Twenty-Six To Life

Wordless Wednesday

2012-05-09T09:00:00.000-04:00

Weekend Volunteering Report

2012-05-07T15:00:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a fun one. Busy, but still fun. That's because instead of doing our usual adoption-event-at-a-pet-store thing, we had a super-special-with-lots-of-other-rescues-and-vendors-at-an-outdoor-shopping-center-event thing.

We showed up with some of our favorite adoptable dogs. Including this guy:

warning: crazy camera tilt!

He stole my heart. Like, for reals. He's pure elderbull awesomeness. We think he's about nine years old and he's so calm and so happy. A total love. He even had the most charming "come pet me because I'm so awesome" demand bark.

It's a good thing we already have a house full of dogs because I'd have gone home with him right then if I could have. Luckily he's with a foster who I'm close friends with so I'll get to see him pretty often. At least until she foster fails him.... and I totally think she will...

One unanticipated highlight of the event was, oddly, a hairless cat.

I don't blog about cats much (although I do like cats), but believe me when I say this cat thought she was a dog. She was leash trained. She was treat motivated. She comes when called. She knows how to sit on command. She was tres awesome.

And despite her pissed off cat expression, she was super friendly.

Her name was Peach. Like peach fuzz. Because that's what it feels like when you pet her. She had a crowd of people around her for most the event and she loved every second of it.

Despite all the awesomeness that the day had to offer, the day was long and by the end of it we were all getting tired. A couple dogs even took turns putting themselves into the crate for a nap.

Soon enough the day was over and it was time for everyone to pack up. When I finally got home I went to bed early and conked out for a good ten hours.

What was everyone else up to this weekend?

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A Walk in the Park

2012-05-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

Last weekend The Husband and I went on a long walk at a local park. Since Nemo can't exercise because of his insulinoma and Melanie is still recovering from her surgery, Heidi got to come along with us all by herself.

The park we went to has trails that go around a large lake so the views are outstanding.

We went pretty early in the morning, but we passed a good number of people who were out walking their dogs, running, and even fishing in the lake.

Heidi loved it because she got some quality time in with her most favorite person...

And she got to stick her head out of the car window...

The Husband and I enjoyed it because it was a beautiful day in a beautiful place. We also enjoyed that it resulted in a tired Heidi.

Anyone else go on some nice walks with their dogs lately?

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Wordless Wednesday

2012-05-02T09:30:00.000-04:00

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on "The One"

2012-05-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

I hear people talk a lot about how a certain dog is The One for them. They love all their dogs, but there's that one dog that is their Heart Dog. Just a little bit special. Just a little bit different from the rest.

I think it's great that people have that kind of connection with a dog. It doesn't detract what they have with their other dogs at all, they just have that one super-special bond.

A lot of people ask me which dog is my The One, which one is my favorite. They give me a little wink or a nudge and say, "it's okay. Everyone has one. Which one is yours?" For me, I always have a hard time answering. It's easy for me to say Nemo - but as soon as I say that I remember how amazingly awesome all of my dogs are in their own ways.

Nemo is my awesome cuddle dog. He loves to be loved. If you sit down on the floor, he will make a beeline for you and settle right into your lap. He does it every single time, without fail. He does it everywhere, with everyone, and it's awesome. Together, Nemo and I have our own little rituals. He has a particular spot next to me where he sleeps at night and whenever I come home from work he brings me his ball to show me how glad he is that I'm home.

But Heidi is good at everything. She can handle any situation. She's the dog we bring places so we can show off how great pit bulls are because she doesn't get stressed in new environments with new people. And on top of that she's a super-snuggler too. She loves to curl up in your lap regardless of what you're doing and she'll chill out there for as long as you let her. Unlike Nemo, she doesn't do it for everyone. She's chosen her special people and only does it with them.

Melanie is her own special kind of special. She's isn't super cuddly, she isn't really eager to please. She's typically on the lookout for her own interests - she wants what she wants and has that classic pit bull "stubborn" attitude. She'll do what she needs to do to get that treat, but she's definitely not doing it just to make you happy, she just really wants that food. But every now and then she does get cuddly with me. And in those moments I know that she's doing it because it really honestly does make her happy. It's what she wants more than anything in that moment, and because it's me that she wants, it makes me feel special too.

And then of course there are the dogs that are no longer with me, but whose lives were so intertwined with mine for a time. There were the dogs I grew up with in my childhood, and Cookie, the first dog I ever adopted on my own, and of course Molly, who was with us for so many years.

I don't know which dog is my The One. I like to think they are all The One in different ways. But maybe we all have it backwards when we ask which dog is The One.

