This house had a lot of rustic, reclaimed elements in it and I really love that.  Our headboard and footboard are made of old barn wood and the bottom half of our dining room has old tin from my grandfather’s barn.  I love recycling old things and making them useful again.  The homeowners had a book on their coffee table called “Recycled Home” by Mark and Sally Bailey and it has some great ideas in it!  I just glanced through it for a minute, but I am definitely adding that to my book list!

Does anyone else like to decorate in this style?  If so, I would love to see some photos of your recycled decor and how you have repurposed it!  Also, if you have any hints or tips on places to go to find great stuff that can be repurposed let me know!  I am buying some old windows from a friend next week but would love to find some old doors!

Here is an Instagram photo of Mason taken over the winter and you can see my tin walls in the background.  I’ll have to take a better picture of my entire wall, the top half is a wall photo gallery!

I have been working with several different organizations to get these major photo shoots planned and executed, and everyone I have worked with has been great!  I want to give a shout out to these groups!  First, we are using professional talent from 18Karat Modeling and Talent Management.  Cindy has been great at helping us find models that fit our needs and even getting some models last minute for me when I had to rearrange the whole schedule this week due to rain!  All of the models that she sends us are very professional and photogenic.  Even the 5 year old walked up to me and shook my hand and called me Mrs. Huettel!  Now that’s polite!

Next, an agency we are using to find our pet talent is Animal Actors out of Los Angeles.  Gloria and Shane have been super helpful in finding us pet talent that fit our needs.  We have had so many different shots that we need different pets for and they have supplied us with what we need!  And the pets are very well behaved!  This makes it so much easier rather than using ordinary pets.  Especially the cats!  We did a shoot a couple of months ago with un-trained cats, and wow, was it hard!  We had hissing, scratching, hiding, biting, you name it!  This time around we opted to go the professional cat route and I’m so glad we did!  Samantha with Circus Cats has great cats!  And they even play in their own rock band!

Another group that we could not do this shoot without is Charlie Brooks and his team from Brooks Photography.  Charlie has done photography work for us at PetSafe for years and we are glad to have him here in Knoxville.  He is an amazing photographer and knows his camera and lighting inside-out!  And he is so patient with the models and the pets.  He’s a dog person himself, so that helps!  His team is always there helping him and us out with whatever we need at the shoot.  And Beth, his location scout, is just great!  She finds the beautiful locations for us, works with the homeowner to get the dates set up and then she is always the first one at the shoot and the last one to leave!  She works so hard to make sure we have everything we need for the shoot, and then to make sure we leave the home looking better than we found it!  All of the homeowners we have worked with are so great and willing to allow us to come into their home, bring strange people and dogs in, take photos and video inside their home, all while we are moving their furniture around and removing doors to make sure we have the shots we need, and more!  We basically invade their space for the day and sometimes even into the evening and they don’t mind a bit!  We truly appreciate them for this!

I also want to give a shout out to Lisa with Gourmets Market.  She has catered lunch for us for two weeks straight and it has been wonderful!  She will come to our location (even Sevier County!) and set up the food with plates, utensils, etc for us.  She even accommodates our picky-eaters!  It always comes with great sweet tea and dessert!  And when Lisa comes in she is always smiling!  That is what I love about her!

And last, but not least, is my PetSafe team that are on location with us making sure we have the right shot to fit the package, helping dress models and wrangle dogs, shoot video, make sure the product is being used properly and more!  It takes a team to pull off a big production like this and I am so proud of all of our different groups that have come together and made it work great!

We still have the rest of this week and half of next week to go, but everything has been going great so far and I know it will just keep getting better!  Thanks to everyone (even if I didn’t mention you-like my friends who have stepped in last minute to model for us and allow us to use your pets!!) for pulling together and making this shoot rock!  I feel like I have made some good friends in this process and I every day I learn something new!  Now this is a career that pulls my passions and talents into one!

Here’s a view into what we worked with today!  It’s pretty hard being surrounded by all of this!  =)

Here is a photo of my Mother-in-Law, Debbie; my Mom, Debbie; my grandmother, MooMoo; my son, Mason; and my grandmother, Fifi!  Mason sure is lucky to have such amazing women in his life!  As am I!

