Dance of the Sugar-Plum Puppies

It’s Friday again, so I’m here with your weekly dose of linky goodness…

  1. Your punny pet name: Kitty Ya-meow-guchi.  (Fun fact: kittens are really into ice skating.)
  2. It’s definitely the party season – time to stock up on gifts for your hosts/hostesses.  If one of them happens to be a dog lover, here are some great ideas.  Another option – just get a gift for the dog instead.
  3. Once you have the gifts, you’ll need to wrap them. On that note, I have a feeling most cats would not be as tolerant as this one.
  4. Looking for some new Christmas music to sing while you decorate? Might I suggest The 12 Dogs of Christmas? (That post may inspire me to dogify some Christmas carols soon.  Stay tuned.)
  5. Does your dog inspire your holiday decorations? Maybe I should take a cue from Bo and make a Bella out of marshmallows and peanut butter cups.
  6. Speaking of my little blog star, want to see more photos from Bella’s holiday shoot?  Check out our album on Facebook. (While you’re there, you might as well like the page too, right?)
  7. Considering taking photos of your pet this holiday season but not sure where to start?  Lucky for you, I’ve rounded up some tips from our pals at Go Pet Friendly and Alfie’s Blog.
Finally, here’s a holiday treat – therapy dogs performing The Nutcracker.  Personally, I think the Mouse King steals the show.


(Visit here for more information about this performance.)

I was joking about creating a candy Bella (I blame last night’s Parks & Recreation for putting that notion into my brain), but now I’m wondering –  what candy would you use to make a replica of your dog?

(P.S. Parks and Recreation, much like Community, has a documented love of puppies. Yet another reason I love these two shows.)

Happy Friday!

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Can you guess Bella’s holiday tip?

It will probably not surprise you to learn that Bella is always the star of my holiday cards.  You may remember that Bella is also full of holiday wisdom – as usual, she’ll be sharing a Bella Holiday Tip this year.

I’m not quite ready to reveal this year’s photos and tip – if I did, it wouldn’t be a surprise when people open their mailboxes!  However, today I’m sharing a few photos from our holiday photo shoot. (I took over 155 photos that day – so this will probably not be the last of them I share with you.)

Think you can guess Bella’s 2011 holiday tip?  (Hint: it involves antlers.)  Give it your best shot in the comments!

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A paw in the hand is worth two in the grass

Please excuse the tortured saying in today’s post title. I wanted to share a few photos I shot as part of the Daily Dog Challenge group on Flickr (created by our pals at Tales and Tails and BZ Training), and my brain apparently decided to stop working properly.

Anyway, the Daily Dog Challenge is pretty fun… there are daily prompts that encourage you to take photos of your furry friend.  It’s a great way to get your creative juices flowing while working on your photography skills.  (After all, practice makes perfect).

For example, I took the photo below in response to this prompt: “Take a photo today that shows a paw in a hand.”

View on Flickr

Bella doesn’t really like when people mess with her paws… so I took a rather liberal interpretation of the “hand” part of things. Want to see what other photographers did with this prompt?  Check it out!

Another recent prompt was: “How does your dog react to his reflection? Show us today with a photo!”  I submitted the shot below:

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There were a lot of great photos submitted for this one.

As you can tell, I’ve been experimenting with the mood of my photos lately – these photos were taken with customized settings to create an amber glow.  (Camera settings – and great Nikon D7000 user’s guide – courtesy of Ken Rockwell.  If you want to learn more about photography, check out Mr. Rockwell’s site – you’ll find user’s guides for a variety of cameras as well as some fantastic tips.)

For good measure, here’s one shot outside with a different feel, shot in response to the prompt: “Around the world, the seasons are different. Take a picture today that shows us what it’s like in your corner of the world!”

View on Flickr

You can see the other photos submitted in response to this prompt here.

Feel free to check out my other submissions here, or visit the group pool to see what others have submitted.  I don’t manage to keep up with every challenge, but I really enjoy it! 

Sounds like fun right?  If you’re interested in joining the Daily Dog Challenge, go here to learn more.

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I like big mutts and I cannot lie…

First off, happy National Mutt Day!  I’d like to dedicate today’s post to all of the awesome mutts out there, including my own.  (Considering adopting your own mutt? Check out a really cool way to announce it and help other shelter pets, courtesy of Bocci’s Beefs.)

