Uploads from ♥ Amy ♥

Sign of the times!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:50:00 -0700

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

A shot from a recent tweetup that I participated in!

Follow me on Twitter @AmySymes
Join my FB Page

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:20:35 -0700

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

I've missed you Flickr!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:37:07 -0700

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

Have been so busy with baby's first birthday, holidays, and working with the CIBC Run for the Cure, oh and life! There just isn't enough time! I miss you all!!

This is a friend of mine "making love to the camera" lol at one of the Run for the Cure events I shot.

Much love!

Flowerstalk ad2

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:40:24 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. ~e.e. cummings, 1955

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:29:10 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

I was washing these bluberries tonight to purée them up for the baby and noticed this one little red blueberry! It instantly made me think of individualism, not conforming, being different, being proud of who you are, standing out in a crowd etc..you get the picture! I tossed them in this bowl, which you may remember from this picture way back when and shot this. My husband knew I was going to photograph them when I ran upstairs with the bowl :)

I'm a bit behind on my project 52, but only by a week! This is last week's picture (week 7) and I'll add week 8 this weekend.

Also, thanks for the comments on Wedding Envy! Unfortunately, due to some obstacles and major limitations with a free wordpress theme, I'm starting fresh before I get into this site too much! I need something that isn't going to make me pull out my hair!

Hope you're all having a good week!! I apologize for not commenting as often as I should! It seems the only free time I have these days is when I should be in bed sleeping...not getting enough of that for sure!

A Valentine's Wish for Week 6

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:40:34 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

Happy Valentine's Day to all my flickr friends! Spread the love today and make sure that you tell those you love, just how much you love them...today and everyday :)

La vie en rose ♥ (Week 5)

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:29:40 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

I've got another little creative undertaking in the works, but am not ready to share it just yet! Stay tuned! This is just a sneak peek of things to come...

Become a fan on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter @Amysymes

Check out my Website and Blog

Some faves!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:21:15 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

Wanted a new pic for my FB photography page (Become a fan!), so I went through the archives of 2009 and 2010 and pulled a few faves!

Also, please check out the new pics on my Blog! Some sweet moments between a mom and her little girl!

Week 4 is all about Guilty Pleasures!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:43:32 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

This week, I've decided to keep it simple! I know we've seen many a Starbucks cups shot here on Flickr, but it's my first I think!!

I LOVE starbucks but not for coffee. In fact, I don't drink coffee at all because I hate it! I do however love their Tazo Chai Tea Lattes and whenever I'm near a SB or in a Chapters, I can't resist...even though I know SB isn't cheap! To that I say, meh! Whatever! I don't smoke, I am not a big drinker and I don't blow money on designer things, so I figure what the heck, let me indulge with a hot cuppa tea when I want one! Ok, so I probably spend too much money on clothes and MAC makeup (not lately though) and should be pinching the penny, seeing as I'm on mat leave right now and just purchased a Blackberry Torch! but I figure once in while, it's ok to indulge...and it's really not THAT expensive after all!
Anyway, that's week 4!!

A brand new toy for me in Week 3!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:14:17 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

So here it is: my brand new Blackberry Torch! I have finally decided to join the ranks of modern society and purchased a smartphone! (A Christmas gift from hubbs!) I have been researching and reading up on it for a while and comparing it to the iPhone 4, as it seems that everyone owns an iPhone. I wanted to make an informed decision and pick the best phone for me.

Now, I know that there are many of you out there who are already shaking your heads at me, haha, thinking I should have gone with Apple! I politely disagree. Don't get me wrong, I know Apple makes great products and I'm sure that the iPhone is no exception. However, I do get the impression that many people buy the iphone for the sake of having the most popular brand on the market and quite frankly, advertising and trends are a huge part of this. I'm not knocking it because I've only heard good things about it, but I am very happy with this decision so far!

I did my homework, compared both phones, held them, played with them, watched youtube videos on them etc..and don't have a single regret about my choice. I am willing to bet that if more people shopped comparatively, they would see that Blackberry makes an amazing product too! They are especially known for their emailing capabilities! I felt that for business purposes, this phone was a better choice. The iPhone seems like much more of a toy to me. But again, with the Torch, you get the best of both worlds! As for the cameras on the phones: I'm not a big fan of mobile uploads regardless of the phone, so that also wasn't a huge selling point for me. The camera does what it needs to do and in my opinion, the pics taken with the Torch look to be the same quality as on the iPhone. I use my DSLR for the important things anyways :)

That said, I am definitely a Blackberry girl and this phone suits my needs perfectly. I'm already addicted! I have the best of both worlds with a touch key pad and a physical slide out pad (love that!) and the touch screen is great too! I also love having the social networks and internet at my finger tips!

