post by leslie

Is your heart melting? Because mine is.This is Nyla, and she is super loving and affectionate (and smart! wow is she smart!). She is just about 2 years old, and she's a hound / pit bull mix. She's extremely food motivated, which means you can probably train her to do anything. And you know what she's already been trained to do? Run alongside a bike. So that might be fun!Nyla is also fantastic with kids! The one thing you should know about this dog however, is that she has a strong prey drive. So she shouldn't go to a house with maybe rabbits or kittens or small animals like that.She's about 50 lbs, which is a perfect size (smaller than my dear Magda!). I will also take this moment to point out how great it is to adopt a 2-year-old dog. Sure, you miss the cute puppy phase, but that means she comes potty trained! Trust me when I tell you that is a feature not to be messed with!If you'd like more information on how to bring this sweet lady home, you can read more about her (and watch a video of her running with a biker!) over here. And below are more adorable photos! About this projectFor the next month, I'll feature photos on my blog, my instagram and my facebook feeds that focus on dogs who need homes. These are dogs currently in foster homes, waiting for their forever family. They are amazing pups who will melt your hearts -- some are hard to adopt because they are pit bull mixes (the sweetest dogs ever who cannot help their strength) or they have lived on the streets for a long time and are covered in scars or they might be blind or deaf (or both). Some are simply hard to get adopted because they are black, which is the dumbest reason ever. But each dog that has come into my studio in the last few weeks for photos has had a warm heart and wanted nothing more than love. Wouldn't it be great if one of you could provide that? I hope so. To see all the dogs featured so far, look here.Also! See those cute bandanas up there? They were donated by the wonderful Lucy & Co, a local dog accessories company that I adore. For every bandana bought between now and May 6, they'll donate one to a rescue dog to help get them adopted! Yay for companies with big hearts! 

post by leslie

As I mentioned yesterday, May is the month I'm launching my personal project, Adopt a Stray in May. And guess what? Today it's May!For the next month, I'll feature photos on my blog, my instagram and my facebook feeds that focus on dogs who need homes. These are dogs currently in foster homes, waiting for their forever family. They are amazing pups who will melt your hearts -- some are hard to adopt because they are pit bull mixes (the sweetest dogs ever who cannot help their strength) or they have lived on the streets for a long time and are covered in scars or they might be blind or deaf (or both). Some are simply hard to get adopted because they are black, which is the dumbest reason ever. But each dog that has come into my studio in the last few weeks for photos has had a warm heart and wanted nothing more than love. Wouldn't it be great if one of you could provide that? I hope so.So without further ado, here is our first dog, Betsy.Is this dog gorgeous or what?!? I love these beautiful hound dogs! Betsy is two, and she has the energy you would expect (she needs her exercise, but that doesn’t mean she’s overly hyper or nutso). She came from Kentucky and she loves being a couch potato. She is simply mellow and adorable.But I must also say that this girl is a little bit stubborn, I am not gonna lie. However, it's a little endearing as she's not rude about it or anything, she simply lets you know what she wants in a gentle and sweet way. For instance, we had to take photos on the couch because this sweetheart would not move (can’t blame her), so if you want to adopt this gorgeous lady into your home, you should probably be ok with dogs on the furniture. She loves to snuggle and will cover you in kisses. She's great with children, and she’d be an amazing partner for evening strolls in the summer time.For more information and to adopt this sweet girl, go here.More photos of this sweetheart below. Enjoy! Also! See those cute bandanas up there? They were donated by the wonderful Lucy & Co, a local dog accessories company that I adore. For every bandana bought between now and May 6, they'll donate one to a rescue dog to help get them adopted! Yay for companies with big hearts! 

Post by leslie

Did you guys know that today is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day? And since it is, I want to talk about my own rescue dog up there, Magda. (That photo is from the first month we brought our girl home.)Before this girl, I've always ended up with rescue/shelter dogs. Not really out of conscious choice, but that's just what kept happening. Magda was my fifth dog, and she was a rescue, and I mean she was a R.E.S.C.U.E.We were the fifth family to adopt her, and later I spoke with her foster mom who told me she was just waiting for the call from us to return Magda as well. Why, you ask? Well, Magda was hyper. She barked. She jumped. She was 4 mos. old, and she was strong, and she needed training badly. And she woke us up at 5 am each day by small puppy bites to the face.Instead of giving up on her (which was tempting that first month, let me tell you), we buckled down and worked hard on teaching her to be a good dog. We walked her multiple times a day and socialized her like crazy. We taught her to sit and stay. We taught her to slow down a little with her food. We taught her to approach children slowly (for her).Now, don't get me wrong. She's still a little nuts (especially when company comes over). But outside of that, she's a wonderful dog. She is so patient with Ezra, she's a great walker, and she's an amazing snuggler. She sleeps in like a champ (yay! finally!) and, frankly, she's just sort of hilarious. And I'm so glad we took the time she needed to welcome her to our family. It was 100 percent worth all the work.But, in case you have a very busy life with kids and cats and whatever, there is a rescue dog out there for you. One that might not be as much work as Magda. Maybe you'll end up with a Merlin (the best dog on the planet right out of the gate). But I will tell you that putting that much work into a pup and ending up with a great dog is amazingly satisfying.And that's why today I'm celebrating National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, and it's why I'm so proud to tell you about this personal project I've been working on. I'm calling it Adopt A Stray In May.For the entire month of May, I'll be blogging only about one thing: dogs that are being fostered and who need to be adopted. I'll be showing you portraits that I've been taking of these dogs (!!!) and sharing their stories and what kind of homes they need. And I'll be sharing the contact info in case for when your heart is melted and you decide you need one of these animals in your family.Some of these dogs have been living on the streets of Puerto Rico. Some have been shot at and still have bullet fragments in their skin. Some are missing ears and have multiple scars from their time as a "bait dog". Some are just sweet dogs who were surrendered for no real reason and who are so funny and sweet. And some are blind or deaf or both. Many are simply black dogs, which are the hardest to adopt (don't get me started). I guarantee there will be several that would be a great match for you. The hardest part of this project so far is not bringing several of them home to my own family!So please come back to this place every day this month and check out the dog I have listed. I promise, it will be a lot of fun. And please share this info with anyone you can think of who might be thinking of welcoming an animal into their home. The more of these dogs that get adopted, the happier I'll be. Cheers.

