Petey says hi. May 14, 2009

Petey misses you. He just wanted to say hello. :)

And… he wanted to remind you about our awesome $150 portrait special going on right NOW — where all proceeds go to  Kansas HOBY, a youth leadership organization that I’ve volunteered with for the past 8 years! This is an incredible opportunity to update your family’s portraits, get new headshots, have a meaningful father’s day gift, or just do a fun session with your significant other/best friend/dog/sister… :) E-mail me through the contact page on www.ericamay.com to schedule your session. The special ends June 7th!!

How much is that doggy in the window? :) April 13, 2009

Petey is the cutest. I’m just going to throw that out there for the entire Internet to see… and agree with. :)

I love this little guy so much. He’s such a cuddler, so curious, extremely loving, always loyal and just plain hilarious. He might look like a grumpy old beared man, but he’s not fooling me. :)

I caught these photos of him a few weeks ago (pre-haircut) as he was standing watch on the bench in front of our picture window. I think he was watching his shadow in this one, ready to pounce if it made one tiny little move… :)

He knows what to do when the camera is pointed his way. It’s one of his best tricks. :)

And, for the record, he’s not for sale. :)

Weekend with the In-laws March 16, 2009

You’ve heard all the jokes about them. You’ve seen it in sitcoms. You probably heard horror stories before you got married. You might have even made a few comments about your own… yes, I’m talking about in-laws. And, fortunately, I don’t have ANY jokes, sitcom situations or horror stories to share about mine. I have been extremely blessed with the best in-laws in the world. If I was a lottery-playing type of girl, I’d say that I won the in-law jackpot. :)

We headed out of Kansas City on Friday evening to spend a weekend with the wonderful people I’ve called my family for the last year and a half. Our weekend included lots of food (Jeri is an awesome cook!), lots of dogs (of course!), and lots of random family time.

Some highlights include… practicing golf swings in the backyard:

Planting potatoes… yes, potatoes.

Cartwheels:

And, uh, Riverdance? :)

Spinning:

Quality time with dogs:

I’m going to try to make some stop-motion videos with our footage from the cartwheels, jumping and spinning. I’ve been wanting to try that for a while, so I’ll post here if it’s a success. :)

Coming soon… Miss Piper the Boston Terrier gets a post of her very own!

My Little Helper February 13, 2009

I was editing photos last night on the couch while we watched  The Office. Petey likes to lay really close to me if I have my laptop on the couch — I think he likes the warmth from the computer or he thinks the screen is sunshine… :)

Here’s the scene from last night’s photo editing/cuddle with Petey session, captured on Jeff’s iPhone:

Is he not the sweetest dog in the whole wide world?? :) For all of my clients, you now know just how much LOVE goes into editing your photos. Petey puts his stamp of approval on each image. :)

All Dogs Go To… Kansas City? January 25, 2009

This weekend, our house was filled with dogs! Jeff’s family came for a visit and brought along Barkley (Jeff’s parents’ Cairn Terrier) and Piper (Jeff’s sister and brother-in-law’s Boston Terrier) to play with Petey! I captured a few images of them in the living room this afternoon… so cute! :)

I LOVE this one of Barkley — check out those big brown eyes! :)

And Miss Piper:

And Petey, fresh from the groomer, who cut his beard just a little too short… hee hee. :)

A little dog-playing action shot! :)

Oh, those floppy little ears. :) I definitely don’t regret leaving his ears long, instead of cropping them like most people do with schnauzer puppies.

Piper is the only girl of the bunch, and she spent all weekend trying to meet our new next-door neighbor’s dog, who is also a Boston Terrier. Sadly, they never got to meet, but Piper still gave  Petey a run for his money. She also has the best voice/bark… basically, she sounds like a turkey! :)

Barkley is the oldest of the group, and he likes to spend most of his time cuddling, going from lap to lap. :)

Petey got in some quality time with his “grandparents” — he’s a little lover! :)

And, one more… to leave you with a laugh. :) Barkley has the best hair that stays however you style it — here he is sporting a very stylish mohawk, courtesy of Jeff. :)

Oh, dogs. They are such a joy! Do you have a dog? What kind is it? Don’t you just love how affectionate they are? :)

Happy Birthday, Petey! January 12, 2009

My little guy is growing up! :) It’s so hard to believe that he’s a year old already… wow! The coolest part is that Petey is actually from a litter of puppies that my mom’s dog had! So we’ve experienced Petey’s life from the very beginning.

I remember on this day last year (oh boy, do I sound like a crazed doggie mom or what?!), I was talking to my mom on the phone right after all of the puppies were born — or so they thought! In the middle of the conversation, my mom said, “Whoops! Here comes one more! I’ll call you later!” Although I can’t prove this, I like to think that the bonus puppy was our little Petey.

