Just a little stressed out

We're dog-sitting for a cute basset hound named Daphne. Are there any not-cute basset hounds? I don't think so. But anyway, she's about eight and really loves treats and sniffing. Sniff, sniff, sniff, SNIFF, sniff, sniff, sniff. I've never seen so much sniffing. I think she's sniffed every inch of the living room three times and she loves to sniff the other dogs from tip to tail. Especially their eyeballs and ears. Daphne also enjoys lounging on the bed and napping. She's very personable and loves to cuddle and get a good scratch. She watched the front door for a little while last night hoping maybe her daddy would come back for her but then she got caught up with Henry and Lola and everyone settled down for the night.

Lola on the other hand isn't sold on the idea of a new member in her pack. She has Henry and probably Thomas and me right where she wants us most days and I think the responsibility of herding a fourth pack member is stressing her out because today I caught her like this:

This is my crazy dog

This is my crazy dog barking at me.

This is my crazy dog getting pummeled by my other sanity-challenged dog.

This week's good stuff

I love the internet and the internet loves me. I read all sorts of things and these are my favorite finds from this week.

Recently I've been thinking a lot about how to better promote myself as a freelance designer. Besides talking to friends and getting input, I've been searching the internet for tips and tricks to keep me motivated and my business goals moving forward.

I ask myself on a daily basis if freelancing is right for me. This motivational article says yes it is because I have an "independent streak." And this one says that it's better job security than a corporate gig.

Here's 10 tips on becoming a freelance powerhouse. Which I want to be, of course.

To help keep a steady base income, this article recommends a "heating company" tactic wherein you bill a steady monthly rate and update your client's website on a regular basis. Some months the client could have a just a few changes and other months they could need a lot of things updated. The end result being that you are averaging out their payments giving them peace of mind and giving you a check in the mail every month. Great idea!

And lastly, I came across this article filled with podcasts for freelancers and marketing professionals. There's a ton of different productions for every kind of freelancer -- photographers, designers, writers -- and I can't wait to subscribe to a fresh stack of podcasts.

What helps you stay motivated as a freelancer? I'd love some more ideas!

Henry & Lola: The Painting

I decide to get a piece of commissioned artwork, and what do I choose as my subject? Of course, the cutest doggie duo in the world. Susie Ghahremani launched a fun program called DRAWsome where you can order a custom illustration and it comes right to your home and you can love it forever. This is Susie's interpretation of Henry and Lola waiting for me to finish working so we can go outside and play. I love it because she got it just right, they are always watching me like this. I matted it and framed it this afternoon and hung it up already!

Where there's smoke...

there's interesting photos?

The news tells us there's a wildfire burning on nearby Camp Pendelton and the firefighters aren't working on it because of fears of hidden landmines and explosives. Fun!