Time Flies When You're With A Good Friend

Wow. I absolutely cannot believe we are already at the end of February. Thank goodness this is a leap year because I am not ready for it to be March. Yes, I'm aching for warmer weather (we've been blessed with a mild winter yet still I yearn for spring) but I somehow wish time could move just a little slower. It's difficult to find enough hours to do all the things on my lists. To spend time with friends and family. To sit still and just be.

That's why I'm thankful that many of my good friends are just as committed as I am to ensure we spend a little time together every single month. Because a good friend is hard to find. And because a good friend is what keeps me sane.

Even though, when we get together, we have a tendency to act slightly insane.

A Sweet Little Girl, Playing It Cool, and Just a Tiny Bit of Hair Envy

Happy New Year!

I wanted to bring in 2012 on this blog by sharing a photo session of one of my favourite families of all time. The session was held in the latter part of 2011 when it was still warm enough to pop outdoors for a few photos. I've known Sue-Lee & Johnny for years and years... they are wonderful people who are now also incredible parents to 5-year-old Maddux & 1-year-old Madelyn. It is always fun to hang out with them all and this photo session was no exception. :)



Maddux doesn't look too impressed with me here but he's just playing it cool.



Meanwhile, little Madelyn was having a ball watching her parents do the happy dance behind me.





A few photos with baby Madelyn...





Sue-Lee & Johnny brought a few changes of clothing session and they were like professional stylists getting Maddux & Madelyn into their next outfits. WOW... so efficient!




Yes, I know. Maddux is still not too impressed with me. Just you wait, he'll warm up.




Here we go! By the time we moved to the next room, Maddux was like, yeah that Lesley is one cool lady. Despite her cackling laugh.



What a little darling!




Loving these photos of mother & daughter:




Like father, like son!



I absolutely ADORE this next series of photos. I think they are just so much fun! You can totally see that something's about to go down in photo #2.



When we moved outdoors, Maddux really came into his own and it was smiles all around!





Sue-Lee has always had amazing hair. I had hair envy when I saw these photos.



One of my favourites:



We ended our photo session with a couple photos of just Sue-Lee & Johnny while Vince entertained Maddux & Madelyn. :) Love you guys!!!

Tori Amos Concert - An iPhone Photo Story

A few weeks ago, Vince surprised me with tickets to the Tori Amos concert! She is my favourite musician of all time so I was beyond ecstatic. I was worried about Massey Hall's camera policy and I also wanted to be able to focus on the concert without continuously being tempted to take photos, so I brought only my iPhone to the concert... no point-and-shoot, no DSLR. It was liberating and I felt I could enjoy the concert without worrying about capturing it. However, I still wanted to have some sort of memento so here is my little photo story.







The opening performance was Thomas Dybdahl (from Norway). He was so entertaining... funny, personable, and - most importantly - a very talented musician.



After a 30 minute opening performance, the stage was finally set for Tori Amos. I was soooo excited!



The only photo accessory I brought with me was a very handy dandy (tiny) telephoto lens for my iPhone. It really works wonders and I will put more information at the bottom of this blog post. This is an iPhone photo without the telephoto lens.



Yeah, let's put the lens back on.









The concert was SO incredible. I've been listening to Tori Amos for around 20 years so it was quite nostalgic when she sang some of her oldies like "Precious Things" and "Winter" - I literally got chills. Massey Hall was the perfect venue. Intimate, historic, and moving. I felt so exhilarated and happy... the impact was indescribable. It made me think back to my teenage angst (I started listening to Tori Amos when I was 14 or 15 years old) and how far I've come since then. I also discovered that I can (and will) still scream like a teenager! :)

Set List:

Shattering Sea
Way Down
Suede
Star of Wonder - John Hopkins Cover
Nautical Twilight
Maybe California
Jackie's Strength
Cooling
Playboy Mommy
Winter
Spark
Star Whisperer
Take to the Sky
Taxi Ride
Songbird - Fleetwood Mac Cover
Fearlessness
Hey Jupiter
Spring Haze
Cruel

Encore:

A Multitude of Shades - by Apollon Musagete Quartett
Father Lucifer
Edge of the Moon
Precious Things
Big Wheel



To end off, I am really loving the simplicity of iPhone photos... not to mention the convenience! I think I may start doing more of these mini photo stories in 2012.

Here are a couple of photos of the iPhone telephoto lens that I brought to the concert. It was the first time I actually remembered to bring it out with me and I am so pleased with it. Vince actually bought me this a little while ago after I showed him the link just out of pure fascination. I feel so lucky to have such a thoughtful husband. :)




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