I have never met anyone who loves the Snow as much as this pretty girl does. 
]]> http://meephotosblog.com/2012/04/snow-beauty/feed/ 0 http://meephotosblog.com/2012/03/beautiful-delicate-personality/ http://meephotosblog.com/2012/03/beautiful-delicate-personality/#comments Sat, 03 Mar 2012 18:57:57 +0000 meephotos http://meephotosblog.com/?p=1406 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

I love salads, well I am learning to love them, and the older I get, the more I see the need for the nutrients in salads.
Yet, it is more than just nutrients, it is the whole bowl that can fill my taste buds up with delight. The more color, the more ingredients, the different flavours there will be. The more I make salads, the more I am learning how different fresh ingredients pair up together to not just create a palate of vibrant flavours, but sensations that work and soothe each other when combined to engage my tastebuds. AKA, certain things work together really well, but I had to learn it, discover it and only then do the flavours really come alive. 

When I am given the opportunity to use my camera and my trained eyes (because of training and years of discovery) to see a personality come out, come alive, I consider it a great honor.
To take photos and see this amazing personality come alive, in front of mee, that is when photographs come alive. It is just like pairing in salad, when you mix certain flavours together, then the salad can reach it’s potential. When I am photographing someone, I am learning that if I can connect with that person, and spend time with them, I can “see” really see them. And I see their beauty. Next to seeing their beauty, is figuring out how to make them come alive and really shine. That is beauty of connecting and photographing someone. The honor of it.

When you look at others, do you look at them and see their personality? The beauty of it?

Photo taken with iPhone

It was the night before we started a Juice Fast. I wasn’t 100% sure I was going to do it, but after my sister and husband convinced mee I should absolutely be giving my system a re-boot, a charge, I decided the night before our fast we should have something DELISH!

We were so full after eating this soup and going back for seconds, (ok-thirds, lol) my husband told mee he couldn’t get enough of it-it was just that good. The recipe came from Bree Hester, at bakedbree.com after seeing her blog recipe and drooling, I decided this was a must to make. The only thing I added was putting the soup in baked Spaghetti Squash bowl; and adding mushrooms, leeks, and instead of just carrots, I added yams for their smoothness. If you want to see the full recipe, look here.

If you make this soup, please let mee know and send Bree a love note!
I would love to see your Kitchen Creations!

We decided to do a “cleanse” starting on the first of Jan 2012, where we can only eat fruits, veggies, seeds, nuts and whole grains (but even limiting our grains and what form they come in) and let mee tell you, it has been really tricky.  Not in finding things to eat, but in finding substitutions for the things we are used to.

One of the things that is an easy thing to do with Veggies-is soup.  We love soup, especially with how cold it gets up here in Northern Alberta-soup is Hearty, wonderful and leaves you feeling somehow satisfied.  So enter the Veggie Soup.

This recipe is made up of all kinds of veggies you have in your Fridge, don’t be afraid to add more things you might not have tried before.
My favourite part of this soup was the taste of the sautéed Brussels Sprouts- I couldn’t believe how I have never enjoyed them before or let alone use them in eating! The creamy part of this soup is created by Coconut Milk, if you want a Sour flavour, add Limes/Juice and or Lemon Grass, or Hot flavour, add peppers and remove them before eating.  There are so many options. If you try this, let mee know what spin you put on it, I would love to hear!

I would love to see your Kitchen Creations!

Resolutions for this upcoming dance party I mean year:

Blog, BLog, BLOG, and journal like my fingers/thoughts depend on it.
I have been tiptoeing around so much, I am going to stop, really stop. This is my blog, I don’t care if spellings and grammar and my thoughts are all over the place. I am not perfect, but I am not pretending or saying I am either. It’s the real life that is THE FUNEST and I love the ride.

Study health.
Man we did it this year. We watched the movies, “Forks over Knives” and “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” and changed our motivation and entire perspective on Health, Nutrition and what we put in our mouths. I still can’t believe what an impact they made on us. My Husband too.
So this year, I am going out on it- Studying Raw Foods, Nutrition, Sports, Running, Rebounding, Health and everything like this I can get my hands on.

Grow a Garden.
This is HUGE people! I am a CITY girl, and I thought living in the country was a risk! This city girl, turned rancher/country is really going places. And I kinda like the view too

Love on my kids/husband go all out.
Make more dear friends.

These are some of my 2012 goals. Man I love resolutions. When I feel “off” through the year, I go back, refocus and remind myself what the journey is going on. It motivates mee, encourages mee and lifts mee up. I hope you have an AMAZING new year and that your Resolutions are good for you and your family this year. Big Time

It is officially time to, Smile in THE NEW Year BABY! 

To see more…
]]> http://meephotosblog.com/2012/01/smile-it-in-baby/feed/ 0 http://meephotosblog.com/2011/12/how-the-shooting-star-ran-away-with-the-doodle-doo/ http://meephotosblog.com/2011/12/how-the-shooting-star-ran-away-with-the-doodle-doo/#comments Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:20:31 +0000 meephotos http://meephotosblog.com/?p=1227 NOTE: the images in this feed have been downsized or removed for copyright reasons. To see them in their unmodified state, please view the original post by clicking here.

