So this is Christmas. . .

Merry Christmas Everyone!!! Whenever we're not in Aus for Christmas, we always spend Christmas eve at my Aunt and Uncle's house (dinner in our PJs. . .family tradition!) and the night/xmas morning at my parents. Lately, since there are no grandchildren in the family yet, Christmas is all about the puppies. . . .Moose, Maui, Lola and Rico are the most spoiled pups on the planet, as grandma and grandpa just love filling their stockings with goodies. Maui woke up xmas morning, ran to the mantel where the stockings were hanging and stood up on her back legs and just sniffed the air. Yup! it smells like christmas, little girl! We had a great morning opening pup and people stockings and presents. We then went on to my other Uncle's house for a fabulous dinner. . .boy am I stuffed!!! 

So. . .here is a tiny little peek into our Christmas

Yes, the pups all have full sized stockings. . .spoiled!!

OK. Can I just say how hard it is to get 4 crazy puppies in one picture!! My desperate attempt at even getting one pup in focus!

And again. . .

A couple noteworthy stocking stuffers. . .

Moose is deathly afraid of the vet (who happens to be my Uncle). So Mom thought it would be very fitting to get this Vet "the victim" toy. . . try to read the description, it's hysterical. The back of him says "bite me" :-)

VIOLET CRUMBLES! Phil's most favorite candy. . . .it is the only truly Aussie "lolly" that can be found in american stores. . .honeycomb covered in chocolate. . .yummmmm.

"It's the way it shatters that matters"

My Uncle's gorgeous house sitting along a rushing river. Notice the black bear in the corner!!! :-)

Just a couple house details

This place looks like a lodge in Colorado. This is a shot from a light fixture in the great room.

Hope everyone had a great day!!!

Gary & Rachel Engagement Shoot

A couple weeks ago I had the privilege of doing an engagement session with my good friend Eileen of E. Broderick Photography. We had such a blast! Gary and Rachel are super photogenic and so comfortable in front of the camera. Gary is a pro baseball player who has spent the last year in Taiwan (!) and Rachel is a school teacher. These two are so in love and clearly so happy to be with each other. . .they couldn't have made our job easier. We started off the day at Dzen's Christmas tree farm in South Windsor and spend the evening amongst the beautiful lights at Constitution Plaza in Hartford. What a day!!

See! Such a beautiful couple!

How cute is her jacket? Love the hood!

He looks quite comfy while holding up a heavy tree! :-)

Off they go!

LOVE the shoes!

Rachel looks so cute and giddy here :-)

Santa was just walking by. . .8 o'clock at night! Classic picture :-)

Goodnight :-)

Snow Storm = Snow Puppies!

The snow has come! This post is for the Aussie family in particular, who are currently basking in wonderfully warm summertime sun. . .you lucky ducks! Phil and I have had a bast this weekend playing in the snow with the pups. Our expeditions down to the river don't last long, as our Jacks are shaking their little tails off after about ten minutes, but we all have fun just the same. Moose is a riot, he is an avid snowball chaser and bounces around like a kangaroo once the snow is above his belly. . .I'll have to post a video sometime, it's quite hysterical. Maui just prances around like a little princess, hoping Mum or Dad will pick her up so she can watch her brother's antics from a safe, slightly warmer place :-) 

I also included some shots of our neighborhood. . .we got 13 inches of snow this weekend! I think we'll have a white christmas this year!

The river that runs next to our place.

Snow Puppy #1

I love this shot. . .soooo Moose.

Lil Miss

Our street

Some of the trees in the neighborhood are just beautiful. . don't ya think?

Mr. Plow man

I just love these baby pinecones

This little light was the only one peeking through on the tree out front

Back to the house we go. . .

All snuggly and warm again!

Sneak Peak: Rico the pug

Saturday was a day full of fun shoots. I started off at my parents house to get some new shots of their 1 yr. old pug, Rico. He's a cutie boy! More on that later. . .here's just sneak peak. . . .you've got mail!

Drum roll please. . . . . .

These past two weeks for me have been all about starting a new chapter in my life. It has been almost year now since I fell in love with photography and I've spend the last few months trying to decide if I wanted to make it a big part of my life, or just a hobby. Well, lets just say I've decided to go big. The last couple photo shoots I have done have made me realize that photography really makes me happy, it is my running. You know how runners say they come to a point where they get a natural 'high'? Well, I'm not a runner but I think I know that feeling. Pure excitement, a rush of adrenaline that keep you from sleeping even hours later. That is certainly something I want to keep in my life. I have a lot to learn, but have some of the best teachers around to learn from. . .So, like they say. . .practice makes perfect, and I'm up for the challenge. Without further ado, I bring to you. . . . . .TruBlu Photography!

Be on the lookout. . .I'll be posting more about the name and why I chose it (I know you're curious :-), and also will post a link to my website once it's up and running.

Australia - The Movie

This movie is a must-see! Phil and I just saw it and loved it. . .I think it may have made him a little homesick though! Go see it. . .I guarantee you'll want to come along with us next time we visit the in-laws!

Inspired

CT photographers Justin and Mary Marantz recently did an interview with Ron Dawson of F-stop Beyond and totally rocked it. I have been following the Marantz's blog for a while now and have always admired their backgrounds and how far they have come in the photography industry. . . . .fast. This postcast was just what I needed to hear to get goin in the photography world. Photography makes me happy and I just love capture those precious moments in time. However, I have been of two minds about starting a business because I know nothing about business and getting one started would certainly be a big leap for me. But I'm ready. . .ready to take the plunge. During the Marantz's interview, this was mentioned. . . . "I would rather fail at something I love then succeed at something I hate." Exactly. I think this will be my mantra from here on out.

For those of you who are interested, here's the Podcast

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Cutie Girl

I just couldn't resist posting this picture. I was snapping some pics of the pups today after our morning walk and I think I captured my favorite picture of Maui. She always sits up on her bum with her front paws bent whenever she wants something. . .we call it the tripod :-) but until now I have never been able to capture that perfect pose. I know I'm sooo biased, but how beautiful is she???

They're back!

The Starbucks red cup. Why is it so much better than the traditional one? Because they stand for cozy holiday goodness and something about that deep red color makes your favorite drink inside taste extra special. Today I went out on a limb and tried the incredibly indulgent Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. Whew! check out the caloric content in those babies. Needless to say, my itsy-bitsy SHORT beverage was absolutely delicious and just the boost I needed from a slow (!?) morning at work. Go ahead, go to Starbucks and get your first red cup of the season. I promise you won't be sorry. . .