Erika Dotson Photography » 365 Self Portrait Project

I ♥ My UPS Man!!!!

Erika — Fri, 07 May 2010 00:10:16 +0000

Ok so I have been patiently (very patiently) awaiting a very exciting package today. Since I live in the sticks I know when my UPS man will get here (well usually it’s around 6:30). ALL DAY LONG I have been so excited that I knew what was coming to me in the mail……besides who doesn’t like a package!?!?!?! I ordered this about a month or maybe two ago and have been thinking about it ever since! thinking…..”hmmm I wonder when they will ship that package?”…….”I wonder how long it will take to get here?”………”Hopefully my UPS man comes early today!”

GUESS WHAT IT’S FINALLY HERE!!!!!!!

She even went all out with custom printed tape?!?!?!?! …….awesomeness!!!!

Look at her being all eco friendly and everything with the recycled newspaper!

And there she is all nested inside safe and sound awaiting me to find her!!!! :)

She’s here and ready for me to get crackin!!!

Thank you so much to Millie Holloman who put all her efforts into sharing such sought for information by us awesome photographers who are horrible business managers!!!

Check out Millie’s Get It Together Kit here!

Enjoy!

-erika

All I can muster down

Erika — Thu, 06 May 2010 23:52:20 +0000

(365) Wednesday 5-5-10

It is extremely hot in my office. I’m thinking because the sun sets right in the window. Seriously walk into the other room and it’s comfortable……I’m thinking we are going to have to seriously do something about this. I’m not usually a big eater in the summer time, especially when I am just sitting here sweating without moving anything other than my hands and fingers and yea the occasional leg switch-a-roo. So today all I’ve been eating *was this huge bowl of strawberries. ( I say was because this bowl was more than full this morning! )

They are just so yummy!!!!

Enjoy! (I did!)

-erika

Photo A Day

Erika — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:50:34 +0000

Hey this is another catch up post. I didn’t get a chance to blog on Sunday too too too much going on! So here I am with two pictures for you today!

SUNDAY:

I was feeling a bit down and thought I would spend a minute with Roxy. For those of you who might be new readers to my blog Roxy was our first dog together. We got her about 7 months after we had been married (pretty much as soon as we moved into a house!). She was a yellow lab given to us by my cousin Ricky (who is getting married soon!) This doggie was amazing and we went through a lot to keep her with us. She started off with demodectic mange which is unlike the regular mange you are used to in the fact that it’s not contagious but it’s hereditary? Anyways we spent lots of money getting her better. Then TW’s brother Luke backed over her in a Volkswagon Beetle sending her to an overnight stay at the vet’s office in which I really didn’t believe she was coming back home with us. Then my lovely husband decided to throw her on the back of a flatbed truck at about 6 months old (without tying her in) and going 60mph down the highway. Needless to say she fell off and we (nix that, I) had to doctor her for a few weeks. Long story short we were on vacation and excited to see her when we got home. We took some stuff to the dump and brought her along with us. This is really sad and it was my fault completely, but I had let her off the leash to go to the bathroom and I wasn’t paying good attention to her. She was across the street bothering (I like to call it loving) a little girl and the mom was obviously frustrated by my dog. I immediately called for her not thinking and she ran right across the road in front of a truck (he was only going about 25mph). I saw everything and ran to her aid. I really thought she was the toughest dog on the planet at this point so there was no doubt in my mind that she would make it. I got to her barefooted and embraced her. As I lifted her up and ran to the truck I felt her body go limp. Despite all our efforts (speeding to the vet and trying to give her CPR) I lost Roxy in my arms that day. She knew I was trying to help her and it comforts me to know that I was there for her. It was a very very hard few weeks. I never knew how much I really cared for her. I was totally bummed. I couldn’t function it was horrible. I realized I didn’t even want to go home because I knew she wasn’t there and it just didn’t feel like home without her. At that point I realized I needed somewhere else to funnel my love for her. I took a few days and then started searching for my new companion. I had Stephanie a good friend from college who loves doggies as much if not more than I do help me in my search. She found some chocolate labs in the paper and called me up. She went with me to pick her out. I’ll admit it wasn’t love at first sight when I picked Ellie. Sure she was cute as could be, but she wasn’t trained to do all the cool stuff I wanted her to do and she didn’t even know me nor I her. Soon enough though time passed and Ellie is now my new best friend. Roxy will never be replaced and these two girls are very much different from each other but she’ll always be loved.

MONDAY:

Wow it’s been a super busy day over here, as if you couldn’t tell from how many blog posts I’ve made today! I had to take a break and get outside for a minute. Sometimes I feel like I live in cyberspace and not real life just because I can type faster than I can talk! It was such a beautiful day today I sure hope you got a little bit of time to get outside and enjoy it for yourself! I took a little hike behind our house with my camera looking for ideas of what to capture for the day to describe how I feel. All day I’ve been feeling a little bit imperfect. A little too large for a 21 week pregnant lady, a little too lazy around the house, a little too behind on all my shoots, a little messy without any makeup on, a little too distant from my family, a little too busy to spend time with Ellie, overall just not good enough.