He was the runt. The littlest guy, with the sweetest little face and the teeniest paws ever. I loved him the most from the beginning, but we weren’t “ready for a dog yet.” So we said no, but kept talking about it. And kept visiting my parents (who live a few hours away) during the first several weeks of the puppies’ lives. So one by one, all of the little ones were taken to new homes (ALL in my extended family, I might add — we are schnauzer-crazed!), and little Petey (his name from the start) was still hanging around.

So, my parents said, “If you want him, here you go!” I honestly think they thought I’d change my mind. But I didn’t. Jeff and I took home our little boy — on a whim — but it was the best decision ever! :) I can’t imagine not having our sweet little cuddly boy around. :)

Today, Petey turns one year old. He’s hilarious, friendly, cuddly, a little mischevious… but most of all, he’s a lover. And we love him! :)

Speaking of loving your dog, we saw Marley & Me on Friday night and I cried. And cried. And cried a little more on the way home. It’s a great movie, especially if you have a dog. I highly recommend it for anyone who ever thinks their dog is too much to handle (which, of course, does not include Petey! Ha ha!). Seriously, though, it’s a moving story about life.

Happy Birthday, Petey!

P.S. Does anyone have a doggie cupcake recipe? :)

Petey’s First Snow December 9, 2008

Today was the first real snow day here in Kansas City for the year, and Petey got to ring in the occasion with his new sweater from Old Navy. :) Since he was born last January, and he was too little to go outside during last year’s snow, this was his first official snowy outing, and of course — being the good doggy mom that I am — I took along my camera (fearing just a little bit for its life and mine…I’m not the most graceful on ice!).

Some of you might be tired of all of the posts about my dog, but seriously, can you resist that face? And those cute little paw prints in the snow? Too much for this girl to handle! :)

And I’m more excited about this sweater (courtesy of Old Navy) than anyone should ever be. Hmm…do stripes and argyle go together?

I believe this is Petey’s “I’m ready to go in now” face. He can be a little bossy.

Don’t forget — the Cans for Comments drive is still going on through Sunday, which means every single comment (yes, even all of those about hominy!) left on my blog equals one canned food item for our local food bank. So… share your thoughts! What do you think about Petey’s first winter wonderland? Do you have any fun snow-related memories? :)

From my iPhone: The most spoiled dog on the planet December 4, 2008

Petey is the king of our household.

What’s that? You need proof to believe it?

Oh boy, have I got proof for you!

Here’s a shot I grabbed on my iPhone this morning of Petey, lounging in bed… seriously, this little guy has it SOOO good!

Tomorrow, we close on our new house and Petey finally gets his very own backyard and more space for cozy spots to curl up. :) He’s very excited (and so are we!).

Family portraits on Thanksgiving December 2, 2008

I love Thanksgiving. I love the food. The people. The smells. The sounds. Mostly the food. Okay, and the people. :)

I didn’t get any photos of the food (sorry, Beth!), but I did get some great shots of my family…if only I were IN one of them. Ahh, the life of a photographer…

My cousin’s son Mason is too cute and one of the most smiling kiddos I’ve ever seen. He’s only a year and half old, and he’s got this posing thing down to an art.  :)

My sister-in-law also got a little mini modeling session. Since my brother is deployed in Iraq right now, I thought some cute photos of his girl would cheer him up… and in a package he’ll be getting soon, he can look at these — and more! — every day (but that’s all I’m going to say, just in case my older brother actually reads my blog…Justin? Are you out there?). :)

Yeah, I told you she was cute. Now check out these EYES!

Pair that pretty lady with a fuzzy (and crazy) puppy, and we’ve got a cuteness overload on our hands. :)

My grandma even posed for a few shots…oh, Wanda Lou!

And one with my mom, too:

My 15-year-old brother…I love the braces stage!

Yes, ladies, in case you couldn’t already tell by the first photo, here his shirt states the clear, honest, factual truth: he is a CATCH. :)

My sweet and bearded husband also made an appearance! What a handsome guy!

And, one more of Bruce (Petey’s brother/cousin) for the road!

Happy Thanksgiving (late)!

Petey still lives with his parents. November 13, 2008

Dear blog readers, I have a confession.

I am one of those doggie moms.

The cute fall sweaters, graphic tees, parkas and coordinating collars were just too much to handle. Today, I broke down and bought Petey a t-shirt. Okay, and a sweater.

Now, before you judge, let me explain. Schnauzers have some crazy hair. Petey especially has some crazy hair — a mixture of coarse, wiry hair and really fine soft hair. Anyway, it was out of control and he had all of these little matted spots. So, off to the groomers he went. And out he came — still a schnauzer in the face, but more like a shaved little squirrel-dog everywhere else. 

Naturally, the best way to help my little guy preserve his doggie dignity was to buy him some super hip canine clothes. :)

Petey, thanks for being such a good sport. :)