Everyone travels at some point whether business or pleasure.  And we can all jump on a computer and watch deals and book online, so why use a travel agent?  Let me tell you why, your time is precious....you have much better things to do with your kids, love of your life or just for yourself so why waste your time when a travel agent can watch the deals and book for you?  You do not pay any extra for using a travel agent, but that is what many think.  What happens is rather than a travel agent making a small commission as there is no salary involved, the tour operator or airline just makes a better profit.  Whether an agent books for you or you book yourself, 99% of the time you will pay the exact same amount but can have someone else look for all the details and take care of everything for you!
So that said, whether you are a busy business mogul that needs several flights a month, looking for a crazy Vegas get away or booking a dream destination wedding...look no further!  I am a travel agency affiliate that is always open.  No office or place of business to rush to right after work or cut in to your Saturday, just a click, text or phone call away!
I can book for all major airlines, hotels, tour operators, cruise lines and and handle specialty travels like singles, seniors, hedonism and also LGBT just to mention a few.
So head on over to www.facebook.com/affordabletravelaffiliatechristinabethlehem and "like" the page to see all of the weekly & daily deals, plus all the travel & packing tips in the Note section.  And when you are ready, send me a message with what you are looking for and I will get right on it while providing the BEST stress free customer service you will find.  Another perk, you will not speak to a different person every time....just me and there is something to be said for that personal connection rather than booking with a stranger every time you take off :)

100 Things That Are Fabulous - Day 5
Enlargement Prints Cheat Sheet
Ever sat there looking at a photo wondering what the largest prints you can order is without loosing print quality?  Wonder no longer, below is the suggested (minimum) file sizes as per Kodak for prints!  I love this cheat sheet, makes it easy to decide on a size and if you are looking for something specific for a wall in your home or office; now you know exactly the minimum resolution you should use!

Some professional services specify lower resolutions for image sizes, so you could get away with smaller image sizes but always remember.....the larger the file the better quality the print!

Kodak, for example, suggests these resolution/file sizes:
For a 4" x 6" print, the image resolution should be 640 x 480 pixels minimum.
For a 5" x 7" print, the image resolution should be 1024 x 768 pixels minimum.
For an 8" x 10" print, the image resolution should be 1536 x 1024 pixels minimum.
For a 16" x 20" print, the image resolution should be 1600 x 1200 pixels minimum.
For a 20" x 30" print, the image resolution should be 1600 x 1200 pixels minimum.
For a Wallet-size print, the image resolution should be 320 x 240 pixels minimum.

Just counted...as of today I am exactly 40 days behind on the "100" things that are fabulous, YIKES!!!  Better start thinking and hunting down all things fabulous....I have about 5-10 right off the top of my head but 40....this is my punishment for taking 40 days off of updating ;0

Can we say EPIC fail???  I have been so busy between photography, the little man, gift baskets and the boyfriends paperwork & taxes that I have not updated this blog for over a month!  So for those that follow, or check in regular...please come back...it won't happen again ♥ lol.  Now with my 100 things that are fabulous, wow am I behind so I am going to figure out exactly how many days I am missing and then do a MEGA FABULOUS post on all things fabulous to catch up!  I will start thinking about the list right away and will have it caught up by weeks end! 

100 Things That Are Fabulous - Day 4
Bridesmaids & MOH's that understand it is not THEIR day!
I may take a bit of heat on this one but that is a risk I will take!  With the "Friday Bride Day" on TLC it is becoming more and more apparent that there are sooooo many bridesmaids and MOH's that seem to easily forget this is not about them!  They think that the dress for example should be what they want!  I understand that if your girls are paying for their own dress you want to be respectful of their taste and budget but I don't know to many brides that go out of their way to bankrupt their wedding party or make them look hideous!  The bride is the center of attention by all means but she hardly has waited her whole life for this day to have people laughing at the girls dresses or pay a photographer a kings ransom for photos she will hide because the girls dresses are ugly!  If the bride is absolutely picking something that is waaaay out of your budget (and please have this talk before the big shopping day) just politely let her know that it is not in your budget without starving your baby so you would be more than happy to bow out or help her look again another day for something similar but less expensive.  Unless the bride is a true "Bridezilla" she wants you in her wedding party and she wants you to be happy but it is her day!  Your day will come and keep in mind Karma is a B*%#h!  If you try to hi-jack the brides day by being unreasonable, demanding you get what you want and overall just being difficult keep in mind; you are not making any friends with this behaviour, your are stressing out your friend the bride perhaps because you are jealous it's not your wedding and when you day comes....you just may have a Bridesmaidzilla that makes your life hell and sends you running to apologize to your friend!


Some basic Bridesmaid/MOH etiquette...

1. You are there for moral support
2. Help out/plan the bridal shower
3. Helping choose everything from girls gowns to brides shoes
4. Be there for her on the Wedding Day in EVERY WAY!!!  The bride should not have to be running around looking for people & organizing things!  This is up to the wedding planner and if there is not one; you are on TEAM BRIDE!  Make it happen so she is not stressed out about the flower girl crying, the groom spilling something on his tux....if you girls need extra help, RECRUIT anyone; but not the bride.  Put on your big girl panties and get things moving!

100 Things That Are Fabulous - Day 3
Sex and the City re-runs!
Yes this one is in fact targeted for the ladies (not that some men don't enjoy SATC) they just would never admit it in public I am sure.  It does not matter how many years the show has been off the air or how many times you have seen an episode, it is still hands down my favorite show!  Almost any female 20+ has not only seen the TV shows and/or one of the movies but likely can relate to one of the characters!  You know exactly what I am talking about....you and your girlfriends may cross over in to a few characters or change over the years but at some point there was a time where you and your girlfriends could relate 100% to a particular character.  Back in the pre-Knox and single days years ago my friend Pam would have been Charlotte, Krissy without a doubt was Carrie and well; I may have had a Samantha trait or two.  We really had no identifiable friend as Miranda but we all did have some of Miranda's no nonsense traits so it all balanced out well.
A surprise party for Krissy one year was actually a SATC theme party and it was a blast.  She was surprised to say the least and everyone looked fabulous.  Most of the boyfriends even participated and dressed up like Big, Steve or just something else that fit with a male metro-sexual look.  All this @ Ranchman's did get us a few looks from all the cowboy folk, lol
So, do you LOVE SATC?  Are you excited about the rumors of a 3rd movie installment?  I can't wait for another movie myself and hope there is one, and soon!
Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the fabulous characters!

Samantha Jones

“I can’t color enough, I would color all day every day If I had my way, I would use every crayon in my box.”

Carrie Bradshaw

“I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet.”

Charlotte York

“Could you please not use the F-word in Vera Wang?”

