A CAT in MY house!!!!

I was a little ticked tonight.  While I was being groomed today, away from home, MOM snuck a cat in MY house and did a photoshoot with the CAT!!!! Can you believe that?!?!? She used many of the same props she has shot me in, and I feel really deceived.  She didn't even tell me about it but when I came home I KNEW something was different in her studio. I paid her back by barking and barking in the studio for about an hour. I hope that showed her a thing or two and that she will NEVER do this again!

She must have been praying, "Please don't let the dog come home while I am here"

The pictures I was most upset about were the ones on the pink iron bed.  That is MY BED that I love, and now it has COOTIES on it from a Kitty.  I think I need to sleep on this.  I am too upset to talk about it any more tonight.

Grace Ellen

Grace Ellen turned 4 in January 2014, and was diagnosed with PH (+) Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia a few weeks after. She is my mom's first grand baby, and the only girl she ever had in the family. When Grace was born my mom thought she died and went to heaven. This happened way before I was a gleam in my mother or father's eye, so I did not meet Grace until she had Leukemia. 

I loved Grace Ellen the first time I set eyes on her.  She loved me too.  This weekend, 8 months into her treatment at Children's Hospital, I got to spend a whole day and night with her. I slept next to her with her arms around me and it was the best thing in the world.  I love my mom, and usually sleep with her. But with Grace at my house, I wanted to be near her as much as possible.

Grace still has about about a year and a half of treatment.  Mom prays a lot and sometimes cries.  She told me that one of the reasons she got me was to comfort her when she is sad.  She tells me that I do a great job with that.  I don't understand all of this.  I don't know what faith is but I know all of the people in our family have it.  It's the kind of faith that says our family will get through everything that happens with God's help.  Not sure what that means because I am only a puppy, but I do know that it's a good thing.

This weekend, mom took pictures of Grace and me together, which we both enjoyed:

Grace has a brother, Luke, who is two.  I love him too. Two year old boys are not quite as gentle with puppies as four year old girls, but he will learn. He is a very special little boy with lots of energy.

Posing Puppies 101 by Tinkerbell

Since most of you reading this blog have dogs, I thought I would share some of my posing techniques with you that mom's been teaching me:

#1 FUN PROPS:  Mom loves putting me on/in all kinds of different things.  She gets most of these at thrift stores or garage sales.  She'd rather do that than buy them new because she likes that "old weathered look. " I go with her when she shops.  Here I am today at the Salvation Army.  People stop and look at me and say something like, "OMG!  Is that REAL?!?!?"  I am sooooo spoiled with attention.  Even at stop lights when I am riding in the car people role down their windows and say things like, "What kind of dog is that?, I've never seen a cuter dog, or, WOW!", and on and on....

Mom, are we done yet?

Back to the fun props.  Mom says it's important to have a good variety of them. I'm not sure what variety means but I do know she is always putting me on or in something different for pictures:

#2 GOOD BACKGROUNDS:  We have a studio at home.  However, mom likes taking pictures outside better, but it's pretty hard to pose a puppy outdoors where he or she could get away.  I know I would.  One look at another dog and I would be running my little legs off.  So today we worked inside. She first puts me on this tall trunk against a white background.  What was she thinking?!?!? I am white!  Well, she finally got it, and you can see what a difference the colored background made:

Me on the trunk with a boring background.
I'm not centered.  Mom said something about
the rule of thirds.  I have no clue what she is
talking about!

I gave her two suggestions about these shots.  First, she should have taken off my green collar.  Secondly, I am a girl and I would have preferred a pink backdrop.  Oh well, "maybe next time" she said. Next time will probably come too soon. 

#3 HEAD TILT:  Mom thinks this is crucial in the pictures she takes of me.  Here is a link to a video that shows how she gets me to do this:

http://lovepix.smugmug.com/Animals/Tinks-Posing-Video/i-kTPpfLS/0/O/Tink%20Model.jpg

Hopefully it will play for you without hanging. Also, please ignore her voice when she starts talking baby talk.  It is SOOOO irritating.

So here are the different head tilts:

No head tilt. What mom calls BORING

Slight head tilt.  Mom thinks this is o.k.

