Jameson & Ginger

If you follow me on Instagram then you know that Johnny and I have two little additions to our family. Meet Jameson (brown) and Ginger (white). I've never ever owned a bird before, they always kind of freaked me out. So I was just as surprised as anyone when I'm suddenly heading home with two birds in a cage. I just can't help myself apparently when it comes to pets, I see them and suddenly I black out and when I get home... We have a new friend. At least this time Johnny was partly to blame.

Our new little birds are finches. The brown is a Society finch and the white a Zebra finch. When I was a kid, my grandparents would take me to San Diego and we would stay in a hotel called the Horton Grand. I loved that hotel and the lobby had a huge aviary filled with finches. It's something I've never forgotten. Parrots are frightening so these little songbirds will do just fine.

As far as we can tell from researching online, they both seem to be females since they don't really sing and just chirp a lot. They are also extremely messy eaters which I wasn't completely prepared for but no biggie. Just another reason to think outside the box and come up with something creative to keep the seeds off the floor.

I'm an expert on dogs but completely out of my element with these guys so I'm honestly learning as I go. I'm looking to get them a bigger cage since they fly horizontally and vertical cages aren't great for that. They also aren't very hands-on birds but I've seen some videos of tamed finches so I'm hoping patience and time will bring them around.

I'm also trying to figure out if I should leave them outside in the shaded patio during the days when we are at work. They really enjoy being outside (big surprise) and I think it would help separate them from the dogs when nobody is here until I can trust them. They are sweet little things and I'm already quite fond of them and their little sounds.

 Any advice fellow bird lovers for a bird newb?

Snapshots Lately

Spring is in the air! I've been making the most of the wonderful weather on my days off. Some much needed date nights/brunches with Johnny, we saw Deadpool and tried out a new breakfast place called Kitchen Table that I would highly recommend. My grandmother and I started planning and planting my garden space in the backyard. A few rosebushes, lilac bush, and some small flowers to start as my gardening experience is zero to none. I have HUGE plans for a lush green Englandesque garden (as much as Vegas weather and soil will allow) and plenty of space to work with. We also went hiking today and it was perfect. Murderface got to swim at our secret spot and there were a bunch of mating butterflies in the air, a few even landed on our hands! We also discovered some little frogs which I had never been able to find before and the burros came to say hello as we were leaving. Pretty magical.

Work has been great since the last promo ended, back to a slower pace when we can focus more time on socializing with the dogs. I've been spending a lot of time with the older ones and also seeing who enjoys time in the pool. Nothing makes me laugh more than a happy pup in a kiddie pool.

On my days off, I'm usually still fitting in some work time with photo shoots and the last two weeks have been no different. Two boudoir shoots (which are turning out amazing and I can't wait to share, hope the cat tides you over for now), a family shoot, and mini senior session. All this and I'm going to take on another foster dog on top of the one I already have (story to come) and still need to work on fixing up the house. Johnny has given me the go ahead to do whatever I like with our bedroom and I want a really chill bohemian vibe in there. So as you can see, lot's to keep me occupied. Wouldn't have it any other way!

You can always follow me on Instagram to see what I'm up to! I post a lot on there that I don't always get to share here.

How have you been enjoying the spring weather? I would also love your suggestions on places to shop for home decor... Urban Outfitters and Modcloth only get me so far and are pricey. 

Valentine

We found out a few weeks ago that Farley's skin issues were actually skin cancer. Testing shows it hasn't spread to his lymph nodes or lungs yet, that's the good news. The bad news is that surgery will be the only option to remove all the cancer. Surgery is going to be a full on penis amputation. It's something we have never dealt with before but Johnny and I plan on continuing being his foster parents no matter what. He's a sweet boy that deserves a second chance.

I know I'm a little behind but with a huge Valentine's promo running at the shelter, photo shoots, and Farley's issues... It's been distracting. We had a pretty quiet Valentine's Day since I had to work. It consisted of just a little candlelight dinner at home and then relaxing today after some shoots and a quick visit to Bad Owl coffee. It's going to be a new fav place, how can one not love a Harry Potter themed coffee shop that serves Lavender lattes?