Five Things Friday [#6}

I can't believe it's already Friday again!  It's crazy!  I don't know about you guys, but my week went super fast.  I guess I had such an incredibly awesome three day weekend that the four day week to follow just flew by.  Gotta love when that happens.  :)  Once again, this Friday I'm linking up with an idea started by Erika from Rouge and Whimsy.  It's called Five Things Friday, and it's where I list five good things about my week or five things I'm thankful for.  It really helps to focus on the positive things in life instead of the negative.

1. I was able to spend three glorious days with my husband over the long weekend.  It was fantastic.  We went out, cooked out, hung out with our pups, ran some errands, and just enjoyed each others company.  I couldn't have asked for more.  It'll tide me over for a little bit until I see him again.

2.  I've been super productive churning out my crochet hats/beanies so that they will be able to make an appearance in my shop very soon.  It feels so good to be creating something that is functional and will help keep someone warm on a cold winter day.  I even crocheted some while I was laying out by the pool, so hopefully, the yarn will soak up some of that warm Hawaiian sun and give it away on a cold day in the future. :)

3.  This week I was able to spend quite a bit of time with friends on the island.  I went with one sweet friend on what turned out to be a fruitless endeavor to find a specific yarn store here on the island.  We found the location, but they were closed and it was in a sketchy apartment-type place.  It all turned out fine, though, because we ended up spending a lovely afternoon at Starbucks talking and having a grand time.  In addition to all that fun, I've spend some fun time in the sun and been to some Spin classes with another sweet friend.  All that girl time helps me not to feel quite so lonely on this rock in the ocean.

4.  I got good news the other day that I have family coming to visit next week!  My brother-in-law is coming to stay with us for a little while.  He just graduated from grad school and has a job lined up that starts in January of next year, so he thought it would be the perfect time to visit Hawaii.  I am so excited to have the company and enjoy some good times with Kent and his brother!

5.  This one sounds silly, but I'm getting some new running shoes tomorrow.  I love getting new running shoes.  It's like they renew my motivation, and get me excited about working out again just when I start getting a little bored.  I can't wait to get my new kicks and start putting some miles on them.  :)

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

Hats, hats, and more hats...

So... I was MIA yesterday, and I haven't had a whole lot in the way of new things to show you lately.  

I have good reason, though. 

My fingers have been busy with an activity other than typing on a computer...  They've been crocheting the days away getting some things ready to put in my shop since Fall and Winter are just around the corner.

I've been cranking out some lovely feminine beanies, and some scarves are currently in the works.  Here's a little peek at what I'll be officially introducing into the shop very soon.

I've been trying to work in a variety of colors, so you'll be sure to find something you'd like for yourself or for a friend.   Oh, and for my Bulldog fans back home, I've already got some red and black for cold game days.  :)

Be on the lookout in the coming week(s) as I'll be adding them to my shop when I have a few more complete sets.  Hope you can find one you love!

Tail Wagging Tuesday: Special Pup Feature- Amelie

This week's special feature pup belongs to a friend I met many years ago through a scholarship program we were both involved with.  Although we were from different states, and despite the fact that we only hung out in person a handful of times when we were 10 or 12 years old, Elizabeth and I have remained friends courtesy of this amazing thing called the Internet.  She and her beautiful family agreed to share their sweet furry baby, Amelie with us this week.  Let's see what she has to say. :)
 

What kind of dog is Amelie, and how old is she?

     Amelie is a siberian husky. She is 3 years and 5 months old, and the funny thing about her birthday is that it is on the same day as mine! (i just happen to be another 23 years older than her).
 

 

 
What is Amelie's story?  How did she come to live with you?

     Amelie is orginally my dear sister-in-law's dog. When Natalie went back into the army she needed someone to look after her dog and cat for a few months until she could get into off base housing. Her parents took the cat and we took the dog. Since we live in Vermont, we thought our environment would be great for a husky. The first few months were very interesting. Amelie loved the snow and was great at listening, then one day she realized she didn't always have to obey her owners, haha. She ended up staying with us because it took Natalie over a year to get into off base housing and by that time we were definitely too attached to Amelie, who had become a part of our family. Amelie still gets to visit her Aunt Natalie every now and then too.