Extreme head tilt.  She says it makes
me look confused

Mom likes this head tilt the best.  I worked hard to get this!

Well,  I'm ready for my nap.  Almost fell asleep on a prop:

Saturday afternoon nap

This is one of mom's newborn props. I snuck on it when she wasn't looking

Tried to stay awake but it was just too comfy.  I think I will ask mom if I can have this bed. 

Helping mom with a photoshoot

This was the first time I went on a photo shoot with mom.  She put me in her front pack and I kind of helped her by making everyone smile.  No one can look at me without smiling.  At least that's what I've been told. I'm sort of oblivious to it.  Anyway,  mom was photographing this couple at the Westlake Inn and after she finished she decided to take a few shots of me.  Don't you think she
should pay me for doing this?!?!?

NEW HEADSHOT

NEW HEADSHOT

Taken by: Garymossphotography.com

Sunday morning at Conejo Creek Park. No camera, just the iPhone

First time seeing ducks.  No big deal.
They are my size but don't growl.
It looks like no one has tried to potty
train these creatures.  

A little R&R after my walk.
 A walk around the park may not seem like a big deal to you,
 but when your legs are 2-3 inches long
 it's like running a marathon to me.

I thought maybe if I closed my eyes I wouldn't get
dizzy from the swing.  WRONG! Mom tried to put
my back paws where kids put their legs.
She must think I'm a human!  Boy, do I have her fooled!

Wine Dog

A couple of weeks ago I went wine tasting in the Central Coast.  It was rather boring for me because I'm not old enough to drink wine.  Mom kept putting me in wine barrels, chairs made from wine barrels, etc. for more pictures.  I guess it was better than staying in the hotel room by myself.

This is Peachy at Peachy Canyon. I don't know if the
 winery was named after her, or if she was named after the
winery.  I wanted to make friends with Peachy
but she was kind of stand offish

This is me at Peachy Canyon Winery.  I hate this purse!
I try to jump out of it all the time.  Would rather have mom
just hold me.

After a couple of days of this, I had really had it.  

I think the wine fumes got to me and I was sick of the whole experience. 

There were some good things though... I loved not having to be alone during the day. And my favorite part of the week was when we went on walks on the beach in Pismo. It was fun sitting on the ocean view patio, barking at all the other dogs going by. I also liked dinner out where I got to scrounge for bits of dropped food on the floor under the tables. Mom didn't know I was eating table scraps.  I did it very discretely. She doesn't let me have people food.  Maybe when I am old enough to taste wine she will let me have some real food.

Hello, My name is Tink, short for Tinkerbell. Let me tell you a little about myself...

I was born on November 14, 2013, which means I am still a puppy.  I will probably always be a baby, cuz that's the way I look...little and cute. People say I am a chick magnet but I'm not sure what that means.  All I know is that people are always fawning over me and I get tons of attention.

My mom is Judi Bumstead and she is a professional photographer.  She is always putting me in a variety of contraptions for pictures.  She can't just photograph me doing every day things.  She has to put me in wine barrels, wagons, toy trucks, baskets, etc.  And she drags me along with her when she is shopping for new props.  Actually, that's not too bad.  Mom takes me everywhere with her when she's not working, and I like that.  She, Greg and I have found all the restaurants in the Conejo Valley with outdoor seating.  Personally, my favorite is the Stonehaus at the the Westlake Inn.  We were just there last week: 

I don't think this is a flattering picture of me
because it doesn't do justice to my ears--my best feature

I guess I should tell you how Judi came to be my mom when I was about 7 months old.  She was browsing through  Craigslist and came across the pet section.  My first family was looking for a new home for me because they had four young children and were afraid I was going to get hurt.  Since I will probably top out at 5 pounds max I know they were right. People are always stepping on me.  Not on purpose of course.

ALMOST 5 pounds.  I LOVE children but the little ones
are kind of rough with me

Well, Judi called and made an appointment to meet me and it was love at first sight for both of us. I have a new family now.  My dad is Greg, and although mom and I don't live with him, we see him all the time and his home is my second home.  Greg takes me for rides in his convertible, and I just love having the wind blow in my face.