The Next Best Thing to Being in Your Lap
The People and Critters Behind the Laps of Love
Xan founded Doghouse Studios in 1999 as a multimedia outlet for her whimsical brand of dogcentric art, writing and photography. Her award-winning work has been featured in dozens of local and national magazines, galleries and ad campaigns. More importantly, it’s brought smiles to thousands of faces. "I believe that making people smile is my life purpose. Whether it's through my photos, writing, paintings, mosaics, sculptures or now the Laps of Love, I was put on this earth to create grins and giggles. It's a good job," she quips.
Xan has been married to her junior high school sweetheart, Adam, for 20 years. Adam is an entrepreneur extraordinaire; he founded Acoustic Visions in 1995 and has grown it into one of the top home automation/audio/visual companies in the US. Their amazingly funny, vivacious, 11-year-old daughter, Alijah, loves to play drums, create culinary masterpieces, drive the neighbor's Ferrari and spoil her cats rotten.
The canine members of the family are Fiona the Fierce -- a 4-lb. menace thought to be part Chihuahua, part Satan and Ferdinand the Gentle Giant -- a Great Dane, lover of all and consummate snugglepie. The feline branch is made up of Elvis the Abundant (who insists upon being referred to as "The King") and Sashabelle the Criminally Insane. Tortoises Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, rule over the remarkably comfortable sandcastle village of Tortuga (in Alijah’s room).