In fact, most of them involve someone not looking at the camera.  I've had to cut and paste a few heads. 

Please enjoy a few of our shots from last year.

A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in. ~Robert Orben

Joe and I took a weekend away from the kids in June.  We went out to dinner, had naps, went for ice cream at 10pm.  We even went for a nice long walk without strollers or hand holding (except each others) - I know barf right?  But for real.  It was a break from the kids, from our full lives and a chance to say "Hi" to each other again.  So where did we go?  The ...exciting...fun...big city of...

Guelph!  yes Guelph. 

We had a gift certificate to dinner and a hotel and we decided to make the most of it.  Here are a few pictures from an afternoon stroll through the Guelph Arboretum.

When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses. ~Joyce Brothers

Since Joe has been saving his yearly vacation time from work for when the baby arrives in October, or more likely November, he has only had a few days off this summer.  Here are some pics from our latest make the most of the extended weekend!  Enjoy!

“To be happy in this world, first you need a cell phone and then you need an airplane. Then you're truly wireless.” Ted Turner

Like every other parent in the world, I take pictures with my cell phone.  You'd think being a photographer that I have my DSLR camera ready at all times, but that's just not the case.  Life with 2 toddlers is too busy - I have enough bags to carry around.  So when they do something cute, or messy, or silly - out comes my cell phone.  It's not a good camera, but just like all the other busy moms out there, I have a lot of horrible photographs of my adorable children.  I'm just like everyone else.  Here are a few of my favourite cell phone shots.

“I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.” – Roy Croft

Yesterday one of my best friends got married.  I was honoured to stand beside her as her Maid of Honour - or as Joe insists - Matron of Honour (that made me feel old for some reason).  Trisha and Jerry have known each other for 20 years.  They were childhood classmates turned friends and now they walk beside each other as husband and wife.  I was happy to shoot some of the wedding day preparations - before the hired photographer from One 2 One Photography arrived, and between my own hair and make up.  It was a relaxed, casual morning which in my experience is rare in wedding preparations.  A big thanks to Michelle Rojas for the make-up and Rebecca McDonald for the hair.  I hope you enjoy a few of my favourites from the morning.

To see all my photos from Trisha & Jerry's Rehearsal dinner, our adventures in flower arranging and more from the wedding morning, please visit

http://www.greenapplephotography.ca/event/Trisha-Jerry/X3hU6BH20zTJY

How is it that one match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box of matches to start a campfire? ~Christy Whitehead

Saturday we set out to our trailer.  Joe on his bike, the kids and I in the new van.  Its amazing to take the kids out there...they play well - together, they stay where they are supposed to, and they sleep really well.  Joe is a regular outdoors-man (with a trailer).  He loves the fresh air, making a campfire and um...well...peeing outdoors (sorry Joe).  We had told Maria that she could stay up for a campfire and a s'more or 2.  So on Saturday night, she patiently sat in her little lawn chair next to Joe, who was attempting to start the fire.  It took a while.  The twigs were wet...very wet and didn't want to light.  Maria, who was beginning to get tired, decided it was time.  "Mom", she says, "I think Daddy might need some help.  He said he's fine, but can you just come over and help a bit?"  I laughed, Joe put his head down and continued to throw newspaper into the smoldering twigs.  That night we had a great fire. A big fire.  Here's a few shots I took on the weekend.