catching up

Hello friends! I hope you've been well. This space has been terribly neglected and I have missed writing here. Because of the delays between posts on my blog, I've decided not to use this blog to play catch up on my photo-a-day project. If you'd like to follow along on my 366, please look me up: kellyalexwilliams on Instagram. For those of you who don't use Instagram, you can create an account without ever posting photos. Personally, I love Instagram way more than Facebook, so much so that I hardly ever look at Facebook anymore. I love perusing people's amazing photos and reading their creative captions. I hope you'll try checking it out if you haven't.
For the past week, my hubby and I have been doing a cleanse: no alcohol, dairy, wheat, or sugar for two weeks. Sounds fun right? Honestly, I haven't felt this good in so long. It makes me realize that something in my diet was making me feel terribly sluggish. I haven't felt that afternoon crash in energy since we started eating this way and my clothes are feeling looser around the waist. Surprisingly, it isn't too hard to eat with these restrictions. We've been varying our breakfasts between oatmeal and eggs, have been eating a lot of salads for lunch and dinners have consisted of grilled chicken or fish and veggies, sushi, chilli, things along those lines.  On this plan, you're allowed to have coffee, but no dairy, so I've been putting soy milk in it. I think I just heard you shudder. The first day I thought the soy/coffee combo tasted like ass, but because I cannot forgo my java, I've grown used to the flavour and don't mind it now. Unfortunately, there's no black tea on this plan, since it contains yeast, so my hubby, who is a giant tea drinker, has had to switch to herbal tea. I'm pretty sure I saw a tear fall into his first mug of herbal tea. He said by far it has been his biggest adjustment on this plan. We have definitely found this to be a great experiment and it has shown us where there was room for improvement in our diet before. Have you ever tried to re-vamp your diet? What did you discover? I definitely have discovered that snacking on cheese is a lot more fun than brown rice cakes, and that beer is more delicious on a Friday than shouting cheers over a pair of ice waters with lemon slices, but we are definitely feeling a lot better.
Here are a few of my favourite shots from the week. I promise to write more often and hope that you all had a fantastic weekend!

xo

the week in photos....

 2.2.16 You had me at lemon square.

 2.3.16 I sometimes think only children are given a bad rap about being "spoiled". I haven't met one yet who falls into that stereotype. Most of my daughter's friends are only children and my mom was too, and let me tell you, they are the warmest souls whose friendships go the extra mile. They adopt their own people to be the siblings of their dreams.

 2.4.16 This is what happens when it is 11 pm and I haven't taken my photo of the day yet. This is my little inspiration corner of the office where I rotate photos from our travels and books that inspire me.

 2.5.16 We had a wonderful date night in the city. Craig's company held a 10 course Chinese dinner in celebration of the New Year. It was a surreal experience from start to finish at the restaurant, watching one woman grab the microphone, and start singing original songs, and to see the reaction of others videotaping her and snapping photos like she was a rock legend. We snuck out to Portland Craft and before we knew it, 10 of the funniest people from our dinner joined us - it was an awesome night.

 2.6.16 We were out celebrating my friend Janet's birthday. I have known her since I was a baby and she is everything you could hope for in a friend. I would happily celebrate her any day.

2.7.16 I snapped this after a beautiful day spent in Fort Langley. I found this quote which seems to sum up perfectly how I feel after time spent in the great outdoors: "I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees."

2.8.16 Family Day. It was a gorgeous day from the get go. We spent the morning exploring one of our favourite parks, brought Craig's mom some flowers for receiving great news from her doctor and I had some time for myself, to sit in the sun on mom's grave, and to thank her for her extraordinary love that was so tangible in all the years we shared. This day was such a gift. My family means everything to me - I'd honestly follow my big loves anywhere. xo

for the love of....

I can honestly tell you, that today was one of those great days. I'm so eternally grateful that my happiness stems from simplicity, because not only is it affordable (I don't have to be standing on the Eiffel tower for this magnitude of bliss), but it is also plentiful. Today I got to watch my nephew read a book to us, slowly sounding out some words, but always piecing it together on his own. I got to share giggles over waffles at a delicious local favourite spot with my dad and his grandchildren. We went on a crisp, sunny walk around the bay, pointing out Eagles and picking up sticks. Then after our visit, my daughter and I took my friend's dog for a walk to help her out, and had our own mini adventure exploring trail after beautiful trail with no set timelines. On our way home, we saw a soccer ball sitting on a local field, and pulled over to play a mini pick up game, then left it there for the next kids. Dinner with my loves was followed by another fun dance class, and movement combined with great music almost (almost) makes me forget I'm exercising. Everyone is different, and for that I am truly grateful, but I can't help but try, and try, and try again, to let you in on a secret, that simplicity is the key to happiness. Don't pack your days with so many things that you schedule away your happiness. Also, don't try to buy into someone else's idea of what you should be doing to be happy. Don't forget to try and inject some small thing into each day that brings you true joy. Pay attention. What is really lifting your spirit? What makes you feel so alive in the moment that you forget time is passing by? Today somehow the simple combination of: running outside, time with family, sharing coffee with my dad, taking photos, feeling the sun on my face, kicking a soccer ball, listening to my niece and nephew animatedly relay tiny details of their lives, recapping the day with my love over tea - somehow was the right combination to make this day feel remarkable.
xoxo

closing out the month

Hi friends! Can you believe January is already done? I'm kind of glad, aren't you?  The more distance we put between us and these drizzly, grey days, the better. Here's a quick update on the last half of January's 366 photos:

 1.16.16 Excited to have my homegirls over for dinner and a movie in.

 1.17.16 I love my vantage point from up here. We finally took down the Christmas lights, although I kind of wish people kept them up year round. There's a certain kind of magic when all of the homes on the street are lit up.

