Movie Monday - Up

Good evening everyone, so the day is winding down so it’s time to pop in a good movie and just relax. How about the movie UP? Have you seen it? It is very good, if you haven’t run to the store and rent it. It is an exceptional movie, filled with love and adventure, everything a good movie should have.

Here is the story line…

By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn't alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

However that doesn’t even begin to tell you anything about the movie. You really have to see it to judge for yourself..

I give this movie 5 stars because I absolutely love it!

**SPOILER ALERT**

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, stop reading now!!

In the start of the movie, there is about 9 mins of the most amazing love story, without any words to be said. It takes true talent to tell a story that meaningful in a way that they did.

After Carl’s wife dies however he is left alone, with nothing but a book of dreams. So he ties thousands of balloons to his house to make it float in the air. I so with this was possible.

Once they get to the island where he wants to have the house, he meets his old hero. Which turns out to be a crazy guy, but he makes for a good villain. I however love the dogs! Dug is my favourite character in the whole film.

Also love when Alpha’s voice changes, hahah so funny!

What did you think of the film? Who are your favourite characters? Leave me a comment I would love to know!

Don’t forget to smile!



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With health on the mind

Good Sunday everyone!

I hope everyone had a good week! This week has been full of choices for me. Some more complicated than others.

One thing that Skylar and I have been trying to work on is our health. It is very important and we need to start making it a priority in our lives. We always used to say to eat healthy is too expensive so we put up that wall and never aloud out selves to think otherwise. Now we have come to the conclusion, with help from our lack of money that we spend way too much. We eat out a lot and we never plan meals and always eat on the fly. We have money but we just through it right out the window as soon as we get it.

So we have talked about it and we are going to change our habits. With a little help from friends and the internet we are going to start taking care of our bodies. We only get one!

So with that said I would like your help and encouragement along the way, I need to be constantly encouraged or I never do anything “different”.

Here is a little tip I found on the internet today! Starting to plan meals is going to be the biggest problem for me, and this sounds so easy. Breakfast in a Jar♥ I found it here at  The Kitchn 

Oatmeal in Jars: Make a Week of Breakfast in 5 Minutes

I think I am going to try it next week. I will let you know how it goes and maybe you can try it too!

If you try this recipe let me know what you think.

Also what fruit do you like in your oatmeal?

Don’t forget to smile!

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Totally Random Photo Day...

 ...everyone needs one once in a while! So here is mine

Be different and shoot what ever you want ;)

Don’t forget to smile!

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Changing your Perspective

Hello Everyone!

Today I am going to walk you through some Photography Tips on how to create a better photograph. I am not a {pro} but photography is my passion and I love sharing what I do. In this lesson session you will hopefully take away a new way at looking at your camera or the world as you know it ;)  {that last one was just for my own a amusement –it made me chuckle a little}

                Also a side note: I love Black and White photographs so I shot mostly in B/W for this session. You don’t have to by any means. I just love the way it looks, and for this session it was easier to do the “bad one” in colour and the “good one” in B/W, it was much easier {for everyone}

So today I will be talking about…

So without further ramblings here are my tips, Hope you enjoy!

Turn your Camera

It is so simple but everyone takes it for granted! You can take a horizontal picture and still standing in the same spot, turn the camera vertical and you will have a completely different picture. This is the number one thing you should try and get in to your system. It will give you so much freedom and lead to tilting your camera and creating your own personal shooting style. Just making this simple adjustment I can promise you will make a huge difference in how you and your audience are looking at the photo. For example {this photo} in the horizontal photo all you see is trees and the path is lost in the disruptive trees on the side. However by switching you’re shooting to vertical it cuts back on the busy and you see the path. Therefore leads your eye down your picture to follow the path.

 Up close and Personal

Sometimes it’s nice to only see one thing at a time. It keeps you interested and focuses on the detail that you want to show off in the photo. Using lines you take the persons eye and you lead it through the photo, instead of seeing it all at once. {If that makes sense to anyone but me} Go right up to what you want to photography and check for the details, because if you want to see them then you can bet others do too! I love seeing details. I would rather see a close up with detail then a far away photo with way to many things to look at. Keep it simple!

Get down on the same level

Don’t be afraid to get dirty! The only time you should be wearing nice/ fancy clothing on a photo shoot is if you’re the subject. Other than that wear something you don’t care will get wet, dirty, ripped or {if your anything like me} ruined. For this photo I was laying on a slippery rock covered in snow to get down to the level I wanted. Go for the shot you know you want! Never give up just because a little dirt is in your way. For example {the stair picture near the bottom} I walked on a muddy path and fell right on my butt, just because I didn’t want to have foot prints on the steps!!

Take a step back

Some times to get across the message you want, you need to see everything. However you still want to keep it interesting. I found a tree and it had a perfect gap therefore I could be far enough away to see the rink and bring your eye right in to where I want it! Using things to bring your attention to your target is your main goal when taking pictures. You just have to think to yourself, why I am I taking this picture? What do I want people to see?

I hope this helps, anyone that is trying to broaden their horizons with photography. You don’t have to be a pro {I am far from it!} to take great looking photo’s. I have worked very hard on my own person style and all I am hoping from this is helping others do the same! It’s about taking these tricks tips and putting your own spin on it. And above all, HAVE FUN!

Don’t forget to smile!

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What we have been up to...

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope everyone is enjoying themselves. I know I am. I have had the great honour of joining my family in BC for this wonderful season and I am just beside myself with joy. I have gotten everything a girl could want for Christmas and New years.

