love.travel.life.

well that went by fast now, didn't it? || manila destination wedding photographer

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:49:06 -0800

the last post i was able to get up here was on the 17th of jan. it is now the 10th of feb.

wow….Wow….WOW!

can i just say i’m glad to NOT be sick anymore? i had my final “relapse” of that crazy flu after i was out of town shooting a destination wedding with pilar… GAH! the upside? we got some KILLER photos which will be posted next week… :)

we had visitors from canada for 3 weeks…this week has been a quiet week - not only did we not have visitors, but caleb has been gone for his Outdoor Ed for school all week. on sunday a next batch of visitors come - my cousin, who is like a brother, and his wife will be here for 12 days…and then my sister comes in the day after they arrive here, for almost 4 months.

good fun, no!? :)

there is so much going on here…and so much coming on the blog…

~ #FF will be coming back every friday, featuring an amazingly fabulous person!

~ promotion for my travel tours, Follow Your Heart and this April’s phototour to Italy with guest photog Pilar Tuason.

~ all sorts of love and wedding goodness!

~ more travel photos from turkey, italy, philippines and various gorgeous places in north america!

~ what SMUG metro manila has been up to and will be up to.

~ giveaways!!

~ one day photo workshops here in manila

and a whole lot more!

so come back monday and 2012 blogging will have commenced!

thanks for reading and be patient! :)

xotracey

if you could see me blog about something specific, what would it be about?

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18 days...enough is enough already || manila destination wedding photographer

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 03:31:11 -0800

18 days ago i got sick.

about a week ago i was almost better.

then i caught something else and have been in bed since saturday night, except for pulling myself together today to shoot a corporate gig for a friend.

i’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.

and it’s in the tropics - being hot AND sick is so uncomfy.

ok enough whining about that. :)

my big plans for this blog got jolted and have been on hold. i can barely sit in front of my laptop on my lap to get anything done.

sorry about that friends!

vicks vapor rub, ascorbic acid, strepsols and water and ORS have been my best friend these last days.

but i gotta tell ya. i’m BORED. as in B-O-R-E-D.

i have two days to get better, so to speak - or on the road to better - i am shooting a destination wedding with my lovely friend pilar out of town, and will be away 3 days.

anyhow, i thought i’d post something on my very lonely blog. :)

until next post,

xotracey

what sorts of things do you do, minus a computer, when you are sick?

and a photo blog isn’t a photo blog without a photo..so here are a few of my lovely manila.. :)

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you say goodbye and i say hello || manila destination wedding photographer

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:29:57 -0800

i dont even know where to start with this blog post…

do i start with where we were a year ago? or what we have done in the last year? or how i love our little family of 4?

cuz they would all really be a sweet way to start this blog post.

i dont know if it’s because i’m turning 40 in a couple months, or what, but i am finding i’m getting more sentimental, filled with more emotion, wanting to not RUSH through life but to LIVE it, taking each moment and ENJOYING it.

no i dont konw exactly how to start this blog post. so i’ll start it with a picture:

not only is this the LAST family photo we have together (i’m working on getting a local photog here to do some awesome ones!), but this is the beginning of the current journey our family is on.

this was taken in the elevator of the fairmont airport hotel on dec 30, the day we left our comfortable, amazing vancouver and headed west to our new home, our new life in manila.

excited. anxious. giddy. quiet. scared. happy. sad. some of the phlethora of emotions that filled us that day.

as i sit here and reflect the last year, i hear fireworks STILL - it’s 8:33am on new years day. filipinos sure know how to throw a party. :) we sat up at the kids’ school and watched the entire metropolis, a 180 degree view, light up with fireworks. it’s a sight to behold. and we beheld it. :)

THINGS.

lots of THINGS have happened and such in 2011…and i love making lists..so why not do it that way? lists of different THINGS. :)

THINGS I HAVE ACQUIRED THIS YEAR…

a deeper appreciation for life. being surrounded all the time around so many less fortunate that i, my world view and life view is changing…i’m so incredibly blessed. as in INCREDIBLY. we have a home, food, clothes, each other. we have so MUCH. and the days when culture shock or the cultural walls are so frustrating and i want to be anywhere but here in that moment, i must chose to remember how richly blessed i am. life is short and we must live it to the fullest - not rushed or quickly getting through it but THOROUGHLY and with intention.

