Support Breast Cancer Survivors

Hello, everyone!  

I've written here before about my good friend Diane.  She's tough and loyal, generous, gracious,  determined and focused, easy to laugh with and especially easy to root for.  

For over a year and a half she has battled breast cancer.  There have been many milestones, some great ones and some that were tougher.   Another young patient she met, also under 30, lost the battle.  Diane's own journey could have been different had her health care team not turned her away at first (without even an examination!) and dismissed her concerns.  

She's doing well.  She's even stronger now, and she feels very strongly about screening guidelines for women in their twenties and thirties.  
This Oct 2nd she will be part of the Run For The Cure with her team, the Young & Feisty Fighters.  She's set some big fundraising goals for herself.  It's inspiring, and it's empowering for her and every survivor.

There are just a few days left for her to reach these goals that mean so much to her.  Please support Diane by making a donation of any amount at her page on The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation website.

Here's her page:  http://www.runforthecure.com/site/TR?px=1783388&fr_id=1284&pg=personal 

Let this amazing woman know that she can make a difference.  Thank you so much!

Crosby, the cuddly houseguest

A couple of weeks ago our friend's dog Crosby made our place home for about a week.  The first night he was in his dog bed, and getting accustomed to our place again, after that he'd already claimed his favourite places.  One of these was the balcony, but he was so much happier when you went out there with him to watch all the downtown activity.
  
We had a fun date with our friends Sharon & Bosco at the newly renovated downtown Ottawa DogPark.  Neither of the dogs were into the new doggy water fountain, but were of course more than happy to run and play and chase a ball.  I think it's nice that the city put some work into the space, but I'm not sure how I feel about the gravel instead of grass.  We had a good time either way and it was nice being able to take him there since our apartment lacks the room to run and play (though Darcy & Crosby tried).
  

Hope you enjoyed your stay Crosby, it was fun having you!

Ottawa Buskerfest

Ottawa's home to endless summer festivals.  One of the best family festivals, is Buskerfest, when they close down Sparks street for 3 days and it's packed with incredibly talented entertainers and lively crowds.  It's a free event, with tipping highly encouraged, and can be very interactive and amusing.  This year it was the 20th annual and looked amazing.

Despite a busy weekend, I had a second to snap this and grab myself a very refreshing lemonade, since I was shooting a wedding nearby at the Chateau Laurier and The National Arts Centre.  I think I should have stuck around a little longer for some fun on the bouncy slide.  Who says they're only for children? 

Time for change, Canada!

Election Day is here!  Darcy and I both love the voting process.  We get all geeky excited about it.  It's one of the most important things we could do and I really do feel like expressing our opinions by voting for what we value can and does create change.  If I didn't, or couldn't vote,  well, I can't even imagine how I would feel.  

If you're unsure how to vote consider this article, by Margaret Atwood.  However you feel about which candidate and party best suit your idea for a stronger Canada, one that fits your values and beliefs, go out today, and vote for your choice.  

‎-Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.- George Jean Nathan

You have a voice, and you can use it.  As Ms Atwood says, "People elsewhere are dying for it".

Find out where to vote at vote.ca and at elections.ca

Natalie

Our MP and Foreign Affairs Critic, Paul Dewar  with Ambassador of Japan, Mr Kaoru Ishikawa 

 

The Hope Fundraiser in Images

Two weeks after the devastating news from Japan, the people of JETAA and CJSO, with the help of friends, organized an event that raised over $30 000.  With the tickets alone (at only $40) they raised $10 000.  With their combined efforts word spread quickly, offers were generous, the turnout incredible and the evening a modest, refined and elegant way to bring people together in grief and hope.  

The performances were moving and powerful, the speakers even more so.  Current JET participant Gemma Villanueva spoke of her experience there during the events and Ambassador Ishikawa spoke of our need to remember the impact this will have, especially on the children, not just 6 months from now, but years from now.  He brought with him an image and haunting story of children in a school that sat above the affected area but provided a view of the tsunami's impact surrounding them, where their mothers and fathers may be lost forever.

Among the guests were City Council members, His Worship Mayor Jim Watson, several MPs and MPPS, members of Order of Canada, and many members of the Japanese Community in Ottawa.  Throughout the evening what stood out were the remarks that such an event was pulled together so quickly and came together so well.  One thing I noticed especially was the graciousness from Ambassador Ishikawa. He was usually seen conveying his heartfelt thanks and gratitude to those who helped make the event happen and to those who came in hope of helping any way they could.