 

 

 How did Amelie get her name?

     My sister-in-law's favorite movie is Amélie , fitting for her fun loving husky pup. And due to the times when we needed to stress to Amelie that what she did was not so good I gave her the middle name Mae. She now knows that when she hears "Amelie Mae Beaugh" that means she might be in trouble. Also, she has just a handful of other nicknames: Bear, boo bear, sneak or sneaker, rat, and puppy.

 

What are Amelie's favorite things to do?  Any silly things she does or crazy quirks that make her unique?

     Amelie loves her stuffed animal toys. Sometimes we buy her the real ones, not the pet ones, because she loves tearing them apart. She takes off the eyes and nose and then will start to rip off an arm or leg and then proceed to de-fluff the stuffed animal. Amelie really loves to play in the snow, especially when it involves playing with her best friend Missy- who's half husky half German Shepard. Some things that amazed us about Amelie is that for a while she just never barked, we really had to coax her to bark. We once saw a YouTube video of a husky saying "i love you" and wondered if our Amelie could do the same thing. After some time training her she really would repeat to us, "I Love You". It's so cute! Also, Amelie will "sing" if we ask her to. Recently, when our baby boy was just a few days old we asked for Amelie to sing to her baby brother and after some lullaby music was played she started singing to him. It was the funniest and sweetest thing!  Another thing I found to be so strange was how Amelie adored our neighbor's cats. She doesn't get to see them much, but even from their first encounter Amelie and the cats ad a special bond. Amelie even let them lick her face and play with her a bit. Amelie has really been such a good puppy for us. She always listens when we tell her to go get in her kennel or go to her bowl (for a tasty treat) and she's always in the mood to give anyone a good ol kiss! 

What makes Amelie so special to you and your family?  Particular times she's really "been there" or special things she's done?

      My husband and I have been married for 6 years and were recently blessed with a baby boy, who is now 3 months and such a joy to our family. However, the road to having a baby was not quite easy for us. I had trouble getting pregnant and even lost a baby during my first pregnancy. Those moments were so very hard on my husband and I, but somehow we really feel that Amelie was the reason we were able to get through it a little easier. I remember one day having some tears running down my cheeks just thinking about everything that had happened and wondering why, then a moment later Amelie came running into my bedroom and starting licking my face and putting her head in my lap- I hadn't even made a sound! She just somehow knew. She knew the times when my husband needed an extra snuggle or moments when he needed to rough house with her just to get some energy out. I personally never had a pet growing up, so Amelie is the first pet I've ever known and now I can't imagine life without her. She was there for us and continues to be there for us. I now understand why they say dogs are so loyal, so forgiving, and so lovable. She also was an awesome companion during my pregnancy, always being extra cuddley and laying on my feet at night (I hate having cold feet). She was also super protective (no one better mess with me) and compassionate to me when I had my crazy preggo moments (quickly at my side when I was upset). She welcomed her baby brother so easily and didn't get annoyed at his crying or that there was someone else she had to share our attention with. She loves all of us and we love her. Now I understand and I totally agree, dogs really are man's best friend, I know Amelie is definitely one of ours! 

A big thanks to Elizabeth for sharing her sweet Amelie!  I'd love to hear from more of you guys and feature your furry (or feathered) friends.  If you're interested, please shoot me an e-mail at TailsToTell [at] Live [dot]com, and we can set up an "interview." :)

Five Things Friday [#5]

I thought today would be a great day to do another Five Things Friday post.  I'm linking up with an idea started by Erika from Rouge and Whimsy.  In an effort to focus on the positive things instead of the negative, I'm listing five good things from my week or five things I'm thankful for.

Here we go....

