Finally making time, after a very busy week, to sit down and look back at how perfect last weekend’s “A Late Summer Styling Workshop” turned out. Our Saturday class was very relaxing, which I was truly thankful for. How lucky once again I am for mother nature to turn on the rainclouds (Good grief)!!!! ……. But with all of the French doors wide open and the breeze blowing through, (fireplace on of course), it turned out to be a cozy yet wide open space for all to have room and enjoy.

As the day got on, it was nice to get to know everyone and have the chance to step back, observe and take in what everyone else was doing. Each of these ladies had a creative eye, most had a camera and even if they didn’t, they used their smart phone and boy did they work it! It was such an honour to know that all the styling that I set up was something that they were inspired by. To give people the opportunity to style their own vignettes and photograph as they saw it, was exactly what I wanted to see. The most rewarding thing I have come to realize is at the end of the day, everyone had taken away some of what I had to share and then they created their own beautifully, styled photographs. I have inspired people with my styling and photography but they have helped me see things in a whole new light and I am so thankful for that!

Thank you to these amazing ladies for signing up for my Late Summer Styling Workshop:

Alexis Lea @alexisleaphotography, Barbara Aylesworth @astrokeofgenius, Barbara Cameron @bcameronpix, Natahsha Priya @natahshapriya, Rozella Klassen @rozellas_, Tracy Tong @ttong, Waltraud Neufeld of “YesChef.ca”

As always, a Special thank you goes out to Cindy Mast @cindygraymast for helping me throughout the day by taking care of refreshments and small bites. You have a knack of keeping everything under control behind the scenes. Thank you so much to Michelle Mollinga @michellemollinga for capturing the day on both video and stills.

And to the lovely contributors for supplying the beautiful things for our swag bags ……

Boostani Crafts, Dragon Fly Antiques, The Chocolate Bear Shoppe, Westcoast Gardens, Tracey Ayton Home.

And finally the first year of giving workshops ended in September and again it was a true success.

Starting the day ….. and may I add a very rainy day!!!! At School House Farms where everyone was able to walk down rows and rows of dahlias, sunflowers, veggie patches and even chicken coups. Despite the rain, we took out our camera, balanced them alongside our umbrellas and got our shots. The rain drops added interest in the photos and everything looked so fresh. Emily made sure to have her farm stand stocked with fresh fruit, veggies and flowers so that people could purchase goodies and at the same time, support the farm.

Then it was time to drive back to the beach house where we had a chance to dry off and regroup. How nice it was to have The Graze Company @thegrazecompany offer up the most beautiful charcuterie board. I showed everyone each vignette that I had created and then we were all off ….. taking more photos, setting up our unique vignettes and really not noticing where the time went. Being that it was September, the light started fading and we all quickly snapped our last snaps before the end of the day. It was really nice to have Iulia Agnew @iulia.agnew capture all of the behind the scenes shots too. Make sure to check out more photos under the highlight section on my instagram account @tracey_ayton.

As always, everyone who attended this fabulous day were such an amazing bunch and oh how I got so inspired by them all. Perhaps I come away with just as much inspiration as they did!

Thank you to these amazing ladies for signing up for A September Day with Dahlias:

Andrea Marvan @mondegreen_media Alexis Lea @alexisleaphotography Angela Van Tijn @onesmileymonkey Diana Talarico Whitworth @diana_whitworth Jasmere Johal @jasmerej1 Kerri Hansen @littlenestdesign Kyla Getty @kylagetty

Leva Zarina @evethegardener Monica Reyes @morebymonica Rita Homonnai @ritivations Shelley de Groot @flowersandcompany Tracy Paterson @tracypatersonphotography

And a big thank you goes out to my side kick Cindy Mast @cindygraymast for putting her magic touches on taking care of all the behind the scenes work …… as always, her coffee is fresh, her tea is always hot and my kitchen is always so clean at the end of the day. Needless to say, she was a fabulous model, holding an apple pie for 45 minutes so that we could all get the shot!

Lastly, thank you to the gracious sponsors who were so generous with their gifts to fill the take away bags:

Schoolhouse Farm @schoolhouse_farm, Southlands Nursery @southlandsnurseryvancouver, Covet & Co. @covetandco, Dragon Fly Antique & Salvage @dragonfly.antique.salvage, Sampsons Antique @sampsonsantiqueco, Westcoast Gardens @westcoastgardens, Denby USA @denbypotteryusa, The Chocolate Bear Shoppe @thechocolatebearshoppe, Sprinkle and Whisk @sprinkleandwhisk and lastly, Indaba Trading Company @indabatradingco.

