LA

The Paper Monster

When I rescued Lola at 4 months old, she came with a bad habit that I've never been able to break... just work around. She eats paper at any chance possible. Books, Kleenex, Money(!!), Cardboard, Receipts, Mini Albums, etc.

I keep everything tempting hidden or out of her reach but it's always amused me that for 9 years, she's never realized that when she walks through the bathroom, the toilet paper roll is right there. Till now!

All of a sudden, she's figured it out... and she's either eatting the paper like a fruit by the foot, or worse, like an apple. In chunks!

She's funny about it and it actually makes me laugh more often than not... but once she apple's a TP, it can't be used and it's wasted. 

If you have any proven suggestions for how I can teach Lola to stop eating paper (other than just hiding the TP or locking the bathroom), please share!

cute club: Gordita and Finn

Dogs: Gordita and Finn

Breeds: Shar-Pei x Shiba Inu x Part Terrier // Golden Retriever x Collie Mix

Mom: Gina (Acute Designs)   Location: San Diego

Best face ever:

Gina writes...

Gordita is so great in public and in the car... I can take her anywhere and she just minds her business and she will do anything for food. Her favorite people food is potato chips and anything cruchy & salty.

Finn is super nervous, but so smart and sensitive. He can learn a trick within minutes and was house broken within about two weeks! His favorite people food is definately steak ;)

 

Despite the fact that she is half his size, Gordita is completely in charge of Finn. She is the "big sister" and loves to boss him around. She loves to hang out in the backyard and keep watch over the neighborhood. She is a nosy neighbor and we've nicknamed her "Deputy Dog".

Finn is the most sensitive dog I have ever been around. If I am sad or sick, he knows. He will cuddle you to death and is easily scared. He is constantly by my (or my husbands) side. Finn also won all the awards at Puppy School because he was able to catch on immediately :)

Thanks for sharing your sweet dogs with us Gina :) They're making my day!! xo, LA

what a little fella ;)

My mom is the coolest-- we watch pet videos together and talk about blogs and tv. I love her :)

this pup loves to rock!

I'll be back tomorrow with a fun post but first I wanted to share this dog video Keith's mom sent me... it's adorable :) Youtube is awesome.

Nousha, a Rescue Story [cute club]

Dog: Nousha (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever)

Mom: Helia (Where the Whoolly Things Are & Phoenix Lily)

Location: UK

My puppy is called Nousha. She's not really a puppy any more, mind you... she's a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever (either purebred or a cross), roughly four years old at a guess (she's a rescue so we don't know), and her best quality is her loving (and lovely!) nature.

Nousha is a rescue dog. We got her just over three years ago. My boyfriend had wanted a dog for ages but I'd always said no - I didn't think we could commit to looking after an animal that required that much attention: walks, toilet breaks in the day, and so on. After a long weekend camping on the beach, I thought how lovely it would be to have a dog to go on adventures with us. But I was adamant I didn't want a puppy, and I didn't want a dog from a breeder. There are too many abandoned animals in this world that need loving homes. So I agreed - on the condition we got a rescue.

We drove to Bridgend, a nearby town with a few rescue kennels there, and we visited a place called Croft Rescue. The staff at the kennel were lovely - they were putting up speakers throughout the kennels so the dogs could have the radio on and wouldn't feel as lonely. We looked through all the kennels - but it was my boyfriend who spotted Nousha first. He said he looked into her eyes, and knew she was the right dog for us.

It was pretty scary taking her home. We had no idea what to do! I remember the first night we sat in the front room - she was in her bed, we were on the sofa, all looking at each other, like - what happens now??
 
In the beginning, it was quite strange getting used to each other, I guess - she wasn't a very touchy-feely dog to start with, she didn't really ever seem to like being fussed or petted. She was still a puppy - just under a year old - and she had so much energy. She hadn't been leash trained, she would fight with us on walks - try and bite the leash, growl, bite our feet. But we were patient and persistent, and she never misbehaved in the house - she just seemed to get overexcited when we were out. But she came on in leaps and bounds. It took a while for us to earn each other's trust, I guess - we don't know her history, what happened to her before we took her in. But after about a year or so we were a pretty tight family unit. Three years on, and she's a completely different dog - she's soft as anything, and loves nothing more than having her belly rubbed and having a right load of fuss. She even looks completely different - facially she looked quite serious when we first got her, and her coat was all thin and short, but now it's thick and fluffy now, and these days she frequently looks like she's smiling, as you can see!

