Shutterboo Photography is now Brooke Murphy Photography… and the new site can be found at brookemurphyphoto.com. (I’m squealing over here, people!!)

Come on over and visit the new site!  Hurry! Now! Do it!!!

(You can also visit me on Facebook!  And don’t forget to update the RSS!)

It’s hard to believe we’ve had Chase for almost eight years. But even so, I remember the day we brought her home. How we gave in and let her sleep in the bed with us to keep her from crying. How fast she took up playing frisbee. The first time she started following Abby around because she had a taste of beer. All the trips we took in the car, her tucked in the back seat asleep, traveling between Indianapolis and Louisville. Every time she gets excited to see her grandpa. That she loves getting her bum rubbed but cannot stand a two-handed bum rub these days. How she likes to tuck herself in bed long before we call it a night. The way she tries to herd us to the food bowls in the morning. That her favorite game is attacking your hand under a blanket. Her depth of vocabulary and attention she gives when you say a word like “breakfast” or “hippo.” How she knows several tricks but will only do them for treats. And so quickly it defeats the purpose. And that rolling over is her go-to for quick begging trickery.

I always wanted a dog that would roll over. It’s the first thing I taught her. Mike asked why I didn’t teach her to sit first. Touché.

But the thing I love absolutely the most about this dog is how she curls up to me. Perfectly, she fits right in the pocket of my hip and legs when we sit on the couch. I can lie on my side and her little body fits like a puzzle piece against my tummy. I don’t think of my dogs as my children – their dogs and do dog things. But I look forward to cuddles from this little gal. Her warmth, her moans of comfort, how she shifts and stretches, those times she gets puppy-like and creeps up to my face to lick my ear. Chase is one of a kind. She’s my heart dog.

Last week I went to my second Bon Jovi show in three years. I am a Jon Bon Jovi fan, from the old stuff to the new, I enjoy his music and can’t help but sing along with him and Richie Sambora.  But even though my fan-dom has grown stronger over the years, it’s not just about the music. It’s also about my girlfriends.

It started several years back when the hubs and I were still living in Indy. We had planned on returning to Louisville soon and had our house on the market. So to close down Indy, my friends Abby and Kelly came up for an overnight visit. We made dinner together, talked and laughed and then got a bit dolled up to go dancing. The nightlife hadn’t been something I’d embraced while living in Indy, so we ended up a little club on Meridian. I want to say it was called Tiki Bob’s. But that part is not important to the story.

We were having a blast together and I requested a Bon Jovi song from the DJ. Livin’ On A Prayer came on shortly later and we went into overdrive. If you let Kelly tell this story, she’ll say that everyone backed up and let us jam because we were so awesome. If I had to bet money on it, they backed up because they were scared of us. But either way you looked at, we had a song that tied the three of us together and made that night even more memorable.

A few years later, while we were celebrating my 28th birthday in Nashville, these two ladies surprised me with a ticket to the upcoming Hullabalou concert at Churchill Downs that summer. That included a show from Bon Jovi. I was beyond stoked, but the actual day itself was so much fun. It was way too hot, but we enjoyed ourselves, the additional company that came with us and made yet another Livin’ On A Prayer memory. Even on the ride home, I was talking nonstop about how much fun I had and was smiling like a fool. It took me several days to come off that high, but I know that the concert would not have been the same without my friends – they made it what it was.

So last Thursday, we met again to rock it out with the band. This time was a little different – we were behind the stage, we weren’t squished into a crowd that was singing with us, there was no heat stroke – but we had the best time together. We sang, we toasted, we acted ridiculous, we took too many pictures… and that’s why it’s more than Bon Jovi – it reminds us of each other.

A long game of fetch for the BDD, where I thought I’d at least get a great shot of her running towards me, ended up with several outtakes.  She’s just so fast, stubborn and uninterested in the camera.  But boy does she love that ball.  She also has the sweetest brown eyes and the blood of a wild woman racing through her veins.

By the way, this is the only ball I’ve found that she can’t eat through in a heartbeat. Tennis balls last less than 5 minutes. Other plastic balls are immediately cracked or ripped and then she decides to eat the ball instead of playing with it. But this ball? Practically indestructible. I say “practically” because the last one we left outside all year-long and the elements finally made it weaker.  I’m not sure who makes them, but I can only find them at the pet shop in the Edinburgh Outlets. (Which is a great reason to go outlet shopping, if you ask me.)