Miranda Hobbes

“I’m fine… but Charlotte, maybe your “hmmm hmmm” would like an order of fries?"

A "newer" trend for brides is a Trash The Dress session, which I personally LOVE photographing!  So with doing a recent grad session for 28 grads last week, it occurred to me; why not start a new trend...Trash The Dress for Grads!
What young girl would not love to get all dolled up again and get some amazing photos one more time in her grad gown without worrying about getting a "little dirty"?!
So there you have it, who wants to be the 1st to help me start a new Trash The Dress trend???

100 Things That Are Fabulous - Day 2
The Internet!  Seriously, can anyone even imagine not having the Internet at their disposal from their PC, tablet or smart phone?  Are you looking a recipe to match the few ingredients you have in the house to avoid running to the store?  Maybe you want to look up if a new food is okay to give to baby at the certain age!  Planning a wedding or party of any type....find decorating tips, DIY favours for next to no cost, use online social media outlets like FB to invite people without making a single phone call or wasting tons on postage & stationary!  There literally is nothing you can not find on the Internet and more likely you will find things you were not even looking for!
There are very few people that could go a full 24 hours without using something to do with the Internet and practically none under the age of 70 that could go a full week!
I am on constantly whether it is updating my ad's on Kijiji, uploading photos to my photography website or FB page, just surfing for something in general or even if there is no "work" to be done, just killing time.
Most people in their 20's and even those right around 30 likely have very little recollection of what home PC's and the Internet were like 20 years ago.  It is amazing how much has changed!  You can do 1000% more now from your phone the size of a business card then you could 20 years ago from your PC and dial up!  So who remembers their 1st computer and the early days of the Internet?  What do you love about the net' now?  Share your stories by commenting on this blog post :)

Okay.....day 1 of the 100 things that are fabulous begins now!  I just stumbled across this and have a feeling MANY will agree; this is fabulous!
http://patronsocialclub.com/summerology/index
The Patron Social Club!  You join it, and map your epic summer...of course while enjoying Patron!  I can only imagine the amount of places that will be mapped out this summer and the cool places that will all unfold in every ones travels this summer.  Myself, I can't do the takillya'....far to old and like most a few "bad experiences", lol....Once upon a time when I was younger and long before the day's of my little man Knox there was one night in particular where after polishing off my vodka (paralyzers) I was still ready to go...so in to the pantry I stumbled and found a glorious bottle of takillya' not even opened...polished that off as well.  To this day I can not drink it myself and it is nothing short of a miracle I did not need to get my stomach pumped! lol
So go join the Patron Social Club and start mapping your epic summer!  Feel free to share your takillya' stories here by commenting on this post!

I completely forgot to share the link to the friends blog.  DUH! 
http://carseomighty1000.blogspot.ca
Guaranteed to make you laugh so be sure to check it out daily!

So an old friend of mine with a great sense of haha has recently started a "blog" of 1000 things that can f* off....it really is very entertaining and I can easily see myself doing something like that.  However, this is a "PG" site and about all things photography & fabulous so I am going to "steal" his idea (thanks Carson) and do my own mini version. 
So let today be the 1st official day of "100 things that are FABULOUS"...be sure to check in every day as who knows what could be the fabulous thing for the day!
The wee man is about to find himself some trouble down the hall so will have to leave you hanging on what will be the 1st entry of "100 things that are fabulous" until a bit later today!

I can not believe time has slipped away from me again and have not been here since Saturday!  Wow!  I swear I am not neglecting anyone, I know you all missed me....right?!  The little man has pretty much completely done away with naps even though that is not suppose to start until about 18 months I have heard, Knox has fast tracked it and went down to 1 nap around 9 months and now at 10.5 months I am LUCKY if I get that one nap to last more than 30 mins.  This child does not sleep!!!!  Reminds me of myself when I was younger ;0

So that said, the precious few minutes a have during the day is spent cleaning, preparing bottles and trying to promote my photography business and of course, Custom Creations by Christina.  I don't even try to edit photos during the day anymore....I wait for the little man to go on his power snooze at night.  You may be fooled in to thinking this is still not bad, likely goes to bed for the night around 7 or 8 I bet your thinking!  Baaahaaahaaa, I should have it so easy!  No, my little high energy monster stays up (with just that 30 min nap a day) most often until 10-11pm.  So I start editing photos about 11pm every night...and I ran out of coffee today...very good thing nobody came by today for any reason.  Between my appearance from lack of sleep/time and no coffee the house is a full out war zone with the cute little man in the center of it.

So for everyone local to my part of the world in Southern Alberta, near/in Calgary.....I have a few things to share!

First, I am offering a few June specials.  The 1st to celebrate Fathers Day.   I would like to offer half hour mini shoots at Kinsmen Park (Strathmore, AB) on Saturday June 9th from 1:00pm-3:30pm for $50. For this as always, you will receive ALL of your completely edited photos on a disc with no watermark and your choice of either 3 5x7 prints or 1 8x10 print from ...your session. Your completely edited photos will on top of full re-touching also include a wide selection of b&w, sepia and color knock out just to mention a few. This is a fantastic gift for dad for him to have some updated photos. Have dad in the photos or surprise him with updated photos of you and the kids! Makes a great gift for Grandpa also; "kill 2 birds with 1 stone" idea! As I will only do a limited number of slots that day, space is limited and therefore a 50% deposit is required to reserve your time slot. Please email myself directly at christina@christinabethlehemphotography.com to reserve your time slot.

Second, For any sessions booked as a week night sunset in June (Monday-Thursday) in Carseland/Strathmore area for about an 8pm(+-) start time (have to always keep up to date on what time sunset is at so 8...pm is just an estimate) you can can take 10% off the regular price session fee! You keep your weekend wide open, get some epic sunset shots at the end of the session and have some extra $ on the way home to buy your sweetie or kids a ice cream or milkshake! Everybody's happy!

So there you have my June Specials for photography, snap one up today!