Maybe they aren't my One. Maybe I'm theirs.

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Melanie and the Cone of Shame

2012-04-27T09:30:00.000-04:00

Last week I mentioned that Melanie was overdue for a vet appointment and she was going in later that day. If you like my page on Facebook you already know what happened next, but if you don't, here's a recap.

At Mel's regular vet appointment we found a mast cell tumor. (If you've been reading this blog for awhile you might remember that Nemo has had a couple mast cell tumors too.) She actually had a mast cell tumor several years ago that we had removed, but unfortunately once a dog gets one you have to keep an eye out for them again in the future. It turns out what they say is true, the future is now, so she got another one.

Not ones to drag things out, The Husband and I scheduled her surgery to get it removed right away so she had that done on Tuesday. The surgery to remove the tumor went fine. The vet got everything and said things went smoothly. A sample has been sent out for testing to see how bad it is, but we're still waiting to hear back with the results.

Even though we've been through this a couple times before, I have to admit that Melanie's recovery has been rougher than we expected. She's typically a really stoic dog, so seeing her so unhappy means she's really freaking unhappy. Her tumor was relatively small, but when they remove mast cell tumors they have to get "clear margins" around the area, so her incision is rather long. The location of the incision isn't helping anything either. It's on her right side and goes down to her belly, so the first day or so she had a hard time getting comfortable when she laid down. We've been keeping up with the pain meds to try to make her as comfortable as possible, but I can still tell the poor girl isn't a happy camper.

That said, she's feeling noticeably better than she did on Tuesday and Wednesday. Now I can tell that she actually wants to get up and move around more (we just won't let her do much yet so she doesn't pull out one of her staples). That's a far cry from where she was when I picked her up from the vet on Tuesday when she didn't want to move at all. It probably didn't help that she ~~hated her e-collar with the fire of a thousand suns~~ didn't care for her e-collar very much.

And I can't blame her. The whole ride home all I could see in my rear-view mirror was the bright blue cone. Doesn't she look like saddest dog in the whole wide world?

As sad and pathetic as she looks in these coming home photos though, she's doing a lot better now. We took the giant e-collar off so she doesn't have to deal with that anymore. Instead, we have an inflatable pro-collar that we use. She's been eating like a champ (she didn't miss a single meal, haha) so I know she can't feel too too bad.We've also been sweetening the pot a bit with extra goodies like peanut butter Kongs and other special treats.

In about 10 days we'll be able to have her staples removed. I'm really looking forward to having Mel happy and back to normal again. Until then, she's being smothered with attention and getting lots of extra peanut butter. Nemo's even given her a cuddle or two to help make her feel better.

He'll make sure she's feeling better again soon.

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Wordless Wednesday

2012-04-25T09:30:00.000-04:00

The Husband has been sick. The dogs have been trying to make him feel better.

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My Little Pee Machines

2012-04-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

Every dog pees (don't we all?), but some pee more than others. Some even have pee "issues."

Since Nemo started prednisone for his isulinoma, he's been a pee-machine. He drinks more water than he used to and as a result he pees more. Plus, he's a boy. Boys likes to pee on stuff, hence, more pee.

I is cute pee-machine???

And then there's Mel. She's our senior girl and her age has finally caught up with her. She just can't hold it like she used to. After a few accidents at home it was time to fess up that she needs medication to help her out. Thankfully, urinary incontenence is easily dealt with in dogs. A little Proin each day and that seems to do the trick. No more surprise puddles in the house.

Give me a treat and I'll pee wherever you want.

Of course with the addition of the proin, we have quite the doggie pharmacy going at our house between Nemo's steroids, Mel's eye medicine, Heidi's antibiotics, and various medicine-related accoutrements like the glucose monitor, pill cutter, and medical waste disposal bin (yes, we have one of those).

Whatever keeps them ~~from peeing on my sofa~~ healthy, right?

Anyone else have a dog with pee issues?

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Weekend Volunteering Report

2012-04-23T09:30:00.000-04:00

My rescue group does regular adoption events pretty much every weekend. Our group is relatively small, so we usually only have a few dogs at a time (I've seen larger rescue groups with upwards of a dozen dogs). I think the smallness of our events dismays some people who come by, but I tend to prefer it this way.

Of course big events have lots of benefits too. The more exposure dogs get to more people the better. You never know when a dog's perfect adopter is going to come along. When there are fewer dogs to wrangle though it's just easier sometimes. There are fewer opportunities for scuffles, and the dogs aren't completely overwhelmed by being there for a few hours. Plus, there are fewer distractions, so it's a great opportunity to reinforce basic obedience and training in a new environment. My favorite trick to teach is "touch." It's easy to teach, easy for the dog to learn, and it's a great way to regain a dog's focus.

