Yesterday I had several dogs in the studio, and this guy, Henry, stole my heart. Just look at that cutie!I have more shots from today that I'll share later, but probably not for a while. I'm taking a few days off of blogging for the holiday, and I'll see you after the turkey, relaxation and time with your families.In the meantime, here are some internet shares for you.+ If you know me very well at all, you know this was made for me.+ Why has it taken so long to invent this butter knife?+ Kinda bummed I missed this in Norway.

To say I'm in the thick of family photos these days would be an understatement, but I can just now see the light at the end of the tunnel. And last week, I had an *amazing* session with one of my favorite families, and I wanted to share a few snaps.It was a great session because everyone was happy and well behaved and fun (a big deal when you have twin toddlers and a 5 year old!) and on top of that, I got to catch up with the parents (who I adore) and we saw wild deer running through fields. A pretty perfect shoot, if you ask me! More below. Enjoy! For your internet shares of the day:+ I love Magda a LOT. But this seems a bit too rich for my blood. (But I still want it.)+ NASA got some new photos of Jupiter last month. So dang pretty.+ A great holiday gift for the little girls in your life.+ How a thunderstorm looks in the distance.

Last month, we bit the bullet and bought the family a piano for Christmas. Yes, I know we were early, but the program we wanted to buy from (Keys 4/4 Kids, which is AMAZING and I cannot suggest enough) was moving further east and if we didn't purchase it in October, we would have lost out on free delivery.And we found a really cool mid-century modern piano in a design and finish that you don't see every day. So we did it! And it was delivered yesterday, and man are we excited.Jamie and I are hoping to start lessons in January, with Ezra following a few years later. I've always wanted to know how to play the piano, and I hear that learning new musical instruments after age 40 helps to fight off Alzheimer's, so let's get this party started!Today, I'm featuring some cool macro shots of the instrument. We are in the midst of redecorating our living room, and once that is complete, I'll do an overall shot. For now, you'll just have to settle on the gorgeousness of the insides of our newest family member.  For your internet shares of the day:+ If you, or someone you know, is sad this holiday season, this is a must read.+ College friends then and now, a photo essay.+ Airplanes from above. I'm not sure why this delights me so, but it does.+ Oprah came out with her "favorite things" list. Some pretty great gift ideas on there... 

Last night, I was over at Magers & Quinn (my favorite local book store that is not aimed specifically at children) for a book signing. But not just *any* book signing -- this book was written by my dear friend, Andrea. And I couldn't be more proud of her.Not only for spending 4 years researching and writing a book (!!!), but also for tackling sensitive issues like race and our city's not-so-great history with black musicians. She is bringing it all to the forefront in a time where we are (inexplicably) still be struggling with race in our nation.She read several (wonderful!) excerpts from the book, and then answered a bunch of questions from the audience. One important point was that she spent so much time interviewing subjects for the book because black history just isn't documented as well as white history, and she needed to get these very important interviews in while she could. Again, I am so dang proud of her.If you are a music fan, you should read this book. If you are a Prince fan, this is the backstory about how he came to be. I cannot wait to dive in and read it all myself. You can buy your own copy here.For your internet shares of the day:+ A reminder on how to build an amazing cheese plate. Relevant with holiday parties about to start up!+ I love these portraits celebrating black girls and their amazing natural hair.+ This dress might be nice for a holiday party. And it might be on sale next week (just sayin'...).

A few weeks ago, I headed down to Le Sueur to photograph an aerialist for a magazine story, and man was that fun! I cannot even imagine the strength this sport takes, and it is so very beautiful to see. Should you have any interest in trying it out, the studio I photographed was this one, and they offer classes in every level. Get to it!For your internet shares of the day:Things I would like to own:+ For my front door.+ For my hallway.+ For my head.+ For the rebellion.Things I would like to cook:+ For a winter dinner.+ For a delicious side dish.+ For more protein.+ For a different kind of salad.   

I woke up almost 2 hours before sunrise this morning for another shoot at an elementary school, and it was 100% worth it. The kids I got to take photos of today were so freaking adorable (that kid above was not one of them), and the school was less than a mile from the studio (I'll post photos later this week).So after wrapping up around 10 am, I headed into work and finished up the family photos for those two buddies up top there.Every time I can get a dog and a toddler in the frame together looking at the camera, I feel like a champion. If that doesn't sound hard to you, go try it out and let me know how it goes. Lucky for me, these two were easy peasy, and we got a few images with the two together.For your internet shares of the day:+ This is a recipe rabbit hole well worth falling into.+ My doula went forest bathing and wrote about it. Now I want to go with her next time!+ And Ezra's biggest crush (our favorite server at our favorite restaurant) wrote this whimsical peace about choosing a travel partner. She makes me ache to be young again.

What a weekend! Jamie's brother visited us from Sacramento (much to the entire family's delight -- but especially Ezra's), and we spent the days at markets, reading books, building fires and playing.Well, Ezra (and Steve) were playing/wrestling. Jamie and I were just thrilled to have someone else take the brunt of it (sorry buddy!). And Magda napped like a queen. I love the shot above where she's dominating two chairs in front of the fire. This girl does love her warmth.While she slept, the humans ate out at restaurants, visited coffee shops and bookstores, and in general just had a wonderful time. And after bedtime, the adults hammered away at my new favorite show, Mindhunter.It was all pretty glorious, and we're going to miss Uncle Steve desperately. Lucky for us, we already have our next visit on the books. Below are a few images of Steve and Ezra. Enjoy! And now for your internet shares of the day:+ Frances McDormand will never stop surprising me and making me laugh.+ People reviewed wine glasses to see which ones made the wine taste the best. The winner is only $5.+ My god. We are so lucky to live in this country. Even if that jackass is still in charge.

This morning, I was over at the fancy mall in town, The Galleria. Why was I there? Because my buddy Ashley just opened her brand new boutique location there, and you guys, it is so, so great! It's called Roe Wolfe, and it's lovely.I will simply tell you that I photographed her store for an hour, and then might have spent a lot of money on amazing clothes that I cannot wait to wear. If you need any retail therapy, I cannot suggest the store enough.And now for some internet shares of the day!+ Amazing vintage photos of street life in NYC.+ I don't know if I want this backpack for me or for my kid.+ I love this office/music room makeover.