BonnieDickson.com

I personally like the tradition of taking my husbands last name for mine, now that we are married.  So as a result I have a shiny new blog for you to continue to browse through from this point on.

Bonnie Penny Blog

Every year the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) comes to Toronto and for many people it signifies the end of the summer.  It’s always open the for the week or two before all the kids return to school.  I look forward to it for it’s bright colours, interesting food, exciting rides and overall festival feel.

This year the rides seemed more colourful to me than before.  Perhaps it was the sunset hitting them or maybe my eyes were glossy from the deep fried Mac-n-Cheese that I just had to try… mmm grease.  But one thing was for sure, I took too many photos!

Here are a few!  Enjoy!

This little guy was a bundle of fun to photograph!  He had lots of great expressions and could hold his head up for such a young one.  I hope I get the opportunity to photograph him again as he grows!

I love this photo of him in Grandpa’s hands…

Last month while shopping at Williams-Sonoma I came across this cute cupcake decorating kit and had to buy it.  I love the design and storybook charm.  It instantly made me remember reading Beatrix Potter books as a kid.  This set would be a great addition to any young child’s birthday party.  They are adorable and would be nostalgic fun for the parents.  Plus it’s a good reason to dig out the books you might have packed away in the basement and share them with the next generation.

This set decorates up to 24 cupcakes, made up of 12 Peter Rabbit & 12 Benjamin Bunny cupcake liners.  The liners are made of a greaseproof paper with eco-friendly soy ink.  The 24 assorted toppers feature Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck.  They are made of die-cut paper attached to wooden picks.

Thank you Allison Davey for baking and icing the tasty cupcakes, and for still having some original Beatrix Potter books to flip through.

Allison Davey, a very creative friend of mine, asked me to take some photos of her apartment this past weekend.  Allison inspires me with her baking, crafts and her amazing skill of finding time to do these things around the regular workday grind.  I took my inspiration from a site called The Selby, where photographer Todd Selby captures the persons personality through their belongings.  Enjoy!

allison davey - blogger, baker, and office girl - at home in the beach -  toronto canada

One evening in March my friends and I stumbled upon this beautiful lounge.  I instantly fell in love with the artisanal handmade luxuries and Moroccan vibe.  The drink menu is unique and the bar lounge was our favourite spot.  Time seemed to stop in this beautiful place with it’s string curtains, chairs that looked like thrones and textured fabrics that just jumped off of the brick walls.  Before we knew it hours has past and we were wishing our wallets were fuller so we could sample more of the beverage menu.

They had a large dining area as well if you are hungry and looking to sample some Moroccan inspired food.  Combined with the live Jazz performances in the dining area on Saturday nights and I’d say this place is a “one stop shop” of fun.

I had the pleasure of returning this past weekend and remembered that I had taken some pictures on my phone.  They are low resolution, but I had to share them with you.  I highly recommend Berber if you are looking for a cozy escape to another world within the city.

Yesterday was the end of our Victoria Day long weekend.  It’s the unofficial kick off to the start of summer.  I had the pleasure of spending my holiday photographing these delicious Spring Sweets.  It’s an assortment of cakes, cookies and cupcakes made by the talented Allison Davey.  Enjoy!

These adorable cookies and cupcakes were baked and decorated by the talented Allison Davey.  They were so cute I just had to snap some photos of them before they were all eaten. On the cookies we have the Topix company mascot named “Pong”.  On the cupcakes are traditional anaglyph 3D glasses. They tasted as delicious as they look!

I’m so happy the rain has stopped today and the sun is shining.  I know there is a bit more rain in the forecast and that it’s a good thing for our environment, but man is the sunshine ever nice!  All the tree buds are starting to bloom, the flowers are being planted and our city is starting to look a little more fresh.  On that note here are some fun flowers and greens that I snapped last summer.

In February I had the pleasure of photographing this extremely fun couple, Michaela & Shawn.  For the last few years Michaela & Shawn have been my personal angels.  They are fantastic chiropractors and have saved me from debilitating shoulder & back pain which has allowed me to continue to do the things I enjoy.  They came so prepared to the shoot that we had more outfits and props than we had time for… but I was happy to let the shoot go a bit long :)   What I loved most about this shoot was seeing first hand how excited they are to be parents.  And I think I finally understand how much they love hockey!   ;D

p.s. Their little angel safely arrived at the beginning of April and everyone is healthy and happy!