As for apps--I'm really not an app person nor am I fan of games, so the amount of apps from one phone to another wasn't a selling point for me either. That and there are way more apps than I would ever want or need available for the BB as it is! I'll have to venture over to app world at some point! Having the BBM is a pretty nice feature too! I've also heardpeople say that the internet is much faster on iPhone--which I agree with--but my pages load up very quickly, so I can't complain there either!

One last thing I'll add--I feel like I'm actually holding a solid device with the BB. I guess the iphone is more appealing to some because of its design, but I always felt I had to be so careful with it! haha! The Torch isn't much thicker than the iphone, but obviously a bit because of the slider! But look at it! It looks sleek to me!

So to each his own I guess! LOL All the power to you if you went with Apple and are happy with your phone but I stand by this decision and say Blackberry all the way!!!

I would love an iPad though :P

I am having a great time getting acquainted with my new toy so there you have week three!

Find me on FB or Twitter @AmySymes

and check out my Blog

Keeping warm on a cold day!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:38:39 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

From a recent e-session in downtown Ottawa! Winter sessions are so much fun! Thankfully, it wasn't toooo cold that day! You can see though that these two are staying warm in each others arms :)

So excited to do the wedding for this amazingly sweet couple this August!

See more from this session on my Blog

52 Weeks of Whatever!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:49:34 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

Alright, I realize that I'm already off to a late start for this 52 week project, but I have a few excuses: first a baby, second a sick baby (and I'm sick too!)

So here's the deal: last year, I decided to do a 365, following my Simple Abundance (set can be seen here) and while I was off to a great start (actually, I did over 100, so more than a start!) it became too much with work responsibilities and pregnancy! I unfortunately called it quits but I really started to miss taking pics of things just because!

So, here we are in 2011 and I'm really hoping that I can manage one a week! I thought and thought about what I wanted my theme/concept to be and considered things like 52 weeks of gratitude (overdone, important yes, but too common) or 52 weeks of my favourite things. But then, upon further reflection I thought, why not just shoot something that was significant or that happened for that week! In the end, I'll be able to have a year in review with photos! I'm sure some of my favourite things will nonetheless make an appearance in there!

And of course, I do still take wayyy more photos of my baby girl than I'd like to admit, haha, but I really want this project to focus on things other than her (because I have sooooo many, I could never decide which ones to share...but promise to post some more of her from time to time!) and also things other than client sessions.

I will also do a brief write up to explain! Excuse the length of this one :)

So long story short for week one: My in laws surprised us with a brand new, stainless steel, front loading washer and dryer set for Christmas! Prior to this, we were using a not so efficient stand up washer/dryer that I was not sad to see go!! So here they are in all their glory! I spent the first week of January taking down the decorations, clearing space for their arrival and getting acquainted with these ladies! Laundry is almost enjoyable now!

Sick poo in Week 2!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:49:26 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

I guess it's clear from this shot that Lauren has been fighting off a bad cold since shortly after Christmas, which she has also passed onto me :) Much of the past week has been spent nursing two colds and trying to squeeze in naps when she's down. We thought she was on the mend but has lately been coughing a lot of the yucky phlegm (tmi? lol) Poor thing has been sneezing all day and has generally just not been a happy camper today. I really think we've hit the end though and there's a light at the end of the tunnel! Happy to say though that this is her first sickness/cold in almost 7 months!

Relax...

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 12:40:15 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

Tis' the season to be....stressed? overwhelmed? burnt out?

We are a month away from Christmas today! This is my absolute favourite time of the year!

Lattes and hot cocoa, snowmen and reindeer and all things festive! It's pretty much the only time of year I like to really decorate the house!

I was looking for another pic today and saw this one from a few years ago and was surprised to have missed it!

Tea Forte makes some delicious teas, this being one of my holiday faves! I've been the mall lately and people seem to be running around like chickens with their heads cut off, scrambling to find the right gift. PS--you still have time!

I think people need to spend less time stressing over the holidays and focusing on what's really important--time spent with loved ones!

We are super excited to have Baby's first Christmas this year!

I'm off to make a cup of tea!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American contacts! Gobble, gobble!

