Jun 9
We have been working on decorating our new home. We finished our deck and gardening last weekend! Below is some patio inspiration, the remaining outdoor space we need to furnish and decorate! Doug has always wanted Adirondack chairs so I am sure that we will eventually get a few of them!
Happy Monday!
Jun 6
“One of the greatest gifts we receive from dogs is the tenderness they evoke in us.” ~Dean Koontz
Tomorrow marks eleven months since our precious Biscuit passed away. This time of year, with summer quickly approaching, makes me remember the days that Biscuit loved to sun himself! He loved to sit out in the grass with Doug and bask the sun, pictured below. Biscuit also sometimes liked to roll around on his back in the grass while enjoying the sun! I will never forget these ordinary, while simultaneously extraordinary, moments that we shared with our Biscuit. There are days that I wish we could have one more afternoon together to just sit together in the sun, one of Biscuit’s favorite pastimes. This is why it is so important to savor each day and be present in each moment and carve out time just to be. Biscuit gave us so much joy and he gave us so many gifts, including Victory. We still miss Biscuit very much, and even though he is not here with us in the physical form, Biscuit is always with us.
Trust has been my word for this year. I have been working steadily over the past year on my photography project, with many months of work remaining. I will keep working until the project is complete, which has three main phases. Sometimes it can be very challenging to work on your work each day. However, this project is really important to me and I have been fortunate to work with shelters and rescue organizations on this project along with countless volunteers have helped me as well. This body of work, when finished, will be dedicated to our precious Biscuit, who was the inspiration for this work.
What I am learning through this process is that the Universe delivers, you just have to ask — similar to the Zen saying, “leap and the net will appear.” I initially shared my project idea with the shelters and rescues, and fortunately, they have agreed to work with me to make this project possible. I have also been fortunate to meet artist friends on this path, which has been invaluable. For example, my artist friend recently reviewed my work, and gave me some feedback, which is always nice to receive from a trusted confidant, especially when you are working for many months in solitude. One of the comments I received is that I need more diversity of breeds in my project. As such, through a recommendation, I contacted several more rescue organizations and I have found two more dog rescue organizations who are going to participate in this project and allow me to include smaller breeds and breeds that I do not already have, enabling me to diversify the breeds included in this project, a goal at the outset of the project. I asked, trusted, and the Universe delivered.
Another thing that I am learning is that it is important to push through and move further than you think that you can go with your work. At times, this is terrifying, but I have learned to lean into it to get through it (good advice from a friend) — even though there are some days that are so tedious that I feel like pulling my hair out! To work on something for an extended period of time takes faith and trust. Otherwise, I am not sure how I would keep going.
Finally and importantly, I am learning the more I work and trust the process, the more everything makes sense. The work is always evolving, and I have to trust that I will end up where I am supposed to be. (I really like this quote below.)
Happy creating!
“Whoever said diamonds are a girls best friend…never had a dog.” ~Chritopher Morley
Beginning in January of this year, I began a weekly photography project with my muse, Victory! I will continue to share this project on the blog! I have also been documenting Victory’s milestones so to speak each month — you can read these here! I think that it is fun to document all of Victory’s changes, while preserving fleeting moments and memories.
Below are a few more photographs of Victory and I on our first Mother’s Day together! She is our furbaby and she even sits on my hip like one!
Happy Wednesday!
I came across this quote from Anne Lamott in her book, Bird by Bird, on the topic of perfectionism. (Bird by Bird is a wonderful book if you have not yet read it).
“…Oh my God, what if you wake up some day, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn’t go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? It’s going to break your heart. Don’t let this happen. Repent just means to change direction—and NOT to be said by someone who is waggling their forefinger at you. Repentance is a blessing. Pick a new direction, one you wouldn’t mind ending up at, and aim for that. Shoot for the moon.”
Things quote rings so true — it is better to shoot for the moon and pursue something that you are passionate about and make a lot of mistakes along the way rather than wonder “what if” and having regret. In the big scheme of things, it does not matter what others think — so don’t be afraid to follow your true path and, most of all, always be true to yourself.
