Loving this quote today…

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The moment when you first wake up in the morning is the most wonderful of the twenty-four hours. No matter how weary or dreary you may feel, you possess the certainty that, during the day that lies before you, absolutely anything may happen. And the fact that it practically always doesn’t, matters not a jot. The possibility is always there.

~ Monica Baldwin

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Holy cow, friends…yesterday, April 21st, was a pivotal day in the land of dreaming big for this MPG.

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I received a call from Amherst Media, a photography book publisher, and they asked if I would be interested in writing a dog portrait studio how-to book….200 images, 178 pages….my vision.

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Holy crap.

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They read the article I had in Professional Photographer magazine, looked at the site and we conferenced via phone today. Pending the okay on the outline that I need to do (!!!) in the next couple of weeks, looks like I might become an author. Funny, because I’m always dreaming up book projects and never actually following through, claiming that life gets in the way. Could it be that I just needed a deadline?

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I’ve personally learned a lot from these Amherst books…have my own libary of them going back 10 years. A photog I really respect named Tamara Lackey wrote this fab book…in fact, I bought it when it first came out. Her voice comes through so beautifully in its pages.

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I’m excited…

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nervous…

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…putting a plan together.

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I’ve been dreaming out loud so much lately…I think the daily inspiration from my bloggy pals and creative women around me has allowed me to even fathom that such a thing would transpire.

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Anyway…kind of premature with this news…but I just had to share because I’m just so darn excited. 

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Segue to breast cancer Uber-Warrior Krista Colvin……..

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………who came in for a pick-me-up-photo shoot this week. Although she’s been focusing on the panty thing since her breast cancer diagnosis…we thought a little shift into the land of hats would be appropriate…

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…since this girl wears so many of them.

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Found a great quote in a fave photog’s Rodney Smith’s book, “The Hat Book”.

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“A hat is a flag,  a shield, a bit of armor, and the badge of femininity. A hat is the difference between wearing clothes and wering a costume; it’s the difference between being dressed and being dressed up; it’s the difference between looking adequate and looking your best. A hat is to be stylish in, to glow under, to flirt beneath, to make all others seem jealous over, and to make all men feel masculine about. A piece of magic is a hat.”  –Martha Sliter

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It was a rough hair week for sweet Krista…the hair is falling out from chemo…she went wig shopping and blogged about the whole thing. We talked about what this means for her…when is it time to shave the ‘ole head…when is it time to just surrender and let it go. As with everything, she deals with this situation with humor, bravery and grace.

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Behold multiple hat-wearin’ chica, Krista…

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I think how a person deals with a crisis says an enormous amount about the deepest part of their heart. Krista has such a “well..it is what it is..so what is my next step” attitude and is so willing to share…I think her blog is just what the doctor ordered for women in all parts of the country dealing with breast cancer. Her positive outlook and attitude need to be bottled and used all the time…not just in times of crisis.

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I can learn a lot from my friend.

“Coastal Explorer” glossy published my pal Robin’s (who scored the cover!) and my images of Leah’s cottage in Cannon Beach, Oregon. 

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You can virtually “flip” through its pages here.

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Leah has been busy painting as she will be the featured artist at “The Ocean Lodge”. There’s an original below. She is an amazing talent in so many areas. I especially appreciated her “animal whispering” abilities during some of my big dog session projects this year.

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On a totally random note, I have a funny collage image to share this Monday morning.

Cracks me up every time I look at it.

 Much to my dismay, last year a guinea pig named Pickle (in lieu of one of MY dog images) made it in the Humane Society pet calendar….hmmm…

“Who is this creature?” I asked myself.

“Who creates this rodent media papparazzi frenzy?” I wondered.

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Well, it was none other than Annie, Uber-Humane Society employee and SuperChick (sidekick to Jayme, my Humane Society contact who rocks my world during “Paws…for a Cause”).

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Annie is Pickle’s mom.

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A mom who orders guinea pig-sized outfits from a woman in Pennsylvania.

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Yes, outfits.

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Okay, suffice it to say that I never knew that I wanted to capture portraits of a dressed-up guinea pig.

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But, yes, this little guy stole my heart as well…

and I will, indeed, be voting for him to be in the calendar (and not just because there my works of “rodent art“).

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BEHOLD…..

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I send you forth into this long work week with the image of Pickle is his various get-ups…just think if you were him and couldn’t release yourself from this charade?!

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Folding the laundry doesn’t seem so bad, does it?

Here’s the link:

The Columbian article

yahoo!

Our Professional Photographer magazine article….

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The dog rescue agency Pixie Project in Portland was featured in “The American Dog” magazine and they used our images!

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You can see it here.

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Pixie is also in “People” this month—we’re still waiting on that one. ‘Will post when it comes out.

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But the most exciting thing I’ve had happen in awhile is that my article came out in “Professional Photographer” magazine–it’s about dog portraits, of course. It seems that everyone has received their copy in the mail except me! I know this because I’ve had friends call to say they saw it. Will post when I get it in my hands!

We’re doin the Happy DANCE!!!