Confessions of an EX Girlfriend...

Here is one of my 10 concept shoots I promised to do on my list.  I know, I know what everyone is thinking...where on earth did you find such good looking models!  haha!  Wouldn't you know it...these fine folks are Fort Saskatchewanites!  I must thank Eric and Shannon for helping me out last minute.  This shoot was thrown together in a couple of days and I was happy to have such wonderful volunteers.  And wouldn't you know it, they aren't even a real couple (they are just that good at acting angry!  Props to you two!)  Oh, and everyone is probably wondering as well why I seem to hate men so much!  I don't...trust me...but I loved the idea of doing something other then a photoshoot showcasing love.  Plus, to anyone who knows me, I am usually the complete opposite of angry and vengeful...so it's fun to shock people too! :)  I hope everyone enjoys!

**Word to the wise...just because some of these photos may depict some violence, I in no way condone any of that.  Please, oh please, no killing teddy bears and blaming it on me...poor Teddy did nothing to you!

 

 

xoxo

Courtney

VanHOOVER!!! ( I'm back!!! )

This July was a very busy month for me. A trip to Jamaica the first week, and a trip to Vancouver the last week. I am one lucky lady! This trip to Vancouver (or VanHOOVER, as I prefer it) was a long time coming. It was about four years ago I moved from Vancouver to Edmonton and being back in one of the greatest cities brought back so many memories from some of the best years ever! Some of those memories include one of my greatest friends from college, Jo. So when she invited me to her wedding...could I really say no? Of course not! I was honored to go and celebrate such an important event in her life. She had chosen a nautical theme for her nuptuals, so when putting together my outfit I chose a twist on the nautical theme.

 Dear VanHOOVER...boy have I missed your skyline!

I have to admit...the neon trend has really got me hooked right now.  It brings me back to the 90s...when my mom dressed me in neon colour blocked polyester track suits.  Why that makes me happy and giddy I have no idea...but the thought of neon just brightens my mood.  However, I do try to follow one rule when wearing neon (a rule my mom...or anyone in the 90s clearly hadn't heard of...), do NOT go overboard.  If I am wearing something neon I try to pair it with a neutral.  Never wear too much at once.  I usually feel safe following this trend as long as I am sticking to that.  

 Could this be a more perfect clutch for me?  A bow...sequins...enough said!

 How could I leave my hot pink lips at home?  They practically scream P-A-R-T-Y!!

 To the happy couple, Aaron and Johanna.  Thank you very much for including me in your big day.  It was quite the wedding and I had the greatest time!  It was an honor to be there!

Ps...I miss you already Jo!!  Get your booty to Alberta ASAP! :) Love you!!!

xoxo



Courtney

Say Yes To The Dress (then TRASH the heck out of it)

So, I hope if you are reading this you caught my post yesterday about my sister's wedding.  If not...ch-ch-check it out!  Even though I did get a chance to use my camera on the day of the wedding, my main purpose was to stand up for my sister (which I did proudly, and hopefully well).  However, the following day was more my style because it was...TRASH THE DRESS DAY!!  Woo!  My first official trash the dress.  It took a bit of convincing to first, get my sister to agree to get into the ocean with her dress...and second, to get her husband to agree to another day of photos.  It was a hard sell for Tyler, but he's a good sport so we had about 15-20 minutes of his undivided attention.  Perfect! 

I have to admit, with my fashion background I quickly realized trash the dress is much more my cup of tea.  I love all other styles of photography but I find TTD is more about the art behind the shot...and its ok to go a bit off course with the shot...think outside the box a bit more...turn it more into an editorial style shoot.  I will admit I was pretty nervous...after all, this was my sister's very expensive dress about to be ruined...to quote Eminem "You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow.  This opportunity comes once in a lifetime...yo!"  So yes, a nervous nelly I was indeed! 

I do have to thank my lovely sister for completely trusting me though, I don't think I would have ended up with the images I did if she hadn't.  So these are just a few of my favourite shots...but believe me, it was NOT easy picking my favourites...but I made some tough cuts and narrowed them down to the following...ENJOY! :)

 This next photo deserves a quick back story.  When I said before that Brittney put complete trust in me...I meant it!  See, she has a tiny fear of water, so right before this photo I had asked her to lay on her back and float...2 problems with that...#1: the look on her face was pure terror (and as her sister I can say utterly hilarious!), and #2: the way her dress was no matter how hard they tried the air pockets in the under layer would not go away...making it look like she had massive balloons under her dress keeping her afloat.  Fortunately, even though that particular pose didn't work I got this super cute candid of Britt and Tyler after.  You never know how you're going to get that perfect shot!

xoxo

Courtney

#18...CHECK!

So if anyone read my second post of my blog they would know about The List.  If not...let me introduce you to the my monster on my back right now.  Finally, after making this list two months ago...I've completed one of the items!  Horray!  List item #18 has officially been completed...I saw my sister tie the knot.  Admittedly, this is the only item on my list that I had no control over, but it was checked off none the less!

These are just a couple of shots that I took at my sister's wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica.  It was a beautiful wedding on the white sandy beaches.  I had the honor of being my sister's maid of honor, and was an emotional sap during all of my duties.  Ok, I know what everyone is thinking...what the heck were you doing with your camera when you were in the wedding party.  The answer is simple...my mom handed me my camera before I nearly exploded.  Seriously...exploded!  Maybe I'm a tad bias, but Brittney is one of the most beautiful brides I have ever seen.  How could I not want to capture some of that beauty!  Sadly, I only had about 5-10 minutes shooting time, but it was enough to at least get me though the day.  I'm so lucky to have a mom who knows me so well...and lucky my sister had a photographer that didn't mind me jumping in.

