It's A Girl!!!

Introducing Baby E

Isn't she a beauty...?

oh Friday...

Well, it's just after lunch and I'm finally sitting down after running around all morning. Been doing a LOT of cleaning/tidying/organizing lately...getting prepared for Baby! I figured I's sit and answer a few "tag" questions I've received over the past few months. Good times.

8 tv shows I like to watch:

- CSI - the regular one(when I remember that it's on!)

- How I Met Your Mother -seriously, Neil Patrick Harris is hilarious!

- Global Morning news - haha..yep. every morning!

- Ellen

- Live with Regis & Kelly -still waiting to win a trip ;)

- Everyday Food

- Vampire Diaries -when is it on again? I can never find it...

- hmm...oh right, pretty much everything on TLC

8 restaurants I like to eat at:

- Olive Garden -especially their soup/salad/breadsticks lunch!!

- Kelseys -oh if only they didn't close down here :(

- The Keg

- Milestones - omg their breakfasts!! those tomatoes & hashbrowns...mmm

- Mucho Burrito -you haven't had a better Mexican experience!

- Naan Bites

- Cactus Club

- Wired Monk

- Marble Slab Creamery...oh baby!

oops, that's more than 8...oh well

8 things that happened today:

- ate Banana Nut Cheerios for breakfast(not a huge fan, I prefer Honey Nut)

- put a really good quote on my facebook status!

- ate 2 chocolate chip cookies & a glass of milk

- got a call from hubby...the guys at work LOVED my cookies :D

- made my glucose tolerance test appt with the clinic...ugh

- forced myself to drink 2 large glasses of h2o

- did all the dishes -gotta love a clean counter top!

- looked at the floor covered in crumbs, cereal, spilled spices(?) and figured I'd get to it later...;)

8 things I'm looking forward to:

- Baby :)

- Hubby coming home from work. It's Friday!!

- finishing the nursery

- a semi-lazy weekend

- good friends over for dinner on Sunday

- the end of this rainy weather...I need a good walk outside!

- cutting my nails -they're getting hard to type with.

- an ice cold Coke :)

8 things on my wish list:

- a healthy baby & no-problem labour/delivery

- a raise for the Hubs

- a good settlement for his hand injury

- to be in our own house in the next 2 years...

- laundry machines that cleans/dries AND folds & puts away laundry! haha. but seriously, a house that cleans itself would be divine!

- a winter/Christmas vacation

- shopping spree...hmm

- *secret* ;)

<3>

Bring on the belt. And more.

Hmm...I bet you're not very happy with me...? I've been slacking, yes. I've not blogged for...donkeys ages! Yep. I have no excuses. Bring on the belt, paddle, ruler, or any other object that would produce welts. I deserve it. :P Owee, that would hurt! (Hmm...why is it ME who is always writing the blog posts?? Why hasn't Matt gotten his butt in front of the computer to write a post? Huh? HUH?? I have no idea, but I hope he'll get into it soon...)

I have been M.I.A. for a very good reason though! So, I guess I DO have an excuse, even if it is just ONE! Ready for it??

WE'RE PREGNANT!

Yep. That's it folks! 23 weeks pregnant today!

So there. It's out in the world wide web. Hmm...not sure how I feel about that. Ahh what the heck...:P

Photography has kind of been put on hold for the moment. It wasn't intentional...it just slowed right down. And it's been lovely to have time to relax and unwind and prepare for this new chapter in our lives!

So far this pregnancy has been such an incredible ride! I felt only slightly nauseous the first few weeks. I couldn't go near meat though! Ick. I was all about the fruit, smoothies, and water. Now that I'm into my 6th month I can handle pretty much anything. Cravings you ask? Tuna, chocolate, peaches.....and them I get these hunger pangs for things at random. Like a Marmite and cheddar sandwich. Never liked Marmite in my lifetime, ever! And Spam...WHAT?? I had a serious craving for that gunk a couple weeks ago. I DID NOT give into said craving, thank goodness.

My mood has been ok. Every now and then I'll have a day full of hormoney goodness(or shall I say badness). But it's been pretty mellow. I'm sure once I get bigger and moving around gets a little more difficult, I may find myself getting snappy. Been feeling awesome though!!

Matt's so excited to be a dad! He can't wait! :)

Anyways, must be running along. Got some chocolate milk with my name on it, calling me from the fridge!