a sense of who i am. nothing like throwing yourself into a new culture, albeit familiar to some degree, with a teenager and preteen, an 18 year friendship with your spouse, having built my photography business a couple times from the ground up, and being a student in the school of life. yes, i’m turning 40 in april. and i simply can’t wait. the 30s brought a lot of good things. but it was a very hard decade. and one i would never choose to relive in many ways, at least the first half of it for certain! i know that this next decade will be so kick arse and that as a person, wife, mom, friend, photographer, i will have the best years to come. there is something about turning 40, to me. you dont actually give a rip what people think of you, or if they like you anymore. you LIVE life and hope that you get to journey with people who love life just as you do and want to see MORE out of life than just “living”.

so who am i? i am a woman who knows what she wants (sometimes not as clearly as other days!) out of life. who chooses to live with intention. be in relationship with intention. love with intention. play with intention. be present in my childrens lives. love them intentionally and deeply. photograph with intention. interpret the world with intention. serve my Lord with intention. i’m thinking INTENTION is my word this year. :)

i definitely know what i DONT want and with that i choose to run after what i DO want. and i’m so blessed to run it with my best friend and the greatest kids on the planet. they are such a part of who i am. without them, i would not be who i am today. their presence and interaction with my life have molded me. i will be forever grateful. xo

seeing a little more of the world. i never in my wildest dreams thought i’d see and do as much i have this last year…within the philippines, asia, british columbia and then turkey. from road trips in the okanagan with good friends, to shooting love on the shores of boracay and the city life of hong kong, to traveling for lonely planet philippines to turkey, i have been blessed to see more of my world. and am excited to see where 2012 will take me. (an ITALY tour for APRIL, my birthday week, is definitely going to be a highlight! you should come along!) i want to continue my lifelong journey of travel til i’m old. it started when i was a young teen. and i want to bring people along for the ride. i’m really fantastic to travel with. :) no really. i am. hehe..

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED THIS YEAR…

having fun is a choice. surround yourself with people you want to reflect. metro manila traffic is god’s way to slow us down and breathe. you can change the world by loving just ONE. being positive is worth the work. you can never take too many photos. you can get sick of taking too many photos. :) cats dont have nine lives. you can teach filipinos how to make food and baking that are from “home”. being a parent of a teenager is hard. being a parent of a teenager is one of the most amazing things to watch. meeting new people can be scarey. meeting new people can take you to places you never dreamed. you can find just about every thing you “crave” from “home” here-you just gotta know where to look. having a daughter is a fun thing. traveling smart is an art. a smile goes a long way. 10,000 km is far. 10,000 with skype is not so far. having sleepovers with your kids when daddy is away is the sweetest thing and should never be taken for granted. a thousand pesos sound like a heckuva lot more than $25 dollars. you can get some sweet deals with a thousand pesos. just when you think you can’t go on anymore, more GRACE abounds.

THINGS I WANT TO DO THIS COMING YEAR…

+ get fit and healthy. i know we all say that every year. but in turning 40 i realize this old grey mare aint what she used to be. :)

+ finish several personal projects that i have started years ago, or have put off to start. the time is NOW. :)

+ build my photo tour and travel tour sideline so that i can impart to others all that has been imparted to me..and have a fantastical time doing it in fantastical places around our world.

+ take more road trips out of the metro with the family. believing we will find a vehicle in the next week or so, there is so much more to the philippines than living in the metro. and to show our kids it will increase their appreciation for where we live!