It just goes to show how worthwhile it is getting a rescue dog. They may have issues to start with, but with a little help from patient owners, they can develop into well balanced dogs and perfect pets. I sometimes wonder whether Nousha has an extra special zest for life because she came from somewhere that she wasn't wanted and wasn't loved - and now she is. I initially thought we were a bit naive going straight in for a rescue without having any experience of dogs beforehand - but I could never have lived with myself if we'd got a dog from a breeder or a puppy farm. It's heart breaking when you see all those sad eyes stuck in cages at the rescue centres - and those dogs can give just as much love as any purebred or any puppy. If we get more dogs, I will always get them from rescue centres. Absolutely.

.

• Nousha had never seen water before we had her and she was scared of the stream in our local park! We encouraged her to go in - her breed, we found out later, are bred for swimming - and she has found her water baby paws. Now we can't get her out of the water - even in the middle of winter, she loves nothing more than a swim in the sea! People have commented on how mad she is going in the water all the time. But swimming is great exercise for her - and I think the water cools her down a lot, as she has a very thick coat.

• Nousha's favourite toy in the world is her tennis ball.

• Nousha is our adventure dog. We love going hiking with her, going for long walks along the coast, going out and playing in the sea or in the snow. She's very silly but the best companion you could ask for.

• Though she loves swimming Nousha hates being bathed. As soon as she's clean, she'll make sure that during her next walk she finds something stinky to roll in.

Helia, thank you for sharing Nousha with us! The smile she grew from being loved by you guys makes me feel so happy :)  Washi Tape in top photo courtesy of Pugly Pixel.

the most breathtaking thing:

I'd really like to experience a moment like this in my life. Absolutely magical!

Happy Friday! xo :)

i lalalove: Berkley Illustration!

It started with this picture of two kittens wearing t-shirts. HA! I followed the link and found Berkley Illustration, a zoo of prestigious animals dressed for the Royal Ball! I fell in love these animal illustrations more than I can explain and plan to pick out a few for my home-- so hard to choose though! If I was a mom, these prints would become full-on wallpaper in my children's room... I'd go so overboard!

These are some of my favorites :)

Scout Bear & Swallow

Beaver (her broach is so cute) & Elephant

The Painted Turtle looks like my pet turtle "Slouch". I did put a monopoly hat on him once but couldn't fashion a suit ;)

Lion & Kangaroo

Mrs & Mr Cardinal (they look like my Grandma & Grandpa) & Gorilla

The Orca. Did you know I was OBSESSED with Whales and Dolphins through High School? I had whale wallpaper and wanted to move to Oregon and help free Keiko. 

 They have hands! Everyone serves a Porpoise ;)

Check out Berkley Illustration for the prettiest creations... they have tiny treats too!

xo, Leigh-Ann

DIY: Button Collar for your Pet

[Originally posted in early 2010, Style School] I'd secretly always wished that Lola and I looked alike (you know, bowsers.) and I made my wish come true... I made Lola a button collar that matched my yellow & orange glasses! :) I've been making Lola and Tom (my two dogs) button collars for a few years and they hold up surprisingly well & we receive so many compliments at the dog park :) Lola loves hers and but after Tom's puppyhood passed, Keith said he needed something a little more buff ;)

Using buttons & just a few supplies, I'd like to show you a fun & easy way to add personality and style to your pets collar or leash :) This project best suits cats and dogs of any size and is a really fun way to give your sweetie a little flare!

Me and Lola are clearly related!! (Keith custom painted my glasses with my favorite colors... we're planning to do a DIY post together about how you can do this too). Check out our dressed up little family...

Supplies:

Select a nylon pet collar that fits your Cat or Dog (these kind do not work as well, choose the metal buckle kind). You will also need buttons, embroidery thread or strong/thick thread, pointy needle and scissors.

Little Suggestions:

• Pick out buttons in a color scheme that suits you or your pets style.
• Lola's collar took 18 buttons but each collar varies depending on the collar length and button sizes.
• Choose thick/strong buttons, avoiding any with cracks or weak spots.
• If your pet has dark fur, bright buttons look best. For light fur...dark buttons are a hit.
• Try to choose buttons that span the width of the collar or leash (not too much overhang).

1/ Lay the buttons out on the collar so that you can measure the right amount and visualize your pattern and flow :) Be careful not to put buttons over the collar holes or too close to the buckle closure.

2/ Once you're happy with your button choices and layout, slide them off the collar and keep them in a row in front of you.

3/ Cut an embroidery thread the length of your full wing-span (arms out, from hand to hand), then use this technique to avoid tying extra knots; it makes things way easier :)

4/ Start at either end of your collar and begin sewing the buttons onto the front side. I used a long/strong needle so that it was easy to aim & push through the holes.

5/ You will use the same thread to attach the buttons one by one (no need to tie a knot behind each button, that would make the collar weak). If you run out of thread along the way, tie it off as shown here and start a new thread the same way as the step 3. It's important to stitch 3-4 times per button, pulling the thread snug with each stitch (do not yank too hard though).

