Friends Christmas!

My husband and I are blessed to have wonderful friends - on both sides, and what better time of year to be reminded of our luck! It's becoming a bit of a tradition to gather all the men and their wives and enjoy some very yummy food and some great company - and each year the honour of hosting the lovely bunch is passed on! This year, we stepped up to the plate, cleaned our house (or paid someone to do so!!) and brought the merry inside! Welcome to the 3rd Annual Christmas!

First comes the Turkey! I ordered a fresh turkey, but to my surprise - when I got home it was half frozen! Boycott Whitteveen Meat's at the St. Lawerence Market! I had to thaw it out a bit for two hours in cold water...then I was able to use the Cider-brine that I prepared a few days in advance, from a recipe from our trusty Bon Appetit November 2011 issue. (tip: clean and use a cooler and keep the bird in your garage to refrigerate).

Turkey patted dry with salt and pepper

Turkey about to go in the oven - breast side down....with cider and apples for basting juices! I combined a few tips from multiple recipes...also squished butter underneath the skin and put apples and onions inside the cavity for moisture during roasting.

Mid Roast!

The finished product! Success! 

The table is set - Dollarama styles!

And now...for the rest of the yummy food!

Stuffing - Sausage and exotic mushrooms (Chows)

Jalapeno stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon!

Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon - double yum! (M&I)

Shrimp spread (N&M)

Prosciutto and brussel sprouts (Junior)

Parisian Green beans - Parmesean and bread crumbs (M&C)

Salad with Persimmons (sp?) - such a great unique salad fruit! (M!)

 
        Sushi candy (rice crispy squares and fruit roll ups!) (M&I)

PRAIRIE GIRL CUPCAKES...the ultimate! (J&A)

Cheers to our great friends and a wonderful evening!

A T Sister Christmas!

With the arrival of Baby J and Christmas fast approaching, Mommy T wanted some sisterly love for their Christmas cards this year. Baby J was wrapped in a soft white blanket and placed in a basket with some festively wrapped presents as the backdrop (as the tree was not up yet). Luckily Mom's a great shopper and had some really big presents that were taller than little E at a seated level. Mom also grabbed some large ornaments that they usually hang on the bare branches outside, for E to play with as a prop.

As I'm quickly learning, taking pictures of children can be quite challenging! Their focus is fleeting and they're unpredictably moving around!

All she wants to do is kiss her little sister!

Mom's great idea for a bird's view

This was the pure joy on E's face when baby J's hand touched her!

Welcoming Baby J!

My first Mommy-to-be just had her second precious little girl and wanted some birth announcement shots - which has been recommended to do within two weeks of birth for that 'newborn' look. Since I was out of town for a week, these pictures were taken at two and a half weeks.

We used a soft white blanket on top of the nursing u-shaped pillow, which ended up being a great way to prop the baby up. Shot with my 35 mm 1:1.8 lens. Natural lighting is the best way to go!

Aren't sleeping babies so adorable?

The mother was smart enough to not wrap her too much so that here eyes were open for her debut!

Baby B's First Christmas!

A few months ago, had a great time taking pregnancy shots of one of my best friends! The baby boy was born a healthy 10lbs and is growing up quickly! It's his first Christmas and my buds asked me to take a few pictures with the Christmas tree! This my first official 'shoot' with a baby and a purpose. Having just seen this super cute baby boy earlier this, thought this would have been an easy shoot as he's such a happy baby and was smiling up a storm! Today however, was another story...he was all business and was not feeling it! Finally Auntie Jen came and was able to save the day!

Mommy to be!

My second Mommy-to-be shots! Love that these type of pictures are a bit more intimate, and are better black and white, which allows from great shadows and silhouettes, so it's fun to play. 

Found some difficulties again with lighting, as I really don't like flash and it was a really gray day - but I found playing with the brightness and contrast in Photoshop easily made them way better!

Machu Picchu