Quote of the Month - December

There are two people in every photograph: the photographer and the viewer. - Ansel Adams

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Day 333

Jeanine - "First Snow"

I love the first snow of the season.  This was shot through the windshield of the car at 7:20 this morning.  It was one of those rare mornings when Ian and I are able to drive to work together (I had to lecture at the police station first thing).  He drove.  I took pictures of the snow and drank my coffee.  I could get used to having a driver.  : )

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Day 332


Emily - Look at all the ME going on (aren't I modest?) So THIS ladies and gentlemen, is THE dress. And I mean THE dress. We bought this for my awesome birthday night that I'm sooooooooooooooooooooo excited for. So I love this dress and I think its funny that the headband I was wearing matched the dress :p













Jeanine - "Dancing in the Rain"

Someone once said..."anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."

Can't believe all the rain we are getting this week.  The banks of the Thames River are overflowing.  Thank goodness it isn't snow!  This photo shoot in the rain brought a little bit of sunshine to my day!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Day 331

Emily - Ahhh the mitts :) They're soooo warm and I think they're very cool, great idea ever since the olympics. I had the original ones but they're very worn out so I got the latest style, ooo lala :)
Jeanine - "STA"

This morning I had the opportunity to speak to a couple of high school law classes at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School.  The son of a friend of mine is taking law there and they arranged for me to speak to them.  They toured the courthouse last week and I ran into them there as well.  It is a real treat for me to be asked to speak to high school law classes because it was a grade 12 law class in my high school that convinced me to be a lawyer.  Maybe someone I spoke to today will now consider the practice of law in their future.  What a great facility this school is...I was impressed with the school and the kids!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Day 330


Emily - It's the MOST wonderful time of the year... da da da da... December is my favourite month, my birthday, christmas, snow that isn't brown. It's all so awesome and this is the first sign of the season. Wrapping presents. Very excited!!








Jeanine - "Dining Room Table"

I have a feeling our dining room table will look like this from now until Christmas.  It is currently covered in homework, wrapping paper, lists and Christmas cards.  I am still on course to having my shopping done by the end of November...did it last year and loved how much more I enjoyed December because of it.  Ok, yes, it was 11:30 tonight when I realized I didn't have a photo yet!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Day 329


Emily - Recreating an old photo. This is similar to a photo that I took waaayyyyy before the blog, about three years ago I think, I've always loved it, it was kind of my first reallly good photo that wasn't of people or a place, it was artsy. So here it is, slightly modified :)









Jeanine - "The Last Buzz Cut"

Today Ian got his hair cut "high and tight" for the last time before he retires.   He has threatened to let it grow for a year...ha!

Friday, November 25, 2011

Day 328


Emily - It's such an interesting flower I find. It looks plastic and yet very tropical. A juxtaposition of flower photos we have here :)










Jeanine - "Vintage Rose"

A client sent me flowers this week.  This is a rose from the bouquet of white roses and white lilies.

Today I bought one of my favourite magazines "Where Women Create."   The photos of gorgeous studio spaces where creative women work inspired me to create this image.  Found this quote in the mag too.  "There are always flowers for those who want to see them." (Henri Matisse)

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Day 327


Emily - Just your average yearbook class. Taking pictures of the random. Haha. The only good thing about having the oldest and slowest computers in the ENTIRE school...? You get a cool old fashion keyboard shot.






Jeanine - "Etsy Art"

I LOVE the Etsy website www.etsy.com  - a marketplace for handmade or vintage items.  It is fun to just "window shop" AND sometimes really shop.  Recently I purchased these individual typesetter's letters.  I spent some time this afternoon trying to create...to crack that white page syndrome...and was then inspired to stage this composition of the letters against a metal vase.  I like that the lines of the vase point toward the word and that the light works to highlight those lines and the letters.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Day 326


Emily - Almost ghostlike eh? Well I guess not really, but when I edited it it kinda did, its funny... I used to laugh at my mom for editing all her photos.... now I can't even show someone a photo without editing.. haha.








Jeanine - "White Page Syndrome"

Pablo Picass said, "The important thing is to do, and nothing else; be what it may."

 I agree with him on many levels - but for me "the hard thing" is to do...I often get intimidated by the blank page and worry that if I start something it won't turn out to be any good.  As a result, I put off doing art or being creative.  I need to focus on the doing and leave my concerns about the results aside.  I need to remind myself that time on task will make me better...and give me joy...so why is that so hard???

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Day 325

Emily -  You have seen my glasses but not really on me :s So here they are, my glasses I showing to the world, its funny cause they've really grown on me, and when I take them off I don't really look like me. Also, it seems like more and more people are wearing glasses so either a) They are wearing them cause they used to wear contacts or b) I brought them back into style.... I'm gonna go with b ;)







Jeanine - "Mmm Mmm Good!

Love love love this chocolate bar.  Back in the day it seemed you could only get it around Christmas (remember when it was part of the Swiss Chalet Holiday meal?)...but now, thankfully, I can indulge 365 days a year!

