I'd like to start a new feature on my blog about "Going Green". Like it or lump it, it's not going away, so we might as well embrace and really try to live this out! According to a recent publication on MacLean's magazine, when it comes to pollution, water use and carbon emissions, Canada is among the worst of the worst. Read article here. I don't want to harp on this too long, but I believe we got here on our own and something needs to be done.
I've joined an Event Design Group called ecoLuxe and the goal of our companies is to throw eco-friendly parties from the planning stages right till the execution! From stationery printed on recycled paper with soy based inks, to edible favours (cookies), to fair trade flowers, and eco conscious professional digital photography (call me to find out more ways in which I'm eco-friendly), we provide parties that leave a green footprint.
So I decided to challenge myself in the way that I live everyday, not going completely cold turkey and all granola on this, but making small changes, taking baby steps to a better world.
Are you in?
Please post your comments and let me know! Oh and stay tuned for tip #1 this Friday!
Tuesday 29 April 2008
Monday 28 April 2008
Tuscan Bean Soup
Seriously... Am I losing it? What does cooking have to do with Photography??? Not a whole lot, but they're my biggest passions and what the heck... I think I need to post some of my favourite recipes here... I will NOT cook for a living, but I will cook for you if you want to... Just let me know that you want to be invited to one of my dinner parties and I'll make sure to put you in the list...
Anyway, I had something like this when I was in Italy in December and I really nailed this recipe yesterday...
Tuscan Bean Soup
Ingredients:
2 cans navy beans* (small and white)
1 can black beans*
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 Large Onion - finely diced
1 Bunch Celery - finely diced
1 Bunch Kale - finely diced
4 Cloves of Garlic
3 Large Carrots - finely diced**
5 Mild or Hot Italian Sausage Links
1 Large Can of Diced Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil - 5 Tablespoons (it's good for you!)
In a skillet, sautee the carrots, onions, celery, kale and garlic in the olive oil for 10 minutes on medium heat. In a large Crockpot, combine the beans, the veggie mix and the chicken broth. Let it simmer on High for 4 hours.
30 Minutes before you sit down to eat, take the sausages out of their casing and sautee them in a separate skillet. Once cooked, add the diced tomatoes (I usually puree them quickly) and let that mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
Before serving, add the sausage mix to the bean and veggie mix and check for salt and pepper.
That's it! Serve and enjoy!
Please post a comment if you managed to read it this far!
*you can use dry beans but then you have to soak them overnight.
** I usually use a food processor to chop the veggies into really tiny pieces
Anyway, I had something like this when I was in Italy in December and I really nailed this recipe yesterday...
Tuscan Bean Soup
Ingredients:
2 cans navy beans* (small and white)
1 can black beans*
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 Large Onion - finely diced
1 Bunch Celery - finely diced
1 Bunch Kale - finely diced
4 Cloves of Garlic
3 Large Carrots - finely diced**
5 Mild or Hot Italian Sausage Links
1 Large Can of Diced Tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil - 5 Tablespoons (it's good for you!)
In a skillet, sautee the carrots, onions, celery, kale and garlic in the olive oil for 10 minutes on medium heat. In a large Crockpot, combine the beans, the veggie mix and the chicken broth. Let it simmer on High for 4 hours.
30 Minutes before you sit down to eat, take the sausages out of their casing and sautee them in a separate skillet. Once cooked, add the diced tomatoes (I usually puree them quickly) and let that mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
Before serving, add the sausage mix to the bean and veggie mix and check for salt and pepper.
That's it! Serve and enjoy!
Please post a comment if you managed to read it this far!
*you can use dry beans but then you have to soak them overnight.
** I usually use a food processor to chop the veggies into really tiny pieces
Friday 25 April 2008
Urban Potential Rock Benefit Concert
I am blessed. No two ways to say it. I am truly and honestly blessed in the work that I do. Sure, I don't get much sleep and I don't spend weekends at the lake all summer. But I have the best job in the world.
I usually feel blessed enough just to be there on your wedding day, or your family celebration, or simply capturing a candid family portrait for posterity. But once in a while I am lucky enough to be part of something even bigger than that.
Months ago I was asked to do the promo shots for God Talk (CJOB - Sunday Nights with Greg Glatz, David Balzer and Melissa McEachern - see shoot here), and I felt really honored to have done that. And I thought that was cool enough for a Brazillian/Prairie girl like me!
However, just a couple of weeks ago, Greg Glatz (The Rock and Roll Preacher) asked me to be part of Urban Potential: Helping urban kids reach their full potential. Please check out the site for more information.
