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.Β Lover of Jesus, coffee & tea and all things pink & vintage.

{Celebrate}

This weekend, we celebrated our oldest daughter’s 7th birthday … I have no idea how we could already be wishing her a Happy 7th! I remember the day she was born so clearly. The day she made Abby and I parents. The day I became a mom. I felt so proud, holding my little, wee pink bundle in the hospital that cold January day. Lacey is a lot like me in some ways and I do feel that at night, when all the other girls are tucked in bed, and Lacey and I stay up and watch Anne of Green Gables together, that we are kindred spirits. And I love that.

This year, we celebrated her birthday with an English Dolly & Me Tea Party theme. It was so. much. fun. πŸ™‚

Her grandparents surprised her with an American Girl doll, dressed as Nan Harper from the Beautiful Girlhood Collection – and we had a matching dress made by a local AMAZING woman (who sewed up the matching dress in a day! She’s amazing!!) ….

Strawberries. Whipped cream. Good friends. Tea (aka. Apple Juice). Dolls. Lace. Scones. And a happy day was had.

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony
known as afternoon tea.”

~Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

I found this very, girlie pink dress on Etsy for $20 – I knew it would come in handy at some point in my life …. {Who am I kidding? I love dressing up just as much as Lacey!}

Pinkies up!

the sweet, adorable cake made by my BFF, Leanne … (love you, girl!)


Each girl received a teacup cookie (also thank you to Leanne!) with their name on it ….


… and and took home little teapot necklaces …

They also decorated their own little mini cakes with fondant flowers (Lacey, Leanne and our dear friend, Elaine, made all the flowers, shapes and hearts the day before) …

Lacey crawled into bed that night so happy – I could tell she had a fantastic day and felt so loved. So thankful for January – we celebrate a new year and two little birthdays for our girls – God is good!! My heart feels happy and full …



January 27, 2011 - 11:39 pm

Terri-Ann Oh my goodness – there is so much pink and loveliness in your home it makes me yearn for a little girl for myself (I have three young boys). So nice to see how “the other half” lives!

January 24, 2011 - 9:59 am

Lori You sure know how to throw a super girlie party!

January 23, 2011 - 11:41 pm

Charlene I spied an “Ainsley” cookie on that plate!! I have an Ainsley-girl and rarely hear it!

January 23, 2011 - 11:33 pm

Shannon What a great party and such a special day for Lacey!!!

January 23, 2011 - 11:19 pm

Tabitha πŸ˜€ Sooooo beautiful!!!! Looks like so much fun. A great girlie birthday!

Show & Share.

Okay, are you ready?

All this past week, we’ve been running a contest on the Gigi Photography facebook page – we had TONS – and I mean, TONS!!!! – of submissions! You guys are awesome!!!! I definitely think we should do this contest again in the future.
But for now – using the good old fashioned way of printing each named submitted, dropping it in a bowl and pulling out a name …..

The winner is:

[insert drumroll pulllleeeeaaassseeeee ….]

Hailey Kubels

Woot, woot!!!!!!

Congratulations, Hailey! We are going to have some FUN, FUN, FUN with your mini session!!!
E-mail and we’ll work out the details!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!! And thank you for the *amazing* support!!!

[Oh, and because no post is complete without a photo ….

Another one of Miss Keri’s amazing Sassy Sweet Pea creations!]

January 21, 2011 - 11:33 pm

Tabitha Congrats to Hailey, *LOVE* the hair piece, and OMIGOSH….it’s like she gets cuter and cuter (like that’s even possible!) with every photo you take!

January 21, 2011 - 11:29 pm

Brenda (Gillian’s Mom) Drats! I didn’t win …..
But I love the hair piece and the BABY!!
xo

January 21, 2011 - 11:28 pm

Mich Congrats to the winner! This surely is an amazing prize πŸ™‚ Oh G, I so love this pose and the hair accessory is so gorgeous. Lovelyn is just absolutely beautiful and the little bubble in the corner of her mouth – amazing you caught that!!

January 21, 2011 - 11:27 pm

Shannon Wooohoooo!!! Congrats Hailey!!!!

January 21, 2011 - 11:27 pm

Keri Congrats Hailey πŸ™‚ You are going to have so much fun with your mini session!! Thanks for the shout out Gillian!!! XO

{Blue}

I think {holding breath} we finally got our blue eyed child …

What do you think?

And it’s time to announce the winner of this week’s AWESOME giveaway from Cute Pies …. unfortunately, this contest was only open to those willing to drive to the Orangeville area or within Dufferin Country. Sorry, everyone else who is too far away. You’re REEEEALLLLY missing out ….. πŸ˜‰

The winner, using random.org. is:

#23 – Kim Bovaird

Congratulations, Kim!!! You are going to have a sweet-filled-amazing weekend!!! Please e-mail me at gillian@gigiphotography.com so we can arrange delivery or pickup of your Cutie Pie treats!!! ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Three Months.

Happy Three Months, Lovelyn!

[sporting a new line of Sassy Sweet Pea …]


{She still steals my heart every. single. day.}

January 19, 2011 - 1:22 pm

Amanda What a precious lil gift, Gillian! She’s amazing!!
Also, lovin the new Sassy Sweet Pea line…makes me wanna have a lil girl. Absolutely love the 2nd headband – so unique!! πŸ™‚

January 18, 2011 - 9:19 pm

Nicole She is ADORABLE Gillian…..I am in LOVE with the first photo of Lovelyn:)

January 18, 2011 - 11:33 am

Carry She is simply stunning Gillian, such a gift!

