Tail Wagging Tuesday: Special Pup Feature- Allie

This week's special pup belongs to one of my very best friends from high school.  Brittany and I go way back, and even though we don't get to see each other often nowadays, I'll always consider us close.  Her sweet little dog, Allie, is a cutie-pa-tootie!  Let's see what Brittany has to say about her. :)

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

     Allie is a 5 year old Maltipoo.

 

 

  

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

      I was living alone at the time and decided that I really needed someone to keep me company. I couldn't take our family dog, Taylor, away from my mom. So the search began! I needed a good "apartment" dog that could be left alone and not require a lot of exercise seeing as how I did not have a yard. After TONS of researching, I found the perfect match for me. I quickly found a breeder nearby and brought my little Allie home!

 

 

 

How did Allie get her name?

     The movie "The Notebook" had not been out long and was my favorite movie at the time. I got this bright idea that "wouldn't it be cute if I got a boy and a girl and named them Allie and Noah!?". Of course I wanted a little girl dog first, the boy would have to come later. =) Allie also goes by the nickname of Allie-oopers!
 

 

 

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

     Allie loves to play! I really think she has gained more energy as she's gotten older! She loves her squeak toys, her absolute favorite is her olive. It has been sewn up a few times to keep it alive! Allie loves her little, but big, sister Daisy. Daisy is a one year old black lab who has really helped Allie stay young and active. Allie's signature "thing" is walking on her back legs. It's like she's dancing. If you have anything in your hands (especially food), she'll follow behind you walking on her back legs to see if it's anything for her! She can walk so long that way that it's almost scary, she looks like a little person.  

 

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

Allie is everyone's favorite "person" in my family. She is taken better care of than I am!! She has the sweetest personality and can make anyone smile. She can sit and wag her curly tail, turn her head to the side and look at you so sweet that you'll melt. But she'll soon trick you and jump up to give you a slobbery kiss! The whole purpose of getting a dog of my own was because I was by myself a lot. Thanks to her, I never feel like I'm alone. She has been one of the best things to come into my life. She always knows just what to do. If I'm happy, so is she and if I'm sad, she will come sit next to me just to be there. She is my very best friend that always makes everything better! 

 

 

Thanks Brittany for sharing Allie with us!

 

P.S.  If anyone else is interested in sharing their sweet pooch's story, e-mail me at TailsToTell [at] Live [dot] com.  I'd love to "interview" you and share your sweet furry friend! 

Oh Happy Day...

I'm a happy girl.

The husband finally came back home on Friday, and he'll be around for at least a few weeks. Yay!

Over the weekend I was adjusting to having another human being in the house, along with all the things that entails.  Things like:

~having a toothbrush/toothpaste/shaving cream left by the bathroom sink.

~having all the clutter that comes along with him strewn all over the house.

~having cups/bottles/plates left all over the counter.

~having the toilet seat left up.

~having a ginormous pair of flip-flops left just outside the front door so that I trip on them.

and

~having lost complete control over the remote.

Of course there were plenty of good and wonderful things to get used to, as well.  Things like:

~having a reason to pull out dishes and cook something.

~thinking I'm talking to myself but then having someone answer back.

~being a passenger instead of a driver in the car because I can't stand to drive!

~having someone to run errands with.

~having someone else around who can let the dogs out.

~having someone to sit with on my lanai and talk and laugh with.

and

~having a date!

Speaking of a date...  I finally got my date night opportunity to wear my crochet dress!

Even before I knew he would be home this weekend, I had planned to go to downtown Honolulu to photograph a friend and her fiance before an Army ball, so when my hubby returned, I told him he had to come too.  (He didn't complain at all.)  

I took the photographs at one of the hotels there, and then we wandered through the hotel to a little bar down by the beach.  We sat in pool furniture listening to a live two-man band play The Eagles and just about any other good ol' music you can think of, sipping Mai Tai's, watching the ocean and the palm trees while the sun set.  (Does it really get any better than that?)  Then we wandered down the road for some yummy Japanese food at Benihana's.  Boy, oh boy, I can't tell you how nice it was to go on a date... even though it really hadn't been a super duper long time, it had been plenty long enough.

Since it was just the two of us and I still wanted a picture before we left, I set up the tripod and set my camera for some consecutive shots in hopes we might get at least one good one.  (If you know my husband, you know he turns into a clown when the camera comes out... so although we did get a few "good" shots, we got a few goofy ones too.)  Here are a few out-takes...

Happy Monday!  Hope your week is off to a great start!

