Public Art and Photography

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Gwen
Playing with aperture and the big red coil at Robson Square.

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 fountain in front of the VAG, fast shutter speed.

The same fountain with a slow 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.

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 shallopw depth of field.

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 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 I couldn't the fountain wasn't turned on.

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.

Posted in camera, Gwen, Pictures, Vancouver | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-25

Posted on April 25, 2010 by Gwen
  • Over tired 5 year old and an over reactive gag reflex is not a good mix. Just sayin'. #
  • RT @vancouver_mom: Vancouver’s 30 Ultimate Mom Blogs: My Real Review, Cleavage, Finding My Weigh, Wave The Stick http://ow.ly/176GVC #
  • RT @theTsunamiMommy: Hey Mompreneurs! I'm having a Mother's Day contest JUST for you! http://bit.ly/9ScraZ #
  • Two posts written, 1 up the other scheduled. Monitor attached to the laptop so I could actually see the picutres. Now to bed. #
  • heading out to scienceworld. Hopefully it will calm the kidlets down. #
  • For those who didn't see it this morning I blogged about the #VMNO on Saturday. + I have pics of pretty shoes. http://bit.ly/cNhMqH #
  • Love this: Buffy season 1 in 5 minutes: http://bit.ly/dB6Q5F Must watch Buffy now. or maybe Glee. Hmm teen dramas, maybe the OC next? 😛 #
  • I think I want to have a Buffy party. Maybe we could all dress like our favourite demon. 🙂 I like my tv retro. #
  • .@AnthonyFloyd @Seanfunk I'm not sure who I prefer for blowing stuff up,maybe some Bond action. #
  • Baby fingertips bleed. A Lot. Putting a bandaid on a toddlers fingertip is a pain in the butt. Getting the blood off everything also a pain. #
  • When I read my husbands bike tweets I am more and more convinced we need insurance on him. Scares me to death sometimes. #
  • We are just back from the Aquarium and a horse drawn tour of Stanley Park. Now we need some down time before dinner. #
  • RT @theTsunamiMommy: Hey Vancouver Moms! For the month of May @vidaspas will pay for your babysitter! http://bit.ly/9nq59Z RT to win!! #
  • It was great! RT @AnthonyFloyd: Kicked @LeftCoastMama out of the house a few hours ago. I can only assume she'll come back eventually. #
  • I love that my husband knows when I need a break. Threw me out of the house and I took full advantage. Book and a pot of tea, no computer.:) #
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Vancouver Moms Night Out

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Gwen

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 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.

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

Veggies, Cheeses, and Deli Meats Oh My!

Veggies, Cheeses, and Deli Meats Oh My!

Good Enough to Eat

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.

Emily's "Sparklecorn" shoes.

Pretty, Pretty

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)

@Arieanna and Christine (@Vancouver_Mom)

Rachel (@Rachael_plays) and Kerry (@CrunchyCarpets)

Rachel (@Rachael_plays) and Kerry (@CrunchyCarpets)

The party starts winding down.

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.

Posted in Aidan, Girl Time, Gwen, outings, Vancouver, wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Menu Plan Monday

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Gwen

menu-plan-monday-napa-2

We do so much better in this house when we have a meal plan in place so I fully plan to re-institute Menu Plan Monday.  I liked how it helps me to get a little bit organized even if i don’t always follow it entirely.

Monday: KD and Soup.  Not the best, but I counter this with some bread from Terra Breads which makes everything much more healthy, right?

Tuesday: Spaghetti, bread and raw veggies

Wednesday: Sushi for the kids and me early and Anthony gets whatever he wants while I am at photography class.

Thursday: BBQ chicken and basmati rice with grilled vegetables

Friday: Baked Tilapia, spiced and roasted potatoes, broccoli

Saturday: Slow-cooker meatloaf, baked potatoes and some sort of vegetable.

I really hope meal planning will get me back into better eating habits.  I think the 2 and half weeks of birthday cakes along with Easter have overdosed us on sugar.

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