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Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label italy. Show all posts

4.09.2010

the mother blogpost of all friday night blogposts || vancouver wedding photographer

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this is a freaking miracle of sorts i'm witnessing tonight folks... both of my children, who LOVE to stay up late on friday night both announced, separately, that they were going to be..and it was BEFORE 10.

i'm still a little stunned. and with Lover over at scott's tonight, i'm sitting here with my laptop! could life get any better for a social media addict/web surfer/photo taker-blogger person? i think not. :)

and so we will begin this blog post...

* * * *

i have been slacking on the 98 things the last couple days..no excuse other than a couple of WAY too busy days. so i will do up 3 tonight to make up for the loss. no..make that 4.. 1 more for good measure.

#17 - release one grudge a month.
#18 - organize a day spa for women living at a domestic violence shelter with services donated from a local beauty school.
#19 - audition for community theatre.
#20 - get published.

wow! i totally love EVERY one of those.

its so easy to hold grudges, no? not just for big traumatizing things that happened when we those little children, but even for those times when we are older and someone pissed us off, or hurt us - intentionally or unintentionally - or if for our significant other forgetting something really important.
there is something so freeing about truly, "letting it go". sometimes it seems like it is instant..and sometimes we have to let go of the same incident over and over for a month. but when we can feel truly free from that grudge - wow!! liberating with a capital L!!

(wow that was a soapbox..maybe i should sip my vino slower...!)

how i would love to collaborate with a beauty school to do something remarkable with women..and for me, i'd do it a step farther - take amazing photos for them to see their beauty on film.. wow.. i feel a project brewing. :)

auditioning for a community theatre. the last time i did that was in high school.
i will do it again. .maybe not anytime soon, as we are planning to leave vancity soon but i will do this i am thinking. how much fun would THAT be?!?

oooooooooooo..get published. i have been once. unintentionally tho. and my name wasn't on it.. chuckle. a wedding i second shot with a photographer a few years ago..they had submitted a wedding to WEDLUXE. and the publishers of the magazine chose one of my photos that the photog included, as the MAIN full page photo. chuckle. i kinda felt bad for my friend. for a minute. :) giggle..

but seriously..i will get published..one day.. whether for photography or writing or both.. i have far too much in the depths of my mac-brainage aka computer, that i would love to give the world.

just saying.. :)

* * * *

buona sera!!
come stai?
mi chiamo tracey!
io canadese..non italiana.
io sono bene!

ok ok..so i only know a few lines of italian from my very first class of italiano that i took on thursday night. i am SOOOO pumped! and my teacher, liana...oh my word...i love her!

why am i doing this, you may ask?

well because of the magical photo tour i'm organizing for this fall to tuscano and umbria. :)
if you are a photographer, this is JUST the photo tour for you. call it a glorified photo excursion if you will. :) castles, monasteries, medieval small towns...amazing food and wine...engagement and bridal sessions in ITALY. hello. for more info on the trip check out my FOLLOW YOUR HEART...TO ITALY website.

grazie mille for reading my italiano babble.. ciao!

* * * *
i have made a blog specifically about our journey towards moving overseas to the philippines. the kids have even blogged on it.. :) i love that they were such a part of the decision to go. honestly, we have amazing kids. :)

the humanitarian organization, my sisterinlaw, charity, runs.. check it out - Gentle Hands.
i can't WAIT to be there getting involved! i also want to dabble some in wedding photography in manila and asia..but we will see how that all pans out. :)

follow our blog at: http://heppnersinasia.myfotojournal.com/
and be a fan of our page to follow our journey, on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/the-HEPPNERS-in-ASIA/108047809222942?ref=ts

i'm already concocting a FOLLOW YOUR HEART....TO THE PHILIPPINES tour for next year. :) :) :)


* * * *

the vancouver wedding photogs & second shooters group i co-founded with michelle libby, affectionately called "libby" by some, has been one of the most incredible, fulfilling endevors i have been involved in, in a long time... to see something that was birthed, over lunch (greek lunch i might add! bring on the tsiziki!!) with the dream of building a community for photographers to collaborate together and better themselves TOGETHER, now be 250 strong and essentially functioning on it's own. WOW. simply wow!

i thought long and hard on how i was going to "hand it over" as we are moving...yes..i will admit - i take on a bit much sometimes...but only SOMETIMES! but i knew that the task to do everything i had been doing was rather..how shall i say.. daunting for just one. so i divided it up into a few parts..and HELLO! that was much easier to swallow!! so i'm so thrilled to have laura lui doing admin stuff like email, facebook, twitter, miranda lievers helping with website and putting together social GTG's, jason ho taking charge of getting some photowanders together throughout the year, michael wachniak coordinating workshops and such..and libby will continue to bring her steady, lovely, fun self to keep it all from getting to serious.. i'm so thrilled with the team that has come together..i know that the 5 of them will be able to do MUCH more than i ever could for the community...5 brains are better than 1. ;)

not gonna lie..a part of me is sad..to leave the community that is so "family" for me.. but i know that they will go places and to be able to say that i had a little part in it..that's good enough for me. :)

