The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Fifty Two

Johanna: Today marks our last Tuesday Diptych entry. For the last year, almost on every Tuesday, Desiree and I have collaborated our photos to create a diptych and have posted them on our respective blogs. Our main objective was to let our photos and words, side by side, speak for themselves and for the most part, I think that our intentions have stayed true.
Each week it was a surprise to see how our photos worked together or in some instances didn't work together.
For myself, this project of ours has been quite the journey. I've enjoyed the challenge to find beauty and interesting scenes in my day to day life. I've also enjoyed capturing those moments that were sometimes good and bad.
For my photo this week, I went down to the Whitehorse waterfront and captured a photo of some tracks going off into the distance. Call it symbolic, but think this photo sums up this project and relationship of ours just perfectly. It is not over by any means, but continues on in it's own way. Desiree and I have plans to collaborate on other projects in the future and so it might not be the same as the Tuesday Diptych Series, but it will continue on.
Happy Tuesday dear friends.
xox

Desiree: It's hard to believe that this is our 52nd week of The Tuesday Diptych Project. At the beginning of this journey we decided to do "a years worth of entries", and though it took us a little longer than a year to fit in our fifty two posts, I'm sad to see it go. Looking back through our photos, I see myself growing and changing, in life, as a mother, as a partner, as a friend.
I have enjoyed seeing our images side by side, week in and week out. I consider Johanna a kindred soul-sister and this collaboration has brought us even closer. We may live at opposite ends of the country, but she's a neighbour in my heart.
My image this week comes from my garden -- last year's strawberries have sprung up beautifully. A new season, a new start.
I hope you've enjoyed this adventure with us.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Fifty One

Johanna: One thing that I will miss about my time in Ontario is walking around downtown. On a lovely afternoon my good friend Shirin and I took our little ones to one of my favourite urban parks that is right on the border of Chinatown. I love beautifully designed urban spaces, where people can find refuge from their busy days.

Desiree: This cafe is practically my second home. I love the atmosphere, the buzz, the people, the tasty treats. I feel super productive here and completely comfortable. Mmm, one more bevvy please.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Fifty

Desiree: Lately, Gretchen has been obsessed with riding the city bus, so I indulge her and we take several trips per week. Today we enjoyed our sunniest day in ages, perfect for a trip downtown, wonderful for bus stop snapshots.

Johanna: I took a lovely walk at my favourite Ottawa spot today. The Mer Bleu Bog. A beautiful conservation area right in the middle of the city, where a unique landscape exists of peat moss and tundra type vegetation. Something you would see up North maybe, but definitely not often in Southern Ontario. I used to come here often when I lived in Ottawa, to escape from the hustle of the city.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Nine

Johanna: On the look out for pretty. I am ready to be rid of all reminders of winter. I have started to de-clutter the house and am making giveaway piles of old clothes that no longer work for me. It may not be Spring yet, but I am working on my Spring cleaning.

Desiree: In an attempt to feel a little less frumpy as winter wears on (and on and on), I decided to treat myself to this lovely lion brooch. March comes in like a lion and go out like a lamb... right?

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Eight

Desiree: I spent my morning at a cafe downtown, sipping from a warm mug, nibbling on a freshly baked muffin and typing away amidst the buzz of patrons. On my way home, I nearly slipped on a few patches of ice... but despite that bit of chill, my walk was incredibly sunny and I swear I could smell springtime creeping stealing toward our little city. Hello, March 1st.

Johanna: It's been so cold here lately and sometimes only a little treat will help take the blues away. This is what I had the other day. A warm yummy afternoon treat. 2 scoops of cappuccino ice cream in a cup of hot coffee.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Seven

Desiree: It's been so wonderful having our happy little girl back after weeks of ear infections and bronchitis. I managed to snap little sweet little photo as she woke up from her nap today, not quite awake or cheerful yet, but enjoying the sunshine as I pull back the curtains in her bedroom. Oh so sweet.

Johanna: Since I am the one who takes the pictures at my place and at my parties, it's rare that I get to be in my pictures. This week out of the blue, I felt the urge to take a self portrait. Believe it or not, I'm not all that comfortable myself in front of the lens, but I think it's important to be the subject sometimes, just so that when I look back in years to come, I know that I was actually there. I also think it's nice to be able to look at myself as others do and to see past the insecurities that I may have about myself.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Six

Desiree: This morning got off to a rock start, but things are looking up. The tea is warm, the baby is napping & thanks to one frantic email, my night is in order too. Deep breaths, and sigh.

Johanna: There is something so beautiful about a mess of arts and crafts. At first glance I saw a mess. A table that needed to be cleaned and organized. But then I looked again and saw beauty, colour, layers, patterns, all created by a creative little soul. I think I like my second impression better than the first.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Five

Desiree: We've had a wonderful amount of snow fall this week and it's still beautiful & white all around. I adore this weather. Yesterday ended up being the coldest day we've had all winter (-32C in the morning) and even so, the sun was out & every part of our world was shining.

Johanna: As I was getting ready to leave Montreal I noticed this sweet bicycle all covered in snow chained up on a nearby fence. It was so "classic" Montreal. Being there in the winter brought back many fond memories for me. I used to love all the beautiful fresh snow that Montreal receives in the winter.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Four

Johanna: Looking for colour. Orange and tangerine. Sweet and juicy. Sunny and pretty.

Desiree: The bridge over the river next to our house is especially chilly during the winter. I only took one shot before plunging my frozen fingers back into my pockets.

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Note: It's hard to imagine that we've been doing this project (nearly) every week since February 2, 2010. Such an amazing journey.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Three

Johanna: Meet Star-Paco (named by my niece and nephew) the amazing hairless cat. She's the newest family member to my sister's family. She's quite the character if I do say so myself and can definitely stand her own.

