Anniversaries

Last week it was Kristen & my 1 year wedding anniversay, the week before that it was our 10 year anniversary of being together. You know what we did to celebrate? Nothing!

I know it's shameful. But my excuse is, we overbooked the summer, we have a new puppy and too many other things have been occupying our minds.

I'm happy we've been together so long, I'm happy we've been married for a year. And no I'm not downplaying the importance, we just didn't do a big celebration for it.

So today I honour my hunny and say thanks for being there for me, being soooo supportive these last couple of weeks where I've been GLUED to the computer to process my latest photo shoots, being an awesome husband, who I do NOT take for granted, and for simply loving me :)

Here's to many more adventures and years together!

And to my parents, who celebrated 32 years together yesterday. I love you and it's you that is my example for my own relationship, marriage and future endeavours. My dad the musician, my mom the artist (quilt maker) who pursue their passions in life despite any obstacles life may throw at them.

My dad who's such a hard worker, who makes sacrifices in some areas to be able to live the life he see's fit, to live the life that makes him happy.

My mom who said enough is enough and opened her own business to do what she loves. And is doing well at it :)

You're both my inspiration & encouragement. You support my decisions (even though you might not agree) and make me feel loved & accepted. You're both the parents that I hope to be someday.

Today's Quote:

"This is your Life. This is your Journey. YOU are the hero....." ~ Lee Smith

Girls Weekend - 2008

I'm an idiot...I still can't upload MY pics from the girls weekend. First I forgot, and then I think I was using the wrong cord so they wouldn't upload :(

Sooooo I'll post some of the photos that my friend Amanda took.

Here's Steph & I this was Friday night, we were about 10 minutes away from the Pinery here. But we had to stop so one of the girls could by some alcoholic beverages.

This is the first night around the fire.

Saturday...walking down to the beach...aahhhh. It was perfect beach weather, hot with a light breeze. The water was a bit cool but not unbearable.

Saturday night...notice how all the girls are nicely tanned? Except me? That's because I wore LOTS of sunblock otherwise I would have looked like a lobster in this picture. I'll take being white over being red.

And the group photo, pay close attention because this will be one of the VERY FEW times that you'll see me with no make up :(

I love make up, this is why!! I look ridiculous without it.

Far left Amanda, to her right Marlene, front the silly lookin me, then Steph and Mia.

Til next year ladies.

Today's Quote:

"Be brave enough to live creatively" ~ Alan Alda

Life's Enough!

Good Morning my loyal readers....I won't be posting photos from the girls weekend today as I forgot to upload them...sorry :(  It will be tomorrow.

Today's post will be a referral instead, please read THIS post from Zen Habits. It's called "Life's Enough: Stop Comparing Yourself to Others"

It's basically how to take pride in yourself & your strengths and stop worrying about everyone else. When you do that you lower your self-esteem, which none of us need or want.

Today's Quote:

"To say Yes to life is at one and the same time to say Yes to oneself"  ~ Dag Hammarskjold

Sunsets

Happy Monday to you!

I enjoyed my girls weekend this past weekend (photo's tomorrow) and I feel ready to take on this week. I'm no longer feeling overwhelmed & a list is in the works to make this week as productive as possible...yay :)

Today's post I simply want to mention how absolutely beautiful the sunsets the past week or so. Not sure what weather phenomenon is causing it but it doesn't matter cause it's just so pretty.

Also head on over to my photo blog to check out the sneak peek from the wedding I did last weekend.

Today's Quote:

"I need to tell you that I would much rather fail at something new than suceed at something old"  ~Ben Cohen

Recipe - Christa's Chili

Okay......this past weekend I was the photographer for a wedding on Saturday, I had a maternity photo shoot Sunday morning, I'm slowly adjusting to having a puppy in the house (who is GREAT but I'm very sleep deprived) and tonight I have another photo shoot. I'm exhausted, overwhelmed & have definitely put too much on my plate for the next little while, but sooooo happy & grateful that my life is the way it is.

Since I haven't sorted & edited all my photos, today's post will be one I've been meaning to do for a while. It's my chili recipe....it's not an exact science and the end result is generally the same but sometimes with a different twist depending on what I've tried that time around.

First your ingredients....ground beef, red kidney beans (drained), diced tomatoes, tomateo paste, chopped onion, chopped garlic, chopped peppers (I use red & green) spices (this recipe I used curry, cumin, chili powder, and celery salt) and of course salt & pepper. Oh and I also tried some Canadian Saffron that I bought at St. Jacobs Farmers market earlier this summer (end result - I didn't notice a difference. I think I'll try it in a chicken dish to see if it makes a difference)

Brown the ground beef

Then add all the ingredients to a big pot! That clock is 9:54am I like to let a pot of chili simmer on low for a few hours.

