Monday Photo Dump: Week 12 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

This week has been a bit different than usual for me. It's been all about me time.  My hubby has been in the field since Wednesday which means that my week can be summed up in just a few words- dogs, cats, bubble baths, books, and wine.  And work, but I try to ignore that part. 3-22-14- I met these two cuties at the adoption event with One Love at Tailspin on Saturday.  I was soo close to taking them home.  If I was a single woman, I would have a house full. 3-23-14 Just some pretty flowers because spring has sprung. 3-24-14: Over the weekend I broke my phone (it was my first time ever breaking a phone). But I was able to use it as an excuse to upgrade back to an android.  It was kind of disappointing because I really like the idea of the windows 8 operating system, but it just didn't run well enough. 3-25-14: Saturday was my husband and my anniversary. We've been keeping this charm bracelet since we were dating and the idea was to add a charm every year.  We were a bit behind so he ordered some to catch up.  Each charm represents a year in our marriage except the first two which are for when we were dating, and our wedding. 3-26-14: This was the first day of the field for my hubby. I took  this as an opportunity for my kindle, a glass of wine, and a nice long bubble bath. 3-27-14: I'm excited because the plant that I thought I had killed just sprouted some new leaves. 3-28-14: Jerry and I have been getting a lot of quality time together with the hubster away.  I think he even listens when I have conversations with him (uh oh am I crazy?).  This is his interested face.

So that's it for this week's photos.  Next week will be jumping off with Sassy, the amazing flying dog.  Curious? Check back to find out what I'm talking about.

Monday Photo Dump: Week 12 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Here we are facing another Monday. I'm still sick. In fact today I am call in from work amounts of sick, so I've spent the whole morning on the couch reading Divergent, cuddling with my pets, and feeling all around crappy. But, I'm taking a break from all of that to share this week's photos.

3-15-14: We start off in the heart of Savannah's St. Patty's day celebrations. This holiday is kind of a big deal here, for some odd reason, so the party lasted all weekend long.  We went out on Saturday with some friends and I did some drinking and street photography. I wrote a quick post about it and shared some pictures here.

3-16-14: Sunday I revisited some old music that I used to love as a teenager and realized I've not developed an attachment to music in the same way since then. There is something about hiding out in the orange and yellow bedroom of my teenage years reading Ray Bradbury and listening to A Ghost is Born that in some ways, I'll never beat.

3-17-14: Monday was shopping day 'cause I was in desperate need of a new pair of running/work shoes. I made a first attempt at product photography, which, although it's a bit dark, I think I did pretty decent on (especially since I was working with natural light).

3-18-14: On Tuesday Sam took in this absolutely adorable foster puppy who we both got instantly attached to (for me, all it took were some puppy kisses).

3-19-14: Wednesday I decided to revisit my writing after coming to the realization that I never write anymore, so I busted out this old tattered journal.

3-20-14: More writing on Thursday, but this time in the form of poetry.  Inspiration hits at such random times for me (I wrote most of this in my head while counting jewelry at work), but it's such a great feeling when it happens.

3-21-14: Friday I did an impromptu photo shoot with Sam, her jeep, and the setting sun. I'm so excited with how this shot turned out!

That's it for this week.  Next week's photo dump will be kicked off with the cutest puppies in the world, so stay tuned!

Watered Down

When did I become a watered down version of myself? I used to spend my evenings in concerts and coffee shops, my days filled with music and poetry. My ringing phone played Wilco from the pocket of my thrift store dress.  I sat in the sunshine at fountains filling notebooks with words and wisdom. I flaunted my red hair, my strangeness. These days I'm all about working. Eight hour days followed by eight hour sleep. I clean house and watch TV and ignore myself.  Forget the makeup, forget the fashion- I live in my yoga pants on my trips to the grocery store, and where else do I go? Never far, and never anywhere exciting.

"While all bodies share/ the same fate, all voices do not."

This is one of my favorite quotes from a poem by Li-Young Lee and I often wonder, what would remain of my voice if I were to die tomorrow? Some pretty pictures? The memory of a "nice" girl? A few poems that no one ever read?

