biscuit's space | The blog of photographer Katherine Carver

Nov 2

Victory: Photography Project — 75

Beginning in January 2014, I started a weekly photography project with my muse, Victory! I will continue to share this project on the blog this year! My goal is to document all of Victory’s changes, while preserving fleeting moments and memories, while capturing moments of our everyday.

We hope that you had a great Halloween! Victory had a wonderful Halloween! Doug carved our pumpkin with a dog howling at the moon along with Victory’s nickname, “Tory.” Doug spent so much time carving this pumpkin, that he ran out of time to carve our second pumpkin, as planned. Our carved pumpkin turned out well, thanks to Doug! You can view previous pumpkins carved by Doug last year, two years ago year and the three years ago!

On Halloween, Victory sat outside with us on my lap, in her lioness costume, while we handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters! Everyone loved our little lioness! Fortunately, the weather was nice, too! Below are a few images from Victory’s third Halloween! You can see Victory’s first Halloween here, second Halloween here!

Doesn’t the Halloween card Victory gave to her Daddy, shown below, resemble Victory?

Happy Monday!

Oct 30

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Happy Halloween!

Happy (almost) Halloween! I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by that it is already time for Halloween! Victory was a butterfly last year and a ladybug the year before, and, this year, she is a little lioness. She looks adorable in her costume, shown below. The color of Victory’s fur coordinates well with this costume! (Looking back, via the links above, you can see how much Victory has physically changed and blossomed from one Halloween to the next). Tomorrow night, she is going to help pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters and show off her costume along with her carved pumpkin masterpieces, with the assistance of Doug, of course! So far, the weather looks good on Halloween!

Earlier this month at the time of Victory’s birthday, we took Victory to the pumpkin patch, an annual tradition! She had a great time! We still could only find one pumpkin patch located in Delaware, after looking in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, that would permit a furry family member to come along! We had fun, Victory had fun, and the weather was just gorgeous! A few images from our annual trip to the pumpkin patch are shown below.

Doug is carving our pumpkins this year for Halloween so stay tuned on Instagram! Enjoy the photos below! Also, here are links to pumpkins carved by Doug last year, two years ago year and the three years ago!

Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!

Oct 28

Around Here: October

Well, it is officially fall, our favorite time of the year! We are enjoying the cooler temperatures and foliage. Below are some items that have occurred around here in October, our favorite month of the year! We can hardly believe this month of October is coming to an end. It is always a fun and fully packed month each year!

-continuing to work steadily on my long-term photography project; I am almost done drafting the draft the copy for my project; and I continue to work on the remaining final images to finish to complete the project, which I plan to finish next year.

-finished all of the photo shoots for my long-term photography project, over 150 photo shoots over the past three years.

-continue to prepare filings with the U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress.

-finished culling and editing our images from our vacation!

-finished reading this book — an excellent read, and I will share more about this great book! I am still making my way through the stack of books on my nightstand.

-we celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary!

-we celebrated Victory’s birthday!

-we visited the pumpkin patch, an annual tradition, to pick out our pumpkins! (A few images from our trip to the pumpkin patch are shown below.)

-we are ready to celebrate Halloween — Victory looks so adorable in her costume! Doug has figured out our pumpkin theme, as he carves our pumpkin each Halloween, which takes him nearly a day to carve with the help of a Dremel — that is what you call dedication! Doug is going to attempt to carve two pumpkins this year, time permitting. I am sure Victory will supervise!

-my sister came to visit us.

-burning fall-scented candles all over the house!

-enjoying opening the windows and waking up to the crisp fall air in the mornings.

-enjoying cooler evenings and walks together outside, breathing in the crisper air, a welcome change!

-enjoying time together on the deck, while the weather is still nice.

-enjoying date nights with Doug!

-enjoying my yoga class, and recently learned about Doga — I would love to take a Doga class!

-started the second season of The Affair.

-started the second season of Fargo.

-started the first season of Orphan Black.

-giving our fur girl her monthly bath — Victory is getting better about bath time, but it still takes both Doug and I to bathe Victory! Victory’s fur feels so smooth and silky after her bath and brush out!

