For your Valentine…and just because.

50% OFF Gift Certificates NOW through February 14th, 2010.

Yes, that’s right. You can get Gift Certificates for 1/2 price right now!  OK, here’s an example.  Buy a $300 Gift Certifcate for $150.  Awesome huh!  I hope you think so too and jump at the chance.  You can call to purchase your gift certificate; 218-365-3077 or email by clicking the “contact” button on the menu at the top of this page.

Another great way to get gift certificate ideas is to go to my online store where you can purchase (and send) the certificate to a friend, a colleague,  a Valentine or to yourself!

Here is your chance to get a portrait session for 1/2 price!  Be it family, children, Boudoire, Grads, Pets etc!  You can also create a gift certificate for gallery prints or prints/products from you portrait session.   Lots of options!

Rollin’ Along In Austin…Texas

What a fantastic trip to Austin last weekend.  I was with my family, it was my birthday, we were surrounded by inspiring people who know how to work hard and give deeply of themselves to others.  We got to ride, do a running race, eat fantastic food, enjoy warm weather, sit in a hot tub, and soak up the energy of the Livestrong Foundation (Lance Armstrong Foundation).

Everyone has been touched by cancer; lost someone they love to cancer or are watching someone they love battle with cancer or are a survivor of cancer.   I lost my mom to cancer 12 years ago.  It was a devastating loss.  I miss her every day.  I am also grateful that I had such an incredible mom and I wore her name on my bike jersey with honor.

I lost my brother-in-law, Jim Owens to a brain tumor, this past January.  This was the driving force behind my family going to the Livestrong challenge in Austin.   To honor Jim who for several years, lived strong and raised thousands of dollars for Livestrong (Lance Armstrong Foundation).  Through Livestrong, Jim and our family found support, resources, and inspiration to live through the battle.  I know it helped Jim live longer.  I know it helped my family work together on the difficult and draining cancer-battle-highway.

This past year my nephew Max (Jim’s son) and his mom Barb (my sister) raised over $20,000 for the Livestrong Challenge Ride in Austin and were therefore part of the “Ride for the Roses” group (celebrating  LAF’s most enthusiastic supporters. LIVESTRONG Challenge participants who raise a minimum fundraising level of $10,000).  Max got to ride on Saturday with Lance and about 35 other Ride for the Roses fundraisers.  It was a thrill for him and there is no doubt that Lance Armstrong, the cancer survivor is a humble, generous and extremely forward thinking motivator for the War On Cancer.  We are so fortunate to have his energy, resources, and focus.  That, coupled with all the incredibly talented, smart and energetic folks who work for his foundation.  Wow, it is a machine like not other!  Enjoy the photos from my iPhone.

Wow, what a tremendously fun city.  These folks know how to have a good time! I am finishing my trip with four days in Amsterdam and have had such a great visit!   The bikes, the museums, the canal houses, the canals, the art….More later! But here are a couple fun photos.

So I took the tram almost everywhere and on my first tram ride we glided into the center of Amsterdam.  Low and behold, the city square was packed with people doing any number of things.  However, next to a famous statue was a bouncing crowd of hundreds all engaged in a pillow fight.  I mean PILLOW FIGHT! Go figure, there were feathers flying everywhere!  I never did get “the rest of the story”.

Pink Bike with manicured lawn attached

A pillow fight in Dam Square of Amsterdam. Whatsup?

My adventures in Europe are coming to an end as tomorrow I fly back to the states and make my way back to Ely, MN.  Visiting some of Europe’s most popular (and populated) cities makes Ely seem even further away.  But as Dorothy says, “theres no place like home” and I always love returning to my home and my family and my puppy Molly.  Not to get too tangential, but I have been in close contact with Michael through this time and receiving “Molly updates”.  Our little sassy-pants continues to abound with love, zest and an independent spirit.  As predicted, she loves to chase deer and explore (a little too far).  More on that later though.

London was fantastic! Highlights….so many to list!  Let me remind you that Barb, Max and I arrived from Minnesota having spent the last 4 months in the deep freeze.  So to see the budding growth and color of the renowned English gardens was almost a sensory overload!  Nothing we couldn’t handle though.  I have an affinity for daffodils and seeing them abound brought about big smiles!

Our Canadian hosts/friends (now living in London); Rich, Jenn, Brendan & Lauren Arthurs, treated us to their wonderful home in Kew and pulled us along through many sites, tube stations and taxi rides.   Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace was our first site and a  tough act to follow, however the Tower of London seemed to top the charts for us all (especially the kids what with stories of heads being chopped off and the like).   At the Lyceum theatre we saw the stage performance of “The Lion King” which exceeded expectations and and dazzled the eye!

