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05.04.11

The Jumpers

I came home one night to find Dante had learned how to jump over a fence.

Not in the heart-stopping, scare-me-to-death way of jumping a yard fence, but just a little fence set up in the backyard.:)Lars and Sarah had been training Anja, and it turns out Dante will do anything for treats (more than I thought, anyway!). Plus I think a healthy dose of competition helped too.

Previously I hadn’t pushed it with him, because 1) I don’t necessarily want to encourage him to leap where he can’t see (as in onto counters or over the side yard fence) and 2) We’ve worked through so many issues as it is that I didn’t push it with him when he displayed a fear of obstacle courses.

So when I came home to him doing this, I darn near lost it. And then I grabbed my camera.

Anja is awesome at it too! She might not look as graceful/natural, but Dante is built more like a deer so it just looks right on him. Plus she made us laugh harder.

The one with the training treats in his pocket is always the most popular. Dante never fails to sniff it out!

Oh, the floppy ears!

Probably the funniest part was the way he kept looking at me while he was jumping, as if to say, “What am I doing this for, exactly?”

It looked something like this:

And that is why I love being a dog mama.

xo

P.S. I think next time we’re going to have to put on his Super Dante cape!:)

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SarahMay 4, 2011 - 2:24 pm

That last one is too funny! Like award-winning funny!!!

MindyMay 4, 2011 - 9:58 pm

Oh my gosh I love that last one! So cute!

JacquelineMay 9, 2011 - 3:58 pm

how sweet! i love this! and LOL at the expression in the last pic. you did a great job capturing this too — i’ll bet the timing was hard.

05.02.11

10 Things

Good morning everybody! How was your weekend? Mine was lovely – we watched the royal wedding in full Friday night while drinking Lemon Drops, ran errands Saturday, had a delicious crab dinner and saw Water For Elephants Saturday night (actually really good!), and then spent the afternoon at the shelter yesterday.

So it should come as no surprise the top item on my 10 Things (Making Me Happy) list this time is…

1. Iced coffee with 2 pumps white mocha mix. (And a little bit of half-n-half.)

I think I first got the idea after Elsie mentioned it on her blog, and with how hot it’s been lately it’s a nice alternative in the morning.:)

2. Adele.

Can that girl’s voice get any more amazing? Loving her new album. If I had the CD version of her last one I would have had to replace it, I listened to it so much. (Remember those days?):)

3. More new artwork.

I took advantage of (yet another) weekly deal from Oh, Hello Friend and got this print by Circle Prints for just $10 and free shipping! I really did leave my heart in London after spending a summer there in 2004.:)

4. Kate Middleton’s wedding dress.

I’m still not over it. So perfectly perfect, you can’t even hate her for it! And her reception dress was every bit as lovely. (P.S. Did you know the British Monarchy has a Flickr account? We really do live in the modern age, don’t we?)

5. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake. I just finished it last week and absolutely loved it. Yes, it’s yet another story set during the London Blitz, but it comes from a totally different perspective and really reels you in after the first chapter or so. And Blake’s prose is so completely different and moving. Highly recommended! Now I’m on to Ken Follett’s latest, Fall of Giants, which I’m already liking so much more than the last few he’s put out.

6. Lucky the Cocker Spaniel.

File this under happy/sad – sad because Lucky was returned to the shelter after being adopted, happy because this sweet guy is back on the market! Sarah and I couldn’t believe it when we saw him yesterday. I’m sure he’ll find a great home soon, so if you’re looking for a sweetheart family dog you’d better go see him ASAP!

7. Asparagus. I’m so happy it’s in season again! It’s one veggie I can eat endlessly in all forms, at any time. At dinner on Saturday we had a lobster crunch roll for an appetizer, and they used asparagus in it instead of cucumber. YUM. And yesterday I stopped by our local farm stand for some strawberries and couldn’t resist bringing home a couple bunches of asparagus for dinner too. We had them oven roasted (like the Pioneer Woman’s recipe) with sandwiches for a casual Sunday dinner.:)

8. This ASOS dress.

Give it to me now! I’ll wear it every weekend this summer, promise.

9. New shoes.

Who doesn’t love getting a new pair? My mom and I hit up Steinmart on Saturday and I found this pair by Dr. Scholl’s for only $50, cheaper than anywhere online! They’re super comfy; I have a feeling they’ll be getting a lot of wear this summer.

10. Thou Shall Not…

This print by Swedish artist Ylva Skarp is Awesome with a capital A! I just wish she sold to the U.S. (Found via Kimberly on Pinterest.)

So tell me – what’s been floating your boat lately?

xo

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NikiMay 2, 2011 - 12:36 pm

I pretty much love them all! The doggie…so presh! That dress…I want!

NicoleMay 2, 2011 - 1:38 pm

An asparagus-lover myself, I wanted to share this well-timed Smitten Kitchen post! Looks delish! And so photogenic! http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/05/ribboned-asparagus-salad-with-lemon/

NancyMay 3, 2011 - 7:16 pm

Yes, please to all… especially Lucky!

JacquelineMay 3, 2011 - 10:21 pm

yay, i love it when you do these lists. i just adore that last sign. and yeah, kate’s dress was pitch perfect. exactly what a princess (er, duchess?) should wear.