-just about finished our annual Pawliday card!

-almost done framing my images for the house — my new deadline is Christmas to finish, as this project it taking quite awhile to complete.

-continuing to make more progress on our ever-growing to do list!

Happy Wednesday!

Oct 26

Doga: Dog and Human Yoga

I recently learned about doga, dog and human yoga, a new movement. You can now invite your furry family member to your yoga mat! How had I not heard of this practice?! According to Mahny Djahanguiri, “When you practice present-moment awareness, or mindfulness, as you do during yoga, you enhance your relationships . . . with humans, plants, and animals.” After all, our dogs are pros at the down dog!

There are many benefits of doga. You get to enjoy an activity with your furry family member (all sizes and breeds are welcome to participate); both humans and furry family members will benefit from the calming effect of doga, which aids in helping with stress, anxiety, sleep, and digestion; both humans and furry family members get an opportunity to socialize with others who share a similar interest; and it is a fun and enjoyable practice for all!

What a neat way to bond and connect with your furry family member! Perhaps I can find a class nearby, and see if Victory would participate!

You can learn more about doga in the book titled, Doga –Yoga for you and your dog by Many Djahanguiri.

*Please stay tuned for a forthcoming interview in early November appearing on Biscuit’s Space with Many Djahanguiri.

Additionally, you can view the video below to learn more!

The images contained in this blog post are courtesy of Mahny Djahanguiri and Octopus Publishing.

Oct 23

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Victory: Photography Project — 74

Beginning in January 2014, I started a weekly photography project with my muse, Victory! I will continue to share this project on the blog this year! My goal is to document all of Victory’s changes, while preserving fleeting moments and memories, while capturing moments of our everyday.

My sister came to visit recently from Michigan! We had a nice weekend together. I wish that we were able to see each other more often. We enjoyed time together in D.C., where we went to the National Zoo and the Mall. (Victory could not go inside at the National Zoo, so Doug and I took turns.) The pandas were great! We cannot wait to see the baby panda when he is on display. You can view the pandas at the National Zoo via the panda cam here.

Victory was a trooper, and she looked adorable in her new Orvis coat! She walked the Mall like a pro, especially on the way back! We also went to one of our favorite restaurants together along with attending a Halloween party together! It was nice to see my sister and spend time together. A few images from our weekend are shown below.

Have a great weekend! I have my final photo shoot this weekend for my long-term photography project that I have been working on for quite some time!

Happy Friday!

Oct 21

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A Change of Scenery: Rejuvenation

During vacation, I took a break from everything, which I do not practice often enough. What I noticed is that I really needed a break from my work and the usual routine — we were so ready for our vacation. I felt a bit drained and depleted, to be honest. I also noticed that the intentional break gave me space to think about other things that had been pushed to the back burner as well as time to reflect on the projects that I am currently working on. Most of all, I felt free. After taking this long break during vacation, I felt more rejuvenated and, upon our return, I have been able to dive into work with a new perspective. A change of scenery really does wonders. Therefore, I highly recommend taking intentional and frequent breaks to enrich your work and the creative process. (Please note that breaks do not have to be in the form of a vacation.) Also, I often find that a problem that I am working on in my work becomes more clear after I have stepped away, even for a short period of time, and I am then able to come back with a fresh perspective. A Change of Scenery = Rejuvenation.

Happy Wednesday!

Oct 19

#BigLove: Adopt A Shelter Dog Month — ASPCA

It’s Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and the ASPCA requested that I help spread the word about this important cause! Large dogs can oftentimes be overlooked because potential adopters think they require a spacious home and a big backyard. However, when it comes to adoption, what matters most isn’t the size of your home – it’s the size of your heart.

According to the ASPCA, to help bring attention and awareness to canine adoptables during this special month, the ASPCA is encouraging everyone this year to consider adopting a big dog via the ASPCA’s #BigLove campaign.

During the remainder of October 2015, you can tell the ASPCA why you believe BIG dogs rock and you’ll be automatically entered to win a pair of ASPCA Party Pet Pillows from Pottery Barn Teen! And if you’re a proud parent of a bigger-sized dog, please share his/her photo(s) on social media using the hashtag #BigLove and tagging @ASPCA. The ASPCA will share a few of its favorites on its social media!

