Favourite Things Friday

I promise baby posts won’t take over my blog, I do, but I just HAD to post the cutest little gift from one of my dearest friends, Kristan.  She lives WAY up north and so these baby moccasins were just the perfect gift and sweetest reminder of her everytime I see them.  I just love love love this vintage lunch box she gave me too and definitely see it sitting on display in baby’s nursery for sure.

So this Favourite Things Friday post is dedicated to my lovely friend and her beautiful gift for our baby.  Thanks Kristan!

Moccasins

Moccasins 2

Kari BurgessNovember 22, 2010 - 3:03 pm

Ok. First of all- those are the CUTEST LITTLE Moccasins my eyes have ever seen!!
Second of all- you are going to make a fabulous mother 🙂
Congrats!

juliannaNovember 20, 2010 - 10:11 pm

Don’t ever apologize for baby posts! We have some like this too , now that the kids are big all the special little shoes come out a Christmas with ribbons and go on the tree including 2 pairs of moccasins!

Is it a boy ?! Is it a girl ?!

I am sitting here nibbling on left over cake and staring at the cutest little Hip Baby gift bag from two of the sweetest clients I have ever met, Elaine and Chris.  I just had the most amazing meeting with them and after last night they were the icing on the cake.  Pardon the pun 😉

So if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter you may know, Darren and decided to do something a bit different to find out the sex of our baby.  Last week we had the gender determination ultrasound, but instead of having the ultrasound tech tell us what we were having, we had him write it down on one of the ultrasound pics and seal it in an envelope.  From there I took it to my fantastic local bakery, Lighthouse Cake Company, and asked them to bake us a cake with blue or pink icing as the layers inside depending on what it said in the envelope.  So when we cut the cake with some of our closest friends, and even my mom and Don skyping in from Argentina and Darren’s dad and Val from Mexico and a phone call from his mom Lorna from China, we all found out at the same time what we were having. I can’t take credit for this adorable idea.  I stumbled across it on a blog I love to follow, The Shultzes.

So I want to share with you a couple images from one of the most amazing moments and memories in my life.

IT’S  A  ……………….

Baby Party

Baby Party 2

Baby Party 3

BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !! BOY !!

Mark LedinghamNovember 19, 2010 - 2:32 pm

Hey, that was really a cool idea!! And, even though it’s several days afterwards, I want to wish you two all the best with the little boy who is on his way. Congratulations, Kim! ;))

Sandra BaxterNovember 18, 2010 - 5:07 pm

Oh that cake is gorgeous! I hope you had a great time with family and friends celebrating your little baby boy! Congratulations you two! I am so excited for you guys!

s h e r r yNovember 18, 2010 - 1:03 am

AHHHHHH! CONGRATS!!!!! That is SUCH a cool idea! :):):)

PaulNovember 16, 2010 - 12:19 pm

Congratulations to you both.

ChristineNovember 15, 2010 - 5:00 pm

Aww!! Congratulations 🙂 I saw this on someone’s blog last year and have said that I want to do this as well! First I’ve got to find someone to make babies with though. 😛

Anna ElenaNovember 15, 2010 - 10:57 am

What an amazing idea!

seanNovember 14, 2010 - 4:54 am

that is SO FUN! haha! i LOVE that you guys did that!
congrats to you, kim! can’t wait to see him!

Laura HanaNovember 14, 2010 - 3:52 am

Oh Kim I’m SO HAPPY for you!!!! I Love the cake idea! 🙂 Hope you’re doing well. Miss ya!

HeatherNovember 13, 2010 - 10:24 pm

This is super clever. I love it. 🙂
(PS. I’m another local photographer friend of Karen McNeil’s and found you through her, love your work). I’m also pregnant but I think I’m about 6-8 weeks behind you. 😉

BonnieNovember 13, 2010 - 10:41 am

I hadn’t heard from your Mom yet so I thought I would check your blog just in case….YEAH! Congrats….little boys are just so precious and they always love their Mommies….. xoxoxo

BevNovember 13, 2010 - 7:15 am

Congratulations!
Love your message delivery system. All good news should come wrapped in chocolate!