January 18, 2011 - 11:32 am

Carry She is simply stunning Gillian, what a gift!

January 18, 2011 - 11:12 am

Tabitha She’s soooooo cute!!! And love the new SSP gear πŸ˜‰

January 18, 2011 - 10:10 am

Tami Eckhardt She is sooo gorgeous….that carriage is crazy cute!!

January 18, 2011 - 12:17 am

Tara What a gift she is, on her three month birthday πŸ™‚

January 17, 2011 - 11:00 pm

Grandma Gerr The cutest of the cutest of the cutest!!! x

January 17, 2011 - 10:52 pm

Angela awww… so beautiful!

January 17, 2011 - 10:24 pm

Jenn SO beautiful! (And LOVING the new SSP stuff!)

January 17, 2011 - 10:22 pm

Caitlin Oh, she is so beautiful!! And I’m totally lovin’ the new vintage style accessories from Sassy Sweet Pea! I’ve got boys, so I can only imagine how fun it would be to accessorize 4 girlies!

January 17, 2011 - 10:11 pm

Tanya She is impossibly precious.

January 17, 2011 - 10:09 pm

Brenda (Gillian’s Mom) She steals my heart too!! xo

Delicious. Divine. And they are Yours.

Are you hungry? Craving something sweet?!

You will be after this post!

I love baking, but quite honestly, it’s not fool proof. I will spend a whole afternoon baking up some treats only to have them burn in the pan, flop and sink, I under bake, I over bake, I TRY but I have to just admit it – I am not a Baking Goddess.

For all you blog readers in the Orangeville/Dufferin Country area (or within driving distance of Orangeville) … take a look …. I have FOUND a Baking Goddess in our very own area.

{what I’m eating and drinking right now}

{the most amazing cinnamon buns EVER} …

Okay, okay, you can stop drooling now ….

Seriously. Wipe that drool off your chin and thank Cutie Pies

… because they are offering 16 mini cinnamon buns (DIVINE!!!!!!!)Β  & six maple pecan scones (amazingly tasty!!)Β  up to one lucky blog reader ….! DO NOT MISS THIS … you will LOVE those amazing cinnamon buns, I promise you. I have nearly eaten a whole box by myself. They are THAT good. And seriously, there is nothing like homemade baked goodies, right?
So leave a comment here on the blog, go check out their facebook page and we’ll draw a name on Friday so you can have your treats for next weekend!!!

January 19, 2011 - 7:47 pm

Jenny Those cinnamon buns look divine!

January 19, 2011 - 2:43 pm

Sherry Varkel the cinammon buns are a BIG FAVOURITE at our house…..can’t get the kids to eat anything….but they eat cinamon buns! MMMMMMMM

January 19, 2011 - 2:20 pm

Amy yum yum, totally looks drool worthy! I’ll have to check these out!!

January 19, 2011 - 2:18 pm

Amy yum yum, totally loos drool worthy, I’ll have to check these out!!

January 19, 2011 - 1:53 pm

Tamara Love the treats made by Cutie Pies and love the photos that have captured the sweetness of Cutie Pies!!

January 19, 2011 - 1:44 pm

Jay Hendershot Ohhh, yum! I am in a weight loss/workout challenge at my gym right now and these are probably the LAST thing I need, but I can always give them away at work (right?? LOL).

January 19, 2011 - 1:28 pm

Tanya Since you keep reminding us all on FB to enter…I’m going to! It’s a drive for me to get to Orangeville BUT if I win I may just pass them onto my sweet mom who could use the pick-me-up and lives closer to Orangeville than me πŸ˜‰

January 19, 2011 - 1:24 pm

Amanda Mmmmmmm…delicous treats!! Wish my cinnamon buns turned out like those… πŸ˜‰

January 19, 2011 - 1:11 pm

Holly Ahh that is waaay too tempting for this always hungry pregnant mama lol! I haven’t had a chance to sample anything from Cutie Pies so I really hope I win!

January 18, 2011 - 11:45 pm

Natalie Grist Wow those look so yum yum yum:)

January 18, 2011 - 11:02 pm

Tricia Those treats look amazing! I have the biggest sweet tooth there is!

January 18, 2011 - 6:14 pm

Kara Do I have to share???

January 18, 2011 - 1:53 pm

Rebecca My mouth is watering just looking at those goodies!!

January 18, 2011 - 1:39 pm

Wendy I enjoy baking but enjoy having someone else do it even more…looks yummy!

January 18, 2011 - 1:27 pm

Shannon Mmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

January 18, 2011 - 1:07 pm

Devon Yummy!!! Cinnamon buns are my favorite sweet treat!

January 18, 2011 - 12:56 pm

Rebecca My mouth is watering!!! Those look delicious!!

January 18, 2011 - 12:40 pm

Brenda (Gillian’s Mom) Oh Yummy!! Are these calorie/sugar/fat FREE???? NOT!!! LOl So much sweetness on this blog – Treats and Lovelyn!!! πŸ™‚

January 18, 2011 - 12:02 pm

Allison I’m drooling…