The main reason I got a blog was to document my life and daily activities. I wanted a place I could write that wasn't just my journal. I also wanted a place to feel organized and in control. I enjoy my life and want to share that with the world. As I scoured the internet for inspiration through other blogs, magazines, and small shops, I felt less and less like my life was worth documenting. I'm a 21 year old kid who spends her entire days with dogs. My life is not eclectic nor cute. Its not white sheets and crisp autumn mornings, drinking coffee and reading. I don't DIY or even keep my room clean. I'm messy, disheveled, and confused. I don't have enough space for all of my clothing, my dog takes up most of my bed, and I live with my parents. Nothing my life is aesthetically pleasing. Why would anyone want to subscribe to my life updates? What have I got to offer?

As I yearn for my perfect young adult life (living in a small house with my boyfriend and my 2 dogs, going to the farmers market on weekends and spending evenings making curry and watching movies) I sulk about, wishing I was more like the people that I follow online. For a long time I thought that if I pretended my life was this perfectly balanced meal of entertaining and chic, it would somehow turn into that. But thats not really how life works. I can't fake it until I make it. I've got to love what my life is and grow with it. (ha! get it?!)

 So no, unfortunately my life is not all homemade bread and walks through grassy fields at golden hour. My life is muddy paw prints and slobbery pants. My life is burnt toast and burnt lips on hot tea. My life is working all day to afford bills and dog food. My life is a bedroom with clothing all over the floor and a dirty clothing pile thats now a dog bed. My life has a sort-of boyfriend that lives 7,873 miles away and a dog who makes every day worth getting out of bed. My life is tough. My life is easy. My life is intense and my life is dull. But no more pretending its something its not. No more editing my life in blog posts so it gets a few more hits online. I'm going to be real, good times and bad! Because its okay that my blog isn't as "hip" and "trendy" as other blogs. It's my life, its not perfect but its mine and I love it.

"A lot has changed in the last year," Chase stated tenderly, "...though I'm not sure how fond I am of the changes." My afternoon with fourteen year old Chase was spent leisurely at his home. We walked slowly together from room to room as he recounted stories from his past. He spoke of his old pal Tommy, who raised him as a pup. "I used to curl up beside his stomach to fall asleep. Even as I grew older and larger, Tommy still let me sleep between his legs, no matter how uncomfortable he got." Chase had a hard exterior, interrupting our conversations to bark at trespassers and patrol his yard. He would try to show the new member of his pack the proper way to check the perimeters of the property, but would quickly get fed up with their puppy antics and just handle it himself. He only tolerates snuggles from his humans for very short periods of time. You can tell he is very proud of his pack and his powerful role among them, but as I spent more time with him, I began to see a softer side as well.

"I was the only dog in this house for quite some time. Most of my life, really. I loved it. I grew up with the kids and learned a lot about my pack. I've kept them safe from raccoons and various other rodents. Recently, though, many other dogs have started to roam about the property. I've got two new pack members, they're both silly. I've tried to teach them the proper ways to protect the house... they just don't listen. Pups, these days." He paused for a while, lapping his water slowly. "But it hasn't been all bad with these guys around." He spoke of small things that he learned since his new pack members arrived, like how stretching feels really good and he should do it more often. He has also learned new ways to ask the humans for food that are much more successful than his old techniques. And best of all, he's learned that if he relaxes and sits for photos for his smallest human, he gets the yummiest treats in the house.

Chase is a noble and proud dog, He stands straight with his head held high, but something inside him melts when a puppy or any young pup enters his abode. He is warm and welcoming to his little friends, yet still a strong leader for them to follow. I was lucky enough to witness him interact with a few pups and couldn't believe my eyes. The puppies followed him around, obeying all the rules each step of the way. Chase was thoroughly enjoying himself; it was a wonderful sight to see. Anyone who meets this lovely being knows how lucky they are to be in his presence, and he only gets more lovely with age.

Sorry its been so long since I've last posted, I have recently gotten a full time job at Bay Area Family K9 Training (which has been amazing!) but it hasn't left much time for extras. Plus, I'm heading out to Australia November 1st and I'll be out there for a month. So mixing working, packing, getting a room ready for a renter, and being sick for a few days... I haven't had much time to update my blog :( But here are some random things worth mentioning...