+ shoot many weddings and love this year…near and far. and one with an iPhone, yes it’s on my bucket list. :)

+ be a better friend, wife and mom. this is who i am. what i do is irrelevant as to who i am. as i better myself as a person, a mom, a wife, a friend, my life will be full and what i do will be in complete connection of who i am. :) wow..that was deep. ;)

+ make a difference in my world. in my relationships. in my volunteering. in my photo life. in every part of my life. i cannot change the world. but i can make a difference in mine. :)

THINGS I WANT TO TELL YOU

thank you. for your support. love. relationships. for believing in us and the dream God has for us. for supporting us as we have transitioned to a new life in manila. without your love and friendship..i can’t even imagine. we love you.

and with that, here’s to 2012..a year full of intentions. full of dreams. full of life.

xotracey

ps - a full year in photos is coming this coming week..stay tuned!

pps - in the spirit of the beatles, we say goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012!

party, fiesta, forever...ALL DAY LONG! || manila destination photographer

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:44:00 -0800

yes i totally almost quoted lionel ritchie right there in my blog post title. hehe..

wednesday - FULL of PARTY! not only did we have our GH christmas party but some of my friends Madie (from Lonely Planet who went to Turkey with me), Pilar (my dear photog friend), her sister Marlene (General Manager of the publishing company), Alana (Wedding Belle Magazine), Sherif (very tall and funny son of the ambassador of egypt here in manila and dude who played “santa”!) his cool friend who i have forgotten his name because my brain is so full (sorry!!), Prayot & Christina (enterpreneurs of many cool businesses and friends of everyone!) and others came and put on a party for our kids at Gentle Hands.

pilar and the christmas photobooth - so excited that all of the kids, babies to teens, got nice christmas photos taken…what a treasure those will be!

it was so fun! Christmas parties are a big thing here at GH every christmas, and on birthdays - people want to spend their special times with our kids… :)

here’ s a few iPhone pics from our awesome day together. can’t wait to see the christmas photo booth one! :)

thank you again for the amazing time together, the copious amounts of great food, the awesome photobooth, the fun games, the fantastic prizes, the thoughtful christmas gifts...but most of all, thank you for loving our kids.

xotracey

me with my awesome friends :)

places i will spend christmastime || manila destination wedding photographer

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:16:00 -0800

i have been extremely blessed and fortunate to travel a LOT in my life. and i have been to some fairly AMAZING places.

and i know that there are some places that i want to go BACK to one day and spend christmas there - and places i HAVEN’T been to that i want to spend christmas at. :)

of the miles i have traveled to, there are 3 places i wish to be at during christmas: ITALY, NEW YORK CITY, CANNON BEACH, OREGON.

ITALY

this probably is a given, as most people who either know me or my blog, know my love for italy. :)

the closest i have been to italy at christmastime was siena in early november in 2010. some lights were starting to get put up and it was “cool” enough to FEEL like christmas was in the air.

SIDE NOTE: i think living in a hot place plays with my psyche and the ability to really FEEL like it’s christmas. there is something, to me, that cool air, roaring fireplaces, and warm sweaters that makes it FEEL like christmas. END SIDE NOTE. :)

italy and christmas. from what i have read, it’s not flashy commercial christmas as it is in the west (north america). honestly, i’m QUITE ok with that. instead, there are nativity scenes…many of them. as a christian, this is the reason why we celebrate the holidays, so i can identify with this very much. there are some very old, hand-carved nativity scenes i’d love to see. and the hand-made gifts that one can buy at this time of year, in comparison to going down to a local box store - that is what i would love. finding treasures hand-made to give. mmmm. :)

or what about the MEATLESS christmas eve feast? now THAT i could do with!! no i’m not a vegetarian..but all the meat these days - too much. i try to eat very little meat as i can. and going to family and friends houses for antipasti, and cakes and gelato and… ya.. i could totally get into that.

one day i will..one day…my family will go and have christmas with my italian family…yes..one day….

NEW YORK CITY

the first time i went to new york city i fell in love. it was back in 2001. it was also in the month of may - very far away from christmas.

but i have watched enough christmas specials on tv and heard stories from friends who have spent the holidays there and WOW…..THAT is another place i want to spend the holidays in.

there is something about skating at rockafeller..and all the artists who come perform christmas songs there.. and eating roasted chesnuts on the cool, crisps streets where macy’s and nordstrom are.

back up to rockafeller - dude..to see the big tree light up…ahhhhhhhhhhh.. so nice. and times square…i bet it would JUST be bustling.

ya..christmas in new york is definitely another on my bucket list. :)

CANNON BEACH, OREGON

yes…this is another place i have been to that i would love to spend christmas at. we have spent many summers visiting there. it’s a very “happy” place for us. 100% R&R. and right on the ocean. jonathan and i LOVE the ocean. and to hear the crashing of the waves in our cottage over an open fire…DUDE. THAT would be fantastic.

cannon beach has snow in the winter too, as does new york. think of it - small village type town on the coast of oregon…socked in for the winter, type feeling. i could TOTALLY do that. talk about a place to UNWIND.

that would be a dream. yes, add that one too, to my bucket list.

there also is MONTREAL & BORACAY. ok..add two more to the bucket list. :)

PLACES YET TO VISIT

now my list of places i’d like to visit for christmas that i have never traveled to..