And here is one of my favorite edits from last night on Erin's TTD Session

I'm sure you are all familiar with QR codes, if you are not by chance....they are those little square UPC codes that you see popping up everywhere.....newspapers, magazines, business cards etc.  They are a GREAT way for a business to advertise either a line of text or take someone directly to the company website.  Why is this better than a typical ad in my opinion?  Let me tell you....for starters, they can be as big or small as you like so you can place an ad much cheaper then a typical text and image ad.  All you do is put the QR code in as the ad, everyone pretty much has a smart phone so they just scan it and presto; they get the ad you want them to read or are taken directly to your website; just like that!  So less expensive advertising is a good start!  The next great thing about QR codes, you can make them yourself online for FREE.  Yup, FREE and it takes about 30 seconds to generate one then you just either print, email or save it to your computer.  I made all of mine last night in less than 5 minutes for 4 QR codes; it took me longer to get my printer to print.  There are ton's of places on the web but the one that I used, and HIGHLY recommend is http://www.qrstuff.com it is completely FREE, there is no hidden now that you have made your QR code please send us your 1st born to get it and here is my favorite part....you can pick the color of your QR code so I have a nice selection of pink & purple ones naturally!  And talk about easy...I would have done this months ago if I knew how easy.  A 4 year old that knows how to spell and type could do it!  The last and most important reason in my opinion why QR codes are a great way to advertise....humans are curious by nature, period!  The busiest person in the world will take a split second more often then not to scan one because you just never know what is behind that code....it just may be exactly what you have been looking for and only takes a second.  So with this method of advertising you do not only have to put the QR on a business card or in a print ad, I am going to print these puppies off and put them on bulletin boards, community websites and absolutely anywhere I can put up a piece of paper!  I can't wait to see the amount of traffic that makes it's way to my website, FB Pages and Blog here just based on human curiosity.  Many people will just shut down the browser when they realize it is not something they are interested in but I will still get the initial traffic and therefore with the numbers game have more people actually reading about my services in general and many of the scanners in smart phones saves the web history so even when they shut the browser down; my website is saved until they purge so at a later date they may end up back there again!
So with all that said....here are my 4 QR codes that I made last night completely free; and yes you can even scan them right from here on your computer monitor!  So go ahead, you know you want to!

Happy Saturday everyone!  And tis' the season to wish all the Grad's out there a congrats on your 1st major milestone into adulthood!  Enjoy your grads ceremonies, have a blast at your banquet and please be safe while having your fun this weekend or whatever weekend your grad is!  You have your whole future ahead of you so have your wobbly pops if you so choose just make sure you have a DD :)
On a different note, I finished editing S & E's May 5th wedding photos last night, woohoo.  The disc is burned and ready to go in the mail....now on to Erin's TTD photos.  Maybe not until tonight though...busy day with some housework and then a bday party this afternoon.  And I may have to swing by the annual Carseland Take It or Leave It today when the little man has had his morning nap...which may be a bit as I can hear him playing in his crib still and not napping!

With finishing S & E's wedding photos, I made a collage of some of the photos I took of their YUMMY desserts from the reception and have realized maybe food photography could be another route for me to add.....I don't think they turned out half bad for never photographing food before!  And I'm sure there are lots of smaller business owners that could use some great photos for menus/websites without getting a bank loan to have a photographer come in so I may have to look in to that....

Custom Creations By Christina is adding new items several times a week!  Just added this morning are the black velvet "Bride" hangers for just $10 each!  Blingy garters will also be added later today and a wedding favour idea instead of traditional wedding cake!  Head over to www.facebook.com/customcreationsbychristina and "like" the page to keep up to date as new items are added and don't forget 10% off all orders placed with deposit by May 31st!

Erin's Trash The Dress on Sunday was simply amazing!  What an incredibly beautiful bride trashing a stunning gown.  Erin was married about 5 years ago and a few months back her hubby asked what she was going to do with her gown.  Like many brides, it had just been sitting in the closet or basement since the wedding day.  It's so sad that you can never wear the dress again, but I maintain ladies everywhere should be able to throw on their wedding gowns anytime they like and wear them out!  Maybe your feeling blue and the gown and memories of wedding day will be an instant pick me up, or perhaps the laundry fell behind; throw it on!  Lol, I would love to see you ladies start a new trend of wearing your gown out and about whenever you feel like it!  Seriously though, that likely will never happen so if you are not going to hold on to it in hopes of a daughter or niece wearing one day (good luck with that, it's a wonderful thought and all the power to you ladies) but there are not that many women on their wedding day that want a 2nd hand out of date wedding gown.  I wish there were more so these beautiful gowns did not collect dust forever but it is another sad truth that not many really end up being worn again, and for the ladies that have worn a hand me down gown from in the family; you rock for giving that beautiful gown one last show.
For the rest of the gowns, some may get sold for a blushing bride on a budget; again no harm in that AT ALL; would do it myself if I loved the gown.  But I am a bit superstitious so I can honestly say I would only buy a used wedding gown if I knew all the details of the marriage the gown came from!  Divorced, nope...bad mojo; lol.  I won't even get started today on my superstitions or for that matter all the "signs" that were there leading up to my wedding day, lol.  No offence to me ex-husband at all.  I am where I am today as a result of the 10 years we were together.  You see I am also one of those firm believers of "everything happens for a reason" even if at the time you have no idea why it is happening it's all part of the plan that you know nothing about, lol...but it's for your best.  See had my marriage not ended, I would not have ended up in a sales job almost 11 years ago.  That job changed my career completely which in turn 5 years later put me in to a better sales job with another company which had me travelling out of town to Medicine Hat & Brooks once a month.  I looked at a map one night before a trip to the hat and saw from where I lived there was a "back way" I could take to shave a half hour off.  On the way home the next day I saw a little sign on the highway pointing to a town called Carseland.  I was in the market to buy a house or leave the province completely; whichever happened first I did not care.  I had no major ties keeping me in AB except for my dad who on a trip to BC just a few weeks before mentioned how much he liked it so if I transferred my job to BC and said goodbye to AB, dad would have come with me.  When I got home, I pulled up the MLS to see what this little town Carseland had that I never knew existed only 20 mins from Calgary.  Well, did it have something to offer....houses for less than a condo in Calgary; done!  I called the listing real estate agent that night I believe and had a viewing of 3 houses in town that week and put an offer in right away.  The house was vacant so I got the quick 2 week possession I wanted the end of September 2009.  Halloween rolled around a few weeks later, I was on my computer chatting with a friend in Calgary that was suppose to come but had to cancel.  I already hand my costume on from handing out candy so figured I would drag dad down to the local pub to play pool and have a few wobbly pops and chicken wings so I did not eat all the remaining candy; and I wanted to get out and see some of the locals in the town I had lived in for just over a month.  And from that point on the rest is history!  I met a boy that night, lol (Mark) and ironically enough I could not have been looking less if I tried.  The absolute furthest thing from my mind was dating or starting a relationship; no thanks!  But this particular one seemed sweet so when he approached me and started talking to me (after he caught me looking at him a few times) I actually chatted with him as opposed to my regular response my close old friends can attest to....Krissy, Pam and a few others told me years ago that when I guy even started to get an incline to approach me I could end it from 50 feet away with one look....they so adoringly called it my f off look; and it apparently was enough to stop the most eager sure of himself man in his tracks at 50 paces, lol.  So it almost became a game for my friends when we were out, lol.  Anyhow, this time for some reason I did not.  We chatted a few mins here and there on Halloween and he found out I was actually working at the pub the next day as I almost always use to work a full and part time job when I was single.  Kept me busy, out of trouble some of the time and woohoo extra shoe money!  So dad was tired, it was getting late so home dad and I came.  The next day lets just I was a few shades of green from the wobbly pops the night before!  But I drug my throwing up hung over butt in to the pub to start my new pt job.  Carol the owner offered to start training another day as soon as she took one look at me, lol but I stuck it out for the whole shift for 7 hours like I agreed to.  About an hour or 2 in to my shift so mid afternoon in walks Mark and his friend I also met the night before.  They sat at the bar and ordered a beer and just chatted amongst themselves and also to me a little.  I was behind the bar cleaning, trying not to throw up and muttered to myself I would kill for an ice cap...the jolt of ice cold coffee in my mind would surely make me feel better.  I guess at that point Mark said to P, road trip?  But I had no idea....the only thing I was focused on was not throwing up on my new employers floor ;0.  So they just up and left pretty much, thought it was odd no "see ya around" or something but maybe the whisky courage wore off so no big deal; again not looking did not care, lol.  A little while later in they walked, and Mark was carrying an ice cap...I did not know when he walked in it was for me so I'm sure to some extent I was salivating, lol.  He came over to the bar and handed it to me and pointed out he heard my comment about killing for an ice cap.  So he and P drove to the next town with a Timmy's about 20 mins away, got themselves some lunch and Mark brought me back an ice cap.  That was it, literally.  From that day on we started "dating" I guess you would call it, moved in together 5 months later in April of 2010 and had a baby in July 2011.  So even though this is a long winded read, you get the point.  Everything happens for a reason and dont' fight it; something better is always coming no matter how dark something may seem at the time.  All of the above events brought me to where I am right now, signing off this blog to go give breakfast to my AMAZING son Knox who I could not imagine a single moment without!  And the best part, I swore my whole life I never wanted children at all.  Even when Mark and I started dated he got the "you don't want kids right?" talk as there was not way I was even having kids; period.  Then I woke up one day and decided I wanted one; literally just like that and we chatted about it for a few months and then decided in September 2010 to have a baby and I was pregnant just over 2 weeks later the middle of October ;)
So don't fight change, everything happens for a reason!!!!  And for more of my work and more of Erin's TTD please visit my website at www.christinabethlehemphotography.com and my FB Page at www.facebook.com/christinabethlehemphotography