Donations are still being accepted and can be made here http://www.redcross.ca/jetaaottawa/

Auction items and Ikebana being arranged by Yumiko Tsunakawa Toma

L-R:  Ikebana, JETAA Ottawa President Lisa Mallin with author Jack Nakamoto,
Handmade Tamari donated to Auction, His Worship Mayor Jim Watson 

L-R: H.E. Mr Kaoru Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan to Canada speaking with MP Paul Dewar,
Order of Canada member Don Newman, CTV's Stefan Keyes as Master of Ceremonies

L-R: Current JET Participant Gemma Villanueva, Soprano Noriko Hashimoto
H.E. Mr Kaoru Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan to Canada

Please Give if you can.

Natalie

Hope, A Relief Fundraiser for Japan

Around the globe we have all heard, and seen footage, of the devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the tsunami, and the aftermath of devastation in Japan.  Our hopes are high, for their safety and well-being.  And we can help.

This Sunday, March 27th, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Alumni Association  and  Canada-Japan Society of Ottawa  are partnering to host a charity reception and silent auction in an effort to contribute to the relief effort.  It will be held from 7-9 pm in the Governor General Ballroom of  the Westin Hotel, hosted by CTV's Stefan Keyes, and his excellency Kaoru Ishikawa, Ambassador of Japan, speaking at the event.  There will be performances by Soprano Noriko Hashimoto and Oto-Wa Taiko members including Aki san.

We were grateful to contribute gift certificates and services when we were contacted and there have been many other generous contributions of donated services and items. Tickets are $40, with all proceeds benefitting the Canadian Red Cross Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami Fund.  Everyone is welcome to attend.

If you are unable to attend the event but wish to make a direct donation to the relief efforts, please donate here: redcross.ca/jetaaottawa/

Tickets are available at the door, with cash or cheques being accepted.
Contact japan.relief@jetaaottawa.ca, 613-366-5002 for more information or click here.

100 Years of Women's Strength

Today marks the 100th International Women's Day.  There are events worldwide in cities, towns and villages.  You may not have participated in an event but probably (or perhaps once you've read this) you've had a moment or two of reflection.  About the women you live with, the women who raised you, the women you work with, the woman you hope to become or hope your daughters or nieces will become.

Canada's Theme for IWD this year is 'Strong Leadership.Strong Women.Strong World:Equality'  Here are a couple quotes I've seen that fit well.  (thanks Sharon)

The thing women have yet to learn is nobody gives you power. You just take it.   

Roseanne Barr

I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.  

Rebecca West

There is so much more that could be said.  My personal note here is a Thank You, to the women I am fortunate to be surrounded with.  

Their differences and similarities influence me and enrich my life in so many ways.  

They are all Beautiful. Strong. Unique. Independent. Kind. Incredible.

And I believe that I am no exception.  We all have phenomenal women in our lives.

My mother and grandmother.  The women who raised me.  Photo by William Au

A month for Love, Family and Community

February has come and gone and it was a busy one!

Apologies for the Radio Silence here....  We started the month off with meeting some great wedding vendors and new friends as well as new clients at the Wedbyhand show.  It was a lot of fun and we put out a favourite Canadian retro treat for snacking.  The photos of our table (with the Pink Elephant Popcorn!) are courtesy of Anne Marie Bouchard.

The week after the show we took in the computer for a little maintenance to upgrade our lives and help workflow.  It felt odd being without it for over a week but the time flew by with Valentine's Day, client meetings, a gorgeous wedding, and Rainbow Family Day, a community event.  (We were so eager to see the day's photos from the wedding that we admit to hooking the cameras up to the television and looking through them in our PJ's at the end of the night.)

Top Left: Thimblecakes Valentine  Top Right:  MPP Yassir Naqvi, Morris Rothman, Mayor Jim Watson  Bottom:  Rainbow Family Day Candids

We are still catching up on emails and editing.  It was busy through the end of the month with more meetings, an event for Erica Braun and the yoga fundraiser Power of Movement. 

Our WedbyHand special promo will be ending this Sunday.  Whether you were there or not, contact us to take advantage of the offer, natalielyle@me.com, 613.237.7835.