Then Kori a local photographer (also a friend who shares the same due date!?!?!?!) posted this on her facebook page this morning trying to enlighten us all. I’ll say it worked for the few minutes I spent reading it as well as a few minutes following but then I fell right back into that rut again.

Enjoy!

-erika

Chelsea and Stew Green // NWA Wedding Photography

Erika — Sun, 02 May 2010 04:37:48 +0000

It’s official! Chelsea and Stew are hitched! Congrats!

They had the Vintage Photobooth at their wedding ( I love those things and they are a super great party accessory! ) So of course Liz (she came in to shoot with me all the way from Dallas) and I had to get a shot together!

(This is a picture of a picture for now just bc I’m too lazy to scan them in right now)

These little masks are hilarious!!!! Love it.

Enjoy!

-erika

Our newest addition

Erika — Sat, 01 May 2010 15:53:17 +0000

I know I posted on Facebook some time ago about getting a new doggie around the house, and he’s yet to make the blog (to be honest I wasn’t too excited about having him here at first). Rocky (AKA “Rock”) is a white boxer and we rescued him and now he enjoys our 8 acre lot with a pond and runs around with Ellie all day long. I have to give TW some props because when we first got him he jumped on us every 10 seconds, he’s over that now and listens so much better, which this is the first dog he’s really put any attention into so yay he’s finally getting it (the husband).

Meet Rock the white boxer who has a white spot in his eye and produces nasty slobber…..

Enjoy!

-erika

We are all so different

Erika — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:53:39 +0000

I looked outside in my lawn today and surprisingly couldn’t find the perfect dandelion since we didn’t have that many (I think the doggies might destroy them as they frolic through the yard all day). Anyways that got me to thinking, what am I looking for a “perfect” dandelion? Well duh of course you can’t find it!!!! Nothing is “perfect”! Much like nothing is perfect neither are people and that’s what went through my mind as I was searching my yard. I began to think of all the people I quickly judged, those that I was embarrassed to be see with in public, those that I wanted to hang around to make me look cooler, then I began to think of myself and how imperfect I really am. I’d like to think I’m perfect and I’m sure my mom and my husband could attest to the fact that I’m never wrong. This thought must have been in my mind all day because while I was getting my hair cut by my favorite stylist Sarah Faye Burnett at Black Sheep I had the realization that everything in the world is an opinion (we were talking in context of parenting) but really this applies to pretty much everything! Think about it……..I think white = clean. You might disagree and think white = dirty. But for me when I see the color white it signals in my brain that something is clean, much like going to a hotel and everything is white in the bathroom while I’m thinking it’s spotless and clean it’s probably really really dirty in all actuality! Ok my point besides all this rambling is simply that we are all different and I am greatful for that! How boring would all my photo shoots and weddings be if we were all the same! YIKES!!! I used to think there was a perfect person and I wanted to be that person. I wanted all the coolest clothes, I wanted to have long beautiful hair, I wanted a clean fresh face (which I still want that), I wanted white teeth, I wanted a cool car, I wanted to wear a certain color nail polish, I wanted to be someone I didn’t even know (probably bc that person didn’t exist in real life), but now I’m excited to meet all the different people out there! So many of us have such interesting stories and experiences to share with each other so why don’t we stop being so judgmental and open up!!?!?!?!? When was the last time you struck up a conversation with a complete stranger?

This isn’t the perfect dandelion but he’s still a cutie!

Enjoy!

-erika

A pretty sunset

Erika — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:01:51 +0000

I took this image off of my front porch this evening! I love a beautiful sunset! Now all I need is some lemonade, a husband, and a hammock! Oh and a little warmer evenings!

Enjoy!

-erika

A new found hobby

Erika — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:29:38 +0000

In my life I’ve had lots of hobbies come and go, everything from scrapbooking to refinishing furniture. So I’m honestly not sure how long this one will last either but I’ll share my newest hobby. Vintage cameras! I love how cool they look. I’m sure since they are in style right now that attributes to my newest obsession but still that’s what it is. It’s so fun to go in and find a cool looking old camera for $10!!!!

Enjoy!

-erika

A New Beginning

Erika — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 03:56:34 +0000

I love to imagine that I am a gardener, but in all actuality our garden measures 6ft by 2ft and it’s only sprouting our two small rows of corn so far! The new doggie has dug into our cantaloupe mounds already! UGH. But I will say I was super excited to actually see something come up! I planted several flower bulbs in our front garden bed (you know the ones where you’re supposed to put pretty bushes to accent your house) and seriously they haven’t sprouted at all and that was at least a month ago! I’m loosing hope on them………

Here’s our tough corn sprouts!

Enjoy!

-erika

City nights

Erika — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 04:35:52 +0000

Tonight I saw the neatest tree being illuminated by the street lights in front of my mom’s home. I like this image because it was straight out of the camera and it also reminded me of the fall. I love how much yellow is in this image even though in real life that tree is totally green during the day! Isn’t it interesting how much things change from day to night and how much of an impact light has on our subjects?

Oh and FYI the majority of the comments have been about choosing my new plan. Although my momma’s comment was the best she still even leaned towards the new idea! :) I love that girl. She secretly reads my blog. I guess that’s not a secret anymore. I hope you all enjoy my new venture. I’m pretty excited about the things I am going to be able to offer you visually!

Enjoy!

-erika