February Fever Photo Shoot

Hello Everyone!

I hope that in my absence you have all been well and I especially hope that you all had a very happy Hearts Day on the 14th.

I've been focussing on my weight loss quite a bit and getting out there in the world and doing things even if it's running my son around from swimming lessons to Cub Scouts, and I'm enjoying every minute of it!!

I've also just recently had an amazing photo shoot with my bestie friend turned client and I just had to share the glorius pictures with you all because she's such a beautiful woman!  Hard to believe she was nervous.

Doesn't she just have the most amazing infectious smile?

And just because I feel I don't advertise my photography enough, for those of you that are interested click the link below to go to my flikr account for all my photo sessions seen in brilliant color.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drisphotography/

 

 

 

XoXo,

Zxen

365 Days - Photography

Fantasy

365 Days - Photography

365 Days - Submerge

I took this photo today of my son during his swim lesson at the local pool just around our house.  Of course he wouldn't be my son if he didn't throw in a goofy grin for good measure.  What a ham!


























XoXo,
Zxen

365 Days - Off The Beaten Path

This photo I took walking down the beaten path at Stanley Park.

XoXo,

Zxen

365 Days - Reflections

Todays photo is an oldie, but a goodie and I think everyone tries one of these when they get a new lens or a new camera.

 

Eeeeew!  I think I should wash the mirror lol

XoXo,

Zxen

365 Days of Everything

Gaaaah!  Can you guys believe it's the second week of January already?
The end of this week will mark a special moment for me and the hubby and our son.
We bought a house!
What a perfect way to start off the year.  Please don't mistake my excitement as showing off because my point is that we finally have a place to call home since we've moved to BC.
The search started towards the last two months of last year, and as house hunters many of you know finding that special place is no easy task.  You look at upteen houses each with their own problems.  There's also location to consider, and price and so much more, but the minute I stepped foot in this place, I just knew!
After endless appointments with the bank to set up financing and lawyer meetings and waiting for the time to come, this weekend we get the keys and I'm so stoked!
It's a townhouse that backs onto a protected greenbelt and that alone is exciting.  I can't wait to get out there and start taking pictures.
That being said I haven't really been doing my photography lately.  I'm such a slacker!
To get myself motivated I've decided to start a 365 day project.  Each day I will post one picture of everything and nothing.  Food, cars, people, bugs, whatever!  At least it will inspire me to get out there and shoot.  Hopefully this challenge will go a little better than the October Photoblog Challenge I did, in the sense that I might actually finish this one!


Here goes...my first picture for the challenge.  I call it.....Berryliscious.

What have you been up to beauties?




XoXo,
Zxen

Breezing Into Fall

This morning was one of the best mornings I've had in a long time.  For the first time I woke up with absolutely nothing on my mind.  I didn't have to worry about feeding the kid, or the dogs, or cleaning the house.  The hubby did it for me and I got to sleep in, which was much appreciated!  Breakfast in bed is something that I believe everybody should experience!

We're always on such a tight schedule from the minute we wake up to the very last second we go to sleep.  Even our dreams are robbed of their proper due because we end up dreaming about what we have to do the next day.

For one day out of a month I have an "I don't give a shit day!"  One day where I do absolutely nothing!  Granted it's usually on my day off from work, but still.  I do absolutely nothing!
So the laundry needs to get done, big deal.  The kids need to be fed and so do the dogs, make the hubby do it!  The grass needs to be cut, what's waiting another day?

In all honesty ladies, I've come to the conclusion that we've been so well bred that certain chores; shopping, cooking, cleaning are the womans responsibility.  Once a month I say to hell with that!

We live in an era of equality and that means both the male and the female population work, that also means guys that you can do some damn chores!!  Or come home with the groceries!  Throw your own socks in the washing machine!
That's why once a month I go on strike!

There's those lucky women out there who have their men so well trained that they may already do these things for you (lucky bitches!) but some of us are not that lucky.  So to you ladies I say, take one day for yourself!  Do what you wanna do!  Go where you wanna go!  Eat what you wanna eat!
We need these days to ourselves to keep us sane.  I'm telling you, you won't regret it.



