The underdog

Always root for the underdog. Why not lend a hand instead of point and laugh? You never know how famous that underdog just might become.

See below and smile.

http://improveverywhere.com/2011/01/31/worst-ice-skater-ever-2/

Beating the Monday blahs.....

1. Crank up Adele's new track

2. Dance like a maniac

3. Get curtains so neighbour's don't think you're nuts

4. Stage an impromptu photo shoot.

5. Smile. Someone loves you.

A leap of faith

You've heard the expression "put yourself out there." If you put whatever it is you want out there in the universe, you shall eventually receive. The difficult part comes when you're not sure what it is in fact you want.

I often heard this expression when I was single. It was true, I often mused. I certainly wasn't going to meet someone just sitting in my apartment moping. In my dreams, a cute pizza delivery driver would just suddenly show up at my door, which allowed for me no effort in actually getting ready, going out and playing the ever so exhausting dating game.

The same is true for my change in career. I literally quit my job with no plan in sight and had to deal with people's perception and judgement of my rash decision. Someone recently said to me that it wasn't fair I get to live a fun life and play dress up. The truth is, the past four months have been ball busting hard work and all-nighters spent trying to find as much information about photography that I can, to expediate the process and eventually make a career out of something that I love.

When I met Michael, I certainly took a chance. I met him on an internet dating site, after having several horrid (and some great) dates. I cancelled on him a couple of times before finally agreeing to meet up with him. The truth is, I would never have met such a wonderful and amazing man if I didn't agree to take that opportunity.

Chance took me on another journey yesterday where I found myself having coffee with a woman with a soul of beauty named Charity. We sat and watched the snow fall on young skaters by the Burlington waterside. We looked at each other and instantly wanted to reach for our cameras. I knew I had met someone that was as crazy as I was for capturing a beautiful moment. Just then, an elderly couple were seated behind us. The wife clearly was confused as she asked where her granddaughter was and her husband gingerly placed his hand on her back.

It's nice to be loved.

I never really thought I wanted to have children. I never had that calling or urge that most mothers tell me about. Today, I went for a walk with my dog. He saw Michael and escaped out of my hand. I leaped face first into the snow and concrete to stop traffic from hitting my dog. Michael was shaken, and later said to me that I must have the instincts, if I was about to get hit by traffic to save my dog.

My point in all this is that you have to take a leap of faith in life. If it seems scary, daunting or intimidating, that is even more reason to try it. Because I took a chance, I have a wonderful husband, a new career assisting Charity Swords with her weddings this year and a great sense of pride and accomplishment of achieving my dreams without any handouts.

Reach for the stars....go out and live your dream.

Love,

Wendy

Love Letters

Who can say where the road goes,
Where the day flows, only time?
And who can say if your love grows,
As your hearth chose, only time?

Who can say why your heart sights,
As your live flies, only time?
And who can say why your heart cries
when your love lies, only time?

Who can say when the roads meet,
That love might be, in your heart?
and who can say when the day sleeps,
and the night keeps all your heart?
Night keeps all your heart.....

Who can say if your love grows,
As your heart chose, only time?
And who can say where the road goes
Where the day flows, only time?

Who knows? Only time
Who knows? Only time

~ Enya ~

Snow Day!

There is something about snow days that brings me back to my childhood.

I remember intently listening to the radio in hopes of school and bus closures. Unfortunately for me, often times the buses would be cancelled but the schools remained open, and I was in walking distance.

The first thing I did when I awoke this morning was to look outside, with high hopes that it would be too torrential that my husband would be able to stay home from work. Alas, his job takes him on the road and there is no working from home for him.

So we shovelled, had our neighbour kindly come and plough our driveway, had a coffee together, played in the snow with the dog and I kissed him goodbye.

Here I sit, all comfy cozy in my pj's, drinking hot coffee by the fireplace and reminiscing about the school days I couldn't wait to miss due to an announcement of a snow day.