Five Things Friday [#3]

I'm back today with another installment of Five Things Friday, a link up with Erika from Rouge and Whimsy.  In case you haven't seen a Five Things Friday post, it's where you list five good things about your week.  Reminding yourself of things you are thankful for does wonders in helping to maintain a positive attitude and not dwell on the negative.

I know I was MIA yesterday, but forgive me because I have very good reason... I was running around stocking my fridge and pantry before a crazy cleaning spree. ;)

1.  I had a grand time learning some new crochet stitches this week, and I've put them to use working on a big project.  I'll be sure to share it when I finish! :)

2.  Thanks to my cleaning spree today, my house is super duper spic-and-span.  I'm talking baseboards cleaned, fridge cleaned out, and underneath-the-sofa-cushions cleaned kinda clean.  It feels great!

3.  I got a new hair cut, color, and some new feathers.  Nothing crazy different or funky, but it sure makes me feel pretty. :)

4.  Earlier this week I got my first e-mail  from the husband in a month and a half, which was soon followed by the first phone call in the same amount of time.  It's SOOOO wonderful hearing a loved one's voice when you haven't heard it in a while!  (Thinking about how that month and a half felt like such a long time makes me super thankful to live in the day and age that I do.  I can't even fathom getting only letters.... every once in a while... if possible... for years...  We are some blessed people today!)

5.  Last but not least, I will be laying eyes on my husband in a matter of hours instead of days!  I can't wait to see him and have him home for a little while!  It will be so nice to have someone around to talk to, enjoy a meal with, go on a date with, and share some household responsibilities with. :)  (If I'm MIA again for a few days, I'm sure you'll understand...)

 That pretty much sums up why I had a fantastic week.  I hope everyone else had one just as wonderful, and I hope that everyone has a super fabulous weekend ahead!

Granny Status

I have officially reached "Granny status."

And you know what?

I don't really care.  ;)

I feel a little like a bad blogger because I haven't been showing tons of new creations and sharing all sorts of new developments in my life lately.  But that's okay.  Lately I've been feeling a little under the weather and battling a sinus infection/cold thingy, so I've settled into a comfortable routine.  I work out when I can.  I sew a little.  I read a little.  I cook a little-- no that's actually a lie... I microwave a little since it's just me.  I walk the dogs.  Then I do a little crochet.

So how did I know for sure that I've officially reached true "Granny status"?

I sat in my Kent's recliner for three hours the other day watching "Golden Girls" and crocheting.
If that's not true "granny status," I don't know what is.

(I'm working on a blanket using a stitch I just learned from one of my new books.)

Anyway... yeah.  That's how I knew it was official.  I've embraced it, though.  I love my simple little life for the time being.  :)  I apologize that I don't have any big developments, but I have a sneaky suspicion that excitement is just around the corner.  

I'll soon share with you another baby quilt that I've been working on for a friend, hopefully some new paintings before too long, and I might be getting my other half back sometime in the not so distant future!  I'm pretty excited about all of that.  Bear with me for a bit while I'm at an "in between" in some projects, and I promise I'll have some real excitement for you soon.

Happy Wednesday everybody!

P.S.  I can hardly contain my excitement because I just got a phone call a little bit ago and heard my husband's voice for the first time in a month and a half!!!  It's SUCH a great feeling!

Tail Wagging Tuesday: Special Pup Feature- Nesby

This week's special pup belongs to one of my bloggie friends Erika from Rouge & Whimsy.  She better be glad that she lives a couple thousand miles away because if she didn't I would be stealing this little guy!  Have a look at him, read his story, and you'll see why. :)

What kind of dog is Nesby, and how old is he?

     Nesby is a year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi (same kind of dog that the Queen of England has!) Corgis are bred to herd sheep (believe it or not) so they're bred to have a stubby tail and legs.

 

What is Nesby's story?  How did he come to live with you?

     It's all because of my mom. My mom always wanted a corgi growing up, and when I was in high school she finally wore my dad down and our family got a corgi from a breeder in Portland, Oregon.  Bridget is a darling dog-- one of those sweetheart kind of dogs that never need any training. 

 Here's Bridget. :)

     When I got married I wanted a dog pretty soon, but we were in an apartment that didn't allow dogs. I begged and begged my husband asking if we could move so I could get a puppy. I even talked about it in my sleep, apparently one night repeating "corgi puppy."  Needless to say I wore the husband down eventually and we went to eastern Washington (which is dry and rural) to get the little bugger from a farm. Unfortunately, Nesby is NOTHING like Bridget. Which goes to show you that even dogs have different personalities. 

How did Nesby get his name?