Who knows me as the introverted book nerd, passionate about music and language, with a strange style and a sense of adventure?  I'm still that girl when I'm wandering the streets of Savannah with my camera, watching strangers and soaking up the sunshine.  I'm still that girl when I'm cuddling on the couch with my doberman and my kindle.

But how often does that happen?

It's time to take back my time.  It's time to leave the house a mess and read more books instead, to spend my afternoons in bookstores and sample all the coffee shops in Savannah. It's time to write more poetry and and wear more dresses.

It's time to find myself again.

Who's with me?

What part of yourself have you neglected recently and how can you bring it back? I'd love to hear your experiences and advice.

St. Patty's Day in Savannah

I did it.

Somehow I convinced my hubby to brave the St. Patrick's Day crowds to get the Savannah experience.  This holiday is kind of a big deal here, in fact it lasted all weekend. For those of you that aren't from around here, it looks a bit like this:

We met up some friends and drank some beer and of course I brought my camera. It turns out that street photography is really great when everyone is drunk because most people want to be in the pictures.  I had countless people pose for me, some that weren't even the intended subject.  Everybody was dressed crazy, drunk, and happy, (my friends and I included).

I did learn that holding a beer while wielding a big camera is a bit difficult, but I still think I managed to get the shots that really represent what this weekend looked like. It was a blast!

Monday Photo Dump: Week 11 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photography

It's another week and another photo dump.

Please excuse me in advance because this will probably be brief.  It turns out I'm getting sick, and after a long day at work all I want to do is sleep.

So once I get this up that's exactly what I am doing.

But I can't miss out on sharing this week's photos first!

3-8-14: I spent my Saturday morning shooting pictures (which are in the previous post), and my afternoon shooting pistols. I was having trouble with the exposure on this one so I decided to try something different and do a silhouette.  I love how it turned out!

3-9-14: Sunday was all about soaking up the sunshine (and for Jerry it was all about running as fast and long as possible).

3-10-14: And with the start of spring finally showing, it's time to get a little mud on the tires!

3-11-14: I decided to shoot some pics of the Petsmart kitties on Tuesday. This one was especially photogenic (and got adopted soon after!)

3-12-14: I went on a goodwill shopping spree on Wednesday (I love that place!) and got a whole bunch of really cute new clothes.

3-13-14: It was another sunshiny day here in Pooler.

3-14-14: And the tree in my front yard is blooming.  Yay! I'm so ready for summer!

So that's it for last week's photos! This week will be kicking off with some St. Patty's Day street photography. Stay tuned!

SJ at Sunrise | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Last Saturday I got up bright and early to meet up with SJ, a gorgeous local model, to do some portraits at sunrise. Let me just say that it pains me to get up early on the weekends.  I wake up at 3:30 five days a week, so I really appreciate my Saturday sleep ins.  Even if that's only until 7:00.

But waking up early to work with SJ was definitely worth it.  We found a field and a lake to shoot at with golden morning light and steam rolling off of the lake.  Beautiful.

SJ was a fabulous model, and we spent equal parts of our time laughing and shooting.  What I love most about SJ is her sense of adventure. Some models might think it's weird when I ask them to climb a tree, for instance, but not her.  She just wanted to know which tree.

This was a quick little shoot due to the limited time frame that the lighting allowed, but it was a lot of fun.  I can't wait to work with SJ again.

If you want to see the whole shoot you can find it at my website here.

Petsmart Adoptables

I haven't been able to go to the shelter due to circumstances out of my control (very frustrating circumstances at that), but I have been volunteering my time with the kitties at Petsmart in Pooler. There are some REALLY cute cats there right now, so I brought my camera to show them off.

Monday Photo Dump Week #10 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for another Weekly Photo Dump! This week was rainy and awful, but the weekend was gorgeous. I spent the weekend outside (yet didn't bring my camera, what was I thinking?) and then spent the rest of the week playing with dogs and eating (hey, my two favorite things.

So without further ado:

3-1-14: Okay so technically this was taken the night before, but since I had to work early Saturday morning, and this is what we were doing the night before, I think this gives you a good idea of how my Saturday felt- sleep deprived.