* * * *

just looked up and saw, that this blog post if a freaking novel!! hahahah

* * * *

to end i will boast of my amazing new tee shirts i have acquired today. a dear pinoy friend here in vancouver started this little "side" business that has grown into something freaking amazing. i bought a couple shirts just after christmas for friends -

[b]ecker owns this one in green:


and so does my dear friend lani..you have to know lani to know why i bought her this shirt. ;)

well i decided on sunday morning i was gonna order a couple different ones for myself. and did i mention she has these ADORABLE neenja buttons?!?!? ya she does..she's is the bomb. :)

well i got the package and when i opened it there was a surprise -

isn't it awesome? i am so happy. i can't wait to wear it. in fact..i washed it already tonight and plan to wear it tomoro.. :)  and the other shirts i got, cuz i just had to have them:


thanks for the amazing goodies, kym!! to check out more of her stuff, go to her etsy store: herrohachi

* * * *

well friends..i am going to put you out of your misery.. :) and go to bed.. :) happy weekend!

xoxox

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

4.06.2010

98 things - #15 & #16 || vancouver photographer

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#15. write your own erotica.


#16. if you're lucky, learn to do one good impression, say, of clint eastwood; well, do you feel lucky, punk?

ok...sooooo..neither of these is applicable to me.. wait! i can sort do kermit the frog... :)

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on another note.. tomoro i start my italian language lessons..every wed this month for 2 and a half hours each. kinda excited! kinda nervous! but so fun, no!? :)

i leave you with some photos of italia..some with me in some of my favorite places in venezia.. and some just because they are dang lovely to look at.. :)

3.27.2010

italian lessons begin! || vancouver photographer

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some of you may know i'm planning a photo tour to italy in the fall - if not, check out the site - FOLLOW YOUR HEART...TO ITALY.

in preparation for that trip, i have registered for....

CA08 - LET'S GO ITALY - Italian for Travelers

If you are planning to travel to Italy, what better way to enhance the quality of your experience than by acquiring knowledge of common expressions in Italian. In four lessons you will learn the basic sentences that will allow you to communicate in various situations you may find yourself in as a tourist in Italy.

4 Week Course Timeline: 4 weeks, one lesson per week: a total of 10 hrs of instruction


it's for the month of april..perhaps i'll do some more in june (may i'm gonna be gone for a week!)
i'm super excited! :)

just had to share.

ciao!
xoxo
contact me || view my online portfolio || check out my facebook page || follow me on twitter

3.24.2010

98 things a woman should do in her lifetime...#3 || personal || vancouver photographer

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3. ride a train through europe (better yet, the orient express).

cha-ching, baby!! i rode a train through switzerland, germany, austria & italy in september of 2008!! dang i'm doing good at this book.. :) next time i'll try the orient express.. :)

speaking of europe.. here's a collage of shots from one of the train rides on that trip.. enjoy! :)


1.31.2010

follow your heart...to ITALY || vancouver photographer

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tuscania...orvieto...assisi...cortona...narni.. ah, yes..these are just a few of the many stop-overs that are on the FOLLOW YOUR HEART..TO ITALY photo tour i'm hosting in the fall.

i have been so blessed to get in touch with our tour/photog over in italy max brunelli.. he has been so amazing to get an INCREDIBLE itinerary for us.

if you haven't heard about the brief overview of the actual tour, here are the 7 full days of the tour:

- Day 1 - Roma airport ~ Orvieto We will be picked up by our host, Max Brunelli, a local expert of adventure and photographer, at the international airport of Roma. We will spend the day on the way to Orvieto and along the road we will visit a couple of wonderful locations: Tuscania & Civita di Bagnoregio. We'll spend the rest night in a 4-star hotel in Orvieto where we'll have an unforgettable dinner with local food.

-Day 2 - Orvieto ~
The second days is dedicated to Orvieto and its treasures, the Duomo, the Underground, the Pozzo di San Patrizio, the Torre del Moro and during the afternoon we will spend a couple of hours in the regional cellar of Umbria where we will taste a large selection of Umbrian wines. Dinner in a quaint restaurant located right in front of the impressive city of Civita di Bagnoregio.

-Day 3 - Orvieto ~ Spoleto Ready to leave from Orvieto early in the morning time to reach Spoleto and make a couple of stops along the road: -Narni & the Narni underground -The Marmore Falls Our group will be hosted in one of the oldest monasteries in Umbria, recently trasformed in a residenza dEpoca. The Eremo delle Grazie.

-Day 4 - Spoleto ~ Assisi Well spend the morning around Spoleto visiting the Duomo, the Tower Bridge, the narrow and characteristic streets of this medieval city. After lunch we will reach the home town of San Francesco, Assisi. A real jewel with an impressive basilica and the castle still on top of the city. Dinner in Spello in the biggest wine bar of Umbria.

