Happy 1st Birthday Mollie Margaret Anne

You would think from the title that this was a post with an adorable one year old southern baby all dressed up and eating some cake… but alas this is actually a tribute to my mother's beloved "dog" and I use that term very loosely :) Growing up we always had dogs and they were always well cared for and loved but they were dogs. Some lived outside and some were allowed inside but only in a designated area and spent most of their days happily on the porch. My mom was a stickler for the dogs are dogs and do not belong on the main part of the house and most certainly never on the furniture….that is until my sister and I grew up and moved away and our childhood dogs passed in old age. After moving to a new house and setting up I call my mom one day to see what she was up to and much to my surprise she was headed to see a litter of new King Cavalier Spaniel pups and that very same day Mollie Margaret Anne became her 3rd child. As I watched Mollie grow and evolve from a pet to a "person" over the past year I have never been short of shock to see the change in my mothers position on pets. Mollie has a number of coats and sweaters for cold weather, a few holiday costumes, 4 costumes for my daughters circus birthday which will no doubt reappear for halloween this year. She has two ever growing baskets of toys each of which she "knows by name". She has her own carseat, blankets and a bed even though she sleeps most of the day on the couch and at night in bed with my mother. And though she has her own lovely bowls she is know to be hand fed from a plate or spoon ….sometimes even sitting in a chair at the kitchen! Yes say what you will but this "dog" is hardly a dog she is my mother's new baby who this week celebrates her big first birthday (complete with you guessed it a party and a cake) I wasn't able to photograph the grand soiree for Miss Mollie so instead I will offer a tribute of the portraits and candids I did take of her on our last visits. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOLLIE MARGARET ANNE!!!

The following two photos are inspired by an old photograph my dad has of his father sitting on his car with his two spaniels. We recreated the shot and had old photographed enlarged and framed as a fathers day gift for my dad :)

When the Girls are all in Town- a Family Session

This summer one of my dear friends hosted both her sisters, her niece, and her mom for a week. She wanted to do something to mark this special time when all the girls were together and couldn't think of a better way to capture it that with a big family photoshoot :) Three kids 3 and under, plus grandparents, and several adults and a little unexpected SoCal rain made for a very entertaining session but I think it captures this family just the way they are, beautiful and fun!