3-2-14: Sunday was also spent outside, somehow without my camera. Although I wasn't able to get any pictures of my adventures, my hubby did let me take this quick portrait of him and my dobe, Jerry.  I can't believe how big that dog has gotten!

3-3-14: My Monday consisted of work and then hours spent at the car dealership while they figured out that they needed to replace my transmission.  This is how I felt about things.

3-4-14: And then came the rain.  A five minute storm flooded my yard, and then we were stuck in the cold, wet, gross weather for the rest of the week.

3-5-14: I used to be totally scared of raw chicken. It freaked me out. But this chicken is about to be delicious!

3-6-14: Thursday I decided to embrace the rain and play with my friend Sam's dog Sassy.  She was not phased by the nasty weather. She just wanted to play!

3-7-14: I spent Friday playing with the dogs too.  Magnum was so kind as to pose for me.  He looks so dignified here!

After my missed photo opportunities this weekend I decided to take my camera with me more places, and I am much happier with this week's photos because of it.  Sticking to this idea, I already have some great photos for next week including a day at the shooting range.  I'm excited to bring some new life into this project and see where we can go with it.  Stay tuned!

Chad and Erika | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Last week, some good friends of mine Chad and Erika invited me into their home to do a lifestyle photoshoot of them.  Erika is expecting, but not showing yet, so this will be some of their last photos as just the two of them (plus dogs).  We really focused on the two of them in their natural surroundings, and I love the way this shoot turned out.

These two were a blast to work with, but I already knew that.  Chad and Erika are always great to hang out with. But watching the interactions between these two was even better.

Chad is straight up goofy and constantly making faces or striking a Captain Morgan pose for the camera, despite Erika trying her hardest to get him to be serious.  We were starting to think he may not be capable.

We weren't sure what the photos would look like in the end, but as I look at the results all I can see is love between this little family.  Look at Chad's face in that ultrasound shot. He is absolutely beaming! And he has good reason. What a gorgeous family!

I'm so excited to come back and do this shoot again, but next time the family will be just a bit bigger.

We rounded out the shoot by letting Chad play with their gorgeous husky, Cyan.  She was very playful and wouldn't sit still, but I like the action shots anyway.  Look at those eyes!

I loved this photo shoot, and am excited to try more of these indoor lifestyle shoots. This just a little peak into the shoot, but you can find the rest on my website, here.

Monday Photo Dump: Week 9 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Phew! It's been a crazy week. I got stuck working two night shifts next week with not a whole lot of break between that and my day shift.  I may have worked less hours, but I am still recovering from the lack of sleep. I don't do well without sleep.

And then yesterday, when I was supposed to be posting last week's photos, I spent three and a half hours at the car dealership for them to tell me that I wouldn't have my car for a week while they replace the transmission.  At least it's warranty work.

Anyway, this is going somewhere, I promise. Basically I'm giving you all my excuses for why I'm a) a day late, and b) using cell phone pictures this week.

I had originally planned to do every picture for my 365 with my DLSR, but quite frankly that wasn't doable this week.  My week happened at work, and I can't exactly carry my DSLR around at Sam's and stop work to shoot some pictures. So, although the quality makes me cringe, I'm using some cell phone pictures.

Whew, I'm a bit long winded today, aren't I? Let's get to the pictures.

   1-22-14: Before all the craziness, I spent my Saturday afternoon at an adoption event at Tails Spin in Pooler hanging out with this cool guy and a few other sweet adoptables.  Fulton (the guy in the picture) is a complete lover, and he was posing for pictures left and right.  He also licked my lens at one point.  Nothing like a little dog slobber to make your pictures sharp, huh?

1-23-14: Sunday I went over to some friends' house to do a lifestyle photo shoot with them. I've wanted to do this silhouette shot for some time, I just hadn't found the right subjects and situation. I love the way this turned out.

1-24-14: Yes, it's supposed to be upside down.  My hubby convinced me to go for a jog with him Monday.  Let me just say, I don't jog. I was so sore/tired/defeated by the end of this jog that I pretty much collapsed on the floor afterwards. Once I recovered, I decided to do some yoga for my poor, poor muscles.  Jerry seemed to think it was a game and was running around all over the place, so I took this shot: my view from downward facing dog.

