Fall Face Off 2012 - Albany, NY

in

What a crazy day. 5 events. RX and Scaled divisions. Crossfit has become a part of my life that I now love and learn to enjoy. In teams of four, we battled it out with 200 other Crossfit athletes and boy was it intense! As my first competition, competing in the RX division was like diving into a shark tank - I was so nervous that I had no idea if I could pull it off. Although we finished in 5th, we had so much support from our fellow Crossfitters (not just our other teammates but box members too) and we were very happy with the result. Our two scaled teams did a fantastic job and were so inspiring to watch. I might have been the youngest in the competition, but that didn't stop me from having fun and giving my all that day. Man, was I burnt out at the end of it. NOTE TO NEW CROSSFITTERS: never do Fran after 4 events... and I had never even done Fran before in my LIFE (she's a b*tch). I am so happy I got to go through this experience with my boyfriend, Mel and Victor who were just so supportive of me and of each other. We all set PR's (personal records) that day and the emotions were so raw it was such an incredible time. I was kicking myself for not finishing in the last event and stormed out of the building, but I was reminded that I did my best and even though I was in tears, my boyfriend was still proud of me. I am so thankful to have such great friends and family in my life - that they support me through whatever I go through or attempt to do like this competition. I guess there's no going back now that I've let myself experience what it's like to swim with the sharks. Enjoy the photos taken by myself and Maria Silva Fleming.

[gallery]

Summerlicious Photo shoot 2012

in

This year, I took on the challenge of only photographing one model as oppose to 4+ models... and it was a lot of fun! The theme of this year's was garden tea party and Kayla Liu picked out some of her fun, chic outfits out of her wardrobe. We were lucky to be able to shoot in the home of the Gerrard family, who own a beautiful house and gorgeous garden. The tire swing, the hedges to the fountains, it is a wonderful garden. The scenery just makes it feel like you were not in Vancouver but definitely in paradise. With the sun shining, a fun and quirky model, summer was in full swing this August. We miss it!

Check out some of her style picks: Lush, bow shirt by Jessica Simpson, black lace skirt by Forever 21, tea dress by American Eagle, blue sequin top dress by Silence and Noise, wedges by Sam Edelmen, necklace by Tiffany and Co., bracelets range from Fossil, Marc Jacobs to Ralph Lauren.

[gallery order="DESC" columns="4"]

Thank you to Kayla Liu, Denice Wong, The Gerrard family.  :)

Oh Paris...

in

"city of lights and romance..."

A gorgeous city... it's amazing how you can hop onto the Eurostar and be in Paris within a couple hours from London. We spent a weekend in the Parisienne town, and boy did we get our money's worth. We ate, drank, shopped til we dropped, it was a lot of fun. We spent the first lunch at an all you can eat steak and frites house - this was the only thing served! We also caught the tail end of Le Tour de France, which was fantastic to watch! The athletes biked like there was no tomorrow at Champs Elysées. It was wonderful to be a part of the event by just being there!

We stayed at The Georges V - Four Seasons hotel and it had such a grand entrance - filled with flowers beyond your imagination. The chandeliers in the entrance and the view of the bar which had hanging flowers from high above the bar/lounge area was just stunning, along with a waterfall in the background.

Because it was sunday, nothing was open so we decided to check out the spa which was very serene. You were approached by a hostess who gave us a tour of the spa. The pool was very calming, although the hot tub was unfortunately not hot but the steam room, sauna and lounging area or the "quiet" room was  relaxing and calming. With tea and a mini bar service, the spa in the Georges V was quaint and a great place to hideout from the hot sun.

The hotel's restaurant, Le Cinq, featured a great tasting menu. We ate a 7 course meal provided by the chef and had a few glasses of wine and bubbly to go along with our dinner (we had some in the room before heading down.) The petit fours came out on a large cart and we could pick as many different ones as we'd like - chocolate, nougat, marshmallows... you name it!

On our last day we went shopping, and to La Durée for breakfast (although disappointed as the main restaurant was not open due to renovations so we tried another one that couldn't even make a proper poached egg...) We visited Chanel's original store (and home) and Michael found a bag labeled with Victoria Beckham's name. We thought maybe she was in town... we also visited a coffee shop selling Kopiluwak (look it up you'll be surprised) and found the Truffle House which I swear was by far the best lunch I've ever had! Everything was to do with truffle - truffle oil along with the bread given, you got to pick if you wanted white, black or the seasonal truffle with your course (appetizer AND main course.) IT WAS SO DELICIOUS... truffle pasta... ohmygosh.

Funny enough, as we boarded the Eurostar one last time, we were held up because of the one and only... Victoria Beckham who was late for our train!!! I was in shock and at the same time amazed at how petite she was. Fashionably late, she boarded the train with (I believer her eldest son) Romeo and off we went. It was quite a fabulous trip even though it was short and sweet.

