Ruff

Ever since the holiday season there has been a common theme around our home. Namely of the canine persuasion.

First the decision a furry friend. Immediately followed by the trail and error period which led to the contemplation that perhaps we're more cat people than dog people. I even sat in on a panel with the people behind the upcoming show on PBS called "Why We Love Cats and Dogs" where I actually asked for their help in the matter. They were very gracious. By the way, I cannot wait to see that show! A day or two later coincidentally began the dog sitting days. Believe me when I tell you if nothing else, dogs give you one more perfect subject for a 365 project. Then, today we topped it all off with an afternoon at the movies seeing Hotel for Dogs. Things are getting ridiculous, I know. By the way, it's a darling movie!

After all of this, we still don't have our family pet question answered (except of course that we know fish are cool) and and truth be told I'm OK with it not being decided just now. We're just going to sit with it. It's always fun when the puns come easy.

So, why the long drawn-out story then? No reason at all except to preface My Best Shot Monday offering today.



This shot was taken on the pup's last morning with us waiting for his true mommy (my mom-in-law) to come get him. I call it 'the final stretch'.

How about you? Share the story of your Best Shot.

The Morning Of

I hope you got all that you wished for this holiday! I know a few little girls that did.

Happenings

Around here we are spending time at home, avoiding the crowds, keeping warm, maintaining perspective and being mindful of what is important. At least that's the goal. But perhaps more than anything I'm trying really hard to not focus on the fact that my husband has the flu and that Christmas is a few days away and let's see, the incubation period for the flu is usually a few days and, well, you know...
Did I say maintaining perspective?

What kinds of things are happening around your house these days?

Speaking of happenings, a little bird told me that Shutter Sisters is giving away a sweet snaptotes bag . You know, the kind that you can create with your own photo? Way cool ladies! Right up your alley.

Catching up on Gratitude

I know Thanksgiving is long gone and Christmas is soon approaching but I'm not sure I'm done with the giving thanks part. These photos (my best shots for today) were captured on Thanksgiving day and show a glimpse into what I am grateful for. It was the kind of day dreams are made of. A quiet morning, puttering over food and tiny details....taking time to relax and enjoy the day. And an evening of just being together...no agenda, no drama, no rush.

As the holidays draw near, I will take a lesson from my Thanksgiving and try to do the same thing all over again. The hustle of it all just doesn't serve me I've decided. And so, I choose to linger and savor time as it passes. You'll hold me to that won't you? I just might need your help on this one. Who's with me?

What we're there moments you captured this week that had you savoring the season?

A Fully Awesome Day in LA

If there is one thing about living in So Cal that is great it's that we're in pretty close proximity to anything and everything you could ever want to do. In this case I'm talking about doing it up Hollywood style at the historic and totally cool El Capitan Theatre. This my friends, is not your typical movie theater. It's an ideal venue to see a movie with your family for sure. It's small and intimate with an old time vibe that takes the experience to a new level. Beautiful architectural details, rich fabric curtains and the unmistakable Mighty Wurlitzer organ that is being played as you stroll in and find your seat. And please note-they have special movie seat boosters you can use for your young ones. Fully Awesome. I'm not trying to be overly-dramatic but it is something to be experienced for sure. It's even worth the drive from Orange County.

Even though I've lived here all my life, I've only visited this landmark twice but both times were absolutely wonderful. Our first trip was for The Little Mermaid Sing-a-Long where Ariel actually opened the show. Talk about a hit!

This most recent trip was to see the latest Disney offering Bolt in 3D. Bolt didn't open the show like Ariel did but a grand Holiday Spectacular did and it was delightful and oh-so-very Christmasy. All the characters were there in their holiday best. Mickey, Minnie, Pooh Bear and all the Princesses. My youngest daughter was mesmerized. She even got a high-five from Goofy (dressed as Santa of course). That's big time.

After the opening act they showed the movie which was an ACTION PACKED adventure. Did I mention it's in 3D? Wow. And the 3D glasses you get are like real glasses, not paper, thank you very much. My oldest daughter and 8-year-old nephew LOVED it. My 5-year-old did too but the storyline wasn't as easy to follow for her as for the older kids. The movie got more fun (as in less on-the-edge-of-your-seat and more belly laughing) when the hilarious character Rhino the hamster got introduced onto the scene. I think he might be my new favorite animated character of all time. His one-liners were so funny that they've already become popular banter in our home.




