Happy birthday to me!

Today is my birthday! This year it was overshadowed by Hurricane Sandy (to those of you in the eastern U.S., I hope you are recovering!) and every year it is overshadowed by Halloween, which I've always been ok with because as a kid (ok, and grown-up) you can't really go wrong with presents one day and candy the next. This year, as a treat to myself, I ordered a 20x30 canvas of me and my golden girl Chloe to hang in our home office. I love it.

This image also makes me want to repaint my house. This blue-grey wall colour looks great in person, but does not translate well in photos!

Happy Tuesday all!

Wags,
Stacey

what got buried | ontario pet photographer

Wow, where did the summer go? I swear it was just June and now it's almost September! As sad as I am to see the summer fade away, I'm looking forward to the next few months — September and October are my absolute favourite months for photography. The light is warm and golden, the colours are amazing and with the heat no longer a factor, Fido can run to his heart's content and I don't have so many "tongue on the ground" shots from my sessions! I'm currently booking into October (I still have a few spaces available in September, too), so if you're thinking of a fall session, don't hesitate to contact me.

As always, head on over to the official Happy Tails Pet Photography Facebook page for the most up-to-date news, contests and photos. But for those of you who have been off enjoying the summer (I don't blame you!), here's a quick recap of what's been happening in this edition of What Got Buried.

Behind the scenes I've been a busy bee. I'm working on a new blog/website, which is lots of work for a technophobe like me. I sent out my first ever Happy Tails newsletter (just click here to subscribe) and I hit a major personal milestone: my one-year anniversary of volunteering at the Burlington Humane Society, where I have photographed close to 500 shelter pets! I love visiting all the residents at the shelter — it brings me so much fulfillment helping them find a family with professional "glamour shots." They all deserve loving forever homes! Here are just a few of the furry faces I've had in front of my camera.

And here's a shot of Svobi the kitten (sibling Piglet is in the background), who is still looking for a home. Isn't he sweet?

I'm also excited to have my photography displayed in the Burlington Ont., location of the Bark and Fitz, a boutique pet store. I ordered two 20x30 canvases to fill the space right behind the cash. You can't buy anything without catching sight of Happy Tails art!

On the home front, we are currently in the middle of an office "facelift." Up until now, the room has been a catch-all for odds and ends. Our desk was too small and positioned over a vent, which made my feet cold. It just wasn't an inspiring place to work. So, first we purged and reorganized. For a few days the space looked like this. It was scary, although Kitty didn't seem to mind.

Now it looks like this, which is progress, but not yet complete. I'm hoping to blog about the final transformation when it's finally done!

While the office chaos has been happening, I've been busy with client sessions. Here's dark and mysterious Dobby from a recent home visit.

And a behind-the-scenes shot of me working with little doll Beatrice.

And my own two monkeys have had a bit of camera time. Bossypants Kitty has been brave lately, making her way into the backyard a few times while we are watering the plants with the door ajar. Only Kitty would wear a tuxedo in the garden.

Here's Chloe looking happy and satisfied after playing ball in the park. She turned seven in August!

And a rare shot of the two of them together ... kind of.

 

I hope everyone had a fantastic summer! Here's to an amazing fall!

Wags,

Stacey

a family cottage vacation in muskoka | ontario pet photographer

Last week we packed up our Mazda3 hatchback — like, REALLY packed it up — and headed north to Ontario's Muskoka region for a cottage vacation. It was our first real trip with a toddler and it was a totally different kind of "vacation" than what we were used to! There were a few obstacles, but in the end we had a great time. We had perfect weather, a beautiful lake to swim in and the gorgeous backdrop of Muskoka to enjoy. Plus, no Internet, no cell phone and seven full days of wet-dog smell!

On day two of our trip, a pipe burst in the cottage and we were without water for more than a day. Next came the excavation of the backyard to fix the pipe, which was not exactly the peaceful, relaxing retreat we were hoping for. But it all got repaired and our week ended on a happy note. Here are a few snapshots of our vacation taken on our iPhone — it was our go-to "camera" for most of the trip.

We've been renting a cottage in Muskoka for the past three years. It's one of my favourite ways to vacation, plus we can bring the dog. Here are just a few of the highlights from this trip and why we keep going back!

