a few favourites from 2013

Hello friends! With the year drawing to a close, I like to take the time to go through my photos before clearing them off into an external hard drive. I always find it such a heart warming undertaking to see everything we've experienced in a year. I pieced together some of my favourite images from the year:

Because sometimes you just need to photograph things from a different perspective, and I think children's shoes are simply adorable.

These photos are so special to me because they capture those pure, spontaneous moments of friendship.

The above photo is from one of our yaya nights - it just serves to remind me how lucky I am to regularly feast on such delicious food with an amazing group of gals. The image below is of a red velvet cupcake which I buy simply to photograph. Just kidding. 

The diversity of weather in this province is breathtaking. The shot above was taken snowshoeing at Seymour Mtn. The photo below is a beautiful summer night at Crescent Beach. I love BC.

These two shots were my favourite portraits of my daughter because they capture how I always think of her: (top) wild hair, bunny sidekick in hand and below her colourful, fearless self

These images celebrate buying my first iphone and rejoicing that I always have a great little camera on hand. The photo above was taken using my iphone at White Rock beach. The shot below was from our trip to San Diego. I love how Instagram can make photos look like polaroids from the 70s. 

These two photos capture some of my favourite weekend getaways from 2013: the above photo is on top of Mt. Baker, where we rented a cabin with friends. The shot below is from a girl's weekend getaway at Pender Island - nature is my playground. 

The beauty of blue. I love how these images bookend the year - the photo above was from Jan. 1, when we took Stella to the aquarium. The shot below was taken at Stanley Park at Christmastime. 

I hope you have had a tremendous 2013!! xoxo

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas friends!! I hope you had the most extraordinary day! My belly and heart are full - from the amazing feast and from sharing so many great laughs with these loves. I honestly couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited for this day. Time to slip into the stretchy pants. Goodnight! xo

Stanley Park

One of my favourite Christmas traditions - Bright Nights at Stanley Park

two!

The single greatest moment of our lives....

and now our little love is two!

I love her fearlessness....

her sense of wonder.....

her thirst for adventure....

her sweet giggle....

watching her have fun with her friends...

her crazy hair....

her sense of humour...

I love it all, every moment shared, every single ounce of her. Happy 2nd birthday sweetheart! xoxo

last minute gift ideas for the ladies on your list.....

for the woman on the go: how about a stylish carry on bag, like this Michael Kors tote for her Macbook:

for the avid reader: how about a positive messaged mug, like this one from Indigo, paired up with her favourite tea/coffee and a gift card to her local bookstore.

for the gal who is always telling you she's freezing her ass off: how about a cozy throw blanket or a beautiful soft scarf, these cozy smartwool socks, or knit covered hot water bottles.

for the bedazzler: a statement necklace. Something that punches up any outfit about 10 notches, like this collection at Stella and Dot. Want a more subtle approach? How about individual pendants with the first letter in each of her children's names?

for the health conscious: What about trying a new fitness band to track steps taken, calories burned, eating & sleeping patterns, steering you towards better life choices.

For the foodie: How about this slate cheeseboard, complete with soapstone for writing paired with a great bottle of wine.

Happy Shopping friends!! xoxo

a fairy fun afternoon...

These sweet little souls play together every week, so us mommas conspired to throw them a fairy tea party in celebration of their combined birthdays. I hijacked our living room furniture and set up a little fairyland in its place. I'm not a crafty woman by any means (I'm usually the one sipping a glass of wine and chatting whilst others around me are making crafts), but for this, I was really excited to make it as magical as I could for these amazing little friends. (Click here for the how to video to make the tissue poms). There is still a part of me that would love to rock a pair of wings and a tutu all day long, but I think it might be frowned upon at the office. Tricia made a delicious feast for the girls and brought them crowns, wings and magical wands and Leah whipped up the most beautiful cake (of which for such a feat, I too would need a magical wand). It makes my heart so incredibly happy to see my daughter have so much fun with her little buddies.