Monday, November 21, 2011

Day 324


Emily - Do you think I take enough flower shots? Ha! maybe I should stop? never! Anyways.... actually I can't think of anything to say..... It's another flower :)









Jeanine - "Tunnel of Love"

 Love this tunnel that connects two sections of the Detroit Airport.  The light show is awesome.  A nice welcome home from our trip.

Day 323

Jeanine - "Performing at the Grand Ole Opry"

On Sunday we returned to the Ryman Auditorium for a brief tour (as part of a bus tour of the city) and this time we got to be on stage.  This is Ian playing a little diddy on the very stage that has hosted hundreds of famous country music stars.  Very cool.  We also toured the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Day 322

Jeanine - "Grand Ole Opry"

On Saturday night we went to see a taping of the Grand Ole Opry show at the Ryman Auditorium...the original home of the Grand Ole Opry (it has a new home at the Opryland Hotel where we stayed - but  the Rockettes are performing their holiday show there until the new year - we saw it Friday night).  We also had a back stage tour of the Ryman.  It was built as a tabernacle originally.

Day 321

Jeanine - "Music City"

Nashville comes by it's nickname honestly.  Downtown is filled with honky tonk joint after honky tonk joint and each one has a stage and a band going all day and well into the night.  We spent a good chunk of two days checking out the music scene.  Loved it!

PS - Ian thought we were going to Washington DC.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Day 320


Emily - Books, 5th photo of the bookcase. Hehehe.  How much I can get from a single object. You can't really see the cobwebs that are around the light but trust me... they're there.









Jeanine - "A Clue"

This week my online photography class is focussing on staging vignettes to create an image...as opposed to photographing something that already exists as is.  So this morning when the light was good, I ran outside an set this shot up as a clue to where we are going this weekend.  Ian still doesn't know where we are headed, but he said the other day that he has a guess.  I will let you know if he was right.  Can you guess our destination from this vignette?  Hopefully Ian won't see it before we go...

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Day 319


Emily - Simple. Rules of thirds. Black and white. Awesome. Mac. Mineral. Circle. Captured.

















Jeanine - "Fall Flower"

We have enjoyed unbelievably mild weather this November.  Yesterday I spotted this weed/flower growing in a bunch next to a parking lot.  I went back today to photograph them because it struck me that they represented so well the blessing and surprise of the wonderful fall we have had this year (and I forgot to put a SD card in my camera yesterday...gggrrrr!)  I certainly didn't expect to be photographing FLOWERS on November 16, 2011.

 "Autumn is a second spring when every LEAF is a flower."

  Albert Camus (french existentialist author and philosopher)

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Day 318


Emily - I love this picture, and it was totally taken by accident. (K side note but I think its funny that we call it "taking" a picture. As if we're stealing a moment in time) If you look closely you can see the cool specks of dust really detailed. And because I can't say it enough I LOVE my camera.







Jeanine - "Anthology Magazine"

I'm a magazine addict.  I love magazines.  Today one of my newer favourites arrived in the mail.  It is subtitled "Living with Substance and Style".   It is only published quarterly - but it is a feast for the eyes...using great photography and graphics to tackle home decor, travel, design, entertaining and culture.  I am also currently addicted to Artful Blogging and anything by Stampington...such as Where Women Create.  My magazine addiction began when I was a child...it all started with Readers Digest...back in the day.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Day 317


Emily - The pool cups. Ok just random thought. I ve always thought it's weird to call them cups because
they're heavier and made of glass but they're too silly to be called a glass. Oh well :)









Jeanine - "Balance"

The John Wooden quote on this image says "next to love, balance is the most important thing."  I think "life-balance" is, however, an elusive goal.  When I was younger I chose to focus on achieving academic and career success.  Then I took the time to work on my relationships.  I spent this year following my desire to be creative.  My choices.  As I look toward 2012, I wonder if I can make choices that allow me to blend better...not balance...but blend and connect all aspects of my life.   Diane Ackerman is the author of one of my favourite quotes of all time..."I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it.  I want to have lived the width of it as well."  That, I think, is achievable.  That is the plan.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Day 316



Emily - A little experiment I tried to make, I looked at edible arrangements online to see whats in them and then ATTEMPTED to make one. It looks better than I was expecting but it could use some work. I'll try again soon...maybe :)










Jeanine - "Happy Birthday Ian"

Tonight we celebrated Ian's birthday a little early - it's really Thursday, but that night I am whisking him away for a long weekend to a destination unknown to him.  Jen brought him a cake and Em made an "Edible Arrangement" to celebrate...so yummy.  Stay tuned for pics from the surprise city we are flying to Thursday night.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Day 315


Emily - We were joking today about how we have jobs for Ian when he retires at the the end of the year. We'll let him rest on January 1st BUT the next day, this doorknob is being fixed! Its THE WORST! Its a very awkward door to open....but soon it will be fixed :)







Jeanine - "Fireside Chat"

Tonight we had friends over for dinner.  After dinner we all hung out in the family room chatting.  I took some shots of the fireplace, but didn't notice the reflection until after I took the shot.  That's me with the camera on the left side of the flame and Emily on the white couch next to her best friend.  Amazing what the camera captures...even if you don't see it at the time you snap the photo.  Of course, a real photographer probably would have seen it in the first place.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Day 314


Emily - So pretty amazing day! As you know its 11/11/11 a very special remembrance day, but to teenagers it is also a huge wishing day. If you have a sleepover when it hits 11:11pm you make a wish. So on the day 11/11/11 on the hour 11:11 its a pretty big wish. Also we're all in grade 11 just to make it even better! THEN! Heather and I went to shoppers drugmart before our sleepover and our total was $11.11! So freaky!! Anyways it was pretty cool day.




