Who I Am…

Another assignment was a “self portrait”.  So obviously, the picture above is of myself. 🙂 I’m wearing a hat (of course!). Also, I am wearing a scarf I bought in Germany which represents my love of travel. I chose to convert the image to black and and white because…well, I really love black and white images! My expression is intentional…showing that I’m taking what I’m doing here seriously….but there’s a hint of a smile – always…

Part 2 of the “self portrait”was to take pictures of three things that represent ourselves.

Coffee…of course! 🙂 If you’ve been following my blog for awhile, or if you know me in “real life” you’ll know I love coffee.

I know it’s a little quirky… but I decided to add Remmy in. I’m traveling so as you may have guessed Remmy is here too! I also decided it would be fun to take a picture of Remmy in my studio here. 🙂 (Remmy’s Story is HERE.)

My last choice is my iPod…for a few reasons. One, when I travel this is where I read my Bible…so this, is my faith.  Two…the obvious reason, MUSIC! If you know me, you know that music is a huge part of my life from singing in choirs, playing violin, and the sheer enjoyment of listening to it! Please note: the iPod case is green 😉

This…is (a small piece!) of who I am…

Always, Aims

P.s. All photos shot in studio! (how cool is that?!)

So I have “this thing” for hats…

Just coming through another weekend…! Hope yours was as nice as mine! 😉 Birthday celebrations always make for great “add ons” to an otherwise “normal” (whatever that is!) weekend. 🙂 With a family (including extended) the size of mine, we get to celebrate often! 😀

On to the reason for my post…

So I have this “thing” for hats.  It started years ago when one of my brothers found a “poor boy” (newsie) type hat in a park.  Lucky for me there was a flower on it, and he gave it too me. (Thinking back…wearing a hat found in a park is a little gross…but, it was years ago and I’m still alive. I probably wouldn’t do that now though, just sayin’.) Lots of people said it looked good on me…guess I have a nice face shape for hats…? 🙂 That’s how it started…I’ve bought and received various hats ever since and I have a whole little shelf of my “hat collection”.

I’ve decided post pictures (and the stories that go with them if there is one!) of my hat collection.  Kind of like an “ongoing feature”.  So if you like hats as much as I do…be sure and check back!

My sister crocheted this one for me (hum yeah she’s awesome like that!) so I’m not sure what to call it.  I like this one because it’s simple and goes with a lot of my outfits.  It’s perfect for a “bad hair day” haha. It’s super versatile and works if my hair is up but it’s also a fabulous “add on” if I just want to leave my hair down.  When styling it the day of the picture, I was going for a “1920s feel”.

Hope you enjoyed a peek into my hat collection… there will be (many!) more in the (nearish?) future…!

Always, Aims

Out of the Box

Yup, it’s friday…and yes, I’m breaking out of my “blog 3 times a week” box. 🙂 (there’s already one scheduled for tomorrow if you just counted how many times I blogged this week 😛 )

But, I’m happy…so I’ll blog (that’s a good enough reason, right? 🙂 ) Besides, sometimes it’s nice break a habit and do something different. Get out of my own “self-imposed” box…

Actually, the real reason I’m writing a quick blog post is to say “thanks”.  I’m celebrating over 1000 hits to my blog page, no I don’t know the usual blog stats and if this is normal or even worth celebrating (and yes, I’m too lazy to research them 😛 ) But whatever, this makes me happy, especially because my blog has only “been public” for a week and a couple days ;-).  Yesterday was my busiest day with 300+ views.  Thanks Anna and Jannice, you gals helped make it possible I’m sure! Just wanted to say thanks for all the support to all you who have been reading and following etc! 😀

Anyways, just wanted to say I’m excited. Look for some new features etc. in the next few weeks!

