by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, My Dog
Halloween is a month away, but I’m already planning! It’s always been one of my favorite holidays! This year, in search of a costume for Raelie, I came across some adorable, to-die-for photos of other pit bulls and pit-mixes in Halloween costumes. I thought I’d round them up for you and put a smile on your face. 😀 So, without further ado, here are 45 pitbulls in Halloween costumes (including mine). 🙂
Raelie in her test costume – cool cat. 😉
When pigs fly…
Madam bumblebee
Those pearls suit you so well, ma’am!
Closing time
King of the jungle
k-9 on duty!
C’mon mom… when my tail is wagging?
Not funnny….
too funny…
The cutest trio!
Little miss sunshine 😀
The cutest ACDC Fan.
Madam flutterby
Squirrel with a nut
Big pile of grapes.
Winging it.
Besties in crime.
The cutest pumpkin.
Rocking out!
The daintiest pit bull.
Made to be batman.
Dino-pup.
The best assistant!
Super-pup!
😛
A little witchy.
Arrrrrrr
Just a lamb.
Should I do the bunny hop?
Super-pup trio!
Yo-dog.
by Tara Mackey | Beauty, Blogroll, Fashion, Green Beauty, Green Makeup, Hindu Doggie, Music, My Dog, My Organic Life, Videos, YouTube
Even though it doesn’t mean much for Southern California weather, I absolutely adore fall. It’s my favorite time to go hiking. Honestly, even though it’s totally necessary most days (or the 112 degree days) of summer, hiking in very short shorts always weirds me out (hi snakes, critters, spiders, brush, thorns and everything else in between!) and I always seem to be caught in something a little too big for me, with lots of flowy flaws for nature-times. So it was the perfect time to pick up some fall friendly yoga and hiking gear – something longer than shorts but shorter than pants – to keep me cool, as well as calm and collected during my favorite exercise with Raelie.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or3SQZQ9Whk&w=560&h=315]
You can check out the video I shot in my Jewel Toned to see how the street smart biker shorts wear during my recent hike.
Jewel Toned is shapewear made for every day. Also based in LA, I absolutely love this go-getting brand. Every single piece is designed to be worn on the outside (ok… maybe not the panties? 😉 ) It hugs curves perfectly while also “tucking in” undesirable areas. These bike shorts are a new yoga staple for me. Besides the cute design, butt hugging curves and the fact that they’re totally comfortable, these shorts don’t give you the dreaded cameltoe, which means these forward thinking women really have their shiz together. No chance of embarrassment – just you hiking, running, walking, jogging, yoga-ing with your perfect self.
At first I topped it off with a long sleeved, Quad-Tiger flowy box top from Wildlife Works – but it’s still a little too warm here for those! I managed to get a few photos in it, though, which is amazing because Wildlife Works is one of my favorite brands of all time. Go check out all the awesome work they do through REDD+ and their incredible humanitarian efforts to bring not just awareness, but to make better solutions to poverty and conservation, as well as create jobs. The company also finances the development of small businesses such as an eco-clothing factory, and sustainable charcoal production and distribution.
She sure does make some silly faces. 🙂
I call this one “kiss the puppy pose”.
I also broke my Ombu Lifestyle shoes out again since it’s not sandal weather anymore! I forgot how much I totally adore them! First of all, they plant a tree for every single purchase.
Second, they’re eco-friendly themselves.
Third, they’re run by women. 3 sisters in fact.
Doesn’t get much better.
Either getting into or out of tree-pose. . . Raelie is in “catch me if you can” pose.
Whats your favorite thing about fall? Who do you turn to for yoga gear and shape wear? I’d love to hear in the comments!
Happy Autumn everyone!
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Fashion, Green Beauty, Happiness, Modeling, My Dog, My Organic Life, My Photography, Product Reviews
Sing it!
This week has been wonderful for many reasons: I’ve had some awesome work, some validating adventures, and the kind of life-synchronicities that really good novels are made of. I got some great news about Raelie’s health, too. A small mass we thought might be “something” turned out to be just some fatty tissue. We are very, VERY happy that babygirl is well and we celebrated with an awesome hike at a new trail we found just down the block from our house. Happy National Dog Week, indeed!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WsjUkWo73w&w=420&h=315]
^^ Some fun vocal warmups from earlier in the week 🙂 ^^
I’ve also recently teamed up with Soul Flower, an online retail shop that promotes an eco-friendly, bohemian, peaceful lifestyle. Started on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul, Minnesota in 1999, you can now find Soul Flower online, check out their awesome look books, shop Fair Trade wares, mens or cute kids clothing (when I say cute I mean SO CUTE!! I mean is this even real?!) These items are always organic, recycled, made in the USA, or Fair Trade, and very, very comfortable! This Sing It Tomboy T-Shirt is perfect for fall transition. It’s warm but breathable, wearable, and I just adore the message! I had a lot of fun striking poses in this around town – whatever gets people to read it. 😉 It’s really fun, the color is gorgeous and it’s just comfy comfy comfy (I’m a total sucker for comfort… can you tell?!) They also sent me some stickers and cute merch that I was happy to slap on an old cap and run with (literally…)
My crafting skillz. You’re jealous. ^^
#SoulFlower Girl 🙂
(^^ a little mountain lion sighting in the past 10 days never stopped anybody right…?)
