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Q&A: What is a prop-stylist and 3 ways to help you style the perfect Instagram photo:

January 30, 2018

Have you ever wondered what a prop stylist does, or how to style a scene for your Instagram, Facebook or blog? Since launching my prop-styling and food styling company here in Montreal, I frequently get asked what I do, how I compose a shot and how prop-styling works. So, to answer all those questions, I created a blog post talking about just that. Here is a little background info on what I do and how to create a balanced, dynamic photo from the ground up.

A styled shoot for a magazine feature (An inside view into a color themed photoshoot)

January 2, 2017

To me, it's all about the details, and sometimes just capturing the simple act of pouring a cup of coffee or the way the soft morning light hits a stack of fresh croissants is enough to inspire me and make me remember all those late mornings I've celebrated with my husband and my little family.

photo credit: Peden + Munk

Bringing sexy back: A guide to creating tasty dishes out of leftovers

September 27, 2016

Ok, so this post doesn't have anything to do with Justin Timberlake's song or involve scantily clad, gyrating dancers, but it does have to do with bringing the sexy back... to leftovers. Many times, after a long day, the dreaded question arises: What's for dinner? At this point, I usually open up my fridge and stare mindlessly inside, hoping for divine inspiration or Julia Child to appear inside the veggie drawer with detailed instructions on how to make pate out of sandwich meat.

Your new favourite wine: Domaine Gauby Les Calcinaires 2015 -- a wine review

July 29, 2016

Summer is in full swing and there are more dinner parties, functions and backyard BBQs than you can throw a cheap depanneur bouteille de vin at. Finding the right wine, or especially a go-to wine, can be difficult; with so many different varietals, regions and flavour profiles, how do you know which wine to pick? Well, the best way of knowing whether you'll like a wine or not is by analyzing your own taste buds. Do you like a wine on the sweeter side or more acidic? A drier wine or more full bodied? This can be your starting point in a sea of tasty wines.

Wish List Wednesday: 5 foodie items you need in your life... like right now.

July 27, 2016

Well here we are again at my favourite day of the week: Wish-list Wednesday and my round up of must-have items from around the internet. This week I'm focusing on my top 5 things I think you need in your foodie kitchen! These are items that I think make a kitchen great, that make a dish extra tasty or that are just dang nifty. If you're a proud foodie or someone that aspires to be one, go ahead and put on your french linen apron, pour yourself a cup of single-batch, locally roasted espresso and lets get to it!

Perfect pairings: Smoky grilled zucchini gratin & an earthy Portuguese Douro

July 25, 2016

In this series of blog-posts (titled Perfect Pairings) I'm hoping to help you create pairings with simple recipes and easily recognizable wine types, that can highlight key flavours and nuances that complement both the dish and the wine. When it comes to pairing food and wine, it can seem to be something of a mystery

photo by the Glitter Guide

Wish-list Wednesday: 5 things you need in your kitchen... like right now.

July 20, 2016

Scouring the internet for little gems and vintage pieces is one of my favourite past-times and as a prop-stylist it's my job to find amazing objects with small price tags and lots of character. Here are a few of my favourite recent finds, DIY's and Pinterest pins that I absolutely adore:

Photo by Tesco Recipes

Wine Pairings & Asparagus four ways: simple, tasty dishes to serve at your next gathering

July 18, 2016

Working long hours as a prop-stylist and art-director for my company, usually means little to no time for meal prep. Still, I'm a real foodie at heart and can rarely justify fast-food or convenience food as an option for dinner (although.... you might find me with a slice or two of bacon, pineapple pizza and a big glass of Cab after a particularly grueling day on set, but don't judge.). That means I have to have an arsenal of quick, tasty and easy to prepare meals to battle the exhaustion and the temptation for that last slice of chocolate cake in the fridge. Enter asparagus.