More posts to follow soon with photos!  I hope your month was spent with people you love to be around, whether young or old, family, friend, partner or child.

Hello Neighbour! Thimblecakes is here....

Notes From Wednesday's Snowstorm.....

I know many of you may be cursing this huge snowfall, but I have to admit, I love it!  Especially going out for a walk with no real need to be anywhere, with the snow falling heavily in big flakes.  I took today's joy and doubled it by taking myself out for a mini break to the nearby used bookshop and then... Cupcakes!

Thimblecakes opened up weeks ago, which was long-awaited by me since they are at the end of my block and I passed by their pretty storefront almost daily in December.  So far I've popped in a few times since they opened.

Sunrta as Barista

Try Jackie's fave, the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip!

I've been loving the mini cupcakes (only $0.83) which allows me to try a few different varieties.   The flavours seem to always be changing, and there seems to be a little more selection in the regular size cupcakes which are still so light and delicious I feel pretty guilt-free about.  They have some gluten-free, sugar-free or vegan options to offer as well.  They're open 11-7 daily, and Apt613 suggests getting there before 1 or after the second batch goes out for the day for the best selection.

Today I tried the lemon with Vanilla Bean Buttercream, Double Chocolate and Pumpkin ChocolateChip(with Chocolate Buttercream).  I'm not usually a fan of chocolate buttercreams or chocolate icings (and I'm a serious chocolate lover) but theirs is perfectly rich and cocoa-y.  I loved it.

If they have the pumpkin cupcake when you go, it's a must-try.  I was skeptical, but Oh My was I wrong.  Absolutely great.

I popped back in with my camera after lunch.  They have some cupcakes in the window that will be available for Valentine's Day, and really, they were just too adorable not to take photos of.

While I was there Wendy, the owner and her partner Sunrta were setting up the Thimblecakes twitter and enjoying some coffee and Jackie was helping the customers coming in from the snowstorm.  The shop is full of vintage velvety chairs in gorgeous colours, and is lightfilled and calming but still cozy.

I've enjoyed picking up some cupcakes to bring back to my desk, but their space is so tranquil and lovely I may just need to start taking a proper break some days and enjoy coffee or tea with a cupcake there.  It might just be what I need to help me through endless hours of editing and emails.

Find them on Facebook for updates about what's going on in the shop!

Giveaway!

We've partnered up with our friends Don, Jenn & Claire at FoodiePrints, Ottawa's resident Foodies and resource for all things tasty in the Capital.  We love their blog, so we loved the idea of giving their readers a chance to win tickets to WedByHand.  This event is a fresh alternative for all things wedding and will have some free nibbles, workshops, and will be an all around fun afternoon with great swag bags, too (for the first 100 people there).                                                                                                                                 
You can check out Amy's Splendid Events' blog, her workshop sounds incredible and will no doubt fill up fast!  A couple other workshops let you learn some tips and tricks from these talented ladies; Cake Decorating with Sophie of Ottawa Cake Company and DIY Bouquet and Flower arranging by Erin of Full Bloom Floral.  Workshops are all free, tickets to the event are $10 single ticket/$18 double ticket at the door or less in advance.


To score a pair of free tickets from us go to FoodiePrints  and comment on the article with your email address and something you'll be making for a loved one this Valentine's Day.




We'll see you at the show!  We'll be offering a few giveaways for a few lucky winners and can't wait to meet you!

*For anyone looking forward to catching the Superbowl this Sunday, don't worry this event starts at 10 am so you can make it to Wed By Hand and still be able to catch a ton of pre-game!

Happy Holidays

Greetings everyone!

We didn't spend much time on Facebook or the Blog during the Holiday season, so we will say now that we hope you all had a lovely end to 2010 and that you were able to relax and reflect, spend some time with loved ones and celebrate the best in life.  There was so much excitement this year, both in our lives and those of friends and clients.  Thank you so much for letting us be a part of your big moments.  Weddings, Engagements, First Birthdays, First Teeth, New Pets, New Businesses, Family Get-Togethers, Galas, and Graduation, all made this year special and brought so many new faces our way. 

