the easiest audience ever

Nothing like a five month old to make you feel like some kind of comic genius. 

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bits and bites

Oh hi friends!
I thought I'd share a few things from around the web...
Have you seen these hilarious trailers for Anchorman 2 or the new Seth Macfarlane film Ted? What about this clever video of Uncle Drew playing basketball?
Feeling potlucky? Tis the season. So far we've been to three potlucks this week. I personally love them: Potlucks take the pressure off the host, are affordable for everyone and people usually bring one of their best go-to dishes. Here are a few things I tried this week which I highly recommend:
delicious guacamole, easy scones (I did the orange-cranberry version in the recipe's footnote) or this perfect summer salad.
Yesterday I booked a little getaway on Expedia and used their Unpublished Rates to find a hotel (Search for a hotel as you normally would and then in your search results, you'll see a photo of a question mark in your listings). You get to choose a price/star rating and they tell you the hotel name after you book. I know this is how Priceline operates, but I've never used this service through Expedia before. It ended up being an amazing deal. We scored a 4.5 star hotel for $139 a night.  I was actually applauding when I saw the hotel's name pop up because I know it's a beaut that usually goes for a lot more. Yahtzee!
Yes, that's right, I am super cool.
Have a great day lovelies.

day by day

On May 18th, we lost our dear friend Zad. Whenever things are quiet, my thoughts always turn to him. When I'm driving, when I'm running, when I'm singing Stella to sleep, I think of our friend. I've never known such a polarity of emotions as I have been experiencing during this last week. On one hand, I've got this sweet daughter who stares up at me and makes my heart soar with elation like never before, but then I have these moments of deep despair over the shocking, senseless death of a genuine sweetheart. It's the finality of it all that scares the absolute shit out of me. He was 7 feet from making it to shore. Two more swimming strokes. He was laughing as he swam and then just suddenly slipped away. He deserved to make it. He was one of the good ones who really loved his life. Seven more feet wasn't too much to ask for. I am trying to learn everything I can from this. Savour your time. Be present. Spend your precious moments doing what you love with those you love. Don't complain. Don't judge. Don't stress out. Don't put your expectations on others. Don't put off your dreams for some random time down the road. We owe it to Zad to live big. We are still here. 

time marches on

Five months. Five months of kisses and hugs, I love you's and lullabies. I know she won't remember any of it, but I just hope she knows how much she is loved. 

gone too soon

Dear friends,
I am so sad to report that we lost one of the good ones this weekend. One of our beloved friends Glen Zadworny "Zad" drowned Friday night when a boat he was sharing with two of his friends overturned.  He was only 43. If you had the privilege of knowing him, then you understand the state of shock and grief we are in.  If you never had the opportunity to meet him, then I am sorry because you would have absolutely loved him. He had the sweetest, easygoing nature and was, without a doubt, the most positive man I knew. Zad and Zen were synonymous. He loved his wife, daughter, fishing, playing hockey and mountain biking with friends. He kept life simple, didn't have a bad word to say about anyone, didn't expect anything from anyone and was the happiest guy because of it. I had the honour of photographing his wedding only a short year and a half ago. His wife Kathy and daughter Jasmine meant the world to him. Our friends loved him whole heartedly. He had a smile and giant hug for everyone. Ironically, a large gathering of his friends were together at a barbecue on Saturday night when we got the terrible news. We grieved with one another and swapped funny Zad stories, laughing through our tears at some of his past antics. This is the second friend from our circle to die in less than five years from an accidental death. There is no warning, no preparation. It truly scares me to my core. It makes you realize how extremely fragile life is. It hangs by a thread. I had drinks with him two weeks ago, gave him a hug and got his usual "bye sweetie" back. And you take for granted that you will see him at the next get together. I take for granted every time I say goodbye to a friend that I will see them again. Hug your loved ones close today. Try as hard as you can to shake off all the little petty things that can blur your view of what is really important in life: family, friends and the love you share with them. Zad will forever live in our hearts but I sure will miss seeing him. xoxo

decked out for summer

Happy Weekend! In Canada we're celebrating the Victoria Day long weekend. Whoot whoot!
Have you got any fun plans lined up? We've got back-to-back barbecues with friends (tis the season!).
This afternoon I have a hair appointment. The word appointment is an understatement. I am pretty sure by the state of my overgrown hair it'll be more like a woman arming herself with a machete and hacking her way through it. I just hope she can rescue the precious exotic birds that have taken to nesting in my hair. Do you ever get that hopeful feeling the morning of a haircut? I always look at the stylist with a naive anticipation that they'll find just the right angle of cut and just the right mix of colour that somehow I will walk out looking like Natalie Portman. But alas, I have to remind myself that she is a stylist, not an illusionist. If you have longer hair, here are some great hair tutorials to try out. What trends are you digging this summer? What about adding some zip with this colour for your nails? Or splashing this colour on your lips? And I'm not sure if I've been influenced from my baby girl's variety of onesies lately, but I am on the hunt for a jumpsuit and a romper this summer. A lot of people don't like the all-in-one outfits. Bathroom visit challenging? Perhaps. Would you wear one? I would love to find something like this entire look. Do you enjoy the experience of shopping? I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan. I think it's being born into the indecisive sign of Libra: I find the big stores overwhelming for decision making and in boutique sized stores I feel a bit stalked by the salesclerks. They lurk outside the changeroom, "How's it going in there?" "Fine." I lie. Then, like one minute later, they are back, "Still going well?" Do they think we are superheros? I mean seriously, how fast do they think we are at changing outfits? Also, this post baby body is continuously morphing so shopping is on a hiatus for awhile. My goal is to rock something like this for a friend's wedding this summer. That being said, I'm off for a much needed run. Have a great weekend friends! xo

summer lovin

Hi lovely friends! We've been enjoying a beautiful sunny stretch of weather which has me excited about Summer. Here are the top ten things I am looking forward to the most - in random order:

1) Camping!

    2) Farmer's Markets

    3) Weekend getaways. Exploring new places.

    4) Beach time!

     5) Picnics with my loves.

     6) Delicious summer cocktails with friends. Patio season!

    7) Getting out on the water: Kayaking, Canoeing, Paddle Boarding....just getting out there 

    8) Sunsets

     9) Hiking

    10) Whistler in the Summer. My favourite! 

Bring it!