Gigi's Blog bio picture
  • Welcome to the Gigi Blog!

    Mother to six Little Women and Two Little Men. Married to a Happy Mortician. Caretaker to goats, chickens and many, MANY bunnies. Photographer. Homeschooler.ย Lover of Jesus, coffee & tea and all things pink & vintage.

Beautiful …

Wow, what a week! I have been lacking in posting lately – ๐Ÿ™ I have so much to blog about but little time right now. I’ll catch up soon, I promise! ๐Ÿ™‚

 

For now – the winner of the awesome $25 gift certificate from Nurture is …..

 

{using random.org, of course …}

 

#35 – Terri-Ann –

who wrote:

“What beautiful photos. Iโ€™m pregnant with my 4th (and last) and it makes me consider perhaps getting some done in the spring.”

 

Congratulations, Terri-Ann! You definitely need to get into Nurture to see all their lovely selection for baby and kids! Such a fantastic boutique for Dufferin County! E-mail me at gillian@gigiphotography.com and I’ll hook you up! ๐Ÿ™‚

 

And a few more of the glowing Holly – owner of Nurture –

 

 

 

Make sure you check back SOON because the oh-so-delicious Cutie Pies will be doingย  our next giveaway – for Christmas goodies! Oh, yeah!!

 

 

 

December 18, 2011 - 9:21 am

Jenn And way to go Terri-Ann, you TOTALLY deserve a little pick me up right now!

December 18, 2011 - 9:20 am

Jenn So beautiful you guys!

December 18, 2011 - 12:12 am

Brenda (Gillian’s Mom) Awh, Gabe and Holly look so in love .. great pics. Love the family pic too!

December 17, 2011 - 9:35 pm

Sherri Smith So sweet! Lotsa love.

December 17, 2011 - 8:26 pm

Tara C Gorgeous pictures!!! Fantastic job as always!!

The Future Inside {Maternity Session}

โ€œPregnant women! They had that weird frisson, an aura of magic that combinedย  with an earthy sense of duty.
Mundane, because they were nothing unique on the suburban streets; ethereal because their attention was ever somewhere else.
Whatever you said was trivial. And they had that preciousness which they imposed wherever they went, compelling attention, constantly reminding you that they carried the future inside,
its contours already drawn, but veiled, private, an inner secretโ€

~ Ruth Morgan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lovely Holly … many of you may know her … the owner of Nurtured, Orangeville’s awesome baby boutique stationed on Broadway. If you haven’t checked out her store for Christmas, stocking stuffers, gifts for little ones and babies and moms and more, you’re missing out! You can the information here on facebook or check out her website. Nurture is giving away a $25 gift certificate to one lucky blog reader this week! Perfect timing for Christmas! All you have to do is leave a comment here on this post.

Congratulations, Holly, on this beautiful pregnancy and I can’t wait to meet your new baby! xo

 

 

 

 

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December 17, 2011 - 12:07 pm

Kathy Wonderful as always! I love photos of pregnant women!! ๐Ÿ™‚

December 9, 2011 - 12:32 am

Tara Those are what maternity shots should be…absolutely divine! I would get pregnant again just to do those shots (don’t tell my husband ๐Ÿ˜‰ ).
That little baby will be in awe of those one day.

December 8, 2011 - 9:43 am

Susan Fraser Love the photos! Pregnant women truly are the most beautiful!

December 6, 2011 - 10:43 pm

Krista Tomini The photos are lovely Gillian…I hope that we can set something up when my new baby arrives in early January. I have been meaning to check out Nurtured in Orangeville…timely!

December 6, 2011 - 2:23 pm

Andrea Stunning photos!!

December 6, 2011 - 11:25 am

megan newbury so so beautiful!

December 6, 2011 - 11:22 am

Liz Beautiful work Gillian!!

December 6, 2011 - 11:03 am

amanda Absolutely breathtaking!

December 6, 2011 - 9:34 am

Terri-Ann What beautiful photos. I’m pregnant with my 4th (and last) and it makes me consider perhaps getting some done in the spring.

