I Kissed a Girl!!

I’ve been getting quite a few messages about Kane’s Favorite Things and when it will be coming back. First, TOTALLY AWESOME that you’re enjoying it!! And secondly, this Friday! Lots and lots of shenanigans have kept me busy and away from the ole blog these last few weeks. I’m really excited to announce that one of the artists featured in Kane’s Favorite Things has agreed to an interview!!!

©Raising Kane Photo Co.
Models: Carl White, Mandi Kay, Justin Edwards

I held my first major shoot of the year a few weeks ago. It featured a new and two very well established cover models. This session was a blast! We took several hundreds of images that you can start viewing at Raising Kane Photo Co. More will be added throughout the week, so make sure you check back often.

I had the honor and privilege of putting my journalism hat back
on for a feature with Wicked Women Books and More. I was asked to chronicle my own experience with book pirating, what can be done and what I thought was really to blame. It’s a bit long, but it offers a different perspective and some technological insight. Be sure to check out Pirating: Are Bloggers Really to Blame?

If you follow my Facebook page, earlier last week you were probably shocked by a post I made. It was not a typical post for me, and one that was very painful to make. For those that called, messaged and texted, THANK YOU!! From the bottom of my heart ❤

Pressure had been building for a few weeks, and our Min Pin’s sudden illness was the final blow for me. Like most pet owners, our dogs are beloved members of the family. Sonny, our 6 year old Min Pin, began getting very sick over a very short period of time. He was diagnosed with Rapid Onset Advance Stage Diabetes. He lost all vision within 48 hours. His prognosis seemed dire, and after a great deal of discussion, we made the heartbreaking decision to have him put to sleep. We were all devastated. Tuesday morning, I called the vet to schedule it. The words were locked in my throat, but bless her sweet heart, she knew what I was trying to say. That night, we gave him extra treats and extra love. Hugs, kisses and tears. I stayed up with him the whole night, trying to convince myself that it was the right and best decision. My head and my heart refused to agree. The next morning, I carried him to the truck and said one last goodbye. My heart felt like a shattered piece of glass ripping its way through my chest. I don’t know how much time passed before my husband finally called, but when I answered the phone… It felt like my heart collapsed and exploded at the same time. The vet had a new therapy they wanted to try!! They were going to keep him and see what happened!!! Three days and we would know if it worked. Sonny had a chance!!!!

Wiping really happy tears away.

I was able to visit him on Friday, and the difference was nothing short of a miracle! He looked fuller, healthier and REALLY happy to sniff his Momma. My heart was filled with so much joy, I kissed the vet!! I’m not sure which of us was in more shock! Then again, it wasn’t like a full on KISS kiss. It was more of “grabbed her cheeks and kissed her forehead” kind of kiss. But she totally got it, and apparently I’m not the only Pet Momma to plant one on her either!

Saturday morning, The Man brought Sonny home!!! Needless to say, we are all overjoyed to have our little buddy back, healthy and happy!! We have to make a few changes with regard to furniture, the beds and stairs, and I’m learning some new diabetic treat recipes. He does have to have two shots a day, so we are rearranging schedules and plans to ensure that one of us is always home when it’s time for a shot. He does really well with them, too. The needle is so tiny, I don’t think he even notices it. He also seems to be getting at least a little of his vision back. The vet said it was possible, and I can tell he can, at the very least, distinguish sharp contrasts.

I do have some other really REALLY exciting news on the book front, but like they say, “Nothing’s final till you see it on paper” 😉

Thank you all so much for bearing with me these last few weeks. It means a whole lot to me.
xoxo
D.L.

Kane’s Favorite Things Week of 1/19/15

The next installment of Kane’s Favorite Things features a trip down memory lane, cops being funny and some pretty epic artwork.

And!! We’ve added a new category!

Music:
This week, I have a little game for you to play. It’s called YouTube-a-Thon, The 90s Edition. Go to YouTube.com and punch in the name of a favorite singer or band from the 90s. Watch the first video that comes up. Then click on a random video from the recommendations on the right side of the screen. Do this ten times and see where you end up. I started out with “Thank God I Found You” by 98 Degrees and ended up with “The Bad Touch” by Bloodhound Gang. Talk about a little trip down memory lane!

Movies:
Big Congratulations going out to Clint Eastwood! American Sniper set a January record with $90 million in ticket sales and landed 6 Oscar Nominations, including Best Film and Best Actor. If you haven’t been to see this movie yet, GO! Go now!!