1. The Moose 99.5.
We listened to this local radio station on and off for the entire week and I don't think I heard the same song twice. I will be tuning in online!

2. The general stores.
I love general stores and this region has some fantastic ones! Many date back to the turn of the century, and have been in the same family for generations. They are full of character (and are often run by characters!) and it takes you back to a more simple time. I love being able to rent a video, buy construction adhesive and a watermelon all in one place that has history to boot.

The Rosseau General Store dates back to 1874.

The Raymond General Store welcomes Nana and Papa — love it!

3. Butter tarts at Schat Bakery and Café in cute downtown Huntsville, and a Muskoka Maple or Loon Call coffee (fresh from the Muskoka Roastery) at Seven on Main, which is just up the street. This is a great way to start a day of shopping and antiquing!

Mmmm .... butter tarts.

4. Simply Cottage in Bracebridge. I could LIVE in this store.

Simply Cottage is in an amazing old foundry building and full of antique and new items for that cottage vibe.

5. The pet-friendly attitude. All the stores have posters in the windows not only reminding patrons to not to leave their pets in hot cars, but welcoming four-leggers into the stores. The beach that our cottage shared with a handful of others was pet-friendly too, and all the vacationers were happy to share the sand and water with the pooches. Back home it's pretty much impossible for us to find a place for Chloe to swim, which makes us sad because Chloe seriously loves to swim.

Where are your favourite places to go on vacation? Have you gone on a getaway this summer?

Wags,
Stacey

Balloons and finding balance

Some days just plain get away from me. Those are the days when I feel like the only things I accomplish are getting up in the morning, going to work and going to bed at night. Everything in between is a blur.

I juggle a full-time job, Happy Tails, a toddler, volunteering and all those in-between activities, chores and errands that make up life. It's busy. And it can be overwhelming.

I know I'm not the only one with many balls in the air, and I'm not complaining that my life is full — I wouldn't change a thing. But sometimes I have to remind myself to pause and enjoy the moments. Like when I bring balloons home for my son (he calls them baboos) and I can literally see his face light up — I swear it happens in slow motion. I would spend all the time in the world just watching that happen. He has made me remember the joy of balloons, and how sitting on the floor and swatting them back and forth is time well spent.

I am still trying to find balance — or as close to balance as I can get. I don't want to miss any moments because my focus is somewhere else or because I feel so buried that I can't see them. And I'm still trying to figure out what success means to me, and how I can have the life I want without sacrificing anything too precious.

One thing I do know is that being organized has saved me .... many times. And thankfully, I'm not a procrastinator. When I have a task, I get it done as quickly as possible so it's off my plate and I don't have to think about it. Here are a few things that help me:

1) Make lists. Whether you do this on your iPhone or the old-fashioned way with a pen and paper (yep, that's me), seeing everything I need to do puts things into perspective. And crossing things off is so satisfying! I also swear by my day planner. It has pages for each week and then a monthly overview, so I can see what's coming up immediately and how my entire month is shaping up.

2) Prioritize. If I think of everything that needs to get done at once, I feel paralyzed. That's when I don't get anything accomplished. I like to put things in order, whether by deadline or importance, and then focus on one thing at a time.

3) Just do it! There are tasks that I just don't like to do (picking up dog poop ... anyone?), but having them hanging over my head just drags me down. I prefer to just get those things over with, and then I treat myself with a coffee break (there is usually a doughnut involved too). Or, get someone else to do them. I recently discovered there are businesses that will pick up the poop for you! Is it wierd that I think this would make a great Mother's Day present?

4) Ask for help. I admit, this is hard for me to do. I don't like to think that I can't handle doing something on my own and I don't want to burden anyone else. But I am always so touched and amazed when people come through — and they always do. I'm in the process of organizing my first ever vendor booth (details coming soon), and after submitting my paperwork the scope of what I actually had to do to make it happen started to set in. I emailed friends and family, asking for volunteers and to borrow items. Within 30 minutes I had all the major things covered. It's a great reminder that even when I feel like I'm on my own, I'm not.

I read a quote recently by Diane Ackerman that really resonated with me. She said, "I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." It's a challenge we all face. I like to think of that quote when I'm feeling caught up in life.

And then I go out and buy some balloons.

