Category Archives: personal

Simple Living – Unwinding on The Bruce Trail

May 20th, 2013 | personal

Simple Living Bruce Trail Nature Walk 130 Simple Living Unwinding on The Bruce Trail

Part of what made our trip to Collingwood extra relaxing was that we made a point of stopping to smell the roses, or in spring in Ontario stopping to take in the beauty of the trilliums. We got a tip about a loop of the Bruce Trail we should check out while we were in the area so after a nice slow wake up one morning we packed up some muffins, filled our water bottles, donned our wide brim hats, and headed out for our hike.

Simple Living Bruce Trail Nature Walk 125 Simple Living Unwinding on The Bruce Trail

Simple Living Bruce Trail Nature Walk 133 Simple Living Unwinding on The Bruce Trail

Simple Living Bruce Trail Nature Walk 137 Simple Living Unwinding on The Bruce Trail

It was such a gorgeous morning! Wandering through the woods in this beautiful spring weather is such a simple way to relax. And we were lucky enough to see the trilliums in bloom – which is an amazing feat for these plants since it takes them about seven years to flower, pretty crazy huh?

What are your favourite simple ways to relax? Do you like to head out for a nature walk? Poke around in your garden? Or do you prefer to cozy up to a good book?

Scandinave Spa – Relax to the Max

May 15th, 2013 | personal

Travel Photography Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain 141 Scandinave Spa Relax to the Max

Two weeks ago was our five year anniversary so last week we took a three-day mini-vacation to Collingwood primarily to visit the Scandinave Spa. Oh Scandinavian spas, how do I love you… We went to the Scandinave at Blue Mountain two years ago for our anniversary and we were hooked. It led us to a day at the The Nordik Spa in Chelsea, Quebec later that same year and the Strom Spa in Montreal last year.

Travel Photography Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain 153 Scandinave Spa Relax to the Max

The baths are simply divine… They have wonderfully hot pools, refreshing cool pools, and beautiful relaxation areas. The idea is that you spend 10-15 minutes in the hot pools which vary between 38 and 40 C (101-104 F), allowing the heat to open your pores, release toxins, and stimulate circulation. Then you go for a quick 2 second to 2 minute dip in the cool pools, which are 12 to 16 C (55-61 F), to rinse off those toxins and close up your pores. After that you head to one of the various relaxation areas for 10-15 minutes - a warm room with Muskoka chairs and a big beautiful window, a hammock under a tree, or you can dry off by one of the fires. If you’re like me you’ll spend this time sound asleep.

Oh, and if you need a break from the hot pools you should DEFINITELY try out the eucalyptus steam room. The first time Darren and I ever went to one of these spas we were both skeptical about whether we’d like a steam room. I thought it would be suffocatingly humid and way too hot. It turns out they’re the perfect balance of hot and steamy, we’ve actually been known to lose track of time and spend a half hour enjoying the easy breathing. And yes it’s just like in the movies, you walk in and can’t see a thing. Unlike the movies everyone was clad in bathing suits and there weren’t any back room deals going down.

Travel Photography Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain 163 Scandinave Spa Relax to the Max

We ended up spending a full five hours there, including our fantastic one hour massages. Now this is a getaway I could get used to. If only it were closer to home…

Travel Photography Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain 156 Scandinave Spa Relax to the Max

Travel Photography Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain 165 Scandinave Spa Relax to the Max

I love all the bath spas we’ve been to so far but I like Collingwood the best because the scenery is stunning and they have lots of clocks to help monitor how long I’ve spent in each area, sometimes it’s the little things that really matter. It’s set in a small wooded area surrounded by lots of trees making it cozy, quaint, and very tranquil.

I was surprised to see how much I loved the silence. I spend a fair amount of time alone in my studio retouching and writing blog posts causing me to crave social interaction, but spa silence is completely different. It helped quiet my mind in fifteen minute intervals, which was exactly what I needed.

