Ice Cream

Ice cream is delicious, especially with sprinkles, and it makes for a wonderful bribe for kids to get through a photo shoot.  Don't worry, I'm not the one bribing the kids with ice cream, but I have heard more then one parent use it as the "after pictures are done" treat.  Hey, works for me!!! Makes me want ice cream too, and my kids don't mind an ice cream run after I get home from a photo session :)

The idea of ice cream, or "cream", definitely helped this cute 2 yr old get some nice smiles towards the end of his photo session!

Three Dogs and a Hedgehog

About a month ago I had a fun session with three dogs and a hedgehog.  It was the first hedgehog I had ever seen in person and it was a cute little thing! The dogs were pretty adorable too :)

Karma Club

I have a pretty cool friend who is a yoga teacher in Elk River, MN.  (I have another cool friend who is a yoga teacher and if you ever travel to Saratoga Springs, NY I can hook you up with her!)  My Minnesota yoga teacher and friend started a cool business called Just Be Balanced - check out her blog :)

This summer she has been doing yoga events called Karma Club to raise money for various charities.  I asked her if she would do a yoga event for Small Dog Rescue on Minnesota(SDR) since I have been volunteering with SDR for the last year taking photos of dogs available for adoption.  The SDR Karma Club event was held at a cute park in Anoka and we had a perfect evening of yoga followed by wine and chocolate!  And of course the KME mini session drawing :)

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out this year!!  The little doggies thank you too.  If you couldn't make the event here are some photos to share what you missed.  Hopefully you will make it next year!

Sculpture Garden

I had my first photo session at the Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis, and besides being worried that it would rain on the day, it was a fun spot to take some photos.  The session was originally just for an extended family portrait in honor for Grandma and Grandpa's 50th wedding anniversary (congrats again!), but we added on a mini senior session right before to take advantage of the location :)

Ready for the State Fair?

I had a fun maternity session a couple of weeks ago with a wonderful couple and their dog Liam.  Mom-to-be works for a swedish clog company so she brought along some cute little baby clogs - sooo tiny and adorable!  If you think these shoes are awesome you can check Swedish Comfort out at the State Fair of MN in the Grandstand.



Speaking of the state fair, I may forgo this year.  As much as I love eating deep fried everything, the crowds with two little kids are just too much for my mental state :)  So if you are going to the fair this year, eat a little extra for me!  Oh, and don't pet the pigs.  Apparently people are worried about some new swine flu - awesome.  Just remember to pack your Wet Ones and hand sanitizer!!

 

Wilbur

Wilbur is a 4 yr old Shih Tzu who, up until now, has had a pretty rough life as a puppy mill dog.  He must have been through some harsh stuff because this guy is extra scared, and therefore will need extra patience and love from his adoptive home.  

In case you are unfamiliar with puppy mills, it is where pet store dogs come from.  I also recently learned that if a "breeder" will only meet you at a parking lot, or somewhere other then their home and where their dogs live, chances are they run a puppy mill as well.  Why would they want to show people the horrible conditions that cute little puppy you are about to buy came from, because then they wouldn't make any money.

The parents of those cute little puppies you see in a pet store are horribly treated, starved, sometimes stuck in cages that cut and deform their legs, and the moms are sometimes bred so much that their bodies need so much calcium that it absorbs the teeth and jaw bone (Wilbur's foster parents adopted a dog that was bred for 10 yrs and had that happen).  They are never bathed and are not treated for anything like infections, fleas, or any form of illness, and never loved or touched or petted by humans.  That is why a lot of puppy mill dogs are so fearful, they have had no interaction with a human other then the food thrown at them and harsh words yelled at them.  Who wouldn't be afraid of something like that?

Well that's why Wilbur is scared and afraid, but I think that with time to overcome some of his fears he will be a wonderful companion and friend.  Such a sweet face....

Are you Wilbur's forever home?

Wilbur is available for adoption through Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota.

Just a note, everything I know about puppy mills is from what I have read, seen or heard about.  I have never actually been to one - thank goodness!  I would have probably bawled my eyes out.

Small Dog Resuce