@AUTUMNWOODSTYLIST

🍂The beauty of Fall. “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” #home———————————————————————————#beencouraged #ig_masterpiece #gardening #womenwhohustle #shecreates #shebelieves #createdtocreate #quietthechaos #wisdomoftheday #heknowsmyname #startwithwhy, #theartofslowliving, #livemoremagic, #livethelittlethings, #thehappynow , #communityovercompetition , #creativepreneur , #dontquityourdaydream, #handsandhustle , #calledtobecreative, #botanicaldreamers #ihavethisthingwithcolour #botanicalpickmeup #folklife #fallmontreal #fallmontreal🍁 #fallleaves #montreal #beautyinnature

🍂A new chapter has started for my little family here in Canada— And today as the leaves turn their beautiful colours and the days turn crisp and cold...I’m reminding myself that there is beauty even in the ending of things. That ultimately there is the hope that death in one season, is new life in another. Here is a snapshot from some of my work with the Magnolia Journal and their Fall 2019 issue. 📷 @blainemoats ———————————————————————————#beencouraged #ig_masterpiece #gardening #womenwhohustle #shecreates #shebelieves #createdtocreate #quietthechaos #wisdomoftheday #heknowsmyname #startwithwhy, #theartofslowliving, #livemoremagic, #livethelittlethings, #thehappynow , #communityovercompetition , #creativepreneur , #dontquityourdaydream, #handsandhustle , #calledtobecreative, #botanicaldreamers #ihavethisthingwithcolour #botanicalpickmeup #folklife #magnolia #magnoliajournal @joannagaines @magnolia

Some things begin in a whisper + some things end that way. This year I have created + produced more stories than I ever have— all of it with @joannagaines @chipgaines at the helm + the incredible team of talent that they have brought together to produce the #magnoliajournal ⁣ ⁣ To say that this year has been one of immense growth + unique opportunity is to downplay a year of my life that I never could’ve imagined or prepared for. ⁣ ⁣ I’m a dreamer. I feel like my heart has been made up of pictures + stories since before I could articulate them. The tugging nostalgia of a steaming cup of coffee, the poetry of light through a window—-I’ve wanted to capture them all—make them into a story to be read with eyes + not spoken aloud.⁣⁣ ⁣ ⁣ I’m sad to see this chapter close—sad because of the caliber of stories I had the privilege to dream on and make a reality. But, there is this part of me that whispers in the roots of who I am that this is only one chapter of this story. That there will be more stories to tell, more poems to capture in photo form + more people to share the journey with.⁣ ⁣ Thank you @charisdietz + @alishaw For being my sisters this year, I’ll never stop believing in your talent + heart.Thank you @joannagaines + @chipgaines For the privilege of getting to know you + work for you.⁣ ⁣ Thank you @kailamarieluna @kelmonsen @whitneykaufhold @alissaneely @billyjackbrawner3 @jillwaage for challenging me + for creating a space for me. You are all so incredibly talented, this magazine would not be what it is without you.⁣ ⁣ Thank you to my family (my husband Nick especially) who encouraged me + walked beside me in this difficult year. Thank you to my mom @sherrypaytonrealestate + my sister @lilmisserinashley For always calling to check on me + put a fire back in my belly.⁣ ⁣ Thank you to my friends back in MTL who never forgot about our little family. You’re a treasure @elam.design @partymixtape ⁣ ⁣ This September we will be returning to our home in Montreal + it will be the sweetest homecoming with the slightest edge of sorrow.⁣ ⁣ God has led me through low valleys and high hilltops—in it all has never stopped whispering to me, that He is good

🍸To me the best food stories start with something a little bit strong and this pisco sour we shot for @restohopkins is perfection. Telling stories through photography has always been my passion and telling a story about wine and spirits has a special place for me ever since I finished my WSET3 as a Wine specialist. So raise your glass or whiskey tumbler to cheers to another Summer Sunday! Creative direction and styling @autumnwoodstylist Gorgeous photography by @michellemlittle Client: @restohopkins --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------————————- #artisanalcocktails #happyhour #ihavethisthingwithcolor #bubblytime #artofvisuals #cocktailoftheday #ladiesgoneglobal #sheexplores #pursueprettythings #flashesofdelight #livethelittlethings #postitfortheaesthetic #visualsoflife #createcommune #stillswithstories #autumnwoodstylist @tv_stilllife #collectandstyle #createdtocreate #girlbosslife #atthetable #featurepalette #searchwandercollect #f52grams #foodjournal #foodigers #piscosour #wset3 #cocktailsofinstagram #creativeconsultant