Happy Tuesday!
We had a productive weekend with gorgeous weather. We donated some furniture we no longer needed. We gave Victory a bath that she really needed. This time, she at least was smiling during her bath, but she still wanted out of the tub! Doug (along with Victory who loves to go in the car), came with me to pick out flowers and plants. We planted flowers and plants; and I planted flowers in flower boxes and planters. This was my first time ‘gardening.’ Doug (I assisted) put together some patio furniture. Thankfully, Doug is really good at this sort of endeavor and he has so much patience. We sat out on our deck last night and read for the first time. It was really peaceful and Victory seemed to like being outside with us — she meandered around and then she eventually sat beside us. So far, Victory would rather lay on the deck than in her Orvis outdoor bed! We are looking forward to spending more evenings outside!
Happy Monday!
May 30
“Nobody can fully understand love unless they are owned by a dog.” ~Unknown
Beginning in January of this year, I began a weekly photography project with my muse, Victory! I will continue to share this project on the blog! I have also been documenting Victory’s milestones so to speak each month — you can read these here! I think that it is fun to document all of Victory’s changes, while preserving fleeting moments and memories.
Victory went with us to visit Doug’s parents and to pick up our furniture for our new home! Victory did really well in the car both ways — a long car ride. She wore her seat belt and she sat in the front seat! Victory had a good time on her trip, even though changes in her environment and routine are not easy for her — she loves her routine at home and she even puts herself to bed (in our bed) when she is ready! We took Victory to the pond several times as she really loves the water. Doug is going to order her a life jacket before we leave for vacation this summer and we shall see if she will go into the water! Victory just loves to look at the water — she is memorized by it! We sat with her by the water and she was very happy! Below are a few photographs of Victory taken at the pond and at the park for a walk (where we had wonderful light) where she walked 1.5 miles two nights in a row!
Happy Friday!
May 29
Doug and I moved into our new home about eight months ago — the time has really flown by. At that time, we bought some new furniture for the house since we have more space, but we also wanted to be in the house a little bit to get a sense of the space and how we wanted the space to look and feel. As such, we have been slowly decorating.
Over the weekend, we picked up our new end tables and coffee table for our family room from Doug’s parents’ house. Doug told me long ago that he always wanted these pieces of furniture in our house someday as they were hand-made by a family relative and they also were in Doug’s Grandma Rose’s apartment. Doug’s Mom found a local furniture finisher and we selected a stain and had the three pieces of furniture refinished. The mid-century furniture turned out really nice and we received these pieces of furniture as an early gift, which, thankfully made it back to our home without any problems due to Doug’s careful loading and packing of the cars! (Victory did well on the trip).
I have been looking around for some accent chairs to order at some point for our family room, living room, and my office. Below, are some accent chairs that I found that might work! I like solid colors — clean and simple.
We still have a few walls remaining that are in need of some decorating that we are working on as well!
Happy Thursday!
Fine art archival prints, limited edition, are available, if you are interested. Images available are located on my website and this blog. Please contact me (katie@katherinecarverphotography.com) for further information!
Happy Wednesday!
“Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor.” ~Rumi
It is often times feels scary to go outside of your comfort zone, but it is necessary. I think it is really true that you must move out of your comfort zone and try new things. This is how we grow and realize our dreams. That is what I am doing with my photography project, which is beginning to take some shape after a lot of time and hard work. It is new territory and, at times, overwhelming, but very much worth it, and I want to see this project and vision through to its completion (there is still much work to complete). I think in life you must be willing to take risks, go outside your comfort zone, and share your work. I am not sure what will come of this project, but I know that sometimes you just have to have faith and trust that you end up where you are meant to be with your work, while trusting in the process, if you are willing to keep working at it and showing up each day. Trust is my word for this year, and I am working on having more trust. I look forward to sharing this project once it is completed.
Additionally, I also found this short TED Talk video by Elizabeth Gilbert, writer, really helpful.
Happy creating!
biscuit's space | The blog of photographer Katherine Carver 