Alicia Thurston Photography » Toronto Family Photographer

We HEART Kiki – Keaton’s Fundraiser Photobooth

alicia — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:46:06 +0000

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It was such an honour to be a part of this amazing evening. An evening where family and friends came together to support Steph, Don, Kiki and Mika in their time of need. Kiki is a strong and determined little girl, showing us all how to be brave and courageous. Kiki has the most amazing mom, dad and big sister, standing beside her, showing her love and holding her hand at every turn.

Here are a few of the photo booth shots I took that night, the rest can be found in an online gallery. I’m going to do a bit of an honour system here. I would love to have people donate to Sick Kids Hospital in Keaton’s name, your donation will be greatly appreciated and in exchange, feel free to download your high res photo from the online gallery until July 1, 2013. Every donation counts, big or small so please take a moment to click on the link below and help out however you can.
http://www.sickkidsfoundation.com/donate/tributeCards.asp

Once you’ve made your donation you can head on back here and follow the instructions below to gain access to the gallery and download your image, please be respectful and only download your own photo, this will be monitored.

Go to our website at http://orders.altdesigns.ca.
In order to access the gallery you will need to create an account with your correct name and info, any falsified info given will result in an immediate termination of your account.
Enter your email address and password, then you will see a place to enter in the access code below:
Access code: 4edde4f1

She’s got the look – Kitchener Child Photographer

alicia — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 23:14:37 +0000

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Just for fun…

Strength in Each Other – Smiling Eyes Project

alicia — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 01:41:35 +0000

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I am so glad to have met this family. The afternoon I photographed them in Liberty Village changed me a little, as so often meeting amazing families does. This time it was different. With courage, strength and love, Jason and his family, Kerry and Aidan, are facing Cancer head on. Not only do they show each other love but I felt their kindness, their graciousness and their gratitude for every day we are given. It doesn’t matter what life throws our way, it’s short, it’s meaningful and it can be wonderful if we let it be.

Jason Larkin’s Story in his words;

On April 25th, 2012 my life changed forever. “You have a rare malignant tumor” 5 words I will not soon forget. That was the day I was diagnosed with GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor). A rare form of sarcoma Cancer found in the GI tract.

Weeks leading up to my diagnosis, I had what I thought to be an acid reflux issue. One night during sleep, I woke up feeling dizzy and extremely lethargic, had a hard time finding my way to the washroom and by the time I returned to bed, I had sweat through everything and passed out from exhaustion. Something was wrong. The next day I took myself to the hospital where they ran several blood tests. It was found that my hemoglobin levels were dangerously low (around 86). I was admitted to the hospital, scheduled for a GI scope. I received 2 blood transfusions the following day as I had lost more than half of the blood in my body…..It was after the numerous scopes and scans that my diagnosis was brought to light. They determined that there was an egg sized tumor in my stomach and that it was bleeding from the inside out, which is why I was losing so much blood. I was scheduled for surgery June 1st to remove the 5.7cm tumor from my stomach. 4 hours in surgery, 15% removal of my stomach and 2 hours in recovery (trying to get my heart rate stabilized) and after a 2nd surgery on June 3rd to assess a suspected hernia, I was on the mend to recovery. My hospital stay was long, but the staff at Southlake Regional Health Centre were amazing. I was released about a week after surgery. I met with my surgeon who put me in touch with Dr. Ko, one of the few oncologists at Sunnybrook Cancer Centre who is familiar with GIST. I started my daily chemo pill in August of 2012 and will continue this medication until August of 2015, when funding is no longer available.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors are a cancer of the soft tissue otherwise known as Sarcoma Cancer. It is different than your well known cancers as GIST attacks the soft tissue. There are several factors that make this cancer rare, one being it is mostly found in people who are over 50 years of age, another is that it is found only in the GI tract. I was 36 years old when I was diagnosed, which makes this cancer even more rare. It is not well known to the public and there is not much information out there on it. Typical survival rate is 5-7 years after diagnosis.

I receive outstanding care at Sunnybrook Cancer Centre, and have found a support group called Life Raft Group Canada which my wife and I have joined and I have recently become a board member within this organization, this is the only support group for GIST in Canada.

I have a great family, great friends and a great life. There is so much support surrounding me and I will not let this disease take over.

You can be a victim of Cancer or a survivor, it’s a mindset. I choose survivor. –Jason Larkin

You are strong and brave my friend. The love the three of you have will carry you through this battle and leave you a survivor! It was truly an honour.

Metal Prints at Starbucks – Toronto and KW Lifestyle Photographer

alicia — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:28:47 +0000

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Happy Wednesday! This post is ten days late… yes, I am still working on getting myself a great assistant. That being said, I am so grateful for how much my business has grown over the past year, and especially grateful for all of the wonderful past clients spreading the word. It is such an honour to be recommended by you (my clients) to your friends and family, there is no greater compliment.
Now for the overdue post, a few snaps of the metal prints posted at Starbucks in the Beach. I love how they worked in the space and appreciate Starbucks for offering their walls to local artists. If you want to check them out in person, feel free to drop by Starbucks at 2253 Queen St. E. (the corner of Queen St. E & Hammersmith).