If you ever have a chance to check out a bath spa you totally should. It’s one of the most relaxing things I’ve ever done. And they all seem to have their own personalities. The one at Blue Mountain offers yoga classes, I even saw a yoga day that they’re hosting, while at Strom some nights they have martinis and a DJ.

So what are your favourite relaxing getaways? Do you like to camp far, far away from the city? Are you into all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean? Or is a massage all it takes?

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Tags - Resort Photography, Simple Living, Spa Photography, Travel Photographer, travel photography

Herb-alicious Centerpiece

May 8th, 2013 | home decor, personal

Garden Photography 017 Herb alicious Centerpiece

I am so in love with our new dining table centre piece. It’s something that just happened after stocking up on herbs at the Royal Botanical Gardens spring plant sale. It’s still too early to plant them out in our zone 5-6 garden so we needed to find a place to keep them safe inside but still be easy to water. And the thing with living in a small cottage-style home is that there’s no hiding anything. We could have lined them up on a plant tray beneath our living room window with the others but we chose to show them off in all their natural glory on our dining table.

Editorial Garden Photography 059 Herb alicious Centerpiece

How’d we get this lovely look? It was super easy! We had eight plants that needed a home and I thought it would be nice if they took up residence on our table, especially since most of them are herbs. Setting them all loosey-goosey on our table was one option except it seemed haphazard and unfinished. My first thought was to put them on a large dinner plate but that wasn’t ideal since our plates are round so it wouldn’t have been a great fit, though it would have done an awesome job containing the runoff from watering.

Editorial Garden Photography 043 Herb alicious Centerpiece

Then I remembered we had this square Ikea dish that could work, so I dug it out and it ended up being the perfect fit! I lined up our eight potted plants on it, looking for an arrangement the worked best with the cascading plants on the corners. Since I had two sweet potatoes I put them on opposite diagonals for balance. But with only eight pots I still had one spot left. I was going to leave the middle open then I remembered a jar of fresh cut parsley from the market in our kitchen so I dropped it in, and bam we were done. I know the jar isn’t perfect, but it makes the whole thing feel a lot more casual so I’m pretty happy about it.

So which plants did we choose?

two sweet potatoes
sweet marjoram
variegated marjoram
scented geranium
corkscrew rush
nasturtium
siam queen basil

Editorial Garden Photography 080 Herb alicious Centerpiece

Darren’s favourite, hands down, is the corkscrew rush. I think he secretly wishes he’d picked up a few. Personally, I love how crazy looking it is, kinda reminds me of Darren’s hair some days, in a very good way. It’s an annual that Darren was told he may be able to nurse through the winter indoors. Maybe we should look into how to propagate it…

Editorial Garden Photography 087 Herb alicious Centerpiece

My favourite is the sweet marjoram. Not just because of how yummy it tastes on eggs, but because this particular plant just has a beautiful, sensual shape that seems so dainty and delicate yet very happy.

And what did this whole thing cost? I feel like it didn’t cost us anything since the herbs are destined for the garden in a few short weeks and we already had the dish. But lets say you wanted to make one from scratch. Well, each of the potted herbs were $3 and the Ikea dish was $7.99, putting you at a grand total of $34.99. Not bad. You could create a similar, smaller arrangement with the smaller version of Ikea’s Ideal dish that would hold four plants bringing your cost down to $18.99.

Garden Photography 029 Herb alicious Centerpiece

I always find it soothing to have bits of nature spread throughout our home. What are you doing this spring to add some life to your space? Are you bringing in some plants? Adding some bright pops of colour? Or are you throwing open those sashes and letting in the sunshine and fresh air?

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Tags - Editorial Photography, Garden Photography, gardening, london ontario editorial photography, London Ontario Garden Photography

Happy Anniversary Darren

May 6th, 2013 | personal

Burlington Park Photography Happy Anniversary Darren

Here’s to five of the best years of my life and the dawn of fifty more spent with you. May we love, laugh, and picnic together everyday for forever.