2 hours until the start of the lovely Erin's Trash The Dress session!!! Fantastic weather, thank you mother nature!!! Only thing that could make it better were if some big puffy white clouds could show up as they always look great in pics on sunny days! I'm shooting around Carseland, the campground and Wyndham Park starting at 12:00 so if anyone would like some photos today in those areas!

Well mother nature messed up the grad photo session today with horses so it will be done after grad now, oh well...but now I am even more excited for Erin's Trash The Dress session tomorrow!  I can't wait to do the session and praying mother nature gives up a break from oh 12:00-1:00pm! lol

On the bright side with being home today, I was able to add some new items to my Custom Creations By Christina "business"....custom wine glass charms!  They can be made for any name you like!  Here are the images of the Bride, Groom and Love wine glass charms.  They are just $4 each, $7/2 or $10/3, a very unique but inexpensive gift for any occasion.  You can see more at www.facebook.com/customcreationsbychristina

Only 2 page views away from 700 hits!  Nice, but I know I can do better so lets see if we can hit 800 by then end of May then I just be in line here for 1000 in July which would go perfectly with my goal of 1000 Like's on my Facebook page www.facebook.com/christinabethlehemphotography so head over there if you have not done so already and "like" the page!  The perk for you is seeing some great photos but more importantly you will be kept up to date with contests and promos all year long!  While you are surfing the net clicking away why not also swing by my fabulous new website that was just launched a week or so ago at www.christinabethlehemphotography.com

So last night I was at the Nickelback concert here in Calgary.  I had bought the tickets months ago as a birthday present for the BF (btw, BF for me is boyfriend, not best friend, lol) and a few great friends also came with us.  The concert was great, I was just a little off myself with a 6pm start with the sun still shining outside; it just felt weird to be at a rock concert to me in the middle of the day.  The opening acts My Darkest Days, Seether and Bush were are great and I do like all of the bands but clearly Nickelback was the big draw as the dome was maybe only at 50% capacity until they hit the stage.  There are many Nickelback haters out there; I'm not even sure why to be honest?!  Especially Nickelback haters in Alberta, and this part of Alberta...hello?!  Not to take anything away at all from all the other amazing Canadian artists from Celine Dion to Bryan Adams to Justin Bieber (not my cup of tea on the Bieber part but I am also not his target audience!) but in all seriousness; Nickelback is not only Canadian, Not only Albertan but OUR part of Alberta and as far as I am concerned they are extremely talented.  I have been a fan from day 1 long before they were getting radio play every hour on major stations on over the world, I enjoy their music and lyrics in general, I can personalize with more than 1 of their songs and hell; they actually sound as good live as they do on the radio!  That right there is worth it's weight in gold for me.  I have been to soooo many concerts where it is a huge disappointment to realize the band/singer has been edited to death in the recording studio to the point it does not even sound liek the same band/person live.  Kind of like how you see those photo shop tutorials where they take a middle age woman next door like myself perhaps and a photoshop wizard makes me look like a bloody centerfold 10 years younger!  This was not my 1st Nickelback concert nor will it be my last and once again I am proud they are from my part of the world, actually sound like Nickelback live and they put on another great show here last night in Calgary.

Custom Creations by Christina now has (wait for it.....) custom flip flops for the bride and bridal party...or just any girl that wants some pretty flip flops in white, black or pink with any color of bling she would like!  That's right....you pick the base color of the flip flop then state what color of bling your would like on them and here is the best part!  They are only $15 each or 3 pairs for $40...that's WalMart pricing for custom flip flops!  LOVE IT!!!  Here is a pic of a sample bride pair in white and a black pair with pink bling which I will be rocking this weekend, oh ya!!!!  Head on over to www.facebook.com/customcreationsbychristina for these and other great items but remember, everything is custom made to suit your specifications and budget so just tell them what you want!

Brides!!! Have you been to WeddingLovely?  If you haev not, what exactly are you waiting for???  This is where you need to go for all the latest tips, articles, DIY ideas for the DIY Bride and of course for a FULL list of only the very best wedding related companies/vendors in your area!  Whether you are in the market for a venue, stationary or a photographer; WeddingLovely has one stop shopping for everything you need!  You will even see yours truly there as a Calgary area preferred wedding photographer which in my opinion is JUST FANTASTIC!!!  I'm just a little bit excited to see myself listed on there... ;)  So, for your WeddingLovely virgins the website is www.weddinglovely.com and don't wait another minute!  Seriously, why are you still reading my blog; get over to WeddingLovely!!!

