The Studio is almost ready.....

Oh I am sooo excited.  I shot a few images of my sick little guy today who is home from school in the new studio area!!!  Still waiting on carpet to arrive for the rest of the area but at least I can work now.  I love having the fireplace on and it is so warm.  We put extra special pad under the flooring so that it is warmer and it really does keep it a bit warmer than the other flooring.  Still a few touches like a mirror hung in the bathroom and a toilet paper roll but I love it.

 

Thanks for stopping in.

Leah

 

Delightful

This little beauty was 5 days old when she came in to meet me.  Her parents were remarkably relaxed and calm and full of joy as all new parents should be.  It was a real pleasure to photograph this lovely family.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Please feel free to leave a comment.

Leah

The Learn to Love Hungry Food of the Day

Many of my friends and clients have noticed that over a period of a couple of months at the end of the summer I lost some weight.  20lbs to be specific.  I had joined a boot camp for 6 weeks in June and got up at 5:30am, Monday through Friday and I didn't move a single pound off the scale and my pants all fit the same!  I did hurt, my knees felt like they were 70 years old, my face looked old because I was getting up so damn early so I quit.  This was not the route for me. 

I went on the internet and looked for menu plans.  I knew that I wasn't any good at following a normal plan because if I didn't have a particular food, I fell off the plan and lost interest.  So I thought that if I looked at a few different menu's I would pick and choose the items that I had or would keep around and make my own.

I found that the Chatelaine Website provided a number of different diets and I printed them all off and had a look at what I could take from each one and make my own plan.  I noticed one consistent theme across all of the various plans.  I WAS GOING TO BE HUNGRY!!!  It really didn't seem to matter what I was going to eat, I just could not eat very much of it.

I started for a couple of days living on an egg for breakfast, a tuna sandwich for lunch and 1/2 of a chicken breast for dinner with veggies.  I started to loose weight.  I cut out all sugar which was the hardest part and when I would feel hungry, I would tell myself, "learn to love hungry and you will loose the weight", "you don't need to eat a lot of food to fuel your body."  It was working.  Inside of a week I had lost nearly 5lbs.  I was tracking my progress on the Free Lose It app for my iTouch.  Great Little app. 

Then I had tea with my good friend and a massage therapist here in Milton, Martina Gyokery
and she was concerned that I was eating too much tuna and not enough good stuff so she took me shopping and introduced me to Quinoa (kēnwä|).  It cooked up like rice, 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water and it was easy to eat so I picked some up.  Her recipe was simple and easy to make but I decided to try mixing things up with items that I liked.

While shopping I also picked up some beans.  I like beans so I thought they would work well with the quinoa.  I noticed that the Blu Menu Soy Beans had more than double the protein than the other beans so I tried them.  They have nearly no taste so they go with anything.  I now even grind them up with some water and put them in my pasta sauce!  So, I came home and started mixing them together.  I began eating this each day for lunch, controlling my portions to about a cup to a cup and a half.  I would even have some as a side to my dinner.  Smaller plates also seemed to make a difference.  No more large plates.

Well, I felt great and people were starting to notice and I keep getting asked for the recipe so here it is.   I do feel that the real weight came off because I cut out sugar and ate less, but I do feel much better since I have been eating this regularly.  It is always in my fridge and I just warm some up with I am hungry.

Quinoa - I pick this up at Costco for $8.99 but you can get it at the grocery store.

I cook up an onion because I like the taste of them.

Martina introduced me to Kale so I chop that up and throw it in after the onions cook down.

 In the mean time the Quinoa is cooking up in another pot.  I only had 1/2 a cup left so that is what I used.  Normally I put in 1 1/2 cups.

Add the kale to the onion.

 Next I put some Chicken stock in.  These are the other items I used today.

Rinse the black beans (I used different beans each time but I particularly like these)

Rinse and drain the soy beans and throw them in the pot with the onions and kale.

Give them a stir and maybe put a bit more chicken stock in.   I usually add a package of Knor Vegetable soup mix too but I didn't have any today.

I like cherry tomatoes in it too so I cut them in half and throw them in and toss in the can of corn because I like the crunch of the corn.

 Then I toss in the diced tomoates.  Initially I opened up whole tomatoes but I was too lazy to chop them up so I opened up a can of diced and I will used the other can for dinner with something.

 I then toss in about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of Essence - Emerils Creole Seasoning.  I use this a lot but I got it from a salmon recipe he makes. 

The recipe for this is:

2 1/2 tbls paprika

2 tbls salt

2 tbls garlic powder

1 tbls black pepper

1 tbls onion powder

1 tbls cayenne pepper

1 tbls dried oregano leaf

1 tbls dried thyme

I then stir it all together.

Oh yeah, forgot the broccoli I had sitting on the counter to add so in that goes.  If I had any other vegetables around I cut them up small too and add them in.  I like zucchini and I have also added in a can of peas.  Depends on what you like.  Celery, carrots or anything would likely work well.

I almost forgot the garlic.  I get lazy and use the stuff in the jar.  It is not as powerful as the fresh garlic but I put a couple of these heaping tablespoons in and that is good.  I may add some more chicken stock and I let it sit for a while.  Have some and put the rest in the fridge for the rest of the week.

Well, for those of you that have been asking for it, here it is.  I hope you personalize it and enjoy as much as I do.  

Leah

Rub a dub dub.

I just loved this image when I took it.  The backdrop had such a fun colour to it and I just had to play with it.  It reminded me of rain and water so I brought in other elements to enhance what I saw.

Have a great day!

Leah

Check out those eyes!!!

These girls are just so lovely that I wanted to share them with you.  I love images when everyone isn't always wearing a toothy grin and often not even looking at the camera.  Seems many people I meet with will love an image but want everyone looking directly into the lens.  These girls are clearly looking directly into the camera but with two very different expressions and I love them both.

I also really like the image at the bottom where no one is looking at the camera.  It kind of reminds me of opening squares from the TV show, The Brady Bunch.  Everyone looking around checking out everyone else.

I so enjoyed working with Sandy and her family.  You may recognize her from her earlier headshots.  Sandy Hatzis is with RE/MAX Aboutowne Realty.  A very smart lady and fantastic Real Estate Agent.

Time to log off so that I can meet a new family in the morning.

Leah

Bella is 6 months old now.

I get so excited when I am going to see a baby on my first year program.  I can see the baby features from when they were newborn and how their eyes have gotten so big and round.  I can enjoy all of the stories of how they are growing and what they have been up to and it is all so exciting for me.  I am finished growing my own family but it feels like I still get to participate in the growth of my client's families.  I enjoy it too when they come back with a new sibling that is joining the family.  This little sweetheart is the first baby for this family, but a cousin to two other clients all who had their babies within a couple of months of each other.  The grandparents are so proud.

This little doll is 6 months old and it was so delightful to see this family again.

Thanks for checking in.

Leah

I love a big canvas!

I just picked this up today.  I want it for myself!!  This is a 30x43 canvas.

Okay, I have clearly not put this photo through photoshop but sometimes you just have to take the shot!

I can't wait to give this to the family.

I just can't get enough of this bundle of pure Joy.

Little Mr. R is such a delight.  One the happiest babies I have had the wonderful fortune to photograph.  A little over a year now, he has grown so much since I first met him when he was only about 5 months old.   He smiles constantly.