some new stuff on flickr (from my vancouver/whistler trip, and last thanksgiving), and some work on a new, streamline, and all encompassing website. hurrah!
thanksgiving
florida
vancouver
the family life - an inspiration story.
my family is incredibly talented. my cousin chad is a musician in a great band called fox island collective. my cousin amanda is a photographer, who shoots weddings and families, and tons of nature. my cousin melissa is an architect, who designs incredible instillations, and creates magical pieces of furniture. my cousin lara is an amazing and fantastic photographer, painter and creative wonder. other cousins (with less easy to showcase talents) are bricklayers, mothers, dancers,
my dad's siblings are yoga teachers, models, brick layers, athletes, spiritualists and teachers. my mom's siblings spend their time being artistic and totally insightful on the farms they run.
i am lucky to be from an amazingly close family, who spends copious amounts of time together - and who truly ENJOYS spending so much time together.
and there's always been a theme. everyone in my family is incredibly artistic - in one capacity or another - and is a teacher or a coach. i can't think of one cousin, aunt, uncle, or sibling who i am related to, who isn't creative in their own way - be it music, photography, painting, singing, dance, bricklaying, reading/writing - and who hasn't been an educator in one way or another - mothers, fathers, coach's, teachers.
and at some point in life, i started to realize this. started to see a trend. and began to realize that the people in my family who are happy - the ones who lead fantastic lives - are the ones who have wholeheartedly embraced their loves. music. art. who have thrown caution to the wind, and run full speed ahead.
my dad's siblings are yoga teachers, models, brick layers, athletes, spiritualists and teachers. my mom's siblings spend their time being artistic and totally insightful on the farms they run.
i am lucky to be from an amazingly close family, who spends copious amounts of time together - and who truly ENJOYS spending so much time together.
and at some point in life, i started to realize this. started to see a trend. and began to realize that the people in my family who are happy - the ones who lead fantastic lives - are the ones who have wholeheartedly embraced their loves. music. art. who have thrown caution to the wind, and run full speed ahead.
and i want that. i want to throw caution. want to embrace this. and being surrounded by so many wonderful people in a family i am proud to be part of - lucky to be part of. we can easily surround ourselves by people who inspire us - friends, mentors, art that reflects the things we believe by strangers who we feel a connection to.
i, however, am one of the lucky ones. my friends, mentors, and artists are frequently those related to me. i have a painting by my cousin lara hanging in my apartment. songs by my cousin chad on my iTunes. inspirations for jewellery by my cousins melissa's architecture in my head. photos from my cousin amanda over my bed.
all of it - i have an innate connection to. a bond with. and i am inspired by the people closest to me - sometimes moreso than strangers i've never met.
and for that - for the natural born inspiration i get to be surrounded by constantly - i am exceptionally lucky.
photo by amanda shea; photo by lara shea; bike shop that melissa and her partner designed - featured in the toronto star; download chad's newest album here
my (late, friend's wedding) weekend in summary
this weekend was a wedding weekend and a half.... and we celebrated as such. however, i was sick yesterday, and literally spent the day in bed... which means i am only getting to a summary of my weekend now.
friday: i took a vacation day, so after sleeping in a bit, i showered, prepped some last minute jewelry stuff and finished packing, and then headed to waterdown where i was meeting nate and bri. after some last minute shopping for necessary items for the weekend, i met up with them, and we headed out on our adventure. 1 quick stop along the way, and we were at the farm for some set up in about 2.5 hours. we did some last minute things, and greeted a few other friends as they arrived, and then went to check into the hotel. then, back to the farm for dinner, rehearsal, and some gifts and practice for the wedding day. it was long and humorous as we attempted to accommodate some tradition into a wedding with a groomswoman (me), and a bridesman (kim's brother)... like me walking him down the aisle to the bridesmaid side, and us taking photos with everyone on our side. we then headed back to the hotel, met jeff, and had a minor hotel party with speech writing, drinks, and some olympic tv watching.
saturday: we woke up in varying degrees to get our tasks done for the day - at 10:30 (after breakfast) i headed out to have my hair and makeup done with the girls. a quick and painless 45 minutes later, i went back to the hotel, got dressed, and headed to the farm for photos and some last minute prep. the tent was up and ready, and the groomsmen spent the day taking photographs, having lunch and hanging around (greeting guests). when the bridesmaids arrived, we took photos together and prepped for the ceremony. from there it was a whirlwind - deciding where to hold the ceremony as a result of the rain (we settled on outside in the original location - just with umbrellas); handing out appetizers while family took photos; our grand entrances with coordinated dance moves, and a mime bobsled competition; having dinner, with speeches from the party members; then, dance party supreme... it was an amazing night - i didn't want it to end. we all headed back to the hotel finally, and then watched some olympics, and conked out pretty quickly after we arrived home.
sunday: we all woke up late, and packed up to check out. we then headed to the farm for a brunch, where we helped pack and clean things up, ate some breakfast/brunch and chatted a bit more with fam before we hit the road. after a quick (accidental) meeting with nate and bri at a roadside stop, we arrived home in time for a nap (much needed after my sick body put up with me for two days worth of non-stop action). then, went for a much needed dinner, then some dexter in bed, while my body continued to hate me. 10 pm bedtime couldn't come soon enough...