So with my "creative" side and reluctance to buy run of the mill gifts for people that 10,000 other people have...I got to thinking last week what I could do about it myself.  And from that "Custom Creations By Christina" was "born" lol.  The little man and photography keep me busy by all means but I try not to do much photo editing when at home with the little man as now that he is very mobile and getting in to absolutely everything it can be difficult to edit photos with having to look away from the computer every 20 seconds so it is typically left to evenings and weekends when Knox plays with daddy :)  But I still wanted something else to do so I thought of "unique" gifts that people would happily give to someone whether it be for mothers day, birthday or for your bridesmaids.  The "site" is very much a work in progress and I have a very very long way to go but I do have a few example up and a few pending orders as well.  There is MUCH more to come as I get all the supplies for my other ideas and sit down to make them and take photos.  So head on over to Custom Creations By Christina at www.facebook.com/customcreationsbychristina and take a look at the few examples I have like little gift baskets, coca cola glass mugs filled with candy or diaper cupcakes and large cupcakes made of baby blankets and body suits!  Boring old gifts are a thing of the past!  Not only will I have a small inventory on hand of basic items but what I am MOST looking forward to are the custom orders..perhaps and office that requires 20 gifts on admin. professional day or a bride looking for unique tailored gifts for all the girls in the wedding party!  The sky is the limit, just send me a note with what your budget is and what you would like and just think of me as your "personal shopper gift maker".

Hope all the fabulous mommies out there have a fantastic mothers day!  This 1st time mommy is shutting the computer down now that the little man is up from his nap and after lunch some outside play and a walk are in order! 

Well I have dropped off the face of the earth!  Did you miss me?  Wait, don't answer that! lol  I had a busy busy weekend...hired Thursday for a Saturday wedding which was great even though mother nature refused to let us get even one outdoor photo so we improvised with Kane's Harley Diner, an Art Gallery and the Bentley and Aston Martin dealership so some variety to say the least!  So I have been tucked away editing and hopefully will be done by next week....so fingers crossed for a 8-9 day turn around on wedding photos!  On a seperate note, almost every day I am asked if I have a website in addition to this Blog and my Facebook Page and the answer is no...but there will be very soon!  I think with not having an actual website that would show up in search engines I am missing out on potential customers so I have joined the dark side and have started designing a website.  I use the term "designing" very lightly as quite frankly I have no idea what I am doing but by no means in a position to pay to have a 3rd party build one for me so it will have to do until I win the lotto.  Depending on how the little man is as far as happy vs. cranky, I am hoping to have it "live" this week sometime and of course if I can figure out what I'm doing, lol.  The typing in my info, putting links to here and Fb are easy...where I am going to get a bit stumped is doing the meta tags/keyword's etc. for the search engine.  Can I not just have one amazing catch phrase that every single person in the general Calgary area would type in if looking for a photographer? lol  Must have radio stations start playing subliminal messages "Christina Bethlehem Photography" for the listeners "Christina Bethlehem Photography" to hear while they enjoy the music "Christina Bethlehem Photography" so that when they sit at the computer they just type in my company name!  I wonder.... ;)  On that note, hope everyone is FABULOUS so I am going to try and do a few more mins. work on the website and TRY to be asleep by 11:30 as the little man rises early and...I'm meeting a Bride tomorrow :)

About a week or so ago I wrote a little something about professional courtesy as I had a bee in my bonnet about something.  This morning I just learned that the sheer lack of personal/professional courtesy is far more wide spread then I even imagined!  I advertise on Kijiji, it's free; why not?!  I also go through the looking for ad's as well...never know right?  Today was just one of those mornings or right place right time for me I guess.  There was an ad looking for a wedding photographer as there usually is every few days.  Some I respond to, others I do not if they do not seem like a good fit.  This one caught my eye, the wedding is this weekend; yes 48 hours from now.  So to make a long story short a photographer was booked and as the big day approaches, the bride is of course trying to get every last detail sorted out; crazy huh?  Wanting to make sure everything for one of the biggest day's of your life is going to go as planned!  Well, no response from photographer; at all.  So my understanding is a web page was visited and that is how the bride found out that something has come up health wise and the photographer is not working at this time.  I truly hope the photographer is okay but, here is my "beef".  Where was the courtesy call/email/text/carrier pigeon if necessary to advise your customers of this?  I do not think a general website comment is sufficient, to me that more informs people looking to hire you; not people that have already booked your services!  So if there was time or a person able to update the website, could they not have contacted people that were already booked?  Especially a wedding?  Family photos can always get done another weekend as can most photos but a wedding?  I was shocked to hear this story to say the least...so in short....hope the photographer is okay, feel awful this bride had to go through this just 48hrs before wedding, yaaay for me; I had nothing booked this Saturday as I was getting my hair done now I'm shooting a wedding (hair Sunday now) and people PLEASE.....courtesy, courtesy, courtesy!!!  It really goes a long way and in some cases is just the right thing to do, PERIOD.  Okay, now back to scouting out locations for this wedding Saturday!!!!

Brides.....do you know 2 of the top wedding trends for 2012? The 1st is your venue...many brides are going away from the typical hotel/golf course reception venue and opting for a ranch or farm that has a lovely barn to accommodate a full reception! This is no longer just something a country bumpkin does; it's catching on for brides everywhere. There are lots of places that specialize in using thier facility (barn) for weddings and other gatherings but you would be surprised if you just ask around how easy it may be to find a private one with just a bit of hard work and word of mouth. As long as the structure is sound, you may be able to get the farmer down the road to let you use his property in exchange for you and your helpers just clearing and cleaning it out! Make sure the owner gets an invite to your reception and by all means; even if they were kind enough to not charge you; show your appreciation in some way. After all....how many thousands of $'s did you save by not renting out a hotel conference/banquet room?

The other trend is in dresses.....long sleeves and lace are making a huge come back this year. Elegant and classic lines accompany the in high demand gowns this year. Kate Middleton and the latest Twilight movie are said the big the biggest influence for this new trend. Now here is where I have to insert an opinion....how does an elegant beautiful well educated now Royal get put in the same classification as the Twilight movies??? Sorry Kate Middleton but unless you are a fan (please do not be a fan) this is bordering on insulting to your classic taste. I will stop there before I loose 300+ fans with my Twilight opinions, they are just that; my opinions...so to each their own! Just shocking those two could be responsible for the same trend?!

