I start each day with a routine (as I know many pet owners do).  I snuggle with my puppies, and before I take them out for a morning walk I ‘tune into’ which Hint charm is calling out to me that day.  If I will be working with clients, I might wear the dog charm, if I feel like I need a good healthy dose of courage then I wear the Leo charm, when I start to desperately miss the ocean I like to wear the dolphin charm necklace, I have quite the little collection of Hint charms going on…

I first found Hint Jewelry on Etsy in October of 2009.  Beth Hemmila (owner of Hint, jewelry designer extraordinaire and one of the most genuine and kindest souls around) describes her charms as “wild west spirit meets far east design.”  Having spent so many years living in Hawai’i I have always been fascinated with the yin and yang that is East meets West (which is a big deal out in the islands because it is such a cultural mixing pot).  I was really drawn to the organic and raw yet playfully elegant quality of her charms, I’d never seen anything like it before.  Beth’s work draws upon ancient wisdom of the ages as well as elements of nature and invites us to delve deeper into healing, growth, playful, sensual, balancing and powerful aspects of ourselves on our own spiritual journeys.

Art is so much more than just a pretty picture.  Art tells a story.  Art has depth, symbolism and meaning interlaced into it.  Art serves a purpose, it inspires, it teaches, it can cause you to feel deep emotion, it even has the ability to sometimes make you question everything you thought was real or look at something from a completely different point of view.  To me Hint’s charms are more than jewelry, they are real tangible and wearable art that I feel help inspire me and connect me to my higher purpose on a daily basis.

Hint also donates 10% of each sale to a different non-profit organization each month (which totally rocks).

I love these charms so much that I got one for Miss Kiki too.  I told Kiki that I gave her the heart because she holds my heart in her paws – and she wears it proudly every day!

I took these photos last November after I surprised my family in Northern California by showing up at Thanksgiving dinner and have been meaning to share my favorite little kiddos with you for the longest time!  I pulled out my camera for a few minutes that day and these are a few snapshots of what I captured…

First up is Emma who is such a sweetheart, she is so kind and gentle – you can see it in her eyes.  She has a heart of gold!

]]> http://www.sarariddle.com/blog/2010/08/24/northern-virginia-child-and-pet-photographer/feed/ 1 http://www.sarariddle.com/blog/2010/08/19/silent-auction-washington-dc-dog-photographer/ http://www.sarariddle.com/blog/2010/08/19/silent-auction-washington-dc-dog-photographer/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 14:35:39 +0000 sara http://www.sarariddle.com/blog/?p=917

Caring Hands Animal Hospital in Centreville, Va is having their 14th Annual Open House & Dog Wash event this Sunday, August 22nd and there’s going to be lots of fun events and activities for families, dogs and children!

I was so excited to be able to donate a special little something to their silent auction because all of the proceeds go directly to help local dog rescues like the Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue, the Homeless Animal Rescue Team and Friends of Homeless Animals.  If you are looking for something fun to do with your dog this weekend while supporting a great cause that is very near and dear to my heart, please check it out!