Now Chase doesn’t like balls that much. She never really has.  She’ll catch them, but just spits them out afterward. She is frisbee dog. But we can’t play frisbee safely with two dogs as the little one that can hear is fast, feisty and flies through the air while the Big Deaf Dog is fast, ungracefully strong and can’t hear. We’ve had a few mid-air collisions. So when we play frisbee, it’s usually one dog at a time.  But Chase still loved walking through the grass, eating a bit of the green stuff, and watching the BDD look like a fool chasing a ball.

She’s my smart doggin, my cuddle buddy. We have a conversation everyday when I get home from work where I ask if she good naps that day and dreamed of catching squirrels. She always tells me “Of course!” with a smile and wagging tail. But she’s starting get old… getting more white hair on her muzzle… is far more grumpy these days… and growls constantly at the BDD. I’ve tried to explain to her it’s a waste of breath (with the BDD being deaf and all), but she never gives up hope of that Christmas miracle. I don’t either.

• I can’t get enough of learning about branding, specifically branding yourself. It’s a necessity for my business for sure, but I just love reading what others have to say about, how they explain it, the different interpretations. But so far my favorite line of advice has been “let your freak flag fly.” I LOVE IT!

• With all of this reading and studying and homework, my motivation has been full-swing and I just need this weather to warm up a bit so I can meet up with a few new families to photograph!  Come on spring, you can do it!

• That donut up there? My weakness. I’m not sure why, but the office people bring in donuts quite often. And it’s the one thing I cannot stay away from. Cookies, cake, brownies, even the ice cream in the freezer I can withstand. But not the chocolate donuts with the little sprinkles on top. Nope. Never.

• But that’s OK because this homegirl has been hitting the gym at least three times a week!  So far I’ve learned to say no to spinning, know how to own the treadmill, have a weight circuit mapped out and have no issues bouncing around like a clown in Zumba or BodyJam. But I dislike the perspiration and red face that follows all these things.

• The doggins, however, are not fans of the YMCA because I come home later in the evenings. So if I plant myself on the couch anytime during the week, I have a dog (or two) attached to me. I’m totally OK with this.

• I had plans to meet up with my former Bosslady for drinks and she ended up with tickets to P!nk from a friend at the last minute. So I went to P!nk last Friday night. We were in the second the last row and behind the stage, but WHAT A SHOW! P!nk is a flipping beast of a woman and it was so cool to see her talk with the audience and even sign a fans cast. Great last minute plans for sure – thanks MB!

• And in two days, I’ll be back at the YUM! Center again. To see Bon Jovi. Again. :)

We had talked about doing a maternity session a couple of times, but with it being cold and getting dark early, nothing was really planned. Until Jessica emailed me one day and told me she wanted to do it, she wanted maternity photos – was there a chance to meet up that following weekend.  Her wish was my command. A time was set and then I started to worry.

I usually recommend expecting mothers to be about 8 months along (or anywhere between 28-34 weeks), but Jessica was sitting pretty at 38 weeks. I was concerned if she’d be uncomfortable, that she’d be worried about how she looked and so on. I have no idea why I worried though, because none of that was even a bother when I showed up at their home.  Jessica’s belly was as big as could be, perfectly round, she wore a big smile and was absolutely beautiful.

And with eyes like his, Jeremy wasn’t so bad either. ;)

Bump love.

Isn’t she just gorgeous?

Gracie and Zoe had to get a photo too. Crazy doggins.

Jessica’s vision: wide shot of the nursery. I just love how it turned out.

And I took advantage of her being stuck in that chair.

If you have ever met these two people, you’d know that they are hard to compare to. I’m so happy to call Jessica and Jeremy friends and always look forward to spending time with them as it usually includes lots of laughter. The only thing I would change is for them to tell me what the gender of the baby is.  Because baby is still not here!  I have no idea how they’ve stayed so patient… or why that baby isn’t budging… but I can’t wait to Baby Gray!

Jenn has a fine stationary business called Ribbons & Bluebirds where she works with brides and other folks who want personalized stationary. She does a great job capturing what her clients are wanting, everything from elegant to letter pressed to a clean and fresh design. Months ago, she hosted a giveaway on her site for a quote inspired print and I had to sign up. I loved the idea of having something special that not only was a quote I admired, but from a gal I’d had the pleasure of rubbing elbows with.

Low and behold, my name was one that was chosen. So I sent Jenn my quote, told her I was a fan of green these days and waited patiently. It paid off.

