Robin Dodd Photography

Grace is on a gymnastics team.. this makes me nostalgic. It takes me back to my childhood days when I watched gymnastics incessantly.. Lord who didn't in the days of "Nadia's Theme". GO 1976 Olympics! I think I even sang that for a contest in the 3rd grade. But before you label me a dance mom, let me say that I did have to be convinced to take Grace to a gym. We thought really hard about it..And I'm glad I did. Thank you Graham. Thank you Hilary for suggesting Magnitude. Grace loves it. LOVES IT. It's been an adjustment financially and it is a time commitment, but in actuality has given me time to work uninterrupted for three and a half consecutive hours three days a week. I'm very thankful for that time, and when the revamp of the business website and holiday season gets underway dare I say it.. I'm going to use this time for WRITING... aaahhh... Hold on Patrick Dempsey.. I'm writing the perfect script for you... just so I can get a closer look a

Hi and welcome to the second episode of Renovation: DODD STYLE! Let's start with a picture of our new NYC style living area. Here it is.. This actually hasn't been that bad.. as you can see the new puppy, Carlos Santana Stitch Dodd's crate is right there on the couch. Boy is he traumatized by the sounds of the roof gun thingy and Shawn psychotically ripping up the floor. But first before I scare you..LOOK. Just seeing the toilet paper roll thing over by the door.. HAHAHA, that's because Shawn was about to put on the door handles to the shower, missed that in the pic.. Welcome back to the Great Depression, World War II, the age of aquarius and disco all rolled into one. Our kitchen Linoleum floor. There are 4 layers under the lovely hideous stuff that we've been walking on for 5 years.. this is the bottom layer. Cute in it's day. Reminds me of my great grandma's kitchen floor. And the smell reminds me of her garage. Let's look up.. This is our tub up ther

I heard about  Flashes of Hope  through the lovely photographer  Adair Freeman , she and I have not officially met but had exchanged a few emails about photography and East Nashville in the past,  so when she asked me to shoot at Vanderbilt in August I was so honored to participate.  As a former teacher and all round fan of kids.. nothing can prepare you for the love and  honesty LITTLES offer up in a photo session, especially the ones who are forced travel a difficult path..it's humbling.. thankful to have gotten to enjoy a moment of fun in what would've been another day at the clinic .. and to their amazing parents and Dr.'s and nurses.. you are the real deal.  All the love...

So I've started practicing yoga full time and it has saved me from myself yet again. The first time I practiced was in Fort Worth  HERE I was teaching high school English to 6 classes of Freshman in one of the most ill-behaved schools in Texas.. I won't say which one. BUT, I remember going to the doctor complaining that my vision was strange... really it was like when you get really tired and you see kind of shimmery or maybe you've had 5 venti vanilla lattes in one day.. you know, vision like that. Well, he asked me what I did for a living and I told him and he said " You need to quit your job." Your flight or fight response is being triggered about 47 times a day and you never have a chance to get your adrenaline to come down.. normal.. to which I said. "I can't QUIT!! HOW CAN I QUIT????" He said, let me give you something. NOW, I don't take pills very often. In fact, I can take one advil and clear a headache right up, but at this point I was

"Sometimes you have to turn all the lights on in your head so you can see again. Hit those switches with a good long look and find some clarity.." I love this. Saw this on one of my favorite blogs,"Pacing the Panic Room".. so true. Sometimes we need to just TURN ON THE LIGHTS and see what's in there.

I feel like there are alot of things going on that are making me feel melancholy.. the entire state of Texas is on fire, the anniversary of September 11th and maybe because I'm practicing yoga again daily and it is really getting rid of stuff emotionally for me and physically challenging me as well.. I am really feeling grateful and happy and satisfied with so many things that are happening in my life and our family has a lot of great things going on.. but still feeling like I'm in transition into fall mode... summer is so hyper and lazy at the same time, if that makes sense, and fall is the exact opposite.. school and everything else keeps you highly structured, but the nesting, the hot tea, the reading of good books, is so different from the social atmosphere of summer. It will be this time of year before you know it.. But for now, let's just ease into fall...