Lara Blair Images Bloggity Blog

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Archive for the ‘TV Fun’ Category

Dog stocking stuffers….

Friday, December 18th, 2009

Every once in a while I get quite a chuckle out of a product I see out there.

Case in point..

Business bags (eco-friendly poop picker-upers).

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(sorry small image…searched like crazy for a bigger one..to no avail)

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Love this Clean+Green auto cleaner/odor eliminator (just $9!)

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…and for the wayward dog (oh, I dunno….like a beagle, maybe?) this is an great investment. In fact, it’s good for every dog.

Get it here.

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Also, friends, I would like to plug our local pet stores this holiday.

You know my faves…but there are many in your neighborhoods (Portland, you especially!).

Let’s make sure they stay in business in this crazy economic time!

The products above are obscure, but if you find them locally, please let me know via a comment here and I will make sure it’s noted in the post.

Anyone got any ideas for other stocking stuffers for our canine/feline friends?

Would love to hear your ideas~

Happy Friday~

Lara

Paws….for a Cause 2010

Monday, December 14th, 2009

We’re all geared up with dog treats and new location this year…we’re excited to be shooting at the fabulous new facility for the Humane Society on 192nd.

PLEASE CALL FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT….our newsletter went out today and Mary has been crazy scheduling people up already. Those coveted Saturday slots go first!

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This is the postcard that will be going out to a gazillion businesses in the area and Portland. If you it’s too small to find your pup/cat here on the blog, pick one up when you’re out an about. They should be out by the first of January.

Can’t wait to see you all there!

Ruff!

~L

Personal use of the studio

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

It was time to work on the Blair Family Christmas Card 2009, so we headed down to sweet little Camas and watched the tree lighting, had a nice Thai dinner at Kop Chair and shot our card in the studio with complete cooperation of the fam (they know this shoot is important and complaining is tres’ taboo). PH was an excellent sport while he stood for a long while completely wrapped in Christmas lights. I’m not posting it here because I want to send the card out first (it turned out so great!).

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If you would like to receive our holiday masterpiece via snail mail (and I would be thrilled to send it to you!), please comment or email me your address (lara@larablairimages.com).

I will, however, post a couple of snaps of the girls and me and Dave’s horror that his 9 year-old is so close to his height while standing on a small ladder…

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PH and I have a tradition of going to this fantastic diner called the Country Cafe out here in the sticks. Anytime you’ve got guys in Carharts suits and flannel shirts sitting at the breakfast bar, you know you’re in for a good time. We relish our time there (and the mediocre coffee..cup after cup) and don’t want to vacate our booth we call home for an hour or so. It’s our catch-up time (esp. when he is a traveling man for the rest of the week) and also just a chance to be “a local”. We took the girls last Saturday and to our surprise it was packed–we had to wait for 15 minutes! Totally worth it. On the way on this very unseasonably frigid morning (20 degrees) Dave capture “Horses in the Mist” (he says this with a silly art-critic face that makes me laugh).

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The girls enjoying the Country Cafe’ ambiance..of which there is plenty. :)

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Onward to staff pics that were taken this week.

As you’ve heard me yammering about it, we’re moving the whole darn thing to a new location on Monday and have been in the process for weeks….

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…which totally stinks, btw.

…have I mentioned that I dislike this process?

:(

Anyway, a sure-fire way to get a couple of funnies out of this horrific experience is to do a photoshoot of us re-enacting our moving mess.

Yes, making moving lemonade out of these lemons…and adding plenty of sugar!

My pal & local celebrity, Krista Colvin (super fab…visit here), took these images and I added artwork later.

Makes me laugh

…and then cry b/c I think about how those boxes need to have stuff in them and go out the door!

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If you’re on our LBI holiday card list (email if you’d like to be), you’ll see the whole “moving collage shebang”.

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Every year the gals and I get some recent headshots of each other (can’t help but laugh at the ridiculous amounts of haird0s I’ve had in just three short years).

Mary is below (many of you know her as the voice of LBI)…my rock, my ever-sweet-no-matter-what-the-situation-no-matter-how-demanding-the-client Mary. She supplies endless amounts of cheerleading and encouragement in all that I do. Mom to two boys who think she is the bee’s knees. She’s so lovely, isn’t she?

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Sunny, the “get-er-done” gal at LBI, came on board this year and Mary and I marvel at what a great trio we make together. She is a quick-study in the best possible way with digital editing, framing, packaging, display hanging, etc, etc…she takes whatever crazy task I ask of her and does it with excellence. So glad we found this missing piece to our studio puzzle. She would laugh, but I dare say Sunny is a beautiful feminine woman who happens to live with four men (mom of three boys who love her to pieces)…proof of that is the ultra-fun session we had in the mud in the fall.

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As for me, I’m still getting used to the curls…they’re such a pain in the tuckus to get right when the weather is so dry! Weird, weird climate these past few days. It’s good for me to sit for a portrait to see what torture it is for some of my clients…hard not to laugh…hard not to feel cheezy…hard not want to grab the camera after each image to see if I look silly or have lipstick on my teeth. We laughed a lot during this session and I dare say we had a good time.

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Have a great weekend, friends!

Lara

All for Paws/Aylee’s Party

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Thanks to all who came out for the event on Thursday on 23rd. I fell in love, of course…

…with two labs and a certain dog named Mr. Fancy Pants…you may remember him~

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These are snaps Kelli took (with an IPhone, Kelli? Wasn’t sure)~

Yours truly getting an “air treat” with the kids (who found it very easy to hoist themselves up on the counter)…

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Too funny!

If you are ever having a visit on NW 23rd, head on over to Aylee and Co. (holy cow, I wanted EVERYTHING in there) and All-for-Paws…quickly becoming my bestest most favorite-est vendors in the area. Great ladies with great gear!