See how pretty? Oh a trick if you don't have all the spices in your house, for example, just salt and pepper. Then when you buy your groceries pick up a pack of Old El Paso - Chili Seasoning does the same thing and a lot less fuss.

My favourite thing to have with chili is cheesy garlic bread ...Mmm!! Here's the end product. It's a big batch because I like to freeze meals since it's an all day process for the most part. And it tastes great thawed & reheated (easy & quick meal idea when you're running low on food because it's grocery week)

Try this recipe on a cold winters day when all you want to do is curl up with a blanket to read a book or watch a movie and smell the aroma of chili simmering on the stove :)

Not quite the vision you want in your head when it's August and 25 degress out....ha ha. But hey? Fall is just around the corner...I love fall!

Happy Tuesday....Til Next Time

Introducing Boone

Our new puppy!!! Boone....Mr. Blue won out in the end after many many conversations and much deliberation between Kristen & I. We decided that the dog that was drawn to us, that picked us, is the one we should pick and bring home.

And here he is!!!

We just got him last night and I love him already....lol.

But don't worry yellow girl has already found "the" perfect home based on her personality.

Happy Friday!

Have a GREAT weekend everyone, oh and wish me luck for the wedding tomorrow :)

Middle Brook - 3rd Falls

While Kristen & I were in Newfoundland in July we made time in our very short visit to go to Middle Brook, or by the locals "The Brooks" or sometimes simply called "The Swimmin' Brooks" Many many summer days were spent here as a child.
It begins with a shallow section called "steady" then you round the corner to a section a little deeper called "1st falls" (I swam here mostly) then up over those falls to "2nd & 3rd Falls" (see below)
The local boys (sometimes a few girls) would climp 3rd falls and jump to the depths below. But not before being taught by an already experienced (& generally older) local who's already done it a million times. It's almost like a small town tradition that's been passed along.
Then there's the super adventurous who would go even higher to the trees you see on the left. And off they jump!
Can you see him?

Yeah...I'm glad I didn't do this....brutal!

Here you can see, bottom is 2nd and top is 3rd....both are pretty deep which is why I didn't swim here a lot. Usually just observed. Another fact you must realize that there are sharp & jagged rocks/edges everywhere! There have been a few cuts and minor injuries but no serious ones to my knowledge.
Isn't it beautiful though? A friend of mine (who lives close to the brooks) was telling me how someone mentioned to her how nice it would be to have a pool....a pool!?!? Are you kidding me?! When you have THIS! I just wish people who live there could truly appreciate what they have.

Here's Kristen at 1st Falls

There's also cottages RIGHT NEXT to the brooks called "Middle Brook Cottages" Kristen & I stayed in the honeymoon suite on our wedding night & it was very nice. Check it out if you're ever looking for accomodations in the area.

Sidenote: Today we go pick up our puppy!! Woo-hoo :)
And I finish with this quote:

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams"  ~ Ashley Smith

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

To continue with the summer salad series, today's recipe is: Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad. There are SO many variations of this recipe that I'm just going to tell you how "I" make it. Now most recipes call for you to make the dressing yourself, which is a mix of miracle whip, vinegar and sugar....I don't do that. I cheat to make this recipe even easier. Now on to the recipe....

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad:

2 heads of fresh broccoli (chopped)
1 head of fresh cauliflower (chopped)
3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 strips of bacon (cooked & crumbled) **Some people use fake bacon bits here...don't!!**
1 cup (or to taste) of coleslaw dressing (Kraft, Our compliments, any brand is fine - your preferance)

Mix & Chill....Serve! 

See....!?!?? That SIMPLE :)

Todays quote is one I found on the Blogtations website....I found it soooo funny that I thought I'd conclude my post today with it.

"I do not eat Kiwi. Why? Well, to be perfectly honest, Kiwi too closely resembles little hairy monkey balls"  ~ Living a Quotable Life

Happy 2nd Birthday Tristan!

Happy be-lated 2nd birthday....since it was yesterday.

On Saturday we hosted Tristan's 2nd birthday party. It was lots of fun, soooo cute seeing his reaction to the gifts, cake, and the singing of happy birthday :)

Here he is when he first arrived....let's say the hat didn't stay on long

Stupid hat...  :(

Kristen & I gave him a new pair of "Go Diego Go" running shoes

One of his Aunties gave him a new puppy....oh oh...a new favourite possibly??

My brother showed up later in the day, and apparently the only person Tristan knows with facial hair...LOL!

Here Blaine would tug on it, then Tristan would tug on it....too cute!

Then on to some birthday cake, here's his confused expression when we all started singing happy birthday. I'm sure in years to come that expression will change.

