Happy 7th Birthday, Zoe!

Zoe's birthday was a few days ago on September 11th, and you know what that means... PRESENTS!

As always, the girls got spoiled for Zoe's birthday with a bag full of toys and treats.  I've mentioned it before, but our dogs (especially Lexi) destroy toys like you wouldn't believe so I always buy them at the dollar store.  It doesn't matter if I pay one dollar, or ten, for a toy, Lexi will have it destroyed in under 10 minutes. Guaranteed.

When I went to the store this time, the selection was pretty dismal and there wasn't a single plush toy in the whole place - which is their favorite kind.  They both get a kick out of pulling the stuffing out of them as soon as they manage to tear a hole in them.  So, I ended up getting them more treats than usual and got them a few repeat toys from years past that I know they like.  Plus a few frisbees for Lexi that we bought last month.  Around here we call frisbees the toys that keep on giving because Lexi doesn't play fetch with them, she chews them up.  She breaks off little pieces all around the house, and then the cats bat them around for hours of fun.

But enough of that, let's get to the good stuff, shall we?

Lexi and Zoe waiting patiently for their present...

Checking it out...

Digging in...

Score!...

Wait, this thing still has the wrapper on!...

That's not very nice!...

Seriously, guys, I can't get this thing off.  Somebody unwrap it for me!...

Give it to me, give it to me!...

Yum...

Did somebody say more treats?...

I just adore this photo of Zoe!  It's one of my favorites...

I loved the fun bright colors of this rope toy, and couldn't resist it...

These two images are definitely among my all time favorite photos of Lexi!  She has such a huge personality and she's such an inquisitive dog, and I feel like that really comes across here...

Another fun colored rope toy...

These cloth frisbee type toys usually don't last long, but Lexi seems to like them...

Sweet Zoe...

Lexi with one of her new frisbees...

Since the bag contained too many treats to eat at one time, Kevin was picking most of them up to save for later as soon as the dogs got the tissue paper off.  Zoe is all about food and wasn't too happy that her prizes kept getting scooped up as fast as she could open them.  She has her eyes glued to Kevin in a lot of these images hoping he's going to return her loot...

Even Daisy and Gasby joined in on the fun!  Only this time they didn't watch from the side lines or wait until things had settled down a bit to see what all the fuss was about.  They were right there in the middle of the room checking things out, hiding in the tissue paper, and playing with some of the dogs' new toys...

She's not quite sure what to think yet?

What is that crazy dog doing?

Well, I guess it's ok.  I'll just lay here and watch...

For me?  You shouldn't have...

I may have gone a wee little bit overboard on photos with this post, so thank you if you made it all the way to the end and you're still with me!  I liked a lot of these and wanted to share them, plus it's been an eternity since I posted photos of the dogs on the blog.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

BBL 2013-2014 | Follow a Sugar Free Diet for 30 Days

#22 FOLLOW A SUGAR FREE DIET FOR 30 DAYS

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

Originally I had put 'follow a gluten free diet for 30 days' on my bucket list because I thought it was possible that I had a gluten sensitivity.  However, after doing some reading and research, I decided that I didn't think gluten was my issue after all.  Instead, I began thinking that my body was having a hard time processing sugar.  So I decided to go sugar free for a month to see how I responded.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

I'm not going to claim for a second that eliminating sugar from diet has been easy!  It has taken a lot of time and effort to do this, but it has been well worth it.  Since giving up sugar, 100% of my digestive issues have been eliminated, and I feel about a thousand times better.

The details...

I spent a few months leading up to this eating change as I slowly eliminated the prepackaged, processed foods from my kitchen, and began replacing them with more natural foods.  Eventually, I managed to eliminate everything containing sugar from our house and replace it all with non-sugar varieties where possible.

I'm not going to claim that I've been perfect in my efforts, though.  I've eaten out a few times in the past 30 days, which is a guarantee that the food I ate contained sugar.  I had a few sips of soda on two separate occasions, but much to my surprised, it tasted completely disgusting, like it was full of nothing but chemicals. And I did cave in and have some frosted brownies, which sadly, tasted like pure heaven on a plate, so clearly my tastebuds have a way to go to adapt to the reduced sugar.  However, since I'm not eating processed foods all that often, it's been crazy how salty things are starting to taste when I do indulge.

As I mentioned in my recent self-portrait, it is my intent to make this a permanent lifestyle change because of how much better I feel!  Not to mention how much healthier it is for me.

Do you want to see my entire 2013-2014 Birthday Bucket List?  You can find it here. Did you miss my 2012-2013 List? You can find it here.  Or my 2011-2012 List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

Jamie + Jake + Allison's Sneak Peek

This session is simply adorable in its own right.  However in order to truly appreciate it, you must go take a peek at Jamie and Jake's maternity session.