*Biscuit’s Space supports dog rescue and adoption. Please remember that there are a great number of shelter and rescue dogs who are constantly looking for furever homes, and these dogs would be most grateful to receive a furever home via adoption. Dog rescue is very rewarding not only to the furry family member, but it is equally rewarding for his/her human companion.

Happy Monday!

The above image is courtesy of the ASPCA.

Oct 16

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Sisters: Wedding Day

With both of our wedding anniversaries this month, it made me think about my wedding day and my sister’s wedding day and the importance of sisterhood. I read a quote by an unknown author that summarizes sisterhood perfectly, and I mentioned this quote in my toast at my sister’s wedding. “A sister is a gift to a heart. A friend to the spirit. A golden thread to the meaning of life.” I am grateful to have my sister, Kassie, a thoughtful and genuine person, and one of the few people I have known my entire life and shares each other’s past. Below we are pictured together on each of our wedding days — exactly six years and one week apart along with a childhood photo, similar pose, circa 1980s!

My sister and brother-in-law are visiting us from Michigan for a long weekend!

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

Oct 14

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Victory: A Birthday Celebration — 4 years!

This past Monday, October 12, 2015, marked two years since we adopted our dear little Victory! We decided to make October 12 Victory’s birthday — the day we went to Michigan and adopted our sweet fur girl. (We also took the same approach with Biscuit’s birthday.) Victory was likely one to two years old when we adopted her, per the Michigan Sheltie Rescue.

This year, for Victory’s birthday, we did a pink themed birthday! (Last year, we did a rainbow themed birthday for Victory!) We purchased some fun pink themed decorations, candles, balloons, party hat, and new pink sweater for Victory in honor of her birthday! Victory also enjoyed some pork chops and chicken in lieu of birthday cake, which she gobbled down in no time flat! Victory looked absolutely adorable on her birthday! She had a fun birthday, a fun long weekend, and she enjoyed being over fed along with a birthday dinner in downtown Baltimore at one of our favorite pizza places! Most of all, I am grateful for Victory’s patience and cooperation. I believe Victory and I have an unspoken partnership when it comes to the camera and photographing her. Victory enjoys being photographed and she makes my job so much easier due to her participation, patience, and cooperation! We are so lucky to have our little Victory!

For Victory’s birthday, we gave her a new pink sweater; a new Orvis coat; and a new outdoor Orvis bed for our deck — she now has two Orvis outdoor beds (and three Orvis indoor beds) for our two outdoor spaces! She loves to lounge outside on the deck! Additionally, her Grandma and Grandpa in Michigan (my parents) gave her a card and a gift card to the pet store! Victory can now pick out some new toys and treats, etc.! Thank you! Victory loved all of her gifts! Below are some fun images of Victory on her birthday! Enjoy! (You can view Victory’s birthday from last year here!) Happy Wednesday!

Oct 13

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Seven Years In

Not only did we celebrate Victory’s Birthday this weekend, we also celebrated our seven-year wedding anniversary! It is difficult to believe seven years ago around this time we were getting married! Additionally, in September, while we were in Quebec on vacation, we celebrated eleven years together since our first date!

To celebrate our wedding anniversary, and with the beautiful weather over the weekend, we went to Delaware along with our fur girl! The weather on our anniversary reminded us of the day we got married — it was beautiful with the sun shinning and warm temperatures. While in Delaware, we went to the pumpkin patch, an annual tradition. Doug and Victory picked out two large pumpkins to carve on Halloween! We only know of one pumpkin patch where Victory can come along, and it happens to be in Delaware. We also celebrated with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants! We had a really nice long weekend together!

Seven years ago we promised a life intertwined together forever. I cannot imagine my life without you. I admire your character, steadfast patience, and your kindness that you show to everyone. Most of all, you are my very best friend. You are the greatest gift of my life, and each day spent with you is truly a gift. I love you and I am so honored to be your partner in life. I cannot wait to see what our life looks like in another seven years! Happy Anniversary!