In short, on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008, there will be a benefit concert for inner-city kids. Hosted by CJOB’s Larry Updike & Brian Barkley, and featuring the Royal Unruh Band, UP08 will rock the house and raise money for Urban Potential, Winnipeg’s new mentoring program for children in the inner city.
What do I have to do with this? I got to go and spend an afternoon with the kids and Meredith who runs the after-school program for inner-city youth and capture some images of the kids and the program.
These images will be used during the concert and possibly for any production material that they need to raise awareness.
Here's my favorite image. And below it a little slideshow with some more images.
Get involved.
I usually feel blessed enough just to be there on your wedding day, or your family celebration, or simply capturing a candid family portrait for posterity. But once in a while I am lucky enough to be part of something even bigger than that.
Months ago I was asked to do the promo shots for God Talk (CJOB - Sunday Nights with Greg Glatz, David Balzer and Melissa McEachern - see shoot here), and I felt really honored to have done that. And I thought that was cool enough for a Brazillian/Prairie girl like me!
However, just a couple of weeks ago, Greg Glatz (The Rock and Roll Preacher) asked me to be part of Urban Potential: Helping urban kids reach their full potential. Please check out the site for more information.
In short, on Saturday, May 3rd, 2008, there will be a benefit concert for inner-city kids. Hosted by CJOB’s Larry Updike & Brian Barkley, and featuring the Royal Unruh Band, UP08 will rock the house and raise money for Urban Potential, Winnipeg’s new mentoring program for children in the inner city.
What do I have to do with this? I got to go and spend an afternoon with the kids and Meredith who runs the after-school program for inner-city youth and capture some images of the kids and the program.
These images will be used during the concert and possibly for any production material that they need to raise awareness.
Here's my favorite image. And below it a little slideshow with some more images.
Get involved.
Thursday 24 April 2008
ecoLuxe Launch Party
A few months ago, I was approached by eco-friendly stationery diva, Yoko Chapman, to join a group of ecologically minded business in an effort to help corporations (and weddings) reduce their carbon footprint on the environment. I'm all for eco thinking, and I'll do pretty much anything that Yoko tells me is a good idea, so I jumped right in.
The group is formed by Me, Greenvites by Pulp & Circumstance, My Secret Garden and Sweet Impressions. Our goal is to help you or your corporation throw Eco-friendly parties and make a positive impact on our environment. For more information please visit our temporary website at www.ecoluxewinnipeg.com.
So, last week after many sleepless nights (nothing new here), we had an amazing Launch Party at Birks on Lombard. Here's a slideshow so that you can have a little taste for what it was like...
Stay tuned for a video of the party coming soon from McNeill Media Creations.
I would like to extend a big Thank You again on behalf of ecoLuxe, to the following businesses for suporting us and help us to make this an extraordinary event.
The group is formed by Me, Greenvites by Pulp & Circumstance, My Secret Garden and Sweet Impressions. Our goal is to help you or your corporation throw Eco-friendly parties and make a positive impact on our environment. For more information please visit our temporary website at www.ecoluxewinnipeg.com.
So, last week after many sleepless nights (nothing new here), we had an amazing Launch Party at Birks on Lombard. Here's a slideshow so that you can have a little taste for what it was like...
Stay tuned for a video of the party coming soon from McNeill Media Creations.
I would like to extend a big Thank You again on behalf of ecoLuxe, to the following businesses for suporting us and help us to make this an extraordinary event.
Cherry Tree Productions
Dandelion Eatery / Organza Market
Erica Schultz - Harpist (ericaschultz@aol.com)
Dandelion Eatery / Organza Market
Erica Schultz - Harpist (ericaschultz@aol.com)
Samborski Garden Supplies Ltd. (samgar@mts.net)
Tiber River Naturals
Tiber River Naturals
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Oh Yo----ko!!! Oh Yo----ko!!!
Well, I know you think I'm talking about THAT Yoko, but I'm really talking about THIS Yoko!
If you don't know her, you NEED to get to know her ASAP before she's FAMOUS!!!
Yoko is the fabulous designer of greenvites eco-friendly stationery, the creator of my logos (all of them, all the swirlies, all the bubbles, all of it, ALL OF IT!!!) Without her I would just be a person with a camera, without a proper image, or look or anything... well, yes, I would still be a crazy brazilian, but enough about me!