Here are some snaps from our day:

………….. and just some sweet notes

The workshop was everything that I hoped it would be and more. I, (well I believe lots of people do) get stuck in the daily grind and rarely take breaks just to be creative and surround ourselves by inspiring like minded individuals from different walks of life and your workshop was the perfect source of ‘creative refueling’.

The biggest take away that I found was layers are everything and to not over think things. Styling is sometimes perfectly imperfect and that was a great reminder. I also loved the different types of women who were drawn to your program, I learned a lot about each of them and have established a couple great contacts through your ‘cross pollination’ of creatives. Rebecca

I have admired Tracey’s effortless and timeless style for years-so much so that I flew in from London, Ontario to attend her workshop! Tracey welcomed all her Attendees into her home with open arms and a warm heart. Throughout the day We were introduced to numerous vignettes of props and fresh flowers, each station more gorgeous than the next!! As artists we were free to roam and get creative with our content creation, all the while Tracy was only a few steps away To offer knowledge and make you think outside the box. Saleme

This past weekend on my blog, I did a little review of my favourite moments of 2019. Taking part in this Photography and Styling Workshop with @tracey_ayton was the top of my list. Being surrounded by beautiful flowers, on a farm, with my camera is pretty much my perfect way to spend a day! Kerri Hansen

Last week had me back in Vancouver for two polar opposite events. One was to say goodbye to an old childhood friend who passed away way too young, the other was to attend a workshop with a photographer and stylist who I’ve admired for years. Tracey Ayton is one of those talented people who is always the photographer in my favorite glossy Canadian interior design magazines. Timing was on my side and it allowed me to spend a fabulous day with her and two other creatives in her beautiful west coast seaside home. As you can see, every detail in her home is thought out to precision. (More images on my blog). The only regret is that I didn’t meet her insta-famous dog, Frankie! Jennifer Lavelle

[WORKSHOP GIRL] • Had an amazing time at the @tracey_ayton #aytonstylesworkshop today with so many creative ladies and beautiful photo ops! More photos and thoughts to come! Thank you @schoolhouse_farm and @alexisleaphotography for this shot! I’m glad you talked me into being your ‘model’ Kyla Getty

Photography by Tracey Ayton and Iulia Agnew

Time has finally allowed me to catch up on doing a write up of my past workshops that I held last summer and early fall. A Mid Summer Styling Workshop turned out to be very relaxing and chilled, which I was truly thankful for. How lucky once again for mother nature to turn on the rainclouds on me while I had made the decision to start setting up outside. Just when I was going to bring everything inside, the rain stopped ~ phew!

As the day got on, it was nice to get to know everyone and have the chance to step back, observe and take in what everyone else was doing. I was touched to know that so many talented photographers signed up. Perhaps that’s why I was able to take a moment and watch as things unfolded …… Each of these ladies had a creative eye, most had a camera and even if they didn’t, they used their smart phone and boy did they work it! It was such an honour to know that all the styling that I set up was something that they were inspired by. To give people the opportunity to style their own vignettes and photograph as they saw it, was exactly what I wanted to see. The most rewarding thing I have come to realize is at the end of the day, these ladies have taken away some of what I had to share and then they created their own beautifully, styled photographs. I have inspired people with my styling and photography but they have helped me see things in a whole new light and I am so thankful for that!

Thank you to these amazing ladies for signing up for my Mid Summer Styling Workshop:

Rebecca Runacres @rebeccarunacres Celisse Sargent @wheatgum Jacquie Alarie @jacquiealarie Kellie Armstrong @kellierae57 Holly Salvador @oneclickinbrunette Iulia Agnew @iulia.agnew Courtnee Pirozzini @courtneepphotos Airisa Seflere @airisa_photography Lianne Wessner Deborah Thiel @dgthiel Kellie Armstrong @littlenestdesign

A Special thank you goes out to Cindy Mast @cindygraymast for helping me throughout the day by taking care of refreshments and small bites. You have a knack of keeping everything under control behind the scenes and your coffee is always perfect.

And to the lovely sponsors who were so generous in donating beautiful things for our swag bags ……

School House Farm @schoolhouse_farm, Southlands Nursery @southlandsnurseryvancouver, Sampson’s Antique Co @sampsonsantiqueco, Dragon Fly Antique and Salvage @dragonfly.antique.salvage, Covet and Co. @covetandco, Vancouver Candle Co. @vancouvercandleco, The Graze Company @thegrazecompany, The Chocolate Bear Shoppe @thechocolatebearshoppe and Sweet Baked Goods @sweetbakeshop.