How the Shooting Star, Ran Away with the Doodle-Doo

Wish I May, Wish I Might, Wish upon a Shooting Star tonight? Or am I thinking of the wrong poem?
Maybe I wasn’t listening as a child when this was said because I was far far away in dream/wish land.
However I do remember that when you see a Shooting Star, you must wish upon it with all your might.
One of the benefits of running at night (don’t do this in the country, girls, unless you have a strong handsome man with arm muscles as big as Pop-eyes, bulging over his sleeve-ok in the winter that might be kind of odd and awkward… and a dog that is willing to go to war for you) in the country, is that it seems, like the heavens open up and there, lo and behold, is a story-pop-up book (except better cause it is of the real kind) in front of you- the stars. And yes, they really do shine for you. (If you don’t know that Coldplay song, have it on play when you do a country run with the stars in front of you)
I am such a beginner runner, it isn’t even funny how I could bend over and puke my guts out after running a total of…5 STEPS. Ok that is an exaggeration, but you get my point, beginner runner who feels like everyone should run on ahead of mee, because even my dog is like a mile ahead of mee by this time.

Not Falling or Anything
And so, here I am pushing myself along to not breathe like a looser and keep my correct running posture, and step on the correct places of my feet-not to land all of my weight on my heels, all the while trying not to faint, throw up, and make it to the end of the driveway at least because, face it! We just started this run. All of sudden, almost by mistake, I look up and see to my surprise, a Shooting star. I am in awe. There was a point in doing that 8 pm run after all! I feel like I am walking on air, astonished and my breath is about to be taken away from mee, because I look down and yes, my feet are in the air because I just ran over ice, not watching where I was going, and now Bamb! I am on the ground, and yes, the wind is indeed, taken out of mee. 

I am not sure how long you have to wish upon a shooting star, before the wish runs out, and I know that writing it on the internet, doesn’t count as telling your wish, but it took mee some time, after gathering my guts and the air around mee, I hobbled back to the house. I am trying not to beat myself up, well after the beating I already took, (my parents had a rule- “Melissa, don’t hurt Melissa” and I can hear it echoing in my head) with what am I going to use my wish on? While tossing a spinach salad, and still trying to come up with a good enough wish, I all of a sudden got the “Melissa, don’t hurt Melissa” out of my head, and replaced it with the “Doodly-doos” and therefore caught a good case of the Doody-doo, well a Doodle Prodigy that is. (If you have seen The Holiday, you know exactly what I mean, just so you know I am not THAT crazy-here is a youtube video to back up my case of the Doodly-Doos. the scene at the piano, where they are coming up with the melody for the old legend/movie/ guy to walk onto stage with ) And I instantly find the answer to what I want to wish for.

Life As a Test
I wish, that no matter how sad or routine, life gets, I could have, and perfect a Jack Black sense of humour, for mee. I know I know, you say, he has a script, but I think there is more behind the good lines, and well rehearsed story, and that is what I am wishing upon. The fast, right back atcha kind of humour, that makes everyone laugh and forget the awkward moment right before, makes you feel like a million bucks and EVEN if there is no one in the room to laugh with, you can smile and laugh because a Jack Black joke popped in your head. Who knows, maybe in 2012 I will wake up and magically be funny, if so though, the joke might be on mee. So if you were wondering how the Shooting Star ran away with the Doodly-doos, now you know. Maybe we can Froodly-do together over music, a good cup of coffee, together. I would love that.
I am off, to stop thinking about the run I didn’t take, finish my Spinich-tomatoe-Oodose Oil-Flax Seed Oil-Onion-Mushroom-Goat Cheese-Cilantro-Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar Salad with wine and go back out and finish that run. Maybe I won’t get humour as a wish just because of my sight, but at least I can sing down the driveway + back, and wish upon a star with all my might.

A couple weeks ago, I started thinking about what I would do on 11-11-’11 at 11:11. I had all these high dreams. Why so important you ask? I just wanted to take the day-seize it and say, “THIS IS WHAT I DID on this memorable moment!” Kind of sounds self-ish and actually really silly now. What was I thinking?
I w a s thinking of snowboarding down Judah Hill in Peace River, AB & as the very minutes 11 clicked, I would be at the top, in a romantic kiss-lock-gaze with my husband. You know, like the grand kisses everyone gives in movies at New Years. Just him and I at the top of a mountain.
Well hill… and throw in loud kids, ok and dogs and maybe too much snow, freezer burn on my face from doing a face plant (since snowboarding and I have a love hate relationship) mascarra running down my face, and cold… well that idea went really, r e a l l y far, let’s just say.
So then, I was thinking about celebrating with a huge meal. You know friends, warm drinks and lots of laughter. But most everyone was going to be at a service for the holiday. Not going to work out so well after all?
So how could I make the moment count? Like make it really count?
All my big plans and lofty thoughts went right out the window when both of my kids told mee they had something they really wanted to show mee outside at that very moment. All my plans fled as they insisted and my husband arrived home within minutes of the time change, and backed up their insisting.
I let out a huge sigh, threw up my hands and let in.
We put all our coats on and went for an adventure. in our front yard. in the snow. with the kids, the dogs, the cold and I even got a kiss. (I didn’t even do a face plant or have crazy mascara cold eyes) My kids wanted to show mee a fort they had were building in secret; that was the best surprise, because I am such a city girl and they are smart and “woodsy.” It wasn’t exactly how I had pictured my 11-11-11, but now I wouldn’t change a thing.
Family is the most wonderful of all. They have a way of making you feel loved and appreciated. We don’t need a big city party, or a big New Year’s Celebration-we just need each other. And getting moments where all of are together, I wouldn’t trade that for the world. I guess I sound like a big sap now. Umm sap, that reminds mee of Maple Syrup, and now I am getting cold just reading what I wrote. Coffee.
I hope you had a memorable day-and guess what! Now I have a WHOLE YEAR to come up with what I am going to do for 12-12-12 at 12:12! Yeah, planning here I come!

Can I help it that my favourite colour is Yellow!? I heard someone one say that it’s God’s colour, it’s warm and sunny and happy like him.
Why wouldn’t I Just LOVE yellow-it makes mee feel warm, happy and feel sweet. Sweet like Honey.