After the movie we enjoyed shopping and a snack at the malt shop that is connected to the Theater. From the last trip, I was smart enough to be sure my girls brought their own money for a Bolt souvenir. Worked like a charm. You'd better believe we brought home a big fat overstuffed hamster home with us, bucked teeth and all.

If you are looking for something fun to do with your family I would highly recommend making a day of it to experience the magic of the movies the way it should be done. Bolt (along with the Holiday Spectacular) is playing now through Jan. 4th at The El Capitan Theatre. It's a great way to unwind and spend some warm and cozy holiday family time together during some of this winter vacation time we've got coming. You won't regret it. And you won't want to go to just any old movie theater again.

Past, Present and Future

I just revisited this interview I did with Maile of Daily Relish and couldn't believe how time flies. It's been a year!

Then there is this new little tid-bit at Our 365 about baby's first holiday photos which I wrote a while ago but was just published this week.

And last but not least I can only share three little words that you never want to hear in the same sentence with The Oprah Winfrey Show...cutting room floor. Which leads me to the Future part of this post where I reiterate what I know deep in my heart; all I have experienced up until now is merely the tip of the iceberg my friends. A dress rehearsal as my sister calls it. Despite my obvious disappointment, I take comfort in knowing the sky is the limit and I am flying.

How about you? Have you had any chance to reflect on what you've come from, where you are now and where you are going? This time of year is the perfect time to be thankful for what we do have and to look forward to the bright and brilliant future. I know it's going to be amazing. Can you feel it too?

On Growing and Grace

Amidst all the recent hub-bub around here, my oldest daughter turned 11. That is some pretty big news! I haven't really even had the time to reflect and get too melancholy about it. The thing is, although I have the expected motherhood twinge of disbelief that my baby is growing up I am more in a place of total and utter gratitude and appreciation of who my daughter is now.

This year as we celebrated at the hippest bowling alley around I marveled at my daughter interacting with her friends; confident, comfortable, vibrant, funny, sincere, warm and happy. She's amazing this kid. My daughter. And she's growing up.

And did I mention full of grace?



Did you capture any highlights of your week that told such a story? Enlighten us with your Best Shot on this lovely Monday.

A Purrrrrfect BSM

From pumpkin carver to Cheetah is no time flat. Meeeeeow.

I cannot wait to see this weeks Best Shots. Something tells me they are going to more festive than any other week to date (except for maybe last year or the year before that).

Go ahead, show us the Halloween goods!

And you are welcome to share more homespun goodness over at The Sundays at Home post at Shutter Sisters for a chance to win a copy of America at Home.

Trick or Treat Disney Style

My girls and I recently had the pleasure of attending Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party at California Adventure. Last years event was such a blast we were delighted for the invite again. With each passing year outings like this get more and more fun (and easy) as the girls are older and more independent. The energy, excitement and stamina of a 5-year-old makes the late night galas (like this one) much more enjoyable for everyone.

Disneyland in all it's season grandeur offers Halloween Time- a festive transformation of both Disneyland and California Adventure-from Sept 26th through Nov 2nd. Mickey's Trick or Treat Party is the 'costume party' part of the gig. It's Disney's way of celebrating this spooky time of year, in a not-to-spooky way. Thank you Mickey for offering a family friendly (non scary)celebration of the season.

We enjoyed our evening at the party so much as music and dancing were happening around every corner. Characters danced and played around the park. There's nothing that screams October like doing the chicken dance with big blue Sully from Monsters Inc. Am I right? And there were star sightings a plenty. Good times. The actual trick-or-treat stations were dotted around the park (they give you a map to find them) where there were sweet AND healthy treats available. Yes, there were bags of apple slices and carrots, raisins, etc. I really appreciate the healthy offerings and my children were a lot better off snacking on the fruits and veggies, believe me.

You've only got a week or so to check out Halloween Time and only a few select dates (Oct 28, 29, 30, 31) to attend Mickey's Trick-or-Treat Party so head on down to the Happiest Place on Earth and have some Halloween family fun!

Those Best Shot Moments

When moments like this present themselves I melt; my camera at the ready of course. I shoot with reckless abandon loving each shot more than the last, in a zone of celebrating these moments of my life that make it all worthwhile.

What I love most about it is knowing that it's just these simple mundane moments that can bring such a grand perspective. Some days it can even feel like a heaven on earth. I know I'm not alone. Sentiments like these resonate from the blogosphere day after day, small celebration after small celebration.