Wags,
Stacey

These are the moments I don't want to miss — Sunday morning pj time with the Chloe. Snapped with an iPhone.

happy holidays! | milton, ontario, pet photographer

Christmas has come and gone, but I wanted to post a quick note to thank all my family, friends, clients and supporters who have encouraged me on this journey of photography. You all keep me motivated to pursue my dream and never give up - here's to a fantastic 2012! Paws up to all of you!

This is what our Christmas morning looked like:

What did your four-leggers get from Santa? I hope your holidays were filled with lots of good cheer!

a little more about me

Hello everyone! Up until now I haven't gotten very personal when it comes to blogging, which is a little out of sorts for me, since I'm a writer by profession and I kept a regular old journal for quite a while. I guess the idea of putting myself out there — I mean, REALLY out there — for everyone on the web to read about is a bit unnerving.

The point of this post is to share a bit more of myself with everyone. Until now, I thought it was better to maintain a professional presence. But for those of you who are interested, here are a few things about me (and this journey I'm on) that you may not know.

1) Happy Tails isn't my full-time job. I have a journalism degree and my everyday job is working in the communications department of a local university. I'm currently on maternity leave and naively thought I could focus on Happy Tails full time while I was off work for the year ... can you tell this is my first baby? Motherhood is wonderful, but way more time consuming than I ever imagined! I'm still trying to find balance. I'm not sure how I will juggle everything when I go back to work in a few months.

2) I have a hard time calling myself a professional photographer. Sometimes I feel like a fraud even thinking it. What makes a person entitled to that designation? Working at it full time? A full roster of clients? I have days when my my confidence is pretty low — who am I to ask people to pay for the photos I take? Some days I think I should just pack it all in. But then I'll take a pretty darn good photo and think maybe I can do this after all ...

3) I'm learning as I go along. I know you are supposed to have a plan before you start a new business, but I'm winging it. I'm learning about marketing, advertising, printing, products, search-engine optimization — the list goes on and on. And I'm still adjusting my workflow and developing my post-processing. And learning how to manage a photo shoot, plus interact with clients and the four-leggers ... there is so much to learn. I'm not sure how successful I should be after a few months of this — getting clients in the door is hard. But I love photography and I love animals, so I will keep at it — shooting and practicing, practicing, practicing!

Thank you to everyone who has followed me on my journey so far — your comments on my blog posts and 'likes' on my Facebook page really keep me going and I do appreciate them!

And now a photo ... finally! Maybe this photo of puppy Wanda will help distract you from all that rambling!

chloe swims!

We took last week off for a cottage vacation in the beautiful Muskoka region of Ontario. The change of scenery and tranquility were refreshing, but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. The chilly temperatures prevented us from taking full advantage of the lake and kept us out of the water ... well, almost all of us.

Chloe's obsession with water rivals her passion for ball ... she was in the lake constantly and we had to deal with seven days of wet dog smell! She loves to splash the water and bite at it — she could do this for HOURS.



By the time we left, the beautiful natural shoreline wasn't so beautiful ... Chloe left no lily pad untouched!

chloe's big day

Yesterday was Chloe's birthday - she turned six! I've had a few people ask how she celebrated. Well, she received lots of pets, an extra-long after dinner walk and a special treat. But mostly she celebrated the day away doing this:

Yep, she snoozed on the couch. Being a new mom to a nine-month-old, I can totally see how this would be appealing. I might celebrate my next birthday napping!

Even a fancy birthday treat didn't rouse her from her slumber.

After sleeping beauty got her required eight hours of daytime sleep, we tried giving her the dog cookie again. This time there was a little more interest!

happy birthday chloe!

Today Chloe turns six (although she doesn't act a day over two!). It feels like she's been in our lives forever, but she only became part of our family two years ago when we adopted her from a family that could no longer care for her. We still can't believe how lucky we are. We are actually her third family – it's hard to imagine, but she has been given up twice. Once as a puppy, then again when she came to us at the age of four. We are NEVER giving this monkey up. She is the sweetest, most loyal and exuberant creature, and she truly makes our house a home. Plus, she's super cute.

Chloe is obsessed with tennis balls. So, yesterday we went out for a walk with her trusty "Wilson." It was early evening and I was hoping to get some photos of my Golden during "golden hour" — that time in the evening when the light is warm and magical. But the clouds rolled in making the skies a little overcast. Parts of the path were still pretty though.