1.  Even though I was a little shook up last week and barely got any sleep because I kept thinking I heard noises, this week has been better.  I'm settling back into my routine, and with the support of sweet friends here and my furry pals that alert me to anything out of the ordinary, I am feeling more comfortable in my own house again.  

2.  I've been settling back into my regular exercise routine again after a few weeks of sporadic workouts because of traveling and whatnot.  It makes me feel so good to get back to my Spin classes and back into some nice long runs with my four-legged running buddy, Duke.  

3.  I think I've mentioned this one before on another Five Things Friday post, but I'm so happy to have the ability to talk to family on the phone and through Skype.  Knowing that I can just pick up the phone and talk to people six thousand miles away always makes me feel better.  We are so blessed to live in this day and age when it comes to communication.

4.  My renewed inspiration and motivation from my trip home is finally showing up again.  I've cranked out several paintings, I'm in the middle of another little experimental painting for my house, and in the past 24 hours I've created three really pretty beanies (even if I do say so myself).  It feels good to be productive.

5.  My hubby is coming home today!  Even if it's only for a few days, I'll take it.  He's been doing a lot of traveling for training purposes, and he will continue that for the next several months, so I'll take any time I can get.  :)  

Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Pretty Pick Me Ups...

Before I left the island a few weeks ago, my one flower in my one little flower pot had died on me.  I've told you guys before that I wasn't born with a green thumb.  I had planted the little guy back in March, and I shared some photos in this post.  At the time, my goal had been to keep it alive for more than a month, and I definitely succeeded in that.  It lived nearly a whole five months, and for once, I don't think my flower died because of me.  The poor little flowers had simply run their course.  Anyhoo... the point of this story is that when I came back from my trip, I was not only met with a break in and a hurt pooch, but I also had to look at dead flowers by my front door.  The other day I decided that enough was enough.  I needed to brighten my world with some new flowers. 

So.... I went to Home Depot and got myself new plant for beside my front door.  This time, I decided to go with one from the "House Plant" section since the spot beside my front door never gets direct sunlight, and I can't remember to drag the pot into the sunshine for "x" amount of hours per day. 

I got an "anthurium" for beside the front door.

I chose it because, according to my research, it thrives in tropical climates with temperatures that range from 70-90 degrees.  It also doesn't need direct sunlight, and it doesn't need water every single day (perfect for people like me who lack a green thumb).  Let's hope this one will do well.

Immediately after I got home with my new Anthurium, I regretted not getting one of the Aloe plants that I saw.  Growing up, my Mimi always had Aloe, and it was fantastic for burns, sunburns, and even bug bites.  I thought I could use one around my house.

So I turned around and went back for an Aloe plant. 

And I couldn't stop with just that one.  I got two other little house plants to experiment with on my lanai.

Here they are...

They aren't very big, and like the Anthurium out front, they supposedly don't require a lot of water.  (And just in case you're wondering, from left to right they are Euphorbia, Echeveria, and Aloe.)

Let's hope I can keep these pretty little guys alive for a good long while.

What do you guys think?  Anyone besides me want desperately to be surrounded by pretty flowers and plants but you just don't have a green thumb? 

These are a few of my favorite things...

To sum up my posts about my trip to Georgia, I thought I would list some of my very favorite things about the trip.  There were entirely too many wonderful things to name them all, so today I'll go with my five favorites.

1.  Visiting with my Mimi. 

I love visiting with everyone in my family, but my sweet Mimi and I have always had a special connection.  This woman is the most genuinely caring and compassionate person I've ever known.  She has taught me so much about giving selflessly and loving your family with every ounce of your being.  Here in Hawaii, I struggle daily with the guilt that comes from being so far away from my family that I love so much, and that guilt hits really hard when I start thinking about all the precious moments I miss with Mimi.  I'm so thankful that I got to see this sweet woman, sit with her, and hold her hand on my visit home.  It was really a blessing.

