Happy 11th Birthday, Misty!

I am R-E-A-L-L-Y behind in posting...life is pretty hectic right now and I'm having to juggle many things and trying not to lose my head. I'm going to try to catch up and backdate several posts in the next few days, starting with Misty's 11th Birthday which was on March 1st.

This Birthday felt even more special than last year after all the health crisis that followed shortly after she turned 10. During the darkest days, we really weren't sure how things would turn out, but then she managed to pull through and is now doing very well and looking better than ever before! It was definitely a sobering experience, and we're now more aware of the time ticking and the "inevitable" that'll come someday. No one knows how long before the next "issue", but we are thankful for each and every day we have her healthy and happy!

Custom made Birthday hat and bib!

All vegan carrot pupcakes (except for the toppers)

Birthday girl!

"Can I eat it now?"

"Mmm, it's delicious!"

They gobbled it up good!

Misty loves to unwrap gifts!

Happy girl with her gift

Happy 10! Project: Jasper Turns 10 Part 2

Back in March, I made a Birthday Chalkboard poster for Misty, so of course I had to do one for my Jasper as well. I had planned to make a real chalkboard this time and even bought a can of chalkboard paint awhile ago, but timing did not work out and I had to resort to photoshop magic once again. You can view my quick tutorial on how I created the chalkboard digitally, here.

Misty: March 1st

Jasper: November 1st

Happy 10! Project: Jasper Turns 10!

We celebrated Jasper's big 10th Birthday last Saturday. Having done Misty's Birthday bash back in March, preparation this time around was a lot easier and things went relatively smooth, overall. We're so thankful for the last 10 years with him--he has made our lives definitely more "interesting" and has taught us many valuable life lessons so far. Happy Birthday to my sweet boy!

"It's my Birthday!"

"I'm 10 today!"

Birthday party with my bestie!!

"Coconut vegan cake was delicious!"

"Can I have some more?"

Happy 10! Project: Misty Turns 10!

Oh boy, March is turning out to be one crazy month, with one photoshoot after another!  Having just completed St. Patrick's Day session only few days ago, I had to shift gears quickly and prepare for the big celebration--MISTY'S BIRTHDAY!!!  In all the 10 years, we've never had a birthday party for either one of our dogs, so I felt a bit clueless about how to pull it off. It also took some extra time and effort in preparation since it involved baking a cake (will try to post recipe later), but I really wanted it to be a special day and nothing is too much for my girl!  Photoshoot itself was also a bit of a challenge--how to manage two very excited dogs with all the goodies and treats within their reach?  They actually behaved wonderfully, and I was able to capture a few shots before letting them all loose! Overall, I'm not terribly happy with how the photos turned out and I blame it all on my inexperience.  Looking through the photos afterward, I can see what mistakes I've made in lighting, camera settings and in composition, and I think I can do better next time...I'll have another chance in November for Jasper's Birthday.  However, the main focus for today was celebrating Misty's milestone and appreciating her 10 years with us.  She has truly been a gift to us and I'm so thankful for her! Now for the pictures...warning, there's quite a few!

table setting complete with cake, treats, and gifts

the guest of honor!

it's a pawty!!

despite fire hazard, we lit the candles for a brief moment

Misty's very own first cake ever--she didn't quite know how to attack it and kept licking the frosting only. I had to cut it into small bite size for her...so spoiled!!

Jasper devoured his slice no problem

bug-eyed with excitement!

ripping off the wrapping paper is the favorite part!