Rosie

We had an unexpected overnight guest this past weekend. Very sweet and well-trained. I'm happy to report that she is back with her family.

I'm Mad About ...

                           Source: facebook.com via People on Pinterest

                         Source: facebook.com via People on Pinterest

• Well, it looks like I'm going to have to see People Like Us, since it features "LA as the fifth character in the movie." Knowing how I am, though, I'll catch it on Netflix in five years, after the DVD has been sitting on my kitchen counter for six months. Ha! Still, I love movies about the "real" LA (A Single Man comes to mind). Oh, and Chris Pine. Yes.
• Have you jumped on the colored jeans trend yet? I want to (mint green skinny jeans, please!) but haven't been able to find the right pair. Picky much?
• Tips on decorating for and with dogs (but I can do without the pooping pooch lamp!).
• For those times when a thumbs-up or thumbs-down just isn't enough, there's ReadrBoard. WTF? ;-)

Have a great weekend!

I'm Mad About ...

Happy Friday!

Last week I went I went a little overboard at the farmers market. It was so hot (108!) hardly anyone was there, so the stands were offering fill a bag for $5. How could I resist?

Since Erik doesn't care for fresh fruit and I couldn't eat it all myself before it went it bad, I used some to make a fruit crumble (using this recipe, more or less) for my book group:

It was quite a hit, so I'm making another one to take up to my friend's cabin for a girls' weekend. Can't wait!

To get you in the mood for a fun weekend, here are some things that caught my eye this week:

• Today is Take Your Dog Work Day (although around here, every day is!). Don't have a dog? I have a few I could lend out ;-)
• Love the crisp new look at Sacramento Street and the fresh colors at Danielle Oakey Interiors.
• Corgis + Call Me Baby = Awesome!
• It's certainly not scarf weather in these parts, but when it is I want one of these.

One Year Ago Today...

This special guy came into our lives:

He wasn't always the happy, loving dog you see here. When we first met Mr. Chow (jokingly named for a chain of fast-food restaurants in the Bay Area and the fact he is likely part chow chow), he had a broken leg. Here's how he looked when I met him at the emergency vet:

So sad and scared. He's come a long way in a year (you can read more about him here). He's now a bona fide member of the family. Smooch tolerates him most of the time, and Giles the cat not only comes in the house, he often walks right by Chow to do it. (Really, that's huge!) Chow is taking obedience lessons (he has sit down!) and he's getting more and more socialized.

He's taught me so much about courage, overcoming obstacles and persistence (he'll get Smooch to play with him one of these days). He's just a big, goofy, clumsy, happy boy. Every dog deserves a second chance.

I'm Mad About ...

Good morning. There's so much good stuff this week, let's get right to it:

• Too bad I don't have Pottery Barn nearby—this accessorizing class sounds like fun.
• I do, however, have a Target nearby, and I can't wait to hit the Shops at Target. Get there early Sunday, 'cause you know it's going to be a sell-out.
• Speaking of Target, Nate Berkus's Target collection drops Oct. 21. I've marked my calendar!
• Design Star season seven starts this month!
• I'm so moved by the spirit of this little guy. Dogs are the best.

Have a great weekend and happy Cinco de Mayo!

I'm Mad About...

If you haven't seen this video yet, it's a real heart-breaker—but don't worry, it has a happy ending:



Have a wonderful weekend!

I'm Mad About...

Seth Casteel via Dangerous Minds

• These photos of dogs underwater are a little creepy but kind of cool.
• I love this idea—must make a mental note to do it next year.
• Goodbye, Whitney.

Have a lovely weekend!

I'm Mad About...

NextMovie

• Betcha haven't seen these movies.
• I must get one (or two!) of these T-shirts.
• Didn't get your Jason Wu for Target bag? Me either.
• Cute (and free) Valentine's Day e-cards for your Fido-loving friend.

Have a great weekend!

I'm Mad About...

I realize this is turning into a dog blog. I didn't intend that, but dogs (and cats) have kind of taken over my life during the past year.

