There are a lot of tongues (and tails!) wagging about the 2011 Tiny Dog Calendar. We’re really proud of this newest creation. More than half of the calendar dogs are rescues…. even a Hurricane Katrina survivor (Miss April) and a skateboard riding dog named Trudy.
Our cover dog, Andretti, is an actor-agility champion in training — You can see his Mom and all about him on her facebook page HERE. MOST importantly, we’re donating $1 to Dallas Fort Worth rescue charities for each calendar sold. If you’d like to order your calendar and get a preview of ALL the pages, just go HERE and we’ll ship you one! Or save shipping costs and stop by the studio for your copy.
What three things are sure to make magic in a child’s portrait?
1. A beautiful child
2. A cute dog
3. Clothing with soft color and texture
This modeling session for the upcoming Matilda Jane Trunk Show started out a little shakey. Our model, Taylor, wasn’t 100% sure she wanted to participate. So we called in the big guns (that would be Tiger) who was fortunately not far away with Taylor’s grandparents. Lots of creative chaos unfolded, and Taylor and Tiger were just terrific. And special thanks to the FOUR OTHER ADULTS who made this session work. I really couldn’t have done it without you!
Great information from our blog guest, Shannon Harlow. Let’s keep baby safe!
For starters, I am honored and overjoyed to be working with Teresa Berg. Her work, as you probably know as readers of her blog, is absolutely extraordinary, and I’m beyond thrilled to have her as a partner for Sweet Pea Baby Planners Dallas. I’m looking forward to having Teresa’s work hanging on my walls as well. Additionally, I’m also very gratefully that Teresa has provided me the opportunity to add content to her blog on subjects relating to moms and babies.
As a baby planner, I am constantly researching and delving into products and businesses that have anything to do with pregnancy, delivery, babies and children. One of my areas of interest is providing moms, their environments and their children with options for a non-toxic or “greener” home. This could involve switching over your household cleaners, to eating organically, to buying more chemical-free personal products, etc. And the health benefits, especially for pregnant moms and newborns are overwhelmingly beneficial. I could go on and on about this topic, but for this article, I’ll stick to one of the most important rooms in the house to create a non-toxic environment, the nursery!
Here are some great starting points to creating a “green” nursery which will ultimately allow you to invest in the health of your future child(ren).
The biggest splurge of your nursery should actually be where your baby rests his/her head for most of the day, the mattress. This usually surprises most people but conventional mattresses are highly toxic. Due to the materials used to make them and the flame retardants poured all over them, they will off-gas chemicals that are detrimental to tiny infant lungs. Look for a completely organic mattress, even partially organic will leave room for harmful chemicals
A great finish to a super healthy sleeping environment is to finish that organic mattress off with an organic mattress pad and sheets. I know having a cute matching crib set is adorable, but consider long-term health over style for this important decision.
Paint early and use No-VOC paints. You’ve heard the old “don’t paint while pregnant” saying, right? It is well known that inhaling the chemicals in paint does harm to your developing fetus. VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. They’re bad news and can off-gas into your nursery for months. And now, almost every major brand of paint is creating a No-VOC option.
Choose your nursery furniture wisely! Look for solid wood, not particle board. Particle board is basically glued wood bits and that glue can release harmful fumes. Also be on the lookout for the type of lacquer used on your nursery furniture. If the manufacturer doesn’t use a non-toxic finish, keep shopping.
A healthy nursery actually has a natural wood surface floor covered by non-toxic area rugs. Carpet and stained wood are literally covered with chemical finishes and/or fabricated with petrochemicals.
If you’re going to renovate the nursery (or any area of the house) during pregnancy, keep mama as far away from the construction zone as possible. Ventilate the area well during and after (for as long as possible) upon completion to release the dirt, dust and toxins back out of your home.
Don’t forget about what touches baby’s skin. Everything from the onesie to the swaddling blanket to the carrier is now available in materials made from natural resources and the more organic the better. This isn’t to say that the adorable frilly number daddy bought can’t see the light of day, just make wise decisions, especially in those first few months.
Lastly but definitely not any less important is to make sure that your baby shampoos, lotions, powders, creams and all other body products are free of Parabens and Phthalates. Most conventional baby body products are riddled with chemicals and these 2 families of toxins aren’t the only bad guys on the block. Finding brands clearly label “PARABEN & PHTHALATE FREE” will in many cases let you know the manufacturer is looking to ensure fewer chemicals are absorbed into baby’s porous skin.
As I mentioned earlier, there is much more I could go on about with this topic. But, I will save that for another day. I don’t want you to think for a moment that any of the above is too overwhelming. Making a switch to the greener side of life should be one baby step at a time so that habits are formed. I’m available anytime should you have any questions. Please email me at Shannon@sweetpeababyplanners.com. Thanks Teresa!
Photographers love Matilda Jane! Their beautiful clothes are fun and colorful and beautifully put together — and they’re clothes the girls just love to wear. When I saw how special they were, I was actually surprised they weren’t more expensive. I recently contacted the local Trunk Keeper and was lucky enough to get on the calendar for the first week of the fall line! Their sizes range from 18 months to 12 years and they have lots of fun accessories and mix and match possibilities — and they’re not available in stores. AND they also have some cute clothes for Moms!
So if you want to come and have some girl fun and try on outfits, have some refreshments and beat the heat – come see us on August 15th from 2-4pm. We’ll going to have a blast!
I just booked my flights for our third Unleashed workshop! I really love teaching and learning with other photographers and my co-instructors Barbara Breitsameter and Bev Hollis always make it so much fun.This April, here in Dallas, we had 20 photographers fly in from all over — and it was amazing how many friendships were born from our shared passion for animals and photography.
This next Unleashed is going to be a special treat. We’ve expanded it to a full three days and we’re based at the beautiful Landsdowne Resort outside of Washington DC. This is going to be a fabulous luxury getaway combined with lots of photography in the beautiful rolling hills of northern Virginia — an IRRESISTABLE combination! If you’re a photographer and you’re interested in learning fine art pet photography – there is simply no better place to do it!
We have agreed to teach a one-day abbreviated version of Unleashed at Imaging USA in January for those of you that can’t get away in September!
This is Morgan, who stopped by to model for the Tiny Dog Calendar and try out our new wallpaper backdrop– she’s got some star power, don’t you think? Much too hot to play outside, so we crank up the air conditioning and stay in the studio. We unveil the fun new holiday card designs, and meet lots of new furry friends. And yes, cats can play, too. Reserve your session right away — we often fill up all of our openings the first week.
Katie is a Hurricane Katrina survivor who was very fortunate to be rescued. These portraits were shot in our natural light room in the studio and she felt right at home. She is smart and oh-so-talented as a model! She is posing for The Tiny Dog Calendar — and currently seeking representation (wink wink).
Had a great time working with Stacy on her headshots this week…. and it looks like she’s already getting some new work! She’s got a great look and a terrific personality so I knew it wouldn’t take long. Headshots and modeling portfolio work is always a good creative change for me — kind of nice (for a change) to shoot something that doesn’t try to crawl away or drool!
