Emma's Ready To Go!

Emma is now officially listed at (with?) Mode Elle.  Her headshots can be seen here.  Or if you keep scrolling (and, hopefully, reading) they will be in this post as well.

 I think Emma's very first photoshoot went very well.  She was nervous (of course!) but the end result is fantastic.  I can't really believe this is my little girl!  She looks so much older.  I think it'll only get better from here!

            

This last photo, we were told, is a great headshot.  I tend to agree, but I'm a little biased!

We overheard Charline booking an audition for a client the other day before Emma's class.  It seems like it's literally about a 2 day turn around and you just have to be ready to go.  They don't really even ask you if you want to go - it's your responsibility to let them know when you're not available. I'm still intensely interested to see how it goes from here.  I guess I'm going to have to be ready to be chauffeur mom once in a while!

I will do my best to keep up-to-date here for anyone interested to follow along.  Please comment if you have any questions or there's anything you want to hear about.  And if you're interested in hiring Miss Emma, we have to go through Mode Elle or we can get in trouble!

Toodles!

Soon-to-be Adventures in Modelling

Emma July 2015

We are still anxiously waiting for Emma's head shots.  Her Mode Elle classes are winding down (I think there are 2 more, one of which is a showcase).  Next week we're at the cottage, so Patrick is going to bring Emma back from Sharbot Lake just for her hour session.  It's a good excuse/opportunity to visit the grocery store again, and pick up anything we forgot at the house.

There is a mall fashion show coming up in September.  The audition is at the end of Aug, but the show itself is the 19th.  That's the day we were going to plan Emma's birthday party, as we're at a wedding the weekend before (which is her actual birthday).  I'm sure we can plan it for the Sunday, but I made the mistake of mentioning this conflict to Emma so she immediately decided she did not want to do the fashion show.  I'm trying to explain it to her - that we can pick a different day for the party - but sometimes she just shuts down and won't absorb what you're telling her.

I think it will be good for her to do her first audition at the Mode Elle location where she's been learning all this stuff.  She really has no idea (I don't think) what an audition even is.  I would like her to go through the process before we sign her all up for things that will be happening elsewhere (like Toronto...)  I know she will need practice to figure out how to audition for things.  Heck, even I don't know what goes on at these auditions!

Any of you readers have some advice, or been to an audition in the fashion show world?  Please share your experiences and tips in the comments!

Summer's In Full Swing - And Busy!

Alright - summer is in full swing and I feel like I need to take back some of my "summer is relaxing" comments I made in my previous post. ("Summer is Here - Let The Relaxing Begin")  Summer definitely sends out it's relaxing vibes, but I'm coming to realize life is just as busy (if not more so) now than during the school year.

I still have to go to work - that is the least relaxing part about summer, so far, for me.  The kids do daycare - some days - and camps and other extra curriculars.  Plus we're doing a cottage week, there there's some days at Grandma and Grandpa's (while hubby and I go to Toronto for a few days), and Emma is at a day camp this week.  And she's still taking her Mode Elle course on Tuesday nights.

And then there's the around-town family and friends stuff we want to do.  Kingston Buskers Rendezvous is on tap this week - we will likely go Thursday night, and then I'm meeting another mom friend on Saturday to do more kid-oriented Buskers then.  There are the Movies in the Square every Thursday (except this week because of the Buskers) which we have not gone to yet - they don't start until it's dark, which is getting on to 9pm this time of year.  Another few weeks and we'll try to catch one or two movies.

We've been filling our weekends with other around town things, like Taste of Kingston, and a free Fort Henry visit as part of the Pan Am celebrations when the torch was here.  The girls want to get to a beach this summer,; I haven't managed to get into Nanny's pool yet (the girls have been a few times); and then there's just the fun outdoor time at home with the neighbour kids.  I think those are the best days, when the kids are just outside somewhere and I can just sit on the deck, read a book, hang out the laundry, and then maybe relax with a drink.

What do you get up to in the summers?  Are your weeks a busy as mine?  I don't yet feel so busy I can't deal with it - so let's hope that doesn't happen!  Now that the girls are older a busy summer is much different than when they really do need 24/7 supervision.  I'm enjoying this summer so far, but it's not quite as "relaxing" as I'd imagined!

Toodles!

Emma's First Photoshoot - with Miguel Jacob

First Manicure

Well the big day has come and gone.  Emma is well in bed (and hopefully asleep).  She had a great day!


We started the day with a shower (which is still a new concept for her) and then a trip to my esthetician for a manicure.  She has had one pedicure before but not her fingers.  We were only "allowed" clear polish, but she was okay with that.  She was good and patient.

Pre-Styling Hair

We got to Mode Elle about half an hour early (on purpose) so we played with the stuff we brought including our hair baubles. She loves this giant bow we bought on our shopping trip expressly for this shoot.


There were 2 other girls there in various stages of photoshoot readiness.  One was a 7 year old, who, when the photographer asked her, said "I've done this before" with such conviction you'd think she was a seasoned model.  Her mom piped up with "Yes, once before."  It was cute.


We had a hairstylist (who was also the makeup girl, but Emma was not "made up" as no six year old should be), as well as an actual stylist who helped us make outfits from the clothes we brought.  Big surprise she chose the things we had pretty much chosen for ourselves.

Soft Wavy Hair

The hairstylist told us that Emma has the softest hair she's ever felt.  Then she proceeded to produce beautiful soft waves with a curling "wand" - like a curling iron without the clamp part.  Very quick and neat.  She then shooed us away to wait until the stylist was ready to help with the clothes.  I couldn't resist taking some phone photos of her soft, wavy hair.