And, as a current non-foster, smaller events also mean that I can hang out with each dog for a little bit each weekend. I give lots of belly rubs and the dogs quickly learn to love me for my "magic pocket" where I keep dog treats. I am not above bribing dogs to gain more of their love.

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Friday Randoms

2012-04-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

Let's just make Friday Randoms a standing thing, okay? Cool? Cool.

Here's what's up:

-- On the photography front: I've joined Clickin' Moms! I'm not exactly an active member of the forums (I mostly lurk) but there's so much great information there I'm glad I signed up. I also signed up for their Shooting 101 course that starts at the end of the month. I can't wait!

-- I've signed up for Weight Watchers again. I need to get on the ball with that so badly.

-- Even though I'm super diligent about the dogs' health, I am consistently a month or two behind with getting their routine vet visits done each year. We have a lot of dogs, sometimes it's just hard to keep up. Sosumi. Melanie in particular has to have two regular check ups: one with the regular vet, and another with with the doggie ophthalmologist to make sure her eyes are doing well. She was overdue with both - my bad - but appointments have now been made. (her regular vet visit is this afternoon) If you think I'm someone who has it all together, let this be one example of how I'm definitely not...

-- I really like these photos.

-- I'm on the third book of a certain popular super-sleazy trilogy. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the top three best selling books on Amazon right now. I started the first book on Monday. Three books in four days? I think that says everything it needs to. That said, these books are total guilty pleasures (ha!) and are not the best written books ever. They are a step somewhere just above Twilight. But I'm a sucker for a love story, so there's that.

-- The curtains are here! Now I just need to finish hanging them up... p.s. We also got a sofa for the upstairs living room! Yay!

-- I love this photo of Moe. That little dog cracks me up.

I'm am so ready for this weekend. I wish it was a three day weekend, that would be awesome. Or a week-long break would be nice too. A I've-Won-The-Lottery-So-The-Rest-Of-My-Life-Is-A-Weekend weekend would be amazing.

Alas, I'll have to settle for the two day variety.

Anything random happen to you this week?

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(Supposedly) Wordless Wednesday

2012-04-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Before I get on with the wordlessness, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who commented and wrote to me after yesterday's post. I can't tell you how much your kind words meant to me. It's easy to let myself get overwhelmed sometimes when it comes to the dogs' health, but a little perspective goes a long way and you all gave me that. It's amazing and wonderful how supportive the blogging community is. In six months we will have to get Heidi tested again to make sure the antibiotics did their job, and I will definitely let you know how that goes when the time comes.

So now, without further ado, by popular demand I bring you Moe! He's the only dog in the house who's small enough to perch himself on a single step and he takes full advantage of the unclaimed space.

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Well, this sucks.

2012-04-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

We think Heidi has Lyme disease.

Easter weekend we took Heidi on a short hike near our house. Nothing special really, no big deal. Later that day we found a tick on her. We quickly removed it and made a mental note to keep an eye on the bite area. Sure enough, Friday night there was a tell-tale "target" red ring around the bite area. A perfectly formed red ring telling us that something was up. I don't have a photo of it, but it looked just like the Target bullseye logo.

We took her to the vet the next day and now she's on a four week course of antibiotics. Aside from the red ring she isn't showing any symptoms of lyme disease. No fever, no lameness, no fatigue. Of course the problem with lyme is that it can recur later on even if she's treated now, so we'll have to keep an eye out for symptoms even as she gets older.

This is scary for me because my first dog died from renal failure caused by lyme disease. Our vet assured us that that's pretty rare and not likely to happen with Heidi (she thinks Heidi should be fine), but that didn't really do much to make me feel better. Losing my first dog to renal failure was really difficult and the thought of that possibly happening again (even in the distant future) is pretty upsetting.

I try really hard to stay even-keeled when it comes to this kind of thing. Dogs get sick and injured, I feel sad for a bit and then do what I need to do to get them healthy again. There's no point in wallowing in self-pity or getting angry because it doesn't make anything better.

But I'm starting to feel like living with us is some sort of curse for dogs. Once they're here, they're bound to develop some sort of medical horribleness. Melanie doesn't produce tears, Nemo has insulinoma, and now Heidi's saddled with Lyme disease. I don't know if this is some sort of test or something, but I'm really tired of this happening. Other people's dogs get ticks on them and they remain lyme-free, why can't that be us too? We have her on anti-flea and tick stuff every month too, so I'm not sure that there's anything we could have done differently.