04.29.11

Happy Birthday Grandma Glowin!

My BFF’s grandma, known as Grandma Glowin, turned eighty-nine years old yesterday. She’s been something like a surrogate grandmother for me, because my grandmas have both passed and never lived nearby to begin with. She can cuss like a sailor, still lives alone just fine and makes dinner for Nikki and her family every Friday night. I adore her. And not just because every time I go over she tells me I’m too skinny and tries to stuff me full of food.:)As Nikki said the other night, “It’s ridiculous. She doesn’t look a day over 65.”

While we were taking some family photos on Easter, I turned to find her and Nikki dancing together to the big band music they had playing all afternoon. They do this often. Let’s pretend I didn’t tear up a bit watching their amazing relationship, k?

I hope I’m this awesome when I’m her age.

Happy weekend! More photos from that day coming next week…

xo

 

P.S. How gorgeous was Kate’s dress today? So perfectly Grace-Kelly-esque, right?

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JacquelineMay 2, 2011 - 7:02 pm

how sweet! i always have a soft spot for grammies. grandma glowin sounds awesome. (and glowin’!)

NancyMay 3, 2011 - 7:15 pm

This is the most beautiful photo I have seen of Nikki. So sweet and tender I could cry.

The Glowin Family | Ellingsen Photography BlogOctober 13, 2011 - 10:11 am

[...] The smiles in this photo are courtesy of Grandma flashing them. No, I’m not kidding. I turned around to find her lowering her shirt with a cheeky grin on her face. Further evidence of her awesomeness. [...]

04.27.11

What Mindy Wore – Thrifting

This past Saturday my girlfriends and I got together for an awesome breakfast at the Brownstone Cafe, followed by some thrifting. And naturally, Mindy’s outfit did not disappoint! I don’t think the girl is capable of dressing not cute.

Charlie & Robin coat, found on sale at Anthropologie, white eyelet dress from H&M, coral tights from Target, pink socks by Betsey Johnson, Breckelles boots.

Isn’t her coat sublime? Absolutely love the color. And it just so happened to work really well with the stone walkway.:)

Some details:

Every time I see her cute boots I’m reminded that I really need a similar pair for myself – they just go with everything! And she was smart to layer, as the morning started out chilly but the day wound up heating up to around 80 degrees. We were blasting the a/c in the car by the time we hit the last thrift store.

Unfortunately none of us found any treasures…this time. I’m sure we’ll be out again soon. The one I really wanted to hit in Fullerton was closed for Easter, so I’m sure we’ll be trying to get there again soon!

xo

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lizzyfizzyApril 27, 2011 - 10:10 am

umm. can i borrow this outfit? love this feature trude!

Shauna (Fido & Wino)April 27, 2011 - 3:14 pm

You’re right- that coat is sublime! Great shots!

JacquelineApril 27, 2011 - 10:30 pm

super cute! i kind of need that jacket. anthro can do no wrong. (except in their prices!)

NancyApril 28, 2011 - 1:19 pm

I wish I was as brave as Mindy with color. Beautiful as always! Fullerton has sprung so many new shops that I want to visit too, maybe I can join you gals next time. ;)

04.26.11

T-MAX 400

I finally got around to getting my roll of T-MAX 400 film processed last week, and I’m in love! The roll had been in my dad’s old Nikon FM since July. Oi. But when it’s film, you want to save it for just the right moment, you know? Or you just don’t want to carry two camera bodies.;)

These were all shot with the 50mm lens, I never take it off! I love the combo of a wide-open aperture with the soft buttery-ness of the T-MAX film. Unfortunately some of these prints got a little ruined when I opened up the camera a bit too soon, but I still love them. I could have sworn I rolled the film up all the way, but no!

First up – the downtown LA photo walk back in July.

Mom on the patio:

And a horribly underexposed Teddy, but of course it’s made precious since his passing earlier this year.

Dante chillin’ on my bed:

Gotta love the In-N-Out!

From our trip to Joshua Tree:

My parents being adorable (this was soon after dad’s neck surgery last year, hence the brace):

Dante on the bed again! Guess I just love that light…and maybe his sweet expression.:)

Dad’s girdle-style brace, that he’s still wearing as he recovers from back surgery:

And if you’re still with me, I think this shot may have overtaken my favorite photo of Dante to date:

What do you think? I’ve got a roll of Kodak Portra NC that’s up next, can’t wait!

xo

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MindyApril 26, 2011 - 10:11 am

Yeah I love these. Wonderful.

You're Lucky I Don't Have a Gun...April 26, 2011 - 2:50 pm

love this film. i might have to look into purchasing some…

NancyApril 28, 2011 - 1:16 pm

Gorgeous, amiga! I love the one of your mom the best, Ted-E and Dante ones are awesome too.

Instagramming Part IV | Ellingsen Photography BlogMay 6, 2011 - 9:10 am

[...] course when you pick up photo prints you have to immediately open them in the [...]

Kodak Portra Film Scans | Ellingsen Photography BlogOctober 21, 2011 - 8:49 am

[...] next film I tried after getting the T-Max developed was Kodak Portra, because I’d read so many great things about what it does for skin [...]