1-25-14: Que the night shift.  This was my "rockin' the night shift" selfie for instagram that I took on the first night when I was consuming way too much caffeine and driving a forklift around 'cause I was bored.

1-26-14: After work I thought I'd go home and crash.  I curled up on the couch and Jerry joined me.  I was exhausted! But I was so amped up on caffeine still that I couldn't sleep. And Jerry's nose was constantly in my face, so that didn't help much.  I ended up watching I Love Lucy all day instead.

1-27-14: My last nightshift was dragging on by the end.  I was still full of caffeine and spent most of the night jamming out to The Fratelli's, but as the last hour came I was losing steam.  I tried to entertain myself by doodling one a post-it note.

1-28-14: This was my recovery day, also spent on the couch watching I Love Lucy (I've decided I'm in love with Ricky Ricardo). This time Gizmo kept me company.

Like I said, it's was a crazy week. This one is off to a rough start, but I'm hoping for smooth sailing from here on out.  We will see. Until then I've got some serious house cleaning to do, so that's all for today!

Stuck at the Car Dealership

It looks like I'll have to be a day late on my monday photo dump this week. I have approximately a million things I should be doing today (one of them being sleep, I'm still not caught up from this whole night shift thing), but instead I've spent my entire afternoon at the car dealership.See last night my hubby and I went to Mellow Mushroom with some friends and when we left the car got stuck in reverse. It is still drivable, but only backwards (Smoke Signals, anyone?). So immediately after work (which I had to get a ride to and from) I got a tow truck and brought my year old car to the dealership for some major surgery. Thank God my husband is a mechanic, because I seriously have bad luck with cars.

I'm going home with a loaner car, but apparently they have to figure out what's wrong with it first. Let me just say, nothing pisses me off more than wasting my time. I could be cleaning my house, ordering business cards, taking pictures- but instead I'm watching criminal minds in this grey-walled room and blogging from my cell phone. And there's a crying baby. Joy.

I'll be catching up on everything blog-wise tomorrow (hopefully), but until then, wish me luck and a better day tomorrow. I may still be here at the dealership, cause it feels like I'll never leave.

Chronicles of the Night Shift

Its 2 am and I'm at Sam's Club. This isn't a normal thing for me, and it sure isn't where I want to be, but I'm making the best of it. I've been counting clothes since 9. I'm amped up on Thai tea and five hour energy, dancing around the store with The Fratellis blasting through my headphones. Then night crew may think I'm crazy, but this is how I'm getting by. I only have to make it four more hours.

I've done all I can think of to keep myself busy. Yesterday I spent 40 minutes driving a forklift around just for the hell of it. The night shift is a lot more chill than I'm used to.

Working this shift is reminding me of just how badly I want to be self employed. I thrive with the opportunity to just do my own thing and not really answer to anyone else. Everyone dreams of being their own boss, but I think I would actually be good at it.

But my lunch break is over so I am going to have to cut my late night ramblings short. Until next time!

Monday Photo Dump: Week 8 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

It's that time again- time for another photo dump! So without further ado, let's jump into it!

1-15-14: For starters, let me just say that I know this photo is not good at all in a photography sense.  That said I think it's a perfect representation of my Saturday.  I got together with some friends and celebrated my hubby's birthday, and this picture is a result of the night- my friends and I being idiots, and having a blast doing it!

1-16-14: Of course a crazy night with friends meant a sink full of dishes the next day. I swear, I spend more of my life doing dishes than anything!

1-17-14: It's funny, I used to be completely freaked out by raw meat.  Every time I cooked I made Robert cut the meat so that I wouldn't have to touch it.  I guess I'm over that, cause when I look at these pork chops, I just see delicious!

1-18-14: This was Robert's actual birthday, so we celebrated again but in a much tamer way this time- he and I had a nice dinner together. The best part was I didn't even have to cook! I offered to make him a nice meal, but he wanted steak, scallops, and mushrooms, and that's one of the meals that he cooks.