No, seriously.... go check it out!

Ok, now that you're back, these photos might look vaguely familiar to you, with one important addition! :)  Please allow me to introduce you to sweet little Allison...

Just look at those big, beautiful eyes...

How can you not smile at Allison's adorable grin?...

There's that smile again!...

Baby shoes!...

Weee...

Allison is 8 months old, and she's already trying to walk with mom and dad's help...

She is pretty much the cutest baby ever...

This might look familiar, too!  I couldn't narrow it down to just one favorite...

I wish we would have been able to recreate more of the images from Jamie and Jake's maternity session, but unfortunately a huge dust storm went blowing through and cut our session short. Luckily, we are already planning another session in honor of Allison's first birthday, which is right around the corner!  So this little cutie will be back on the blog again in a few months.

Jamie + Jake, It was great to see you both again and to see Allison again, too! Thank you for allowing me to take your family photos for you and I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

It's Been a Year!

It's hard to believe it but Daisy and Gatsby have been part of our family for a little over a year! We brought them home on August 18th, 2013, and they quickly worked their way into our hearts.

I meant to take new photos of them back in early May when they turned a year old, but in the blink of an eye I'd missed that milestone and their adoption anniversary was upon us.  So here are some updated photos of our sweet feline fur babies!

Everyone warned us that Daisy was probably going to be a problem child as torties are notorious for having a mind of their own, but Daisy is actually the easier of the two.  She's the one who was easier to work with when we were dealing with the ringworm nightmare, and she's the one who doesn't fuss as much when I cut her nails.  She's pretty darn cute, too, don't you think?...

Gatsby is the more social of the two.  She's the one who likes to hang out near where we are sitting, and she's the one who is more likely to come sit with us for attention.  Lately she's also the little stinker who likes to chew on cords and she has killed off three of our chargers.  But she is pretty stinkin' cute, too, so I guess we'll have to forgive her...

I'll let the rest of the photos of our little cuties speak for themselves...

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

Reid White, Attorney at Law | Head Shots

Reid is a local attorney who is opening his own law firm and needed some photos for his website, so we met earlier this week to take some updated head shots.  I can say from first hand knowledge that Reid is a great guy and I am very excited for him as he begins this huge new venture. So please allow me to introduce you to Reid White, Attorney at Law:

I think this first one is my favorite, but it is a hard choice.  Reid photographs very well so all of his images turned out great and it was hard to pick...

This is another one of my favorites...

This one is a closer runner up for my favorite photo of Reid...

I was testing out the lighting before we got started and Reid was striking amusing poses while I was getting all set up.  I actually got a kick out of this one so I added it to his final images...

If the whole law firm thing doesn't work out, maybe Reid has a future in modeling.  These next two images belong in GQ if you ask me!...

As soon as we started this last set of photos Reid instantly relaxed.  It is obvious that he was born to be in the court room!

So, what do you think?  Anyone want to hire this smart and handsome attorney?

Reid, thanks for letting me take these head shots for you.  It was a pleasure.  Good luck with your law firm venture.  I hope it turns out even better than your wildest dreams imagine it could!

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC

BBL 2013-2014 | Make a List of Things I Love About My Hubby

#32 MAKE A LIST OF THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY HUBBY

Why did I include this on my Bucket List?

My motivation for this was pretty much the same as it was for starting the love/gratitude journal (which is still one of the best things we have done for our marriage!). My husband really is pretty awesome and I wanted to make sure he knows I think so.  Plus, life is just better when you spend your time focusing on the positives.

Was the experience what I had hoped it would be?

I enjoyed coming up with the list.  Hopefully he enjoyed reading it.

The details...

I'm not going to share the list, but basically I came up with a list of reasons why I think Kevin is an awesome husband and then I wrote it out for him in our journal.  I sat down and wrote the list over the course of two days, and it was a little tough to come up with it in such a short time.  It would have been easier if I'd kept a running list for a few weeks and added to it every time I had an item to add, but I just can't ever do things the easy way.  What fun would that be?

Do you want to see my entire 2013-2014 Birthday Bucket List?  You can find it here. Did you miss my 2012-2013 List? You can find it here.  Or my 2011-2012 List? You can find it here.

Michele Whitacre is a portrait photographer serving Phoenix, Arizona and the surrounding area.
Visit Michele's Website | Like Michele on Facebook | Follow Michele on Instagram | Follow Michele on Twitter

© 2014 Michele Whitacre Photography LLC