Food: Summer Drinks

With the weather finally warming up, I've been experimenting with different combinations of fruits, juices and our trusty Soda Stream. 

It all started a few summers ago when we were hosting a barbeque. I didn't want to buy carbonated sugary drinks so I decided to try making big batches of healthier drinks. Here are the different ways I tried:

For large parties

I mixed store-bought juice with club soda which dilutes the amount of sugar per cup. Using frozen fruit (eg. berries) instead of ice is great for chilling without watering the batch down.

For 1-2 people

This way is better for making small amounts. Use a Soda Stream machine and instead of their pre-made drink mixes, I put pieces of fruit like fresh ripe mango and add a splash of juice (bought or freshly-squeezed) to make my own flavoured carbonated water.

For small parties

For a smoothie, I blended up fresh fruit like watermelon as the drink's base then added frozen fruit. 

I hope these ideas will help you make some of your own concoctions. Let me know if you try any of these!

Food: Mary Macleod's Shortbread

If you love shortbread cookies, give Mary Macleod's Shortbread a try. The Toronto company was started back in 1981 by Mary Macleod whose specialty was shortbread.

I've known about Mary Macleod's Shortbread for a few years and recently had the opportunity to style and photograph all their different flavours of their cookies for their marketing and promotional material. For me, it's special to work with local businesses that started small and have grown to reach shortbread lovers around the world. 

If you're looking to give delicious gifts, check out their online store or if you're in the neighbourhood, check out their shop at 639 Queen St E.

Chocolate crunch, the signature cookie

Maple crunch

Perfect for gifts

Digital vs Film

It took a year (maybe even 2) to finish my first roll of film shot on a Nikon FM2, but throughout that roll, I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison between film vs digital images. 

Now I'm not an expert at film emulation but I tried to get them as close as possible. The first 2 were shot on Fuji Superia 400 and the last one was on Kodak Portra 400.

Comment below if you can tell which one was shot on film and which was shot on digital :)

1. Fuji Superia 400

2. Fuji Superia 400

3. Kodak Portra 400

Answers:
1. Digital, Film
2. Film, Digital
3. Digital, Film

Home is More Than Just a House

A house can be more than the address you return to everyday. You can choose to make it your home, a place with significance.

It's special to photograph something when there's meaning and a connection. This beautiful home is where major milestones were celebrated and fond memories were made and these photos only capture a small piece of its history. 

The open concept of the kitchen, dining and living area on the main floor are perfect for gathering and entertaining. I'm a fan of functional space like this where furniture can be moved around for different purposes. 

The kitchen is spacious and comes with a big island and lots of storage. 

Food: Chocolates

I love chocolate (just about any kind will do) but it's always a special treat to try handmade chocolate. Chocolates x Brandon Olsen (CXBO) is a little shop in Toronto that makes cute morsels of art. They're so beautiful I almost can't bring myself to eat them. Almost.

Flavours in this box: Cinnamon, Brown Butter // Orange Blossom, Honey // Pistachio, Orange, Bergamot // Sherry, Milk Chocolate // Lime, Ginger, Black Pepper // Cherry, Vanilla // Salted Caramel // Raspberry, Rose, Fennel // Yuzu, Sake