1-19-14: It was a gorgeous day out, and Jerry and I were both feeling great.  He had a blast running around the yard, and of course I loved watching him and taking pictures.

1-20-14: It was another gorgeous day and I decided to let my indoor cat go exploring.  He loves outside, although he is scared of the wind.  Every time the wind hits his face, he cowers. It's pretty adorable.

- 1-21-14: I accidentally deleted my photo from Friday, so you'll just have to take my word that I did take one. Oops!

As the weather warms up I'm finding myself becoming once again inspired with this 365 project.  I've got some fun shoots planned in the near future, so I can't wait to see what this next week brings!

It's a good day to be a Doberman | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

It's starting to feel like Summer here in Pooler, and I am SO ready.  I love the winter, but this one's been all the cold with none of the benefits (i.e. snow). I'm a northern girl and I would kill to hit the ski hill, but since that's not an option I will take a wake board out on the water instead, no doubt about it.

But since it's not quite Summer yet, I'll have to settle for soaking up the sunshine and running around the backyard with my favorite dog.

It's a good day to be a doberman!

Eating With Your Eyes: A Matter of Perception

"That looks delicious!" It's a phrase you hear all the time. I use it every time I pass an olive bar drooling, or whenever I see a piece of tiramasu. Its the visual appeal of a food that often leaves our mouths watering.  Why do you think people spend so much time on Pinterest pinning recipes that they never actually make?  Why do I spend my afternoons watching Food network? It's the way the food looks.

But what exactly makes a food "look" tasty?

The first thing that pops into my head is frosting, fluffy decadent frosting-- clouds of sugar draped over a rich red velvet cake. Or flavorful vegetables steaming over a pot of grainy rice, each object in sharp contrast from the one next to it.

These foods will look good, regardless of how they taste.

But what about the foods that aren't exactly visually appealing?

Quite frequently  I visit the Asian market with my friend Sam who is from Thailand.   Every time we go there she introduces me to some interesting food that I have never had before.  Have you ever cooked with Thai soy sauce (and actually known the difference between the multitude of types of soy sauces?) or eaten fresh lamyai? If not you are missing out.

But there are lots of foods there that honestly freak me out.  To me, the jars of fermented meat and fish look like scary science projects gone wrong.  To Sam they look delicious.

Yet she is completely grossed out by the thought of gravy.

On my most recent trip she introduced me to Basil Seed drink which, when I asked her to describe, she couldn't.

"Just try it," she said.

I was instantly thrilled by the contents of that can. The drink is sweet with little balls (aka basil seeds) that fill up your straw and can only be described as squeaky because of the wonderful sound they make when you bite into them (Sam thinks they are crunchy, but I don't think that's quite right.)

Later that night I opened the contents of a can into a glass to see just what basil seed drink looks like. One word: scary! It would have been tough to stomach if I had seen it the first time I tried it. The basil seeds make me think of little amoebas swimming in my drink, or, as Sam described it, frog eggs.

But how could that be? This stuff is delicious, like, I want to go back to the Asian market and buy a case full, delicious. That made me wonder, what other wonderful foods am I missing out on just because the look or idea of them bothers me? It's not hard to think that Sam is missing out because of her aversion to gravy, but what about me and liver, tripe, fermented foods? It took me at least a year of convincing to try sushi before I realized how delicious it is.  A friend got me to face it head on and go for some sashimi, despite my head and gag reflex telling me it was a bad idea. Now I love sushi.

Sam thinks that a blindfold is all that it would take before I'd be eating all the strange-to-me foods that she loves, and she's probably right.  That may be a bit of a extreme way of handling things, but I will try to approach each new foods with an open mind.  I'd suggest that everyone do the same.  We wouldn't want to miss out?

But before I go cook up the weirdest foods I can find in my fridge (while sipping on basil seed drink,) I will leave with a parting question.

What's the weirdest food you've ever tried? Did you like it? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments below.