Tip/ As you continue sewing on your row of buttons, you might find it hard to grip the needle or pull it through tough spots. My solution for this is to use office supply rubber fingertips... it's better than a thimble! (Sometimes I cut one side so it can sit looser on my thumb).

Rubber fingergrips are helpful for any type of stitching or embroidery :)

6/ When your thread runs out or you're done stitching, take half of the thread (3 strands) out of the needle-eye. Leave half in (3 strands). On the backside where your stitching ends, weave the needle under the nylon a little bit (or under a stitch works). Then take the needle off and tie the two threads in 3-4 knots (don't tug crazy-hard, just firmly). Trim the thread tails near the knot. Now go dress up your furry friend, you're a great pet mom (or dady)!

Pet Leash:

Your button leash will be made exactly the same way as the collar, except that it will take more buttons & thread. On my leash, I sewed buttons on one side starting at the clip, heading all the way up to the beginning of the leashes handle loop. If you think your dog will want to chew at the buttons on the leash, then it would be better to start the pattern a little higher so that it's out of your buddies reach ;)

A few collars I've made... (Tom's first puppy collar... we saved it :)

Safety Tip: Please check your pets collar monthly to make sure your stitches are holding up. Lola and Tom's collars start to look beat up after about half a year, then I give them makeovers :)

I'd love to see pictures of your sweet pet wearing your handmade Button Collar-- please share a photo link in the comments (or email me) if you wanna show it off!

xox, Leigh-Ann & the Pups

this little piggy...

We took Olivia and Kennedy to a petting zoo earlier this summer and got to meet & feed some reallllly cute animals-- the star, was this piglet! He made a special appearance when I asked the farmer about the empty cage; she dug him out of the straw, just taking a nap. He was so young that she hadn't given him a name yet. I've never met a baby pig before but he reminded me of Tom with his big eyes, only he also had the cutest hooves and a pretty iconic nose... and he was so little! We all melted and O&K pet him gently and asked the farmer highpitched questions about the piglet. They were clearly excited!

Then we played with the other farm animals. Keith and I kept laughing at the Hairdoo Duck and I bought 4 or 5 cones of seed so that we could keep feeding the animals-- what a neat experience that is! The goats fight over you, the geese divebomb your hand, the cow takes his time and leaves you a slobbery palm and the bunnies just ignore you (seeds must not be there thing). It was a fun day and now I dream of little pigs (playing with my future mini horse)! 

Speaking of animals... did you hear Kyla found a "visitor" at Freckled Nest's studio this weekend? Take a look ;)

cute club: Sadie & Tundra

Dog: Sadie (Mini Australian Sheperd) & Tundra (Siberian Husky)

Mom: Alyssa from Woodland Dreams

Location: Bakersfield, CA

Both of my dogs are the absolute sweetest dogs you will ever meet. Tundra is a bigger dog that thinks she is smaller and she loves to cuddle and have you touching her at all times. Sadie has SO much energy and loves to play frisbee and get you to throw things with her nonstop ;)  Favorite people foods? Anything off the countertop!  But seriously, we make popcorn a few times a week and the dogs go bonkers - we throw popcorn in the air for them to catch and they are pros!

• Both of our dogs are rescues! Tundra we found at our local shelter; my husband really wanted a husky so I kept checking the shelter's website for one to appear, and finally we found her. We came across Sadie while looking on Craigslist for a 2nd dog (I really wanted an Australian Shepherd). We got her as a pup, but soon found out that she was a miniature, NOT full sized, which I ultimately was very happy about (the amount of energy she has is insane!).
• One time our dogs got out of our yard and someone called me while I was at work: they were 5 miles away from our house. I drove out there and found Sadie, but Tundra wasn't anywhere to be found. We searched the rest of the day and couldn't find her; and ended up driving across town to the shelter, but she wasn't there. On the way home we got a called from our neighbor saying our husky was sitting in our front yard, and had been there for 30 minutes. So all in all, she just wanted to go for a really long run for 6 hours that day. I was so amazed that she found her way back home! :)
• Sometimes when we get home from work we find odd things. Our dogs generally don't chew on stuff, but sometimes they find odd things to destroy. Once I came home to a living room full of feathers that had been pulled out of a very small down pillow. Another time Tundra was sitting on the dining table, just taking a little nap. Another time Sadie a big, swelled lip from a bee sting. But most of the time they like to steal cupcakes and cookies that I have baked!

Thank you for sharing Tundra & Sadie with us Alyssa, they're really cute and so sweet together!  Washi Tape in top photo courtesy of Pugly Pixel.