ALSO. jake and kim had a photobooth set up that was a ton of fun.... i OBVIOUSLY have a problem in that i like to throw gang signs, and make faces. my bad.
the clouds that loomed over us for set up day… and the
wedding morning; groomsmen in action; you can dress us up, but you can’t take
us out; the beautiful cake that my friend brianne’s mom made, and brianne
built; the centre pieces, table settings, and table numbers – so totally jake
and kim; wedding necessities – my purse from jake, kim and jake’s mom, and my
yellow dancing shoes; the groom; cousins planting oak trees for those family
members no longer with us; the ceremony in the rain; triple threat out of
control; photobooth fun; the boys; we are dancing machines.
saturday: we woke up in varying degrees to get our tasks done for the day - at 10:30 (after breakfast) i headed out to have my hair and makeup done with the girls. a quick and painless 45 minutes later, i went back to the hotel, got dressed, and headed to the farm for photos and some last minute prep. the tent was up and ready, and the groomsmen spent the day taking photographs, having lunch and hanging around (greeting guests). when the bridesmaids arrived, we took photos together and prepped for the ceremony. from there it was a whirlwind - deciding where to hold the ceremony as a result of the rain (we settled on outside in the original location - just with umbrellas); handing out appetizers while family took photos; our grand entrances with coordinated dance moves, and a mime bobsled competition; having dinner, with speeches from the party members; then, dance party supreme... it was an amazing night - i didn't want it to end. we all headed back to the hotel finally, and then watched some olympics, and conked out pretty quickly after we arrived home.
sunday: we all woke up late, and packed up to check out. we then headed to the farm for a brunch, where we helped pack and clean things up, ate some breakfast/brunch and chatted a bit more with fam before we hit the road. after a quick (accidental) meeting with nate and bri at a roadside stop, we arrived home in time for a nap (much needed after my sick body put up with me for two days worth of non-stop action). then, went for a much needed dinner, then some dexter in bed, while my body continued to hate me. 10 pm bedtime couldn't come soon enough...
ALSO. jake and kim had a photobooth set up that was a ton of fun.... i OBVIOUSLY have a problem in that i like to throw gang signs, and make faces. my bad.
hope everyone had a FANTASTICALLY awesome weekend.... and is enjoying the cooler nights that are now coming!
the wedding of the year.
this weekend, i'm taking a LONG weekend (friday off - whaaaaaat?), and i'm going to go celebrate. i'm celebrating the marriage of one of my best friends evaaa to his perfectly awesome, and weirdly kick ass chick. i'm a groomsman on jake's side, and we're going to stand by them and support one of the best couples i know. then, we're going to dance in a 4000 square foot tent (anyone who knows jake, knows this is his standard overkill).
some of my best friends + professional hair and makeup + a dj + catered food? perfect equation.
how could you not love them?
and i'm not even at ALL ashamed to share with all y'all, that there will likely be a lot of this song. and songs like it. and awesome dance moves. lots of them. (and hopefully at least a small percentage of the gold chains in this video).
hope everyone has a GREAT weekend... hope it's sunny, lacking the rain that's supposed to be coming.... and everyone is safe!
some times i like to listen to hip hop REAL loud
i have a friend who - when playing any rap or hip hop song - says, 'this is a jamie selection'. friends frequently make fun of me, in their envisioning me in my tiny black car, windows rolled down, in my huge sunglasses - listening to heavy underground rap, or bass strong hip hop.
i'm not sure what drew me to it... in high school i listened to gang starr on repeat, all day every day. perhaps it was the political connotations, or the poetry in the writing - but rap has always been something i've been drawn to, and loved. hip hop - as an extension of rap - didn't take long to warm up to either.
i'm not sure what drew me to it... in high school i listened to gang starr on repeat, all day every day. perhaps it was the political connotations, or the poetry in the writing - but rap has always been something i've been drawn to, and loved. hip hop - as an extension of rap - didn't take long to warm up to either.
since then, i've always had the love.
i like to share. i like people to see good hip hop and rap. not the stuff that they hear 8 times a day on the radio - though there is a time and place for that - but the stuff that means something. the stuff that tells a story, and leaves you with something. the stuff that rhymes anguish and success. then there's the stuff that gets you moving - and shows you an incredible talent where perhaps talent is ignored in the arena of rap. it's all important.
i'm a little skinny awkward ass white girl. i like music that makes me bob my head (backwards, not frontwards). i throw (probably inappropriate) fake gang signs when i dance. i know lyrics to far too many crude songs.
so, a few of my faves, as of late:
i'm a little skinny awkward ass white girl. i like music that makes me bob my head (backwards, not frontwards). i throw (probably inappropriate) fake gang signs when i dance. i know lyrics to far too many crude songs.
hip hop and rap has a place alongside mumford and the manitoba wilderness on my iTunes.