Orchard Home Farm - St. George Ontario.Visit to Apple Orchard

This long weekend my family and I did some nearby exploring and stopped in for a visit at the stunning Orchard Home Farm in St. George, which is just a wee jaunt from Kitchener-Waterloo. I've been pretty blessed this summer to have spent some time in a few locations that are truly gems in Ontario, and this was definitely no exception! (see Lavender Farm blog post!)

I've lived in Ontario for about 12 or 13 years and I'm always excited when I get to experience something new and out of the ordinary. I have to be honest, although I'm from Saskatchewan originally, I'm a wee bit of a city slicker. Not the "big, Metropolis" kind, but I do enjoy me the convenience of living in the city. lol *However* I have much appreciation for getting out and spending time in beautiful places within Ontario - especially ones so close to home!

Orchard Home Farm is about 35 minutes from my house, nestled in beautiful farm region of St. George, Ontario. The drive from Kitchener is wonderfully serene. Lots of little jig-jags on winding roads brought us by some very impressive farm scapes, fields full of animals and of course fields that had us guessing what might be growing there and where it would be going after it was harvested.

Pulling into the Orchard Home Farm drive way led us directly to parking, of which there is ample supply. You are greeted by two things immediately, full lush trees brimming with sweet fruit and of course, a kind fellow employee, Noah, who is there to greet upon arrival and help guide you on your adventure around the farm.

Because of all the rain we have had in Ontario this Summer, you can imagine how vibrant and healthy everything is. The 80 acres of land surrounding Orchard Home Farm is no exception. Boasting 24 varieties of apples and 3 varieties of pears, the fruit is practically exploding off the trees. The word 'plentiful' is not enough to describe how gorgeous it is seeing such lively fruit trees bearing soooo much deliciousness.

I was fortunate to meet the friendly owner of Orchard Home Farm, Lola, who's family has been running the Orchard since 1946! That's an impressive 62.5 years! You can certainly tell how well run the farm is, as well as how much love that has gone into every detail in the land and buildings. The market area is where you begin and end your adventure when you're finished your walk about through the Orchard. Stop in to gather either a wagon to tow the kiddos or a few bags to collect and carry the fruit you pick right off the tree. The option to purchase pre-picked is available as well. I'm confident when I say this should be every apple pie maker's (or apple strudel!) first stop for the freshest of desserts. Aside from fresh fruit, their market offers home preserves and fresh home baking, apple butter, local honey, and made weekly - fresh apple cider!

While chatting with Lola, before we set off to wander through all the fruit, she shared with me how a visit to Orchard Home Farm has become an annual tradition for many families - some who have been coming for 30 years. Those who have memories of visiting as a child, and who now have children or grandchildren of their own are passing on these memories and becoming new traditions for the younger generation. There is a feel of quality family time spent here, wandering through the rows and rows of fruit trees. A visit here is a must for anyone who has visitors from out of town, province of country, or even folks like myself, who live nearby and have never had the pleasure of visiting before. With no admission fees and open 7 days a week starting mid-August through early November, you're invited to stroll through, stop and chat and of course pick your fill of everyone's favourite fresh fruit, right off the stem.

We absolutely loved our time here, and I'm even more excited to host my clients here later this month for what will surely be a stunning family photo event at Orchard Home Farm.

Orchard Home Farm is located at 235 Howell Rd. St. George, Ontario. Their website is: http://www.orchardhomefarm.com/ or you can find current updates on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/orchardhome

Kitchener Newborn Session - Baby T!

Happy Long Weekend everyone! It's almost time for the kids to go back to school and I have a feeling there are a lot of parents secretly excited about this. lol We've had a great summer and fortunately, I haven't experiencfed too many moment's were I was counting down the days until school begins, but here we are! The EVE of a new school year!

It' has definitely been a busy summer for me in the studio...A few weeks back I had 4 babies in the studio nearly back-to-back and 3 of those babes were wee boys! I'm always excited when I get the call that a babe has made his/her arrival into this world because thats my cue to start planning their session! This session was especially dear to me because it was the baby of a close friend of mine who works in the industry. His work is awesome and you can check it out here: http://www.justinalexanderstudios.com/

This sweet baby boy was just 6lbs of pure perfection. He slept the whole session and let me dress him and pose him to my hearts content! In my business we call this kind of baby a "Unicorn Baby" because not all newborns come into the studio ready to sleep and be posed as easily as this one! WIN!

We had a terrific session. Mum and Dad got to sit, relax and watch some TV for a bit while Little T and I had some fun! I'm extremely pleased with his session and hope that one day he has the chance to book back on these memories of his earliest days with awe that he was so tiny way back when. :-)

So far, the winter is promising lots of babies in studio!! I'm excited as always, but if you happen to be expecting a new family member it's a good idea to reach out and book in your Maternity and/or NewLife session as soon as possible.

Kitchener Cake Smash - "Smash & Splash!"

I'm pretty blessed to get to work with some wonderful families as they transition and grow while adding a new family member along the way. It's always a treat for me to photograph Newborn photos and then a year later celebrate a huge milestone with that same little person that was so wee and small not that long ago. I think I have it in the back of my mind that when they leave the studio from the Newborn session that somehow they'll stay tiny, but when they walk through the studio door as a toddler, it never fails - I'm always blown away by how much growth and change has taken place over the year!

Here is the perfect example! I photographed this little Miss when she was new to the world and in she came, all personality and smiles! She rocked her session in every way possible. I always like to start with a Portrait, followed by the Cake and wrap up with a good scrub in a bubble bath. Bubble baths never fail to please, and my little claw-foot tub is always requested by my clients.

Over the past few years, the infamous "Cake Smash" has almost become a right of passage for little people. The popularity has grown and trended and many variations have popped up along the way too, allowing for a whole new variation of creativity to come about. Instead of traditional cake, folks have requested doughnuts (a VERY popular alternative!). I've seen examples of 1st birthday sessions using all kinds of different foods that are the current favourite of the birthday Boy or Girl.

Here are some of my favourite photos from L's Unicorn-themed cake smash session. I hope you love it as much as I do!

If you have a little one celebrating a big milestone and are curious to know more about these super fun and adorable photo sessions, reach out today! I'd love to chat and brainstorm the perfect session for you, and of course, the studio is always stocked and ready to go for almost any ideas you might envision.

xox

D