Amanda's Favorite Things

A few years ago, when I was in college and was often home in the middle of the afternoon (those were the days), I would occasionally watch Oprah and my favorite episodes of her show was when she showcased her favorite things. Mind you, I won't be giving out cars or any of my other favorite things to my readers.

1. http://www.etsy.com/

Etsy is an online community of artists selling from 150 countries around the world. You can find a gift for that one difficult person that has everything. Next time you have a spare moment, check out the site. It is pretty cool

2. Catamarans

I had the opportunity to go on a catamaran excursion when I was in the Mayan Riviera this past winter. It was great to be out on the open water.

3. Paramore and The Veronicas

Just some music to check out

4. http://www.sweetsanddreams.ca/

Sweets and Dreams is a little bakery located in downtown Whitby (my home town). I first had some of their cupcakes at a friends wedding shower. They were delicious!!! I ordered two boxes for my son's first birthday last summer and they were eaten up pretty quickly. They have a wide selection of flavours of cake and icing.

5. http://www.galwaytourism.ie/

I was lucky enough to go on a Contiki tour of Ireland a few summers ago. One of the stops was in Galway. It has to be my favorite town in the entire world. It has great shopping, restaurants and bars (try The Kings Head, you will not be disappointed) and is very picturesque.

6. http://www.departuresentertainment.com/about.html

This is my newest favorite show. The third season will be premiering on March 6 on OLN.

The cast, crew and producers of the show are having a VIP Gala event in the celebration of the premier of the new season. They invited 300 of the fans and viewers to attend. Me and 2 of my friends are lucky enough to be attending. Stay tuned for pictures of the night.

That's it for now.

Introducing Pin-Up Parties

I am so happy to introduce a new service I am offering alongside Melanie Sivitilli, Airbrush Make-Up Artist: Pin-Up Parties.

It is perfect for all the ladies who are tired of the same old girls night out. If you are looking for something that is unique, then you have come to the right place. Whether it is in celebration of a friends birthday, bachelorette party or just for a fun night with your girlfriends, a pin-up party will provide a fun, memorable and maybe even crazy night.

Call now to book your party in time for Christmas!!

Ongoing Fall/Winter 2009 Family Sessions at Pingle's Farm Market

I have been in contact with the owner of Pingle's Farm Market in Hampton, Ontario and we are putting together a photography package that will only be offered in the fall and winter of 2009 (ending December 23). Please see the information below for details:

General Admission for upto 4 family members;
A choice of either apple picking (upto 1 basket or bundle) or pumpkin patch (upto 2 pumpkins) or Christmas Tree hunt (depending on date);
Upto 1.5 hours shooting time; and
20-25 images from session on CD sent via ExpressPost 1-2 weeks after session

$200 plus PST

Admission to corn-maze, horse drawn carriage rides are extra. Package is based on four participants, extra fees apply for more participants and second photographer may be necessary depending on the size of your group.

Please check out Pingle's wbsite:

http://www.pinglesfarmmarket.com/

Contact me to book your session!!

The week of Trash the Dress

A couple weeks ago I had two trash the dress sessions. The first one was with Kelly who you may recognize from an earlier Family session post with her son Zach. The second which took place the following day was with Jennifer. She is a fellow photographer who just wanted to have fun and do something different. I had a great time with both former brides and I love the photos that resulted from the sessions.

My new assistant, Bre, accompanied me on her first session which happened to be Kelly's. Stay tuned for some of Bre's images.

Almost Hitched Event Planning Services

I have had the pleasure of meeting Bobbi-Jo Verschuuren, the owner and wedding/event planner of Almost Hitched Event Planning Services.

She plans all sorts of events and parties as well as weddings.

For more details please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8159838170&ref=ts

http://www.almosthitchedweddings.com/

We are in the process of putting together some boudoir party packages with a variety of options and features. Please stay tuned for more details. You can also expect some guest blogging entries on all sorts of fun ideas, so stay tuned for that as well.

My New Favorite Songs

Do you remember the pop music singer Michelle Branch? She became popular about 10 years ago with her first single "Everywhere" and her popularity increased with several successful singles and a few albums.

She then joined forces with Jessica Harp to start the group The Wreckers.

Since then, they have started solo projects and they each have their own new songs which I am currently addicted to and play over and over again in the car, they are:

Boy Like Me - Jessica Harp

and

Sooner or Later - Michelle Branch

Check them out!

Miss L's Boudoir Shoot

I recently had a boudoir session with Miss L. It was for a gift for her husband for their wedding anniversary.