I can't help but be incredibly frustrated by this. I'd really like just one dog to be healthy and not have some sort of annoying chronic condition that we'll have to keep an eye out for forever.

It just plain sucks.

Also, PSA: Tick season has started and it's really bad this year. Take care of yourselves and your dogs.

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Weekend Volunteering Report

2012-04-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

With the weather being so nice lately, we've been able to move a lot of our regular adoption events outside. I enjoy the outside adoption events so much more than the inside ones. More people stop by to see the dogs, the dogs are less stressed since they have more space to move around, and it's just plain nice to be outside for a couple hours instead of being stuck in a store.

One of the dogs that I met this weekend is Ruby. She broke out of the shelter just two weeks ago and this was her first event. At two years old and fresh out of the shelter, most dogs would have been hyper and stressed. Not Ruby though. This girl was so calm and mellow. She greeted everyone with a polite sniff and small tail-wag. Happy to meet someone new, but also just as happy to chill with her foster mom. Totally my kind of dog.

By the end of the event she crawled up in her foster mom's lap and snoozed until it was time to go home. Everyone absolutely loved her. Me included. We're looking to cut back on the number of dogs in our house as time goes on, but if we were looking to add to our little pack Ruby would be a contender.

Overall, it was a fun event. Good dogs. Nice people. Great weather. Looking forward to the next one.

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Gargoyle vs. Gargoyle

2012-04-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

I've said before that Nemo sort of reminds me of a gargoyle. The most lovable gargoyle there is, but still, a gargoyle nonetheless.

Since Moe's been here awhile now though, I've noticed that he has a few gargoyle-ish attributes too.

What do you think? Who makes the better gargoyle?

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The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 Lens: My First Impressions

2012-04-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's here!

My new lens is officially here in my hot little hands. If you like me on Facebook you know that I've actually had this lens for about a week, and I've had a blast toying around with it since I got it.

When it arrived I was soooooo excited, but in typical Kate fashion, when I ordered it I was pretty hesitant. It's was a good amount of money to drop for something that is really just a toy. I have a tough time parting with my money for necessities, so spending so much moolah on a toy made me squirm. I think I put the lens in my online cart three times before I finally hit "submit" on my order.

When I finally checked out I decided to give myself a little boost and included a message to myself with my order:

I must be clairvoyant, because I do love it!

I also appreciate the "extras" that were included with the lens. It came with a pretty spiffy lens case and lens hood. Thank you Sigma for the fantastic package of goodies.

Of course I took my handy dandy new lens out for a spin as soon as I could. Here are the very first snapshots that I took with it the day that it arrived:

Not too shabby right?

Since I use my 50mm lens all the time, I can't help but to compare the 30mm to it. Here are my first impressions straight out of the box:

- It's bigger than I thought it would be. Since I use my 50mm lens all the time, and 30mm is a shorter focal length than 50mm, I got it into my head that the 30mm and 50mm would be comparable in size. That is not true! This lens is distinctly larger than the nifty fifty. It makes the 50mm look dinky in comparison. The 30mm also feels more "solid" and less fragile than the 50mm.

- It's hefty! I read all the time about how the weight of a lens can factor into a photographer's choice of which particular lens to use or buy, but I never really understood why it meant so much until now. This is by no means a heavy lens at all, but compared to the 50mm lens that I'm used to, the 30mm has a little heft to it!

- I had myself really well trained with the 50mm. I've gotten so used to standing fairly far away when I shoot with the 50mm that now I have to learn to move in closer. No biggie, it's just funny to realize how used to my 50mm I'd become.

-It's a quieter lens. This was another thing I never really considered with my 50mm, but not hearing rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr eeeeeeeeeeee each time I take a photo now makes me realize how much less noise the 30mm makes.

- A 1.4 f/stop creates a reeeeeeeally small focus area. I definitely need to practice with it more to get comfortable with shooting wide open. Since I can shoot with such a small aperture now, for the first time I'm starting to experience the limitations of my Canon Rebel. There are only nine focus points on the T3i which can make getting the focus where I want tricky. I won't have the funds to upgrade my camera body anytime soon though so I'll have to learn to work around that.

In short, I'm already in love with this lens. I love the clarity. I love the shorter focal length. I love the extra light the wider aperture provides. I love that it's a more substantial lens, so I don't feel like I'm going to break it. I love that I have don't have to back up 10 feet to get a decent shot.

