PHASES...

A little while ago I was approached by a good friend of ours, Bernard Quilala to help design his new CD cover.  He had a concept in mind and I was very excited to be apart of it!!

It is obviously a composite having about 8 or 9 different Photoshop layers.  I had fun!

His lovely wife put some text to it and the final cover looks like this...

He's so cool!

We were also excited to be a part of the CD release party too!  Brad played keyboards and we prepared by listening to Bernard's amazing voice for many weeks straight, a hardship indeed  ;) (wink)

Our entire little family went to the party

I took pictures....

Did I mention how very cool he is?!?!

 All of the band and singers were so talented especially the keyboard player ♥

Last song of the night Bernard invited up his students from Spotlight Studios  and wouldn't you know,  Sam went up as well... He's so cute ♥   (Anna was on my lap holding on hard lest she be forced to go up on stage as well, she's still a bit shy if you can believe it)

A great time!

To buy Bernard's new CD and you MUST!  go here -  PHASES 

You'll see this image in his CD as well.  Yes you can say AWWWWW

Oh the possibilities...

OK so there is work to be done, laundry (always the laundry) to do, kids to be put to bed (YES!)....

but I had to play.....

I've been working on my photo composite skills.   I found some digital backgrounds on line and thought I'd give it ago.  First came our family Christmas card this year.  Lot's of fun and relatively easy to create believe it or not.  I like snow and the lighter background makes it easy to incorporate images taken with white background

Here now are a few that have proven to be a bit more difficult.  The difficulty lies in the conceptual rather than the actual work.   Lighting the subject for the background is essential to making these somewhat believable which means there has to be a vision first.

I'm hooked! The creative side of my brain is hungry for more!

Thank you to my daughter for her creative input.  I don't tell her how to pose she decides all that.  I just take the pictures :P

Now back to work!

Studio Ghost?!?!

While cleaning up in the studio today, after a most adorable baby shoot,

I noticed a peculiar site...

...can you guess what this might be?

a ghost?

a ghost maybe....

wait a minute....

that's what I thought

What????

Crazy hound!

Love is in the Air

Love Sam....

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

 Love Anna....

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

These are the kids School Valentine's cards :) 

I know I should really let them do their own... maybe one day.  

I can't give them all the fun

I was among the 400 people that stormed the doors of Costco this morning at 10am but I didn't go for the flowers like all those men did :)

This is my valentines treat of choice - Brad has given up trying to figure this out.   

The heart dish was a $1 store treasure Yay!

 Don't get me wrong I still like the sweet stuff too!

 The funniest moment of the morning would have to go to the cool young guy in his big black fancy truck in the parking lot of Safeway blasting Lionel Ritchie's "HELLO".

This is for all the men at Costco this morning and the cool young dude blasting Lionel Ritchie

http://youtu.be/P2-VGDF4y18

Happy Valentine's Day LOVE the Heintzman Family

Just One?!?!?

Every January-ish  I take studio photos of  my kids.  We don't buy the school pictures.... just 'cause.... so I make it a point to do this "formal" sitting at least once a year.  Getting Sam to sit for me is almost impossible, but when he gives me 5 minutes of his time it's usually all I need... ♥

 But then,  which one do I choose?!?!?  Sure you say the first one :)  but all of them are so "him"

This one is for the Grandparents  ♥  :)

Anna usually directs me in how she wants her session to go.   Stay tuned for her post :)

This is how we do birthday parties in Canada!

Two babes born in January, their birthdays fall a week apart.  How to plan parties???  I plan the girl -see previous post "Puppies"- and the hubby plans the boy!  It's a good deal,  I "get" girls :)  I don't "get" boys...

This year Sam turned 9 and what to do??? what to do???   Tobogganing?  Outside?  In Alberta?  Crazy!

But it turned out to be a beautiful morning!   -15C ,  the chosen hill had a week of melting so it was a bit icy but the boys loved it!

boys like stuff like this...

and this...

and this?!?!

really???

OH YEAH!!!!!

That was AWESOME!!!!

Happiness is ....

..... snow in the face???

It was a great morning, no broken bones... or blood :)   It was back to the house for cake and pop!

Um... this is a story.  Anna WAS sitting with the boys until she came to us in tears.  When asked what happened, this was the boys version....

This is what 10 kids looks like in Canada

Cake time....

it wasn't pretty....

sigh

No they are not hugging....

 So when things get out of control what do you do with boys?   Give them Nerf guns of course.  Split them into two groups, cause they like competition and make them shoot at paper cups...

who knew?!?

Brad did a good job I must say ♥.  So here is my creative contribution, the gift bags...

all reasonably appropriate.
I wasn't allowed to put the kleenex in!
 I think all the MOMs would have understood....

Thank you to the parents who gave up a cosy warm, probably quiet Saturday morning to help out with our great group of boys!

I'm liking this LARGE PRINT option in the edit bar.... :P

Puppies!!

Well not real ones of course!  My little girl is 7 and this year she decided Puppies were going to be the theme at her birthday party.  I was not surprised and I must say it is my favourite one so far.
I got all the ideas from Pinterest.  I spin a mean photoshop and Voila!  Stuff was created :)
Each guest got to adopt a puppy.  Are these not the most adorable $ store stuffies you have ever seen?  ♥

A Litter of dollar store puppies

Could not have a puppy themed party without having the real deal there.  Janie the Beagle provided some entertainment as well.

Janie the Beagle

I put some things together....  but it was Anna that made a list of the activities.    So like her Father :)

Anna's list of party activities not in any order

So this is what each guest received:   A puppy with adoption certificate, a mat, ball,  collar, and a name tag -which they made themselves - for their new puppy.  Puppy vitamins (gummies), and puppy chow (chocolate cereal)

Let the fun begin!

Waiting for guests to arrive!!

Musical puppies with a twist (Brad's version)

Puppy Toss!

Puppy Toss with a twist (Brad's version)  Anna is sceptical

Cake time!   :)

These cupcakes make me smile.... and fat

Anna's Friends have a funny version of the Happy Birthday Song 

♥

Wrapping it up with some gift Unwrapping.   Anna is there somewhere...

Nothing like some boogie to end a great party!

Miss Janie entertained the crowd with a few of her tricks.  Her big finale
She jumped over 5 kids lying in a row... ok so she landed on the last kid...
(no kids were harmed in this show)

I'd say by the look on my girls face that she had a marvelous time!   Thanks go out to my wonderful husband and amazing father to our two kids!  He is the Games Master!   I have to thank one of the Parents whom we begged to stay and help with this bunch of party animals, I mean kids.  You know who you are,  can't thank you enough!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

... and THANK YOU Pinterest