 

 

Yup, you are seeing correct....I just changed my blog background to ZEBRA stripes!!!  I am such a girl, lol.....ZEBRA stripes, pink & purple?!  I know a certain friend that may have those colors/themes at her wedding next year! lol

So out and about today I found another great old barn, pretty much obsessed with old barns!  But they just look great so how can I not be?!  Anyhow, the way I edited this photo tonight....the second I was done I looked up at my screen and the photo just screams CD Jacket to me!  Now since it was taken in Alberta, 1st band naturally that comes to mind is Nickelback of course; so I even shared it on the Nickelback Facebook page ;0  Who knows...maybe their people will call my people (Knox, my baby) and offer ludicrous amounts of royalty money to use it for their next album cover; which I have also named for them so it fits the photo of course!  My photo for the CD Jacket and the album should be called "Home Again"!  Can you see the vision???  All the boys have to do is write the songs during this tour spend some time in the studio late 2012 early 2013 and voila...new CD, lol.  So tell me what you think!!!!  I am dying to hear at least 1 person agree with me!!!  On a slight side bar...guess who has tickets to the show in Calgary in just a few weeks??? Hehehehe, just a tad excited event though I will miss my little man more than anything being out that night.

So as some as you may know, I also sell my fine art prints for you to enjoy in your home or office; they also make GREAT gifts for someone that may be a bit hard to buy for, has everything (like my dad), and they are getting something unique! Not just a mass produced item from a major retailer that sold another 100,000 units of the same item that week! Print pricing is as follows and does not include shipping as you advise me at time of purchase if you would like to pick up, use Canada Post or a Courier; then shipping charges are added to cost of prints. 5x7 $10.00, 8x10 $25.00, 11x14 $35.00, 16x20 $45.00, 20x24 $55.00 and 20x30 $65.00. Some of my framed art is now available for viewing & purchase at the Strathmore Chamber of Commerce.  I have never had a "sale" so lets see how it goes over!  Order and pay for your prints (electronic money transfer through major financial institute) by Friday May 4th and receive the following discounts!  1 print 10% off, 2 prints 15% off, 3 prints 20% off, 4 prints 25% off and 5 prints 30% off!  % off is of total order and any combination of sizes ordered is fine.  Should you wish to order 6 or more prints, please inquire within and we will make a "deal" on that as well!  Here are a few examples of prints you could order for your grad, mothers day, fathers day, birthday or just because for some brownie points!

Have you ever captured a rainbow in a photo?  A great photo with a rainbow can stop almost anyone in their tracks as to me, they are majestic.  The biggest issue is actually finding one to photograph, easier said then done!  So on top of always having your camera ready, you can learn to anticipate when and where a rainbow may occur.  See tip below I found on the Internet today, I just love learning something new!
To see one, you'll need both water in the air and bright sunlight. Rainbows commonly appear right before or after a storm hits your location, when it's raining nearby but the clouds have parted, allowing the sun to peek through. Rainbows always appear in the sky opposite the sun--so if the sun is in the west, look east for your rainbow.
Feel free to send your rainbow photos my way for me to post on my blog :)  Would love to share with everyone....email to cbethlehemphotography@gmail.com and just advise in the email who should be credited for the photo, aka your name ;)

Body By Vi...have you heard of it?  It appears to be the latest health trend for getting fit & fabulous.  Check out the link to the right "Body By Vi with Nicola" for more information.....some of you may recall Nicola was one of my free mini shoot contest winners that has lost over 100 lbs!  Pretty impressive to say the least.

Had a great time Friday night shooting an Indian Wedding Reception.  It was a fantastic experience as I have never had the opportunity before and can not wait to book my 1st full Indian wedding from Ceremony to Formals and Reception.  I love color and there is nothing that can compete with the beautiful elegant rich colors of all the Saris!  I am hooked...like a kid in a candy shop, would love to do one this summer so fingers crossed there is a couple out there in Calgary getting married this summer/fall or even winter that does not yet have a photographer!

Happy Friday everyone!  The weather here is certainly lacking but at least it's not -20 or snowing, so overcast and rain it is!  Overcast day's can actually make for some great outdoor portrait sessions!  Don't ever assume you have to cancel a session just because it is not hot & sunny out.  Granted, we don't want our customers to be cold with lips turning blue, but a cooler day with lots of clouds or completely overcast also makes for some great photos!  Check out the link below to a fantastic article with 101 photography tips, great tips for everyone.  Not just a reminder to actual photographers but always a good read for people before they go to their own sessions or just some basics before you pull out your point & shoot or cell phone at the next bday party or hike in the woods! 
http://improvephotography.com/1305/101-portrait-photography-tips-to-improve-your-photography/

A post before bed?!  It has been a long day, my little man has not been feeling well and myself sleep has eluded me lately even though the little one has let me sleep though the night, go figure; sigh.  Since I have messed around with my new flas a bit tonight (SB-700 loving it), my tip would have to be the obvious.  Read your manuals people, then read then again, then play play play and the lovely Internet here is a wealth of information so, Google it!  You will be amazed at what you learn if you just take the time to read your manuals, play around with things and seek advice!  You are not the 1st person nor will you be the last with something new or needing a bit of instruction.  A day without learning something new is a day lost!
On a completely separate note, what does everyone think about common courtesy?  I am personally a BIG FAN of it, the whole Karma thing; respect!  They all go hand in hand and sadly most forget about it in day to day life but in the professional world, especially where you are the talent, driver, advertising/marketing guru and don't forget sales rep all in one (plus about 10 other hats) if you are say the "owner" of the company of at the very least your paycheck would depend on your direct work and involvement with someone, would you not give it 110% and have a bit of courtesy?  Can you tell I have a bee in my bonnet?  Bzzz bzzz bzzz!  This brings to mind 2 different situations!  Last year I got a call from a lady looking to have photos done in her home, it was a Saturday morning and it was November; I know this as it was hunting season and Knox and I were in the middle of a field driving Mark's truck around while he was out hunting Bambi...sorry kids :(  I did not answer my phone as I was trying to keep a then 4 month old Knox from bouncing right out of his car seat as I navigated through he field but once stopped checked my voicemail.  Her photographer had cancelled that morning a few hours before the shoot and she was looking for someone to come in that day.  I was about the 4th person she called and here is the kicker, even though I could not go on that day due to where I was; she held out until I could make it the following weekend just because I actually called her back and explained that I could not make it that day on the short notice!  Insert common courtesy here...3 other photographers lost the job and any future work for this family because they could not even return her call to just simply say they were otherwise engaged!  I could not imagine myself.  I feel AWFUL if I do not respond to someone within a few hours, same day at worst even if the wee one is having a bad day.  The other situation that came to mind was where I among other photographers were being interviewed for an upcoming job that was quite large.  I knew there were people seen before me and going to be people after me and I am hardly a world wide in demand professional raking in 6 figures so I was fully aware I had competition; no problem; can't win them all.  All the regular pleasantries were gone through during my interview about liking my work, my great ideas etc.  And I'm sure all the other photographers heard similar things, again no worries; we all have different styles and pricing.  I knew a decision would be made within a few weeks and expected to hear 1 way or the other, common courtesy people; only takes a split second.  I actual even emailed the "middle man" after interview as there was something I could add on so to speak to the package I had offered and also to thank the middle man and the people interviewing photographers for their time and the opportunity to meet with them.  A few weeks pass by and no response to my actual email or even a separate email asking to either meet again to move forward or thanks for your time but they hired someone else.  So me in my little pink bubble thinks maybe I still have a shot since I have not heard anything!  NOPE, cruising around on the Internet tonight I see some photos of the event; another photographer was awarded the job.  Congratulations to them by all means, the photos were fantastic and obviously the better choice for these people; no worries at all.  What got me in the "middle man" could not even respond to my email or just send a quick note; someone else got it but thanks.  Where is common and professional courtesy?  Everyone is busy, I get it; trust me I get it!  But just 2 minutes would go a very long way in extending some courtesy.  So whether you need to extend it in your personal life, return your dad's call for petes sake or professionally; let that person know they were not the chosen one...start tomorrow!  Have a great night everyone...I guess morning soon as it is almost midnight; yikes!

