Dog Halloween Costume

 I made my dog a Halloween outfit.  I saw this idea on pinterest...where all good ideas begin.  She's a beanie baby.  Get it?

 I found an image of the tag and I just copied it and expanded it so it would be pretty large on her collar.

I even found an image of the inside of a tag.  I enlarged it too and then just pasted her name/birth/and a description of June (the beanie baby).  I laminated the whole thing because, well, it's June and she's a lab puppy still.  Now....the chihuahua gets an outfit....

June is 2!

 I interrupt this blog to post puppy pictures.  Today, June turned two.  These photos were taken the first few days I had her.  I tried to take her picture, and she tried to steal my camera strap.  It could have been taken today.  As I type, she's laying at my feet with the dish towel she stole from my kitchen and was sure I would chase her down for, but when that didn't work, she collapsed, with her prize, by my feet.

 When I got my last dog 15 years ago I said I'd never get another puppy.  Come on, look at that face..you can see why I decided to delete my original plan!  That face ate a couch and a love seat, approximately 3,456,345 rocks....and threw them back up, and a forest worth of tree limbs. She's currently going through a serial killer junebug phase.

 ...but, she's always happy to see me.  She's my most faithful friend, and never loses interest in me....case in point...a photo last year of 'us' trying to blog.

I'm definitely one of 'those' people.  In a world full of worries, and waiting, and wonderings I love the simplicity of being loved by a dog.  I used the term loosely, but....you get my point.
Real time, two year old, Baby June...with her tea towel. One of my favorite little frivolous blessings.

A Personal "Paws" :O(

My brother rescued these dogs last Friday night.
Their personalities can hardly fit inside their tiny little bodies.
The only thing they love more than my brother is each other.
I'm known for stealing my brother's dogs and I was planning to do it again.
He took them to the vet on Tuesday.
Layla has a mild case of heart worms.  Gizmo has an advanced case that was causing him fainting spells.
The only course was treatment.
They were dropped off Thursday morning.
The vet called this morning to say Gizmo had not made it.  The disease was too advanced and his little heart couldn't handle the medicine and he died overnight.
I assure you, whether it's a dog I've had for 12 years....or 6 days.  My heart can't take it.
I don't know what my point is-make sure you treat your dogs for heart worms?  Please rescue an animal? Please make my heart stop hurting?  I don't know.
I'm praying that dogs do go to heaven.  They have always felt like a little gift from God.  A slice of pure happiness.  A hug and unconditional love in a cold world.  Surely they'll be in paradise.   If they do, I have no doubt Gizmo lifted his leg on the pearly gates when he entered.  Not out of disrespect, but just as a way to mark the path when the rest of our pack follows...and because he'd never let a post pass him by without marking it.

June in December

No thought bubbles necessary.  I only put half of my ornaments up....all at the top of the tree, but she wasn't deterred.

June in October

I have tons of projects I need to type up and post....in the meantime....I'm thinking about taking up puppy training.  I am, clearly, a pro. June (6 months now) and I are going to teach the dog trainer everything we know starting on Tuesday.  

Introducing: June

My chapter with my dogs Lilly and Max ended in May, and I opened a new one May 31st.  I was planning on waiting until June....thus her name-June, but my chihuahua (Peanut) was in serious mourning, and the vet suggested going ahead with another dog b/c he's clearly a social guy.  Granted, he has been distracted from his mourning, mostly out of utter terror, but he does spend hours out from under the bed he sat under for 3 weeks to watch this little girl's antics.  I hope to get another rescue once this little dog settles down...which should be within the next 12 or 13 years, if I know labs.  I remember when I got Max as a puppy, I said my puppy days were over....I kind of remember why now.  Especially when you are talking about labs they are all mouth.  But when she's not learning what the world has to offer by sticking it in her mouth, she's taking puppy naps, exploring the 3,245 toys I've thrown around the house, following Peanut, carrying sticks....the bigger the better...though she hasn't managed to pick up the sticks (roots) out back she has her eye on since day one.  She's a pretty vocal girl (lots of whining), but she sure has brought a lot of happiness and joy into this world.  She's currently napping with her head on my foot...which means I'm sitting very still b/c nap time is kind of my favorite and...I don't want to wake her up b/c it means constant supervision or I'll be replacing my furniture a lot sooner than I thought.  Earlier she was following me around and I was pulling out some spray paint (ironic) and she ran off with one can fascinated by the shake.  And thus begins another era of puppy love and company while I craft...assuming she doesn't steal or eat all the supplies.