2.  Enjoying time with my whole family... plus Kent's family.

Kent and I are so blessed to have families that live 15 minutes away from each other.  It makes every trip home an awesome one in which we get to see every single family member.  My mom, dad, brother, sister, grandparents, his mom, his dad, his brothers, his grandparents... it's truly wonderful.  I cherished each moment with all of these awesome people.

3.  Being around animals again! (Aside from just dogs.)

You guys know I love animals, but this island is not the place for much more than about two dogs or cats.  I miss the critters from back home.  Growing up, we had just about everything... chickens, goats, a donkey, cows, horses, cats, dogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, birds, you name it.  Not that my brother and sister and I are older, my parents have cut it back, but it sure was nice to see (and smell) the horses!  I also loved visiting with the old kitty cats.  (They may not look like much in the photo, but I think they look pretty spectacular for 17 year old outdoor cats... haha)

4.  The green, green grass everywhere and the pretty flowers that are different from what I see in Hawaii

  Yes, Hawaii has lots of beautiful flowers and tropical plants, but I just missed what was back home.  It's funny because I think of everything as being green here in Hawaii since the mountains are always so super green, but I'd forgotten just how GREEN things can be in Georgia.  I think it's because the trees on the sides of the roads are so much  more dense than anything you ever really see here.

5.  Visiting places I don't get to go unless I'm on the mainland.

 [source]

     

It may sounds silly, but I was super duper excited to visit the places that we don't have in Hawaii.  Hobby Lobby was a big one.  That place is like my own personal Disney World.  I was overwhelmed by all the home decor, art supplies, and yarn!  Here in Hawaii, the only "arts and crafts" people seem to do are lei making and scrapbooking.  Plus, few people find a need for yarn in the consistently 70-80 degree weather, so the selection is generally pretty sparse. Aside from Hobby Lobby, I thoroughly enjoyed going to Chick-fil-a (best chicken biscuits EVER), Zaxby's (another fantastic place for chicken), Applebee's, and, of course, Olive Garden.  Yummy yummy!  Now if only I could get those places to deliver out here for me...

That just about sums up my trip home. :)  Hope you guys are having a fantastic Wednesday! 
 

Tail Wagging Tuesday: Special Pup Feature- Ben Wade

This week's special feature belongs to a very special friend of mine here in Hawaii.  SueAnn is a fellow animal lover whose kind heart and compassion shines through all her actions.  She volunteers to guard the honu, or sea turtles, here on the island, she snorkles all the time to spend time with the beautiful fish in the ocean surrounding us, and I've never seen her dislike any furry or feathered animal.  Her little dog Ben Wade seems to be an extension of her heart of gold, so naturally, I had to ask if he could be a special feature.  :)  She said yes.

So.... let's hear what SueAnn has to say about her adorable little Ben Wade.

What kind of dog is Ben Wade, and what made you pick that breed?

     Ben Wade is a Miniature Poodle/Bichon Frise mix.  I am pretty allergic to animal fur/dander, and neither of those breeds shed.

How did Ben Wade come into your life?  Where did you get him? 
     Ben Wade was at a chain pet store in a mall in Virginia Beach.  We would occasionally stop in there to see puppies just because they are cute, and some were in little bins where you could reach over and pet them.  He had a bunch of feces stuck to the hair on his backside and I brought it to the attention of one of the sales persons. She assured me that he was getting a bath later that day, so it would be taken care of. I went back a day or two later, and it was the same thing - all that dried poop in his raggedy looking hair. Bring it up again to the sales personnel and was told the same thing.  Went back again, same condition, so I bought him.  I would not support a chain pet store because the chances of the puppies coming from some sort of "mill" condition are high.  And as it turns out, when I got the paperwork on him and I Googled his breeder/owner, it's a notoriously alleged puppy mill.

Where did you get the name Ben Wade?  