-Day 5 - Spoleto ~Monteriggioni
Time to say goodbye to Umbria and reach the Tuscan sun. First stop in Cortona and short tour of the city. Gelato all together in Max's favorite gelateria sitting on the square and doing the italian most important sport....people watching. We will drive up and down the Tuscan hills with frequent stops and Max will show us the hills with the cypresses and the original Tuscan Villas. For the last 2 nights we will sleep in Monteriggioni, a small castle still well preserved, surrounded by medieval walls and towers. The Hotel is located right in the center of Monteriggion and close to it we will have dinner in a fabulous trattoria ( a small restaurant run by a family )

-Day 6 - Monteriggioni ~ Siena ~ San Gimignano After breakfast we will reach the most famous monument of Siena Piazza del Campo and we will spend the morning around this unbelievable well preserved medieval city. In the afternoon time to reach San Gimignano and shoot lots of this medieval metropole famous for.....medieval skyscrapers. Dinner in San Gimignano ...trufe and wildboar!

-Day 7 - Monteriggioni ~ Roma
Last day of tour, so, we will spend the whole day on the way back to Roma, but with surprises along the way! Time for a couple of quick stops. (a few secret places of Max's!) .. one being our last wine tasting. What a way to end a fabulous week!

like really?? sleeping in 5star hotels, monasteries and castles..
how about wine tasting in umbria's biggest wineries?
and some cooking lessons with an amazing tuscan chef?

ya, these are the NON photographer things we'll be doing (altho, you know there are TONS of photo opps, just in there!) the stop-overs that max has planned are mind-blowing and seriously i know i will need to buy more memory cards!! :)

for more info take a look at a website that i have built specifically for this tour: FOLLOW YOUR HEART..TO ITALY.

if you are photographer, then do consider coming on the tour.. only 15 will be taken..and 2 seats are already reserved. :)

viva italia!!


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

1.18.2010

and a little something from italy.. :) cuz that's how i roll || vancouver photographer

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and for my own personal pleasure..italy..ah, viva italia..







9 months and counting.. :) www.traceylheppner.showitsite.com
 


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

1.04.2010

follow your heart...to ITALY || vancouver photographer

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DETAILS COMING SOON..VERY, VERY SOON...

to view my website visit http://www.traceylheppner.com

tracey@traceylheppner.com || 604.512.4679

9.13.2009

italian 101 begins || vancouver photographer

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i'm teaching myself italian.
i have 1000 vocab flashcards.

and our neighbors are italian.

i think i may have a fairly good chance
to make a go of it. :)

yesterday's words -

cold - freddo
cool, fresh - fresco
fried - fritto
refrigerator - il frigorifero
forehead - fronte


(taken with my iPhone)

3.27.2009

dov'è il mio cuore?

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Il mio cuore anela a Venezia. Mi sento come tho Sono supposti per essere un italiano .. forse è stato.

10.27.2008

one of the many things i brought home from italy..

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of all the things i brought home from italy, which i will blog about randomly now and then, one of my favorites that has become my staple is caprese.. altho it is not EXACTLY like what i found in italy (i mean really, is there anything like FRESH olive oil and those delish roma tomatoes?!?) i have made it part of my life..

what is it? it's this FABULOUSLY AMAZINGLY AWESOME salad that i don't go a day without making.. :) usually one at lunch and sometimes at dinner..

here's how you make it...or rather how TRACEY makes it.. :)

1. place fresh basil leaves on a white plate (cuz it looks best on a white plate, but you can use whatever you nice looking plate you'd like..like what my photo has!)

2. fresh, halved little-on-the-vine organic tomatoes, placed on top of the fresh basil.

3.halved little bocconcini in throughout the tomatoes (its all about how it looks too you know, i learned that from my chef hubby..)

4. top with a few black kalamatta olives.

5. sprinkle fresh oregano leaves on top of the salad.

6. then drizzle light olive oil on top of it all. if the olives dont have a balsamic type juice to them, i will add some balsamic..mmmmm :)


and presto! here you have a light but delightfully filling amazingly tasty meal. :)

so ya..this is just one of the most amazing things i brought home from italy.. :)

9.28.2008

the mystic beauty of venice at night

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our last night in venice, after we ate dinner, erin and i hauled my tripod about and got some night shots of our beloved venezia..

looking at the photos again, reminds me of what an incredible time we had there.. ah, si..venezia.. my heart is full of love for thee.. :)







(all of the photos i took on my trip i didn't do any post editting really except for upping the contrast on some..can you imagine if i went into photo shop with some of these babies!?!? :)

i heart venezia

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its true..i love this place..something so magical..enchanting..romantic..enticing about this place..i could live here.. :)

here's the view from my bed, that i HAD to wake up to every morning.. :) i know, it was hard.. ;) and then our little path from our street to the street that took us out to where the people were.. :) our neighborhood was nice and quiet..




as our last day in venice, we decided to do some more walking..we found the jewish ghetto which is absolutely lovely and serene..







we decided to rewalk a bunch of streets we'd been down, and to also look for new stuff.. so the next bunch of pics are randoms photos from our last few hours in our last day there.. :) enjoy..