As a mother that can often become enveloped in a sea of what feels overwhelming and never ending in motherhood (not in a good way), the warm glow of what is really important is what gives me hope. It's what keeps me mindful and appreciative of my life.

I shared a shot from this mini-love-shoot in a presentation I gave recently about capturing the perfect photo for holiday cards and how to use those photos to create an awe-inspiring cards. I know many of you manage to do just that year after year. I hope you join us at Shutter Sisters as we explore and discover new ways to create great greeting this season. And please come over and join our Flickr group, great greetings! and share what you have done in past years as well as your process this year. It will be fun to share our inspirations with one another!

Share with us those moments melted you this week.

It Must be Love

Sometimes it's the little things....

Happy Love Thursday.

Two Rooms

Ali mentioned in a recent post, "I love that many of you are changing up the project to make it fit your life. That is perfect." That's what I love about Ali. There's no pressure with her. She wants to let us off the hook and encourage us to work at our own pace and do it in a way that feels good to us. So refreshing!

I think as I mull over how I'm going to end up creating my book, I might design many pages like this. Almost like a comparison. A contrast. In this case from one daughter's room to the other.



This foursome is especially appealing to me and it represents my daughters and where they are right now, in this moment in time. It makes me very happy. It makes me appreciate who they are and how they are growing up. Becoming their own incredible people in this world. It makes me so proud.

I cannot tell you how much fun I am having with this project. What about you? Are any you playing along? I'm eager to hear how it's going for you? Are you having fun this weekend shooting your world?

Cool Places

I love days like these.

Every Night

Shooting everyday moments also means shooting every night moments too. Ours usually revolves around bedtime snacks. Since last night was watermelon, I took the time to snap a few shots.

Shooting indoors can be tricky. Shooting indoors at night can be near impossible. But, since I'm a tenacious gal, I have come up with a few tried and true techniques I use to get the job done. A few of which I am sharing today at Shutter Sisters.

This first shot came straight out of the camera.

This second version is my idea of a small tweak that makes for a much better shot all around.

All I had to do was dial out a little yellow/add a little blue, dial out a smidge of red/add a little green and boost the contrast a tad. A 10 second fix that improves the shot and makes it a keeper. Don't ya think?

Sisterly Best Shot

As I observe my everyday life for the 'a week in the life' project, I'm seeing snapshots at every turn. Fleeting moments captured in still pictures. I'm seeing clearly moments like this.

My intention is to see my life for what it is; it's absurdity, authenticity, hilarity, sincerity (the list goes on) and the goal is to capture the many facets of my life that will remind me of today. I know that one day I will miss the tiny toys all over the family room, giving baths, little mismatched socks, making heart shaped peanut butter and jelly and sitting through elaborate plays starring fairy princesses and magic spells in the living room.

What shot reminds you of today?

For a little inspiration be sure to click over to Shutter Sisters first thing Monday morning. The lovely Hula has shared something about capturing the world around us in a whole new way. Believe me when I tell you that she converted me instantaneously. I'm sure you'll find her post and images irresistible.

Rockin' My Best Shot

I remember the Christmas morning when my youngest daughter got her guitar. She's been a rocker ever since she came screaming, er singing, from the womb. I guess Santa figured the least he could do was to get her a guitar at a young age to foster her love of the rock star lifestyle; loud, wild and free.

But, as I have mentioned so many times before, she's a girl who plays by her own rules. You cannot pin one persona on her, no way. She's a renegade ballerina. A singing soccer star. A fierce and fiery, tender and true spirit. A wild and wonderful one-of-kind kid who lives life cranked to 11.


Now, neither one of my girls knew much about Hannah Montana or Miley Cyrus when I got the job to shoot a handful of VIP parties and 'meet and greets' on the Best of Both Worlds Tour. I know, I know. It seems like an impossibility, but, it's true. But for me, after 5 concerts where I shot photos like the one seen on this cool site and some of the shots featured in this concert memory book book, I got to see a little bit about the life of a young rock star and almost all the lyrics to every song...


Fast forward to now where my girls are both really embracing thier inner rock stars. Especially the young one. Surprise surprise. Note the Miley/Hannah concert tour t-shirt.






How could I not share weekend shot as my Best Shot today? It's priceless.

Have you got some rockin' shots to share today?