Now, back to your regularly scheduled linkage:

  1. Your punny pet name: Johann Sebastian Bark. (Also, this week’s award for awesome punnage goes to… Goatzart.)
  2. It seems that one local law school has taken a cue from the extremely awesome TV show Community – George Mason University has enlisted some cuddly puppies from a local rescue group to help law students relax during exams.  (Perhaps they got the idea from Yale, but in my mind the administrators are just big Community fans.)
  3. Speaking of TV, I really enjoy that the worried dog from that insurance commercial is starring in a happier commercial.
  4. So, has anyone seen the new Muppets movie yet? I really want to see it this weekend. After all, I can’t wait to see the next stage in Ms. Piggy’s style evolution.
  5. This next video has the perfect soundtrack… and it made me giggle, alot (typo intentional).
  6. I think we can all agree that dogs are cute. (If not, how did you end up reading this blog? Go watch this video and then come back.)  Today, let’s also appreciate some cute from off the beaten path.
  7. Um… on a related note, hedgehog bathtime is awesome.

I think this week’s video really ties it all together…

(via Paw Nation)

You know, I had to give Bella a bath last week in preparation for her holiday photo shoot.  Why couldn’t she be into it like that guy?

I’ve been battling a sinus infection this week – however, new research shows that the doctor should prescribe a glass of wine and a bubble bath.  Now that’s medicine I can get behind.  (See how it all relates? My mind works in odd ways.)

Don’t forget – if you have any questions that you’d like to ask a professional pet photographer who also photographs shelter pets, send them my way.  I hope to have some answers for you in the near future.

Have a great weekend!

 

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Take a cue from the dog and treat yo self

First of all, some good news: Bella’s long national nightmare is over.  Her staples have been removed and she’s gotten clearance to say goodbye to her cone.  (Just in time, too… I think Bella has had enough of my attempts at cone humor.)

Thank goodness for the Comfy Cone, however.  I don’t think Bella would have ever forgiven me had I made her wear that plastic one for two weeks.  They had a good run, Bella and her Comfy Cone.  In fact, Bella’s flashlight costume won her first prize in Comfy Cone’s Halloween contest!  This cone, at least, had a (reflective) silver lining.

Moving on… in honor of Bella’s good news and inspired by Parks and Recreation, I think you should treat yo self this weekend.  Life can really take its toll on you sometimes, so every now and then it’s important to take it easy.  Our dogs seem to know how to live in the moment and enjoy life, and I’m pretty sure Bella doesn’t feel the least bit bad when she decides to treat herself.  Talk about a good role model.  I’ll help get you started…

  1. Your punny pet name for the week: Tom Catterford As a bonus, here’s one for the neighborhood deer: Ron Fawnson.
  2. Start your morning off right.  Play this song when you wake up.  It’s better than coffee. (No joke, I want to wake up to this song every morning. I am confident that I could do anything after listening to it.)
  3. You might consider planning a day trip with your best friend.  Just get out and enjoy the world.  (Note: words cannot even describe how much I love the video linked to here.)
  4. If a trip’s not in the cards, perhaps you should treat yourself to some culture – spend some quality time gazing at these photos from the Water Droplet Zoo. It’ll make you feel like a real aristoquack.
  5. After lunch, take in a classic movie with a real cinema buff.
  6. Don’t worry, your day should include some silly moments too.  Enjoy some comic relief, such as these dogs in wigs.
  7. Why not broaden your horizons and make a new friend today?
  8. Whatever you do this weekend, remind yourself that there’s so much to be happy about if you just know where to look.

You might be wondering how to cap off a nice day of treating yourself.  Never fear, I have it all taken care of. First, find someone to drive you around so you can relax.  Then, if you’re into the arts, might I recommend tickets to the ballet?

Not your style?  That’s okay.  If you’re a sports fan, how about a hockey game?

However you choose to spend your weekend, I hope it’s a good one and that you find some time to treat yourself.  If all else fails, just forget about the world for a while and do your own happy dance.

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Back… when we were innocent

This photo was taken in approximately 1 BC (one month Before Cone). In fact, it’s a photo from the vet’s office. If only Bella knew what she was getting herself into that day… wonder what she was thinking?

We head back to the vet on Friday. I hope that means that the staples come out and that the cone can be put into storage (after a thorough cleaning, however… that thing is pretty gross because Bella spends half her day licking it).

For bonus points (on the imaginary quiz I am apparently giving you):  Can you guess what song inspired the title of today’s post?  (These two posts might provide a clue.)

Give up?  Here’s the answer.

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