Our visitor is settling in and adapting very well, but it's a lot of work just getting her outside to take care of business! She's sweet as can be, though, and very determined and inspiring:

Here are some other (mostly non-dog-related) things that caught my eye this week:

• Cute gloves to show your love.
• Jason Wu for Target drops Sunday. I predict a cat fight over these bags!
• Too good to be true? I hope not!
• Loving the new look (or looks—take your pick!) over at Making it Lovely.

A Slight Detour

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Mine was, well, unexpected. I opened my door Friday night to find a one-eyed, blind and deaf dog on my front porch. We took her to the emergency vet to be sure she wasn't sick or injured (nope, just old and hungry and tired), then set about trying to figure out where she came from.

She had a tag and it looked like we might be able to track down her owner, but that turned out to be a dead end.

She's very sweet and smells much better since we gave her a bath! But I really don't know what we're going to do. We can't keep her. I'm already overwhelmed with pets and work and life and blogging and other commitments, and looking after a special-needs dog is very time consuming.

All of this is to say that if I disappear now and then and don't keep to my usual three-posts-per-week schedule, I hope you'll understand. And if you know of any blind dog rescues, I'm all ears.

Scoobie Snacks

I've been yearning to bake lately, but since I need to lose a few pounds, it's probably not a good idea to have homemade treats around the house. So I baked up some dog treats!

I've been wanting to try making dog biscuits, and when I saw this at Target, I was smitten:

I mean come on—it came with a bone-shaped cookie cutter! And I checked out the ingredients—no preservatives or other bad things. And made in the U.S.A., which is a big plus for me.

They were a lot easier to make than I though they'd be—just add water and oil, knead, roll out, cut and bake:

I like that I could see the oats in the mixture. And the house smelled all warm and oatey.

They came out great:

The dogs have been gobbling them up!

I'll definitely have to make more—but I'll need to find a recipe. Any suggestions?

I'm Mad About...

Los Angeles Times

• Gingerbread houses have never looked so good!
• Love the idea of a holiday shopping list. You can't be too organized this time of year.
• This one's for all you dog lovers. The video is great, and the song's pretty catchy, too.
• I'm so excited about the Young House Love book! I just hope John and Sherry (and Burger!) do a book tour—and head out West.
• Send a handwritten email. It would be great for holiday thank-yous when a written card is too formal, but you want something special.
• It's a party in a PDF! 
• More beautiful and unique book-themed art.

I'm Mad About...

I found so much good stuff this week, I don't know where to begin. Enjoy!

Tower Bridge of London pillow, Naked Decor

• I want just about everything at Naked Decor! And the man behind the shop has a stunning home.
• These Children's Story Posters make me feel like a kid again, but in a grown-up sort of way.
• '80s alert: This Duran Duran video has me wondering whatever happened to my John Taylor poster.
• Marcel the Shell is back, charming as ever.
• Speaking of charming, have you met Dexter?
• I don't know about this...

I'm Mad About...

Cooler fall weather has finally arrived—maybe this weekend I'll finally get to wear my new boots! Hope you're having lovely weather wherever you are.

Here are some things that caught my eye this week. Enjoy!

BuzzFeed

• Slinky dog! Trader Joe's dog! Dreidel dog! Check out these pictures of cuteness from the Tompkins Square Dog Parade in NYC.
• I know I'm way late to the Instagram party (then again, I'm always late ;-), but I finally downloaded it. I haven't had time to try it out, but I can't wait to! (And you can get posters, stickers and even tiny books of your Instagrams.)
• I'll be boning up on my French and dreaming of a Paris getaway while reading this beautiful blog.

Animal House

By VII Custom Design

Love dogs and design? Check out these amazing doghouses from Barkitecture 2011. The Austin show featured canine cottages from Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan and custom home builders.

P.S.: October is Adopt a Shelter Dog Month. It's a great time—before the rush and crush of the holidays—to add a loving animal in need of a home to your family!

I'll Drink to That!