Beautiful sunset from last night in Carseland, AB.  Spring and Fall really do have the best sunsets!!!

Who has been to Paris? Rome? Venice?  Well, I have not but have DREAMED of going for as long as I can remember.  And this year I have had a number of friends vacation in these places and the travel bug has hit an all new high so.....today Operation Gladiator (inside joke due to my love of the movie Gladiator) starts, lol.  I turn 40 in 2014 (wow!!) and have decided I am going to do everything in my power to save up the next 2 years to make this dream a reality!  And I figure since there is sooooo much to see, 4 weeks (1 week for every decade waited for this trip) should be the perfect amount of time to see absolutely EVERYTHING without being rushed.  And Knox will be 3 so much better equipped for the long flight and the even longer days.  I can already imagine all the amazing photos I will get...oooh; so very exciting...now to just make it happen!  Would love to hear about everyone's trips to any of these places and pointers of where to go, where to stay etc....anything and everything!  Help me plan Operation Gladiator!

Further to the post this morning about a tri-pod, make sure you check it before you leave! lol  There are 3 tri-pods in my home and I of course grabbed the one not exactly designed for my camera, it still would have worked mind you but it is "flimsy" for a heavy DSLR.  That was not even the issue, sadly as I was tightening everything up, the main clip broke and it's pretty much a prop now and no water photo's for today.  On the bright side, I did get a few old abandoned houses, some equine and great blue sky with big fluffy white cloud photos today.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!  With the warm weather now here, hopefully to stay in the Calgary area; I start thinking about all the spring & summer photos I want to take before the cold returns in the fall!  The first thing that comes to mind is water....I use to have an amazing waterfall photo where the shutter speed was slowed right down so that the photo had that great effect where the water was almost frozen or appeared more like a painting then a photograph.  Sadly I do not have this anymore as I have lost a memory card with a trip to Banff on it and a bunch of my Equine photos.  Not a happy girl about the loss but I will just have to take more :)  So if you have ever wanted to get a photo like that, 1st thing is to get out your tripod or buy/borrow one for your camera.  You can not do this type of shot without a tripod.  For this effect the shutter speed must be slowed down to AT LEAST 1 second and you can play with it from there and take several photos at different shutter speeds so that you are sure to get at least 1 pic you love with this effect.  Just please do not try it without the tripod, you will be disappointed.  It is imposable for even a SURGEON to stand and keep hands 100% completely still for this longer exposure.  So get your camera, tripod and head out and get some shots, I know I am going to.  If you like, email me your photos and I will post some of them here on the blog wall to see a few of the ones submitted.  Just be sure when you email the photo to also include a few bits of info like the camera, lens (if applicable) and shutter speed used and the name of course you would like credited to the photo.  Email photos this week to cbethlehemphotography@gmail.com

I just discovered a fantastic local company that makes the BEST Diaper Cakes and other amazing baby shower gifts!  These are amazing, check out these creations!!!  And the talented owner/designer Erin, is also a hobby photographer that I am doing a Trash The Dress with next month and I think she just may come along to a few weddings with me this year to back up shoot for some experience, can't wait!  The link has also been added to the right here, Erin's Diaper Cakes

What a beautiful day out already!  And the weather in this past of the world is suppose to be amazing this weekend....around +20!  Hello BBQ and getting the little on outside for some Vitamin D :)  And ironically, the 1st truly beautiful weekend of the year, and nobody has photos booked this weekend!  The sun will be shining and the natural light unbeatable but no photos on the agenda :(  Sigh, lol.  What are every one's plans for this weekend?

Here is a fantastic link for all Bride's...just in case you have not heard of it ;) 
Style Me Pretty http://www.stylemepretty.com/
It is the best place to find ideas, trends, vendors...just about everything you need for your wedding and even a few things you may not have even known you needed it until you saw it!  Happy surfing and stay pretty!

When taking photos of any type it is very easy for people to get use to taking photos just in automatic mode...cameras nowadays do a very good job in auto mode but step outside your comfort zone and start with even shooting in different scene modes like portrait & landscape to see the difference!  The more you understand your camera the better your photos will look.  When you have "mastered" the different scene modes, if your camera is equipped try shooting in S, A and eventually M modes.  S is for shutter priority, you control how long the shutter stays open.  A is for Aperture which indicates how wide open your lens is...the smaller the number the more wide open your lens is the more light that is let in.  The larger the number the narrower the lens is open and less light is let in.  Your camera guide will be fairly helpful, READ IT!  When you are done with the manual, places like Chapters and Indigo have hundreds of books that you can pick up and lastly of course, the Internet is a great source of information to Google questions!  Happy shooting :)

 Went out for a drive today in search of some new photos and to get the little man out of the house before we both went shack wacky!  Here are 2 Equine photos from my travels today.  No idea who the owner of these beautiful horses is as I just saw them while driving along and pulled over to shoot from the road :)  I love taking the photo's but I'm going to be the 1st to admit I have no idea if these are boys or girls and don't even get my niece Micaela started on color...she is a horse LOVER so she knows everything....she gets sooooo frustrated that all I know other than brown, white or black is I know what a paint looks like, lol....drives her nuts but hey, she is the one that owns them, loves them & rides them...I just take the photos!

