You don’t realize how much sheep is actually wool til you shear them. It’s hilarious to see all these skinny creatures traipsing about the fields now. Especially Stompy Dan who is nothing but a bag of bones at the moment. Hopefully I’ll get a shot of him in the next few days so you can share a laugh over him too.

I am truly blessed that my camera allows me the opportunity to go on these wonderful adventures. Thank-you Janna and Ken for inviting me to document your special day.

Christine and Drew drove up from the city to take part in our day of learning and shooting. They’re proud parents to two young children but haven’t had photos of just themselves since their wedding day. So when they saw my plea for volunteers, they jumped at the chance.  Parents so rarely even want to be in photos with their kids, let alone have pictures of just themselves – I thought it was great! In fact, I think it’s a good idea to have child-less photo sessions for two reasons: it’s nice to spend time together during the shoot and it speaks to the depth of love you share. I’m sure that when Christine and Drew’s kids grow up, they’re going to love seeing these pictures of their Mom and Dad.

Christine and Drew’s photo session was a slightly less personal experience than usual because they had 10 other people watching behind me as I shot. But you would never know. It was like they did it every day! Oh yeah… we’re doing photos in front of 20 eyeballs, no big deal… we’re not phased in the least. Seriously, high fives and fist pumps to both of you for being so awesome in front of the camera(s). Thank-you for making our portrait workshop so fun and dynamic!

Here’s a behind the scenes peek into our day of shooting and learning how to take better people pictures. My trusted assistant and partner in crime David Hachey took this shot.

But for those of you who don’t have plans on Sunday and actually ARE runners,  you should check this race out! You can find out more about it by clicking here and you can pre-register on Atlantic Chip.

Last week I took some pictures of the Fitz Fanatics for their blog. Don’t they look cute in their running clothes and Buffs? I almost started to seriously consider running again. Almost.

Then I looked up and saw a sign. No, literally a sign. It was hanging on the side of St. Mary’s Basilica and read Daily Mass – 5:15pm. I pulled out my cell phone and it was 5:09. I went inside.

I sat in the back of the cool stone church and cried. I have no idea what the readings were or what the priest talked about. But I do know I cried and then, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. All of a sudden a thought occurred to me. If I don’t know the answers, maybe I’m asking the wrong questions.

An epiphany? Maybe. I’m not sure what I would call it other than an elegant solution. I was asking the wrong questions! It wasn’t what should I do with my life? It was what will make me happy? What talents has God so graciously given me and how can I use them best?

I went home and started my first blog. I called it wonkyeye and announced that on my 29th birthday, I was going to start living more creatively. I wasn’t going to become a doctor or teacher or dig wells in Africa. I was going to sew. And I was going to be okay with that.

It was magic. Immediately everything in my life started going right. I managed to convince my boss to give me Thursday nights off so I could take night courses at NSCAD. I started making (and failing at) all sorts of crafts but didn’t care about the end result – I was living for the process. Then two very important things happened. I took a photography course. My passion for photography was ignited. Then I met Dave. Who became, unequivocally, my biggest fan. Then I became Christine the photographer and couldn’t be happier with how things turned out.

(If I’m in the image, the very patient Dave Hachey took the picture).

It’s interesting the twists and turns life takes. When Dave and I returned home from Asia, we sat down at the kitchen table and discussed two things. Getting a dog and starting a photography club. We knew that getting a dog was going to be awesome and we were right. Paddie turned out to be so wonderful that we got another one. But starting SNAPS? Sitting across the table from one another, we could never have guessed the wonderful things that would come from it. And no, I’m not just talking about a trip to Cuba!

The number one reason we started SNAPS was to meet like-minded people in the community. Being new to a rural area, we realized how important it was to put ourselves out there and become part of the tapestry of small town life. When Christmas rolled around, we hosted a club hot chocolate and cookies get-together at our house to which a number of people came – including Lori. I had only briefly met her at the meetings and was taken by surprise when she squealed and squeezed my arm. I knew I liked you, she said. You have a bunting in your kitchen window! 

Lori was right. We did like each other. In fact, we hit it off like a house on fire. I was surprised and ever-so-thankful that by moving to what I often refer to as the middle of nowhere, I somehow manged to land not five minutes down the road from a spirited, crafty, kind-hearted and genuine soul. Whether it was serendipity, coincidence or fate, I’m very happy that I did.

Spending time with Lori rekindled my passion for crafting in a big way. By focusing so heavily on photography these past few years, I let all my other hobbies slide. But all of a sudden I was in a place where I had space to make, dream and do. I could feel the original intent of wonkyeye bubbling to the surface and I felt giddy with the idea of taking it to another level. Here I was with a solid photography business. Here was my new friend with oodles of experience working as an interior decorator. Here we were with incredibly complimentary skill sets and a combined passion for living authentic, handmade lives bigger than… the side of a barn. Heck, bigger than Montana. No, bigger than we sometimes even dare to dream!

And that, my friends, is how The Craft House came to be.

You can find out everything you need to know about The Craft House by clicking on over to our website. You can also follow us on facebook, twitter and pinterest so you don’t miss a crafty thing.

When Lori and I are chatting over tea and throwing ideas back and forth about everything The Craft House could be, Lori often exclaims, Oh the places we can go! It makes me grin ear to ear. What places will we go? I can’t wait to find out. xo.

]]> http://www.wonkyeye.ca/blog/the-craft-house/feed/ 2 http://www.wonkyeye.ca/blog/a-day-in-the-life/ http://www.wonkyeye.ca/blog/a-day-in-the-life/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 16:17:35 +0000 admin http://www.wonkyeye.ca/blog/?p=5337 Amanda and Adam graciously invited me into their home to document a day in their life. It’s an honour to collect the moments and pull together their story because I know that this set of images is something they will treasure forever. But as the photographer, I gain something too. It’s fascinating to watch the day unfold and see how much love and effort is put into raising kids right. And then to realize that the lessons don’t only go one way. Children teach their parents to embrace life and live in the moment – which as an adult without children myself, I sometimes have a hard time doing. Amanda and Adam’s home is filled with love, silly antics, laughter and creativity. It was great to spend the day hanging out and documenting this lovely family. Xo.

I couldn’t decide if I liked the colour or black and white version better so you can see the black and white version here. Also, for some reason, my collection of feathers in my pretty purple bowl remind me of this band. Happy Friday! Xo.