Sexy in the City

Ok, so I am really not sure who was and who is more excited about these pictures! Holy smokes! These ladies were AWESOME! Chrystal, Jackie, Audrey and Dyan came in from Fort McMurray for a girls weekend! While they were here, they made their way to the salon to have their hair styled, put on their hottest clothes! We met up at their hotel and spent some time in they back alley of their hotel where we saw a few sketchy people and moved on to an abandoned warehouse downtown.

Along they way we met numerous glances and honks of car horns, a Greyhound bus full of people and an EPS officer. It was quite the day!

We ended the night with some delicious eats and some fancy girly drinks at Joey Tomato's! We had a blast and I am so glad they came down and decided they need fun pics of their 'Gals Weekend.'

Thanks for coming out ladies!

Here is a very small sample of their awesomeness! Check back often for teasers of this shoot! I will post them as they are finished!

Limited availability for free St. John's & Edmonton mini portrait sessions!

I am so excited to be visiting St. John's, Newfoundland in 2 weeks! My cousin is getting married and I can't wait to get to his wedding! It's going to be so much fun to see all of my family in one place, and I know Andrea will be a beautiful bride!

I am also very pleased that my mini-photography sessions have been going like hotcakes. The St. John's edition (October 18) only has 2 photography sessions left. I guess because they are free and without obligation, it gives a little motivation to come out! I know I am going to meet some very cute kids that day for great children's portraits (in costumes perhaps)! I also have several family portrait sittings booked that day as well!

I am also very pleased with the popularity of the Edmonton sessions (October 25). I have several families booked for portraits (even a Star Wars themed group) and lots of sweet children! I know how excited my parents would be to get a photo of baby Bridget in her first Halloween outfit. (It's a good thing I am a photographer- Bridget is well documented!).

This is also a great chance to get some fun pictures for your family's Christmas card! Who wouldn't smile to receive a card with a photograph with your child dressed as a monkey. I know I already have one skunk coming out for photos. I will just have to make sure I have a clothespin for my nose!

I can't wait to see everyone! If you are interested in reserving one of the few remaining photography sessions, I would be very happy to slot you in! Drop me a line at amydonovan@shaw.ca or view some fun family portraits here!

"Amy the Picture Lady"

The cutest kids in Edmonton just happened to be at Amy & Geordie’s wedding on Saturday. I think I heard little Emily tell me thirteen times, “Picture Lady, did you know my mom is Amy too?”I think that might be my new name: Amy the Picture Lady. It has a nice ring to it! I used to say, 'My name is Amy and I am a wedding photographer', but Picture Lady has a fun ring to it!

Congratulations Amy & Geordie. I had an amazing time photographing your wedding. I had previously thought a wedding in Vegas would be wonderful but you guys did a small wedding in great style at one of my favorite places. I am inspired! I think I might need to go back in time to get on with my future. I am happy that being your wedding photographer showed me something that I might like to have! Thanks! Fort Edmonton Park may very well be my favorite place to photograph in Edmonton, and a wedding takes the cake! Pardon the pun!

This photo is my favorite photo from your wedding. I think it is stunning, and I have made it the homepage for my new wedding and portrait photography site.

You had a beautiful wedding, so beautiful, in fact, that some of the most woolly wedding crashers in Edmonton weren’t sheepish at all about stampeding through your bridal portrait session…

I had a great time with you guys! I am glad you chose me to be your wedding photographer and I thank you for making it so easy for me to capture great photographs for you. Wedding photography is an awesome job, and it is awesome people like you who make my job fun. Check out the rest of your wedding photos here!

Precious Moments.

I can't imagine having a better job than taking pictures. Whether they are of kids playing or beautiful weddings, I love creating images that will last a lifetime. But some moments just really, really stand out in my mind sometimes. They may make a photo become one of my favorite pictures or they may make me remember a person forever. I thought I had seen the sweetest moment at Jason and Heather's wedding last year. When everyone was looking at the girl doing the reading, Jason leaned over and kissed Heather's shoulder. I don't know if anyone else happened to see it, but I was sure glad I did. It was a great moment...

Another of my favorite moments came last Saturday at Jackie and Darcy's wedding. All father daughter dances are beautiful and touching. The song selections always pull on the heartstrings of this country music fan. I can't even remember what Jackie and her dad danced. I do know I saw the most touching moments though. These are so great I just needed to share.

There are other great moments from Jackie and Darcy's day posted below as teaser pics. But to check out how great their day really was, please check out there slideshow by clicking here

Mystery Puppy

Boris, my first born dog child, looking skeptical about the newcomer.