Ornaments: Chihuahua Ornament

 As soon as I acquired Peanut from his owner (my brother), with minimal tears, and much nagging, I realized he needed an ornament.  All my pets have an ornament on my tree. Uhhh, they don't sell cute chihuahua ornaments? I used to be of the former party that believed the chihuahua wasn't the most precious, adorable, cutest, most beautimous creature on planet earth, but I've seen the light, and what do the stores mean by these strange renditions of the 'chihuahau' that don't in anyway capture how stupendous the breed is?  After two years of hunting, I gave up and made my own.  On a hut for reindeer something or rathers I saw a cute reindeer ornament I modeled this after.  Subtract those antlers, add those radar ears, and you've got yourself a Peanut. 
I involved Peanut in the process, from selecting the perfect shade of brown...

 To face measurements. 

 I stitched his name on one side, so visitors with less artistic vision wouldn't mistake this for a deer on my tree.  Psssh.

 I added those big ears by pinching one end.  Peanut was involved b/c he takes this sort of thing seriously....and because he's always glued to my side....my leg....my head.  Whatever he can get closest to, that's where he is at.  Homeboy doesn't have an independent streak anywhere in that little body. 

 He makes a nice project rest. 

 After stitching the face, I added a little stuffing, and stuffed the side with the name, and the face together, and I included a ribbon for hanging, and a bell for holiday sake. 

 I think he was moved. 

My Happy

 I'm pausing my usual craft post for a little personal 'stuff.'  I need to remember amidst the cooking and craft, these other things that keep me chugging along.  My inspiration.  My happy place.  One of many happy places I get to visit-family.  A much needed stop this weekend after a very busy, very tumultuous last few weeks...months...years.  I am blessed.  I remember this even amidst the bumps, but I'm never going to complain about an abundance of blessings I can't overlook-family time-a huge hug from God.
This weekend the 'rest' of my family is in town.  I grew up with my extended (very tiny) family not extended more than a few miles down the road.  When my cousin married and moved away to MO, and moved again to CA, and then added a baby turned toddler, turned older toddler, turned princess to that mix, it makes the family moments much more personal and so much more precious.  I'm grateful for every get together, and every memory we get to make.  This weekend, Jimmy and his wife, Lydia flew into town with Blythe, and their baby-in-waiting (due to a nursery not nearly near enough to me January 2012).  A boy.  We had dinner together last night.  The girls did the usual pedicure buzzz-ness Saturday afternoon, and then we did another family dinner at my house Saturday evening.  Sunday afternoon I'm headed out again for another family lunch.  I'm sure I'll have more pictures to add, but.....it'll be my last bout until Spring when I fly up to visit the family of four.  I have to drag these pictures and post out, so I'll save those pics.  When Blythe was an ity bity, we got to spend her first Christmas with her.  I had her make an ornament via a hand print.  We did it again last year with a dough thumb print, and finally, this year, she was able to paint her own.  I guess you could say it's a tradition.

 I baked up some dough ornaments this year, and she very carefully, and creatively mixed every single color in the offering and painted up some very lovely ornaments. 

 ....and a little bit of her face.  That is definitely from my DNA strand. 

 She was really proud. 
I must also say, homegirl has a bundle of personality (not that I'm biased).  She arrived at my house dragging her rolling, princess suitcase filled with Spongebob dominoes, a smaller pink back pack, and now....a pink wand, which she used to cast spells all evening.  It's probably best I can't totally understand everything she is saying b/c I can't say all the wishes she proclaimed where positive.  I am impressed by her forethought in packing the necessities, and I think I could learn a thing or two before I venture out to a friend's house in the future. 

 And speaking of quilts....oh wait, we weren't?  We are now.  I started this quilt three years ago (pre  Blythe), and I finally finished it, got tired of looking at it, had it quilted, bound it, and called it a day.  After an intense inspection by the border patrol...

 ...it'll be added to a pile at the end of my bed.  The fabric is from a line called Flutterby with all sorts of bugs-ladybugs, butterflies, dragonflies, snails etc on this 1960's colored fabrics. 

 I had the quilter add a butterfly/swirley (dare I say, snail-ee) design.  The back is blue, like my room. 