So........sorry for the massive gap in posting lately. My excuse: I'm growing a person inside of me. What can you do? :P

Quote Of The Day

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

The Modern Boutonniere

Buttoneer, bootawnear, boutonier...??? Ok, I was never THAT bad at spelling the dang thing, but I never got it right on the first attempt!

Since being asked to photograph 2 weddings(so far!) this summer I have been a flurry of excitement! We only got married just over 3 1/2 years ago, but so many things in the wedding world have changed! For the better I might add... And I'm catching myself doing a little too much research on the whole wedding topic. "Hey babe, can we have another wedding? Maybe we should renew our vows every 5 years or so!" Yep. I'd love to do that. (it'll never happen.) I can hear him cringing in the next room!

Boutonnieres for example: They used to just be flowers; maybe a little greenery added in and a touch of ribbon. Nowadays you'll see grooms and their boys sporting feathers, wire spirals, even buttons! And I LOVE it! It adds so much personality and authenticity to the whole day!

I think brides need to branch out and look at the different options. And guess what? The more modern boutonniere can easily be cheaper than your traditional flower one! Bonus!

Here's a few pictures of The Modern Boutonniere:

The boutonniere on the bottom left has to be my favourite of the bunch. I love the simplicity and elegance of it. The copper spiraled wire makes it that much more!

Hope this helps you brides out there who are wanting to put a modern twist to your special day!

Photos courtesy of Etsy.com

Relief is...

Tuesday, March 23rd. 4:27am - wake up with horrendous sore throat. ugh.

5am - Matt's alarm.

5:09am - alarm(he hit 'snooze')

5:18 - "

5:27 - "

5:30am - my alarm - outta bed...COFFEE!

That's pretty much our daily wake-up schedule. Why not just set the alarm for 5:30am you ask? I dunno...ask Matty! Anyways, waking up with a sore scratchy throat is never fun. And since I'm trying to get better @ this whole blogging thing, writing more than one a month, I though you might like to see my days menu! {insert sarcasm here} On to it then...

My relief is:

this goodness...

mmm...Echinacea tea...gotta add honey though!

of course.

people always make a fuss about Buckley's. it's not that big of a deal! c'mon!

Vitamin C. goes without explanation.

yup. Halls. a staple for coughs.

So that's that. My goal is to try and get a blog up every other day...let's see how it goes! Until next time...~C

Cute Couple Questionnaire

I snagged this couple's questionnaire from a fellow photographers blog http://addilayphotography.blogspot.com/ Thanks!

It's such a cute way to share about Matt and I!

♥ What are your middle names? Emma and Trevor
♥ How long have you been together? in total?...6 years. wow!
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating? 4 years...kind of.
♥ Who asked who out? I think it was a mutual thing...but I(Claire) am pretty sure I asked the question.
♥ Whose siblings do you see the most? umm...we see one of Matt's brothers every now and then. Used to see his little sis a lot, but she's in Mississippi now. :(
♥ Do you have any children? No, no kids yet... jeez, why does everyone keep asking that!? one day.
♥ What about pets? well, does a Japanese fighting fish count?? her name is Luna, she's mostly blue with some red colouring. Matt got her for me right after we got married. We can't have a dog where we live, but like children...one day!
♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple? money.
♥ Did you go to the same school? no. Matt was home-schooled for most of his schooling life in Langley. I went to public school in Northern Ireland and then in the Okanagan, BC.
♥ Are you from the same home town? No...I was born & raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, until I was 8. Then my family moved to the Okanagan. Matt was born & raised in the Lower Mainland. I moved here when we got engaged.
♥ Who is the smartest? hmmmm...I think it depends on what the subject is. But Matty's very knowledgeable!
♥ Who is the most sensitive? Me! I will cry about anything...that's how I deal.
♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple? SUSHI!!!
♥ Who has the craziest ex? I think that's a tie...but if we had to pick...hmm. ???
♥ Who has the worst temper? Matt.
♥ Who does the cooking? Me. Occasionally Matt will. But it's me.
♥ Who is more social? Matt. I tend to be quiet until you get to know me.
♥ Who is the neat-freak? unfortunately, neither of us.
♥ Who is the more stubborn? hmmm...I think that's a tie
♥ Who hogs the bed? Matt. I am constantly waking up pulling the blankets back over to my side, or shoving his elbow out of my face!
♥ Who wakes up earlier? We both get up when the alarm goes off @ 5am. yes...5am! After hitting the snooze button 7 times though!
♥ Where was your first date? Our very first date.....hmm...I honestly can't remember! It was either the little Greek place in Princeton during a summer @ camp, or ABC restaurant in Langley.
♥ Who has the bigger family? Immediate family or extended? Immediate - Matt. He has 2 older brothers and a younger sister. Me, I have my baby brother. But if we're talking extended family, then i take the prize on THAT one!
♥ Do you get flowers often? mmm...no, but I'd much rather have a pair of shoes, or a shirt or something instead! hint hint!
♥ How do you spend the holidays? We never really know. It gets decided before Thanksgiving. This year, we're going to my mum's for Christmas dinner though.
♥ Who is more jealous? Me. But I try to hide it...not well.
♥ How long did it take to get serious? Not too long. We had both been in rough relationships previous to our getting together, so we were both just waiting for God to send along the right person. And it just happened to be perfect timing!
♥ Who eats more? Also, sadly, debatable.
♥ Who does/did the laundry? We do it together...pause for the "awwwwwww!". yep. we take it to the laundromat!
♥ Who’s better with the computer? Definitely Matty.
♥ Who drives when you are together? Always Brandon. I think he lacks faith in my driving! Maybe that's because I don't have a license! :P

