Oh man, I know it's cruel, but I love photos of kids all upset and crying over things like having to lay in the grass. I think it's hilarious! But, I should point out that this little guy was perfectly behaved for the rest of his 2-hour shoot yesterday. Just don't make him lay in the grass, ok??To prove it, and because I have a heart, I'm also including a cute photo of him below. See? A scoop of ice cream makes everything better.
And for your internet share of the day, this essay by David Sedaris (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE) on his fitbit obsession made me think of my buddy Alby and all his walking. Enjoy!
I had a family session in the studio yesterday. Well, it was really more of a newborn session, but they brought the dog! Because these clients are amazing, obviously. And I had never met Lucy here, and I was totally smitten. She was so sweet and loving. And... afraid of the photo studio :) So we shot photos of her on the comfy bed. Who knew when I put that bed in the basement it would get such great use, eh? Obviously it was all part of my brilliant master plan (... or not...).Oh yeah! All you baby lovers probably want to see Lucy's adorable sister Allie. She's pretty cute, too, but she doesn't give as many kisses as Lucy (yet). I loved this shot of Allie and her dad.What a fun morning!
For your internet share today, I'm sending you to 
Here's me and my guy. Merlin has had a bit of a rough go lately, and we're just not sure how much juice is left in this old guy's battery. Some days (like today!) he's fantastic and curious and sweet and loving and in need of attention. And other days he just sleeps and barely moves around. Oh how I wish dogs could live 20-30 years... not that it would be any easier...Anyway, one regret I have about Miss Memphis is that while I have a MILLION photos of her, and tons of them include Merlin and Jamie, I don't have any photos of me with her.So I asked my amazingly talented buddy Margaret to come over yesterday and snap a few photos of Merlin and I during our morning snuggle routine. The photos are, of course, phenomenal. Margaret has such an amazing photographic eye. Anyway, this was one of my favorites, so I thought I would share it with you.For your internet share of the day, one of my favorite old school bloggers has returned to the internet to fill in for a friend, and she wrote 
And you thought frozen grapes made me lazy! Ha! I can beat that!Sometimes, in the summer, when I really cannot stand the thought of cooking, I have a night of "snacks for dinner." I actually love doing this because, c'mon, it's just like American tapas! And you can mix and match and keep it totally healthy. And? It's even more awesome with wine ... (oh, how I miss my wine...).The key to "snacks for dinner" not turning into "cheetos in front of the TV" is that you have to plan out the food groups, and I always find it nice to still present it on the table for a sit-down meal. See? Not *quite* as lazy as I seem...This was the "snacks for dinner" that I put together last week when my parents were in town. But you know who else it works well for? Kids. Because they can nibble on a little of everything.I try to represent all the food groups with my snacks, and I also strive to get a lot of bold color (ie nutrition) in the mix. Here are some standbys that I try to include:Carbs/Bread: Crackers, sliced baguette or pretzels. Dinner rolls or croissants also can work well here.Fruit & veggies: Any kind of berry works well, grapes, sliced apples, cherries, baby carrots, pickles, cauliflower, for instance.Meat/Protein: Nuts, smoked fish (perfect for summer!), thinly sliced prosciutto, sliced salamis or sausages, pepperonis all work well.Dairy: SO MUCH CHEESE. Seriously. That one is a gimme. I love hard cheeses like shaved parmesan or Manchego, but brie or other soft cheese are great as well (oh... bleu cheese... you steal my heart).Fat and randoms: I love olives! I don't know what food group they fall into, but they are so good -- especially warmed up. I also will peruse the deli counter for a good cold salad. Up there I have included a chicken & pasta salad from the grocer, but I've also been known to add a tuna salad or smoked fish spread for the baguette.And how easy is that? You just put it out on the table and let people tear into it. And you know what you should have for dessert? 
Today's wedding was... flexible. :)It rained ALL DAY LONG. We ventured out for a few photos while it was merely drizzling before the ceremony, and were attacked by eagle-sized mosquitos while shooting. But this couple? Man, they just rolled with it all day, making it far less stressful and much more of a fun adventure. I'm pretty sure they were each being bitten by about 5 different insects in this particular frame. TOTAL TROOPERS.I don't have an official internet share of the day for you since I was at the wedding all day, but it occurs to me that I haven't been telling you when some of my full blog posts on these past weddings are posted! You can see a few of them 
Today we were supposed to have some hardwood floors redone in the house. But then two days ago, the guy called to say that he wouldn't be able to start until 2 pm on Friday, and then he would have to work through the weekend on it. Ok. Schedules were rearranged. Then today at 1:55 pm he called to say he wouldn't be coming because his knee was swollen, and he would try to be here tomorrow (but he sounded a touch unsure). Now, I'm not heartless. But maybe if you wake up with a swollen knee, you call earlier in the day so dogs aren't dropped off at daycare and people aren't rushing home to meet you.Yeah.So now we're working on finding someone else to redo our hardwood floors pronto. If you have suggestions, please let me know.But on to happier things, eh? I have so many internet shares for you today! I hesitate to blow them all at once, but I have a wedding all day tomorrow and I doubt I'll have any then, so I'm piling up. Enjoy! These are great :)Check out 
Tonight I had a shoot with these two -- who I totally adore. They are the parents of some dear friends of mine, and they are so funny and sweet and kind and in love, and I always have so much fun seeing them. We befriended them many years ago at a BBQ where Claire up there brought her homemade carrot cake. I LOVE CARROT CAKE. Jamie 
Man, you guys, this Minnesota summer has been amazing. It's like the weather gods are finally giving us a break, admitting we deserve it after that hellish winter we just had. And you know what? I'll take it! Today was another day in the 70s with a fabulous breeze and these amazing Simpsons-esque clouds. I was on a shoot all morning long, but I spent plenty of time outside with the dogs on breaks this afternoon.And speaking of the dogs, man