This was a shot her photographer took (Carolyn McIntosh) of me once I finally got my camera in my hand...aka...one of the top moments of the day! :)

xoxo

Courtney

New York State of...Jealousy?? Say WHAAAAAT!!

Blog #3 and I'm already getting deep...real emotional stuff in this posting! Hold on ladies and gentlemen...this may be a bumpy ride!  So, as the title suggests, I've been experiencing one particularly unpleasant emotion today...jealousy! Thats right...the nasty old green eyed monster!  Now, why would a chipper young lass, such as myself, be in such a mood today?  Is it because of a boy...heck no!  Is it over a pair of shoes...shockingly, nope! Then why? Its because of...a beautiful city called New York. 

You see, being the fashion/photography obsessed person I am, New York has always been the place of my dreams.  Since the time that I was knee high to a grasshopper (not really...but you get my drift), I've always known that someday, somehow, I would get to call that city home.  Due to certain circumstances *cough* stupid visa *cough*, I've been unable to make it there, thus far.  Other than a brief weekend encounter, I've had to get by on watching New York based films, and pinning basically everything NYC related on pintrest.  This, of course, only aids in my craving for the city, but I just can't help myself. 

I know, you're probably thinking...if you torture yourself everyday with thoughts of New York City, what happened today that made you so jealous?  Answer: reading another bloggers post about their fresh move to the city.  This isn't just any blogger either, its someone I went to high school with.  She was the Golde to my Yente.  She, just recieved a job in Queens, after completing her masters in history (i think its a more complicated title then that...but lets go with that!), a feat that is quite incredible.  I would even go as far as saying that its inspiring to see someone, from my small town, make it to New York.  However, I think you can probably understand why I was feeling a tiny bit jealous. As I got lost in her blog posting (which is fantastically written...by the way), I couldn't help but want so desperately to jump through my screen and be right there...I could practically taste the pizza from one partical photo!  Please don't mistaken me, I'm so unbelievably happy for my friend, which is why I was so surprised at my reaction.  I guess the 'J' word is just on of those emotions that happen, its not a feeling you can generally control.  Maybe, its how you deal with it...and I, for one, think writing a blog post was a very productive way of dealing today.  So, until I can paint that town in polka dots, I'll just day dream while watching reruns of Sex and the City.  So for now, I'll leave you with a couple of my favourite pictures of myself. (haha! How self involved do I sound?)  They were taken during my visit to NYC two years ago...hmmm...I wonder why they are such favourites...ha!

xoxo

Courtney

OOOH wait!  I almost forgot, I want to provide a link to my friend's blog.  I strongly suggest everyone goes and checks it out.  Like I said before, it is incredibly well written, and there are cute pictures of NYC and its all around a great blog! Soooo...CLICK HERE!!  I promise, it won't disappoint! :)

The LIST!

So, after officially making my first post last night, as you can imagine, it made me a touch giddy all day.  Well, giddy and completely motivated (possibly a tad delusional as well...) to complete other things I've been meaning to do for awhile now. So...I compiled a list!  I figure since I now have this handy dandy blog to speak my mind on...this will be a perfect place to keep track of my progress!

25 Things To Do Before 25

(In no specific order)

1.       Get over one of many fears of animals/insects. Face your fear of raccoons or skunks…I don’t think I’m brave enough to take on wasps and bees just yet though…

2.       Get over fear of flying…even if it means shitting your pants in the process…just DO IT!

3.       Make amends with someone who you’ve ended a friendship badly with.  Who cares if they mock you and read your apologetic letter to all their family and friends…you’ll feel better about being such a bitch in the past.

4.       Come up with a new cocktail...and get drunk perfecting it!

5.       Go on a wine tour…don’t forget to learn a thing or two!

6.       Take a road trip with a friend or two

7.       Go camping…even if it’s in the backyard

8.       Host a successful dinner party with a couple friends…successful is when you don’t poison them with your bad cooking.

9.       Learn to cook a four course meal…that’s just 4 recipes…in 8 months…simple? Definitely not!

10.   Buy a random, strange food at the grocery store and learn to make a meal with it.

11.   Go skinny dipping…don’t chicken out this time!

12.   Participate in at least two charity events this year.

13.   Start a blog…and keep it going!

14.   Donate blood…remember, ‘it’s in you to give!’

15.   Move away from Edmonton…either south or east…but preferably southeast!

16.   Get a job that puts you back into the fashion industry

17.   Shoot at least 10 concept shoots this year. 1

18.   Watch my sister get married…I guess I have no control over this one, but I’m fairly optimistic this will be crossed off. DONE!

19.   Donate old clothes to charity…just bite the bullet, others will really appreciate it!

20.   Get a roommate…that isn’t blood related!

21.   Ask a guy for his phone number…preferably without laughing or turning red…

22.   Complete a 30 day wardrobe challenge…still deciding which one to do…

23.   Try a different type of workout program

24.   Wear the 5 inch heels sitting in your closet more often…who cares if you are 6’3 while wearing them…you’ve already paid for them…better get good use out of them!

25.   Plan something special to show appreciation for your family.

There you have it...I've got exactly 240 day...or 34 weeks...or 8 months to complete this list!  Better get a move on!

xoxo

Courtney

Colour Blocked Wedding

My very first post...EXCITING.  I've been waiting a few months to make sure my blog was good enough to finally make a posting, so this has been a long time coming.

This past Saturday I had a wedding to go to in downtown Edmonton.  My boss from a previous retail job was tying the knot.  I wanted to make sure I looked cute, but not too fancy.  I've been a tad obsessed with colour blocking this season, so when I came across this dress a few weeks back, I knew it would be perfect for this wedding.  Normally, I don't wear tights in the hot weather, but, after a long winter, my legs could use a little colour so...I decided to cover them up!

xoxo
Courtney