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Friday, November 25, 2011

The Blackest of Friday's


This is not a post about shopping,
or about this ridiculous day where consumerism is king.

No, this is a post about love and loss
and a little bit of a broken heart.

Regular readers of this blog know that I have two dogs,
Belle and Havok.


This pretty girl is sweet baby Belle.
My husband already had her when we got married,
and although she is elderly in Husky years ( 10 ), she is
still playful and full of life.

Feeling as though Belle was quite lonely as an "only dog",
I was fortunate enough to contact a lovely couple who
were having to give up their own beloved Husky, Havok...


My favorite photo ever of Mr. Twig giving Havok a bath...
such trust, such love.

We've had Havok  approximately two and a half years,
and during that time, we've found him to be a wonderful pup...
loving and loyal, but always very skittish and nervous.
Some might even say high-strung.

Belle immediately let him know who the Alpha dog was  ( her, of course ),
and he didn't challenge her dominance.
But still there would be minor scuffles.

Most were minor, but some were not...blood was shed...and almost all of them were started 
by the old girl, Belle.
She was basically harmless, as Havok was much younger, bigger,
stronger, still had all his sharp teeth.

Whereas Belle...sweet, often clueless Belle ( who by now is missing quite a few teeth ), 
would playfully charge Havok, 
and him being the nervous pup he is, would react in defense mode, 
several times sending Belle to the vet with a nasty bite.

It all came to an unexpectedly vicious head two days ago,
when one of their fights got out of control,
the Mr. had a near impossible time breaking it up,
and this morning, my sweet old girl Belle is at the vet
having her eye removed.

Still, they had a bond. They were a pack.
The minute my husband rushed Belle to the emergency vet,
Havok went into a panic that she was gone.

 { Havok left, Belle right }

I don't blame Havok, I don't blame Belle.
It's just the nature of the beast, pardon the pun.

Dogs being dogs, and loving them both, 
I knew that we couldn't risk this happening again and
something had to be done...they simply could not continue to live together 
and this realization has torn my heart in two.

God answered my prayers, in that when I contacted the
wonderful couple who had had to reluctantly surrender Havok several
years ago, they were not only in a position to take him back,
but they had missed him badly, and were quite thrilled
at the prospect of having him back.
This gladdens my heart, as I simply could not have
surrendered my baby boy to a shelter, even a no-kill one.


This photo and the one below were taken just today,
as Havok searches intently for Belle and Mr. Twig, whimpering and nervous.
I even took the day off work today to spend extra time with him before
he leaves tomorrow.



And so tomorrow morning he returns to his old family, his old pack.

Tomorrow afternoon my precious, now one-eyed girl returns home.

I'm pretty sure my heart will never be the same,
and anyone who has ever loved a dog understands this.



Goodbye and godspeed, sweet boy...Mama will miss you.



P.S.
Be sure to read the comment below from BeccaRoo...it's about the 14th one down.
she is Havok's original owner and the one welcoming him back home tomorrow!
God is so good.  :-)



Monday, November 21, 2011

Binky's Beautiful Christmas, Part One



Happy Monday!

About a week and a half ago, I found myself
at one of the most gorgeous open houses I've ever attended...


My good friend  
Binky Morgan of Binky La Faye
held a glorious Christmas Open House at her divine store
in Llano, Texas recently, and her entire shop, as well as Binky herself, 
was a feast for the eyes!


A grand time was had by all,
and Binky and Ron truly outdid themselves with not only
the decor, but their hospitality as well.

Enough chatter, on to the photos!








































And the loveliest shot
I snapped all night...


the gorgeous Binky herself!

There will be a part two, as I got a little snap happy,
hope y'all don't mind!

In the meantime, be sure to pay a visit to one of the most
charming vintage shops in all of Texas...

Binky La Faye
303 Bessemer Avenue  
Llano, TX 
(325) 247-2500

Have a beautiful week!





Friday, November 18, 2011

Sweet Relief!



Have you ever seen anything cuter?
A teeny-tiny Cracker Jack cap perched atop
a lamp finial.

Just a little outtake from my now completed
photo shoot and article.

Yep, I met my deadline, the one I was so worried
about meeting...THREE DAYS EARLY!!!
( doin' the spazzy Elaine dance from Seinfeld! )

I finished writing the article in two days,
the editor seemed to love it,
and it looks like a go.

Now  who's the Cracker Jack? { grin }

I wish I could share more about which magazine this project is for,
who and what the subject matter is,
and when it will be released.

But all in good time.

After work today, I'm looking at four glorious days off,
so I hope to get back to many of you who have left me
comments and correspondence.
I've been just horrid about it of late, SO busy,
please accept my apologies.

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends!



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Monday, November 14, 2011

Artful Blogging Giveaway Winner and Exciting News!




Happy Monday!

