biscuit's space | The blog of photographer Katherine Carver

Dec 26

Victory: First Christmas

Victory had a wonderful Christmas! A few photographs are shown below of Victory on her first Christmas! The first image is one of my favorites of Victory sitting by the Christmas tree! I think that we will get a photo ornament made for our Christmas tree next year!

On Christmas we took Victory to go see a light display and she loved the car ride and the lights! A photo from the Christmas light display is shown below!

Victory also has received some very nice gifts shown below! It was a nice surprise to receive some gifts from a blog reader! Thank you!

On another note, anyone who has been to our home knows that Doug has a menagerie of “friends” (stuffed cheetahs and pandas). We have more “friends” than we know what to do with. Our entire guest room has hundreds of “friends” all of whom have names! However, while we were visiting family this past week, in a moment of weakness, we rescued a friend named “Buddy,” pictured below! Buddy is a 4.5 foot tall panda, our largest friend yet! Victory even posed with Buddy, shown below!

Happy Pawlidays!

Dec 25

Merry Christmas!

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” ~Charles Dickens

Merry Christmas! We are out-of-town visiting family over the Holidays! We hope that you are having a wonderful Christmas! Little Victory is doing well and she is enjoying her Christmas travels seeing new places and meeting new people!

Below is the front of our Holiday card along with our matching envelopes using custom stamps and stickers of our beautiful little Victory! I design our Holiday cards and packaging, and Doug helps me write (and proofreads) our message shown on the back of our Pawliday card! This is my way of sharing our Pawliday card with all of our blog friends! Thank you for your support all year round!

Dec 24

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Waiting for Santa

Over Thanksgiving, I had fun photographing Victory and Nick, my parents’ furry family member, sporting their Christmas attire! While we were out and about shopping, we found Nick the cutest long john material pjs, stating, “Waiting for Santa” on the bum! Unfortunately, the company does not make one in a large enough size for Victory — otherwise, I would have purchased one for her!

Nick did a good job in front of the camera wearing his Christmas attire! I know that he rather have been sitting on his Daddy’s lap! Victory also indulged me while I photographed her wearing her tartan antlers, courtesy of Biscuit. We took Biscuit to visit Santa last year; however, Victory is still getting acclimated to her environment, and we decided that we might try and take her to see Santa next year when she is a bit more acclimated!

Victory is making wonderful progress! We are spending lots of time with Victory; and it is nice to have a break from the usual routine! It is so nice that Victory comes running and jumps into my lap — what a great gift! We know that Biscuit sent us the ‘right little sheltie!’

Victory is all ready for Santa! (I will be documenting Victory’s first Christmas!)

Hopefully these fun photographs below of our precious fur babies will get you in the Holiday spirit!

Happy Christmas Eve!

Dec 23

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Victory: At the Pond

Victory traveled really well in the car on our recent drive to visit family! She sat (and slept) on my lap for nearly ten hours! Thankfully, Doug did all of the driving for us. Victory met her other set of grandparents for the first time! Victory is having a good time and she is acclimating to her new surroundings. Victory still prefers to be on furniture versus the floor! She has found her favorite chair to sit in! Victory now comes and hops into my lap — hopefully, we are getting more bonded with each other each day! She is our precious cuddle bug!

From our own neighborhood walks at home, we know that Victory really likes looking at water. There is a pond behind the house and she is mesmerized by the water! Below are a few photographs of Victory on a recent walk near the pond! Victory is looking so happy and beautiful! Victory’s sheltie furs are coming in more each day! Victory is ready for Santa!

Dec 20

2014 Word of the Year

I have been thinking a lot about what my word for 2014 will be. It is difficult to believe that 2014 is just a mere eleven days away. This year’s word has been create. It has been a great word for me this year. I have been creating new work and taking more risks with my work. I have undertaken a long-term photography project, which I hope to share more about next year. However, it does not mean that fear has not been present while creating. I think that most people encounter this when they are creating meaningful work. Creativity and vulnerability go hand in hand. I recently read a great quote by author, Elizabeth Gilbert, that sums up this sentiment very well — “I live a creative life, and you can’t be creative without being vulnerable. I believe that Creativity and Fear are basically conjoined twins; they share all the same major organs, and cannot be separated, one from the other, without killing them both. And you don’t want to murder Creativity just to destroy Fear! Creativity cannot walk even one step forward except by marching side-by-side with its attached sibling of Fear.” I believe that this sentiment is so true.

As 2014 approaches, I have been thinking about the word that I will choose to guide me through the next year. Over the past several days, I have considered having open be my word. I believe that we all have ‘blind spots’ — there is so much to learn and many things that we are unable to see. However, I think that if you have the intention to be open, you will therefore be more able to see the things that appear at the right moment, right when you need them most. I believe this is how the Universe works. It delivers to us right on time — although, sometimes, in unexpected ways!

Happy Friday!

Dec 19

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Dogs XL Rescue, Inc. — Part VI – Rescue dogs in need of furever homes

I am excited about a long-term Dog Photography Project that I am working on with the Baltimore Animal Rescue Care Shelter (BARCS) as well as some local dog rescue organizations, including the Dogs XL Rescue, Inc. I hope to share further information in the future. Using the following links, you can view Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.

