"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.

" A culture, we all know, is made by its cities." Derek Walcott

As we walked around the downtown streets of Seattle, with our luggage, diaper bag, camera bag, laptop bag, stroller and oh yeah - our baby, we looked for some sign of where we had gotten off the light rail from the airport. Joe had his GPS, but wasn't getting a signal and I had no idea how to get to our hotel. It felt like the Amazing Race - Baby edition. At last I spotted a map located on a street post...this is where the tourists find their way and we were exactly that. Joe and I argued for a few minutes on the street - oblivious to who was walking by and probably laughing and I still had no clue exactly where we had to go to get to the hotel. When finally our hero appeared from his shop and said "do you need some help?" I was happy to say "yes!!" He also asked us if we were Canadian. I looked around for signs of a maple leaf. "takes one to know one" he told us followed by directions to our hotel. Coming from a small town in Ontario, big cities always excite and scare me. My experience in Toronto or Montreal is that everyone else is in a rush, walking with their heads down on their Blackberry (shout out to Waterloo) or iPhone and no one has the time to help a pitiful tourist trying to find their hotel amongst the skyscrapers. But Seattle is different. It's as though many different small towns have been pushed together by the forces of nature to form one large small town. People smile as you walk down the street, they help you find your way and welcome you into their small town.

When snow falls, nature listens. ~Antoinette van Kleeff

This winter has been a little disappointing for those of you who love snow. I can't say I'm it's biggest fan, but I have missed playing outside with the kids, building snowmen and throwing snowballs at them! LOL So when we finally got a decent "packing" snowfall on Saturday, I cancelled my plans and we headed outside. It was fun to run around and I considered it my daily workout. The other days I ... well...um.... So what if my legs were burning sore for the rest of the weekend. Here are a few shots of the kids in snow.

Brothers and sisters are as close as hands and feet. ~Vietnamese Proverb

It feels like an eternity since I shot these pictures. I was 3 weeks to my due date with baby # 3, I felt enormous and was moving very slooooow. Yes I used 5 o's, that's how slow I felt. Even though I wasn't planning on shooting past the end of September, I could hardly pass up a request from my sister to photograph her adorable boys. It was a beautiful autumn day, Thanksgiving weekend and some of my favourite people were on the other side of the camera.

Amy and Fraser, your boys are amazing! Thanks for recognizing my awesomeness...joking. I loved spending the time with you. And Amy, I won't tell a soul about the tears in your eyes. Shhh!

To see more of my faves, please visit
http://www.greenapplephotography.ca/event/The-Sweet-Family/GnJHtTWV7wxqQ

"A good video can make all the difference." ~ Brian May

Hello internet! CreativeLIVE recently announced it's newest workshop Newborn and Babies with Sandy Puc' and as my video entry states, "I'm super pumped about it". For every CreativeLIVE workshop, they invite several people to attend live in Seattle. All you have to do is create a video and get chosen.
So check out my dorky video!

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning

The other day I was getting together with my sister and an old friend from highschool. It was raining, cold and yucky outside. You know, usual January weather in Canada. Instead of walking to my sister's place, which is less than 10 minutes, I decided to drive. It was much easier to pack the 3 children (3 and under) into the van, then walk in that weather. When I arrived, my old friend and mother of a 21 month old said, "You are amazing!" My immediate response was "oh no...it's nothing. I'm not amazing". But right then and there I decided I was amazing. I am amazing. I will always be amazing. For getting 3 children out the door, for staying at home with them while running my business and my house, and for doing it with style. Even if that style means spit up on my shoulder, or syrup in my hair. Thank you Sam for recognizing me and all the moms out there for doing what we do everyday. It is AMAZING!

Here's a few cute photos of my amazing kids.


Here's an article I came across, which I found amusing and truthful!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glennon-melton/dont-carpe-diem_b_1206346.html

"If you're happy, if you're feeling good, then nothing else matters" ~Robin Wright Penn

Dear Erin,

It was so nice to meet you and your family yesterday at our portrait session for your new baby. Thank you for inviting me into your home. I can't tell you enough how excited I was. It felt amazing to get back to photography. I took almost 4 months off to prepare and welcome my son, Charlie and I didn't realize how much I missed my work. I was a bit nervous to get back at it, since Charlie is still so young, but I couldn't pass up an infant shoot. I love my 3 kids, but I didn't realize how much it was wearing on me. Thanks to you I feel wonderful, amazing and rejuvenated. I love photography! I love my work! I love my clients!

I hope you and your family had as much fun as I did. Please enjoy a few of my favourite images!

Many thanks,

Karen

To see more of my favourites, please visit
http://www.greenapplephotography.ca/event/The-Smith-Fa/asXZlT6nklRcw