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Despite the best efforts of local districts, school can be a harrowing place for students on the autism spectrum. Bullying and exclusion from social circles can affect those for whom social interaction is the most difficult. To meet the needs of these students, Agility Angels pairs a child or teen with a trained dog and, for one-hour a week, helps them to take the dog through various agility courses. “For so many of these kids, this is one of the limited social outlets they have,” says Terry McLeary, secretary for the organization, explaining the value of these classes. Agility Angels has also started offering an employment-centric class once a week where the organization consults employment agencies and offers its students real-world work opportunities in dog training. “The transformation that we're seeing in some of these kids is truly phenomenal,” McLeary says of the impact. Agility Angels is a volunteer organization supported by the local dog training community as well as volunteer coaches who work directly with the students. To get involved as a coach or to enroll your child, visit www.agilityangels.org for applications or call 419-377-3102. —BA
While her friends are learning how to drive, Kendall Erickson is learning how to run a business. The Ottawa Hills High School sophomore’s love affair with the camera has developed into a thriving business Kendall Erickson Photography. The company is less than a year old, but she has already produced winter scenes and holiday card photos for friends and family, and expects to stay busy this summer doing senior portraits and other photo work.
Erickson got her start taking photos of her junior high friends “modeling.” She says they would take turns as photographer and model, but she figured out that she wasn’t the model type. “The real fun for me was being the photographer.” She switched from a digital camera for an older model owned by her grandmother and used it to take photos at family events. She used money from Christmas gifts to buy her own SLR camera. She took a class to get herself started, which proved to be a big boost to her confidence.
“I was a bit intimidated because all of the other (members of the class) were over 40. It was one of the best things I could have done. That class taught me how to use my camera and I was able to use that information along with my basic sense of composition and lighting to really improve my skills.”
She started working in black and white, as she appreciates that it can add beauty and elegance to photos. But she finds that most people prefer color, so she now does most of her work in color, providing what she says is a more natural look. She likes to do outdoor shots, where she takes advantage of natural light and scenery. Erickson reports that her mom drives her to the photo shoots, "She has to drive because I haven't had time to learn how to drive."
Getting the job done
In her short career, she has learned to juggle other responsibilities to get the job done. She is a cheerleader, a member of the dance team at OHHS, and has a part in the school musical, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She has developed a strong philosophy about her work, explaining, “I believe photography should capture the essence of the subject. I cannot stand the look of indoor portrait studio photographs, because they are posed and serious. I think capturing all of the laughter and smiles is much more important.”
Social media has played a big role in Erickson’s promotion of her business. Her mother has posted some of Erickson’s work on her Facebook page, and that exposure garnered some significant assignments. She shopped for a business logo on Etsy, deciding on a bicycle, reminiscent of a winning photo of a bicycle that she entered in an adult contest. Erickson has a Facebook page for the business (Kendall Erickson Photography) and started a blog (kendallraeproject365.wordpress.com) where she will post a new photo every day for a year. “The blog is a challenge for photographers to take a photo every single day of the year and then to publish those photographs on a blog or other online media source. I am definitely challenging myself. Keeping up with this kind of project has definitely pushed me to my limits,” she says.
At this early stage of her career, Kendall Erickson isn’t sure how photography will figure in her future. She knows she wants to keep taking pictures while also doing graphic design work. But, for now, she says, “When I'm actually out photographing, I always enjoy myself and I'm always happy. When I take a picture and share it with the subject and they like it too, that's my favorite moment. I love being able to do something that makes me happy and then being able to share it personally with someone else, which makes them happy.”
For more information, search
Facebook: Kendall Erickson Photography.
A pair of chic sisters are giving area moms and children an easy way to keep up with the Kardashians, at least when it comes to having fabulous style.
The Ballut sisters Saeda, 27, and Mervat, 25 are the fashionable forces behind Dolled Up Hair 2 Toe women’s clothing boutique which recently expanded to include designer children’s clothes. Their children’s boutique LayAna’s Doll House is named after their own daughters Juliana, 8 months, and Layla, 4 and includes brands such as True Religion and Cute Booty.
LayAna’s Doll House started when Mervat custom ordered a dress from Hot Miami for Layla to match one she had purchased for herself. The boutique is scheduled to carry Hot Miami’s “Mommy and Me” line when it is released this year. They also will offer custom mommy/child jogging outfits from Cute Booty by Kelly Nishimoto.
Dolled Up Hair 2 Toe started in 2011 when a friend wanted to order a bandage-style dress Mervat owned. Already ordering dresses from designers for themselves, the sisters realized their style resonated with other Toledo women. They now carry lines including Holt, BCBG Maxxaria, Michael Costello and Givanni, with casual to haute-inspired red carpet looks.
The Middle Eastern beauties have two long-term reasons for working hard — to make their business succeed and to support their daughters’ futures.
“We wanted to create a path for them so when they grow up they have something going,” Mervat said. “That’s our job. We’re their mommies.”
Dolled Up Hair 2 Toe is located at 5307 Monroe St Ste C. 419-720-7070.
Open Tuesday-Thursday, noon to 7pm; Friday-Saturday, noon to 9pm and Sunday noon to 5pm.
Visit www.facebook.com/pages/Dolled-Up-Hair-2-Toe.
A lullaby is soft and sweet, just like the new location of Lullaby Lane in the Fallen Timbers shopping center across from JCPenny. After almost a year in one suite, the store has moved to a less “industrial-looking” but larger shop in the center, one that features more space for all things baby, including classes for their moms and dads.
The store will continue to offer specialty items not found in ‘box’ baby stores and has an area for classes that will begin in the fall. Manager Lindsay Gill explains, “We are a one-stop baby shop, and we want to give parents all the tools they need to get the most out of this most wonderful event in their lives. Some of those tools will be information, and our classes will help parents to have the happiest babies on the block.”
Class offerings will include diapering and baby food prep, as well as music classes through Kindermusik. Staffers and experts will also teach parents about communicating with their babies and helping them sleep. Those parents wanting to capture their baby’s best moments with a camera will be invited to register for the class taught by local photographer Jennifer Mott, whose photos of babies decorate the walls of the new shop.
The store’s hours are Mon.-Sat. 10am-9pm and Sunday noon-6pm.
Information about class offerings is available at 419-878-0127
and on the website www.lullabylane.com. —CH
All aboard! Discover the River Cruise is back for another summer season in Toledo. Every Saturday morning through September 28 the 100-seat Sandpiper Boat will venture down the Maumee River for a family-oriented and relaxing cruise. Some of the two-hour cruises sail down the Maumee, where participating aquatic adventurers will see the Veterans Glass-city Skyway as well as Toledo’s bustling port and shipyard. Others travel upriver to see the stately homes, yacht clubs and wildlife that exist on the mighty banks of the Maumee. Families are encouraged to bring a picnic breakfast or lunch to eat while enjoying the beauty of the river and the company of fellow Toledoans. The ship sets sail at 10am sharp at the Jefferson Street Dock on the corner of Jefferson Ave. and Summit St. in downtown Toledo, so don’t be late! Adults ride for $15, children under 12 for $7. 419-537-1212. www.sandpiperboat.com. —GMK
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