silly Sunday

cantaloupe and braids

fun with cantaloupe

fun with braids

fun with cantaloupe and braids

cantaloupe aide

cantaloupe grin

goofy Mads

goofier Serejane

"What's going on!?!?!"

Daddy had cantaloupe, too, but got bunny ears since he can't have braids

I (heart) our rotting pumpkins

ladybug - I keep finding them while I dig the leaves out of the garden.  I thought this guy was dead but he was just playin'

it's official - spring is here!  Serejane spotted our first ant of the year!

the dump truck that sits in the cranberry patch

Sweet Dolly came out to sun herself.

Serejane helped keep Sweet Dolly safe while we inventoried our seeds

quite an exciting selection

Serejane wanted a portrait with Sasha

Serejane ended up with eyes crossed trying to look at something on the railing

trying to cross your eyes on purpose is harder than doing it accidentally

stretch it out...

try again...

we settled on a nice smile instead

chillaxin'

a pretty red bike

Marmot and Mouse the guinea pigs

teaching my son Kaelan to use the old Pentax K1000

Wil lovin' on the piggies

uber-funky cookies from the Italian Centre

flowers on a bike basket under my BIL and MIL's fire escape

Serejane at lunch

more pretty bikes

Kaelan loving on Marmot

Wil NOT making a dorky face for the camera

Madisyn without the Rat Smile

Jane being a dork

colouring

nice lighting

painting

my beautiful mother-in-law

Bill picking Madisyn's nose

Madisyn picking Bill's nose

Serejane picking her own nose

apparently nose-picking is pretty damn funny

my beautiful husband and his brother Ollie

my beloved backpack

Pirate Gramma Jane instructing the girls how to sail the couchboat

the fire escape

Oliver in many scarves

more pictures

Time Tested Beauty Tips

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; Never throw out anybody.

Remember, If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

--Sam Levenson

two amazing performers gettin' it on tap style!

and now for something completely different...

introspection

Seems to the the 'in' thing for spring. For all of us on a soul search, may the only pain be growing pain. A special shout-out to R.

some stuff... and some other stuff...

Hello, all! I have an announcement, a change, and an invitation to extend to you all. Here goes:

I am pleased to announce that I will indeed be adding the photoshop demonstration. I'll let you know the date in a few days when I confirm a couple of outstanding items on my schedule when and where it will be held.

I had originally planned on doing a Spring Fling Photobooth for April's field trip. However, due to the sudden increase in the number of participants in the Portraiture and Wedding workshops on the 6th, I have changed it to be a TRASH THE DRESS session. You'll all get to try your hand at doing some glam and wedding portraiture on a real live model - how fun is THAT? This is going to be a WAY fun field trip!!! I will have to wait until closer to the date to announce the location. So - if anyone knows of someone wanting a FREE trash the dress session, send them my way. If not, I'll be hunting for an unwitting victim at will...

I am even REALLY pleased to announce that ticdesign has been offered the honour of doing the official Team Photography for this year's Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life. I am extending an open invitation to anyone wanting some field experience doing event coverage and willing to donate a couple of hours on the evening of May 24th, 2008 to come out and join us at Foote Field; please drop me a line to h dot walls at shaw dot ca and I will fill you in on the details.

I am still investigating how/when/where to have a studio lighting field trip. When I know, you'll know... and if it just isn't meant to happen, then so be it...

In the meantime, whatchoo all been up to? How was your Easter?

the baby I'm a-waitin' fer!

By now I've probably mentioned (several times, over and over, in person, on the blog, over the phone and maybe even in emails) the homebirth about a bazillion times. I was honoured to be asked to be present. Jen has, over the past two years, adopted me into the Mamapalooza I speak so fondly of. Without Jen, there would be 12 special children I would never have met, 24 amazing and loving parents I'd never have gotten to know, several of their beautiful extended family members who latched on to me, a book that never would have happened, and a whole round of sweeter-than-life newborn babies I might never have known about. (11 of the 12 I've met have either recently had Baby #2, or will have Baby #2 before summer arrives, and I am in baby HEAVEN!)

It is my great pleasure and honour to share with you this maternity album, a very emotional one for me because it means so much. Thank you, Jen and Jody, for your warm friendship, kindness, and especially for letting me love and play dress-up on your Wren. I can hardly wait to meet your next creation.