I love you.

{Our anniversary was on Friday but I was too busy eating cupcakes to share the details on our blog}

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Dippy Bread

April 22nd, 2013 | personal

olive oil bread dip Dippy Bread

I love to linger over a meal. A nice long dinner with Darren melts my heart. The problem is, food gets cold. So I like to come up with foods to dawdle over. Food that’s good to pick at. Food that doesn’t wilt or tire. Food that lets conversation go on and on.

Dippy bread works quite lovely. Rounds of baguette mounded on a plate served with a saucer of olive oil bread dip. Here’s our current favourite, I think there’s a touch too much balsamic vinegar, but Darren thinks it’s just right.

Olive Oil Bread Dip

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Clove of Garlic, Minced
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar {or a little less}
1/2 Tbsp Oregano, Dried

Whisk together in a bowl. Pour onto a rimmed plate with a side of fresh bread. Serve after dinner but before dessert. Candle optional, intimate conversation preferred.

What are your favourite foods to draw out a meal? Finger foods like breads and cheeses? Do you prefer dessert foods like pies and cakes? Or is a good glass of wine all you need?

Maple Syrup Love

April 15th, 2013 | personal

london ontario maple syrup Maple Syrup Love

I have a newfound love for maple syrup. I think it was in there all this time but I just didn’t know it. I grew up on brown sugar, I mean, who didn’t? But when I met Darren and he took me on my first sugar bush tour a natural, sugary light went on in my heart. The “maple syrup” I’d been served my whole life was a facade, it was really pancake syrup and sadly lacked the depth of the real thing.

Maple syrup and I rendezvoused a few times a year over pancakes, waffles, and occasionally ice cream and was a delightful on again off again relationship that I quite enjoyed, while my jar of honey sat quietly in the cupboard reserved for tea and baking.

Then last fall I found a recipe for blueberry muffins sweetened only with maple syrup. They were dairy and gluten-free and chock-full of healthy breakfast protein so I gave them a whirl and haven’t looked back. I’ve been known to substitute in apples when we’re out of blueberries too.

Honey, it’s over. Maybe we can still meet up for tea now and again?

Nerdy Maple Syrup Facts

It takes 40 litres of sap from a sugar maple to make 1 litre of maple syrup
More than 80% of the world’s maple syrup is from Canada, primarily from Quebec but also from Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island
Maple syrup season is only 4-8 weeks long, typically in March and April, with ideal sap flow temperatures being +5C during the day and -5C at night
If trees are tapped properly for sap it doesn’t hurt them, it’s similar to when we donate blood
We just bought 2 litres of maple syrup for $29, roughly half to a quarter of what it costs in Europe. {What does it cost in your part of the world?}

Maple syrup, another reason I love Canada.

Dancing Meditation

March 18th, 2013 | personal

dancing meditation Dancing Meditation

Darren and I have been taking dance lessons for just over a year now. Social dance, which is like ballroom. We’re learning to foxtrot, waltz, tango, cha-cha, meringue, and a few others. We do it because it’s a brilliant excuse to laugh and stand close to each other for an hour. Kinda like a one hour a week date. But something I wasn’t expecting was how relaxing it is.

I am independent by nature, I run our studio, and if you knew me you’d know that I don’t like being told what to do. I like to be the boss. But do you know what happens in dance class? I have to follow Darren’s lead. What?! I know! It literally took me months to settle into taking cues from him in class and following along with his steps. I used to go to weddings and guys would always tell me I was leading when we danced, I didn’t know what that meant, I was just doing it the only way I knew how.

I thought dance class was about focus, but it turns out it’s about openness and a willingness to accept what is to come.