MikaelaNovember 13, 2010 - 2:36 am

Awww! Wow that is the most original idea and super fun too! Congrats! 🙂

BernadetteNovember 13, 2010 - 1:56 am

Congratulations to you both!! A boy, that is awesome…

Rose DykstraNovember 13, 2010 - 1:52 am

I LOVE this! So much fun and so much anticipation, what a unique idea ~ and congrats on the boy! And I just read a comment about dressing up boys (because I was hoping for a girl, cute clothes and such) ~ it’s true, boy clothes can be fun!

JadineNovember 13, 2010 - 12:10 am

Wow! What a fantastic way to find out. How special for you all! Congratulations! Boys are so much fun 🙂

Lia ClarkNovember 13, 2010 - 12:09 am

Congrats Kim!!!!!!! Sean and I are so happy for you both!

Mom (Lorna)November 13, 2010 - 12:07 am

I’m so thrilled! Congratulations! that made MY day for sure! ( I hedged my bets by wearing both pink and blue because any grandbaby is a good grandbaby!)The cake looks YUMMY too. Counting the days until I get back from China!
BTW I sent an email to your hotmail accounts, which I hope you’ll read. Love,

Sara galloNovember 12, 2010 - 10:57 pm

OMG! Eeeeek. That is the best idea ever Kimmy, you are so creative. A little boy, how wonderful. I’m so happy for you. We find out the sex next month and can’t wait! Lots of love. xo

Cathy EmpeyNovember 12, 2010 - 10:49 pm

That is so exciting!! Congratulations, and I love how you all found out at the same time! Boys are so much fun!!

KathrynNovember 12, 2010 - 10:21 pm

An amazing way to find out, very exciting!! Congrats you two:)

ColeneNovember 12, 2010 - 10:01 pm

Kim, what an amazing idea. I can only imagine the anticipation of the event and to findout the sex with everyone you love so dearly is just amazing.

Congratulations!

Can’t wait to meet the little man when he arrives.

Courtney ClarkeNovember 12, 2010 - 9:45 pm

Wow! What a fabulous idea! I just got all tingly waiting to see what colour it was! Congratulations Kim! : D

Laura UganeczNovember 12, 2010 - 9:34 pm

Congrats Kim!! That is so wonderful and the BEST way to find out ever : ) Boys are the cutest and don’t worry…there are TONS of cute clothes to dress them up in!!!

Jon-MarkNovember 12, 2010 - 8:58 pm

Awesome idea Kim, I love it. Congratulations! I’m sure you’ll raise him right, we need more guys that aren’t afraid of being creative!

AmyNovember 12, 2010 - 8:55 pm

Congratulations! You guys will be such great parents and we are so happy for you!

ShelleyNovember 12, 2010 - 8:36 pm

BOY OH BOY! In our culture, we congratulate the whole family on such occassions, so many, many heartfelt congrats to you and Darren and your families as well 🙂

Kim SpearsNovember 12, 2010 - 8:28 pm

Thank you SO SO much everyone! Glad you liked the idea as much as we did 🙂 We are just so thrilled to meet this little man 🙂

PatriciaNovember 12, 2010 - 8:22 pm

Kim…I just about cried when I read that. This is an incredibly wonderful way to find out the gender of your child in advance of his birth. So sweet. So perfect.

Jesse HollandNovember 12, 2010 - 8:15 pm

This is too clever! Congrats. Congrats. Congrats. Now you get to have your baby and eat your cake. Oh wait, that’s not how that goes is it?

Sarina ChauhanNovember 12, 2010 - 8:11 pm

I’m tearing up….so happy for the both of you!! What a wonderful way to find out and share with your family!
Big. Happy. Blue. Hugs!!

EmilyNovember 12, 2010 - 8:07 pm

Congrats Kim 🙂 Boys are so much fun!! xoxo

Heather SalkeldNovember 12, 2010 - 8:02 pm

I am so happy for you!!!!!! 🙂
I’ve had my eye on the blog all day lol

Rebecca WellmanNovember 12, 2010 - 7:58 pm

Kim, what a special and fantastic way to find out. Congratulations…so many fun ‘blue’ times to come! What an amazing and exciting time for you both!