December 6, 2011 - 9:33 am

Terri-Ann What beautiful photos! Newly pregnant with my 4th, and it makes me consider doing some pregnancy shots in the spring. I’ve never done one before, and this will be my last!

December 6, 2011 - 9:00 am

Anne breathtaking! she looks amazing!!

December 6, 2011 - 8:59 am

Arlete Beautiful pictures! You look gorgeous Holly! Where were these taken? Well done! ๐Ÿ™‚

December 6, 2011 - 1:55 am

Emily P These are absolutely gorgeous! What a unique shoot. Where were they taken?

December 6, 2011 - 12:23 am

bethany anestin Gorgeous pictures!! Holly your beautiful…

December 5, 2011 - 11:56 pm

Mich Holly you looked HOT!!!! But I bet you did not feel it on that freezing cold day, it does not show. What amazing photos you captured Gillian of the most precious miracle a woman can be given. I absolutely love the picture of you Holly in the white outfit. You look like an angel. What wonderful memories. xo

December 5, 2011 - 10:54 pm

Samantha Fizzard Just stunning holly! These pictures say 1000 words! Amazing G!!!!

December 5, 2011 - 10:39 pm

Danielle Like a gorgeous woodland fairy – spectacular!

December 5, 2011 - 10:33 pm

Ksenia These pictures are sooooo beautiful! Definitely captured her pregnancy beauty ๐Ÿ™‚

December 5, 2011 - 10:28 pm

Candace Reid Stunning pictures, you look beautiful!

December 5, 2011 - 10:24 pm

Leanne Button LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Holly, you look stunning and G, again, gorgeous work!!

December 5, 2011 - 9:56 pm

Amie Zukowski Absolutely Beautiful! You are glowing Holly… Great pics Gillian!

December 5, 2011 - 9:53 pm

Keri Holy Holly!!!! These are stunning!!! L O V E them!!

December 5, 2011 - 9:51 pm

Kati Love it! Wish I was as brave as Holly ๐Ÿ™‚ Stunning!

December 5, 2011 - 9:48 pm

Katie Those are amazing photos! Holly looks so beautiful.

December 5, 2011 - 9:47 pm

Devon Oh Holly, You look lovely! These photos are amazing, and I love the setting – just perfect!

December 5, 2011 - 9:36 pm

Erin Amazing Photo’s. Holly you look like mother earth ๐Ÿ™‚

December 5, 2011 - 9:21 pm

angela tupper I have been patiently waiting to see these!!! They look amazing!!!

December 5, 2011 - 8:43 pm

Pam Soltesz Gillian and Holly — what can I say about this photo shoot? It is magnificent, enchanting, sultry, beautiful, ethereal and dare I say it – seductive! I LOVE these photos! Gillian, you have perfectly captured the essence of a mother heavy with child who is obviously thrilled with the life growing inside her….and Holly you look absolutely radiant & stunning!! Great job, ladies!

December 5, 2011 - 8:42 pm

Lisa Post Holly, you are beautiful! This session is gorgeous! I love love love these shots!

December 5, 2011 - 8:32 pm

Jennifer Ledlow Wow! Beautiful! I remember that day was freezing, you’re so brave Holly! It was worth it because these turned out to be stunning!

December 5, 2011 - 8:31 pm

Sharyn Gorgeous waterfall – not to mention the mama to be!! Beautiful!

December 5, 2011 - 8:12 pm

Jackie Clarke Such gorgeous pictures! I would really love to win the gift certificate for Nurtured!

December 5, 2011 - 8:10 pm

Lori G Breathtaking…..Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, and you’ve captured it just like a moment caught in time with a photo that says more than any words could ever describe! ๐Ÿ™‚

December 5, 2011 - 8:09 pm

krista stunning pics Gillian!!!!

December 5, 2011 - 7:59 pm

Lexi winter what beautiful photo

Holly you look radiant

December 5, 2011 - 7:58 pm

Lexi winter what stunning photo’s

Holly you look radient ๐Ÿ™‚

December 5, 2011 - 7:50 pm

Crystal Hounsome Just breathtaking…. sigh… wish I would still be pregnant to do photos like these! Awesome!
.