We were very happy to contribute our talents to a few short films and a television project, which we'll be able to share more with you about later on, and there are more of those projects yet to come for 2011.  One of the favourite projects was Darcy's music video for The Weathermakers song Stand Up In An Empty Room, which was shot entirely as still photos, and went on to place third at OIFF.  The Weathermakers released their album at the end of October and we can't stop listening to it. 

Last year we also worked with the University of Ottawa, the Haitian Consulate, Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, the National Capital Commission, United Way, Beau's, The Power of Movement, Love and Lipstick, Melody IaFelice, Fit Anywhere, Cherry Pie and RideauWood's Walkathon.  Thanks to these partners and more.  We look forward to working with you again this year to help make your events and programs a success and to exceed fundraising goals again!

Coming up in February is the WedbyHand show on Feb 6th, Ottawa's Alternative DIY Wedding Event and then the 2011 Power of Movement National Yoga Fundraiser for Alzheimer's and Auto Immune Diseases.  Check out their sites for details.

We're currently in NorthWestern Ontario, where we finsihed off 2010 and rang in the New Year with a lovely Winter Wedding in Thunder Bay.  We'll spend a little bit more time here with baby and maternity photos, a family session, and a little time with our family and friends here.  We'll see you back in Ottawa on the 5th!  There will be more posts (with photos!) to come, including highlights of 2010.

Wishing you all the best for 2011!
Natalie & Darcy

Moustaches for Men's Health

Retro Mo' :   Catching a nap with Dad

If you have noticed various men, young and old, sporting some new moustaches (possibly embarassing looking ones) throughout the past month here's why:

Back in 2003 some Australian guys came up with a rather clever campaign to raise awareness and funds for Men's health.  In their 2nd year of trying it, 432 'Mo Bros' raised $55000 for Prostate Cancer, and it has since become a very fun worldwide event.

The rule was that at the start of November participants had to begin clean-shaven, and grow a Moustache for the 30 days of Mo-vember.  (Women could support by joining as a Mo-Sista, to spread the word, etc)

I know many guys have had fun with this, trying on a Mo for a month, getting out from behind the comfort of their usual beards, scruff and whiskers.  If you haven't yet, you can reward these amusing efforts by making your donation at movember.com, if not to support the silly factor, then maybe for the men in your life.

Click here to help Change the face of Men's Health, or join in the fun and help create change next year!

Natalie

My friend Diane

Next weekend, with a big group of friends, we will be at a lovely champagne brunch.  The occasion, is to celebrate Diane, and her last round of chemo.  

As I'm sure all of you know, October is breast cancer month.  There are so many ways to support the research for the cure, and you always see a lot of it in October (I even bought mushrooms the other day in a pink ribbon logo-ed package).  My friend Sharon does quite a bit better than me and raises money and participates in the run.  However you do contribute, bravo!  I'm not just writing about this today, though, to remind you of this worthy cause for financial support.  I'm reminding you to feel your boobs (or to talk to the women in your life about selfchecking).

Diane, first noticed something was wrong last fall.  Being only 28 at the time, her doctor kind of blew her off, she was too young to worry about this.  "Sometimes it can be normal" he said, "everyone's different".  Come December she knew something was wrong and insisted they check further.  January they started doing testing...  it was May before she was diagnosed.  By the end of June she was meeting with her oncologist for all of the results and a treatment plan.  The breast cancer had progressed, and they needed to start chemotherapy that day.  

I am so proud of how she has dealt with this, and the battles she has had to fight as she's gone through it.  Her strength, humour and grace have beaten out every little indignity that treatment has thrown her way.

Diane, far left, with her father and twin sister A.

She's still got a few hurdles ahead   (after her chemo, as she gets ready for family to come visit at Christmas, she will also be getting ready for her surgery) but I can't wait to celebrate this milestone with her.

So many people are affected by this, and I know there are many survivors that have faced this with the same strength and courage.  

We can beat this. Give what you can, and Ladies, Trust Your Instincts, and Check Yourself please : )

Learn more here: Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation

There's nothing like sisters.

**Update:  Diane went in for her last session this week, and finished it off by ringing the 'end of chemotherapy' bell at the clinic.  Her adoring, devoted husband Ken took a photo of it, and I can't even tell you how great it is to see! 

I'm so glad for both of them.  This could have made anyone feel defeated but it's incredible to see their strength.  You can't help but see how much they adore each other when you're around them, and how deeply they love and support each other.   


Here's a favourite from this summer.