post by leslie

More rescue puppies! Aren't these two adorable? Two weeks ago, I was contacted by Kare 11 to do a TV feature on my Adopt a Stray in May project, so I brought in a few more puppies that I thought would be good for TV. If you'd like to see the story that ran, you can watch it here.These two pups are Sansa and Arya. They are sisters from a litter brought up from the southern states. They are 5 mos. old and they are SO GOOD. They don't bark (!!) and they are mellow, but not timid. They are super well trained, but they do need you to show you are the boss in order to listen. They are both great with other dogs and kids, and they might be ok with cats if they had a slow introduction.Sansa, the one with the darker spots was adopted yesterday (win!!), but Arya (the white one with the adorable spots on her tummy and nose!) is still available. You can read her adoption information here.Also, if you maybe have too many creatures in your home and can't welcome another, but if you'd like to help Wags and Whiskers (the rescue fostering many of the dogs you've seen here), they have a wish list on amazon of supplies they need. You can purchase them online and they'll go straight to the rescue. Nifty!And since Sansa was just so cute as well, here are a few shots of her (even though she's been adopted). Enjoy!

post by leslie

Look at all these dogs! I was lucky enough to photograph a ton of pups visiting Copilot Dog Outfitters this past weekend, and man was it fun! These are just a few of the dogs I snapped, but you can see all of them (so! many! more!) at the store's facebook page here.I'm driving back from the North Shore today, so no internet shares and not much news! Just wanted to give you something adorable to ponder.

post by leslie

I am finally back on the North Shore! I think my last visit was way back in October, so this is a welcome visit. I'm up here just for one night as I have a few family shoots scheduled in Duluth, and I'm here without Jamie and The Spawn. And let me be clear, while I do miss my family so very much, this much alone time with my audiobooks and podcasts has been nothing short of bliss.After today's morning session, I drove north to my favorite restaurant, ate lunch on my own (but weirdly ran into a friend from the Twin Cities!), and then meandered back down the scenic highway before checking into my hotel. These are a few images from along the way. No internet shares today as I used my down time to walk 5 miles along the lake to my favorite deli and grab dinner. Five miles along the shore? Best mode of transportation ever.

Post by Lucy

Hello, hello!I have an absolute new favorite spot in Minneapolis, although I think I am a bit behind, since it's everyone else's new fav as well. But, if you have not been, the gorgeous and ridiculously delicious Hai Hai restaurant in northeast Minneapolis should be at the top of your list. This is the second venture from the owners of Hola Arepa, and they hit it out of the park. I have been three times in the last month, and I already have plans to bring a couple of friends while they visit from out of town.What makes it so great? The Vietnamese-inspired menu features street-style dishes brimming with the freshest produce - cilantro, lettuce, basil, etc. - which balances the heavier ingredients perfectly. The cocktails are refreshing and unique - I had the Lychee Keen, a gin-based slushy drink which was almost *too* good. And the bright and poppy interior decor is a stunning backdrop for a meal with friends and family.So, after that love letter, you can imagine how excited I was when City Pages asked me to take photos for their feature on the place! Below are a few of my favorite shots. You can read the review here, and see more of my images here!

post by leslie

One of my new favorite artists (let's be real, one of the few "new" artists that I've had time to look into) is Caroline Rose. I love her album, and I was super excited to catch her live show at The Entry last night. Here are a few shots from the show. I highly suggest you give her a listen. I would write more but I was up past midnight and back at a shoot early this morning, and you guys... I'm old and tired.

post by leslie

So many things happened in the month of May that I didn't really update you guys on because, well, the dogs! But the main thing was that we took a family vacation to California to see Jamie's brother. And during that visit, Ezra got to have his first sleep over with his aunt and uncle (and cousins) and Jamie and I had our first weekend alone. We opted to just spend it in San Francisco, but instead of staying in the city, we stayed in the Presidio (truly magical) and spent most of our time hiking in area woods instead of the city.We finally made it to Muir Woods, just north of San Francsico, and these photos are from there. I don't really feel like photos of Redwood forests can possibly do justice to the majestic nature of these trees (not to mention the glorious smell), but here are my attempts regardless.

post by leslie

Aren't you guys ready to get back to Lake Superior? I am. I keep seeing people's pictures of their weekend cabin getaways, and people, I'm just *itchin* to get back up north!Well, one way you can scratch that itch is to book a family mini-session with me on Lake Superior this fall! I know that seems like it's forever away, but when you start to look for lodging, you'll realize that's not exactly the case! So maybe we should all plan ahead and get this one on the books now, eh?I'll be up there during peak fall color (Oct 6-7), and I'm offering 30 minute family sessions during sunrise and sunset, when we can get the best photos of your family on the lake or in the surrounding woods. You'll get seven digital images sized perfectly for holiday cards or 5x7 prints for gifts. The cost is $200.Last year, we did this up at Lutsen (which was marvelous), but I got some feedback that a closer location might be easier for families with young children, so we are moving the sessions to Two Harbors. This means you can stay in Duluth, or at my favorite resort, Larsmont (no they are not paying me but they should for all the people I tell to go there!) or I also found this cute little air bnb.This is a great deal for families who have always wanted to have professional photos taken while on vacation but can't exactly trust strangers to take a great photo when you hand them your phone (we've all been there). Plus? This is one of my favorite parts of the state, and you know I'm happy to give you all sorts of suggestions on where to eat, where to stay, where to hike, etc etc etc.If you'd like to book one of these sessions, you can do so here. Just include if you prefer a sunrise or sunset session in the notes. Hopefully, I'll see you up there!