I guess the saying is true, “Momma does know best!”  Love you all!

One step to being able to live my passion is to become debt free.  So, here is a shameless plug, but hey, why not!  I am selling my 2005 Subaru Outback, black, tinted windows, all wheel drive.  137,000 miles.  Drivers side window doesn’t roll down, it just needs a motor for the switch.  Great vehicle and lots of room like an SUV but with great gas mileage!  I wouldn’t hesitate to drive this vehicle on a long road trip today!  I really enjoy the Outback and I think I will probably own one again sometime in the future, but right now I need to downgrade to get rid of these payments.  I am asking $7995.00.  So, if you are interested or if you know of anyone that might be interested, please pass this along to them and let me know!  Shoot me an email jennie@mountainmuttphoto.com and we can meet so you can see it and drive it!

Okay, I’m done.  Thanks for letting me put this on my blog!  I know you guys are my supporters and understand!  Hope everyone has a great weekend and don’t forget that Sunday is Mother’s Day!  =)

I talked the other day about the photo shoot that we are doing and I have really realized something this week.  I love what I am doing right now!  I love the planning and organizing of the shoot and then being on location and working with the models and animal talent!  I am having a very good time!  Don’t get me wrong, it is hard work and makes for very long days, but I am really enjoying it.  I sorta wondered what I would feel like not being the main photographer for this shoot, but it is perfectly fine!  Our photographer is amazing and great at what he does.  All my photo experience helps tremendously on the shoots and with the planning, but I am okay with not being the main photographer.  So I guess that means that I need to pursue this avenue more and see where it takes me!  Anyone need a production assistant?!?! =)

On another note, because I have been working such long hours and am exhausted when I get home, I miss my family!  I’ve only been able to see Mason for less than an hour each night before he goes to bed.  Then I’m asleep before Blake even makes it to the bedroom!  So I am looking forward to this weekend and spending some quality time with my boys!  It really made me realize how special my time with them is!  And that I need to enjoy it and take full advantage of it!  One of my good friends directed me to a blog that talks about that exact subject.  It’s called Hands Free Mama and she talks about letting go of distractions and paying attention to what really matters-your children!  I strongly suggest you go check her out.  The first post I read the other day brought tears to my eyes.  Everything she says (that I have read so far) is so true.  Makes you take a step back and think about your actions and how they affect your children and those around you.  So check it out and let me know what you think….

Here’s a photo of Jake, a 15 year old Australian Shepherd and a superstar model!  Thanks buddy for your hard work!!

One of the models that came in was telling me that she was graduating from college this week!  So exciting for her!  I asked her what she wanted to do now that she was all grown up and she said she really wants to be an actress/model professionally.  I encouraged her to get out there and do it now, while she is young and before she gets sucked into the Monday through Friday work grind.  Not that becoming an actress is any easier, but if that is her passion she needs to go for it!

I hope she does it and really tries.  I hope it works out for her.  I really hope that other college students getting ready to graduate will follow her lead and pursue their passion instead of taking a job that they aren’t even sure they want. I hope this thinking of working at something that makes you unhappy or is not your passion changes to where more and more younger people will pursue their passions and live their dreams!  I hope more and more people will just be happy!

Here is a behind the scenes shot from the shoot today:

I hope everyone can find a way to be happy tomorrow in their work, even if it is just for a minute.  Just smile.  It works!

Website up by June 1:

• Get graphic designer website sizes for design by Wednesday May 9
• Write text for website and send to copywriter to review by Saturday May 12
• Choose images I want to use on website by Wednesday May 16
• Review template from graphic designer by Tuesday May 22
• Final edits and changes on website/blog template by Friday May 25
• Insert all photos/text into website template and test by Monday May 28
• GO LIVE- Friday June 1st!!