Books:
Over the weekend, Mia Sheridan made a HUGE announcement on her Facebook page. Just in case you missed it, here it is:
Archer’s Voice has been optioned!!!!!!
In her Facebook announcement, Mia says, “I am THRILLED to announce that Lauren Levine, award winning producer of Bridge to Terabithia, has purchased the film rights to Archer’s Voice!”
Congratulations Mia!!!!! Can’t wait to see it come to life!!! If you haven’t read Archer’s Voice yet, here are the links:
Amazon   iTunes   Barnes & Noble   Kobo

Funny:
If you haven’t seen the Dover Police Dash Cam video of Officer Jeff Davis jamming out to Shake it Off, you’re about to. If you’ve already seen it, watch it again, because it’s hilarious!!

Over the weekend, Taylor Swift posted this on her Twitter in response to the video:

Watching that video reminded me of another video that made the rounds a while back. This one from two officers with the Rosenberg Police Department jamming out to Dark Horse.

Now, how cool would it be if the boys and girls in blue did All About That Bass???

Fashion:
This week is a new t-shirt brought to you by the one and only Neil deGrasse Tyson. This man is one of the greatest minds of our generation. His contributions to science and philosophy are without measure. If you haven’t had a chance to yet, I highly recommend you watch an episode of The Cosmos on National Geographic. It is one of our favorite shows.

Click on the picture to grab your t-shirt

Epic:
Did you catch that little switch there??
My friend Zack Kullis shared something on Facebook last week that was pretty epic. Well, you can usually count on anything Zack shares to be pretty epic, but this one definitely takes the cake. His post featured a pretty gnarly rendition of Scorpio and an article link- 12 Zodiac Signs Reborn As Terrifying Monsters By Damon Hellandbrand.

Just. WOW. This artist has the kind of talent that scares and inspires you at the same time.
Like Zack, I was never quite content with the traditional imagery used to represent my sign, so I couldn’t wait to see what this new one looked like. One word people, say it with me:

EPIC

She’s stunning! Beautiful in the most horrifying way. I love it so much, I’ve made it my profile picture on Facebook. Click on the article to see your David Hellandbrand zodiac sign, and click on the picture to check out some of the artist’s other works. If you like dark, edgier art, you are going to love this guy!
Oh, and one other thing Zack shared this week that was pretty epic- check out this killer volley! Talk about the edge of your seat!!

Honorable Mention:
Hostess released their limited edition Red Velvet Cupcakes this week, grabbed like five boxes….

Kane’s Favorite Things Week of 1/12/15

Kicking off the New Year with a new weekly post: Kane’s Favorite Things.

I scour the internet, looking for my favorite things and bring them all to you right here. We will start with six categories, but if you want to see more, or if you have something you want me to check out for an existing category, just send me a message 🙂

Music:
This one goes to my girl Meghan Trainor! Sony Music released her debut studio album, Title, on January 9. That Bass Tour starts in February and I can’t wait to see her in concert!

Movies:
Hands down, this one goes to American Sniper. This movie is the single most important MUST SEE for 2015. Chris Kyle is the embodiment of a true American hero. Not a dry eye in the theater.

Books:
Rescue Me by Kathy Coopmans hit eStore shelves today. I power read it and recommend you do too. It’s raw and gripping. Definitely a must-read. I will be sharing my full review on Wicked Women Book Blog later this week.

Funny:
Okay, this one’s probably going to get me in some trouble, but it was too funny to pass up. See, I’m from the Great State of Texas, but I have no love for The Cowboys. I do love the Packers though, and last night’s game was pretty awesome…for The Packers 😉 Anyway, I know technically it wasn’t Romo’s fault this time, but you can usually trace every goof back to him, so I gotta say this meme wins the internet today 🙂

Fashion:
“Girl Bye” is my must have shirt of the year! I’ve been hooked on The Real Housewives of Atlanta from day one, and Nene is my absolute favorite. At least once a day, you will hear me say something Nene says and it’s usually this or “The Thirst is Real.” Her “Nene’ism” shop is here, but she also has a clothing line out with HSN that has some gorgeous, and classy, pieces in it. I’ve already ordered the faux leather leggings and the blanket cardigan in ivory.

Adorable:
How can anyone NOT find this video of a wiener dog learning a new trick adorable?? Come on! It’s a wiener puppy! And he’s ringing a bell!!!!