This is Cheryl and I adore her. I've known her for a very long time and admire her so much. I also loved the photos from this short shoot at the beach because she is absolutely stunning. 

These are my sisters. I love this photo of them.

Ender bender, this photo soothes me. I'm going to miss him while I'm gone. One whole month without my pooch.

And I just found this gem from January. Pretty accurate description of how I felt at the time.

I just found this photo from September of last year! This was back before I officially adopted Ender, we were still calling him "Brown Dog" and were testing the waters for 2 weeks. He is wearing his lime green collar from the shelter but he and Riley bonded the moment they met.

I hope your month has been great! Tell me about it! What is your favorite thing about Autumn? 

Even though October is still warm here in California, fall has arrived and we'll take any excuse to wear a knitted scarf. Ender is the epitome of "Fall Dog Fashion" in his homemade scarf and newsboy hat. Some people believe that behind all the cameras and lights, dogs have different personalities; that they put a show on for the camera and revert back to their normal selves behind the scenes. But not this guy. What you see is what you get from this classy canine. He is a calm, cool, and collected fellow. that enjoys his slow mornings and afternoon walks. "My favorite part of the day is after my human has fed me breakfast and we snuggle for about an hour before she leaves for work," he says. 

We enjoyed a walk around the neighborhood chatting about the things that interest him the most. "I'll pee on anything that needs a good marking but my fav--SQUIRREL--my favorite things to pee on are piles of... anything, really." He had a lot of insight about his favorite hiking spots and where to catch a good snooze; for instance, while his human is enjoying coffee at the place they walk to once a week. But I really wanted to know about his journey from behind bars to the fashion forward pup he has become. I waited until we got back home from our stroll to ask the serious questions.

We sat in his room, he offered me a mug of tea, and we curled up on an ash grey Mexican blanket, his personal favorite. Without hesitation, he began to speak as if he already knew the question. "I've been with my human for over a year now and its hard to recall what I was even doing before we became companions. I made some mistakes in the past, and that's how I ended up at the shelter. I was raised with some cats that didn't know how to play. They constantly hissed and batted at my head. The humans there said I couldn't be tamed and dropped me off at the local shelter. Then I got picked up by some pleasant folks , sat in a car for a couple hours, and ended up in another cell. It was a nicer cell...but it was still a cell." He paused as he listened to some squirrels scurrying on the redwood trees behind his house, but didn't bark or show any interest in them. "A lot of humans came by my cell, sticking their fingers through the bars to try and touch me. I couldn't care less. Occasionally I'd feel up for a pat, but I mostly slept until I got to walk or play with the other inmates."

"Months went by in my cell, I started to get real down on myself. Why doesn't anyone want me? Whats wrong with me? I became more and more unsure of myself. Then a zealous woman approached me, and I was so excited to get out of my cell! I played and played with her, and she brought me to her house that day! I met her two tiny humans and went about my business, sniffing the new terrain and looking for things to chew. What I didn't know was that she'd soon drop me back off at the shelter. I still don't know what I did wrong to this day. My mom says that the kids didn't like me, that they thought I was boring. I don't know what "boring" means, but mom says its a silly word and its not true anyways so I shouldn't worry about it. But the night that lady dropped me off I got so angry and confused I chewed up my whole bed and tore apart my blanket. It was a dark time for me."

"Its hard to look to the future, especially as a dog. You know, because we can't rationalize or plan anything. We can really only focus on one thing at a time. But this proved useful when I met my new and forever human. The second we met, I forgot about the previous humans and only could focus on her. She came to my rescue in an all black ensemble, ready to lead me to a new life. I knew she was the one. We played and played for hours. She even brought friends along to meet me, but all I could focus on was her. She didn't bring me home that day but somehow I knew she was going to be mine. When she showed up the next morning with more friends, I couldn't wait to scamper off into our future. Fast forward to now... I'll do anything for one of those meat cubes she treats me with. I love this time of year because mom always makes sure I'm warm enough. Being a Pitbull/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, I'm built for the sun. Crisp mornings are lovely, but I need a jacket or scarf. Before I even have a chance to shiver, mom puts one of my pieces on and we are set for our walk. I never thought I'd get so lucky."

 Ender likes colors that compliment his reddish/brown coat, trying to look as natural as possible for fall. "I love this time of year because I match EVERYTHING. I look like the leaves that crunch under my feet." He sticks to leather collars and earthy colored accessories. He's had a light blue leash for as long as he can remember, but may be in the market for something new. Perhaps a European lead?