But What Will I Wear?!?

Suggestions on what to wear to your Engagement Shoot:

~ Wear something you are comfortable in. If you're not comfortable, it will show in the photos. 2-3 outfit options/changes are best; they give variety and a selection if you change your mind at the last minute and want a different look.

~ Think about layering clothing. With the unpredictable weather we get here in Vancouver, you never really know what's going to happen!

~ It's best not to wear very tight clothing that will restrict your movement in any way. We usually walk to different locations & may have you sitting on grass, laying down, hopping over rocks, etc. Practice moving around in your clothing before making the selection.

~ Wear something you love and make sure it's YOU! Try not to wear something you are going to wish you hadn't worn in a few weeks when looking back at the photos.

~ A bit dressier than normal can be flirty & fun, but make sure it's still you! All about you baby!

~ Wear clothes that are complementary in style & colour. But don't be too "matchy". For example, you could both wear 'spring' colours or different shades of blue.

~ Wear clothes that have the same level of "dressy-ness". Don't dress up and have your fiance wear their everyday jeans and tshirt.

~ Have clothes match the location and season of the shoot. If you aren't comfortable it will show in your pictures. Don't wear shorts and sandals if it's a Fall/Winter shoot, or a thick sweater and jacket for a Spring/Summer shoot.

~ Large patterns/florals/stripes/etc are a No-No. The backgrounds of photographs generally have a lot of texture and colour, so patterns etc will make the shot too busy.

~ Wear shoes you love, and that you can comfortably walk in. Bring along flip-flops to walk in if you want to change into stilettos etc for the actual picture taking.

~ Jewel-tone, solid colours are best! Along with neutral colours. For example, ladies could wear a bright coloured top or dress while men wear dark-wash jeans and a neutral button-down top. My fave picks for ladies - bright yellow, jewel-tone greens, purples, blues, and pinks! They give that pop of colour and look amazing in photos! Men - complement your gal by choocing a nice solid colour top in a complementary shade like dark blue/navy, browns, black etc.

~ Have a dressier clothing option as well as a casual one. Examples: Dressy - ladies in a bright spring dress, men in jeans and a button down shirt or light-knit sweater. Casual - both in jeans with complementary white/light coloured tops.

Other things to remember:

~ Leave your purse/bag behind. We can carry keys, small wallets, and a few necessities in our camera bags. Exception if you are bringing along extra outfit options where we will be walking to locations.

~ Feel free to bring your dog(s) along on the photo shoot - we LOVE dogs! But please have a friend come along to watch him/her while we are taking other shots.

~ Plan on having a good time. Think of it more as a date, and less of smiling at the camera. Natural smiles are different than forced smiles...and we want to see you glowing!

~ If there is something you want us to avoid photographing, it helps if you let us know in advance. That way we can work with you to keep the scar/tattoo/etc out of the pictures.

~ Ladies - please do not use the Engagement Session as your "trial run" for your wedding up-do!! Keep your hair casual, easy and romantic. The less fuss the better. There may be some wind(you never know in Vancouver!) and all that hard work making your "do" perfectly set can all be blown to the wind. (pun intended!)

One last thing:.......I promise!

~ Please, please, please...feel free to let us know of any poses you would like to incorporate into the shoot. We love getting suggestions from our clients! A little "foot pop" during a kiss? I think so! Definitely! Bring.It.On!