I got to be here with my sisters, up at 6am as usual on Christmas morning and trying to waste time so mom and dad can sleep for another hour. I got to be here when Skylar cut the Christmas turkey that my dad spent all day baking. I got to be here and share pizza and a beer with my dad to bring in the New Year. I got to watch the countdown with my family and get huge hugs from my sisters thanking me that I am here.

The days have started to mend together now and I never want it to end. We have been here since December 18^th and we have to be back on January 8^th. I know it is greedy of me to ask for more time but I love my family and if I didn’t have to leave you can bet that I wouldn’t. We haven’t done much but just being with them, even if it’s watching a movie or just talking, I am thankful for every minute.

So far we have gone swimming 3 times! Ohh how I have missed swimming! I learnt how to make homemade cinnamon buns and homemade Mac and cheese. I also tried to learn to skateboard but that didn’t work out to well and I really hurt my knee and ankle.

And to bring in the New Year, I swung on a swing. January 1^st 2012, in a light hoodie, jeans and running shoes, with no snow on the ground at all, I swung. It was amazing.

So here are some pictures, and I will give you more updates in a few days!

Don’t forget to smile!

84. hugs from your parents

85. kiss on the for head from your mom

86. the smell of homemade bread

87. waking up beside the one you love

88. saying good morning to your sisters and giving them a hug

89. Talking to my dad on the phone and saying see you soon and knowing you will

90.  GPS

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a day in my life...

Song in my head….  

Beautiful, beautiful by Francesca Battistelli

In my window… my Halloween lights are glowing

I am thinking… of new things to draw

I am thankful… all the opportunities that I have been givin

One of my favourite things… music

From the kitchen… are clean dishes waiting to be put away

I am wearing… pj’s

I am creating… a sketch

I am going… to be sleeping soon, hopefully

I am wondering… why I stay up to late

I am reading… lyrics to songs I like

I am hoping… a new day full of fun

I am looking forward to… thursday

I am hearing… music playing in my ears

Around the house… there are clean towels and laundry

I am pondering… when my art angel will return

Plans for the week… edit photos and order Christmas cards

Don’t forget to smile!

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Time to Grow

Remember THIS POST ?

Well I finally finished the painting. After I finished painting it, I didn't like it that much. I also didn't use watercolour paper and the paper got all warped :( forgot about that I guess.

But today I realized something while I was doing another sketch, I am not perfect and I don't have to be. A lovely lady that I have never meet told me this, her blog has helped me with not only my art but with my soul too.

Here is the final product....

it says...

Nature is something to behold if only given the chance to grow.

I think this means more to me then I ever knew it would. I just needed time to grow before I was ready to finish it. I rather fancy it now.

Don’t forget to smile!

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Movie Monday - Halloween Movies

I was decorating my house and getting ready for Halloween this week, so I decided that I should start counting down my favorites. I love Halloween and I love Halloween movies!! Here are a few of my favs. I will be counting down to my number one favorite as we get closer to the 31^st!

Corpse Bride - Tim Burton combines wholesome comedy and creepy horror with this tale of a mild-mannered Victorian gentleman, Victor, who accidentally marries a mysterious corpse bride instead of his intended, Victoria. Victor soon discovers that the Land of the Dead holds more fun than frights and begins to fall in love with his innocent bride. Meanwhile, Victoria has been drawn into a scam of a marriage and may not escape with her life.
I loved this movie it was so well done, Tim Burton is a master mind and I just love all of his movies. This one puts a fun spin on the afterlife, its full of colour and laughter and the world of the living is gray and bleak. Very good movie and family friendly.

Wallace and Gromit and the curse of the were-rabbit - English inventor Wallace and his trusted canine companion, Gromit, have a thriving varmint-elimination service. Wallace has a potential paramour in wealthy client Lady Tottington. Unfortunately, the slick-talking hunter Victor Quartermaine also has designs on the lady, and he’s not giving up easily. When a giant rabbit terrorizes the townsfolk, another dimension is added to the existing competition between Wallace and Victor, and the outcome will be the talk of the town! 
Wallace and Gromit are classic favourites of mine, we own everyone! This is by far my favourite one. Full of laughs and interesting twist, this one will keep you coming back again and again.

Mickey’s House of Villains - Mickey Mouse must do battle with Disney's entire pantheon of villains in this feature length adventure. The nefarious Jafar has teamed up with Cruella, Hades, Ursula, Captain Hook, and Maleficent to take over the House of Mouse and turn it into the House of Villains. With help from Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy, Mickey must stop these malevolent malcontents. Within the context of the overall plot, Mickey plays some of the fun classic Halloween shorts from Disney. 
This one is a must see, me and my sisters used to watch it every year on the Disney channel. It has all the Disney characters in it full of old cartoons and new laughs. This is a must see if you have kids.

Starting our countdown  is my number 5 movie!

Casper - Steven Spielberg produced this feature starring the friendly ghost created in 1940 by Joe Orolio. A greedy heiress inherits the haunted Whipstaff Manor and discovers that the house contains a treasure, which is guarded by three nasty ghosts. Ghost therapist Dr. James Harvey, and his daughter Kat, move into the mansion to get rid of the supernatural creatures. Kat makes friends with a ghost named Casper, the nephew of the 3 nasty ghosts. Rated PG for mild language, thematic elements.
Caper the friendly ghost is the best known ghost around! This movie is full of pranks, laughs and even love…all mixed together with the love of Halloween. This movie is a classic choice to me and I watch it every year. I love the ending where Casper gets to come alive again, good guys do get the girl too, well for a little while anyway. Great acting and beautifully done!

Don’t forget to smile!

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