KimNovember 12, 2010 - 7:53 pm

How perfectly wondeful!

Travel Snaps Tuesday – Blue Mosque

I am sitting at  my desk sipping my decaf vanilla Early Grey tea with my blanket on my lap and watching the leaves blow by outside my window.  It is a blustery day and I am perfectly content to be sitting here working away and feeling nothing but cozy. As much as Summer is by far my favourite time of year, days like this make me feel good … and fortunate to have a warm home to be inside.

What better day than to edit some travel pics and reminisce about our amazing time in Turkey.  I think I probably only have a couple blog posts worth of images from this trip left to share, and then it will be on to my next travel adventure.

So today I am sharing with you images from the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.  As you can tell I had a thing for the ceiling detail.  Hope you enjoy!

Blue Mosque

Blue Mosque - 2

Blue Mosque - 3

Blue Mosque - 4

Blue Mosque - 5

Blue Mosque - 6

Blue Mosque - 7

Blue Mosque - 8

Blue Mosque - 9

[…] even there yet, we left from athens and spent a day at sea enroute to istanbul. somewhere kim spears was many, many, many months earlier but only just blogged a few days before me 😉 turkish culture […]

MelanieNovember 10, 2010 - 4:23 pm

Those are gorgeous Kim!

s h e r r yNovember 9, 2010 - 8:55 pm

Oh wow. That ceiling is AMAZING.

KristaNovember 9, 2010 - 8:19 pm

Oh sigh. I loved the blue mosque. So peaceful, elegant and beautiful. God I miss Turkish culture, food and scenery. 🙂 I love these blog posts. xoxo

JessicaNovember 9, 2010 - 6:48 pm

Beautifully shot Kim. I bet the detail of some of these is amazing when you see them on a larger screen and the colours! I just love them.

JevonNovember 9, 2010 - 5:39 pm

Such amazing pictures, I love seeing buildings like these, that second to last picture is my fave for sure!

Sandra {Allure}

For this Favourite Things Friday post I would like to highlight one area of my photography that doesn’t always make it to my blog, but an area that I am extremely passionate about shooting.  My Allure sessions, or boudoir photography as it is commonly referred to, was a type of photography I wanted to specialize in right from the beginning.  I have said this before, but the satisfaction I get from helping a woman feel beautiful, sexy, and confident is so incredibly rewarding to me.  Yes, it may take a little or lot of courage depending on the individual to feel perhaps a bit vulnerable in front of the camera, but as I have seen time and time again the results are worth it in every way.  I believe these sessions are such an empowering experience that the images themselves become almost a bonus.  Hearing feedback from women who I have worked with in the past saying things like “I can’t believe that is me!” after seeing their private gallery always puts a smile on my face.  I know that feeling when you have an image of yourself where you feel beautiful or sexy and it can be worth more than words.

So when I first spoke with Sandra, our conversation started the same way almost all of my Allure consults go.  Sandra was a little nervous.  This session was something she had wanted to do for herself and for her husband, but after having two gorgeous children she expressed a little anxiety about having her photo taken, especially wearing less than she normally would 😉  We talked about how it is my biggest goal to make her feel comfortable and to ultimately have fun with this session.  I assured her that once these sessions get going they have a way of becoming so much fun that any insecurities seem to fade away as a distant thought.

I will let the images speak for themselves, but Sandra you look absolutely stunning. Seeing you become comfortable in front of the camera and get your ‘model’ on was such a pleasure to witness.  You were fierce like a top model!  I am sure that everyone would agree with me that you would never know you were nervous in the slightest.

Sandra, thank you so much for giving me permission to post these images and for choosing me to be a part of this special shoot.

I would also like to thank the amazing staff at Aveda for doing such a fabulous job on Sandra’s hair and make-up.  She wanted a mad-men inspired look and they definitely delivered.  Don Draper eat your heart out !