Over and Out

Claire

Port Moody

Lately we've fallen into a bit of a slump, especially on the weekends! Matty ventures into his "cave" to play XBox Live, while I tidy up the house, sit on the sofa with a cuppa tea, and read a book or watch some tv. It's gotten into quite the routine...and I've had enough! We went to Port Moody yesterday, and boy is this place ever cute! We didn't really know where we were going, and the GPS took us to a dead end road, but we ended up finding an amazing park with tons of little hiking trails! We had a little picnic(in the car...it was freezing out okay!?), and wandered around for a couple hours. I can't even remember the name of the place, so I'll have to update later on, but it was gorgeous! One of my new year's resolutions is to get in shape and lose some weight, and this place is definitely on my list of workout spots! Haha! The trails go up, down, all around! It's quite the leg workout! I felt the BURN!! Especially today! After that hike, my kick-boxing workout, AND 2 hours on the recumbent bike(!!!!!...yes, I rode while watching a movie!), my legs feel like jello today! But, that's okay! I just hope I didn't get too many funny looks walking around the grocery store like I just got off a horse! Well, this post was quite random. Yes. But random posts are bound to happen! Enjoy these few shots of Port Moody! There's more to come!

2010 Mini-Sessions!

Well, it's about that time where we need to add to our portfolio! We are in need of models!! We need to photograph:

-Newborns

-Engagement

-Boudoir

-Couples

-Single portraits

If you, or anyone you know, are interested...please contact us @ heardimages@gmail.com

Space is limited, book your appointment soon!

*Bring your own outfit(s) - preferrably 2

*You will be able to purchase a dvd of all the best photos from the shoot for $25.

Calling All Highschool Grads!

Attention 2010 Graduates!

Now is the time to book your Grad Portrait Session! We have limited space available, so book your appointment soon! Grads will receive a disc of best photos from shoot, and one 8x10 print. Feel free to bring your friends and make it a day of fun! If you are fun, up-for-anything, and full of excitement, we want to hear from you!

Contact us for more info!

The time has come...

Well, it's official! The time has come for me(Claire) to retire the good ol' flip-flops...(tear)...and welcome my grungy boots back into my life! Those who know me well know that I live in flip-flops pretty much all year round...not this year! It's been so gross outside that I've had to resort to my second favourite pair of foot apparel. Sigh. But there's good news to all this mumbo jumbo! I have a new pair of grungy boots!!! Well, they aren't grungy at all actually! Hubby bought them for me last weekend! And I heart them! So maybe life will look up; maybe I'll wear my grungy boots all year round! Then again, maybe not.

Summer lovin'...all year round(used to be)

My old grungy boots! I still love them!

My new loves!!

~Claire~

Cans For Comments!

Cans For Comments...it pretty much explains itself!

In 2008, Vancouver photographers Chris+Lynn, started Cans For Comments. For every comment left on a blog post(old or new), a can of non-perishable food will be donated to the local food bank. Great concept right?

This will be out first year participating in Cans For Comments, and we hope you'll join us! We will be started today and going until December 25th! That's a whole month! So, come on, let's help out people in need and share some love this holiday season!

Be sure to check out other local photogs who are joining in this great movement!

http://www.kaycigoughphotography.blogspot.com/

http://traceylheppner.blogspot.com/

Random weekend

Gotta love weekends where you have absolutely nothing planned! And to top it off, after the whole week of rain, the skies cleared up and it was gorgeous for both Saturday AND Sunday!! We went into Fort Langley on Saturday to meet Mum for coffee, then just wandered around taking in all the Autumn colours and busy-ness! Here's a few pics from Fort Langley:

Hmm...lovely

The old train station

The remnants of a great Caramel Macchiato..Mmm

Not yet ready to retire the flip-flops!!!

And here's some from Sunday @ the Steveston Harbour/Fisherman's Wharf:

Charthouse Restaurant...soo good!

Marina

Fishermen sell their catch out of the back of their boats!

Shrimp stall

Swans in salt water...?

Such a model!

Fishermen eating icecream..it was 4 degrees!

Favourite photo of the weekend!

Mr. Cloud...he was so sweet.

Photo of the Day!

I absolutely love Fall!! It's my favorite season by far! The cooler weather, the changing colours of leaves, cozy indoors, fuzzy slippers, sweaters, scarves, the smells of apple cinnamon, not to mention the seasonal Starbucks drinks! Yay for Pumpkin Spice & Caramel Apple Spice!!! :) Here's a pic of a tree in the backyard!