 1.18.16 It's a big day over here. We walked up to our local school and snapped this just before we registered her for Kindergarten. They say the days are long and the years are short, but I truly can't believe that we are already at this point of life. I savour every day we have off together and know it's going to be a hard day in September letting her wings spread a little more.

 1.19.16 Our weekly post ballet lunch date.

 1.20.16 Today was a fun filled day with her best friends. I love her sense of adventure and brave nature. Watch out Merida!

1.21.16 Which one should I read next?

 1.22.16 Movie Night: Kung Fu Panda. #fridaynightsaredifferentnow #wehaveuglyfeet

1.23.16 Pie Face: The Anticipation is mounting.....Wait for it.........

 1.24.16 These beautiful little snow drop flowers have started to bloom in the memorial garden I created for my mom. I never planted these, so I find it incredibly touching to read that these flowers signify Sympathy and Hope. Perfect.

 1.25.16 I'm so pumped about this utility cart we picked up from Ikea today (and assembled it like a boss!)

 1.26.16 Puddle jumping made this grey day a lot more fun.

1.27.16 The only reason I snapped this terrible selfie is because I had just been I.D.'d buying a bottle of wine. (The store probably has a policy that they have to ID everyone who looks like they're under 40, but whatever it is...I'll happily take it). 

1.28.16 A legit night out with my kick ass girls. If there is such a thing as an all fish taco diet, I'd SLAY at it. 

1.29.16 There is nothing like the feeling of seeing this face for the first time each day. My heart will always be full.

 1.30.16 I'm pretty sure the officiating budget was blown on this game.

1.31.16 There's nothing quite like sliding your feet into some sexy, warm, rental shoes.

A week in photos

Happy Friday night friends!! I hope you have an amazing weekend lined up for yourself. I'm excited to catch up with friends this weekend, who always manage to make my spirit soar. Here's a few photos from the week's 365:

 1.9.16 Vancouver in January. Alright, I suppose.

 1.10.16 I was lucky the workday wrapped up early and we got to ride around the hood. She got this bike for Christmas...When she first saw it, she said, "I never mentioned a flag on the back when I was talking to Santa about a bike, but I can work with this."

 1.11.16 One of my New Year's resolutions was to do more random acts of kindness. First on my list was to toss together a little gift basket for my mom's best friends.  My daughter and I had so much fun putting it together and were so excited to drop it off. They helped our family so much through mom's hardest days, showing up day in day out with meals, doing mom's laundry, mowing their lawns, you name it, they did it. They just kept showing up, and still do, cooking my dad meals all of the time. They are our angels.

 1.12.16 I can't tell you how much I love these moments: Creating artwork side by side, grooving to Songza. But then Macklemore's Downtown came on and she nearly lost her mind. A dance party of her own ballet moves, peppered with martial arts ensued. Watch out Elaine Benes.

 1.13.16: Coffee is on, birds nest cookies cooling, waiting for some of my favourite mommas and their little loves to arrive. Life is good.

 1.14.16 How to make entering a grocery store seem really exciting.

1.15.16 "Inside you time moves and she don't fade. The ghost in you she don't fade."

Happy Friday!

Hi friends, I hope you have a fun weekend lined up! Here's the last three days of my 366 (the extra day is because this year is a leap year). I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed doing this photo a day. It's a form of gratitude, of staying present. It forces me to search for the unique moments of my day. I guess for some people, they get the same out of meditation. I have always felt like photography keeps me focussed on the here and now.

 1.6.16: I love playing board games, but sweet Jesus, this one was never ending. It's called Trouble for a reason people.

 1.7.16: I wish I may I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. (The funny back story about this photo is that she asked what we were having for dinner, and when I said Tacos, she ran upstairs and put on her fancy christmas dress. What would she have worn if I said we were having lobster?)

1.8.16: That Friday feeling. I parked my truck on a beautiful country road on route home from work. I basked in the sun for a few moments before picking up my daughter. It always feels rejuvenating to stand in a wide open space, sun on my face, and take in some big breaths of fresh air.
I rested my iphone on my truck hood and tried the self timer feature. It's not my best angle, and I'm pretty sure you can see straight up my nose, but it really did feel that great in that moment.

I hope you have an amazing night! I'm going to pour a glass of wine and watch some more episodes of Making a Murderer. Have you been watching it? I don't think I've ever shouted at my TV like this before. Sometimes we have to pause it, stand up and pace the floor for a moment. It's an incredibly well done documentary, but absolutely infuriating when you see the justice system at its most corrupt.

xoxo

1.5.16

And for a brief moment in time, the playroom was sparkling clean. DJ, drop me a beat because I have to do a victory dance.