Also, I have to thank Sylvia Main of the incredible Fairholme Manor for letting me shoot my Allure sessions in such a spectacular venue.  If you haven’t heard of Fairholme Manor be sure to check out her site or her Facebook Group.  It is just breathtaking and such a romantic and historic B&B.  I think it would be such a perfect place to spend your wedding night.  Thanks as always Sylvia!

……. AND LADIES, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching.  If you think you may be interested in booking your own Allure Session for your special someone drop me a line soon as I am booking up fast for December and January.

Allure 1

Allure 2

Allure 3

Allure 4

Allure 5

Allure 6

Allure 7

Allure 8

Allure 9

Allure 10

Allure 11

Allure 12

lizetNovember 16, 2010 - 8:35 am

beautyfull images! 😀

Jonda SpurbeckNovember 9, 2010 - 11:51 am

beautiful kim…. simply lovely! 🙂

Kari BurgessNovember 7, 2010 - 8:30 pm

Your blog makes me so happy 🙂 I really love reading it 🙂

JessikaNovember 6, 2010 - 1:50 am

Wow, beautiful! Sexy and classy- and what woman doesn’t want to represent those qualities? Beautiful work as always Kim.

SandraNovember 6, 2010 - 1:14 am

I cannot stop looking at them! What a confidence booster the shooting was! Thank you so much, Kim!

MelanieNovember 5, 2010 - 10:36 pm

Stunning! Kim, you have such a talent for putting people at ease 🙂

JevonNovember 5, 2010 - 6:35 pm

Wow, gorgeous pictures!

JennyNovember 5, 2010 - 4:00 pm

Beautiful! very sexy!

Jen & Erik {E-Session}

Erik proposed to Jen during a romantic road- trip along the Oregon Coast.  Tucked away in a private cove on a beautiful beach Jen said YES.  And so here we are.  I was so flattered when Jen contacted me right after their engagement to start talking about the wedding photography.  My kinda girl!  I am always so lucky to get clients who value the photography as a very special part of their wedding day.  Jen is one of those brides 🙂

You will see in a moment or so, but these two are just so flipping adorable together.  They cuddled together perfectly in front of me and my camera and despite it being a rather busy day at Hatley Castle, they didn’t even seem to notice.

Erik even brought along his ‘other woman’ for the session.  You’ll spot her.  She is also wearing blue, and has two wheels.  I completely understand the ‘other woman’ concept.  Darren has one.  She doesn’t have a name, but she does have four wheels and for periods of time in our relationship I am pretty sure he spent more time with her than me.  Building, fixing, maintaining, polishing and just generally loving her.  It’s a good thing I have come to love her too.

Erik and Jen, I am so excited about your wedding!  Looking forward to creating some beautiful images on your day.

Hatley Castle 1

Hatley Castle 2

Hatley Castle 3

I couldn’t pick a fave between the above or below shot, so I added both.  What one do you like best?

Hatley Castle 4

Hatley Castle 5

Hatley Castle 6

Hatley Castle 7

Hatley Castle 8

Hatley Castle 9

Jen you look fierce!

Hatley Castle 10

Hatley Castle 11

Jen is a serious salsa dancer, so a dip shot was a must!

Hatley Castle 12

Hatley Castle 13

Hatley Castle 14

Hatley Castle 15

Hatley Castle 16

The below shot was a special request.  Think it turned out pretty darn cute!

Hatley Castle 17

HannaleeNovember 6, 2010 - 3:58 am

Oh so pretty photos! LOVE the location and the autumn colors. Well done as always Kim!

JenelleNovember 5, 2010 - 10:39 am

So gorgeous photos Kim!! My fave is the b+w too. That’s such a pretty location.

JennyNovember 4, 2010 - 2:30 pm

I love this location, especially since this was where we had our first shoot!!! and I got to meet you! 🙂 I love the colours in this session, and the texture of the leaves. beautiful as always!

MikaelaNovember 4, 2010 - 2:25 pm

You’re so right, very adorable! Love all the fall colour and the shots with the castle in the background…oh and my fav between the two is the black and white photo 🙂