Category Archives: Personal

December 30, 2014

Travel Tuesdays | The Year Ahead

It’s almost New Years, and like everyone else, I’m reflecting back on the past year and looking ahead to 2015. About six months ago I went live with my new website and vowed to start blogging regularly. Although it was later in the year, I’d like to consider that a successful resolution! Along with all the wonderful families and couples I photographed this year in Ottawa, my Travel Tuesdays posts played a huge role in helping me keep my blogging momentum. Some of you may be wondering by now if I have any material left for next year, and I’m here to say that when I initially came up with the concept, I calculated that I had enough material for two and a half years.

December 18, 2014

Chocolate Cherry Drops

Do you like cherries? Chocolate? Cookies or brownies? These ones are for you. Unless you use maraschino cherries for other things, I recommend doubling this batch, because it yields about the perfect amount to go through a full bottle of cherries. Of course, if you cut cherries in half (which is more visually appealing but less cherry goodness) you’ll have to quadruple the batch – perfect for bringing in to the office!

December 16, 2014

Travel Tuesdays | Bergen, Norway

I’ve missed the last couple Tuesdays (though last week’s post on Toronto counts as a travel post, right?) and I started to really miss them! Like everyone else, this is a busy time of year, and I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve had good momentum with family shoots, meetings with clients for the upcoming wedding season, and some other great stuff (including lots and lots of baking), so I apologize to those of you who’ve been checking the blog for a travel escape. I’ve got one for you today, though! We arrived in Oslo in the late afternoon. Uncharacteristically we’d been unable to find any hostels available online, but by then we’d been backpacking for almost three months, so arriving in Oslo without a place to sleep didn’t really faze us.

December 12, 2014

Spicy Ginger Sandwich Cookies

I have to admit, I have a real weakness when it comes to these cookies. They’re good on their own, but once you add icing to make sandwiches, I’m a goner. For the photos here I’ve only complete three round cookies for the sake of the photographer, but I actually make a quite a few different shapes, including stars, bells, gingerbread people, candy canes, etc. The rest of them are in the freezer, waiting for closer to Christmas to be decorated. For the first few years I made my own icing to go with them, and it was delicious. But this year I grabbed a $1 can of Betty Crocker icing, and it was equally scrumptious, with the added benefit of being able to ice them whenever you feel like having a cookie — resulting in very fresh icing.

December 10, 2014

Traipsing Around Toronto

Last week went by in a blur! On Tuesday I left for Toronto for work. I only travel a couple times a year for work, so when I do it’s almost like a little vacation! A hotel room all to myself (even if it’s an airport hotel)? Yes, please! After finishing up on Thursday evening, I was lucky enough to hitch a ride into the big city, which sure beat the public transit marathon I’d been planning. My brother Kurt and his girlfriend Anna offered me a couch to crash on for a few days, and I eagerly stared out the window as the condos got taller and the restaurants more plentiful. By the time we arrived at their apartment off Queen and St. Patrick, I was pumped for my long weekend. And man did it start off right with all-you-can-eat meat at the Copacabana restaurant.