Our new friend by the fence he mysteriously got in through.

New friend (who I would like to call Parker) settling in.

Parker? wondering why I would put pictures of my ugly couch on the Internet.

This morning I was so angry at my neighbor that I could have spit. Correction. This morning at 5am I was so mad at my neighbors that I could have screamed and then spit. I wasn't sure which neighbor but I was very mad. The neighborhood was alive with barking dogs and no one was helping the situation by removing theirs from the chorus.

Slightly more awake, I wondered if through the night I had let my dog, Boris outside and he was contributing to the noise. I sat up. There was Boris. Sound asleep. Through all the racket. Figures.

I closed my eyes and said to Jamie, "If that was our dog there would have been a call to animal control an hour ago."

The barking continued.

And continued.

I did a roll call.

I could hear Ava the Dog de Argentine from 2 doors down. I could hear Moe the Shitzu from next door. I could hear the dog in my yard. WAIT NOW!

I jump out of bed, navigate around the bassinet which was holding peaceful baby Bridget and look out the window.

There, in my backyard was a little black puppy (and I do use the word 'little' loosely...we have a 80lb Alaskan Malamute who makes a small horse look like a yard statue).

I race down over the stairs and fling open the patio door to investigate this arrival. We have a 6 foot fence on all sides. This dog must have been a reject from the movie 'Jumper'. There was no way for him to get in. Unless someone dumped him in. Or he teleported himself and I am not a big believer in that.

Now...you may be thinking...who would have dumped such a cute puppy into Amy's backyard. You may right to ask this. Except for the fact that about this time last year, someone dumped a Boston Terrier into my backyard. Animal control were nice enough to come and take it away after it bashed it's head into the patio door trying to get at Jamie. A dog the size of a shoe tried to attack my boyfriend. It was a little funny after they came with the neck collar on the 6' pole and dragged him away. No Boston Terriers for me. I will keep my dog who looks like a wolf and sleeps on the bed.

......But I digress.....

I sit writing this, with a beautiful black puppy who has gigantic feet investigating the noises coming from the baby monitor. I am not sure where he came from, or even where he is going. I know that I might love him even if I find out that one of the neighbors loves him and would like to have him back. They can gladly have him back, he is a wonderful dog. I hope someone didn't dump him in my yard because they didn't love him. I hope he has a good home. And I hope that if he doesn't already have one, that Jamie will let me let him have a good home at my house.

NOON HOUR UPDATE

It's been a VERY long morning!

'Jumper' as Jamie took to calling him (what with him mysteriously appearing in our yard) turns out to have a mischievous streak. After eating a pair of my flip flops, a pair of Bridget's socks, a rattle and trying to eat a blanket he found the treasure! As I was changing the garbage and he found a diaper. The ensuing battle was nothing short of unfortunate and resulted in him having a bath in the sink and needing his collar washed.

While I was washing his collar, Jumper nearly got a shock as he tried to eat my laptop cord. Boris, long tired of his antics went for a nap. Of course, that was short lived as Jumper thought to chew on Boris' tail.

Finally, realizing that I am entirely too old to have a puppy, a baby, and a Husky, I didn't know what to do so I put all 4 legged friends in the yard.

Just to make my day run a little smoother I hear..."Youhooo...Anyone home," from the back of the house. Great, I think. The dog's owner noticed him outdoors and came to get him. No such luck. Who else would it be but the maintenance man for the condo board, removing my fence. Yes. Your eyes do no deceive you. They were physically removing my fence to erect a new one. I needed to wrangle all the dogs now wrestling in the backyard and get them back into the house where Bridget was having a nap. As I chased them around I try to explain to the guy that the puppy isn't mine, that he just appeared in my yard. You wouldn't believe his response. EVER.

"You don't mind taking stray animals into your house?"

"No, not really. He is clean and friendly." replied slightly frazzled me.

"Oh good! You see, this kitten has been following us around all day. I don't think she has a home...Can you take her?" said the man who forgot to put his brain in his tool kit today.

I hope he didn't find me rude as I stomped into the house with my 80lb dog, my garbage disposing stray and a headache to comfort my screaming infant.

About an hour went by before my Advil kicked in and things were beginning to settle. All canines and babies were napping soundly and there were only mild construction noises emanating from the backyard.

