5 Reasons I Love Linen

 Sooo, it's no secret at this point.  Yes, even my grandparents have noticed my new-found love for natural fibres.  And my favourite, LINEN!  Oh my word, I just love it.  I can't stop wearing it, can't stop looking at it with all the heart eyes and I definitely can't stop talking about (sorry friends and fam).  You see, I don't just come across things and decide THIS for me.  I slowly consider, I research it, I save photos and create mood boards to see if it fits my life (again, my poor family) and then I finally take the plunge and try it out.  So when it gets here and lives up to, actually exceeds, my expectations I am gushing fountain of success filled enthusiasm and facts.So here we go!!  5 reasons I LOVE linen. 

1. The texture. Oh my word, I have always loved the texture of linen. Truly, before I even knew that linen was it own specific type of material, I was attracted to its character and old-world charm.

2. PET HAIR, fellow animal lovers have I got good news for you!! The pet hair doesn't stick. I mean, EEEEE!!! I love my animals but I just HATE walking around with their hair stuck to me.

3. It's very hard to stain. So if I am honest, my biggest fear when purchasing quality clothing is that I am going to ruin it. I'm a wee bit of a hot-mess, with kids and lot's of animals. But all my linen washes up like an absolute dream!! A little anecdote for ya: Last summer we went for a little girls day and took my daughters to get their fingers painted at the salon. Nora choose a dark sparkly purple because it 'looks like a galaxy Mom!!!'. Well she accidentally rubbed her wet nails on the chest of my blue and white dress (cue inner turmoil). By some miracle I kept my cool and calmly (while crying on the inside of course) asked for some nail polish remover. Most of it blotted out, but it remained just a little grey-er in that area. I honestly didn't have the heart to deal with it for months. But just a little while ago I decided to give it a go. I washed it on the delicate cycle in my washing machine with a little natural stain remover and oxy-clean and wouldn't you know it, she came out as good as new!!! I still cannot believe it but I'm happy as a clam.

4. It is environmentally friendly! 'Nough said.

5. It's wears like dream all year long!! Linen is very strong and becomes so wonderfully soft with time. It is warm in the winter and cool in the summer!

 Ok and I am all about balance so here are couple things that you may not love about linen.

1. It wrinkles. I honestly don't find this to be a problem for myself. I love its rustic look!!!

2. It costs more than synthetic fabrics. Personally, I find this is 100% balanced out all the benefits of linen.

3. It relaxes with wear. If you love tight clothes, this may not be the best fabric for you.

4. It can be a bit rough if it is brand new. But this won't last long at all, after a couple washes it relaxes and softens!

 Thanks for joining me fellow nerd, capsule-curious, clothing enthusiast!  I really hope this was helpful for you and I would love to hear what you think!  Are you already a linen lover?  Do you think you might invest in any linen this year?  What is your fav fibre to wear?Questions welcome, always.Karmen P.S.  My absolute favourite responsible linen brands are Pyne + Smith Clothiers, Not Perfect Linen, and Only Child. 

The Maui Collection // The Story Behind the Photos

Poppy Barley Fall Launch

When Jane from Poppy Barley emailed me about attending their Fall Launch event, I thought for sure she had made a mistake.  I'm a full-time mom/photographer who lives in the middle of nowhere, I don't get invited to fashion launches!  Soooo naturally, I quickly wrote back so that she couldn't change her mind lol!!  But in all seriousness, I cannot tell you how happy I was to celebrate Poppy Barley's new store and their 2018 fall line-up.  You see, Poppy Barley was my VERY FIRST responsible shoe purchase and it was scary because, as we all know by now, responsible fashion costs more.  And spending money stresses me out friends.  I usually have to mull over purchases for weeks to months, and in this case YEARS.  Ya, that's right, it took me 2 whole years to finally purchase my ankle boots, and I have zero regrets.  In fact, I went back the next year for a pair of mules!!  To put it simply, I wear them All. The. Time.  They are comfortable and seriously level-up my outfits!I really want to to say a huge thank to the Poppy Barley ladies for having me, and for putting on such an intimate event.  I had so much fun hanging out with some of Edmonton's best humans!  And you guys I brought home a pair of the leopard print flats (which was a prettty bold move for me)!!  Eeee, I love them so much and cannot believe how many garments I can pair them with.  I had to turn down the most comfortable pair of oxfords I've ever had my foot in, but I just love how this pair of D'orsay flats completely changes the look of my outfits.  I swear, it's the shoe I didn't know I needed! If you haven't already, I can't encourage you enough to check out this Women-run Edmonton-based company, they are a dream.  If you have any questions about my experiences with them and their shoes ask away below!  I genuinely love chatting slow-fashion with y'all!

Warmly,

Karmen 

PS.  If you could have any pair of shoes from the Poppy Barley fall line, what would you get?!? 

The Taylor Family takes on Westerner Days | Red Deer Family Photographer

  Ever since having a family of my own, photographing parents and their beloved little ones has taken on a whole new meaning.  I love tagging along on little outings or just spending some time documenting everyday life.  This session was a first though! Thanks so much for having me join you at the Westerner Days Fair Taylor fam, I am so totally in love your photos!  I hope that you are as enchanted as I am!Would you ever get your family photos taken at the fair?  If not, where would be your dream location?!  

May your portraits age like a fine wine!

 The truth is I don't want your portraits be that cheap pair of flip-flops that broke after one summer of use and then were carelessly tossed into the garbage.  I want your portraits to be that favourite pair of leather boots.  You know the ones!  The ones that just make you feel so darn gooooooood everytime you put them on!  I want them to hang proudly on your walls or rest lovingly on your coffee table. I want your portraits to make you smile every time you walk by that gallery wall or flip through the pages of your album.  I am wildly aware that this will not work for everyone's taste and/or budget and that's ok, because these days there are an incredible amount of photography options to choose from.  But for YOU, you know who you are..... you think less just might actually be more, you would rather have 10 stunning prints for your wall than 100s of files lost on a hard-drive.  For you, I want to create something one-of-a-kind, something long-lasting.  Seriously though, is it egotistical of me to want the photos I take to be the ones handed down to your great-grandchildren?  I imagine that they will lovingly look through them, perhaps they will need to smooth out a crease from it being accidentally folded into the gutter of a book, or maybe the ink will be slightly faded from sitting on that sunny livingroom shelf, and they will wonder to themselves about what life was like all the way back in 2018 with all it's strange, beautiful moments and trends. 

Randee For The Skinny | Lifestyle Fashion Brand

Randee.  "I hate getting my photo taken".  Also Randee.  "I need to apologize in advance for how awkward I am going to be!"Well I am so glad that despite all of her fears this lovely babe travelled down from Edmonton to model some clothing for the beautifully curated shop she works at, The Skinny.  I have worked with The Skinny before, but this was my first time shooting some of their women's wear and I LOVED it.  So much goodness.Also, it was summer.  Man, I really miss summer.  Anyone else pretending this warm 0 degree day is the beginning of spring??XO,KarmenP.S.  There is a part two of this shoot coming and it is fire!  So stay tuned! 

Maui Lifestyle Boudoir Sneakpeek

Can I just travel the world and photograph all the incredible women?  Their stories, strength, families, business, love.Feeling so grateful to have been able to spend a few minutes capturing this lovely human while we were on Maui!!  It has got me thinking about potential travel dates!  Where are you from?  Any place you would love to have a lifestyle session?