SCOTLAND, because my husband wants to go there so badly and what a better time to make lovely memories than at christmastime.

and it’s now 5:30pm and i can’t think…how pathetic is that..must have been the buttertarts and sugar cookies i ate this afternoon. ;)

so i will leave it at that for today’s christmas post. in my home country’s other tongue: joyeux noel. :)

xotracey

6 days til christmas || manila destination wedding photographer

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:34:37 -0800

it’s monday.. and i am dedicating this week to CHRISTMAS blog posts.

yes i totally skipped out on last week. not a single post. what a bad blogger. but considering that in july i started my new blogging routine and have blogged more since then than any other time in my blogging career, i would have to say it’s pretty darn good. :)

as i type, i hear my darling husband play his FISHING game on his iPhone. i know, right?? who has FISHING games??? jonathan does. :) but i wont judge i have my share of favorite games on my phone that i only let a few people know i play…right, R&D? :)

BAKING

today my house girl, chris, and i baked some more of the recipes i pull out every christmas. butter tarts and sugar cookies were today’s lovelies. i even got to use the cookie stamps for the FIRST time that my mother gave me years ago..and they worked! :) haha.

i have 7 recipes i bake every christmas. gingerbread dudes, rum balls, sugar cookies, unbaked chocolate coconut cookies, candy cane cookies, shortbread, buttertarts. here are a couple photos from my iPhone of two of the 7…

GIFT WRAPPING

my rosie is getting into the niche of wrapping this year. and i quote, “the square ones, i can do so awesome”. it’s true. she does rock at the square ones. the other night, the two of us holed up in my office so that j and caleb wouldn’t peek.. we got ‘er done. :)

PAPER SNOWFLAKES

for many years the kids and i made snowflakes for our windows. this year because our windows are usually open i figured that would perhaps not be the best idea.

and my snowflakes ALWAYS are boring squarish type things. so i got smart this year: i googled how to make the perfect snowflake. i perused a few sites and came up with a couple that suited me fine.. and i decided to hang them from the ceiling.. it is pretty much the coolest thing really. :)

so that is today’s christmas post. hope you enjoyed it. come back tomoro. :)

xotracey

#FF - Jo-Ann Tuazon of SWEET CREATIONS by MUMS || manila destination photographer

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:53:00 -0800

when i moved here to manila, one of my fellow photogs from vancouver, gracci pelaez (who will be gracing this #FF soon!!) introduced me to jo-ann. when i saw her work, i was like, “WOW!! this is AMAZING!”

and i wanted to feature a fabulous filipino person today and jo-ann, seemed in my mind, to be the PERFECT choice. :)

jo-ann, thank you, even though we barely know each other, for being a part of my #FF blog post today - i’m really excited to feature you!

here is jo-ann and her SWEET CREATIONS :)

xotracey

(i had to include some of her AMAZING cupcakes in her collage cuz they are simply ADORABLE!!) :)

TLH: what is the favorite part of what you do (business/organization wise)?

Jo-Ann: Our favorite part is the sincere “thank yous”,the genuine smiles and the laughter we see. Seeing the pictures of not just satisfied but very happy clients and knowing that we contributed in making that moment memorable gives us a sense of fulfillment and pure joy.

TLH: how did you get started? everyone asks, i know, but peeps wanna know!

Jo-Ann: I’ve always liked cooking and Ive always liked to express myself creatively, and as a way to incorporate both, I was inspired by family and friends to use the lessons I learned in baking and designing while I was still in Vancouver.