     One of my favorite movies is the Russell Crowe and Christian Bale movie "3:10 to Yuma."  In it, Russell Crowe plays an outlaw named "Ben Wade".  He always wore black.  Ben Wade is black with a white chest and a white soul patch.  I also liked the outlaw character, for though he was ruthless in his dealings with men he viewed as rotten as he was, he had a soft spot for women and creatures.  One of my favorite discussions with someone about his name was with a guy who knew the movie "3:10 to Yuma," and when I reminded him of Russell Crowe's character being named "Ben Wade," he replied, "Oh yeah.  So is your dog a real bad-a** too?" (not realizing we were talking about a Poodle/Bichon mix).  Haha!

What are some of Ben Wade's favorite things to do?  Any little quirks that make him "him"?
     Ben Wade likes to play fetch with any stuffed toy, he likes to tear around the yard with any good dog friends, he loves to go for good long walks (but could care less about the dog park), and his all-time favorite thing to do is sit in the lap of someone who doesn't mind having him there.  

     Hmmmm...quirks, he has a few...when we get up in the morning and go downstairs, if Big Daddy (my husband) or Joshua (son) are already awake OR if we come home from even a five minute trip, he must bring us a gift.  By that I mean, he looks around for a stuffed toy to carry to you, and he doesn't want to play fetch, he just wants to present you with a gift.  He HATES car rides.  They make his nose run and he will often vomit afterward.  I think it has something to do with the ride from the puppy mill... probably a dirty or too cold vehicle from the Midwest to the pet store in Virginia Beach.  I have tried short (five minutes) trips just to drop off the kid at school or go pick him up, take him to a friend's house that he likes, etc., but Ben Wade is almost 4 years old now and he reacts the same.  Actually, I take that back.  The first year and half or so, he would also shake uncontrollably.  Poor guy just can't get over it.  

      If he is hungry, he goes to his bowl and knocks it around (it's stainless steel, so it can be a bit loud) and around and around until I get the message.  Or he will put both front paws in it, and push it over to me as if to say "Um, can you please put something in this?".  And if I have picked his bowl up off of the floor, he goes over to the big dog's giant bin of kibble and scratches at it until I walk into the kitchen and give him some food. See, we have a puppy who eats large breed puppy food and Ben Wade eats adult small kibble. I have to feed the puppy outside so that they don't eat each other's food.  Also, Ben is a VERY slow eater, while the puppy inhales his.  And sometimes Ben is not wanting any breakfast, so if he won't eat his food within ten minutes or so, I have to remove his bowl from the floor and put it up on the counter so the puppy can come back inside.

What makes Ben Wade so special to you?
     He is very special to me because he has the best heart of any dog I have ever known.  He has been picked up uncomfortably by small children, and he has never growled or lifted a lip at them.  He just goes limp and waits for them to hurry up and put him down.  He LOVES people.  More than one person has commented that he's not a yippy, snappy small dog.  (I don't know, I have met a lot of nice dogs, but maybe they haven't?)   Also, a former neighbor had a male Rottweiler and a male Doberman who were nice, but were often dominant over other dogs. Ben Wade approached them with his calm energy and they just kind of accepted him right away, and sometimes we would all walk together, dogs nose to nose sniffing something interesting together.  Other dogs in the neighborhood who do not get along with any other dogs are friends with Ben Wade.  He naturally sends calming signals and he's so well balanced, that other dogs don't get any negative energy from him.  I like that he has made friends with dogs that the owners didn't think their dogs were capable of being friendly. He just has that "something" - a heart of gold that other dogs recognize.  He's also very loyal to me and is always right there by my side.  He's also a great snuggler when it's time to go to sleep - he nestles into my neck/shoulder with that soft warm little body of his and everything seems right in my world.  I can't imagine my life without him. 

A big thanks to SueAnn for sharing her sweet little guy with us!  If any of you guys have a sweet pet you'd like to share (not just dogs), please e-mail me at TailsToTell [at] Live [dot] com, and we will set up an "interview." :)  I'd love to feature your sweet pal!