Newfoundland Landscape Photography

January 20th, 2013 | landscape photography, personal, photography

Romp, Newfoundland Landscape Photography

Late last summer, just two short weeks after our stint on Beausoleil Island, Darren and I took a last minute trip to Bell Island, Newfoundland to visit my family and walk the land that my Dad grew up on. I hadn’t been there since 2004, the year before he passed away, and I knew it was going to be hard but worth it tenfold. A few of my aunts were going so we tagged along, it was such an amazing way to get to know them better.

Evenings on Bell Island are beautiful! Big family dinner with my aunts and cousins then winding down with Darren on the cliff’s edge for sunset. I remember visiting this spot with my Dad the last time we were there, not the most glamorous walk to get here but the view makes you forget about it completely. Take a deep breath, inhale the fresh air off the sea, and relax, because you’re home.

Generations, Newfoundland Landscape Photography

I come here almost every time I’m in Newfoundland. See that tiny white building on the horizon? It’s Bell Island’s lighthouse. I remember going there with my Dad and hearing about how this is the new lighthouse. The old one was more traditional but it was too close to the cliff’s edge and tests showed the ground there was slowly becoming unstable.

My Dad loved looking out over the cliff’s edge, I mean, how could you not. Check out those stripes in the rock, there’s so much to look at, so much natural history. And the colour that evening was amazing. Photographing the lighthouse was high on my list of image priorities, but it was more of a souvenir for myself and the details weren’t important, so I chose to step way back and get it all – the vastness of the landscape, the strange rocky pillars that surround the island, the cliffs, the layers of earth, the sea, and a nod to my Dad and his stories of the lighthouse.

Bell Island Beach, Newfoundland Landscape Photography

Darren and I always make a point of spending some time on the beach, skipping stones, daring each other into the ice cold water, and watching the ferries go back and forth. Aren’t you just dying to know what’s in that opening in the rock? Me too.

The Watch, Cape Spear, Newfoundland Landscape Photography

On this trip we ventured off Bell Island a few times, something we never did when we went with my Dad. He just wanted to spend time at the house he grew up in. My cousin drove us out to Cape Spear, the most easterly point in North America, where we got to check out the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador, built way back in 1839. It’s no longer in operation and just sits on the cliff’s edge for us to bask in it’s charm.

Cape Spear Lighthouse in Fog, Newfoundland Landscape Photography

Other World, Newfoundland Fog Photography

The old lighthouse was taken out of service in 1955 when a new concrete one was built in a more modern iconic lighthouse style. As soon as we arrived the fog rolled in like a house on fire, blanketing the cliff like a cloud on a mountain top. So we didn’t get to revel in the view from up there but it definitely gave me a chance to play with my camera in the fog Newfoundland is known for.

20120920 newfoundland 090 Newfoundland Landscape Photography

What comes to your mind when you think of Newfoundland? The cliffs, the sea, the rock? Or jellybean row and lighthouses?

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Tags - Bell Island, Bell Island Beach, Cape Spear Lighthouse in Fog, Generations, landscape photograph, landscape photography, Newfoundland, Newfoundland Landscape Photography, Newfoundland Photography, Other World, Romp, The Watch, travel photography

Nestle Your Love

December 25th, 2012 | personal

20120130 nairn 027 nestle your love blog Nestle Your Love

Love Jennifer + Darren

A Simple Christmas – How to Simplify Your Christmas

December 21st, 2012 | personal

Elder, Winter Tree Landscape Photography

We’ve come to the end of our Simple Christmas Series. Now it’s time for you to start thinking about what Christmas truly means for you. Like us, it could be about good food and good company. Maybe it’s about your religious beliefs. Or maybe it’s about family or rejuvenation. Whatever it is, this will be your ultimate goal for the holidays. Use it as your litmus test to help decide if something is truly inline with what you want, or if it’s just what someone else wants of you.

The first year will be the hardest. But try it once, you can always go back to what you’ve always done next year.

What’s your favourite way to simplify your holidays? What do you find the hardest? What’s your biggest stress of the season?