Here’s a hint at tomorrow’s blog post. I’ll leave it up to your imagination to what it alludes…

Till tomorrow, always…Aims

Easter via “Cellphone Cam”

Easter Sunday… as seen through the lens of my cell phone. 🙂

For some reason our family was never into the whole “Easter hunt” thing. I can’t really remember doing “egg hunts” etc. growing up… and we still don’t now that I’m older, haha.  However, on Easter morning… our table is always laden with various Easter type candies.  I baked Maple Nut Scones for our family’s Easter breakfast (please notice: I took a picture of food! 😀 Or, at least I tried, ok?!) Of course, no matter the day, Easter breakfast wouldn’t really be complete without coffee…

Easter chocolate from Oma:

I remember the days when the only way to get this stuff was when someone brought it from Germany!

 

The Easter lily on our counter. Our spring wreath and some tulips. I LOVE that spring…means flowers! 🙂

In the evening our church service was called “the road to Calvary”.  We read through the different events leading up to the resurrection.

Some tangible reminders of what we remember at Easter:

A palm leaf, similar perhaps to what the people waved in the triumphal entry. Perfume, a reminder of the spikenard Mary wiped upon Jesus’ feet.  30 coins, the price they paid for Jesus. A cup and bread, reminds us of the last supper. Thorns, used for His crown.  A sponge, it was dipped and offered to Jesus as he hung on the cross.  Dice, for they cast lots for his clothes. The cross reminds us how He died. Strips of cloth; they wrapped His body in these after He died.

 

But this is the reason we celebrate!

 

Hope your Easter was as special as mine! 😀

Always, Aims

Official Blog Unveiling

Finally! The official unveiling of my blog! I’m super excited you’re here. 😀

The thought of starting a blog (not to mention a website!) has been in the back of my mind for a while.  But, I had no idea where to begin… so I didn’t do anything.  For the last two months I’ve been working through an online course called Look Through… among other things, it included setting up a blog and a website! It’s been an intense couple of months filled lots of skype conversations, helpful ideas and insites…and many “tech battles” (since my blog is up and running, I think that means I won 😉 ).  But seriously, the last two months were…fantastic!  It’s a pretty awesome feeling to have something of a “game plan” for the future.

Now, that I’ve actually got my blog up and running, and posted a couple of times, I have a feeling it’s something I’m going to enjoy. J (btw, beware: I write long run on sentances…just sayin’).

Sometimes the only pictures a Photographer gets into... (This was taken in Germany last year.)

You can read more about me in the “Meet Aims” page on my blog. But to save you an extra click, I’ll just tell you a tiny bit about myself.  My name is Amy, but way back when, the nickname “Aims” stuck (sure glad some of my other nicknames didn’t! :-D).  Lots of my friends and family call me Aims, and you’re welcome to as well. 🙂

Photo credit: Joanna Webber!

A piece of my Photographic story…

Every family has “the family photographer”. I stepped into that role years ago armed with a 3.2 megapixel point and shoot camera (haha my cell phone has more mega pixels than that now! Wow!) My love for photography grew out of that; maybe it’s the beautiful country in which I live, or maybe it was my siblings and cousins willing to be my subjects…but somewhere along the way, I realized that this is what I want to “do with my life”.

Obviously, the little 3.2 megapix camera is collecting dust in a cupboard now… and my hobby is becoming my business.  This blog will be the perfect place to share my personal as well as my professional life through the pictures I take.

Yup...I'm the one that gets excited over discovering that there is a mirror on the roof in the museum.

Along with starting a business comes the long awaited…WEBSITE! I’m absolutely thrilled to share this link with you today! Let me know what you think of it, eh?! 😀

www.aimsphotography.co

I wanted to say a special thanks if you’re reading this, because if you are, you’re part of the beginning of my blogging journey…and I appreciate that! So, thank you. 🙂

This is just the beginning…

Always, Aims

A new New Year’s “Resolution”!?

Yes, I know it’s WAY past Jan. 1… but sometimes I like breaking rules; today I made a New Year’s resolution (who cares if it’s “a couple” months late, right?) 🙂 Even if it’s spring…?