What a Beauty

I think Emma has a perfect no-expression face.  You just have to catch it, I don't think she can "put it on" whenever she wants to.  I've had luck finding it in my last few photo taking days


Anyway, then we got to prepare our "first look."  The stylist chose the pink polka dot dress we bought specifically for this occasion.  Emma was so excited.  We got it on and she wanted to put on this dollar store hat she loves and ask to wear it for the photos.  I told her no but that I would take a few pics of her in it.  The shots I took did not turn out fantastic, but I'll put one in anyway.

Polka Dot Dress
"First Look"

The hairstylist took her back in, gave her hair a gentle comb out and put that big black sparkly bow back in.  That was her completed look.

The photographer (Miguel Jacob) was really great.  He was so friendly and approachable, I was pleasantly surprised.  He managed to get some good smiles and poses out of Emma.  I did not try to take any photos during the actual shoot, as I thought that would be in bad taste.  It was very serious and professional with the big umbrella lights and white backdrop.  A bit intimidating for a first-timer but the people were all so great I think she had a lot of fun.  I know I did!

"Second Look"

Then she got changed and had her hair put in a messy topknot and the "second look" got photographed outside in an alleyway.  I've always liked the stone wall look in photos and I think hers turned out great.  I did see a few pictures the photographer really liked.  He seemed impressed with some of the photos himself.

We had a great day.  When Patrick asked Emma if she liked it she said, "YES!" and when he asked her if she'd do it again tomorrow she said, "Yes.  Where?" and looked like she was ready to go out the door right that minute if we needed to do it again.  I guess that's a good sign.


We finished our road trip with some ice cream and a few minutes of "park" time (there were goats and a climber behind the ice cream place) and then everyone fell asleep in the car on the way home.  Just the way any fun day should end.

Toodles!

Last Day of School - And An Awesome Compliment

Today is Emma's last day of grade 1.  She is not as excited as I thought she'd be.  I'm excited for her.  I think, perhaps, she will miss her friends, as her school encompasses most of the city (she's in Catholic French Immersion and there's only one in town.)

Rose was mad she didn't get to
go to school on Emma's first day
(Sept 2014)

We've had some trials and tribulations with her schooling this year.  Her mid-term report card was less than stellar - both the "grades" (checkboxes actually) and the comments from the teacher (which were not very helpful).  Luckily we worked with the school to overcome some of the issues we perceived (sometimes incorrectly).

She started "reading group" and is now much more interested in reading, thankfully!  (I'm a voracious reader so I can't imaging my children not liking to read!!)  And I think the rest of it was just that she wasn't ready yet.

Transitioning from play-based Kindergarten to "regular class" in grade one has got to be difficult for these kids - and for the teachers who are used to kids coming from the previous style of Kindergarten.  Rose is going to start Kindergarten this fall, and she will get the full experience of all day, play based; whereas Emma started when it was still every other day, so their experiences will be different.  I'm so interested to find out how Rose's adjustment will be.

I'm a bit nervous to see Emma's report card, but it can't be much worse than her mid-term card was.  I am sincerely hoping there's been improvement.  The thing that gets me the most about her schooling this year is the lack of teacher communication.  If my child is not performing where you think she should be, isn't it the teacher's job to tell me that?  To suggest more work at home, or other resources?  We had to call the school and ask about reading help, no one told us that resource was there.  And if you don't think she's struggling why did the "report card" suggest she's barely meeting the minimum requirements for her class?

Maybe I just don't understand fully how the schooling system works.

Anyway, on to my awesome compliment.

I was walking back from Emma's bus stop and I saw a neighbour friend coming out from her apartment across the street.  I could tell she wasn't sure it was me, so I took off my ballcap (it's sunny at the bus stop) and waved at her.  She changed direction so we could have a chat.

I caught up to her and she said "It is you!  I couldn't tell.  I was thinking 'Who's that young girl walking this way?'"  Isn't that awesome?  I'm wearing a dress she likely hadn't seen before, but still!  I was quite pleased.

I guess it's time to get ready for work.

Toodles!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Summer Is Here - Let The Relaxing Begin!

Okay so I really don't think relaxing is any more or less likely to happen in the summer.  I am just eternally happy that the intensive dance rehearsal/recital schedule is done.  And school is almost done.  I may even be able to re-set my alarm to give me 10 more precious minutes of sleep in the mornings...but Rose will still be up nice and early.

Our weekend went very smoothly.  Dance was watched, food was eaten, kids had fun - success all around.  Our next big job is replacing a section of our fence - although we're turning that into a backyard party as well (hopefully!)  We already have the fence all down, and the post people are coming next week to do the posts.  Canada Day is our fence party day - family is rallying around (and maybe a neighbour or two) and we'll have lot of eats to keep everyone fuelled.

Now Monday nights have no required pick ups.  I just get to go home after work - I'm not sure how I feel about that!  I was enjoying the no-rush, get-there-by-7 feeling of my Mondays.  Sometimes I took a walk, sometimes I read a book, and every time I didn't have to put Rose to bed.  It was Rosie-Daddy night.  Not sure what she's going to think about that either!

The only weekly thing we have on now is the Tuesday night Mode Elle business.  Emma's photos are this Saturday so I have to go through her clothes and pick out something cute (because not everything she owns is cute...) for mix and match with whatever stylist is there to make the final choices.  I may even have to get out my ironing board.  Yikes!

I feel like Emma's already super excited for her Dance Camp - she gets one full week off from school then she's there for a week (which required some work schedule tweaking for pick ups and drop offs) learning yet more dance and having a mini recital at the end.  I can't get over how much she loves it there!  It's a good thing, I know.

Anyway, gotta get ready for work - somehow that doesn't change much during the summer!  Leave me a comment about your summer schedules, or what you're looking forward to doing with the kids and family.

Toodles!