(Raels didn’t seem to mind ^^)
(She keeps me company IRL as well as on my wrist at all times just in case she’s not there…
Obsessed? Idk. Maybe. What?!)
Catch!!
” I can see my house from here! And Arizona!”
The view is seriously unreal.
Found me an organic garden of course! 😉
Squishface!
Hey, LA!
Makeup: RMS Beauty Uncover Up, La Bella Figura Highlighter in Brazillian Denise, Gressa Bronzer Serum, Alima Mascara, Nudus Australia Lipstick in Halo.
Bracelet: Lokai, Vintage Find
Raelie Watch: Birthday Present 🙂
by Tara Mackey | Beauty, Blogroll, My Dog, My Organic Life
Gosh, Halloween is just one of my all time favorite holidays! Pumpkins! Fall! Dress up! Candy!
Since I haven’t yet dressed up today because I’m working a swanky Hollywood party tonight (which I am SO excited to dress up for!) I thought I’d share with you some photos from last year, where I got all dolled up as Frida Kahlo and took Raelie on an epic walk in the dark with Josh, seeing almost no one. Sometimes you just gotta do things that make you happy, even if no one’s watching. 🙂
I always think it’s funny how there’s that period of time where you’re “too old to dress up”, and then one year you just realize how much you love it again!
I even got Josh to wear one of my wigs last year! heehee ^^
Also, I really want to carry this “drawing on all my veggies before I carve them up and eat them” tradition straight on through the fall!
It’s so fun!
I hope you’re all having a fabulous and fantastic Halloween!!
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Love & Light
by Tara Mackey | Blogroll, Happiness, Health, My Dog, My Organic Life, My Photography, Travel
It’s been over a month since my birthday (oops!) but I’ve really wanted to share it because it was action-packed and involved travel, the beach, camping, hiking, great food, the puppy and I was so prepared this time around!
Josh and I spent the day at the beach in Malibu the day of my birthday morning and it was just lovely!
^^ beautiful California drives .. anywhere … make me happy ^^
^^ beautiful sky reflections… ^^
^^ puppy got a bath! ^^
^^ epic work outs vs epic reads 😉 ^^
Last year I started my first birthday tradition: camping in California!
Last Year, let’s call it: Year 1, Josh and I had never camped before, and for some reason didn’t really research anything about camping before we walked 5 miles up (and down) a mountain, set up our tent, and realized when it was pitch black that we didn’t know how to make a fire and had barely brought any food! We had also brought the dog, dog food, and plenty of water for her, but we forgot to bring her any toys or treats! Thanks to the kindness of strangers (Bear, we will never forget you) not only did we get taught some kick-ass wilderness skills on the fly (seriously… it was pitiful) but we were forever grateful and were sure to do our due diligence this time around.
We’ve hiked quite a bit since then, and we now live in the same mountains that we camped in last year. I’ve started more fires in my fireplace in the new house last Winter than I care to even remember (it’s not so fun when you actually really need it for heat!), so we were much more prepared for Year 2!
The first perfect thing Josh found was the camping spot itself. Point Mugu is listed on almost every “Best Hiking Trail” list, not only in California, but on practically the whole internet. The amazing reviews about this place just go on and on!
It’s located in Malibu in the Santa Monica Mountains, features five miles of ocean shoreline, with rocky bluffs, sandy beaches, sand dunes, rugged hills and uplands, two major river canyons and wide grassy valleys dotted with sycamores, oaks and a few native walnuts. There are more than 70 miles of hiking trails. The beach also features swimming, body surfing and surf fishing. The park includes the jagged pinnacles of the Boney Mountains State Wilderness Area.
Plus, it’s dog friendly!
Basically, it’s right up my alley. 🙂
There must have recently been a forest fire, because all of the trees were black and burned up, but in this absolutely breathtaking way there was greenery growing on the underside of every plant! So, so amazing! I love seeing signs of new life!
There are infinite hiking trails to go on, so we were always on some kind of epic adventure! Josh wandered off a time or two to tackle some hikes I was just plain not prepared for, but we both ended up with crazy beautiful views over the mountains and to the sea! What we planned to be a surveying hike took us over an hour, and I could have gone for way longer if we weren’t getting so hungry that we eventually turned around for the sake of filling our bellies! A Park Ranger wagged their finger that you’re not technically “supposed” to bring the dog (oops again!) but we did anyway, and she was fabulous and we had a wonderful time.
