Beach Babes

The weather in Vancouver is usually pretty hit or miss...

We go from having incredible summer weather, to grey, cold, miserable showers.  Because of this, I try to spend as much time outside as possible.  

We have lucked out with some pretty hot and sunny weather this past week.  Which means you can usually find me at the beach as soon as the work clock runs out.

I called up my friend Kristina to see if she wanted to go catch the last few rays before the sun went down.  She accepted.  So Kristina, baby Aubrey, my dog Kai and I headed out to play in the sunshine. 

The last time that the three of us girls were at McDonald beach, Aubrey was still inside her Mommy's tummy.  This was the first time she had ever felt the sand between her toes.  She was full of smiles and giggles as we combed the beach shore.

Now, I don't care how old I get, there is still nothing like the feeling of walking on the sand with the waves crashing over your feet.  

I have never related so much to a 6 month old.

Between playing in the sand, frisbee tosses into the water for Kai to retrieve, I pulled out my camera to snap a few shots.  

I thought that these were just too cute not to share.

Hope you enjoy!

A song for the wave riders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZGgyJrruCo

click on any photo to view entire album

Stacey & Sarah's Wedding

 It doesn't happen every day when one of your best friends marries her counterpart.
Over the past couple of years, I have had the privilege of getting to know Stacey and I couldn't think of a better person to balance Sarah out and complete her.

They both share incredible whit and a great sense of humor.  Which means, in their company I'm usually bent over, holding my gut and trying to contain my laughter.  The evenings that we have all spent together sharing bottles of wine and great meals are countless.

I was pretty heartbroken when they moved away to Winnipeg late last year... Sarah followed her love Stacey, so that she could finally obtain her dream career.  I've had to put my selfishness aside and refrain from begging them to come back on a daily basis.  But we make up for our time apart by having frequent Skype (wine) dates, filling each other in on our crazy lives.

I could not have been happier watching these two amazing women exchange vows and promise to love each other indefinitely.

Stacey and Sarah I wish you both the world. 
Love you two. xx

A special thanks to my good friend Rob for being a fantastic second shooter.

I chose this song to accompany this love-filled post:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kh6lLHlXYI

Here are my favorite shots from their beautiful day...

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Kayaking in Deep Cove

What better way to spend a sunny Vancouver afternoon, than Kayaking in Deep Cove...

With summer finally underway, I decided it would be best to take full advantage of the sun & heat by packing a picnic and hitting the water.

It had been quite a while since I tucked into a kayak, but my paddling skills came back to me just the same as riding a bike.  Once you learn, you never forget!

The water was a tad on the rough side that day, which made for a more of a workout.  This also helped aid our appetites as we made our way to a cliffside to set up shop.  We snacked on some fresh fruit, veggies, cheeses, deli meats and my favorite Terra bread (pistachio & cranberry).

After we had some time to digest, tan and explore, we headed back out in our kayaks and continued our excursion.

All in all it was a fantastic day and I can't wait to get back out there more this summer.

If you are interested in kayak rentals, check out: http://www.wakeshorerentals.ca/
They are most accommodating and well priced.

Here is my song pic for this shoot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob6kXOGfHPE

click on any photo to view entire album

Boudoir with Mae

 The lovely Miss Mae and I had quite a sexy boudoir photoshoot. 

She decided to do something very special for her hubby-to-be.  We sipped some wine and had some fun playing dress-up in lacy lingerie.  When you combine, Scotch Whiskey, Cuban cigars, red lipstick, high heels and lace, how can you go wrong!?

The lighting was perfect and gave us the opportunity to have a lot of fun with this shoot and create some fantastic photos.  Mae and I had a ton of laughs.  She was a fantastic model and I really enjoyed working with her.  I can't wait to hear about her fiancé's reaction when he gets his hands on these.

This song is for you girl: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80jpKxBl7Ak&ob=av3e

Check out my favorite shots from our shoot...

click on any photo to view entire album

Summer time and the livin's easy...

Yes indeed it is.

Especially when you have awesome friends like I do.

It had been a while since I had seen all of these guys, but well worth the wait.  We headed out from the Vancouver Yacht Club where Captain D.W. Hunter took us on a lovely excursion.

We pumped up some good ol' Reggae tunes as we made our way to Jericho Beach.  Upon arrival, we anchored down in front of the beach where we fired up the BBQ, grilled, laughed and enjoyed some refreshing beverages.  As we mingled on the stern (boat lingo for the back of the boat - impressive I know) two young, novice paddle boaters (who shared the vessel) tried to show off their amazing new skills.  The Captain decided to drop the dingy and take the kids for a little cruse on their board back to their parents boat.  They absolutely loved it!
After feeding our bellies we cruised our way into False Creek where we watched the sun fall away behind us.

I had an incredible time and thanks to my 50 SPF sunscreen, I didn't turn out looking like a lobster either!

I am looking forward to more summer adventures with great friends and taking in our beautiful city...

Enjoy this track with these pics:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayE6Shlv598

:)

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Like a Fine Wine

Oh my...

Well another year has passed and I don't feel any closer to wherever I imagined I would be in this whole "life" thing.
I should probably spend some time reflecting and figuring out how I can self improve this year.  However, at this point I am who I am or I am figuring out who I am and when I get there, I'll let you know...

If I could spend an evening doing anything, this would be it!  Having an AMAZING chef whip up 6 courses of expectation exceeding edibles and having fantastic bottles of wine flowing into my mason jar cup like water.  All of this while being surrounded by a group of my favorite people, what more could a girl ask for?


Here's to being 26 and hoping that this year will be better than the last.


Since this is my birthday post, I am picking one of my favorite songs to accompany it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZs6bISLyPM

Enjoy!

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   Mmm... Albacore tuna tataki with green beans, potatoes, olive slices, a quail egg and pecorino cheese.

           My best