Today I realized: I don’t take enough pictures.

Hey there! Stop laughing! Let me explain…Whoever would’ve thought a photographer would say, “I don’t take enough pictures”?!

Give me a minute (or more!) to expound my statement… 🙂 First of all I love life, I love MY life and the unique things that make it “mine”, such as having the privilege of having a “live-in” BFF (how cool is that, eh? Yup, my older sister is beyond awesome!) or living in a country where food and water are always available…

I love the little things in life too, those little details… like my red fingerless “photography” mittens and my camera keychain that makes a shutter sound and flashes when you hit the button. (Yes, I am easily amused)  Life is about stepping back for a few seconds and enjoying these little gifts.  I’m guilty of being so busy that I don’t always notice them, don’t always think about how thankful I truly am…even that I can put gas (at outrageous prices!) in the car.

Okay, okay, to make what’s turning into a longer rambly explanation shorter.  Today, I realized I don’t take pictures of some of these simple gifts, special moments, so that I can remember them later… usually, I’m too busy to take notice let alone snap a picture.  Yet, when I actually do take that extra moment…I’m SO thankful later!

So what exactly is my resolution/goal? Simply this: To take more pictures of the “everyday” gifts I get to experience. I know I’ll be thankful I did when 20 years down the road I can look back and remember… 🙂 Not only have a memory, but a tangible reminder in the form of a picture.

I’m hoping that by having a blog, it will remind me to snap pictures. 😀 To start off… here’s a picture when some of my family and I went skating a few weeks ago…

Why is it special? Because we’re together.  It’s the night before my sister leaves…and it’s our last skate of the season.

Any newish goals you’ve made recently?

Always, Aims

Today I miss…

Today I’m missing my kitty, Tango.  She was my first “very own” pet and got her as a birthday gift one year.  But…I live on a farm… and along with farm life comes the fact that sometimes pets “disappear”. (Yes, she was an outdoor cat because my Dad is allergic.)  Last fall… she didn’t come home one night, and hasn’t come home since. This just makes me more thankful for the few pictures I do have! 🙂  The picture below is the one that inspired today’s post… I randomly came across it while looking for another picture.

This is me and some of my little sibs. I’m holding Tango and the kids each have one of her kittens.  Their names are Mango (the orange one), Night-Fury (the multi-coloured one my brother is holding), Hiccup is the long haired one (can you tell we’ve seen How to Train Your Dragon?!) The other one ended up with the name, Salsa.

It’s hard to get five people and five cat/kittens to look at the camera at the same time…!!!

And…I couldn’t resist adding this one of Boo with the kittens…

🙂 Till next time,

Always, Aims

Entering the blogging world; officially!

Honestly, it’s somewhat daunting sitting down and writing my very first blog post – ever! However, there’s also a ripple of excitement in the under current because I’ve wanted to start a blog for awhile and just never got around to it… until now 🙂 (yes, I like using “emotions” when I write!) I feel as if I’m at the beginning of a journey and I don’t know when or where (or if?) it will end… I just know that it’s bound to be an adventure! 🙂 All great and exciting journeys must start with taking the first step… and I’m officially taking my first step (yes, it’s a somewhat tentative one!) into the virtual world called “blogging.”

Thanks to my lovely friend Christi for capturing this moment!

So… where does a person start? Well, I started by pouring myself another cup of coffee (what better way to start something new than with coffee, eh?) and playing some epic music.  It’s quite in my usually not-so-quiet house tonight, so I’m taking the opportunity while it’s here because the quietness won’t last. 😉

I was thinking about doing a whole “meet me!” type of post, but have decided against it. There’s no way express who I am by one blog post… little pieces of who I am will appear as I continue to blog (I hope!) This blog will be a specific place where I can share my love of life through words, but mostly through pictures, which are simply memories and moments caught in time.