[gallery order="DESC" columns="4"]

London, oh London.

in

"the motherland..."

Olympics, home away from home... there are so many things associated with this fantastic country. We arrived a week before the games were to begin in London, and well it was peace and quiet for that time. We immediately got off the plane, and headed for Bayswater Road for some serious chinese food - bbq pork, duck... 

We rented a flat for two weeks, situated near the tube stations of Gloucester Road and South Kensington. It had three bedrooms, a kitchen, dining room, living room, and two toilets. Very accommodating for the four of us and Uncle Calvin and Michael who were joining us a few days after we had arrived.  I was super excited that we could all be together and spend some time being immersed in the British culture.

We weren't tourists really... seeing as mum was home and we had been used to going grocery shopping, living and cooking in a flat, and just used to the hustle and bustle of the city. Much shopping was done, and we checked out the Borough Market which was filled with exotic and deliciously smelling foods. Bakers, Rotisseries, vegetable vendors... there was much to see at this market. Be sure to check it out if you're in the town!

We saw one broadway, War Horse, and it was very well presented. The mechanics of the horses were simply breath-taking (though if you don't know what the book or the movie is like, you might be more taken away by the story if you didn't as those who have seen or read War Horse, it can be slow.) The show was just off Drury Lane.

I got to experience the night life finally and the pubs as I am now of age (legal age is 18 in the UK) and boy was it a fun time! Pub for lunch, beer for lunch, Pimm's o'clock every day. It was such a great experience. The clubs can be quite flashy (at the door £20 was a great price as some were over £45) but very unique inside. We went for pre drinks at Revolutions - a chain bar that had many locations all over the city. Cover was free (ladies night) and drinks were really reasonable. They had neat cocktails to choose from but the bar tenders didn't really know what they were doing most of the time. There's a dance floor too and plenty of booth space.  Funky Buddha was the club we were going to afterward and the drinks were quite pricy (ordering a bottle of champagne was the easiest way to go.) Music that evening was hip hop/rap/r&b but all from the 90's. It was a lot of fun being out for once in London as I was never old enough to do so.

We had many dinners... and I mean EVERY NIGHT. It was either us cooking or going out to very nice restaurants. My favourite evening was going to Fat Duck by THE Heston Blumenthal. And oh my goodness, I literally died and went to heaven - it was such a treat to be dining there with the family, Michael and Uncle Calvin. Some of the dishes were just WOW to witness and to taste (lucky for you I took many photos.) We also got to experience dining at Jack's Place which we had gone to on our first night and planned for our last night too in London. Delicious scampi, lamb chops were so juicy and the lobster thermador was nothing like I had ever tasted. The cream sauce, with mushrooms and the taste of lobster was a great combination.

We also got to dine at Khan's, famous indian restaurant after the Olympic Torch Relay Concert (Which was an all day event featuring artists: The Wanted, Dizzee Rascal, Eliza Doolittle, and of course Rizzle Kicks.) The curries weren't crazy spicy but delectably hot and the mango lassi was the best I had ever tasted before. We also went out to Chez Bruce which was a french restaurant in Wandsworth near Jack's Place which is in Battersea, and the courses were simple but done to perfection. Another quaint place to eat at was Sally Clarke's restaurant, Clarke's, where contemporary American food was made by the chef herself.

Cooking at home, we would make more lamb chops (there's just something about the lamb in the UK you gotta try) and salads and of course strawberries with cream for dessert. We had many friends over to join us and our meals over a nice few bottles of wine... we would use the disposable barbecues too to our advantage. Breakfasts consisted of fry-ups: eggs, bacon, sausages... you name it!

We also went to the Warner Bros. Harry Potter studios in Watford, which was AMAZING!! If you're a huge Harry Potter fan you will fall in love with it all. Guides say that it will take about 3 hours to get through the entire exhibit but it took us 4 hours!! It was that great - the Knight Bus, the flying car, the models of all the houses and the sets, the sets themselves, costumes, and of course the Hogwarts Castle. Breathtaking, mind blowing,  like WOW factor. It was jaw dropping and I definitely had some goosebumps happening. Be sure to go check out the studios - you will have the time of your life. PS there IS butter beer... so yum. My sister was quite happy as it was her "birthday week" and we had celebrated lots already but the fact that she got to go to the studios - she thought it was the best time ever.

Looking back on the trip now, London was by far the best part. I would do anything to rewind and go back to the beginning. The food, the many teas (at the Landmark London Hotel and the Berkeley), Harrods, Selfridge's, Carnaby street, Oxford Circus, partying across from Raffles (a club)... it was just a brilliant time.

Cannot wait to go back again in a couple years (hopefully) and do it all over again. I want to thank everyone who was a part of the trip - I hope you had as much fun as I did!

[slideshow]