Left Coast Mama » Vancouver

July 1st, A New Winter?

Gwen — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:19:11 +0000

As we always do on July 1st, we celebrate Canada Day at granville Island. This year my mom was with us and we headed down after lunch and Quinlan’s nap. The interesting part of it was we were all dressed in almsot the same clothes we wore in February . . . at the Olympics. Yes it was that cold.

We managed to get a few pictures of the boys and Nana. This was harder than was necessary because Aidan is at the point in his career where he feels the need to make weird faces and move.

Mom

Take 1, At least Mom is smiling at the camera.

I love this picture.

P.S. Mom I have some more pictures and I will send them soon. By the way you look beautiful.

Labour Union: Father’s Day Giveaway

Gwen — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:41:19 +0000

I don’t do a lot of giveaways, but when Holly and Roger of Labour Union Photographers asked if I wanted to do a giveaway for Father’s day for them I jumped at the chance. These are the two photographers that donated their time and space for the top 30 Vancouver Mom Bloggers gala. The lovely head-shot adorning my twitter profile and about page are proof of their fantastic talent.

Who they are:

Labour Union Photographers is comprised of two artists, Roger and Holly, who have come together in business (and in life) through their shared passion for photography. Though they’ve each found expression for our passion in a distinctive style and unique point of view, it is when their photos are experienced together that the magic truly happens. The result is a union of two individual styles that perfectly compliment each other to create a treasury of images that are at once enduring and contemporary, joyful yet intimate. Their mission is to be their clients’ photographers for life, to help them capture the important moments in their lives from their wedding, to pregnancy, to babies, to their 50th wedding anniversary and everything in between.

Based on their success photographing their clients’ weddings in Vancouver with Union Photographers, Roger and Holly launched the Labour Union this spring. Opening the Labour Union, focusing on maternity, baby and family photography, is a natural extension of our wedding photography work.

What the prize is: a portrait session and $100 print credit for a total value of $250. This is your chance to get a nice family portrait without the awkward contortions of trying to do the photography your self.

You can have up to 6 people at the session including parents and children. The session can last up to 60 minutes and can be in the studio or a place special to you within the Vancouver area.

How do you qualify? Simply post a comment on this post by midnight PST on Friday June 18. A winner will be chosen and emailed by Saturday June 19. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another name is chosen. The Labour Union is located in Vancouver so you must be able to come to their studio or somewhere in the city of Vancouver proper) to claim the prize.

Extra Entry: Tweet about this giveaway with the hashtag #labouruniondads or copy and paste this: Enter to win a portrait session with Labour Union Photographers from @LeftCoastMama http://bit.ly/bLPxML

So what if I don’t win? The Labour Union is also having a great Father’s Day Promotion. They are offering 20 minute mini portrait sessions at their studio for just $125 including an 8x 10 print! Call or email them to book your session on Thursday June 24th or Saturday June 26th. They will happily send you a gift certificate to give to the special Dad in your life on Father’s Day.

Disclosure: I am not being paid or compensated in anyway for running this giveaway. I just think that Holly and Roger are fantastic photographers and I think this is a great giveaway.

May Brings . . . Winter Weather?

Gwen — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:37:06 +0000

I had my second of three photography field trips last night to learn about night photography. Yes, last night. The night of very cold rain and wind. We started out with nearly the whole class but after about 20 minutes we had lost half and by an hour and a half in we were down to six women including the instructor. I made it all the way through but by the end I was very cold, though not too wet. In fact I am pretty sure it took me several hours to get fully warm again, I even wore socks to bed. Looking through my pictures I think I got some good shots, at least until I got too much water on the lens.

Here are some of the best night shots:

The boats by Monk McQueen's on False Creek. Not quite dark enough yet.

Playing with shutter speed.

I like the way the path of lights leads us down the dock.

The water on the ground was very reflective.

Playing with a long exposure. Interesting effect.

Looking at downtown. I think I want one of these starburst filters.

I seem to like less light than my camera's lightmeter suggests. I really like the way the dock seems to soak up the light.

Notice the water on the lens. This was my last shot of the night. Brrr

This Isn’t a PhotoBlog . . . Yet

Gwen — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:34:50 +0000

I am having a blast playing around with my new camera. I love, love, love the Canon T2i. I am really enjoying my photography class and actually having an idea of how the camera works and how to make my pictures pop. I am mostly using the manual setting, except when I am running around after the kids and trying to take some pictures as well. Since I am trying to take more pictures I also thought I should be posting more pictures.

Orchid at the Bloedel Conservatory.

Another Orchid. Almost the way I wanted it pictured.

I have no idea what kind of flower this is.

You have never seen this in your life Mommy! (It was a water-wheel.)

Quinlan being his usual cute self.

Quinlan loves being in the tree. I like that I can see the teeth we are at war with.

Aidan's friend looking at his dad.