Photography by Tracey Ayton and Celisse Sargent

Well hello there!

I have finally been able to sit down after a very busy weekend, full of hard work but so happy to know that I had a very successful workshop. My Late Spring Styling Workshop went off without a hitch …………… EXCEPT that it rained so we couldn’t have our planned picnic down by the beach….. surrounded by sunshine every other day …… I’ll chalk this up to being good luck. Ahhh C’est la vie…!!! But in the end, I was really happy with how everyone compromised and made it work. There were so many beautiful vignettes being created and while I walked around I saw each attendee work every angle of them, with either their SLR or their phone, and capture it perfectly. I can safely say that everyone went home with a good bunch of pretty photos. At the end of the day, I was truly blessed to know that such an amazing group of women wanted to sign up for my workshop and learn something from me that I am so passionate about. To be recognized for something that I love to do, makes me so happy and to see all of them have the same passion and creative fire in them, made my day complete. I stood back and watched everyone having fun and knew that I had succeeded with what I set out to do ……. seeing in them that same passion and inspiration I started out with over 25 years ago.

Thank you to all of those who signed up, I will never forget you…..

Saleme Fayad – @salemefayad_photography, Rita Homonnai – @ritavations, Ali Macrae – @alimacraedesign, Alison Kent – @alisonkent_home, Tijana Popovic – @aplentifullife, Kimberly Jones – @kimberlyallisonjones, Leanne Bird – @leannekbird, Monica Reyes – @morebymonica, Tracey Lieuwen – @tlieuwen, Michelle Mollinga – @michelle_mollinga, Wendy Taylor – @wtayls and Judy Dill – @lifeisbetterathome, Maria DeVries – @thechocolatebearshoppe.

A Special thank you goes out to Cindy Mast – @cindygraymast and Stephanie Chan – @thepauhaus I wouldn’t have been able to do it without your help and to my Jay, who cooked for the whole event …….. you get the husband of the year award!!!

And to the sponsors who were so generous in donating beautiful things for our swag bags ……

Southlands Nursery, Sampson’s Antique Co., Dragon Fly Antique and Salvage, Steel Wood Design, Three Corners Artisan, Pilo Studio, West coast Gardens, Indaba Trading Co., Janaki Larsen, Vancouver Candle Co.

Here are some snaps that I took during the whirlwind of the day.

Hello ~ I hope you all are doing fabulous. It’s been a while since I’ve written, but I thought that this latest opportunity was a great reason to share what I’ve been up to. Recently, I was asked by the lovely people at Anthem to help style a display home at their newest project, The Residences at Ridgeway, for the holidays.

It’s been really exciting that since I’ve started photographing homes, food and lifestyle campaigns, lately I’m being more and more recognized for my styling. I’m a firm believer that if you truly enjoy what you’re doing, it will show in your work. And for this project, I got to do the two things I love – photography and styling.

The Residences at Ridgeway is a project of nine single family homes in North Vancouver, and after taking a tour, I knew that I wanted to embrace Scandinavian style and “Hygge” – a Danish word for the cozy feeling you get when you enjoy the simple things in life.

Our first step – greenery! Cindy Mast of STOOPS Design helped us out with tasteful touches of nature throughout the home. We wanted to choose greenery that would last for the whole holiday season, so we used lots of eucalyptus, branches and evergreens throughout the inside and outside of the home. And my favourite part, a minimalist Christmas tree in the living room that would make Charlie Brown proud. When it came to decorating the tree, I kept it simple, a few small red baubles for a pop of colour! To finish off the tree we placed the stump in a simple woven basked and placed it atop of a cozy faux fur throw.

One of my projects that I wanted to share was on the coffee table. Beside a vase full of holly leaves and red berries, we placed a small bowl of black and white photos from past family Christmases. The holidays are about spending time with family and friends and what a perfect

way to share photos for people to sift through and perhaps reminisce of what the holidays looked like way back when.

We saw the family room as a place where the kids could have their own Christmas tree to decorate – a slightly smaller tree than the one in the living room. To create a whimsical, kid-friendly space we found beaded, string garland and adorable felt mice, known as “Woodland Creatures,” from The Cross Décor + Design. For a fun, crafty project we created an oversized ball of yarn and placed it on the book shelf. It was made from a large Styrofoam ball which I wrapped thick yarn around!