Perfectly packaged, it showed up on a Saturday afternoon. I was so excited, I immediately grabbed the camera… because that’s what I do. I was loved seeing how great it turned out, from the fonts to the design to the cute frame Jenn included – I had an original piece to hang on my wall.

I did not expect the homage to Churchill Downs even though the quote does mention horse races.

The detailed horseshoe is my favorite part though. I love it.

I found a home for the print on my kitchen wall. I see it everyday, read it everyday and remind myself that it’s OK to think the way I do. It’s good to be different. It’s good to push the envelope. And it’s great to put yourself out there and meet new people every chance you get.  Thank you, Jenn, for sending such an awesome surprise. :)

Feel free to visit Ribbons & Bluebirds website or the Etsy shop to see what else Jenn has cooked up.

He was just three weeks old when I got to meet him. So small, so handsome and so loved by Joia and Andrew. Even their sheep dog, Toby, shares the love and has become Henry’s protector, telling mom and dad when the baby’s crying or trying to keep the photographer at bay. He’s the ideal Big Brother. :)

It never fails, but seeing friends become parents touches me in a new way. They may not always notice it, but they have it down pat already. Where to put their hands, how to cradle perfectly, how to give the lightest kisses so that baby doesn’t stir. It’s something special, that’s for sure.

Henry may have not been super happy during our session. There were a few breaks for the pacifier. A break for brunch. A break to have a side conversation with mom and dad. Once he quieted down and the session wrapped up, I held out my hands to hold the little guy. And he cried. Boo. But I still love this baby boy and can’t wait to see how tall he grows.

*my heart melts*

This was post brunch. Drunk on milk. Just look at the little smile. I love it!

That happend in October 2012. I really thought that I’d be able to make it without the bag that was stolen from me. I had my shootsac and it would do just fine. And for the sessions where I’m walking with my camera in my hand and need a bag that is light and holds only lenses, the shootsac was perfect. But for indoor sessions when I need a few more pieces of equipment or I don’t want to keep my bag on my shoulder the entire time, the shootsac failed. Mostly because of it’s limited space, but it also isn’t meant to be sitting in the floor.

It was high time I started looking for a new camera purse, something that would transition well between personal shooting and sessions, something that could hold my camera body as well as the flash and accessories. I started a new Pinterest board where every bag I encountered that I liked got pinned so I’d have a point of reference. (I love you for that, Pinterest.) I finally narrowed down the search and now have a new camera purse in my possession.

Meet Stella.

Now, I find it funny that I ended up choosing a bag that is called Stella. Because last month I photographed a beautiful baby girl named Stella.  But this bag is in fact called Stella, made by epiphanie. I was torn between both epiphanie and Kelly Moore bags – they both have great styles and colors and functionality – but I went a different route this time. I had seen how my B-hobo bag had worn over time (the hardware wasn’t super friendly to the synthetic leather) and wanted a bag with a bit more sound construction. Thus Stella was my choice.  Also made out synthetic leather, but it has heavy grommet hardware, thick braided straps (as well as a long cross-body strap) and metal feet.

It’s completely different from what I had before, but it does hold everything I need it to. And there are pockets galore. Four zippered pockets on the front and sides and a long zipper on the backside of the bag. And it’s purple. I love me some purple. Although in these photos, it looks more fuschia. Eh, whatever, I like it no matter what the color is called.

Stella was definitely a good decision – now I just have to break her in and start carting my camera around more. Win-win.

• I miss vacation so much. I didn’t realize how much I relaxed until we got home. And four days later, all of that relaxation went right out the window. Oh, vacation, you complete me.

• I’ve got so many new knitting projects up my sleeve. And a new row counter to help me out thanks to Martha. I also have a new ice cream scooper thanks to Martha. She gets me.

• Tuesday night I bit the bullet and own some new schnazzy running shoes. All that’s left to do is set up a game plan with my girl Nazzie and meet at the YMCA. Then we run. Or walknjog, rather. Or hell, zumba.

• I really do like my running shoes. They fit so well. They’re ugly. But they fit soooo well.

• A couple weekends ago, I celebrated AmyHasBangs’ birthday with her friends. A complete surprise, a wonderful gathering and so many laughs were shared throughout the night. I was happy to be there to help Amy eat the crab dip. And to see her brother giggle like a little school girl while playing Cards Against Humanity.

• Cards Against Humanity: A grownup, politically incorrect version of Apples to Apples that makes grown men giggle like little school girls. If you offend easily, then it’s best if you stay in the dark on this party game.

• I got a new bag. It may or may not be a camera bag. Be sure to come back later this week to confirm. ;)