I finally steel my nerve and face the fact that I can't possible keep this dog, no matter how cute he is. I have to call Animal Control. I try to look up the number without much luck. No where can I find the number for the City of Edmonton phone line for cute but trouble causing puppies that appear in your yard. I stomp out my front door and quiz my neighbor. Brilliant. I listen to her complain at me about having 'MY' dog barking at 5am. I finally explain to her that it isn't my dog and she stomps off to get a pamphlet. She has a pamphlet. There is the number, right in front of my eyes. I dial the number, all the while having second thoughts. It didn't matter anyway. It's easier to get ahold of the Pope.

While I am navigating my way through the voicemail jungle of the City of Edmonton, a man knocked on my door. It was Jumper's owner. He had been missing 'Bandit' for 3 days and his kids were very sad about it. There was a very touching reunion with 2 little kids, a Dad and a dog on our lawn, and then...as if by miracle...as they walked away, they took my headache with them.

Have a great life Bandit...it's been a fun morning!

Jackie and Darcy

I had so much fun and Jackie and Darcy's wedding yesterday. A fun loving and energetic couple who are perfectly suited for one another. I had the pleasure of shooting their engagement photos a few months back and knew that I was going to have a great time at this wedding!

I have to give a very, very kind mention to Lynn and her family and friends from Rosie's in Millwoods. Dear friends of Jackie, they prepared and served the most delicious meal. I was particularly fond of the Asian noodle salad, which was made new for the wedding. I hope they add it to the menu because I will be a regular!

All of the photos are still in the works but here are a few I thought I would share as I work my way through them!

Congratulations Jackie and Darcy! You will have a wonderful life together!

Check back for new photos as I work my way through this great wedding...and check out my website www.IslandMistPhotography.com

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!!

I start wearing flip flops as soon as the snow on the ground is gone. Well, gone in most places. As long as I am not up to my ankles in the white stuff, I am in Capri pants and sandals. I look like a tourist from the North Pole most days. While others still have their hoods up, I can be found, wandering around with my toes waving freely in the wind. I am not sensitive to cold, never have been- in fact, I didn't even break out my winter coat when the whirling winds whipped around me at -40 this past snowy season. I firmly believe my roundness and tolerance to cold can be traced to having a polar bear tangled up illegitimately somewhere in my ancestry.

So it is with astounding dismay that I have to announce that I have been adversely affected by the weather. Sunburn? No. As much as I dread the heat of summer, I can safely tell you that I am not suffering anything similiar to a case of heat stroke.

At this point, you must be asking yourself...'Well if she isn't feeling chilled, and she has yet to break a summer sweat, what could be the issue?"

My issue is this. Mold. I am moldy. It has rained everyday since my Capri panted body and sandaled feet stepped off my flight from Edmonton. I lived in Newfoundland for 25 years. I am well aware of the fact that the weatherman could go on strike and CBC could safely play tapes of Carl Wells as a young man and would still be incredibly accurate about the 7 days of falling rain that we were destined to recieve.

I can't even get annoyed like all the men, on all the wharves, comment 'Some weather'. I can't try to be the funny man at the mall who says, 'Great weather for ducks'. I can't even grumble when I get caught in a down pour and my hair undoubtedly goes curly beyond repair. All I can do is lift my arms in the air and look in wonderment at the sky. And while all the world might wonder if I am asking God to show us the sun so all of my Newfoundland portrait bookings can go ahead as planned, they will be half right. I will be talking to God. But instead of asking for a sun shiny day on the Avalon Pennisula, I will do the logical thing. I will be asking God to send me some common sense. So that next time I pack my suitcase to head to Newfoundland, I will pack a pair of long pants and perhaps a pair of sneakers.

Snowshoes optional?

Two weeks ago, while my mother was here from Newfoundland, we embarked on spring cleaning. The key word was meant to be 'Spring'. We carefully packed away all of the winter coats, boots and gloves. Then we stored them all away, in a tidy fashion, deep under the basement stairs. I broke out my sandals, looked shamefully at my white legs and put on Capri pants. Spring cleaning all done, I went to scope out fun wedding locations for some upcoming events and looked hopefully at a park in Leduc.

The week went along very well. Not only was I happy that I was sporting my pre-pregnancy pants, but I was pleased as punch at feeling the sun on my legs and face. Spring had sprung, summer was just around the corner and I nearly was motivated to clean out my car. Nearly. Instead I took Bridget to the park, where she napped just as peacefully in the warm sun as she would have in her bassinet at home, while I was doing laundry. But I digress...

Then yesterday arrived. What a shock to the system that was. I was forced to put away my pretty red nail polish by covering it with slippers. Bridget needed fleece sleepers. I turned the heat way up.

And then today arrived...