Camobaby – Toronto Newborn Photographer

alicia — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:40:02 +0000

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Nevada is the joy in their life they needed, the happiness they wanted and the love they deserve. Krista and Darren are incredibly and blissfully wrapped up in their new role as parents. I think you can tell a lot about a person by the way they look at their loved ones. Darren looks at Krista as though she is a magical being who has just given him the gift of a powerful yet gentle love. It’s the sweetest thing. I know you will both be the best kind of parents this gorgeous girl could ever imagine. Enjoy every second. xo

It’s a beautiful day for sure – Toronto Family Photographer

alicia — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 23:10:15 +0000

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Remembering their childhood is so important. From the imagination it takes to pull stuffed animals on a leash, to a boys obsession over anything on wheels, and of course a sweet babe’s chubby rolls, those are the moments to cherish. I’ve heard they love a good ole’ fashion Gangham Style dance off as well. The one thing I had the pleasure of experiencing was a tea party and story time. Everyone was just enthralled in mom’s story as she used such great, animated expressions and engaged all three of them in the story line. Even glances between mom and dad were too sweet to miss. A family filled with love, respect and the know how to have fun.
It was a joy and an honour getting a glance into your world!

Ghosts, Spanish Moss, Beaches, Pralines and Beignets – March Break Pt. 2

alicia — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:02:34 +0000

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That’s the south, that’s Savannah, GA. My home away from home. In one city you can find ghosts, “carry-out” cups (for booze), lots of Irish on St. Patty’s, shrimp po-boys, beignets, pralines, beautiful trees decorated by Spanish moss, Tybee Beach and of course the clown without a costume making heart balloons in the square (smelling an awful lot like St. Patty’s day leftover). I’d say that’s a city oozing character.
It’s always a good visit with my dad and brothers, this time was no exception. It sure helps that Em is completely enamoured with her Ton-Ton Pierre and Ton-Ton Rémy, as well as her Papa. Plus they all cook some pretty fantastic meals. Who can complain about a trio of Lasagna?
I think the few in the beginning that are dark and a little frightening need a quick explanation. They are taken on the grounds of my dad’s apartment, The Wilmington Plantation, a converted hotel with some extremely creepy and dark corners.
Here are some of my favourite moments…

Sunny Sarasota – March Break Pt. 1

alicia — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:22:03 +0000

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Sunshine, family & friends, beaches, delicious seafood, and a few adorable girls having a blast! That pretty much sums it up. March Break was awesome. Now, I am freezing cold. Spring will be here soon, right?
Here are some of my favourite moments.

All Because Two People Fell in Love – Toronto Newborn Photographer

alicia — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 02:39:05 +0000

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I have nothing but love and admiration for these wonderful people. Stacy and Luke welcomed their baby boy, Cole with wide open arms. Their other love, Bam Bam welcomed him with a lick. It was easy to show their love in these images, it’s a thing of beauty. I think Stacy and Luke just want to see these photos so I’m going to skip the chit chat and get right to it… who wouldn’t be anxious to see images of a such a sweet little boy and his beautiful dog.

Metal Prints in Starbucks – Alicia Thurston Photography Giveaway

alicia — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 00:59:59 +0000

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AND THE WINNERS ARE…

First winner is the metal print chosen to go up in Starbucks, I had to go with this one because this session got the most votes and I love it!
Kate and Kyle {In Love}, the one on the front page of my website where Kyle is kissing Kate’s nose.
Kate will win the metal print and a $20 Starbucks card. Congrats!

Second is the random winner of a 12×12 metal print from a past or future session and a $20 Starbucks card.
Congrats to Andrea! You have been emailed with details.

Lastly, for all those past clients who entered, you will be receiving a $50 Gift Card in the mail when I get back from March Break. Congrats to everyone once again and thanks for participating. xo

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Hey everyone, ready for some fun? I’m putting up a display of about 7 metal prints in Starbucks for the month of April. I’m really excited to see my work on display at Starbucks but I’m having a hard time choosing favourites. That’s where you come in, I would love your help. As a little incentive, the winning metal print chosen amongst all of my work will be hung in Starbucks for the month and then given to the family in the image. Now, I understand that will only entice my past clients to get on board and vote, so to get all the rest of you in on the game I will give away a second 12×12 metal print from a past or future session to one random voter. PLUS, both the winners will receive a $20 Starbucks card, just for fun. Got it? Make sense? OK, get voting then.
Browse my blog, my galleries, past blog posts, find your own session if you want. In the Punchtab contest below you will be asked to provide me with the link for your favourite image and a description of the image so I know exactly which one you are selecting.

OK, I’m going to offer one more incentive to my past clients on this one, any and every past client who enters this contest and gives me a link to their favourite image will receive a $50 Gift Card for a future session with Alicia Thurston Photography. Lots of goodies, right?

I can’t wait to see what the favourites are and I really appreciate your help in deciding which images to show.

One last thing to mention, due to unforeseen circumstances, the opening of Chasing West’s Etsy store has been delayed for a few weeks. Not to worry, we are still going to have an awesome giveaway when the day comes, so stay tuned.

*The $50 Gift Card for Alicia Thurston Photography can only be used towards a full session, mini sessions not included. The Gift Card must be redeemed within 2013.