THROWBACK THURSDAY: Christmas 2012 with Lindsaysdiet

Stephanie Chan November 28, 2013

It's been a whirlwind of sessions, editing, designing, ordering, eye infections, weird flues and colds since the last post! I pinkyswear I'll post more sneaks from our Secret Third Day of Holiday Sessions soon but to tide you over, here are the photos from last year's incredible Holiday Session with my Sista-From-Anotha-Mista: Lindsay Elliott!

Going through these photos is kind of gouging my heart with a melon scooper. The older the kids get, the faster the year goes and the less they seem to change... that is until you look back 365 days. Chloe's hair is 3 almost 4 inches shorter here and she definitely has a little more chub in her cheeks mmm ok all around. The physical changes with Moses are not as noticeable, but as I have lovingly observed during my nightly motherly rituals, I am blown away by the length and lithe in his 4.5 year old limbs. SIGH. Equally as painful is how much younger Kev and I seem in these photos... that's pretty painful considering I've already been torturing myself with photos of us from when I was pregnant the first time. AND THIS YEAR I HAVE NO HAIR!

Dearest Lindsay, thank you so much for capturing these photos of my radiant little muffins, my handsome sweetie and my long hair :) Can't wait to see what we get this year! DRESS SHOPPING TOMORROW!!!!

HOLIDAY SNEAKS

Stephanie Chan November 20, 2013

Finally! Here they are!
TOO many to choose from, but here are a few of my favourites from our Holiday Sessions this weekend!

Thank you to everyone who came out! I have most of the postcards confirmed and ready to order. We should be able to put them through by tomorrow evening and receive them by the end of next week! Hope you all had a great time! Everyone did a great job, especially those with teary little ones! GREAT TEAM WORK GUYS! I had a wonderful time catching up with those of you I don't see very often and it was a pleasure to finally meet Rachel and Mike and super smiley Ollie!

Looking forward to our secret third day...

My Little Flower Company

Stephanie Chan November 14, 2013

It was another hectic day. I'll spare you the details. On our drive back home from Vancouver this morning, I was thinking about all the amazing super moms in my life. There are a lot. This post is dedicated to one of those moms and her business partner who have just started up their own flower business: Erin Crowle & Kerstyn Edey of Our Little Flower Company.

They selflessly donated their incredible talents back in August to help raise money for my Change Your Hair, Change A Life Fundraiser. After seeing the fruits of their passion unfold before my eyes, it was an obvious choice to hire them to help bring this year's Holiday Sessions to life. I picked up the goods for our very first session this afternoon!

Headwreaths by Our Little Flower Company

Boutenirs by Our Little Flower Company — Boutenirs by Our Little Flower Company

And because you were so sweet to check out these beautiful florals and greens, you also get a sneak peek at today's stunning starlet: Peyton!

Garland by Our Little Flower Company — Garland by Our Little Flower Company

We are off to an incredible start with a full weekend ahead! Keep checking back for more holiday action!

Holiday Guide Outtakes

Stephanie Chan November 13, 2013

A few fun images from the Holiday Style Guide that didn't make the cut but still warm my heart and make me laugh.

Moses is my little model. He takes fantastic direction but for the most part seems to have an idea of what to do. He was so cooperative and happy to change in and out of all the outfits, making his photos a breeze. There are a lot more outtakes here of Chloe as she is a little more of a poop-disturber/rebel/character. She is not interested in listening or taking direction and therefor I have to take a lot more shots of her to get the money shots I need. On the other hand, this makes her outtakes a lot more entertaining.

"Mommy, I look sillyyyyy"

I know. I'm such a bad mom for laughing at this everytime. It's ok, I'm allowed to laugh because she is a mean little bean and needs to be put in her place. Tiger Mom.

15 Minutes: The McLeod-Knight Crew

Stephanie Chan November 3, 2013

So if you are new to The Pauhaus, you may have missed out on our Fundraiser back in August: Change Your Hair, Change a Life. I shaved my head! The closest you could get to pure shiny skin after having a head of hair almost touching my bum. It was the 10th Anniversary since my Dad passed from cancer and this was my way of remembering him and giving back. With help from my friends Erin & Kerstyn from Our Little Flower Company and the many businesses that donated goods and services to our raffle, we raised over $3500! Not too shabby!

I worked hand in hand with Tinykick who have Tokens of Gratitude on their site as a way of enticing and rewarding donators. The Token for $200 was a 15 minute photo session and my good friends and neighbours Michelle, Jason and Ethan were one of the generous donators that gave $200!

We have a serendipitous story with this family. Our boys were born about 2 weeks apart in May 2009. At the time, we were living in the Marpole neighbourhood of Vancouver... so we were they.... 2 doors down the hall from our tiny 500sq ft studio apartment. Not even down the hall! We were the two pieces of bread sandwiching a corner apartment suite, so I was literally 2.5 large steps to their door. And yet, I never saw them! Not for the 9 months we were pregnant, nor once the boys were born. I think Kevin and Jason had their occasional run ins in the elevator, but for the first 3 months after our boys were born and before they moved away, nothing. I heard Ethan crying occasionally when I was out in the hall coming or going but it never occurred to me to knock and connect. WHY.

We moved to Tsawwassen 2 months after MJE had left their tiny Vancouver apartment. In fact, when their place went up for sale, we went to view their place as we also needed out of our tiny studio. It wasn't until the boys were 10 months that we finally came in contact with another... living in the same condo in Tsawwassen. YES. We moved to the same condo complex. Chubby Moses was stuffing his face with a banana and using a walker when we met Michelle & Ethan in our amenities room for a meeting. Michelle later told Jason about having met us and Jason pointed out that we were the same family that had lived two doors down from them back in Vancouver. How he knew this? Kevin's bright green 1950 Ford Customline in the parkade.

The boys have grown up together. We've had tonnes of playdates, communal dinners, and outings over the past 3 years and they are now attending the same pre-school together. It has been a pleasure to be able to share support with such a kind and fun-loving family throughout these early parenthood years. If only we had knocked on one another's doors back when these little guys came into the world, we would have had it made! Those long lonely days with a crying barfing infant, the first out of my friends and family with a baby at 25-26 were a challenge. This is why the first thing I tell a newly pregnant person is to FIND FRIENDS THAT ARE PREGNANT NOW. You need that support! You will need that company! End Rant.

Oh well. Clearly the stars knew we were meant to be friends, having given us another opportunity here in Tsawwassen! Thank you guys for your generous donation to this cause and for being such wonderful friends! Thank you for everything!