I took my final sip of tea and thanked him for his story. Ender was so much more down-to-earth than expected. It was a refreshing afternoon with a lovely pup, breaking many stereotypes.

Want to be our next month's "Dogue"? Everyone is welcome!                                                         Email or comment on this post and I will definitely get into contact with you! Thanks for stopping by :)

Hannah&Ender xx

A couple weeks ago my friend Clay and I went on a quick road-trip up to Seattle! It was short and sweet and we watched The Cave Singers in the most intimate setting, it was unreal. This was also Ender and my first road trip together. We've gone on 2-4 hour rides before but a 13 hour trek up the west coast was a big deal for us. Ender had a blast and I'm glad I did the tiniest bit of research before we went.

I made sure to pack the pup essentials as well as few things for myself. Ender's "Must Haves" include:

6 a.m. on Friday and Clay, Ender, & I hopped in the car to Seattle. After 12 1/2 hours on the road, 5 rest stops, and 1 stop for Coffees and Cheetos we arrived at our Air BnB exhausted and ready for a good sleep.

The next morning we decided to spend our day doing the things we love, drinking coffee and hiking. I started to research some dog friendly spots in Seattle and I was pleased to find out that Seattle is the most dog-friendly place I've ever been! There are coffee shops that let the dogs inside, bars with dog menus, restaurants that don't think twice about the little pibble mix resting under my feet, I couldn't have been happier. We went to The Station for some coffee and a couple hours of computer work then headed to Discovery Bay Park for the afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, so much sun for Seattle. After our day hike/walk we went for some beers at Kings Hardware and Ender was greeted with lots of love and hugs. Then after a beer and some grub we went and watched The Cave Singers! It was a great show and totally worth the drive up to see them. I'm so thankful I was able to go and watch them perform.

A long day meant another good sleep for the drive back the next day. We decided to leave a bit later so we could get a bit more rest in. A cold brew and yummy snacks saved us on the way back, neither Clay or I got tired. Ender rested peacefully in the back. It was a perfect trip and I'm so excited to start doing more road trips with my pup. The only thing holding us back now is my car. I need to get a smaller car, my Ford Explorer is just too big for just my dog and I. I'm reluctant to sell it though because it seems to come in handy on many occasions. What cars do you guys road trip in? What are your favorite things to do on the road with your pup? 

Thanks for taking a look! We appreciate the love!

All our love,

Hannah&Ender

I've finally developed the first roll of color film I had shot back in March. The photos turned out...kind of okay. Not quite like I'd hoped but I do enjoy the colors and I'm excited to continue shooting and learning! 

This roll was shot on a hike with my pup (of course) and my good friend Justin. He was teaching me a bit about how to backpack and we went for a day hike a couple hours from home. This was before I had even started training with Ender and its hard for me to even remember Ender as an untrained wack-a-doo but I definitely do not miss it. (The last two photos are from later in the month but I still liked the photos so I thought I'd include them.)

I'm very excited to tell you that I recently got a full time job! I've started working for the Company that helped me train Ender. Its a family owned company called Bay Area Family K9 and all I do is train dogs all day! Can you believe it?! I get paid to train and hangout with dogs. Best dog ever. I can't believe it. The only issue is that I'm away from my own puppy for most of the day. I'd bring him to work but I'm super busy for most of the day so still figuring out how to schedule enough time in the day for Ender's proper care/walks. But with this full time work I'll be able to afford a raw food diet for Ender!!! Thats been the goal for a while so I'm really excited about it. Tell me about your daily schedules with your dogs! I'd love to get some ideas/input on fun things for him to do while I'm away :) Have a good rest of your week! 

Its been a couple weeks since I've updated but I thought I'd just throw out what the haps has been quickly.

I've had a couple of weddings to shoot and a fun doggy photo shoot for my dog trainer's website. I also went to Seattle for a couple of days to watch The Cave Singers play in an intimate setting and it was amazing. I'll write a bit more about that trip soon but I just wanted to check in and see how everyone was doing. I also turned 21 and had a bit of a celebration and I;m in the middle of moving so Ive been pretty busy. How was your weekend? What fun things are you doing to finish off your summer? I hope everyone is doing well and I promise to continue updating more frequently! Have a rad week!