December 5, 2011 - 7:50 pm

Trish T Beautiful pictures. I’d love to win the gift card!

December 5, 2011 - 7:47 pm

Evelyn Gebele So beautiful! Holly you look stunning and Gigi your work is amazing!

December 5, 2011 - 7:46 pm

Amypamela these images are stunning!

December 5, 2011 - 7:45 pm

Christine Taylor Holly you look beautiful!! These photos are stunning!! They were totally worth the weather and equipment battles you two faced that day!!

December 5, 2011 - 7:43 pm

Ursula Courtney I love the photos with the green scarf/blanket — very mother earth and so beautiful!!!

December 5, 2011 - 7:43 pm

Amanda Moore Beutiful phtography and Holly, you look absolutely amazing. Very beautiful and angelic ๐Ÿ™‚

Enchanted.

Christmas is so enchanting … especially with children in the house …

{Lovie ‘exploring’ the Christmas village.}

{This village is never set up correctly … too many little fingers play with the little pieces and move the trees and people around – but I don’t mind at all…}

{I love this little village – found it all on Kijiji last year when I had an inkling to start up a Christmas village…}

We’ve been having fun makingย  homemade presents and Christmas crafts … like snow globes … {which didn’t all turn out – as it happens, you can’t put dyed trees in the water or else you will have figurines that look like the Grinch! Lesson learned!}

Thankfully, Lucia’s favorite snow globe worked just fine – {She’s worn this Rapunzel dress almost every day for quite some time now – it’s her all-time favorite!}…

and creating homemade cinnamon ornaments on a very dark, rainy cold afternoon …

But Christmas in our house is so much more than just crafts and dinners and presents. As we head into December, we are getting ready to celebrate the true reason of Christmas – the birth of Jesus. This year, we’re using the CUTEST, sweetest little book to help tell the story of Baby Jesus to the girls. If you’re looking for an easy way to help keep your home’s focus on the Christmas Story, this book – Truth in the Tinsel –ย  is a super cute way to doing so! Aimed for younger ages, it can, however, also work for kids up to age 10 or so, especially if they enjoy making crafts.

Each day leading up to the 25th, the Advent book outlines a verse to go with the Christmas story and a sweet little craft to do with your kids. It should only take about 1/2 hour to do each craft and most of the supplies needed are just things you would normally have around your home. {Tomorrow, I’ll be hitting up the Dollar Store for any materials I may need that aren’t in our craft drawer … but the supplies are pretty simple.}

And the best part – this is an e-book ๐Ÿ™‚ so you can downlaod it today and have it in time for December!

And even better – for the next 24 hours, blog readers can enter the code GIGI for a 20%ย  discount off the purchase of the book!

All you have to do is click here and download. Easy peasy. I can’t wait to do this with the girls! It’s going to make the story of Jesus front and centre every day until Christmas morning. What a great way to remind us all of the beautiful miracle behind Christmas.

You can check out their website and facebook page here, as well.

Enjoy!

And have fun getting ready for the big month of December! ๐Ÿ™‚

November 30, 2011 - 7:59 pm

Grandma Gerr Love the pics! <3

November 30, 2011 - 9:35 am

Sherri Smith LOVE the pics. Lovie is so cute trying to see what is going on. Nice twist on the advent calendar/book, I’m sure the girls will enjoy it.

November 30, 2011 - 6:54 am

Brenda (Gillian’s Mom) This is so wonderful … thanks for sharing the pics and the download link for this Book. I wish they had this when you guys were kids!! Have fun with Truth in the Tinsel!!! PS I shared the link on my FB page, as well. Let’s spread the “good word”. xo

November 30, 2011 - 12:53 am

Tawnia Thank you for the link! I purchased the ebook tonight and its adorable! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for the great idea ๐Ÿ™‚

November 30, 2011 - 12:27 am

Mich Thank you Gillian for this great opportunity to celebrate all month long the true reason for the season and be able to get the book at a discount. I look forward to working on it with my girls ๐Ÿ™‚

Homemade … with love.