Anyway, enough about that.  After breakfast in bed, we went as a family for a walk.  Of course my son grumbled and mumbled but the dogs and Hubby were all too willing.  They know not to mess with me during that time of month, and what's better, that time of month plus my day of strike!  Sweet heavenly bliss!
I ended up bringing my camera with me as I so often do and decided to play around with it.  Dorin was my model  :)  He's such a handsome little boy!

He's got a face only his Momma could love!  :P

This is our Cookie.  We picked her out when she was only five weeks old and look at her now!

Our other Lab was walking ahead with daddy so they missed their opportunity for picture whoring.

Yup, he's gonna break a lot of hearts when he gets older.

XoXo,
Zxen

Where Does The Time Go?

With the beginning of September comes and goes the beginning of a new school year.
It's hard to believe that summer is over. Where did the time go?

My little man is starting grade 3 and some of you may just be putting your little ones into Kindergarten. It seems like just yesterday when Dorin was going to Kindergarten and again I ask where did the time go?

Every school year is a mother's new dread. Between school supplies, a new wardrobe, new friends, PTA meetings and the enrollment in extra curricular activities there comes an unstable stress level. For me, the majority of my stress is not in relation to buying him new clothes because of his sudden 2" growth spurt, or because of an endless list of school supplies but because the realization that my baby is growing up right before my eyes, hits me like a ton of bricks.

I can still remember when he was in my belly demanding his cheese obsession be satiated and bruising my ribs from his endless kicks.
How is it that we get so comfortable in our role of parenthood that we don't notice the time fly by until it hits us right between the eyes when we least expect it, like it does me on his first days of school? Perhaps my sadness comes not from the fact that he is indeed getting older and maturing before my eyes, but in the fact that I too continue to mature and get older.

You're only as old as you feel!
Stay healthy my Sweets!

XoXo,
Zxen

Growing Up is Hard to Do!

When I was a little girl, I grew up with Disney, Fox and even Shakespear (yes even Shakespear because you're never too young or too old!) movies just as much as the next girl.
My favorite movie for the longest time had been The Little Mermaid and I remember I wasn't happy until I'd watched it at least once a day. Believe it or not I still have the original released VHS version (well worn but still running and working) and I would watch it everyday still if a) I still believed in that sort of thing b) still had a VCR in my house and c) wouldn't think it so ridiculous to watch a girls Disney movie at almost the age of thirty.

Despite having said all that though, there is a small part of me that still believes, in faery's, in magic an in all things mythical. In my mind lurks Centaurs and Dragons...Prince's and Princess's...Faery's and Knights...because at heart I'm still the same six year old glued to the t.v. I was 23 years ago singing to some fabulous Princess tunes!

Romeo and Juliet

the Wizard of Oz

Alice in Wonderland
(Always was a little creeped out by a frantic giant bunny and the evil Queen of Hearts)

Cinderella

Snow White

Sleeping beauty

Peter Pan

The Little Mermaid

Beauty and The Beast

Much respect and adoration to Annie Leibovitz for sharing her fantastic photographic capabilities with the world. ALL, except for Snow White are her images. She truly brings my fantasies to life.

XoXo,
Zxen

Photography

Since I LOVE photography so much I wanted to share some of my favorite and most memorable pictures with you all.

I think for the most part I annoy the hell out of my family and friends now that I know how to use my camera professionally. Before it used to be for fun, but now it's constant. I can't help but laugh. It has consumed my life. I don't leave the house without my camera, and when I do I always find something to photograph and kick myself in the ass for not having brought it with me.

For the most part my son used to be my object of affection, but he's since learned how to avoid the lens which is infuriatingly annoying.
As a doting mother I have every right and every responsibility to infringe myself on my son and capture every minute of his life. I'm slowly learning that this isn't so cool amongst his peers and is borderline embarrassing even at seven years old. Sheesh! I still give my mum hugs and kisses. How times have changed...
I took this back home in Ontario the first and last year we put up a pool. He should have webbed feet he loves to swim so much.

Here he is with his cousin born just a few months before him. They were the best of friends.


A sliding we will go...a sliding we will go...high ho the merry o a sliding we will go!

This is my gorgeous cousin! Definite body envy here, but she's my best friend so it's all good!

Me and my better half, but really I'm his better half :) :)

Totally love this concept, but man was it cold that day! Brrr...

My sister in law. Hot Hot HOT!




These are just a few for now but please feel free to browse through my website for more of my work. www.wix.com/Zxenarea/My-Website.


XoXo,
Zxen