photo friday

How to take Instagram photos on your phone - tips from An Emerald City Life

Iphone Photography tips for Instagram

March 2, 2018

How much do you love the Instagram App?  I remember when I first saw the app I was so skeptical-I asked my bestie who gets me into all things social media-people really just want to see pics?  Isn’t it just Twitter in picture version?  But yes.  WE WANT ALL THE PICTURES! And suddenly Instagram is […]

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boating the sunshine coast

A few travel highlights from 2014 while I plan this year’s adventures

January 23, 2015

The hardest part of starting a New Year is saying good bye to the old one, especially if it was a good one and while other people are performing cleanses of the body detox sort, I’m purging my phone of the14000 photos I’ve managed to store there in the past year because I don’t want […]

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Photo Friday: I heart Haleiwa town

February 26, 2014

Haleiwa town on the north shore of Oahu is such a fun place to visit with kids. There is good food, lovely beaches and the Turtle Bay Resort is about a 15 minute drive away and it’s such a gorgeous place to stay. The beach there is sandy and calm and we could just hang […]

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Some Things old and Something new at Seattle Center

August 23, 2013

When we stop by Seattle Center, we love exploring all the free art and sculptures.   On our last visit, we had some time left on the parking meter after we went to the Children’s Museum so we walked around for a little while.   I couldn’t believe I’ve never seen this flying pig before! […]

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Something Old and Something New: thinking about bridges

June 1, 2013

The Skagit River bridge collapse last week made me think about the way we get to places and how much I take these structures for granted.  We crossed that bridge so many times between Seattle and Vancouver when I was a kid and it was very eerie to see it with a great big gap […]

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Choose your carry-on items wisely

May 18, 2013

Tip #1: do not bring a table as a carry-on. Of course this is not my table.  I’m perfectly happy with the just over 8.5 x11 size tables we get in my regular airplane seats.  But if you were thinking of bringing a table with you on a flight I can tell you for certain […]

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Eating fish while watching fish (Downtown Denver Aquarium, Colorado)

May 10, 2013

Usually this kind of thing would freak me out.  Eating fish, while watching fish.  (Eeew!  Totally morbid!)  But, I’m the one who made the reservation because I so badly wanted to go to the aquarium in Denver last year when we were there for a family wedding and this was the only way we were […]

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slate coffee serves your latte in stemware and is one of the best espresso stores in Seattle

A friendly cup of coffee in Seattle (Slate Coffee, Ballard)

May 3, 2013

Sometime last week I heard a rumor that a truck called Slate Coffee was selling my favorite Fuji Bakery pastries, so I had to go check it out.  Nevermind that I am not a big fan of food trucks (gasp!).  I just didn’t realize that they have sinks and real cooking facilities inside.  Until we […]

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places to get good photos in seattle

Fun place for photos in Seattle

April 12, 2013

Everytime we go to Ella Bailey park I feel like I’m playing tourist in my own town because of its spectacular views of the Seattle skyline.  Sometimes we get photos on the tire swing, or while the kids are climbing ropes like Spider Man.  The huge slide here terrifies me (remember I’m terrified of all things […]

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Pastry Face (Ken’s Artisan Bakery, Portland)

April 6, 2013

This is the look of a kid who knows a good pain au chocolat at a delicious bakery. Oh and here’s his brother who has also been well-schooled. As a family of world travelers we don’t know all the famous paintings, we don’t often read those exhibit signs at museums or zoos, we sometimes miss […]

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Maplewood Farm (North Vancouver, BC)

March 23, 2013

A little while ago, we revisited this farm I used to go with my family as a child-it’s very close to downtown Vancouver, maybe about a 20 minute drive.  It’s on the way to Mount Seymour too.  The day we went the animals were all out and about and there are so many things for […]

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places to find yummy macarons in seattle

Home Sweet Home (60th birthday party in Steveston BC)

March 15, 2013

Technically this is a travel post. My parents turned 60 a little while ago and my sis and I decided to throw a fun 60th birthday party to celebrate.  We threw the party at my sister’s home in Steveston British Columbia, Canada.  If you’ve never been to Steveston it’s not far from Vancouver and it’s […]

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Before I ward off Winter Completely (Granville Island, BC)

February 23, 2013

One of my fondest memories as a kid was getting hot chocolate at Blue Parrot Coffee with my family at Granville Island in Vancouver.  They put the best dollop of chocolate-y whip cream on top of their drinks and on a chilly day there is nothing more delightful than a warm drink in a warm […]

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