Tea time!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 12:00:38 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

Another one pulled from the archives! Not the most exciting photograph I've ever taken, but whatever haha! Our old stainless steel kettle which bit the bullet way too soon! This $100 Krupps kettle was a wedding gift that we had only been using for a year when it just decided to putz out...something to do with the base not working all of a sudden! Such a pain in the butt!! We decided just to buy a cheaper stainless steel kettle, which works well too. Sometimes you get what you pay for, sometimes you get a dud! haha! Off to make some tea now, it's a good day to sit and relax! Happy Sunday!

Gatineau Park

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:50:16 -0800

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

The colours of Fall~so short-lived, but so wonderful!

Jumping for Joy!!!!

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 17:24:15 -0700

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

After 3 mos of editing, I have finally finished this wedding!! I only booked one wedding this past summer and had to cancel another (which was actually supposed to be the day that Lauren was born--I informed them well in advance, once learning that I was pregnant, but I thought it was a neat coincidence that she was born that day!) Anyways, I really enjoyed working with this couple, Amy and Michael! I am really happy with the results and am even more relieved to have finished! It is really hard to get through a wedding with a baby! I told them I would need 3 mos and that's what I did! I worked on a handful of photos at a time and now it's done!!! I hope they jump for joy at the results!! I'd have to say that is isn't personally one of the best ones, it's a touch out of focus unfortunately, but it's a fun shot regardless!

See more on my Blog

Have a super weekend!! (Another reason to jump for joy!!)

An apple a day...moving to friends only

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 07:39:09 -0700

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

keeps the creeps away...

I find it really disturbing when I pop onto Flickr and see that someone has faved a pic of mine, like my toes and this person doesn't have an icon and when you click on their stream, you see skanky pics of women...there are just too many creeps out there and sadly, as wonderful the internet is for social networking, there are just too many opportunities for creeps to take advantage of the information, photos, etc. I always try to be safe and never put out any personal info, I'm careful to select photos that I share but one can never be too cautious.

I really miss Flickr and seeing all the amazing work, as well as uploading pics. I am still keeping my account active but am doing some serious cleaning in the next few weeks. I am moving to friends and family only. I will from time to time probably post pics for "everyone" to see but anything related to me and my family and friends will be friends only.

That said, if you are a friend and would like to continue to be so or you aren't a friend but would like to, send me a message! I have met many wonderful Flickr friends and hopefully will continue to meet others but will be much more cautious in my selection!

Thanks also to all my current flickr friends who continue to comment and visit, despite me being MIA lately!!

Nesting...

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:49:30 -0700

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

They say that a sign of labour is a sudden burst of energy and the need to clean everything! Well, I can't say that I wanted to scrub down the fridge completely this morning, but it was in need and well, I figure now is probably the time to do it!

I have been nesting for a long time then if this is the case because I hate having a messy house, but know that I am going to have to learn to let go a bit (so Type A!) once this little person arrives as my priorities will shift...as they should!

I even cleaned up the Joyful Simplicities group today because that was long overdue! New comment code and icon, new invite code and new pics (finally on the front page!) Check them ou at Joyful Simplicities

Also, here is our finished nursery--well just about! My mom will be bringing up my beautiful glider that we ordered from pottery barn as well as the bedding that we had to go through great lengths to order (it's a lambs and ivy set called M is for Monkey that would ship anywhere in the world from the States except Canada??? Go figure!) In any case, I had been looking for a while and loved it so much and not being able to get it made me want it more lol, and we did! I also want to paint some small canvases for the walls with monkeys that will coordinate!

Anyways, we're still waiting but are as ready as we can be!! Way too exciting!! Less than a week away from the due date now and hoping that if I'm overdue, it won't be by much!!

TILT--Raspberries

nobody@flickr.com (♥ Amy ♥) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:47:35 -0700

♥ Amy ♥ posted a photo:

1. Not available, 2. R A S P B E R R Y R E D, 3. Truth is a fruit which should not be plucked until it is ripe., 4. valentines baking, 5. 112/365 Forever in my heart (and stomach), 6. Not available, 7. Not available, 8. Not available, 9. *yum, 10. pavlova in the making, 11. 100% sweet, 12. 55 :: 365 :: For You, 13. `Love is not a feeling.., 14. Raspberry Forêt-Noire, 15. FUN Flickr Colors, 16. (raspberry)

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

and well some blackberries too! I have never done a TILT and so thought today would be a good time to do it, especially since I always love seeing everyone elses! I love going back into my faves and seeing all the photos I've faved since starting on Flickr. Gives you such a good idea of what you are drawn to, what you like in a photo, what you don't! My style is pretty consistent! Bright, bold, cheery colours and well, lots of fruit quite frankly!