My favourite part of a home is always the kitchen, and the big island and high-end kitchen appliances at The Residences at Ridgeway were the perfect backdrop for my “lived-in” look. I placed an oversized bunch of eucalyptus on one side of the double sink, and on the counter, I placed a pair of vintage style clippers and some sprigs of greenery. Making it look as if someone was in the middle of creating a holiday wreath – which is super easy I may add. All you need is a simple gold hoop, fresh greenery and a wire. You can even forage for the greenery in your own back yard.

It truly was an honour to work on this project. It means the world to me to have been recognized for my styling and photography. A huge thank you to the folks at Anthem for bringing me onto such an amazing project. I do hope that everyone enjoys it as much as I did styling and photographing it.

You can see all my holiday styling in person at The Residences at Ridgeway. The display home is open the next two weekends from 12-4pm. Located at 436 East 5th Street, North Vancouver.

Happy Holidays everyone.

xo Tracey.

A special shout out to those who helped me with this project:

• Stephanie Chan (@thepauhaus on Instagram) who helped with sourcing decorations and crafting my “lived-in” designs
• Cindy Mast of STOOPS Designs @stoopsdesign who helped with all of our many greenery needs
• Jenelle Cumiskey of Mulder and Company @mulder_and_company who created the gorgeous oversized merino wool throw in the living room and the adorable wool wreath in our kids area
• My dog Frankie, who tested out the mudroom/puppy area for us and ensured it was dog approved!

And if you want to know where we got all our great decorations from check out The Cross Décor + Design, HomeSense, Michaels and Chapters Indigo!

Well ….. I’m busy balancing work and life. I can tell you for sure that work has been busy but I also want to mention that I’ve finally learned how to make the time for family, friends and fun. Often in my career, I’ve had to work on weekends and most times, I’ve spent an entire weekend shooting and or editing. Recently, I’ve learned how to “let go” of work on weekends and put it aside until Monday. (THIS IS BIG FOR ME) Nothing bugs me more than having work on my mind and work to get done. Very recently, I have been able to conquer this challenge and it is so liberating!

So in the mean time, people ask, “What have you been working on?” ….. Certainly not my blog as it’s been one of those aspects of my work that I’ve had to let go because I made time to be somewhere else besides sitting in front of the computer. Today however, it felt right to make time for an entry between editing shoots. Perhaps my blog will be a little more sporadic but just know that I’m not going anywhere. Most times you can see what I’ve been up to on a daily basis through a wonderful thing called Instagram. I post at least once a day and find it gives me a quick and easy way to show my followers what I’m doing. You can follow me HERE As a creative person, I’ve learned how to accept that sometimes creativity doesn’t always come right away and realizing this is so important …… and then when you least expect it, it comes rushing back. The fact that I’ve taken time to have fun and welcomed some relaxation …….. the creativity and energy has been tremendous…… and I am thankful.

In the last week, I’ve had really cool and exciting projects with some of the best clients I could ever ask for. I’ve included some frames from each shoot I’ve done within the last week or so to give you a peek into ….. what I’ve been up to.

Lori Steeves from Simply Home Decorating has an impeccable eye for detail and the devotion she shares for design is truly her passion.

Having the opportunity of working with the very talented artist Dana Mooney was amazing! I want to own several of her paintings ….. hopefully one day soon I will.

Jamie Deck is truly one of a kind …… not only is she the sweetest person but super talented!

Working with Ellen Walde from le fil rouge is as pretty as it gets when working with linen and alpaca. (My favourite textile

Shooting incredible vignettes with Deborah and Nour from Flock Interiors ….. well let’s just say that shooting vignettes is one of my favourite things I do and these ladies have the goods to do it!

When Michelle Gemmill the very talented stylist of Kits Construction had asked me to shoot her home, I swooned the minute I walked through the door …

Lastly, working with Karla Amadatsu of Karla Amadatsu Design is a true honour ….

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. As some of you may know, my favourite colour is white ….. I find it so crisp, clean with no obstacles. It’s like starting new when it comes to a white space, any accessories you add to white god well with it. So in this case when I shot Tracy Stonehouse’s kitchen for the latest issue of Style At Home the White issue ….. Erin McLaughlin (Editor In Chief of Style At Home) came into town to shoot which was super fun. The different purples from hydrangeas and blueberries are so scrumptious!!!! I just happened to be wearing a purple checked shirt that day so how convenient it was to pass over the shirt over to Tracy to wear for her picture. The kitchen was designed by Victoria McKenney from Enviable Designs, the cabinet work done by Eyco Building Group.