To Tristan....here's to many many more birthdays! Love you :)

Feature: Hark Photography

Today I would like to introduce you to Hark Photography (please click on title of this post for her link...I'm still having technical difficulities) or click here: http://harkphotography.wordpress.com/

Holly - the creative mind behind Hark Photography is starting out in the business like myself. It's even safe to say we're our own little photography network :) Since (1) we don't know any other photographers in our region (2) most photographers are based out of the greater Toronto area it seems (3) if we don't help each other, then who will?
My theory is "what goes around comes around" If I support Holly and vice versa, good things will happen for both of us in our careers. Rather than the competitive-ness that some other photographers like to do.
I'm introducing her blog today in light of the wedding that I've been hired to do this coming Saturday. I've hired Holly as my 2nd shooter because (a) she's good and (b) I don't want to miss anything for my client.

Please check out her blog & her work. So definitely email or call her up and book a session!

Today's quote:
“You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins.” - Jim Stovall

Ugh.....

Technical difficulities again, sorry....if I have time later today I'll do a post WITH photos!

In case I don't, Happy Friday!

Algonquin....THE post

So I'm hoping to be able to post this time without my computer freezing up.
Canoeing the interior of Algonquin was quite the experience, to say the least. First of all it was probably the hardest thing I've ever done physically in my life. Second of all, it rained, it always rains when we go camping (no lie, ask anyone who has ever camped with us) and because of that it was very discouraging for me. Take the physical aspect, add soaking wet gear to that, and it was a recipe for me to just be discouraged. Third, it's way out in the wilderness so it takes some re-programming of your thinking. We're so used to being 5 minutes from everything, having a cell phone signal at any time, that being so far away from "civilization" (I use that term loosely) that it's almost scary & overwhelming if you really allow yourself to think/worry about it.
However, with all of the above being said, I still LOVED our trip (we did cut it day short though because of the rain) and was so happy that I at least tried something new like this. I would do it again, definitely not this summer....lol. But eventually :)
Now...on to the photos
We saw Lots of loons. The sound/cry that they make is both fasciniating & eery at the same time.

Me watching the loon.

Kristen paddling ....work it!

And my favourite photo of the whole weekend. This was when the rain did clear up for a little while, notice the pink sky :)

And that was our adventure :) Happy Thursday!

Algonquin....tomorrow....

I just did my whole post about Algonquin, photos and all...and the computer froze up and I lost everything. Sorry...will do the post tomorrow.

Today I leave you with this quote:

We Change the World by just being. Imagine what happens when we do what we're meant to do ~ Successful Blog

Food, Fotos, Fun

Happy Friday...today's post consist of three things, as mentioned in the title,...first food....since this weekend is the Civic Holiday Long weekend a lot of you might be bbq'ing/entertaining. I'm going to give you my version of Caesar salad as your perfect side dish, I can't say it's entirely my own creation as some great girlfriends Jen & Myrna are the ones who introduced me to the oh so yummy & perfect caesar dressing.

Christa's Chicken Caesar Salad:

1 head romaine lettuce

3 tbsp Renee's Mighty Caesar Salad Dressing

3-4 strips cooked bacon (not too crispy) crumbled

2 tbsp FRESH parmesan cheese (not that powder Kraft stuff...yuck)

1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast

Wash & pat dry lettuce (or use a salad spinner)

Mix in dressing and bacon

Slice/chop chicken and place on top of salad

Sprinkle cheese on top of salad.

SERVE! Easy and the BEST Caesar salad ever....if you don't have Renee's Mighty Caesar dressing then don't even bother making this recipe. The regular Renee's caesar dressing is good too but mighty has more garlic thus more kick...yum! Also notice I don't add croutons...just don't like them in this salad. Takes away from the rest of the ingredients. Enjoy.

Now the 'foto' just trying to keep with the "F" theme today...Kristen took this shot while we were in Nfld... makes me want to go back for another weekend, I miss the water :(

And last but not least..FUN! This weekend Kristen & I are headed to Algonquin Park to canoe the interior. I'm equally scared as I am excited. Scared because there's a very real possibility of seeing a bear but we've done our research and know everything to do to prevent this from happening (hopefully). Scared because we've never done this before and we might be in over our heads with the whole portaging, canoeing and literally living out of 2 backpacks until Monday. Excited because we've never done anything like this before, I can't wait to take on this new experience/adventure, to have some quiet time in nature, the way it should be, and not tainted by pollution, development, etc. Yes we have the camera packed...lots of 'fotos' to come next week. And yes, I know I still have a lot of Nfld pics to post yet as well. It's been a busy but great summer.

Wish us luck, I'm not too worried though, I found a lucky penny this morning. I'm taking it as a good sign and I have it here in my pocket to have with me all weekend :)

Til Tuesday!