Desiree: Christmas might be over, but we're still celebrating... with sights and scents and holiday spirit. New Year's Eve is right around the corner, as is Gretchen's 2nd (gasp!) birthday. January will be a wonderful month!

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Two

Johanna: The long cold days mean that we stay in more and be cozy. It seems that cookie making is the perfect activity when the thermostat drops to -20 degrees celsius. Hope you are enjoying your holidays.


Desiree: Lately all I can think about is homemade hot cocoa. It's purely delicious & warming to the soul. And I need some of that these days.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty One

Desiree: I love those first few days of light, fluffy snow. The only footsteps to be seen belonged to our mail carrier & in my garden, my little goat & fawn enjoyed a blanket of white. .

Johanna: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Yum.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty

Johanna: The snow has been falling steadily for the last week or so and has left my new home of Whitehorse a beautiful winter wonderland. The snow here is different from how I am used to it back home. This snow is light and powdery and blows away very easily. It is not "snowman" snow, its not wet or heavy but instead fluffy and in a way delicate.
Just the other day I was looking closely at the snow and was amazed to see actual snowflake forms still intact. It's just so beautiful to see.

Desiree: Our whole house smells just like Christmas. Candles in cinnamon, baked good and pine. I love walking into our home after a long, wintry walk and being greeted by those oh so familiar scents.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Nine

Johanna: You know you live in the North when it is this dark with the moon shining at 8:30 in the morning. Yup, we are in for a long winter...but that's exactly why we moved here and so far I am loving it.

Desiree: I have some really fabulous friends. Friends who keep me in baked goods. Friends who wake up super early in the morning to make blueberry scones and ginger cookies to bring to my house for a tasty breakfast. Friends who love my family & friends who care for us deeply. I'm honoured to have friends like these.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Eight

Desiree: Busy schedules & strange work hours can often make finding time for date night a little difficult, but every now and again, we find ourselves on an accidental date. On this particular occasion we were running a few errands downtown -- nothing special -- and decided to grab a bite to eat. It's only when we're both seated, sipping our drinks that we realize it -- we're alone and together and it's wonderful. It's hard to remember to find time for each other at times, but moments like this can really make up for it.

Johanna: As a continuation from my attempts to stay organized and make healthy meals I have been spending lots of time with these books lately. There's something about the winter that makes me want to stay in more and enjoy our cozy little home. Reading books, getting ideas and creating a comforting home are all things that I am loving these days.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Seven

Desiree: I love catching them enjoying little moments like this together. She's definitely her mama's little girl, but sometimes she just wants to sit in his lap while he reads her a story. Oh so sweet.

Johanna: A little snap shot from the walk that we took today in the woods. We are all sick here at our place. Noah is actually not sick, he was, but he's better. So today we laid low, ate good food, and went for a nature walk on one of the trails behind out house. The fresh air was good for all of us.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Six

Desiree: Each night before bed I plunk baby G in the tub for a little mellowing out time. Sometimes we scrub and wash, sometimes she just sits with her toys, sometimes there's a lot of splashing and laughs. I love this tradition and she always sleeps better on nights when she's had a tubby. What a wonderful way to end the day.

Johanna: The seasons are changing in these parts. The days are getting colder, the nights even more so. It stays dark until nearly 9 in the morning and we are feeling the need to slow down.
Despite the cold, we still try to get out everyday when the sun is up and out. Little walks in the neighbourhood, trips to the park, the air is cold but so fresh and it feels good to get out of the house. Good winter coats are a necessity.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Five

Desiree: Can you feel that? The weather is getting cooler here, though some days are still being treated to sunny afternoons. I think the snows will reach us soon, but first, I can't wait for Halloween. This will be Gretchen's first year of trick-or-treating and I know she's going to get a kick out of walking all around with the other kiddos, dressed up in their fun costumes. This mama's also looking forward to nibbling on some peanut butter cups.

Johanna: Over the past 3 days I have taken some photography workshops and have been having quite a lot of fun with it. I'm just starting to really delve into the technical exploration of photography and am getting really hooked on all the neat stuff that can be done with it.
For this photo we all went out a dusk and were trying to take twilight photos. It was getting pretty dark, so I put my camera on a tripod, exposed the picture for about 20-30 seconds used a 22 fstop and put my ISO at 200. The effect that I was trying to achieve was a smooth, milky looking water with multiple images of myself in the picture.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Four

Desiree: Autumn is crisp leaves beneath my feet, warm cups of tea on cool evenings, dark skies & crock pot soup, baking muffins & cuddling under vintage afghans.

Johanna: Autumn seems to have come and gone here in the Yukon. Most of the trees are now bare, with just a few holding onto a glimmer of what Autumn was. It came and went in just a few short weeks. The colours were vibrant, it looked like the mountains were on fire. Now everything seems to be quieting down. The colours are becoming more subdued, the sky more dark and grey, and the mountains now wear a blanket of snow. I took this photo on Saturday when we had one last unusual day of warmth and sun. I wish it didn't have to end so quickly.

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Three

Johanna: A special moment of my day. Watching my sweet little boy use his crayons on a large piece of paper. My little boy is growing up so quickly and is trying out so many new things.

Desiree: Last Monday was the day my life changed. I realize that sounds drastic, but it's true. Last Monday I started a new regime & my home has never looked better. Without getting to gushy about it, I've started following the word of the FlyLady & if you knew me, your jaw would drop upon entering my home. It's been just over a week & the entire main floor of my house is clean. If you knocked on my door unannounced, I wouldn't even panic. I wouldn't have to hide dirty dishes in the over, I wouldn't have to pile things on the stairs to get them out of site & I wouldn't even have a heart attack if you asked to use my bathroom. It all starts with shining your kitchen sink. Trust me.