I am truly under the gun this week,
as I have just completed a DREAM photo shoot,
which has been picked up by a dream publication
for an upcoming issue!

The catch is, I have four days in which to get 
the article written and completed, too!
Yep, this will be my baby from start to finish,
I'm both photographer AND writer,
and I'm freaking out ever so slightly...

 what if the words don't come?
What if it, ( pardon my French ) sucks ? )

I'm proud of the photos I shot,
but I soooooo want to do them justice with
an excellent accompanying story.

Wish me luck!
Send up a prayer!
Send some good juju my way.
Thank you!

Anyway...
the winner of my  
giveaway is...


Congrats, Vickie!
Send me your contact info and I'll get that copy right
out to you!










I hope you enjoy, Vickie!!

See you all again soon!




Friday, November 11, 2011

The Friend I've Never Met...Revisited


I am re-posting one of my very first blog entries
in honor of a lady who has become quite a dear friend
in days of late...this past week especially.

We have still never "met" in the physical sense,
but know one another quite well via e-mail,
texts, and phone calls, and I'm not ashamed
to admit that I'm still her number one fan
and a gushy fan girl.

From September 2009....

When I visit a blog, I have no set rules on what I hope to find there....
a little eye candy is nice, usually in the form of something vintage or whimsical 
or just slightly off-kilter.

Even more so, I truly appreciate someone who can turn a phrase well,
who can draw remarkably vivid word pictures with such clarity
that I feel as though I've known them for  ages.

   is just such a person.


I remember well the first time I came across her blog. 
I was hooked instantly, this gal had it all! 

Impeccable style, 
unerring grace, 
the uncanny ability to transform the ordinary
into something transcendant.
Yep, she had all of those attributes in spades.

But that wasn't what kept me glued to my monitor reading her posts 
for the better part of an afternoon and into the evening. 

It was her willingness to get real, to risk vulnerability, 
to share her hopes, her dreams, her fears.
All the rest, the striking visuals and the lyrical prose, was just icing.

I will likely never meet Elizabeth Maxson in person, 
but ultimately, that matters little. 
To borrow and tweak her customary sig line, 
she has sent so much of herself to all of her readers,  
from her house to ours.
That's the sort of blogger I want to be, too.

No pretty pictures in this entry, 
save for the one of lovely Elizabeth,
along with the hope and encouragement that you too
will get to know this amazing lady yourselves.

Have a wonderful weekend!


P.S.
Be sure to enter my friend Debra's wonderful
over at



Saturday, November 5, 2011

My Artful Blogging Giveaway!


Giveaway Closed

I've heard from so many of you that you're not
able to locate the wonderful magazine
Artful Blogging in your area...
inconceivable!


so it is my pleasure to offer
the latest issue to one lucky reader
in my latest giveaway!


As you know from my last post,
I was fortunate enough to have an eight page feature
in the brand new Winter issue, and this is just my way
of sharing the love a little bit.


No hoops to have to jump through to win,
just leave a comment.
If you decide to become a follower or blog about this,
leave additional comments to let me know.


I'll pick a winner
Monday, November 14th.


Good luck, 
and have a wonderful week!



all photos from my artful blogging article


Monday, October 31, 2011

Honored to be in Artful Blogging Magazine


I think the title of this post says it all...
I am so unbelievably honored to be featured
in the new issue of Artful Blogging Magazine,
on newsstands this week.


For those who might not be familiar with how it all works,
those of us who are selected to contribute 
write our own article and our own photographs
and / or artwork are featured.

I was blessed to be given eight pages in the current issue
of this gorgeous publication ( one of my faves! )
to share some of my innermost thoughts about blogging,
and to open up a bit about how it has forever changed me
and enriched my life beyond measure.


It is a joy and an honor, but a bittersweet one, too...
I sent the completed article off to the editor
only 4 short days before my mother entered the hospital
for the very last time.

She never got to read it, she didn't even get to see a rough draft.
I think of the tears of joy she would have shed over seeing
that two of my photos even made the front cover!


But still I know....she sees. She knows. 
She's smiling down, so very, very proud.

So to Artful Blogging,
I say thank you so very much.

To the readers and friends of this blog,
I treasure you beyond words.


And to my dear mama...
as I said in the dedication of a book
I once wrote for her...

" For Mama...I learned to read
and write
and draw
and dream
on your lap...
I love you."


If you like anything at all about me
or this blog, thank the lady in the photo above.
She's the reason.

I hope you'll grab the issue,
as I'm pleased as I can be to be featured alongside
some pretty impressive company...
my friends Tricia of A Rosy Note,
Tracey of French Larkspur
and Mary of Urban Farmgirl.
Congrats, ladies!

For those who can't locate the issue in their area,
I plan on offering it in a giveaway
in the days ahead.

Have a wonderful week!



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