Ace and Charlotte

From this morning... 

I walked into the kitchen to find Charlotte stooped down over Ace, giving him another hug. My office is just off the kitchen, so I doubled back and grabbed my camera. He was perfectly happy to lie there and let his littlest girl love on him. 

For those who have asked, Ace is a labradane. I didn't even know there was such a mix, but he has the friendliness and coat of a labrador, and the size and temperament of a great dane. We rescued him back in December from the Pinellas County Animal Shelter, and he had just turned four years old the week prior. I don't know his history, but I can't imagine why his previous owners would have given him up. He's a gentle, amazing friend to the kids and makes us laugh all day long. He doesn't really love to fetch; instead he'd much rather run down the street to chase squirrels. We have to watch the screened porch door (the kids are forever leaving it open!) because he slips out behind them and sprints down the street at lightning speed. (Have you ever tried to chase a 140-pound dog on a squirrel mission? Forget it.) His sheer size absolutely terrifies the small dogs in our neighborhood, and they all go to pieces yapping when they see him coming... but in all reality, he's the gentlest giant you could imagine and he only wants to sniff them. Not eat them. :)

If you want to keep up with our adventures with Ace, I'd love it if you followed me on Instagram. You can also click on the hashtag #rescuingAce to read our rescue story from the beginning! (Also, don't you cringe a bit when others hijack your hashtags? Bah.)

Good morning!

Or not.

Make it a good one, friends. 

Love to you.  xx

Mine | January 2015

So in 2014, my "main camera" for my own family was my iPhone. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for it and I'm super glad to have had it. I firmly believe that the best camera is the one you have with you. But in trying to create my own family's photo books for the past couple of years, I was sad to realize that I don't have very many "good" high-quality photographs taken of my own children. Let's face it, you can only blow up an iPhone snap so large. 

But.... Hello, 2015. You are a year of fresh starts in so many ways. One of them happens to be portraits of my children.

So in 2015, I vow to create portraits of each of my three children (at least) once per month. I'll try to feature them here on the blog to keep myself accountable. It might be quick shots of everyday life, we might be out and about, or it might be a quiet moment at home or an orchestrated full-on photo shoot. I'm leaving creative freedom open to do whatever I want. I just want them DOCUMENTED. Tantrums and all. It's why I became a photographer in the first place, years ago.

So this is Installment No. 1. January 2015. My babies, the way only I can see them.

And maybe a few extra. ;)

This is for them, just as much as it's for me. Because they need to know.

Love to you.  xx

Rescuing Ace

If you follow me on social media, then you already know.... we got a dog. :) But not just any dog. We rescued a sweet boy from the Pinellas County Animal Shelter on Friday morning. He'd been there for a little over a month, and I know in my heart that he was just waiting for us to come get him and take him home. We visited him Thursday morning and Thursday evening, and the kids cried when we had to leave him there. So I went back first thing Friday morning and stood outside the doors for 30 minutes until the shelter opened. 

And I brought Ace home. 

He is our Clearance Puppy. He was $12 on sale during a promotion the Pinellas County Animal Shelter is having all month long. Twelve dollars... that is all it took to change his life. I've bought candles that cost more than that.

And he couldn't be more perfect for our family. He's about four years old, and seems to be a Labradane, a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Great Dane. He's massive, but he is a love. He wants to ride everywhere with us, and he lets the kids hug him a thousand times a day. Lila fell asleep in the floor with him, his first night home. He woke up but refused to move because he'd have to disturb Lila. He sleeps quietly by Parker's bed at night, knows basic manners and commands, and he walks really well on a leash. It amazes me that anyone ever let him go. 

But we are glad they did.

Prepare for an influx of dog photos here on the blog, and on Instagram and Facebook. And maybe even a hashtag. ;)