Dear clients: I don't drink a lot I promise. 

Okay then. 

I am a summer beverage enjoyer. Summer holidays begin and the white wine goes in the fridge, and where as I wouldn't typically order wine with a meal it becomes the most anticipated part. I also tend to eat out more, I am a sucker for an invite to the patio or a late evening dinner invitation. 

So, when I can roll eating and drinking into a little work/community support, I am pretty  darn happy. I have been hitting quite a few of the 30 day local food challenges, mostly with kids in tow, but this weekend was all mine. 

I kicked off the weekend Thursday night, (when you are self-employed you receive a weekend  head start, to balance the times you worked day and night,) with dinner at Atlas Cafe with my beautiful friend Lucy. Beaufort Winery, Altas and Prontissima Pasta teamed up to create a memorable evening of pasta specials and wine. The Beaufort Ortega is always my top pick for summer wine, so much so that I haven't tried their other offerings. They were pouring a white wine flight and I sampled their Beaudacious and Pinot Gris, which has pushed the Beaudacious to equal standings as the Ortega. To match the wine, Sarah from Prontissima  Pasta was circulating samples and Atlas was offering a variety of pasta specials, including a trio of pastas, which was truly delicious. Seriously Atlas, do you ever go wrong? Your service is always seamless and the food always fulfilling and buzz worthy. 

Now, it has come to my attention that not all of you know about Prontissima Pasta. Not to get on my soap box, but come on people!!! It is in Tin Town, otherwise known as Rosewall Crescent and you can also pick their goods up at the Farmers Market. Their pasta is my fave for impressing guests, delivering dinner to a friend in need and making a quick family meal - so you see, you really need to check it out. 

Frederick recently became a big brother and I adore that his parents still decided to focus this session on him. 

He is a classic beauty, a true stunner, who at the tender age of two seems to already have his own sense of style.

Maybe yesterday could do a do-over. 

I started the day at the Wandering Moose Cafe in Cumberland, the place screams with ambiance and warmth, but yesterday it was abuzz with people and coffee grinds as the 30 Day Local Food Challenge Barista Competition was in full swing. 

Later in the day I popped into Beyond the Kitchen Door in downtown Courtenay to say hi to my pal and caterer Dawn McRae of Custom Gourmet. Also as part of the 30 Day Food Challenge she was sampling up some amazing tomato based salsas. The lime tomatillo and curry salsa struck my fancy, and she promised me some of the recipes would be in her next newsletter, you can sigh up by emailing her via her website. 

Thanks to everyone who weighed in over on Facebook about appliance purchases, we were really happy to find what we wanted over at the locally owned McConochies. 

I was a good student in high school butI failed grade 8 sewing, well, Mrs. Richards gave me a C- because apparently it wasn't cool to fail someone in a grade 8 elective, however, she made it perfectly clear that if I was to register for sewing 9 and have the same tragic results she wouldn't be so generous. 

My step-mom decided to take on my cause and champion my untapped textile skills.  Over the course of three years I broke two of her sewing machines, had a half dozen fights with her about knitting and had at least a dozen failed knitting projects. 

I tried again a few years ago. I thought knitting would be the perfect hobby for an on the go gal like myself. I could watch a movie and still create. I failed. 

So, when I met Megan I was a little awestruck. Not only does she knit, she creates the darn pattens - I am in awe. She is receiving international attention, on the web and in magazines for what she does so well. You can visit her online at Tricksy Knitter. 

She is gorgeous, and there was so much within her to capture. Stunning, warm, natural and a little bit fierce. 

I had just been out shopping for a new pair of converse right before this shoot. I picked them up off the shelf, but reluctantly put them down, hearing my mothers voice "wait a week, and if you still are thinking about them, then go get them."  But when the Leblanc family rolled out of their car all wearing converse it was divine shopping intervention, totally trumping my mothers sage words. 

I adore this family. So fun, so much personality and style - although I think they could have been wearing burlap sacks and still look great. I could have played with them all night - can you tell how fabulous they are?  And more than a wee bit stunning! 

The bottom one is my fave - love all the expressions.