 I created a border on the back as well, basically b/c they didn't have enough of the center fabric, but it gives it a little different dimension. 

In three more years I'll post pictures of the next quilt I'm working on that will HOPEFULLY be finished by then.  On the other hand, by March I'll be posting more Blythe pictures on her home turf.  It'll probably include a craft, and hopefully some more exciting accessories. 

True Love is Blind...and it Barks

I promise to get back to crafts tomorrow, but in honor of Valentine's Day: 
(Most of) The following post is brought to you by my iphone. 
Pull up a box of chocolate...or dog biscuits, and please sit and enjoy the beauty that is...

Peanut+Lilly=4 Ever

Once upon a ten years ago I rescued Lilly from the SPCA. 
Chapter Two...9 years later:  I stole Peanut from my brother when he was about 6 months old...Peanut, not my brother. 
Chapter Three:  They fell in love.   Cougar.

 

Nobody keeps Lilly's eyes as clean (daily) as Peanut does....

Nobody rolls around on their back and plays a strange (20 minute, 4x's daily) game of biting, barking, growling, and wagging as well as Lilly. 

Speaking of 'bodies'.....nobody makes as nice of a perch....

Or a dog bed...

Or eye mask so the lights don't disturb little chihuahua's beauty sleep.,,

Chapter Three:  Fastforward two years, as all great romances goes when you love this deeply...things got a little messy when I brought a pillow pet into their lives. 
Peanut likes big women, he dragged it around, stood in corners and cried.  He licks it's purple furr.  Nibbles on it's horn....and :insert weeping: sleeps on it's back. 
Could he ever need Lilly again? 
Was their love lost forever?

Chapter Four:  Yes.  And.  No.

  ....And they all lived Happily Ever After

Christmas Gifts for the Pets: Dog Bark

...get it, 'bark?' 
I saw this recipe on Family Fun, and I pushed it above about 17,001,234 dog/cat food recipes I was planning on trying because it seemed like the right thing to do....you know, in the realm of 'rightness' in the animal craft kingdom standards. 
If you don't own pets, lower your expectations for dog owners when it comes to standards. 
Anyway, I was fascinated because this treat looked like it was made of chocolate, and I knew this was a no no.  I have heard, and tested out white chocolates on dogs, and despite one comment contradicting the safety of white chocolate, my dogs seem OK with it, but sometimes...I want that dark chocolate look. 
Sure, there is a rumor that dogs don't have standards about the beauty of their treats, but let's face it, 99.9 percent of the toys/food/and fluff we buy for our animals are actually for us. 
Here's another project for me my dogs....and if you don't think my holiday plans include a baking day with my dogs to make their dog friends Christmas cookies (biscuits and pupcakes, and now chocolate bark...maybe with some white or red chocolate drizzle next go 'round)...well, lower that standard bar a little more because we've got plans...big plans because we are busy and important, and we know not to answer the door to any men holding those white jackets without holes for our hands because that can set you back a good 19 days from puppy crafts. 
And without further ado, here is the dog safe dog bark recipe via family fun. 
This is half the recipe the site called for, my dogs just don't have that many friends, but this still made about 30 pieces. 
Recipes:  2 c. of carob chips (I bought this at a whole food type store, they are vegan, so apparently OK for dogs because they aren't made of cocoa, and, I checked the safety and conclued these are indeed safe for dogs,  but disgusting for human consumption), 1/4 c. peanut butter, 1/4. c. peanuts, 1/8 t. cinnamon (I wonder who tested it and decided the cinnamon was a nice addition?). 

Instructions:  Melt carob chips.  I put my chips in the microwave for 30 minutes at a time between stirs.  It took about 1.5 minutes.  When they were melted, I added the peanut butter, cinnamon, and peanuts.  I stirred until everything was mixed well and coated. 
I lined a pan with foil, and spread my chocolate around (about 1/4 inch thick). 

Put this in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes (until it's cooled down, and it has hardened).  Broke into 2 inch chunks.  And I later bagged these up.

I think these'll be cute for the friends I pretend like my dogs have, especially with some colored chocolate drizzle.  Yes, I include gifts for my friend's animals in their Christmas packages.  Yes, I'm still single, why do you ask?  No, I'm not sure if Santa leaves gifts for pets if they pull his nose off prior to Christmas.  I just thought I'd throw that in because I think it's important to answer that question before this cannibal works the whole nose off.