Light-Hearted Best Shots

This has been a tough week on the kids. Of course, I am in full celebration mode of having my time back-sorry, but mama needs her time-but for them, it's been an overload of new things; people, places, schedules, things to remember, homework to do, etc. Both girls, back to school all day everyday meant a roller coaster of emotions from excitement and enthusiasm to hesitation and melt-downs. Total brain over-load.

This weekend we just needed a little levity and what better place than our our backyard? Here's how my kids blew off a little steam from the pressure-cooker that is the first week of school.

How did you capture this past week? Hopefully you had a little fun while you were at it. Do share!

Ready for Change (and I'm not just talking politics)

Hello. My name is Tracey and I am the mother of a middle-schooler.

As of yesterday anyway. Wow. It’s still so surreal—surreal and bittersweet but truthfully, more than anything I am just so excited for her—for the new chapter in her life and in mine. I have let her take the lead on this one; as I watch, wait, try to read her as she makes her way into adolescence growing and changing, becoming her own person. I am inspired by her grace.

But, growing and changing means puberty and that word can strike terror into any mother’s heart. Lucky for me, as long as I don’t say that word, talking about it isn’t as hard as I had thought. I have made a very conscious effort to act as breezy as possible about the changes that have come and those on the horizon for my daughter. Being open about own body, my cycle, etc. have made for some pretty perfect ‘teachable moments’.

For example…
What happens when you mix a trip to Disneyland, a pair of white bermudas, and a mother who is ill prepared? One of those 'teachable moments'. My daughter swooped in to save me, in calm yet heroic fashion whipping out a quarter from her purse. Isn’t that what this is for? she said pointing to the metal box stuck to the bathroom wall. OK. She’s savvy. I’m impressed. My problem was quickly resolved with very little incident all thanks to my 10 year old. I beamed with pride.

All of this to say that despite the fact that I have been open and honest about these things, I was eager to review a DVD called “Healthy Chats for Girls – an age-appropriate sensitive-yet-fun discussion about Puberty and Growing Up” for the Parent Blogger Network. And I am glad I did.

The DVD comes in the My First Period Kit created by the kind, approachable and celebrated doctor Crystal de Freitas. Who by the way, is not only a mom to 3 kids but is a published author of books on the complex subject of our children’s sexuality. She’s an expert.

Considering the only education our young girls get about ‘coming of age’ (beyond the trash the media serves up) is the one film shown in elementary school to all 5th graders. Now, I can’t pretend to know how that info is delivered—I actually missed that day of 5th grade which I will admit is an absence of which I will never get over—I don’t think they’ve updated that film since they first created it and the fact that the film is shown in a room full of mortified and therefore giggly and chatty girls isn’t really conducive to really listening, let alone learning. That said, I am happy to have the Healthy Chats for Girls DVD to share with my daughter in the comfort of our own home, no distractions, just an authentic, easy to understand, painless “modern approach to that traditional chat between a mother and daughter”. That’s how the DVD is billed and that’s exactly what you get. Take a sneak peak if you want to see for yourself how it’s done.

I would recommend the Kit to any mother with daughters. After all, we need all the help we can get as embark on our new adventure through puberty (again). There. I said it.

The Sun Setting Over my Best Shot

Have you captured any dreams or visions this week?

My Golden Girl

I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed shooting photos of my oldest daughter lately as she's growing up and truly becoming her own person. She starts middle school in a few weeks and perhaps reflecting on that has made the images I have been capturing even more surreal to me in the most bittersweet of ways.



How can this be my baby? My daughter? Finding herself, coming into her own power, expressing her beliefs; intense, vigilant, strong. She is mine, yes. But what's more...she is hers.

Lovely images from Paige at Shutter Sisters inspired me to put these two shots together. I called the pair yellow (for the obvious reasons) but as I type the word I am reminded that it's shares the name of a song I would sing to her when she was still young enough to be called my baby girl. I would softly sing and get teary with beauty of the melody and lyrics and how perfectly they told the story of my love for her.




Nothing has changed. I still hold those exact feelings and get weepy just hearing this song. Everything has changed. She is 10 now and force in this world that is undeniable. As I have been doing some seeking out of my own inner 10-year-old, I am inspired by daughter and everything she is; bright, beautiful, bold...just like the sun. And so yellow.

Edited to add- Discovering this incredible list from Jen Lemen has enlightened and inspired me as I strive to be the best mother possible to my 10-year-old. I wanted to share it with you.