Of course, there were lots of things to explore along the way. There were bugs to sniff ...

And grass to eat.

Occasionally she would stop for a few seconds to let me take a picture.

We love you Chloe — happy birthday! Stay tuned to see how Chloe spent her big day!

in case of emergency

It's something no one likes to think about - what if there is an emergency at your house and your pets are home alone? Every family should have an emergency plan, and if you have furry family members, the plan should include them too. We have an emergency sticker on our front door to alert firemen, police and neighbours that we have animals in the house. Please excuse the photo quality — the window film we have on our front doors makes taking a clear picture tricky, but the sticker is very clear and legible in person.

If you don't already have an emergency sticker, Modern Dog magazine has a free template you can use to make your own — download it here. It's always good to be prepared!

cat stalking

Wonder dog Chloe has received lots of exposure on the blog, so I thought it was time to shine the spotlight on our other furkid. Let me introduce you to our bossypants tuxedo cat Kitty.

Kitty is actually a nickname — those of you who have seen Monsters Inc. will know where it comes from! But we call her Kitty so often that I don't think she knows any other name. Although she only weighs eight pounds, Kitty is the ruler of our roost and we all know it, especially Chloe who is totally submissive around the cat. And she rules with an iron fist, er, paw. A few fun facts about Kitty: she does not like to be picked up or cuddled, and don't even think about touching her bum or belly; she has learned how to open closet doors (I think it is phase one in her plans for world domination); and I swear she has a wristwatch stashed away somewhere because every night at exactly 10 pm she wanders downstairs to let us know it is time for bed (ie. yells at us) and herds us upstairs.

I decided to try and capture Kitty's daily life through photos. So, like any reasonable person, I cat stalked her. Kitty's starts her day by sleeping in ... which makes it hard to make the bed.

She eventually rouses herself for breakfast. If there is no food in the bowl, we hear about it!

Then it's bath time, followed by a rest in her favourite hiding spot — the edge of the bathtub between the shower curtain and liner. I don't know how she maintains such a hectic lifestyle.

By mid-afternoon she has enough energy to terrorize the dog.

Then it's time to find some relief on the scratchy box.

Which must be exhausting because she doesn't go far for a rest. But she does manage to squeeze in some time for her favourite hobby, birdwatching.

Once she is satisfied that she's told the birds whose boss, Kitty likes to roll around and entice you to rub her belly — don't be fooled!

Late in the day she retreats to the laundry basket to get a little shut-eye.

To show her softer side, Kitty then gives love to inanimate objects like the office chair.

And she wraps up her day by supervising dad on the computer.

Did you manage to keep up? We love Kitty — long live the boss!

treat time

Because Chloe is so good and super cute, she gets lots of treats. We can't help it — we're suckers for those "poor me" eyes. She recently got a bone to chew on, and she loves a good bone! Taking the bone away is the tricky part. She growls and bares her hamster teeth (she has terrible teeth, probably due to all the tennis balls she likes to chew on). She tries to look scary, but she can't fool us.

inside a dog's mind

This is Chloe last weekend. Isn't she happy? This was the only day of sunshine we've had in about two weeks - the weather has been just awful lately. If you're wondering what she could be smiling so big about, it's pretty basic. Nope, it's not a treat or the prospect of a belly rub. It's her slimy green tennis ball. Well, one of three or four that are usually scattered around our front yard. People in our neighbourhood may very well think they're living next to Andy Roddick.

I'm pretty sure if you could read Chloe's mind, it would go something like this: Are we going to play ball? Are we now? How about now? Are you going to throw it? How about now? Now? C'mon throw it! Do you have my ball? Where's my ball? Ball, ball, ball ...

a soggy strutt

We took part in the Oakville & Milton Humane Society's Mutt Strutt on the weekend - all the funds raised help homeless, abused and neglected animals. Mother Nature, however, was not on board. It was a soggy, booties kind of weather day.

It was nice to see people still come out despite the weather. And there was a short break in the rain early in the afternoon. Chloe was happy to be surrounded by four-legged friends. Aw, smiles!

And there were a few puppies! This little guy was only seven weeks old - so adorable.

There was also an agility demonstration. This border collie was clearly ball motivated, just like Chloe. 

Hopefully there was lots of money raised for such a good cause. We'll be back next year!