     The deal was that if I got a dog, then the husband got to name him. He's a huge University of Washington football fan and wanted to name him after some aspect of the team. We agreed on Nesby (after Nesby Glasgow, a 1978 football player ) because it was unique and cute. 

What are Nesby's favorite things to do?  Any silly things he does or crazy quirks that make him unique?

   Nesby loves people and other dogs so any activity that involves a combination of those two are great: walks, the park, or whenever people come to visit. Nesby is NOT shy; everyone is his best friend!  

     Now the silliness: Nesby will eat just about anything that drops on the ground: gloves, paper, screws, sewing pins/needles... he loves paper products (he has a major toilet paper fetish. Sometimes if I'm upstairs and don't have a treat, I'll give him a piece of t.p. as a reward) and will steal napkins out of people's laps while they're eating. Another weird thing we love that Nesby does is he moans when he chews on a squeaky toy. Pretty funny. 

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

     Nesby is hilarious. The husband and I are ALWAYS laughing at him just because he is straight up bizarre-- from eating weird things, to sleeping in weird positions to making weird noises or attacking dumb things (i.e. a bag on the floor, the computer, etc.) What's even more funny is when I laugh really hard, Nesby gets a little upset and pounces on me. 

     Also, Nesby was great to have around when I was working nights and on a different schedule than my husband. It was nice to have a doggie around for company. :) 

     One of my favorite things about Nesby is how well he listens. Honestly if you talk to Nesby like "Hey, Nesby, what did you do today?" He'll cock his head from side to side doing his doggie best to understand you. Sometimes we ask him questions like: "Nesby, what's the capitol of China?" or "Nesby, what are your feelings on globalization?" just to get him to turn his head from side to side trying to figure out what we're saying. :)

Is this little guy adorable or what?!?   Hope you all enjoyed meeting Nesby!

P.S.  I'd really love to be able to feature your pup!  E-mail me at TailsToTell [at] Live [dot] com if you'd like to share your pet's story.  :)

A Few Little Things....

Happy 4th of July!  I hope everyone has enjoyed their long weekend and some fireworks!

I know I've had a pretty great weekend.  :)  I did some babysitting for two precious little girls, read by the pool, and gave myself crochet lessons.  

I just love learning new things, and I picked up a pretty great book to teach myself some new crochet stitches.

I saw this book Crochet! Techniques*Stitches*Patterns in the store the other day and couldn't resist.  It has lots of stitches with detailed instructions and pictures, it shows you how to read patterns, and it has several cool projects.  I spent all of yesterday afternoon trying out various stitches so I'll be able to use them in new creations soon.  I'm really excited, and can't wait for my next crochet date with my sweet friend SueAnn!

I'll keep this nice and short since it's a holiday, but I just wanted to say hello and share my new find. :)  Enjoy this lovely day and time you might have with friends and family!

Oh.... And I can't help but share that after over a month of zero communication with my hubby, I got an e-mail last night!!!! I was thrilled, and can't stop smiling.  :)

Getting Festive for the Fourth-- Take Two

I'm back today with some more 4th of July fun!

Here's a simple, casual little table-scape I came up with using materials left over from the wreath I showed you yesterday.  :)  I'll show you how I did it.

First, I made some little coasters.

I won't go into showing you how to crochet, but if you know the basic concept, you can use this video to learn how to crochet in a circle.

Next, I used some of the yarn and some of the glitter foam to create little firework-inspired "napkin rings."

Here's how you make them...

Gather your red, white, and blue yard.  Hold it with the ends even with the side of your index finger.  Wrap it around all four fingers several times.  Then, gently pull it off your fingers while keeping the loops in place.  Cut an extra piece of yarn (I used red) long enough to tie a knot around the loops and still have some left over for tying around the silverware... or plastic. ;)  Tie the knot around the center of the loops.  Cut the loops, tie the "pom" around the napkins, and glue a foam star on top (if you choose).  Then, you have yourself some easy and festive "napkin rings."

The next piece of my "table-scape," was the centerpiece.  I wanted something super simple and casual, as well as super easy.  

I used some left over ribbon from my wreath to tie around the vase and stuck a few red and white carnations inside.  Then, to add some extra pizazz, I used some left over red floral wire and glitter foam to add some stars.  

Here's how I created the stars...

Draw stars on the back side of the glitter foam.  Cut a little square around the star, along with another square the same size.  Put glitter sides together, and cut along the lines of your star to create two matching stars.  Turn them so back sides are together, and use hot glue to attach them to the floral wire.  Create as many as you like for your arrangement.

There you have it.  A few simple ideas to decorate for the fourth of July. :)  Hope you like them!