balloons make everyone happy

A few weeks back I had that amazing shoot with the poodle, for which we had purchased a bunch of balloons. Well of course they were still inflated the next day, so I brought them along to my morning shoot down by the river. I'd say they were a hit! And frankly, balloons just make everything better.Besides processing photos this week, and updating mileage and invoicing etc (it's a bit of an administrative week over here at Shuttersmack HQ), we've also been looking at some new studio spaces. Nothing final to report yet, but it sure is fun to dream!Also, if you are thinking of scheduling a family shoot this year for holiday cards, you might want to reach out asap as my September and October sessions are filling up fast!Here are your internet shares of the day.+ What it's like to move your family to Israel. "My girls were too young to understand what was happening [with the Gaza conflict], but my then-six-year-old son was in summer camp and would ask to wear his Israeli army T-shirt every day. He would say, ‘I am going to take off this T-shirt only when we win the battle.’ I tried to talk to him about what was happening in a way that was sensitive, hopeful and not too scary. Everyone has mandatory military service when they turn 18 — three years for males and two years for females — so children learn about it from the time they can talk. It’s seen as a natural step at that stage in their life. "+ Some beautiful ceramics to make us all happy.+ Some great storage solutions for those of you trying to stop your plastic-bag usage. I'm trying my best, but it is HARD.