For now, I can share some color photographs of these doggies pictured below in the hopes that they receive furever homes! If you are interested in adopting (or fostering in some cases) any of these dogs pictured below, please contact Dogs XL Rescue, Inc. for further information. Please consider dog rescue! Biscuit’s story illustrates that we can make a positive difference and impact in one dog’s life.

Below is a brief description of the dogs in the order they are pictured below.

1. Toby — is a male Lab-Hound mix , approximately 6 years old. Toby is very handsome and well-mannered and he is in need of a furever home!

2. Acer — is a male Lab-Golden retriever mix, approximately 3 years old. Acer is very playful and he has lots of energy and he is in need of a furever home!

3. Dagwood — is a male Lab-Golden retriever mix, approximately 2 years old. Dagwood is very well-mannered and he is eager to please and he is in need of his furever home!

4. Lasko — is a male Catahoula-Aussie mix, approximately 2 – 3 years old. Lasko is so handsome and well-behaved and he is in need of his furever home! Just look at Lasko’s beautiful face and blue eyes below!

5. Humphrey — is a male black Lab-Setter mix, approximately seven-months-old. Humphrey is very even-tempered, kind, and handsome and he is in need of a furever home. Just look at Humphrey’s beautiful face and eyes below!

6. Robo — is a male Belgian Tervuren Mix, approximately 1 to 2 years old. Robo does well with other dogs and he is so handsome and he is in need of a furever home!

7. Lulu — is a puppy terrier mix breed dog who is approximately 7 weeks old! Lulu is ready to go to her furever home. Her brother, Bentley, is listed and shown below.

8. Bentley —is a puppy mastiff-boxer-terrier mix who is approximately 7 weeks old! Bentley is ready to go to his furever home. His sister, Lulu, is listed above and shown below.

If you want to adopt a rescue dog; donate money; and/or contribute your time to the Dogs XL Rescue, Inc., please, please contact Dogs XL Rescue, Inc. via e-mail at info@dogsxlrescue.org; or via telephone at 410-205-5014. To learn more, you can also visit the Dogs XL Rescue, Inc.’s website.

Happy Thursday!

Dec 18

Brain Test

Recently, my Mom sent me this link to determine if I am left-brained or right-brained. Well, I took the test, and I am neither — I use both the right and left sides of my brain equally!

Check out the test and see what side of your brain is more dominate!

Happy Wednesday!

Dec 17

Gift Idea: BarkBox

Since it is the Holiday season, are you looking for a gift for your furry family member or a friend or family member’s furry family member? I recently learned about BarkBox. When you sign up for BarkBox, each month you will receive a box in the mail with carefully selected products and presents for your furry family member — anything from bones and treats to shampoos, leashes, and innovative new gadgets!

Whether you have known and loved your furry friend for years or have a new special canine in your life, BarkBox is a neat idea to keep new goodies regularly coming to your home for your furry family member!

Doug and I already purchased Victory’s Christmas gifts; however, I thought this was a neat gift idea for our furry family members! Perhaps, in the future, we will get a BarkBox subscription for Victory as a gift!

You can read further about how the BarkBox process works here and here. Basically, you select the size of your dog; select a plan (one time purchases are available); and then the BarkBox arrives at its destination for your furry family member!

Importantly, a portion of proceeds, ten percent, from each box will go to help doggies-in-need.

Happy Tuesday!

Dec 16

Victory: Exuding Confidence

Victory is beginning to really come into her own! Over the weekend, Victory got a bath and we took her to get her nails and paws trimmed! Victory did try to jump multiple times out of our soaker tub! It takes both of us to bathe her! However, it was worth is as she looks great and she is ready for Christmas! Victory’s fur feels so soft and silky! Her sheltie furs are also beginning to come in! Victory, pictured below, is striking a pose for the camera! She looks confident and beautiful wearing her new Christmas collar! Every time Victory moved, she jingled!

Also, over the weekend, Doug and I made eggnog sugar cookies pictured below. Doug really enjoys cooking and baking! In honor of Victory, we made dog and dog bone shaped eggnog sugar cookies! We need to get a sheltie cookie cutter. We had bought a sheltie cookie cutter previously, but I think that it got misplaced/lost during one of our recent moves!

The winner of the ASPCA Giveaway is Nancie McClendon! I along with the ASPCA will be in touch with you shortly! Thank you to all of you who participated!

Happy Monday!

Dec 13

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Victory: Getting Ready for Christmas!

If you have not already noticed from reading the blog, Victory is our little fur baby and she will always be treated as a family member! As such, we wanted to get Victory ready for the Holidays — her first Christmas!

We purchased some items for Victory, which are shown below!

1. Ornament: We had a custom ornament of Victory made by Helen Greenstein, Eleni Creative, who previously made our Little Felt Family! I love working with Helen!

(The above photographs of the little felt Victory are courtesy of Helen Greenstein, Eleni Creative.)

Below is an image of our expanded Little Felt Family!

Also, shown in the image immediately below, on the right, our beloved Biscuit was featured in the American Craft 2013 Holiday Look Book!

2. Stocking: We had a custom embroidered stocking made for little Victory from Pottery Barn, pictured above! (We had the same custom embroidered stockings made for all of us for Biscuit’s first Christmas in 2011.)

3. Christmas Collars: We purchased several Christmas collars shown above. Victory is wearing her sparkle collar below!

4. Tartan Antlers: Victory is using Biscuit’s Tartan Antlers shown below. Victory looks so cute wearing her tartan antlers and her sparkle collar!