San Francisco!

Another long overdue post!  Summer blew here and blew away – i can’t believe it’s already fall!   Catching up on my summer photos.  The sisters went on a crazy trip to San Francisco and visited the cousins.  It was so much fun!  I think we found that we’re similar in so many ways – how we’re foodies, love savory salted pig parts, obsessed with pop-culture, culture, wine, can spend the entire evening playing catch phrase like we’ve always been awesome teammates and mused over how funny our parents who are siblings talk/look the same and have the exact same mannerisms.  (Guess that part isn’t all that surprising!)

While the cousins worked during the day, we went on some crazy city tour with Auntie/Uncle Fung.  Shout out!  It was quite the comprehensive tour – first stop the Asian Art Museum.  Quite the lovely building!

My memory is failing me and i forget what this park is called – but i do remember that it’s the scene in The Rock where Sean Connery meets Claire Forlani.

The exterior shot from Full House.  They used the Painted Ladies and didn’t bother asking the residents if they could – they didn’t think the show would be a hit.

We could have spent more time in Sausalito Island.  Very cute Mediterranean town.

Tire marks at the very bottom of the steep hilly streets.  Imagine if it snowed in SF like it does in Calgary!

A very nice change in pace from the windy/rainy city to Nappa Valley!  I can’t drink wine, but i still very much enjoyed the warm sunshine and the gorgeous scenery!

Can you say wow?  Wow…!

Liked the way how the sun beams danced with the leaves.

These vines are going to make some people very happy!

I thought this was a fun shot taken in front of Pixar Studios.  Props to Jason for capturing this! =)

And these shots are super duper cute.  I miss her – our little baby cousin!  Looks like she’s taking after daddy’s sports’ fanaticism!  Thank you cuzzies for an awesome time.  I’m so missing Hog Island oysters…yum!

San Diego – Long Overdue!

July has been a blitz month of travelling and snapping shots with the Canon G10.  My first stop was in San Diego.  Loved loved loved the weather.  My goddess, it was gorgeous out there!  I’m the kind of person who gets greatly affected by weather, so SD did my soul some good.  Even the hazy clouds early in the morning that bummed me out would be burned off by the afternoon!

I stayed in the Gaslamp District, so tonnes of restaurants, shops, bars and cafes.  I dug it!  I ended up buying a couple of long maxi dresses there because of course you can’t find that kind of attire in Calgary.   Keeps you cool during the day, and covers up your legs in the evenings.   And now being back in Calgary i’ve packed those dresses away.  Sigh…I’m so meant for the sunnier side of the street!

It’s as warm and nice as it looks!

Shout out to D.L. for taking me out to Coronado Island – that’s where that chi-chi hotel is located along some wicked white sand beach.

Eating dinner outside.  Calgary this is a rarity for sure.

San Diego Convention Center.  I think this complex spans like 8 city blocks and recently held the Comic Con Convention.  So…i could have walked where Robert Pattinson (TWILIGHT!) walked!  Shriek!  Eek!

Some Gaslamp district loving.  Had some pretty awesome food along here, including Pinkberry, Ghiradelli Chocolate, and some really cool Italian cafe that served up some wicked gelato.  I tried spicy chocolate, sexy stuff…

The marina along the convention centre.  I obviously haven’t seen Top Gun and had no idea SD was a naval base.  Saw lots of blackhawks circling the sky.  Oh – and along here, i found a Roy’s Restaurant.  I was ecstatic.

I found a Mardi Gras party my last night there – first time trying grits.  Loved the fried chicken.  Not so fond of the grits.  Blech.

Thanks to my Calgarian friends for showing me around – i can see why y’all never want to come back up north.  Wish i brought the weather home with me!

Oh – and flowers sent from Rockstar.   =)

The Fantastic Canon G10

I’m a tiny girl with a very wiry frame.  When we started shooting with the Canon 5D, I noticed that it gets super heavy.  I started to get lazy lugging around the 5D on vacation – to the point where i would refuse to take it out of my knapsack because it was so “mah-fahn” (translation: troublesome!).  

So last year for Rockstar’s birthday gift i bought him the compact Canon G10 camera and it takes fantastic and incredibly beautiful images.   I decided that i no longer needed to drag my DSLR around as long as Rockstar had the G10 with SLR functionalities.  So if you’re in the market for a new compact camera, the G1o is the way to go baby.  It’s awesome.   (I’m borrowing Rockstar’s G10 for my upcoming San Diego and San Fran trip!  So excited!!)   

