A Penny for your thoughts...

This is (another) post about one of my FAVORITE people on this planet and her baby to be - Penny!

I have a gajillion photo's to share with you from our California road trip... but things are getting pretty hectic over here with photo stuff so I guess I better leave playing with the fun vacation pics until we are all caught up with everything else.  In the meanwhile I just can't resist the urge to share my latest photo's of Kim!  She is so very pregnant- the baby is due to come a day before my birthday!  July 29th.  

Mike and I were driving through the states to get back home, and we decided that instead of waiting for Kim to visit us at the end of the month like she planned we would make a sllliighhtt (50 hour) detour and show up in Winnipeg and surprise her and Jamie!  

Jamie and Kim recently bought a new home in Winnipeg so it was really great to check it out.  It is perfect... hopefully similar to something that we'd like to have on Vancouver Island in the future!  

I love the big yard and especially the fire pit and garden that Kim and Jamie are starting in the back.  Mike and I love living in the city -being part of the lively city centre is fantastic!  There is always something going on in our neighborhood!  On the other hand- Mike and I can see ourselves really enjoying living on an acreage with a small hobby farm on Vancouver Island. (Hopefully) on some shared property with Kim and Jamie (&Penny!) 

While staying at the Kitchen's, Kim and I went for a little grocery shop to find the ingredients for a bunch of different relish recipes!  Mmm we made so many delicious meals!  Relish continues to amaze me and everyone we share them with!  This is a summer squash and zucchini linguini that we made.  Mike and Jamie added the chicken for themselves ;)

Homemade lemonade! Mmmm

Kim and I spent our tuesday together running around... Kim had an appointment setup with one of her photography classmates to get prego photo's, so we spent most of the morning at her school playing in the studio.  Then I got to tag along for an doc's appointment to hear Penny's heart beat... it sounds more like swooshing. Haha. Then I realized that I wanted to get photo's of Kim too!  But outside the studio is a bit more my style when it's possible!  We took these photo's all just behind Kim's backyard.  A lot of the same... but let me know which ones are best so that I can throw them up on the SNAP site!

I think this one is my favorite!  I love the Cowichan sweater/prego combo.  So cute!

Thanks for letting me drag you through another photo shoot even after spending all morning in front of the camera Kimberly!  You have become quite the easy model to work with Ms Lavender-Kitchen!  I must go back to work now... Mike and I are locking ourselves into the elevator shaft for an epic long editing session.  

Suite #405

This blog post is for those of you that have been bugging me (or have given up on asking all together) for pictures of our "new" place! I have been procrastinating-I know!! Haha... I was hoping to have more art/photography on our walls by now, but instead of buying canvases we've been too busy updating camera's and lenses! Aghh! It never ends keeping up with the photographers in this city!!

So here it is... sort of a rush job, but if I got everything perfect this post never would have come ;)

This is our entrance/hallway... our washer and drier are tucked into one of the closets as you come in the door... this is where the kitties like to hang out most-sprawled out on the cool tiles.


First door on your right is the bathroom- a lot smaller than our last gigantic washroom but it does the trick!

We have to make the most of "storage" in our place, it is only 800 sq feet. It feels big because of the high ceilings and big windows, but it is QUITE cozy.

Nice big kitchen... this is always important to us! We are learning to become chefs extraordinaire so we need our space!! Yes... that is a watermelon in a slowcooker. haha-we didn't want to come home to the huge melon rolled onto the floor in a big pink heap! The kitties are smart enough to do things like that!

Living room. We just got our cable disconnected for summer! We want to try to be outdoors as much as possible this season. The "Imperial Lofts" building is right smack dab in the middle of town. (220 11th Avenue S.E) so we want to be sure to get out into the city alot while it is sunny and warm!

This is our bed-area... not so much a room. It's nice to wake up to the bright sunshine in the mornings and NOT have to climb a ladder every time we want to get under the covers. Since getting our lovely Charlie- the big fluffy white ragdoll our bed has been covered in fur. Gaaahh! It doesn't even come off in the wash. Suggestions?

"Dining Room" haha... more like a dining space. The table opens up nice and big so hopefully we can have you ALL over for dinner ;) Well maybe 6 at a time...
Behind the table is an old elevator shaft that was built back in 1912. The building used to be a tabacco warehouse? I think...
Each space has been converted to a unique "loft" apartment. We moved from a suite on the third floor back in February which actually had our bedroom in a loft- but the ladder climb every night got old fast. It's cool how each apartment in this building are so unique and different.



The Elevator shaft rolls open and we've converted it into a sweet little office where we make all of our photo magic happen!
So there you are! I will have to take photos of the patio and views from the roof later! The rooftop of our building is the BEST seat in Calgary for Canada day fireworks and anyone who is interested in joining us this year just let us know!! We like to wine and cheese it up :)

Hope you enjoyed the photo tour- now come buzz our place for a visit or cold beer on the patio!

SHOES!! Part 2

Check out our sweet sweet shoes at

Snap Photography Blog

Shhhhhoooooesss!

Mike and I have had a crazy spontaneous AMAZING adventure traveling through Idaho, Oregon,  and of course the lovely California!  I won't tell you much about it quite yet... because believe me there are ALOT to stories to share, and still tons of adventures to create yet.  We have met many lovely Americans and haven't had any schedule, plan or time restraint!  I feel that we have been blessed so much by this!  There are so many things that we have seen and experienced that we might have never come across otherwise!  

Right now Mike and I are sitting in the Firefly Coffee House in Santa Cruz just a block from the beautiful stretch of sandy beach.  It's a bit overcast right now otherwise we'd be basking in the salty waves!  We are really REALLY excited because in about an hour we will be going back to "Old School Shoes" on Pacific Avenue to pick up some custom painted shoes that are being painted while I type!  I'm not telling what it is we're getting done... but you will certainly get to check them out once we have them! I can't wait to have our canvas shoe art photographed on our very own feet!  The photos are by the artist that we met, Nick-he works at Old School.

We are headed to Reno tonight.  I know... random.

Later!!