Décor Help

                I have hit a wall.  I feel like I’m in a funk, well, more like a rut.  I have a wonderful house full of blank canvasses, but have yet to do anything to them.  I am in desperate need of some change in my home décor that is affordable (cheap) and clean, which unfortunately means, no painting these wonderful walls of mine.  So far I switched up the dining room a tad by getting a new table runner and changing the center piece to a bowl instead of a vase.  

My problem is, I don’t know exactly what to put in the bowl.  I thought about doing Craftily Ever After’s idea of “felt rosette décor balls,” but then the options of what color, how many, just felt roses, how big weighed in.  So I am turning to you, my readers, for help and ideas.  What do you think I should put in this cute bowl of mine?

                Also I need some ideas as to what to put on these boring blank white walls, and what to put in the bare entrance way.

I have been in search for an inexpensive table, a fixer upper or not, as well as a cute mirror.  I absolutely love this mirror I found at Lowes, but have been holding off, hoping that maybe, just maybe it’ll go on sale.  As for the table, I've been leaning towards this one, because it matches the coffee table, as well as the end tables in the living room, since the entrance way is a small spot off of the living room. 

 I would fully and utterly love any suggestions.  PLEASE HELP!  

Everyone's a Critic

                Everyone loves a good movie, but no one quite as much as P.  P will actually sit down, no, stand, front and center and watch TV.  Occasionally, you can catch him trying to run with or chase whatever is on the boob tube, barking.  Once the object has run off the screen, he peeks behind the television set to see where it has gone.  Sometimes JM and I will sit through an asinine movie just to humor P and his fascination with the small screen.  Here are some of P's favorite movies, shows, and games to watch (can you find the theme?).

{ Movies }

·         The Thing

·         Marley and Me

·         Snow Buddies

·         Beethoven

·         Bolt

·         Benji

·         Old Yeller

·         Homeward Bound

·         Beverly Hills Chihuahua

·         Eight Below

·         Cats and Dogs:  the Revenge of Kitty Galore

·         Up

·         Turner and Hooch

·         The Mask

·         Men in Black

·         Little Nicky

·         I Am Legend

·         My Dog Skip

·         Air Bud

·         Kujo

·         Fluke

·         Hotel for Dogs

·         Snow Dogs

·         Milo and Otis

·         Underdog

P watching Snow Dogs

(that's him making all the dog noises not the movie)

{ Shows }

·         My Dog Ate What?

·         Pit Boss

·         Westminster Dog Show

·         Eukanuba Dog Show

·         Puppy Bowl

·         Dogs 101

Puppy Bowl 2011

{ Video Games }

·         Fable

·         Call Of Duty Black Ops Zombies

Watching Fable 2

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

P snoring up a storm (sorry about the low quality I filmed it on my phone)

                My puppies love to sleep!  If JD and P are not playing you can find them on the couch, in my bed, under the bed, or possibly even on their bed (which is a rare occasion).  I absolutely love how lazy they get when they are in sleep mode.  Here are a few pictures to show how sleepy my puppies are.

            

     

Mind Your Own Business!

                I would like to start this off with a disclaimer:  {I AM NOT AN ANIMAL ABUSER, NOR HAVE I EVER BEEN ABUSIVE}.  Anyone who knows me and the way I treat my pets know that I would go to the end of the world and back for them.  Now with that being said, today was an infuriating day.  Well at least the mid-morning part of the day and this particular incident has been troubling me all day. 

                Today I went to a special birthday party for a special organization.  We were all encouraged to bring our loved ones, family, friends, and so forth.  Well since I don’t have any children of my own yet, I decided to bring Mr. P.  P is a bit rambunctious and yappy around new people (I blame the Chihuahua in him).  I got there early to ease him into the situation and get him used to his surrounding of complete strangers before the ceremony began.  After 15 minutes of asserting his manly toughness I thought enough was enough, and told him to stop barking.  I would tell him “no” or “stop it” with an ever so stern finger pointed at him, but after about five times of disobeying, it was time for a spank.  {SPANK}, I smacked his little booty, and sure enough the barking stopped.  Then after a few minutes of behaving I wanted to let him know he was doing well by playing with him, so I pinched the base of his tail to start a friendly play fight.  All the while a soldier was watching me from afar.  She approached me in a angrily, declared she works with abusive strays and that I needed to stop hitting P and pulling on his tail because it bothers her.  That sent me into a rage.  It was like someone came up to me, whacked me in the face, and told me I was a bad parent.  I wasn’t having it.  I kindly told her to mind her own business, and if she did not like the way I disciplined my “child” then she could look elsewhere, if that did not suit her, then she could report me for animal cruelty.  Apparently that did not settle with her well, and she stormed off, but the fact that this woman came over to me and demanded that I stop an action that was in no way near considered abuse, pissed me off for a lack of a better term.  I’m still irate about it even though it was well over seven hours ago.  I am all for people getting involved when involvement is clearly needed, but because I spanked my dog and playfully nipped at his tail?  UGH!  The nerve of some people!!!