It is too bad there are so many shadows, but the boys had fun in the tree.

I can’t wait to get back to the conservatory so I can take more time and get some better shots. I think I may have found my new addiction.

____________________________________________________________

In other business I am one of Vancouver Mom’s top 30 bloggers. I would love it if I could get some more votes so I don’t come in last. Just scroll down to Gwendolyn Floyd and click. Thanks!

© 2010 Left Coast Mama | Permalink | 2 comments
Related: Aidan, My Boys, Pictures, Playdates, Quinlan, Vancouver, outings.

Public Art and Photography

Gwen — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:57:22 +0000

Playing with aperture and the big red coil at Robson Square.

I am taking a photography class and I am enjoying (for the most part) being in a classroom again. I like that I am learning to control my camera and not always relying on the auto mode to get results. I don’t like that Kits high school still has their heat on and the lab is boiling, it makes the late hour 9:30 pm seem like way too late.

On Sunday morning I went on my first photography field trip and took a lot of photographs. I thought it might be nice to show you some of my favourites. During this exercise we were playing with aperture or shutter speed and the balance between the two.

The fountain in front of the VAG, fast shutter speed.

The same fountain with a slow shutter speed.

This is my favourite picture in the bunch. I love the way the water is crashing as the woman is trying to climb the rock.

Playing with shallow depth of field.

I love the way these colours look so close up. It is amazing that this is part of a flower mural.

I was inspired to keep taking pictures in manual mode at the HR MacMillian Space Centre. Too bad the fountain wasn't turned on.

I am glad that I am making the effort to learn more about our new camera before I head to BlogHer in New York this summer. I hope to take a million pictures and have some of them really work.

Vancouver Moms Night Out

Gwen — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 08:00:13 +0000

I have the privilege of being part of a very interesting group of women around the lower mainland. These are social media moms. They are moms who vlog, blog and twitter. They use facebook and twitter to connect with other people, have conversations and to help promote their businesses. These are moms who know exactly what it is to multitask. Sometimes these moms also like to get out of the house, put on some clean (and maybe even stylish) clothes and talk about whatever is on their minds. This is a group where you don’t have to apologize for being a mom and a business owner. You don’t need to explain what twitter is and how you know someone you haven’t actually met in person yet. You don’t need to explain why you have a fan page on facebook, or why sometimes you respond more quickly to your twitter handle or Mom, Mommy, Mummy, Mama or whatever your child can actually say at the moment. These are the women who come out to Vancouver Moms Night Out.

Alexis Hinde

Alexis and Tracey took on the organization of this VMNO and were able to get Sue of Raspberry Kids to open up her warehouse so we could party. They decided that to make things more affordable they would buy and prepare most of the food. It was a fabulous spread.

Drinks Table. Too bad the blenders had to go in the back.

Veggies, Cheeses, and Deli Meats Oh My!

Good Enough to Eat

Some of us were able to bring out our beautiful shoes, and some of us even took the time to get our feet pamapered.

Emily's "Sparklecorn" shoes.

Pretty, Pretty

I was silly and I didn’t make a full list of all the women who were there, but I have some pictures. I know that Tracey and Alexis were also taking pictures so hopefully there are some better ones of the group.

@Arieanna and Christine (@Vancouver_Mom)

Rachel (@Rachael_plays) and Kerry (@CrunchyCarpets)

The party starts winding down.

A fabulous time with some fantastic women. I wish we could do this every month. If anyone has a list of all the blogs and twitter handles I will add them to the end of this post.

What an Ending!!! Go Canada Go!

Gwen — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:41:31 +0000

Can you guess who our household was rooting for?

Watching the Medal Ceremony

Anthony Tries to Keep His Eyes Intact

Quinlan, Anthony and the Mascots Showing Their Colours

Go Canada Go!!!!

© 2010 Left Coast Mama | Permalink | 4 comments
Related: Aidan, Anthony, Family Time, My Boys, Quinlan, Vancouver, Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Olympic Torch Relay: A Chance For Aidan to Shine

Gwen — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:55:27 +0000

When Anthony and I moved to Vancouver almost 13 years ago we knew we loved the city, but plans for after his PhD were murky. When Vancouver got the games seven years ago all we knew is that we really wanted to stay and experience the games as much as we could. When Aidan was born we knew he would be almost five and this would be an even better experience and boy were we right. Aidan has been so excited about the 2010 winter Olympic Games, especially when we went down and got the boys (and us) some Canadian Olympic gear.