Monday Photo Dump: Week 7 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

I know I was a bit absent this weekend, but I wasn't able to do my shelter work this week (and may not for a while) so there was no weekly adoptable post to share.  I also spent Saturday celebrating my hubby's birthday which is Tuesday, so I decided to take the weekend off. That said, I'm a little behind on this whole blog thing.  Instead of my usual planning ahead, I have been rushing through in the past half hour or so to edit these weekly photos.

Anyway, let's get right to it, huh?

2-8-14: This was a Saturday workday, cranking out blog posts and working on business cards, among other things.  A photo of my keyboard seemed fitting, since I spent so much time with it.

2-9-14: I followed that up with a Sunday of rest, and a lot of playing with my goofy doberman. He's got crazy eyes!

2-10-14: Let me just warn you right now that this week was all about the food photography.  Judging by the pictures I must have spent this week just eating. Sounds like the perfect week!

2-11-14: As I pulled into the driveway from work, I did this.  Now I get to replace this $300 tire, because I was too lazy to move a jack that was in my way.  I'm a smart cookie! Needless to say, I was a bit angry for the rest of the evening.

2-12-14: Thank goodness I was able to turn that flat-tire attitude around with a day with Sam. She took me to the Asian market where I tried this Basil Seed Drink.  It looks creepy as hell, but it is seriously delicious.

2-13-14: Speaking of weird foods, what better choice is there than celery root?  This stuff looks evil, but it's tasty, I promise.

2-14-14: Ah Valentines day, the day of every year where my lovely hubby buys a little potted rose, and every year I kill it.  Plants and I don't get along. But this year he got it right with some already dead roses (and very pretty ones at that!) along with chocolates just in time to satiate an extreme chocolate craving, shopping, and some lunch at Bonefish Grill. Yup, he definitely got it right!

So there you have it, another week of photos.  I must say, this has been going much better than I originally thought when I planned this 365 project. I thought I'd really struggle, and while I do have some rough days where I have a hard time caring, I've for the most part been really enjoying this project (and all this oh-so-photographable food!)

Weekly Adoptables | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Yesterday I went down to Savannah Chatham Animal Control with my good friend Sam to do some volunteer work under the rescue group One Love Animal Rescue. There are some great pets there that are in need of a home and I spent the afternoon playing with them, getting to know them, and taking some pictures.  These are some of the fur babies that are available right now: These are all such sweet animals just looking for a place to call home.  Some are trained, most are complete lovers, and they are all waiting for a second chance from someone like you.

If you are in the area and any of these animals are of interest to you, please contact One Love Animal Rescue right away.

---

I've made the commitment to visit Animal Control every Friday, so I will be making a few changes to my blog schedule.

Friday Photo Dumps will be moved to Monday and sometime during the weekend (most likely on Saturdays) I'll be posting a new regular segment like this one: "Weekly Adoptables."

I'm very much looking forward to be able to give back and help these animals with my photography.

If you are interested in helping as well, Animal Control and One Love are always looking for volunteers and donations.  These animals need blankets, treats, and toys, as well as people to come walk them and play with them. If that sounds like something you could do, please get in touch with the folks at Animal Control to find out when the next volunteer orientation is.

And don't forget to like One Love and Mikaela Joy Photography on Facebook to stay updated on all the adoptable pets.  Who knows, maybe you'll find your next furry love!

Valentine Mini Sessions! | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Looking for a last minute gift for Valentines Day? Why not a mini photo session for you and your honey with Mikaela Joy Photography? This offer is only good until February 14th so don't miss it- book today!

'My Furry Valentine' | A Photo Contest with One Love Animal Rescue

Have you heard? Mikaela Joy Photography is pairing up with One Love Animal Rescue for a Valentines Day photo contest featuring rescued pets in the Savannah area. Think your pet has what it takes?

All you have to do is send a picture of your beloved pet and your story to One Love (via their facebook page) and they will add it to the contest's album.  Spread the word and get all your friends to like the photo because on February 14th, the photo with the most likes will be the crowned the winner.

The winning furball gets a free photoshoot with yours truly.

The contest has been running for about a week now. We have 25 entries and the votes are starting to add up.

This contest has brought about some amazing stories already, so what I'd like to do is take a moment to showcase a few of our frontrunners and their stories.