Oh, I haven’t even mentioned the food yet.  Phenomenal Indian Take-away. They deliver it on bicycles!  Mouthwatering Thai food with its sensational green curry chicken.  Of course we had a “pub-night” sans kids and lets just say that I can see why the folks in the UK and Ireland love their pubs.  Though hardly a beer lover, I dare say I drank the best pint of Guiness I have ever had!

Speaking of pubs, I found one called “The Sussex“.  Which in a way is no surprise, but seldom do I see my name in the USA.  Ah, good to be back in the motherland!   Sussex is actually an area (county) south of London and evidently very beautiful.  I’ll need to save that for my next trip to the UK when I spend some time in the English Countryside.

Suffice it to say, we had amazing food experiences in London one of which was Jennifer Arthurs home made scones with clotted cream and home made lemon curd. Is your mouth watering?  Mine is!

No trip to England would be complete without a proper High Tea which Jenn treated us to at the Pretigious Dorchester Hotel.  So prestigious in fact that while trying to photograph the insanely beautiful floral arrangements, the concierge gently suggested I “not take any photography as some of the guests do not like to be photographed”.   Hmm, makes you wonder what they are trying to hide.  No pictures from the Dorchester, sorry.

Other cool places…Buckingham Palace (just days before President and Mrs. Obama arrived!), jogging along the Thames river every morning, seeing Mini Coopers EVERYWHERE and wanting one now more than ever!   Westminster Abbey (blew my mind), “shopping” at Harrods department store (that place is like a museum only things are for sale…if you can afford them!). Just a fantastic time with friends and so fun to see Max and his good buddies having such a great time together.

It was a memorable cultural experience for all of us and in particular for Max as this was his first trip overseas.

Taking the Chunnel to Paris was a thrill!  Only 2 1/2 hours with comfortable second class arrangements plus food!  Judging from how good the train food is and how poised the French train attendants were, we knew we were back in the land of class act!

We rendezvous-ed with our sister Janet at our rented  apartment which was tucked away in the busy little neighborhood of Ile de la Cite (actually on an island) just 2

blocks from Notre Dame de Paris.  What followed were days and days of walking, walking, walking and visiting all corners of the inner parts of Paris.  The food, the food, the food it is SO DARN GOOD in Paris.  Max ate a Crepe everyday and loved them all.  His favorite was Crepe avec chocolate, banana and whipped creme!  The kid was in heaven.  Okay, so was I because I have been on a chocolate binge (all my life) throughout the trip and Paris was a veritable “chocolatier-progressive-sampling-experience”.

Of course we went to the Eiffel Tower and soaked up the view and grandeur of that amazing monument.

Luxembourg gardens were a wonderful reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city.  For centuries,

children have come to the gardens to sail the miniature boats in the central fountain.  This was such a thrill for Max.  We went back twice!

The Arc de Triomphe is wrought with history and stories.  If that Arc could talk….oh boy!

High Tea, Bagettes and Bicycles!

Just days away from a trip across the pond with my sisters and nephew!  We have been planning this for several months now.  Initially the idea started out as a celebration of sorts for my sister Barb who turns 50 this month (I know she won’t mind me telling you!).  I am the youngest of 4 kids and we are close in age and spirit/friendship.  We have tried to “make a big deal” out of this monumental birthday and do Something Truly Special (hey, thats my biline).  Barb and her late husband Jim’s good friends just moved to London so what a great excuse to visit!

First stop…London. Four days taking the city by storm!  My nephew Max is 9 years old and will be able to see his best friend Brendan and younger sister Lauren.  We’ll see a show (The Lion King) have High Tea, visit the Tower, eat Indian excellent food, “Pub Night”, museums and much more!  I hope they have good coffee in London!

Second stop…Paris. Barb, Max and I will take the high speed Eurostar train to Paris on March 25th and meet up with sister Janet where we have an apartment rented out on Ile de la Cite (adjacent to Notre Dam de Paris).   The itinerary is jam packed!  I KNOW they have good coffee in Paris.  This is my second time in Paris (the first was just a 36 hours layover and total tease!).    Ever since that first visit I thought, “I have to come here with the sisters”.  Yaaay!

Third stop…Amsterdam. After sister Janet and I stay on a few days longer in Paris, I am flying to Amsterdam and going solo for four days.  So much to see!  One childhood dream is to visit the Rikesmuseum and see many of the greatest works of the Dutch Masters plus visit Rembrandt’s home!  Of course there is the Van Gogh museum, Ann Frank, and tons of other intriguing things.  I understand there is more than one bicycle per capita in Holland…gotta love that.  I can’t wait to rent a bike and cruise around the city.

So stay tuned, I’ll have some news to share when I return in early April! Until then (as Rick Steves says) “Keep On Traveling”!