My fabulous fuchsia Clover camera bag on the road again today...I guess on the tracks today!? lol  These are the BEST camera bags ever.... www.epiphaniebags.com

Knox up from his nap all smiles...does this mean a good few hours or is he just messing with me like earlier cause' he woke up all smiles and happy then but snapped his crayons shortly after! lol  He can be a little mischievous ;)

Had to check out the new things on Uncrate before logging off for a bit and found something pretty cool!  I LOVE music, have hundreds & hundreds of songs on my iPhone, I also spend allot of time driving and have a wee one that makes it hard to actually hold a phone....I think I may have just found the answer to my problem!  In ear bud design is perfect as I am very hard of hearing, especially on phones!  Wireless so I don't have to actually hold the phone or have it in my pocket and short wires that would easily tuck under my hair away from the wee ones fast little hands!!  We have a winner, I will add this to my wish list of a zillion things I am buying for myself when I win the lottery! lol
Plantronics BackBeat® GO wireless earbuds – incredibly small, amazingly light. No wires, no hassle, no compromise. Easily slips into your pocket, but still packs full‐on stereo sound. So you can listen to music, chat with friends, or watch movies on your tablet. Even play games on the go. And Bluetooth technology makes it a snap to connect wirelessly. Comfort? No problem. There are three sizes of cushioned eartips and two stabilizers for a secure, comfortable fit. Incoming call? Inline controls let you pause music to take a call, change volume, or skip tracks. Great sound in a small package. BackBeat GO. Get Going.

Apparently it is Wednesday??!!  It really feels like Monday though....Knox was not a happy camper this morning at all so he decided to delight my ears with about 2 hours of screaming/crying unless there was food in his mouth....finally got him down for a nap, fingers crossed it lasts at least another half hour or this day will pretty much be a complete write off, lol.  Then add in a headache with no Advil and Tassimo brewer on the fritz for day #2!  After 3 complete cycles is has not even given me a full cup of coffee!  Does this brewer does not realize it is messing with it's very own existence and the safety of others?! lol  Oh well, shall try again and hope for the best...maybe find some lunch while I'm at it before the wee on wakes up!  So who has checked out any of the sites I have linked to the right here?  Which ones have you been to and what do you think? 

Since the wee one is busy behind me tearing apart the kitchen....again...correction....as I type I can feel his cute little hands crawling up my leg as the chair and I both get used to practice standing, lol I decided to "mess" with my software!  I have not done photo overlays (super-imposing) for a few years, no idea why really?  So here are the 2 I just "made".....what do you think???  Please feel free to leave comments :)

After my post last night about the iPro Lens System for iPhone 4's, a friend posted a link for me to another company that makes some pretty cool camera "stuff" for the iPhone...yet another site I am now hooked on!  Can pretty much get the same "stuff" the iPro Lens System offers with even more gadgets!  Oh my....how am I ever going to fund buying new lenses for my Nikon and now these cool toys for my iPhone?!  So yet another page for you to check out is http://www.fourcornerstore.com/ which is also listed to the right here in my favorite places.  At this site you can even order a Holga iPhone Filter case for $25!  I am sooooo in need of someone to take away my credit card before the is an EPIC FAIL with un-supervised online shopping!!  And if you have not maxed out your credit card at Four Corner Store head right on over to http://uncrate.com/ where you will not only find the link for what I just posted above but absolutely everything cool that guy's (and ME) LOVE!  It gives you the link to a new $15k Canon, the new Adastra Yacht for a cool $15 million and everything in between like custom pig roasters, Marshall Amp fridges and the Brew Cave Walk In Beer Cooler for under $7k.....this is a site without a doubt that should have full adult supervisions while browsing!  You don't have to order up the $15 million dollar yacht to get in trouble here.  Hope you enjoy these sites and please, shop responsibly and buy stuff for me, lol!

Leave it to the technology world to now offer a lens kit for your iPhone 4!  Yes, you read correct...the people at Schneider Optics have developed the iPro Lens System which contains a fisheye and a wide-angle lens, even a pocket size lens case that houses the lenses when not in use, but also serves as a universal tripod mount and convenient grip!  When I first read this I seriously shook my head even though I own an iPhone as my 1st thought was "seriously"?  But then I went to the website and looked at the kit and now I have to admit....I want Santa to bring this for me but I do not want to wait for xmas.  I have been a pretty good girl so maaaaybe this could be a gift to myself in July for my bday, lol.  It's a gadget no doubt, it's new and cool and pertains to photography so I'm in!  So here is a shout out to the people at Schneider Optics, good job; and what will you think of next?!  And if you would like a iPhone 4 user and photographer in Alberta Canada to give a full review feel free to send one my way to demo ;)  If anyone would like to read all the details about this amazing little kit or order one (email me for my mailing address, I will accept a gift just this one time, lol) head over to www.iprolens.com

Just finished adding some more photo's here and also....taaaadaaaa, on the right here you will see something new!  Check out the link's of some of my favorite companies to check out.  There is a little bit of everything like Epiphanie Camera Bags that will absolutely rock your world, they are fabulous; I can not tell you enough...just order one!  They are so versatile it's unbelievable, they are in fact proper camera bags that fit your DSLR body, multiple lenses, charger, laptop, keys, cell phone, business cards etc...but that's not all....I can also fit my wallet, my little makeup bag, a pack of baby wipes, handful of diapers, spare sleeper...get the drift?! lol  My bag is the FUCHSIA PINK Clover, and well....I am in LOVE!!  I will absolutely be ordering another one someday ;)  This one was a gift from the BF, Mark...major brownie points that day, lol.  Other links you will find are The Media Group who are simply amazing to work with.  Anyone requiring any media related service....professional FB Page, Website etc....contact the Media Group; you will not be disappointed with them!  I started my own FB page and after 3 months was struggling to hit 100 likes.....now I am over 600 likes and it literally took off overnight once The Media Group got ahold of my FB Page and started working on it.

Above I mentioned the BF, Mark....well he had just come in the kitchen a few moments ago looking to make popcorn...we are both serious popcorn junkies; our dentist bills show it ;)  The little man Knox is fast asleep after a very long day with no nap so Mark was wondering if making popcorn would wake him as he said, and I quote "you know he has a nose for food like a bloodhound and could work at the border sniffing stuff out", lol....and he could, seriously!  I said go ahead, Knox is out COLD!  Within 60 seconds of the popcorn being done the cries started coming from down the hall, lol.  Luckily I got Knox right back to sleep.  Seriously though, the boy could work for border services at just 9 months old!  when he was only about 6 weeks old we were in BC for my best friend Krissy's wedding...again after a very long day Knox was out cold on the drive back to our hotel from the reception...Mark and I were a bit hungry so yup, the golden arches called....and guess who woke up the second the bag of food was in the car?!  Keen nose on that one :)

Have a fantastic rest of your evening everyone...think I will make my own popcorn now!