Our current first with 43 votes: (text in italics written by the pet's owner)

"This is Rudy. We found him back in May on the side of the road. We thought he was dead because all we saw was a pile of bones with a little bit of bloody, dirty hair. We stopped and got out and was amazed when he lifted his head and started to wag his tail a little. He came home with us where he got lots of love and food while we tried to search for his owner. The vet said he had mange, heartworms, malnourished, and probably was a bait dog. During the month of June, he stayed with us and showed us just how much of a lover he was. He got along great with my dogs and cats and always wanted to be right by your side or in your lap. He rode in the car with us, slept with us, and even sat in the bathroom peeking through the shower curtain while we took a shower. Still, no one stepped forward as the owner or offered to adopt him so in July he went to Palmetto Animal League. It broke our hearts and we missed him so much but we were hoping someone would step up and give him a loving home since we already had dogs of our own. We kept tabs on him and would go visit and play with him, each time being disappointed that he was still there and sadden when we had to leave again. At the end of September, we finally decided that he must have been meant to be with us so we adopted him from there. Here it is January and he is still the best dog ever. He hasn't met another dog, cat, or human he doesn't like. He has helped us gain the trust of other homeless dogs on the streets so we could bring them home and find them a family of their own. It's pretty amazing! There's not a day that goes by that he doesn't put a smile of all of our faces. He's even won the heart of my husband who didn't really trust the bully breed in the beginning."

Coming in second (so far) with 36 votes:

"These are my two babies with their dad. He is often away for work- this was one night when he got home after working a very long day. Maggie, the white one, is my soul mate. She picked me, and I owe so much to her. She kept me grounded in so many ways when I was in school, and I believe if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have met my husband. Ginger is her daddy's soul mate. He is currently deployed and Ginger was literally sick with sadness for weeks. She loves her Maggie and will give anything for some play time and stuffed animals. They have a cat sister and a human sibling on the way. They are going to be the best big sisters."

And currently in third place:

"Meet my furry rescued valentines, Milo and Otis! My husband and I adopted Milo (the black lab) almost four years ago when he was a terrified, little puppy in need of some tender love and care. After weeks of love and patience, Milo warmed up and became the fun-loving guy we know and love today. Otis was a misunderstood grumpy little guy that we rescued over 2 years ago. Once he met Milo and knew that he would be loved forever, he came around and became the sweetest, quirkiest pup. They are our little furchildren and our lives wouldn't be as filled with laughs, love and adventure without them. They have been brothers since the day we brought them together and are nearly inseparable. Milo and Otis not only stole our hearts but they stole each other's."

There are a lot more pets in the running and the voting/submissions are still open.  Head on over to to One Love's Page to vote for your favorite pet's or submit your own.  Don't forget to like Mikaela Joy Photography to keep updated with the contest's new developments and to see photos from the winners shoot!

It's Super Bowl Sunday!

Guess what day it is... It's...

It's arguably one of the biggest "holidays" (if you can call it that) in America, where people all across the country form harsh alliances and rivalry's based on which team of men (who most of us have never met) will maneuver a ball better than the others.

Can you tell I'm not much of a football person?

That said, my Super Bowl graphic there shows that I obviously have a preference.  This is the first year in, well, ever, that I've actually cared even slightly about which team wins.  It's not that have followed any football ever to know anything about any of the teams, but I'm from Washington, so if I were to pick a team this one makes sense.  Go Seahawks!

But even if I don't enjoy the sport, I do love Superbowl Sunday.  For me, it's all about the food, friends, and of course the commercials (nothing can tug at my heartstrings quite like a  good Budweiser commercial).

So this year I'm foregoing my sleep (I have to work tomorrow at 4:00 am meaning that I'd normally be going to bed ridiculously early tonight) to spend the evening with a bunch of friends eating junk food and drinking beer and watching the game.  My hubby and I made homemade soft pretzels to bring (I'll be sharing the recipe on here soon) and, somewhat surprisingly, they turned out great!

It should be another great Superbowl Sunday.

So how about you, what are your Super Bowl plans, and who are you rooting for?

Let me know in the comments!