Brittany and I got to spend the afternoon with Jenelle, Cordelia and Ophelia this past June in Fort St. John, and it was basically heaven on earth. Bunnies with flower crowns, trampolines, that northern light and popsicles: living the dream.
Brittany and I got to spend the afternoon with Jenelle, Cordelia and Ophelia this past June in Fort St. John, and it was basically heaven on earth. Bunnies with flower crowns, trampolines, that northern light and popsicles: living the dream.
My June and July are basically a blur. I finished school at the beginning of June, after a really intense semester that included my comprehensive exams (basically being interviewed by a panel of instructors, including discussing a staged counselling session I did - just mild hyperventilating). All went well though, and after my exams I wrapped up two courses, and somehow pulled 2 (TWO!) extra semester end papers out of my essay-exhausted self. I needed a huge break, so I packed my bags, hopped in a car with my pal Brittany, and we drove to Fort St. John via Jasper, saw some goats, listened to Sinatra, and dodged bears in northern BC forests. It was wonderful.
I came back here, and 9 days later headed out on another road trip with my Mama, this time to Saskatchewan to see my cousins who live in Regina. I also have this idea for my thesis, so the plan was to go to Saskatoon (where I lived as a kid) to see my old neighbourhood, school, and home and see if there was anything I could use from there. Our trip consisted of going to all the available parks in Regina with a small toddler who LIVES FOR SWINGS, a visit out to my Uncle Steve's farm, and me trying hot pot for the first time and now planning to live off hot pot from now until the end of time.
Our trip from Regina to Saskatoon was great - I haven't gone that route since 2003, and had completely forgotten about this great ice cream place that we used to stop at when driving back as a kid - called Twisted Sister, it's off the highway in a tiny, tiny prairie town. We also stopped at Frank Slide, Ernfold for a rest in a meadow, North Battleford to visit my friend Bonnie from elementary school, and Stony Plain at my friend Melissa (of Appletree Photography!)'s house after driving through funnel clouds and thunderstorms on the highway. (I miss prairie storms so much!)
Here are a few photos from that road trip, including photos of my cousin's adorable daughter Isabel.
This recipe is straight from one of the loveliest ladies I’ve ever known, Mama Pirkko, who would whip up a batch of Finnish pancakes in the morning after sleepovers at my best friend Melissa’s house. Basically we needed sustenance after marathon bouts of Super Mario Bros. 3, Dream Phone and dreaming about our future husband, Jonathan Taylor Thomas. If you’re ever in Thunder Bay, head to the Hoito – it looks like a dimly lit church basement, has barely changed decor since it opened, and is always jam-packed with people requiring pancakes to live, but it’s a Northwestern Ontario Finnish landmark and serves the closest thing available to Mama’s pancakes. The pancakes that you’re about to make, from the recipe below, are best served with all the butter available in the Fraser Valley, with bacon wrapped inside, syrup, and viewings of The Goonies in your pajamas during dismal rainy days.
Ingredients:
You will need –
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
That’s it! This is a great recipe because it kind of hits in the middle – it’s easy enough for someone like me who once set rice on fire, to make, but delicious enough for people who love good food and cooking to whip up in minutes. Add all the above ingredients into a bowl, heat up a pan with butter, and then begin frying up each individual pancake. They should be thin (like crepes), and each individual pancake shouldn’t take very long. This recipe usually makes about 3-5 pancakes, so just double or triple the recipe for more. My adorable measuring cup is courtesy of Kilnhouse Studio, who makes pretty things that substitute for measuring cups when you forget to do dishes.
This was a dream to shoot, on a perfect day in July: two best friends just going back in time, with some vintage suitcases, a Dualflex camera, and an old, awesome car. Hair and makeup by D'lux Beauty Parlour.