post by leslie

What a week! I've had a ton going on in the studio (so much that I forgot to blog yesterday! Whoops!), and you'll all find out about it next week. It's a top-secret project I've been working on that has been a TON of fun, and I can't wait to share the work!In the meantime, some wonderful friends dropped off these amazing Japanese Irises to the studio, and today I figured it was time to toss them. I love these flowers when they are alive, but I think I love them even more when they are shriveled up -- they look so much like tissue paper, and the colors get even richer.For your internet shares of the day:+ This entire story has fascinated me, but the use of genealogy sites to uncover a killer is such an interesting use of today's technology. I'm not gonna lie, it makes me never want to submit my DNA for testing, but at the same time, I'm thrilled they got him!+ Since I tend to kill all my houseplants, here's a guide to help myself (and others!) on keeping them alive!+ Even after reading this, I don't think I could do a fishtail on myself. But I would love to try one on a friend!

post by leslie

Meet Argos! This guy is 10 weeks old, and he is an adorable silver lab. What a cutie! This, obviously, has been the highlight of my week (well, besides this). And for your internet shares of the day:+ Did you know I have a slight fascination with true crime? So this case is completely fascinating to me.+ Obviously.+ Ooooo lal la!

post by leslie

Many days, when I'm driving the kiddo someplace (swim lessons? grocery store? studio? zoo?) he sees pedestrian bridges over the freeway and tells me that, "Someday, I want to go across one of those bridges. Will you do that with me, Mommy?" I always say yes to these requests (I've even promised to go to Neptune with the kid if we can figure out how!), and this weekend we were parking near the Electric Fetus (our favorite store in town) where they were celebrating Record Store Day, and I realized we were right near one of those bridges.So up we went!The view from that particular bridge is pretty great, as you can see, but I loved watching Jamie carry the kid back off the bridge when we were done. I tried to warn Ezra about how loud and overwhelming it would be above all those lanes of traffic, but he didn't really understand until we were there. Ah well, you live and you learn.For your internet shares of the day:+ I've been following this musician / fiddler for years as he backed other vocalists I adored, and now he has his own album out! On Third Man Records! Exciting! It's far more country than I normally like, but whenever I listen, it makes me want to take Jamie back to The Broken Spoke in Austin, TX for some dancing. Maybe you'll like it as well.+ This woman has freed thousands of slaves. I learned so much reading this fascinating interview.+ Forests and dogs combined? Another reason canines are the best ever.

 post by leslie

This weekend was far too short. Probably because it was in the 60s and there were a gazillion things to do around town celebrating Prince and his life, record store day and, well, just LIFE WITHOUT COATS!Frankly, it's amazing to think last Sunday we were accumulating around 20 inches of snow, and yesterday we were in short sleeves going on bike rides outside and walking the dog! And what a refreshing change it was!But we still made time to appreciate Prince. He is by far Ezra's favorite musician right now (that changes constantly -- Macklemore is coming up as a close second), and he had a blast at the First Avenue dance party aimed at kids. It was at this party that we danced with friends and the kiddo tasted his first Shirly Temple. He thought it was "fine." However, he totally proved that he is genetically linked to me by how he grabbed my hand and pulled me deftly through the throngs of people right up to the front row. Atta boy. (Serious rock and roll face, there.)For your internet shares of the day:+ World Market is having a sale on patio furniture! I am obviously in the mood for patio gatherings.+ Sarah Palin is selling tea on instagram?+ Is water ok if left out overnight? (Of course it is, but here's why it tastes different.)

post by leslie

Well... yesterday's blog post was cancelled by a power outage. Talk about the universe intervening! Yes, my laptop had juice, but without wifi in the house, I was stuck. So I put away my gear and met girlfriends for wine. You can't blame me, can you?But before all that excitement, I caught up with my girlfriend Leah and her adorable Mina (pictured above). I mean, look at that smile! What a cutie! Also, by the by, Leah is heading up the hair looks for this fashion show on Monday. Get tickets while you can -- it should be fun! (And my lady Ashley is doing makeup! Woot!)For your internet shares of the day:+ Three days without human interaction. I'm not gonna lie, part of this sounds dreamy.+ The details of Prince's final days. What a sad end.+ Cinematic recipe videos. Ha!