~Claire~

Barns, horses, sunsets...oh my!

A few weeks ago we got a little antsy on a Saturday evening, had nothing to do...so we took a drive, toting our cameras(of course!), and happened upon a bunch of horses in a field. These photos are being posted late...sorry! Our computer was having issues... Here's a few shots I got!

I love this old rickety barn...even though it's about to fall over!

Mama horse. Very pregnant!

Sooo cute! Matt looks a lil scared though...

Black Beauty

The gorgeous summer sunset

What are YOU thankful for?

What are YOU thankful for?? This question seems to only be asked once a year...during Thanksgiving. Why only once a year? I was sitting @ the dinner table with my in-laws yesterday(after stuffing ourselves with Mummy Heard's feast!!!), and we were filling out a little card that asked us what we were thankful for, and what we hoped for/to accomplish in the future...and it occurred to me. We need to take time and think about what we are thankful for more often! Count your blessings! It may be as simple as being thankful for your t.v., or more,

being thankful for waking up everyday in a comfy bed, with a roof over your head, and food in your fridge. Even the little things count!!

"How does being thankful affect your life? Let's look at it in terms of someone you may know. Imagine the person who is usually in a bad mood. They are always complaining about something, there is always someone who's done something to them and they're always getting the bum deal. This person is hard to be around and it takes a lot of energy to maintain a relationship with them. By the end of a visit, you're exhausted! Do you think this person is a thankful one? Probably not. In fact, if you asked them what they're thankful for, they may have a hard time telling you.

On the other hand, think of someone else you know. This person is energetic, and has a certain spark to them. They laugh a lot and have a "can-do" attitude. They may be afraid, but they are willing to try new things. If you ask them what they're thankful for, they will be able to list off many. And when you visit with this person, you feel energized, inspired and thankful to know them. It's safe to say that this person is more fulfilled in their life than the unthankful one."

Read more:http://selfawareness.suite101.com/article.cfm/being_in_a_state_of_thankfulness#ixzz0Tm9zETPs

Even if where/what you are isn't where/what you w

ant to be, be thankful that you are where/what you are, be thankful that you are ALIVE!! With breath in your lungs, and shoes on your feet!

Try this exercise: Starting first thing in the morning, make a list of the things you are thankful for. It can be as simple as having hot water for your shower, or a safe drive to work! Keep adding things to your list throughout the day. Then take a look at it before you go to bed...you'll see that all these little things add up pretty fast!! Could you imagine what your list would look like after a week? Month? Year??? That's a stinkin' long list!

I know that it's nearing the end of Thanksgiving, but my hope is for people to take a little time out of their busy day to reflect on everything they are thankful for.

I'm thankful that I have a great country to live in, an amazing husband, great friends, family, my health, my faith, my talents, sunsets, rainbows,(chocolate & shoes!!!)...

So.....

What are YOU thankful for?

Bromley Rocks!!!

Hey y'all!

So, we were in Penticton not too long ago, and we passed through Princeton on the way back home. We stopped @ Bromley Rock, which is a rest area with a tiny beach, a huge boulder(Bromley Rock), and a wild river!! That's a whole other story...let's just say, when Matt was a lifeguard, he had to do some rescuing in that river... Anyways, on the other side of the river is another little beach, and we just strolled along, picking up big flat stones to do some cooking with(another story!). And we decided to make some Inukshuks! Here they are, in all their glory!

Yep! So there you have it! We were quite proud of these creations!! :)

You were created to love and be loved...

The following is from the site, "To Write Love On Her Arms"...this movement is very close to my heart, as I have battled with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts throughout different times of my life. Please take some time to look @ their website and Facebook pages...~Claire~

"You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters."

To Write Love On Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire, and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

Website: http://www.twloha.com/page.php?id=6

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/To-Write-Love-On-Her-Arms/8529136956?ref=ts

Facebook Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204841887&ref=ts

New Do!!!

Hey everyone!

So, as you can see from this photo, I cut about 5 inches off my hair!!! And I don't miss it @ all! And it's all thanks to the gals @ Versas Hair & Esthetics!!! Thanks ladies! I walked in a hot mess, and walked out a hot lass! Haha! Visit them @ 20410 Fraser Hwy, Langley BC...I can't stress enough how great their services are! Check them out!!!

~Claire