I was privileged to be part of something amazing when Yoko asked me to photograph her new complete line of wedding stationery. I mean COMPLETE! Invitations, thank you cards, boxes, labels, you name it! All of it eco friendly and all of it FSC certified. Today, Yoko was approved for FSC membership. She tried to explain the process to me, but all I really know about it is that in this LARGE LARGE world of ours, only a few hundred people (738) are members of the Forestry Stewardship Council (only 60 in Canada, like David Suzuki, Greenpeace, and Yoko!) . It takes a long time to get a membership and it's actually not easy to get accepted. But she did!!! I think what makes her unique is that her invitations are also beautiful - not just eco-friendly! And with the help of web-genius Alex Morrison, Yoko has launched her invitations globally - shipping samples all the way to Fiji or something...
It's no wonder that she was nominated for Manitoba's Woman Entrepreneur of the Year (2008). I'll be there with bells on to see you win and take that "Oscar" home honey!! Ok, not an Oscar, but soon enough!!
Today, Yoko emailed me the images below from her ad in the Ottawa Magazine.
Looks awesome! I love the colours, the pictures and the design!
Yoko, you're genius and I'm proud to be your friend. Just make sure you don't forget me when you're super duper famous!
If you don't know her, you NEED to get to know her ASAP before she's FAMOUS!!!
Yoko is the fabulous designer of greenvites eco-friendly stationery, the creator of my logos (all of them, all the swirlies, all the bubbles, all of it, ALL OF IT!!!) Without her I would just be a person with a camera, without a proper image, or look or anything... well, yes, I would still be a crazy brazilian, but enough about me!
I was privileged to be part of something amazing when Yoko asked me to photograph her new complete line of wedding stationery. I mean COMPLETE! Invitations, thank you cards, boxes, labels, you name it! All of it eco friendly and all of it FSC certified. Today, Yoko was approved for FSC membership. She tried to explain the process to me, but all I really know about it is that in this LARGE LARGE world of ours, only a few hundred people (738) are members of the Forestry Stewardship Council (only 60 in Canada, like David Suzuki, Greenpeace, and Yoko!) . It takes a long time to get a membership and it's actually not easy to get accepted. But she did!!! I think what makes her unique is that her invitations are also beautiful - not just eco-friendly! And with the help of web-genius Alex Morrison, Yoko has launched her invitations globally - shipping samples all the way to Fiji or something...
It's no wonder that she was nominated for Manitoba's Woman Entrepreneur of the Year (2008). I'll be there with bells on to see you win and take that "Oscar" home honey!! Ok, not an Oscar, but soon enough!!
Today, Yoko emailed me the images below from her ad in the Ottawa Magazine.
Looks awesome! I love the colours, the pictures and the design!
Yoko, you're genius and I'm proud to be your friend. Just make sure you don't forget me when you're super duper famous!
Thursday 10 April 2008
She Loves Me!
My friend and best esthetician in the world, Susan from Amore Esthetics, introduced me to her little niece Olivia right around the time she was born, so I've been photographing her ever since!
She is such a sweet baby and I love watching her grow up! Just this past Monday I went to her place for her 6 month session and I was delighted to see that she had learned to sit up.
One little thing about Olivia that her parents always warn me about is that even though she's got this gorgeous smile, she quickly wipes it off her face as soon as her mom, Sylvia comes out with her camera...
So, I had quite the job ahead of me... Or so we all thought.
But she is a smart one! It's like she remembers me from her newborn sessions or something! She put on the biggest smiles and always looked right into the lens!
Thank you Sylvia, Kirk and Susan for letting me be a part of Olivia's childhood and record it in this way!
She's gorgeous! And of course, she loves me!
Here's her favorite sleeping position...
Big Big Blue eyes.
Look at that smile!
And here wearing the hoodie that her antie Sue gave her.
Yay! I wasn't going to leave until I got some teeth!
She is such a sweet baby and I love watching her grow up! Just this past Monday I went to her place for her 6 month session and I was delighted to see that she had learned to sit up.
One little thing about Olivia that her parents always warn me about is that even though she's got this gorgeous smile, she quickly wipes it off her face as soon as her mom, Sylvia comes out with her camera...
So, I had quite the job ahead of me... Or so we all thought.
But she is a smart one! It's like she remembers me from her newborn sessions or something! She put on the biggest smiles and always looked right into the lens!
Thank you Sylvia, Kirk and Susan for letting me be a part of Olivia's childhood and record it in this way!
She's gorgeous! And of course, she loves me!
Here's her favorite sleeping position...
Big Big Blue eyes.
Look at that smile!
And here wearing the hoodie that her antie Sue gave her.
Yay! I wasn't going to leave until I got some teeth!
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