Sometimes milk hits the spot:

                                             Source: sundayinbed.tumblr.com via Beth on Pinterest

 
Other times you need something a bit stronger:

                                                    Source: dears.tumblr.com via Beth on Pinterest

Pet Profiles: Mr. Chow

I have three dogs. I can't believe I have three dogs. What the heck was I thinking?

Over the years we've had an assortment of pets, some briefly until we found them permanent homes, some inherited from family members. The most we've had is five at one time, and never more than two dogs at once. In fact, two dogs and a cat is the perfect pet ratio in my book.

Then came Mr. Chow.

It was a Saturday in mid-May and Erik had gone fishing on the coast. I was expecting him home any time with a big box of strawberries. Then the phone rang. "I found a big dog with a broken leg," Erik said. "Meet me at the emergency vet."

And that's how I met Mr. Chow. Of course we tried to find his owners—postings online, in the newspaper, on mailboxes in the neighborhood near the area where he was wandering. Nothing. I really can't believe no one is missing him. He's 60 pounds of love and happiness. I'm over the moon for him.

Mr. Chow and Bitsy

The same can't be said for all the other critters here. Giles refuses to come in the house anymore (I think that will change when the weather turns, if not sooner), and Smooch, who prefers female dogs, insists on demonstrating his dominance, despite the 40 or so pounds Chow has on him. So far Mr. Chow has let the little dog have his way. Bitsy is pretty easy going and only gets upset when she thinks Chow is getting her share of the snacks. She yaps and he backs off. What a good boy!

It's taking time, but we're slowing getting into a new routine. And now that his leg is just about healed, I can start taking him to obedience classes. I'm also looking forward to walking with him by the river—he seems like the kind of dog to take on long walks.

Farm Fresh

One of the best things about living in California's Central Valley is the abundance of locally grown produce. And with that comes an abundance of farmers markets.

Despite the heat, I ventured out to a nearby farmers market this past weekend, and it was well worth the trip. Because I got there about a half hour before closing and the sellers were anxious to get rid of what they had left, I got good deals on peaches, squash and honey candy.

Surprisingly, there was still a good selection of produce at that late hour. The honey candy is delicious, but I'm sorry I didn't buy some of the orange honey—they're about out for the season. Maybe I'll get lucky next week and there will be some left.

Of course, the dogs got a little something, too:

Who doesn't like bacon? Plus, they're all natural and homemade. There are other flavors that I'll have to pick up next time. And maybe when the weather cools down I'll bring Bitsy along so she can try some samples and report back to the rest of the pack!

Pet Profiles: Bitsy

What can I say about Bitsy? She's the best. Really. Smart, funny, fearless, tireless and, of course, beautiful. Everything anyone could want in a dog.

A co-worker of my husband found her in a park. Actually, his dog found her and wouldn't leave her side. He put a lost-dog ad in the paper, but no one responded. Since he already had three dogs, he decided to find her a new home. We all fell in love with her right away (Smooch included), so we decided to keep her.

While it was love at first sight for us, Bitsy wasn't so sure. It took several months for her come around, and she really didn't fully bond with us until the following spring when I took her to obedience training. But now she's a full-fledged member of the family.

Bitsy is definitely part Chihuahua; we've considered getting her DNA tested to find out if there's some papillon or Pom in her, but that would take the fun out of guessing her origin.

She likes attention, chasing her ball (pink, of course—her favorite color!) and food (especially Trader Joe's Cheese Crunchies).

Pet Profiles: Smooch

We were walking our dog, the fabulous Daphne Dog, and saw a puppy in the middle of the street. My husband went to investigate and found out that some neighborhood kids had found him, but their dad wouldn't let them keep him. To save him from the pound, we took him home.

We weren't planning to keep him, but he was so lovable, it wasn't long before he became a full-fledged member of the family! Even Daphne liked him, and she didn't like just any dog.

We think he's a Chihuahua-terrier mix. He's a bit wild and goofy-looking, but he's the happiest, snuggliest dog I've ever known. He loves kittens and curling up next to me on the sofa and in bed. Oh, and barking. He really loves barking.