Embarking on a trip to Wal-mart today didn't work out. There was 4 inches of snow on the ground. Every car in Edmonton was on the road and driving as though we were faced with the worst blizzard conditions of the century. I gave up and convinced the family perhaps we had best just go to Superstore.

If you know me, you would know this. If you don't, I will tell you. I hate Superstore. I hate the crowd, the bagging of one's own groceries and the idea that I have to pay for bags. Now I am sure I vacuumed up more money than my bags cost me today, but it's the principal of the matter. So the very idea that I was willing to shop there is a strong testament to the fact that I didn't want to drive all the way to St. Albert to pick up milk and eggs.

Walking into the store, we passed by a stunning display of those ornamental trees that folks who garden would plant in their yards. Taller than me, and incredibly full, they were indeed impressive. I am sure I would have noticed them, all on my own. However, my attention was drawn to them as an elderly gentleman powered by on his scooter and commented...'Might as well be Christmas trees.' He was right. This was amusing. I smiled at the man and his witty comment. The more ironic part of this story is that fact that located directly adjacent to these 'Christmas trees' was a giant display of annual and perennials and a very large bin of pool toys!

As I look out my patio door and type this, I gaze longingly at my BBQ which looks like a mere blob of snow on long black legs. It seems unfair that my empty propane tank is not the key factor preventing me from a enjoying a scrumptious grilled steak. It is after all, the depth to which my parka and to tuque are stored in under the stairs.

Pretty Lady!

Its been ages and ages since I have posted. It's been a very busy time. Since my last post I have been so pregnant that I only was comfortable in the same pink sweater, what seemed like every day. Doctors were betting on how big the baby was and were astounded to know my mother was over 14 lbs when she was born. I was having regular ultrasounds and non-stress tests due to some early concern with the baby's heart so the size of the baby was a regular topic of conversation. I predicted I would end up with a C-Section, as it did feel like I was totally out of room in there.


On March 11 baby Bridget Annastaisia Reynolds made her arrival. 3 weeks early she did come by C-section, only after I sat in labour at home for hours and watched my favorite episode of Law and Order at 3am. When it was over I woke Jamie and we both figured that it was all in my head so I wandered around the house plotting how to smuggle snacks and bottled water into the delivery room. Finally we headed off and after I was examined, I realized I was halfway there! 19 hours later, Jai, the best nurse at the Royal Alex and quite possibly the world, decided that the baby was post anterior and I got to head off to surgery. The curious cat in me was desperate to see what happens down past the sheet when they are cutting you open while you are awake. Even with my keen persuasion skills, I couldn't convince anyone that it was a good idea for me to watch. Looking back that may have been the best idea for everyone because once I heard the baby cry and realized what just happened I convinced myself I couldn't breathe. I only assume that after that they knocked me out entirely at that point, as I woke up in my room with my friend Peggy and her kids looking at me, and had no idea where I was. Oh the things drugs will do!





Since that time I have been graced with all sorts of visitors who are only using me to visit with baby Bridget. My mom and step dad, my step mom, my aunt Carol and Uncle Barry, aunt Francie and uncle Cec, My cousin Phil and his fiancee Andrea, my great aunt Liz, my cousin Tina and her husband Mark with their kids and even a long lost cousin I had never met! Not bad for a girl who isn't from Alberta I figure!





It's been great and I have loved having everyone. Now its time to get on with the serious work. I have to take her pictures! It's been so busy all I have had time for is snapshots so tomorrow is a big day! I am positing a few of the snaps I have taken until I get the good ones done!





I hope you find her as cute as I do!

Wink!!! What a flirt!

Cuddling with Daddy after my first bath!

Talking to Nanny Barrett!

Spending an afternoon with Nanny and Poppy Barrett!

Hanging out with my Mom and Nanny!

Oh Baby!

At the risk of exposing too much of my belly on the internet, I do have to send a big thank-you to my friend Beth. Realizing that my pregnant belly had reached epic proportions and that I have totally run out of room, she spent an afternoon snapping photos of me. Beth is the owner/photographer of ENV Photography in Edmonton, and has been one of my best friends since our misadventures in high school! If anyone was going to convince me into a bubble bath to display my huge belly it would have been her. Of course, the bathtub exploits are a little more risque than I choose to display for the world to see, but I can see how she does an awesome job with all of her boudoir photography shoots!

I am posting a few photos here for family, friends and blog fans to see...please be kind and keep in mind that this is of course a record setting sized baby who I am sure is riding a tricycle around in my belly! To check out more pictures, you can view Beth's website at http://www.envphotography.com/