Jeanine - "Lest We Forget"

There aren't sufficient words to express our gratitude to those who fought and continue to fight to protect the freedoms we enjoy everyday here in this amazing country we are lucky to live in.  May we never take them for granted.  May we never forget.

Day 313

Jeanine - "A Jury of Your Peers"

Tonight I had the honour of roasting my former boss and partner in crime, Chris Bentley (Now the Minister of Energy in Ontario and pictured here with his wife Wendy...my office mate).  I confess I was more nervous about this presentation to 150 of my colleagues then any jury address I've ever given.  I sweated it all week, but it turned out to be a great evening...lots of laughs.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Day 312

Jeanine - "Really???"

Yes Virginia, there really is a virtual Santa Clause?  Imagine my surprise as I walked through the Eaton Centre yesterday on my way to a meeting (ok, while shopping on my way to a meeting) and came upon this sign.  No joke.  Now you don't have to leave the comfort of your own home to "sit on Santa's knee" - I guess Santa doesn't either.   What is this world coming to?????

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Day 311

Jeanine - "Cre8tive"

I spotted this great license plate today as I waited in the car line to pick up my daughter after school.   I wish this was my license plate!!  I wish I knew what the driver did for a living...or what caused them to get this plate.  Maybe I will ask him or her next time I see this vehicle.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Day 310


Emily - These are actually the green feathers on my lamp in my room. With a little black and white effect and some boosting of the colour it looks kind of aery. Really like this one.









Jeanine - "Freedom"

I have at least a couple of friends who like quotes.  A couple of them have blogs - you know who you are.  I even have a friend who free hand painted a favourite quote on her wall.  This Stephen R. Covey quote is for them (and all of the rest of you that have a thing for quotes like I do)...

"While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions."

 I thought this quote worked so well with this shot of the Walkerton Jail that will be closed soon.  I was in court there today with a client who faces a period of custody.  The jail is next door to the courthouse.  I was struck by the contrast between the yellow ribbon welcoming home those who risk death to fight for our freedoms and the yellow stone walls and silver barbed wire holding back those who chose to gamble theirs away.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Day 309

Jeanine - "Love is the Answer"

While procrastinating today, I fooled around with some shots I knew I was going to change to black and white.  I love Willow Tree figurines http://willowtree.info/    This one is called Angel of the Heart.  I added two of Kim Klassen's textures to this photo and a fancy font text to create this image.  I really should be working.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Day 308

Jeanine - "Under Construction"

We stopped by Boler Mountain to check out the new ski hill and to get our photos taken for our season's passes.  Gonna try out the new hill...get some exercise and enjoy winter.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Day 307

Jeanine - "12 Angry Jurors"

Em's Original Kid's play - Twelve Angry Jurors" opened today.  It is one of my favourite plays.  It is set in a jury room and follows the deliberations in a first degree murder case.  Emily played Juror No. 4.  I won't give away the ending...go see the play...or rent the movie - it is worth it.  She did great.

Day 306

Jeanine - "Fond Memories"

I will always remember mom's Kenmore Mixer.  As I remember it she baked a lot...pies, cakes, cookies, biscuits etc.  She taught me to bake too.  I butter and flour a cake pan the way she taught me.  I make Christmas cookies with my daughter the way she taught me.  I haven't ventured into pies yet, but I still lick the bowl and the beaters just like when I was a kid in her kitchen.  My parents are visiting this week so I baked a pumpkin cake and took them to see Mastering the Art - the play about Julia Child at the Grand Theatre.  It was excellent.  So was the cake.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Day 305

Jeanine - "Late Bloomer"

Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees in our yard - except for this late bloomer...a japanese maple above the pond.  It is just now - on an unseasonably warm November 2nd - beginning to show off its gorgeous colour.

I love windchimes.  This one hangs from the middle of the tree providing music for the goldfish below.

Day 304

Jeanine - "Roy Thomson Hall"

Tonight we attended the first night of a four-part National Geographic Live series at Roy Thomson Hall  http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/speakers/toronto-tickets-and-information/.  An amazing photographer, Mattias Klum   http://www.mattiasklum.com/home  spoke to a packed house and shared some of his amazing photos, videos and stories.  He was funny and compelling - and his photos are amazing - especially when he was inches from a lions face and a king cobra's fangs!