Bed Hogs

                There’s nothing I love more than cuddling with my pups, but sometimes, I think they are trying to kick me off the bed, rather than cuddle with me.  JD and P had just gotten a new bed of their own, but instead of sleeping on it, I think they think that my bed is actually their bed, and that nice bed I got them is just decoration for the floor.  I occasionally catch them dozing off on it, but most of the time, the two of them are up off the floor snoozing on the queen size pillow top of comfortable bliss.  P being the smaller of the two, you would like to believe he takes up less space on the bed, but no, not my P.  He loves to rub up against you, and then lay sideways taking up the maximum space his little body can acquire.  JD on the other hand, likes to lie on her back right at your feet claiming the whole bottom half of the bed of her own.  This morning I woke up to this…

Sure enough, I rolled over and fell out of the bed.  Hearing the noise, my “kids” did nothing but a simple glance over to see what the thud was, and then continued back to dream land.  Even though my toosh was in throbbing pain, I still can’t help but love these two bed hogs.  

          

Frosty Paws

                It’s no big secret that I spoil my dogs rotten, especially since I’m not ready to enter human mommy-hood, and have yet to step into the shoes of a wife.  So for the time being, I am happy taking care of my fur dependents/companions. 

                After a long fun filled day of playing with bee (Frisbee) and the ball in the hot sun, it only seems natural that I give JD and P something to cool down with, that’s where Frosty Paws steps in.  

Frosty Paws is a delicious non-dairy ice cream snack for your loveable furry ones that come in two flavors, original or peanut butter!  YUM!  I have seen other dog owners give their trusty loyal sidekicks ice cream cones, but in doing a little research, I found out that, dogs and cats, lack the proper enzymes to break down the sugar in milk (lactose).  Since this enzyme is not present, the lactose remains undigested and tends to ferment in the intestine, which then causes diarrhea (OH NO!).  So armed with this knowledge I tend to stay away from any dairy treats (with the exception of a cheese bit here and there), and go with the non-dairy alternative specially made for my four legged babies.  JD and P love it!  Their eyes glaze over as they lick away at the frozen delicacy in pure bliss.  Here are a few pictures and video of the two savoring their Frosty Paws.

JD loves her snack!

P diving face first into deliciousness!

The glazed over eyes of JD

Scavenger Hunt

               I was reminiscing the other day with a gal pal of mine, and the topic of romantic gestures came up.  It got me recollecting about the time JM had gotten me a diamond bracelet.  It was our first Valentine’s Day together, and we had only been dating for about three or four months.  JM had gotten me my precious little P for my birthday two months prior, so he was in his sneaky potty/pooping phase.  P stayed at JM’s apartment most of the time, because my brother’s German Shepherds were at our house, and I didn’t want P to get eaten.  When JM had things that needed tending to he kept P child gated in the guest bathroom (since it was the only area that was tiled, well besides the kitchen, but who wants doggie pee and poo where they cook?).  On this Valentine’s Day morning JM phoned me to announce P had gotten me a present (our code word for a poop nugget) and he would like for me to come and get it.  20 minutes passed before I made it to JM’s apartment, and JM had asked if I had seen P’s little gift for me.  Fuming that he waited for me to get there so I could clean it up I peered into the bathroom.  I didn’t see, or smell any poop.  I checked his normal hiding spot behind the toilet, nothing.  Then I looked over at his new bed.  

OH NO!  He didn’t!!!!  I picked up his bed, and felt something weighing it down, at which point my frustration began to bubble that P had soiled his new bed.  I removed the pillow and out plopped a black rectangular box that any gal would recognize.  Filled with mixed emotions I picked it up, opened it, and there it was, a beautiful diamond bracelet.   I punched JM in the arm for sending me on a poop scavenger hunt to find such a thoughtful and probably expensive gift.  Now wasn’t that romantic?