🚪Dreaming of secret alleyways and city blocks that open up to cafes in hidden nooks... The journey for beauty never ceases... it takes us down strange paths, high mountaintops and deep valleys. It’s there waiting in the darkest moments and surprises us as we turn corners we thought were dead ends. Don’t give up on chasing beauty (even when it seems that there is none to find) instead, lean in to that unexpected turn that might lead to a place of beauty you weren’t planning on. ———————————————————————————#beencouraged #ig_masterpiece #ig_podium #womenwhohustle #shecreates #shebelieves #createdtocreate #quietthechaos #wisdomoftheday #heknowsmyname #startwithwhy, #theartofslowliving, #livemoremagic, #livethelittlethings, #thehappynow , #communityovercompetition , #creativepreneur , #dontquityourdaydream, #handsandhustle , #calledtobecreative, #ihavethisthingwithcolour #youarefree #heisgood #shewanders #inspirationalquotes #wordstoliveby

☕️Love that this was featured on @offsetimages this a.m! Missing my sweet studio and my clients today. Thank you @michellelittlephotography for your partnership and for the beautiful body of work we made at our little studio in Westmount. Thank you to all the lovely people I worked with as well, your businesses and the heart behind each of them inspires me still! @littleminimalist.ca @tlees.co @restohopkins @porcondg and so many others! —————————————————————————————————————————————————————— #wednesdaymotivation #butfirstcoffee #coffeetable #stilllifephotography #morningslikethese #coffeeculture #coffee_inst #stilllife #slowmotion

🌊Today I needed this reminder. No matter how hard this life can be, we are free. ———————————————————————————#beencouraged #ig_masterpiece #ig_podium #womenwhohustle #shecreates #shebelieves #createdtocreate #quietthechaos #wisdomoftheday #heknowsmyname #startwithwhy, #theartofslowliving, #livemoremagic, #livethelittlethings, #thehappynow , #communityovercompetition , #creativepreneur , #dontquityourdaydream, #handsandhustle , #calledtobecreative, #ihavethisthingwithcolour #youarefree #heisgood #shewanders #inspirationalquotes #wordstoliveby

🥚When work meets passion, their is a magic that happens. Food + photography + stories, have always been a passion of mine. Before I knew that such an intersection existed, I sat at my grandmothers’ tables and helped them peel potatoes, snap bags of beans or just acted as taste tester. Our hands were kept busy while they told me stories of growing up, of the South or just about being. Now those days are gone and sadly most of the wonderful women who told those stories are too. But a legacy does remain... those recipes, those stories, those memories of love + food continue on. Here’s to all the grandmothers and worn wooden spoons and rough hands that still held a gentle touch.🥚 Creative direction: @autumnwoodstylist Beautiful photographer: @aprilloyle ———————————————————————————————————————————————— -------------------------------------------- #myeverydaymagic #foodphotography #creativehappylife #collectandstyle #createdtocreate #girlbosslife #wanderlove #startwithwhy, #theartofslowliving, #livemoremagic, #livethelittlethings, #thehappynow, , #doitfortheprocess , #communityovercompetition, #postitfortheaesthetic, #creativepreneur, #risingtide, #dontquityourdaydream, #handsandhustle, #nothingisordinary, #pursuepretty, #calledtobecreative, #creativityfound #foodstories #mytinyatlas #dametravelerfoodie #foodblogfeed #wanderoften #southernbaking #culinaryhistory

🍂The beauty of Fall. “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower” #home———————————————————————————#beencouraged #ig_masterpiece #gardening #womenwhohustle #shecreates #shebelieves
#createdtocreate #quietthechaos #wisdomoftheday #heknowsmyname #startwithwhy, #theartofslowliving, #livemoremagic, #livethelittlethings, #thehappynow , #communityovercompetition , #creativepreneur , #dontquityourdaydream, #handsandhustle , #calledtobecreative, #botanicaldreamers #ihavethisthingwithcolour #botanicalpickmeup #folklife #fallmontreal #fallmontreal🍁 #fallleaves #montreal #beautyinnature

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