Fab holiday party and LBI will be a featured guest

Monday, November 30th, 2009
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Self-portrait by Kelli :)
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My fave shop-owning girls Aylee and Kelli on NW 23rd in Portland are having a big soiree’ on Thursday that yours truly will be a part of:
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All-for-Paws, owned by Kelli is a fabulous dog boutique (hence my involvement with our dog portrait work).
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and Alyee and Co. is an incredible hand-made jewelry store that will knock your socks off.
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Incredible stuff! Aylee makes it all in her store. So excited to share the evening with these lovely ladies. Check out what the uber-hip Nicole Shops Portland said about the event.
I’ll be there selling “double the amount” gift certifcates for dog portrait sessions…$100 will get you a $200, $200 will get you a $400 gift certificate, etc. Come shmooze with some fun urban dog owners! I’d love to see you there.
Check it out on Oregon Live!
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I’m off to configure my moving plan for the studio…I figure I need to be done being in denial about it all…I get so overwhelmed just standing amidst the mess up there! Wish me luck :)

Need a laugh?

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Watch Dog MalFunction II on CollegeHumor

Oh, my…on the floor with this one.

Missed my Fab Dog Product Monday post…my hub was completing his first Ironman in Idaho—we’re pretty proud! Will catch up on the latest sessions soon.

Happy Wednesday!

Our LBI tour schedule is complete

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009

Okay, sweet dog owner friends across the nation~ Drum roll, please….here is the official Tour Dog Portrait Schedule for 2009~

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These tour brochures are officially all over Portland…today was a big day! Thanks to my pal Randy at Invisible Fence for helping me get this done. You’re the best! Also, thanks to my Seattle dog business owners who are helping us promote the two days we’ll be in Seattle. New York dog friends—you rock, simple as that. Who else who be on the horn right after the newsletter came out booking session appointments? Love the efficiency of our East Coast buddies. ‘Very, very excited to see all of you again…especially my poster-child, Bogey (the harlequin Great Dane that is in many of my brochures..the most gorgeous dog ever). We’re considering adding a tour stop in the early fall in Houston, as we have some friends down there who are very involved with the Humane Society and we would love to be a part of their fund-raising efforts.

On an unrelated note, this was just a hilarious image I found in my dog-image web trolling—Gibson is the tallest dog on the planet. He stands 7′2” when on his hind legs! Wow! Even Oprah looks speechless. He is licensed therapy dog. Can you imagine all of the happy faces when this big guy came around? Just awesome.

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World’s smallest dog (about the size of a candy bar) is named Brandy.

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(image courtesy of the O site)

Important FYI~ The first hand-ful of clients to schedule their Tour sessions receive an original piece of LBI dog art. Take a look at the calendar, give Mary a call at the studio (834-4814) or email us and let’s square you away. We’re thrilled that we will be able to reach so many people this summer through this event. Come play with us!

Dancing with the Stars

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

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What happened to my cowboy last night?! Someone must have stuffed a board down his backside…loved that he is keeping his sense of humor and is working so hard. Gilles (my hub calls him Gil-is..goodness!) was amazing, as usual. I think we’re looking at the winner there. Didn’t mind the shirt-less beginning—although Len was miffed with it. I think Steve-O ’s fans will keep him in to the bitter end–I actually think it’s pretty good for him to keep busy with something physical while he’s finishing rehab, although it’s brutal to watch him dance. Shawn was loooovely, as was Melissa. I’m guessing it might come down to Melissa and Gilles to the bitter end. Is it me, or does the co-host on that show just not fit? I fast-forward through the post-dance interviews…yikes…thank goodness for Tivo.

Dancing with the Stars

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

 

 

 

 

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Mr. Cowboy just is working his hiney off, isn’t he? I love watching him come into his own. What a love! Gilles and Cheryl were by the far the best dance of the night—hose me down! I have to say that if I was his wife, there is noooo way I could sit there and watch that steamy action. Seriously! Melissa was awesome as usual, representing the best from the ladies. Mr. Quirky Apple man needs to go as well as Holly. I admit it, I went for snacks when Steve W. danced…I just couldn’t subject myself to that kind of punishment :)  Poor Holly. Rhythm is something that you’re either born with or not. Bummer. I think she had fun, though…up until she busted a rib. Shawn was amazing as usual, but I have to agree that it was more flips than dancing (and someone has to learn how to dress that cute little body! Her costumes…not so good). Chuck, ’Lil Kim and Mr. Julianne were respectable, but they gotta bring it next week if they want to stay.

Dancing with the Stars

Tuesday, March 24th, 2009

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Shawn was great tonight! Aside from the fact that they need to start putting her in some outfits that compliment her gymnast physique, I think she is going to take it to the final two. I think the other contender is Melissa, who seems to be getting more and more “glamour-ized” with each passing day in Hollywood—can’t imagine how she feels about her life taking such a drastic turn. Holly and the computer guy are absolutely unwatchable–yikes…seem to be going a bit backwards. The big surprise? Mr. Cowboy, who just seems to be gettin’ it each week and working so hard–I’m a little nervous for the Cha-Cha, because I think there is good reason to think that he will absolutely crucify that dance, but for now we’ll just revel in his emerging grace with the Foxtrot. Football guy works like a dog and really is getting getting better with each week. My husband always says how much potential the athletes have because they are so used to training 8 hours a day and their bodies can take it. Gilles is just yummy…my, my, my Miss Cheryl is having a grand time with her new partner, isn’t she? Who wouldn’t?! He will be in the final three for sure. Bruno was hysterical, as usual…I try to use his over-the-top sayings on Tuesday after “Dancing..” It just isn’t the same without the Italian accent.

‘Til next week!