Bling Bling

                After JD and P’s slight brush with freedom, it was time they got some bling, and by bling, I mean new identification tags.  After moving around a few times, their previous ones were two addresses ago old, so it has been long overdue.  JD had an appointment at the dreaded veterinarian office for a small ear infection she had caught from allergies and the change of weather; and that is where I noticed the most adorable tags.  As I was paying our bill on the way out, I saw on the counter an advertisement for Red Dingo Id Tags.  

They came in three different sizes to accommodate how much you wanted to have imprinted on them or for the size of your pet, and were just to die for.  I had to have them right then and there.  The lady at the front desk gave me the pamphlet and two order forms.  There were just too many to choose from.  They had paw prints, fire hydrants, butterflies, stars, skull and crossbones, fish, and so on.  I finally picked two out, and then I had to decide on a color.  It was tough picking them out, but I tried my best.  I turned in the paperwork and was informed that they would be mailed to my house within 7-10 business days.

                I checked the mail eagerly for a week, and then they were there.  I opened the envelope and saw the two most adorable tags with JD and P’s name on them and my contact information.  

Now the only problem was, JD needed a new collar to match the tag.  I hurried to PetsMart and Pet Co in hopes of finding one just right for her.  I stood in the collar isle for probably an hour at each store debating between harness and collar before picking one out.  Now if the two happen to go adventuring alone I can rest somewhat easier knowing that if they are found, and if that person is kind hearted, that they will return, or at least I’ll get a relieving phone call to know they’re safe and sound.

The pups wearing their bling

Laundry Day

                Leave it to Mr. P to always get into mischief.  Today is laundry day, just like almost every other day is, and P wanted to help.  

P assisting me in sorting the laundry

Always the connoisseur of trouble he somehow managed to knock the basket over on top of him.  Before JD and I came to his rescue, I absolutely had to document him moving around underneath it. 

Not only did he accomplish trapping himself under the evil basket, he wanted to help fold some of our clothes, whether or not his shedding was accommodating in keeping our clothes clean.  What a silly P he is!

Mooyah Adventure

                Since moving away from my family and friends, I have become quite the adventurer in trying new restaurants.  There are so many here that I have never even heard of before, and the one I’d like to discuss today is Mooyah’s.  

Mooyah’s is a burger chain that makes you a costume burger to fit your taste buds.  You can choose from white or wheat buns, to no bun, and opt for a lettuce “bun.”  There’s the Regular Mooyah which is two patties, or a Junior Mooyah with just the one.  The toppings are similar to any other burger joint, ranging from lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, and many more.  The spreads are parallel as well, varying from mayo, mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce, ranch, and a few others.  And like other countless other burger places, they serve fries, a fountain drink, or a milk shake of 4 different flavors, vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, or Oreo. 

                Once my meal was prepared and I heard my magic number, I retrieved my meal, only to be surprised are the quantity and quality of food in front of me.  Being my first time at Mooyah I chose to follow the advice of their portions.  Evidently a large fry is not just enough for 2-3 people, but for at least 4-5.  With all said and done, and bringing my meal to an end, the food at Mooyah’s is definitely tasty, and I will have to make it one of my burger go-to places in the future.

the bag of LARGE fries next to the regular fountain drink for comparison

inside the bag, definitely never ordering a large fry, unless I have 4 friends to share it with!

Hide-and-Seek

                When I leave the house for any reason, I typically put my dogs in the “box” aka kennel.  JD has strong separation anxiety, and tends to chew on the last few objects I have touched.  She has chewed up numerous shoes, a dining room chair, throw pillows, remote controls, the leg of the coffee table, and DVD cases just to name a few.  As for P, I don’t trust the little guy.  When he was a puppy he was a bit on the devious side.  He was the pup that knew pooping and peeing in the house was wrong, but still did it, and not only that, he would hide it.  There was a point in his young life that he would use the restroom in our home, then pull his little bed over on top of it, and sleep in it to disguise the evidence.  You wouldn’t believe shock I would get when I would smell the foul odor, but couldn’t find it; only to discover it in his bed.  I was always under the impression animals do not sleep where they defecate, but not my P.  I guess he’s special.  Not only would he pull his bed over on top of his waste, he would also hide it under furniture, behind the couches, and even behind the toilet.  So for me, the box is essential. 

                I came home from one of my outings to notice that only JD was in the box.  My heart dropped, and I immediately called JM to see if he had taken P for a walk, or to the park.  Only to hear JM announce he did not have him, so I went into panic mode.  Then I noticed a movement in the box.  Could it be?  Was P playing hide and go seek?  I grabbed my camera and began to film.