Studio Open House and Thirty-One Party, Thursday May 31st, 6-8pm:

• Send invites to event by Friday May 11
• Get more business cards printed by Friday May 11
• Order large prints for display @ Open House by Monday May 14
• Plan out food, drinks, signage and take home treats by Wednesday May 16th and purchase by Monday May 21
• Work out bonus plan for Mountain Mutt Media/Thirty One by Monday May 21

Wedding to shoot June 2:

• Get cards printed up with my info on one side and their photo on other side to give to guests at wedding by May 11
• Get babysitter for June 2nd!
• Finish gift for bride and groom by May 11
• Find wireless transmitters to purchase for strobe lights by May 17

Get ready for 1 camping trip in May and two more in June!  Whoo hoo!  Busy, busy, busy but by making plans and setting goals to get them done, it makes it more manageable.

“With definite goals you release your own power, and things start happening”, Zig Ziglar.

“Remember:  A goal is a dream with a timeframe on it”, Dan Miller, 48 Days to the Work You Love.

The lists above are very short-term goals to get to a specific result.  Dan Miller recommends for us to make 5-year goals and then work backward to what we need to do today to make deposits in where we want to be 5 years from now and to be specific.  I am still working on this list.  Has anyone else set a 5 year plan with specific goals to get to the end result?  I would love to hear how it has helped you or how it hasn’t helped you!  And if you are willing to share, I’d love to pick your brain about it!  You can email me at jennie@mountainmuttphoto.com if you are interested in sharing!  I really appreciate it!!  Until tomorrow, what is one goal that you can set for yourself right now that will change how your day looks tomorrow?

We went to Norris Lake a couple of weeks ago and things have changed since the last time we were out on the boat, last summer!  Last year Mason wasn’t even walking and now he is running around like crazy!  He is such a character and has such a fun personality!  Here his is with his new four wheeler toy.  Two minutes later it was at the bottom of Norris Lake!

We went to Bubba Brew’s to eat lunch and there was a band playing.  He was out there dancing and bringing us all the lei’s from the stage.

He is such a ham!  The band even talked about him on stage!

Finally, all that dancing and entertaining wore him out!

What a tough life he lives!  Ahh, to be a kid again!

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photo above, but he was pretty excited!  He has been riding on the Rhino or 4-wheeler with Pops practically since he was born.  He LOVES the Rhino and 4-wheeler, so when this one came out, he knew it was his!  His face was priceless!  Just all smiles!  Then he got to actually ride it!  Boy did he have a blast!

After we were able to pry him off of it, we went to my dad’s for a bonfire and they have a trampoline.  Well, Mason now loves the trampoline.  He ran in circles on the trampoline with his buddy Landon for the past two hours….straight!  No joke!  He didn’t make it home before falling asleep and was delirious when we got home!  Since he went to be almost 3 hours past his bedtime, I’m hoping he will sleep in tomorrow!   Because, when Mason sleeps in…. Mama and Dada get to sleep in!  YAY!!!

If you haven’t seen the moon yet tonight, I strongly suggest you go out and see it!  It is beautiful!  Nothing like a fire, a full moon and good times to end your Cinco de Mayo on a great note!

In Chapter 6, Dan Miller describes 5 predictors of success.  I really, really likes these 5 and I think I’m going to post each of them on my wall to remind me daily to keep all 5 going to be successful.  He describes them as Passion, Determination, Talent, Self-Discipline and Faith.  Passion to set goals and follow through with them.  Determination to keep you going on your intended path.  Talent-we all have it, we just have to find it and use it.  Self-discipline to stay on track and make the passion, determination and talent work for you.  Faith to take that jump into the unknown.

Dan also asks the question, “What are those things you love to do whether or not you get paid?”  And he also talks about looking back in your childhood at what made you the happiest and why.  One thing for my husband that he loved to do when he was younger was BMX racing.  He didn’t play baseball or soccer, he raced bikes.  And then he grew into racing ATV’s as an adult.  I know that this part of his life is something that he absolutely loved, but has lost touch with it due to……well, due to life.  Sometimes we let life take control of us, instead of us taking control of life.  So he is grabbing life and telling it NO!  Tomorrow, we are going up to Morristown to race BMX!  Well, Mason and I are going to watch and Blake is going to pick up where he left off!  I am so proud of him for picking it back up!  It is what makes him happy and that means so much.

To motivate him even more, check out this video of him winning the race in 1988!  Love it!!

Wish us all luck tomorrow!  Who knows where this re-kindled passion will take us!