Aidan and Quinlan in their Olympic Gear

On Thursday we got the chance to see the Olympic Torch Relay up close in two spots. We decided early on that Quinlan, Aidan and I would go to Vancouver City Hall to see the torch and take in the atmosphere of anticipation. I was a little apprehensive because of the threat of protesters ruining it for everyone, but I decided to be positive and we invited some of Aidan’s preschool friends to go with us. Jasmine (Veronica’s mom) told me she was making a torch for Veronica and that inspired me to make a torch/magic wand for Aidan and Quinlan. I also realized that I had 3 white pirate hats leftover from Aidan’s birthday party last year so I made the 3 kids some Olympic hats. I think they were the cutest kids there. Thankfully Keiko (Shinto’s mom) was there as well since she had the working camera.

Getting Cookies and Hot Chocolate at City Hall

Aidan was so well decked out that he was tapped to be part of the pre-show. He and Veronica were picked by some of the city of Vancouver staff as the the “best red” kids. We asked that they let Shinto come up too since they were all together and we let him wear Aidan’s jacket. They were called up to the stage (the steps of city hall) and they ran through the gauntlet that the torch runner would go through. Aidan started his “Go, Canada, Go!” cheer.

Go CANADA!!!!

I almost cried I was so happy for Aidan. He always wants to be picked to go up on stage and he finally got his chance. They then ran back to cheers and clapping while they waved their flags and torches. It was the best feeling.

Running Back Through the Gauntlet to Cheers.

We then waited and the kids did the “Go, Canada, Go!” dance. We were very lucky and it didn’t start raining until just as the torch went by us.

Go Canada Go Dance

Look at the Torch!

Right after the torch went by, we had a quick hot chocolate to warm up and then Quinlan, Aidan and I headed up to UBC so we could see the torch as it came through. As a bonus we would get to experience it all together since we picked up Anthony at work. Unfortunately this experience wasn’t quite as fun since it was pouring and it was cold. It was a bit better for actually seeing the flame however, so I am not sure which was better.

By the Forestry Building in the Pouring Rain

Getting Excited to see the Torch Again

We didn't see the police escort at city hall, but here it is massive.

It looks like we don’t have any pictures of the actual torch, but we did get it on video!

I think all in all it was a fabulous way to start our Olympic weekend.

© 2010 Left Coast Mama | Permalink | 7 comments
Related: Aidan, Anthony, Firsts, Gwen, My Boys, Quinlan, Vancouver, Vancouver 2010 Olympics, milestones.

The Bicycle Valet: A Great Way to Experience the Olympics

Gwen — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:54:14 +0000

When Anthony and I got tickets for the opening ceremonies to the 2010 Winter Olympics we were thrilled. The only problem we encountered was the early start of the audience participation practice and the anticipated waits at the security line ups. We managed to find a babysitter but since she was working until 3:30 we weren’t sure how on earth we were going to make it to the security line up in time since we had planned on walking. Then we hit on the perfect solution, we would ride our bikes. The only part that concerned us was where to park them during the ceremony.

Free and Safe Bicycle Parking

We had heard Mayor Gregor Robertson say on the radio that there would be a bicycle valet near the venues, but we hadn’t really heard too much else about them. Anthony found out that there was some bike parking from the 2010 Olympic site but it didn’t link to the Bicycle Valet site so we weren’t sure how exactly it was going to work. It turns out that the bicycle valets are all over the place and have volunteers watching your bikes while you go off and do your thing. The big thing? THEY ARE FREE!

Bicycle Valet Parking at Olympic Village

For the opening and closing ceremonies the bicycle parking was under the Cambie Street Bridge so we got to BC Place from our house in 15 minutes flat. It would have taken us about 30 minutes or 45 minutes depending on how much we were hoofing it to walk. The bike parking was not at all crowded and it kept our bikes dry. (I am not sure if all the bike parking is covered so if it is raining you might want to bring a cover for your seat. )
View Detailed Olympic Bicycle Valet parking locations in a larger map

For more information on the times Bicycle Valet is open during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, pleas check their website. They also have some good tips on how to use the bicycle valet to make things easier for both you and the volunteers.

Olympic Photo Walk

Gwen — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:40:25 +0000

Today Aidan, Quinlan and I headed out to take in some of the Olympic ambiance around Vancouver. We headed east on Broadway, down Cambie, on the Canadaline from Olympic Village to Waterfront, around Canada Place, back up to Yaletown Roundhouse, and then after walking through David Lam park back onto the skytrain back across the water home. I took a lot of pictures and while some of them are mediocre at best, some of them I really like.

Oh! Canada

Aidan on our walk.

Blue Skies Ahead on the Olympic Lane

Aidan told me to take this picture. I thought I'd make it arty.

A 2010 Olympic bus Mommy!!

Showing our colours.

I love this shot and I am not sure why.

Waterfalls at the Fairmont Waterfront

My happy boys.

The Olympic Village with all the flags including the boxing kangaroo.

Showing our pride with a sweat knit by my great-grandmother for me when I was little.

One of these days I will get some better pictures of the boys together and some more of Quinlan by himself. It is just so hard to chase after him on the playground now, well at least with a camera in tow.