By doing this I get to explore my passions and earn a little extra while at the same time staying home and taking care of my family, thus “Sweet Creations by Mums” was born as a culmination of all that.

TLH: if you could live anywhere in the world for a year, money not an issue, where would it be and why?

Jo-Ann: I would want to spend more time with my Mom and Dad in Seattle. Its a beautiful place and I would like to take my family there one day so my Kids can spend more time with their grandparents and see how beautiful it is there too.

TLH: your favorite story/memory of past client/work/project

Jo-Ann: Last December SCBM launched a “Christmas Cupcake and Cake Treat” contest where everyone had a chance to send 1 memorable Christmas picture and justify why that photo was special. We received so many entries and were touched by their stories, our judges had a very difficult time picking the winners but it was a memorable event indeed.

We’re even more excited for our upcoming charity event this Christmas Season where SCBM along with the generosity of our loyal customers, has sponsored “A Christmas Birthday Bash” for the kids of RSCC (The Reception and Study Center for Children)

TLH: what is your favorite foods to eat? to make? to buy? why?

Jo-Ann: I have no particular favorite. I like to try different types of food, pastries and snacks. I like experimenting with recipes and flavors and feel very proud when they turn out to be really good and well received by my primary critics - My family! :)

TLH: where do you see yourself in your biz and life in 5 years?

Jo-Ann: Still a very hands on Mother and a loving Wife all working and helping out with… Sweet Creation by Mums the Store!

TLH: how do you want to be remembered?

Jo-Ann: Professionally - Making that difference in each of our customer’s lives, knowing that we made their special events truly special and memorable. Personally - A super mom and a super wife.

check out more SWEET CREATIONS by MUMS on the interwebs at:

website: http://scbymums.com

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scbymums

contact me | my online portfolio | check out my facebook page | follow me on twitter

why do lots of filipinos go to WINTERPEG?? || destination photographer

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:37:00 -0800

that’s what we canadians call WINNIPEG, a city in the middle of canada that is MIGHTY cold in the winter.

and SOOOOOO many filipinos immigrate to THERE of all places.. we’re talking -30 degrees celcius and COLDER.

CRAZY NO!?

but this post is not about THAT. it’s a travel thru winnipeg just before a summer, back in 2006. the vault has been opening (aka my harddrives) as my studio assistant has been re-cataloguing my harddrives of years past..and i saw these up on the screen in lightroom so thought i would quickly post them as we just got our INTERNET back up after 3 days of none!

so even thought it’s not wedding wednesday, we’re going with travel tuesday :)

and i still can’t figure out why so many filipinos go to winterpeg…hmmm..

enjoy winnipeg, canada in the summer.. :)

xotracey

all photos taken with my very first DSLR in 2006 - canon 20D. :)

contact me | my online portfolio | check out my facebook page | follow me on twitter

travel tuesday post || destination wedding photographer

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:01:00 -0800

usually i’d have a FANTASTIC post about some FANTASTIC place where i went and took some FANTASTIC photos.

unfortunately, our internet is down at our house… BOOO!! ….so the post i had the photos for couldn’t get uploaded.

so you get this instead:

this kinda says what the last two days of crazy has been. or rather, what has been needed to FUNCTION these last two days. :)

see you tomorrow..hopefully. :)

xotracey

christmas in my mind usually means SNOW || destination wedding photographer

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:00:00 -0800

when i think of christmass, usually it has the major element of SNOW.

i mean really…i am a canadian. i lived in the prairies for 5 years. SNOW is what happens in december. and sometimes in other part of canada in december too.

but this canadian girl ain’t gonna see any of the white stuff this year…no…we are in the philippines. where the temperatures in manila usually dont dip below 25 when it’s “cold”. the philippines is in the tropics - 13 degrees NORTH of the equator. :)

so back to the snow thing. when it’s cold enough to wear scarfs, turtlenecks and socks, then i automatcially think, “christmas is coming!”

not this year. no, i sit in barefeet, tshirts and capri’s. yes and i sweat.

i dug through the archives - back to 2005, when i started shooting digital with my good old canon 20D. and look what i found? :)

so if THIS doesn’t help my subconscious think it’s december…then i dont know what will. :)

happy monday friends! :)

xotracey