I love homemade things!

I love homemade gifts.

I love making homemade gifts with the girls.

I love giving homemade gifts!

This year, for Christmas, we’re giving homemade gifts to everyone, except the kids. I have a few ideas, but yes, this is one. {So if you are a relative, stop reading this post! Seriously. Don’t spoil the surprise! Log off NOW!}

Okay, family members??? Are you gone??

Just to be safe….

Hmmm ……..

It’s hopefully safe now. ๐Ÿ˜‰ If not, it’s your own fault for spoiling the surprise, MOM!

Okay.

I know you’ll love this DIY homemade gift idea … it’s SUPER AMAZINGLY cute and really, really easy to do!!

Homemade cake stands. ย I saw this on pinterest and loved the idea.

All you need is glue … (which I bought at the local craft store)…

… a few plates that you have collected (I bought mine at the local thrift store, antique store and one at the Dollar Store) …

a few candle stick holders … (purchased at the Salvation Army thrift store and some from the Dollar Store)…

Circle the candle stick holder with the glue …

press the plate down onto the glue … let it dry for 24 hours and voila!

A super gorgeous cake stand! You can use a teacup platter and make it a cupcake stand, as well. TOO cute!

You can customize according to the colour of what your friend or relative would really like or ย to the style of their home.

Simple! Lovely! Elegant! And VERY cost efficient. The glue cost me $7.75, most of the candle holders were .75 cents and the plates ranged from .50 cents to $2.00. Not bad!

Christmas doesn’t have to be overly expensive – you just need to get a little creative … ๐Ÿ™‚

November 16, 2011 - 10:34 pm

Heidi Wowee!! Those are absolutely lovely and will make GREAT Christmas gifts. Thanks for another great idea Gillian! ๐Ÿ™‚

November 16, 2011 - 5:14 pm

Catherine Robertson I LOVE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ๐Ÿ˜€ Thank you for the amazingly FUN idea! We are SO doing this too!! Thanks Gigi!!! *heart*

November 16, 2011 - 11:13 am

Kim Robbins Awesome idea Gillian..thank-you. We made hot chocolate with your peppermint/chocolate sauce at our WM last night, it was wonderful!!

November 15, 2011 - 9:48 pm

karen i love crafting with the kids. fun, fun,fun. have you tried making your own sugar cubes yet??? they are great gifts for tea/coffee drinkers, and they are pretty ๐Ÿ™‚

November 15, 2011 - 9:38 pm

Karen Thompson This idea is fantastic Gillian! Thanks for sharing. I can’t wait to try making them ๐Ÿ™‚

November 15, 2011 - 6:34 pm

Eva Mende-Gibson Absolutely beautiful! How on earth do you find the time to do it all Gillian!? I may have to try this too with my girls โ™ฅ

November 15, 2011 - 5:51 pm

Nicole LOVE this idea … how unique and think I may just go this route myself!!!!!

November 15, 2011 - 5:45 pm

krista super idea!

November 15, 2011 - 5:45 pm

krista super day! love it!

November 15, 2011 - 5:27 pm

Keri Love this!!! What a great idea!

November 15, 2011 - 5:23 pm

Christine LOVE IT, great idea Gillian!! I hope your relatives didn’t peak, I know mine would have:)

November 15, 2011 - 5:20 pm

Crystal Great idea! Love it!

Cute Pie

Many of you have heard me mention Cutie Pies …. she is super talented and makes amazing, delicious treats … thought I would share a few photos from their mini session …

Rylee with their new furry-Cutie-Pie …

{Can’t you just hear her giggling?}

And seriously, if you need baked treat for an upcoming Christmas function, Cutie Pies is your girl!!

November 17, 2011 - 9:42 pm

Brenda (Gillian’s Mom) I seriously love the smiles!!! Especially Rylee’s!! What a wonderful happy family!

November 14, 2011 - 11:24 am

Jennifer Ledlow These turned out great! LOVE the last one ๐Ÿ™‚

November 14, 2011 - 11:12 am

Nicole So {sweet} thanks Gillian!xox