I have a very sweet family that have been clients for awhile at LBI. The mum is English and is game for anything session-wise, so we decided to really do it up for her daughter Alice (who has an accent also—how perfect!) out in the Magic Forest. To say that this was a fun shoot just doesn’t do it justice. Everyone involved (including my two friendly make-up artists/costumers who saved the day–thanks Julia and Robin!) made it very special for me and for Alice.

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We’re excited to be the artist showing at Umpqua Bank on Lovejoy in the Pearl on September 2nd from 6-8. I would be so happpy to see you there!

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Beautiful NW water views, amazing purple sunsets, rock collecting, sandcastle building, bald eagle sightings, campfires & picnics and….

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Navy Growler fighter jets roaring violently overhead…

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Huh?

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Such is a vaca on a Whidbey Island naval base. Not just any naval base–one plunked right on the beach at Cliffside. My retired Air Force father-in-law hooks us up with a lovely spot next to the ocean. We look forward to it every year. This year we actually had some warm weather to play in the sand.

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Whidbey Top 13 FAVE list~

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1) The quest for heart shaped rocks. PH and and I have a game to see who can spot one first. Wouldn’t you know that we hoofed it up the beach about a half mile before we found one…and OF COURSE it was huge and heavy….and OF COURSE, we found another one the same size. I was a happy camper as my lovin’ man trekked his way back with both rocks on his shoulders. He was saying that those lurking Growler pilots must really think that crazy guy loves his wife!

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2) Rachey and her annual “bakery on the beach“.

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3) An imagination that’s on vacation and comes up with nifty projects to take home…I smell a driftwood theme in my immediate future…

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4) Fab antique treasure finds in Anacortes, a cute little town with some great restaurants.

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5) Watching my children play with wild abandon on the base and feeling perfectly safe to not watch them every second.

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6) Sunsets with tree silhouettes that blow your mind.

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7) Cliffs and the stunning view they provide.

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8 ) Windblown trees and winding paths…so many metaphors come to mind here, I just can’t get them out fast enough.

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9) JOY and more JOY. Ken, the campsite host finds these incredible driftwood pieces to make our favorite word. It’s all over the camp and makes you smile when you see it catch the sunlight in the morning or evening. He is a magician and creator of wonderful things.

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10) Time alone to do a “walk about” with my camera…no agenda…just being aware of the beauty around me. Peaceful and sweet…

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11) Fort Casey State Park and all that the former artillery post and lighthouse has to offer in terms of photo opps…

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12) Barns and quaint little gardens in town

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13) Uninterrupted time with people I love…

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How does that song go? “I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter…”

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I did that this week while my mind was on vacation-mode. It was surprising.

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Sometimes getting away provides something unexpected. First of all, I was calling a sleeping bag a bed for the duration and I couldn’t get my tuckus out of bed to do my Morning Pages. Funny thing…I really missed them! I’ve been doing them long enough now that I really think I’m having some breakthroughs as a result. Lots of stuff to share that will affect how LBI will run…so many matters of the heart coming up (all good stuff!).

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I’m making some changes.

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I’m excited about it

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and am

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sure of my footing.

Lila and Liam…the luckiest dogs on earth..get to hang out at Lexi Dog all day.

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I know, I know..it’s the dog butt fixation again…can’t help it–their tails speak volumes~

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As part of our Unexpected Portrait Project, we worked with a local family who really enjoys skateboarding. It seemed like a no-brainer to have them pack up the fam, head over to one very cool skate park and set up the gear. Absolutely the coolest family ever–photographed their baby months back and it was such a thrill to see the whole clan (in matching super hero outfits, no less!). Bea-U-ti-ful children…a crime, really.

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Excited to show these to the family—my artsy stuff won’t be lost on them and I love that!

An incredible day on Saturday—all the details are here.

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I was excited to work with this “gaggle” of Boxers because I’m writing a section in my Amherst Media book about photographing dogs in groups. It was as much fun as I knew it would be—-especially when the dogs are “siblings” and used to fighting each other over toys. I really enjoy working with Boxers in general—so much personality in these dogs.

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These faces just make me happy, ya’ll…I love , love this job. It never seizes to amaze me how great I feel after working with a dog and its owner.

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It

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the

best!

A landmark UCLA study suggests friendships between women are special. They shape who we are and who we are yet to be. They soothe our tumultuous inner world, fill the emotional gaps in our marriage, and help us remember who we really are.

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By the way, they may do even more. Scientists now suspect that hanging out with our friends can actually counteract the kind of stomach-quivering stress most of us experience on a daily basis. A landmark UCLA study suggests that women respond to stress with a cascade of brain chemicals that cause us to make and maintain friendships with other women. It’s a stunning find that has turned five decades of stress research — most of it on men — upside down.

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The rest of the article is here.

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As for my own girlfriends in my life…thank you for providing something so immeasurably important that I cherish during this “growing up” phase of turning 40. I appreciate the fact that you love me despite my many quirks and faults and hold up a mirror to me sometimes…love you for it.

~L

p.s. I have a new obsession! Check it out here.

Tyler, channeling David Bowie…

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Tyler “sits pretty”..

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Brittany, Sniff employee, gives her boy a lift…

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The “Wonder Twins”…

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Visit Modern Prairie Girl for my fave list of design books!