^^ more signs of new life! ^^
It’s incomprehensibly vast when you get up the hiking trail and realize how far you are up the mountain. Especially incomprehensible when you first see the sea. Before that it just looks like layers and layers of mountains. One of the first things we mentioned was “Can you imagine what it would be like for the first people who ever discovered this?”
Just. Wow.
I am so grateful to have had the adventure!
After our hike we cooked up some grub and went out to get some last minute supplies. On our way back we saw the most amazing neon pink, orange, blue, purple, green gorgeous sunset and stopped along the way on some adjacent sea mountains to get a good view and watch it go down!
As if the night couldn’t get any better, we cooked up some s’mores for dessert, played guitar and fell asleep under the stars to the sound of the waves!
The next morning we woke up super early and headed down to the beach with puppy.
^^ these two just kill me… ^^
There was no one down there, and she loved it! She chased the waves… the waves chased her… we chased her… she chased us… 🙂 A dog’s paradise!
When we got in the car Raelie immediately fell asleep so fast her face was hanging over the edge of the seat like this:
Too cute! 🙂
I really had an incredible, amazing time and I can’t wait to do it again! I hope to go back many times before the year is up and I can’t wait to recommend Point Mugu to everyone living! I really had the most incredibly beautiful birthday and I feel very grateful for it.
Happy and healthy life!
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Love & Light
by Tara Mackey | Around the World, Blogroll, Modeling, My Dog, My Organic Life
Welcome, children.
To a tale of Lookbook Collaboration so beautiful, so unbelievable, so cross-continental and amazing and hopeful that you’re sure to stay for the very last photo! So gather round – you’re in for a good one!
An embarrassingly long time ago, Elisabeth Donaldson, Creator and Designer at Monarch Clothing (and a beautiful girl/soul to boot!), sent me over two absolutely fabulous gowns to model and art direct and take some photos in. These pieces were so exquisite, so decadent and so wonderful, and I felt so privileged to have them to make art with, that I immediately (and in a few different locations) did so. Three or four times, actually.
The problem was, something always happened. Either the photos didn’t vibe with me, or they were meant to be tests and didn’t “capture” the dresses, and my final photos with a photographer whoisnottobenamed just never made their way to my inbox. 🙁
I was extremely frustrated, and sending them back with nothing to show for the kindness of receiving them or not making something happen and have something for Elisabeth was not an option in my book! I KNEW that I could do these dresses justice and make something we could all be proud of. So I reached out to Elisabeth about my issues.
Elisabeth is in Nashville, TN,
and I am in Los Angeles, CA.
So I never, in a million years, expected what happened next.
She, being the brilliant art fairy that she is, said, ” You should shoot with my amazing friend Alex Lake. He’s also in LA!“
She put me in touch with this versatile and talented man, and one or two e-mails later, Alex was at my house, which also serves as my studio (click for photos), setting his gear and backdrops up, as I touched up my makeup and tried my best to not let my hair fall flat in my bathroom. 🙂
We had a blast shooting this stuff! I mean so much fun that I didn’t even mind the 39523592 degree weather, and Alex didn’t seem to mind trekking everywhere – we started in my house, then went up to the mountains, then found a quiet little spot by my pad where we captured most of the set you’ll find here, entitled “Over The Meadow And Through The Woods“.
We got to shoot BOTH the dresses, in different places, and it was great fun working with Alex, as well as totally amazing how everything came together in the end! I really, really had a great time making these photos. With the added versatility of the Gardens of Whimsy flower crown, I felt like a little wood nymph all day, and Alex was so sweet and kind about shooting everything! It was really, really nice to have met the way we did, why we did, through a mutual friend like Elisabeth!
(even Raelie was patient and happy about it – albeit a little jealous that my attention was elsewhere)
As an aside, all of Monarch Clothing’s pieces are customizable – so if you’re not super petite like myself, no worries! Elisabeth is very friendly, and very happy to accommodate! 🙂 This girl just loves making beautiful things!
Since WP condenses images, definitely be sure to click the Final Photos below for their hi-res versions!!!
Even though it’s called OVER, we definitely got Out of the Meadow AND Through the Woods on this project! 🙂
A big thanks to Elisabeth and Alex for helping me make this happen!
And to Gardens of Whimsy for the flower crown!
Part 2 / Dress 2 Coming Soon!
And a big THANK YOU to everyone who supported me on Kickstarter after my last post!
We are going strong! 🙂
Love & Light
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An Exclusive Look Into … THE WAKE UP EP!