Will post a few pics in a few days of our pictures from Vancouver and last year from Hawaii and Japan taken with this slick piece of technology.  =)

It’s Spring!

In celebration of  putting away my UGGs hopefully for the next 6 months – I tried on a pair of gladiator sandals last night when i went shopping with my younger sister. Love the concept. Hate that they make my elongated toes look more french fried than ever. I don’t think it’s meant to be. Sigh….

Last week we made the trek up to Edmonton for Miss Laurie’s (now missus!) wedding, yay!!! Gorgeous weekend, i think it’s the first time in a long time that i didn’t think Edmonton looked gross. (Can’t  i say that since i was born there?? Eekk!) Congrats Laurie, i can’t believe you’re MARRIED! We have pictures coming…i’ll do them up tonight. =)

 

Julia’s Hand-Made Cards

I am a self-professed bandwagon Flames fan. I really have no idea what’s going on the ice, i usually cheer for a goal about half a second after everybody else and even after the replay i can’t tell where the goal came from, who it was scored by or how it made it into the net.  But i do enjoy the spirit of the city during playoff season and when someone says let’s watch the game together – i’m all in - because of the social aspect!  

So when a bunch of friends got together last night for game 6, our good friend Julia brought  her beautiful handmade cards and after the dismal 1st period, we helped her take some picture of her masterpieces so she can start putting them on the market.  

She’s given us her beautiful creations before – i just had no idea she made them!  I especially love the water colored embossed cards – so pretty!  Contact lokjulia@gmail.com if you would like more information about these cards.

After our little photo session we were hoping that the condition of the game would improve.   Always a little depressing, even as a bandwagon fan, not making the first round!   Just doesn’t feel the same chanting Go Canucks Go, ya know?  =)

Yammy’s Birthday Party

We held a birthday bash for Yammy complete with appetizers, cake (for us!) and presents (for the doggie).   Not many of his friends came … ok – only one other doggie showed up: 

Meet Mojo.  Young, vivacious and sitting tight and secure with his owner after Yammy was being very impolite with him.  My mother thinks Yammy looks prettier, but Mojo has that kind of cute ugly look to him that i adore.  Like an Ewok!  

I’m sure this picture will evoke at least a little smile – Happy Friday!

Happy Birthday Yammy!

Rockstar and Carrots’ dog turned 10 yesterday.   Still lookin’ ever so puppy!   Happy Birthday Yammers!

 

Baby’s Bath: Black & White Series

Here’s a series of Baby’s bath-time apres hair cut: 

Mommy said ok, time for bed!  And amazingly enough he’s starting to understand – as seen in this picture of protest.

Uncle Sco takes a toy car and vrrrrooom-vrrrooom’s it up the stairs.  Baby is now happily in pursuit of the car – which is headed straight for the bath. 

Baby has a natural affinity for water….

…and doesn’t mind the splashing at all…

…as long as he doesn’t get water on his face!

As baby is being dried off, we congratulate him on his first ever hair cut and laud him with compliments of how handsome he looks.  We bid him goodnight to which he firmly replies, “NO.”  and engages in his second round of protestation of the evening.  And thus ends the story of baby’s bath time after his haircut.  Such little things in life yet it’s the simple things that make life monumentally sweeter.  =)

Baby’s First Haircut

Clara’s godson finally got his first haircut this week.   Instead of going to the fancy schmancy kiddie salons, mom and dad chopped -chopped in the comforts of their own home by employing the strategy of multi-media entertainment and food to distract baby to sit still.  Baby is such a guy. 

Such a handsome lad, now isn’t he?

Baby experting mousing the MAC.  And he’s only 1.5 years old.  Kids these days…

Here a few shots for now!  It gets cuter when we catch him in the bath!

For Sale: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

This was our first lens we ever purchased and we loooved it.   It’s a fantastic lens, great bang for your buck and seriously it was the only lens Clara and i used in place of our kit lens when we first got into photography.  It was so much fun!   i was thrilled at how it could shoot in low light with the widest aperture at 1.8 and amazed  at how nicely it throws out the background for great portraits.  We’ve had this for about a year – we’ve since upgraded to a 50mm 1.4 so if anyone wants to purchase this (within the Calgary area!) – $75!   Contact: lee.glenna@gmail.com or claraglee@gmail.com.

**UPDDATE** Lens has been SOLD!