Cuddle up, and keep warm!

xo

Love is in the air.....

.....it's February....the month of amore!

WTF ~ A monday rant about life.

I explained to a makeup artist yesterday, that the title of my blog was in reference to the crap that life dishes out and my spin at turning the crap into something positive. For a very long time, I have been of the pessimistic school of thought, or as I like to refer to it as, being real. Sometimes, the reality of being real is that you simply cannot ignore the shit. I get so annoyed when I'm having a bad day and the cheerleaders chant "Be positive! Be positive!"

WTF. What the f*** is going on in this world? Sometimes I am so conflicted. Do you ever want to just pack up your family and move somewhere simple? Have a garden, write in your journal, and possibly a couple of goats? Okay, that's a bit extreme but do you know what I mean?

How are we to stop the cycle of madness going on? Teenagers are under so much pressure to be model-thin and wear celebrity status clothing. Real models are so young, so lost and honestly seem so sad. There is a void in their eyes that screams "help me, I'm drowning" as they are poked, prodded and picked at before the cameras are ready to roll. The real women look to them with adoration and sometimes jealousy. What a life one must live, to be a teenager, on a yacht in Brazil, draped in millions of dollars worth of jewels and designer clothing. Meanwhile, they have no place to call "home", have jet setted around the world, only to discover their model roommates are not their true friends and when they come back to visit family, all their highschool friends loathe their success. They have no idea what normalcy is but long for the concept.

What's even worse is when a woman in her 40's, is so tanned, tucked, teeth whitened and thin that you wonder what she looks like naturally. Then, sickeningly enough, she is prompting her daughters to smile, suck it in, turn to their good side of the camera, and freeze their painted on and forced smiles.

There was a horrible movie I watched on the plane returning from my honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera. It was called "Post Grad" and if nothing else, sent me a message about a life that you entirely plan out. Nothing ever goes to plan, and just when you think you want something, you get that dream and you realize, this might not be for me.

I am trying my hand at photography but realizing where I do and do not want to be. I don't want to be around prima donna brides who ask, if the vendors really expect to be fed on the wedding day? I don't want to be in the "scene" of a rock star life that goes hand in hand with photography. Just like the bar scene where the bartenders, promoters, bouncers and DJ's all roll in the same circle, there is a world of photographers, stylists, hairdressers and models that, if you choose to become part of, you can network to skyrocket into a variety of places including opportunities to be on television and high fashion shoots.

This all sounds very glamorous until you're actually a part of it. Don't get me wrong...there are some amazing people in the industry however everything these days is about image, perfection, shmoozing and getting ahead.

I'm really not into that. I see a real problem with the way things are headed for our generation of kids....how can they possibly succeed in a world warped with such distortion about image and status?

After a very long weekend of 13 hour days of shooting in various environments, all I really wanted to do was come home, put on my comfies and hang out with my family. Instead, I fell asleep and woke up to kiss my husband goodbye and wonder aloud where the weekend went.

You can only get as far as you push yourself and I have pushed myself so hard for the past 4 months but I can understand how photographers can burn out very quickly. Sometimes, saying yes to everything is not the wisest decision.

Just as the beautiful models transformed back into regular girls by changing out of hair, makeup and wardrobe and putting on Uggs, track pants and hoodies yesterday, I myself have quickly transformed from a success hungry budding photographer, to someone who wants to be with her family first, and equally find joy in taking photos.

Life is all about balance. The expectation that we all put on ourselves, especially women and teenaged girls at that, is so unfair and sets us up to fail, every single time.

We have to learn to love ourselves, enjoy the simplicity of our lives and try our best.

At the end of a hard and long day, we really are all the same. We want to come home, cuddle up in our most comfortable clothes, wash the stress of the day away from our face and be with those that we love.

It's time to trade the makeup and I-phones in for a hug, because quite frankly, that simple world I long for, with the goat and journal, don't seem at all possible.

If you find that island, please let me know. I'd like to invest in that piece of real estate for my future.