In case I wasn't clear: I love this lens.

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Wordless Wednesday

2012-04-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

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Itty Bitty Pills for Nemo

2012-04-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

One of the big developments that occurred while I was on my little blog hiatus was that we had to start Nemo on steroids for his insulinoma. We put it off for as long as we could, but the time finally came where he needed medication and we couldn't wait any longer.

I still need to do a real post about it, but every morning, as soon as we wake up, we take Nemo's blood to test his blood glucose levels. If you think about how a diabetic has to test their blood, that's the same thing we do with Nemo.

We made the decision to start Nemo on steroids after we got three really low blood glucose readings in a single week. It became clear that we weren't able to maintain a stable blood glucose level by simply feeding him regularly anymore. To recap Nemo's condition: he has small tumors on his pancreas that secrete extra insulin. In turn, this additional insulin reduces his blood glucose levels (or the amount of sugar in his blood stream), and, if his levels get too low, it can cause a whole host of problems including seizures. If you've skipped a meal when you shouldn't have and felt really lousy because of it, it's sort of like that. Except times ten.

Even though I knew that this was inevitable, it was still a bummer to realize that Nemo's health isn't going to get better. We're still pretty lucky though. When Nemo had his seizure and was initially diagnosed with pancreatic insulinoma, the vet thought he would be on steroids within the week. Instead, it's been several months and we're only now at that point. We're all hoping that indicates that his tumors aren't aggressive and hopefully they'll stay that way.

Also luckily, is the fact that he's been responding well to low doses of prednisone. So low that we've been cutting his pills up into quarters!

The lower the dose we can keep him on the better. It's easier on his liver and kidneys and it gives us the opportunity to increase his dosage if we need to. So far the side effects of the prednisone haven't been too bad. He's thirstier and drinks more water, so he's become a real pee-machine. He's also put on ~~a little~~ more weight. But it makes him feel a lot better. It helps with his arthritis a bit and we've even caught him getting "frisky" with Heidi a few times - something he's never done before.

While this is the "next step" in managing his insulinoma, he's still doing well and responding to the medication. Knock on wood it stays that way for a long time.

Pearly Whites

2012-04-09T19:00:00.000-04:00

This post is pretty off-topic so it isn't going to be interesting to most people, but in the interest of updating my 101 list and chronicling my achievements (and yes, I consider this an achievement) I'm posting about it anyway.

Today, I went to the dentist.

This is an achievement for me because I haven't been to the dentist in years. I'm a tiny wee bit terrified of the dentist. Cliche? Yes. But still true.

So today I triumphed over my irrational fear and went to a dentist. And it was fine. They cleaned my teeth and told me that despite my dentist-avoidance, my teeth are in fine shape and I'm very lucky for that fact. It was such a relief, because I had convinced myself they were going to tell me that I had some sort of horrible tooth eating bacteria that was going to require three root canals and a tooth extraction. I had no basis for that fear whatsoever. I'm just neurotic (no surprise there). I take care of my teeth at home (brush, floss, rinse) but I think I owe my do-not-need-serious-dental-work-despite-being-a-big-baby-for-so-long status to the simple fact that I don't eat sugary stuff. Thank goodness I never developed a sweet tooth!

All of the staff at the dentist's office were really nice and made me feel comfortable right away. I let them know I was nervous about the visit, so they walked me through everything and they didn't shame me for not coming in sooner. They did tell me to not go so long between appointments again and made sure I scheduled my next appointment in six months before I left (and I do plan on going). So to anyone out there who hasn't been in awhile: Go! Get it over with. You're probably scared for nothing, the dentist isn't so bad.

So that's today's post for ya. In keeping with the "dental" theme, here's a shot of some of Heidi's pretty little white teeth. Not a great photo technically, but I think those teeth are just too cute.

Anyone else conquer a fear of the dentist?

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Happy Easter

2012-04-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

here's to hoping your easter bunny is less of a curmudgeon

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Me, from A to Z

2012-04-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Since I'm catching up on my blog reading after my hiatus, I saw this posted in a few places. Thought I'd give it a whirl!

A. Age: 28. No, 29. Wait, 28. Holy crap, how old am I?!

B. Bed size: King! I pined for a king for years and finally have one and I can never go back.

C. Chore that you hate: Doing the dishes. I am actually horrible about this to the point where it probably should cause marital discord, but thankfully my husband is an extremely patient man so it doesn't. I do a lot of things, the dishes just isn't one of them.

D. Dogs: Three + One. Three pits that are mine, plus one pug that rules over them all.

E. Essential start to your day: Telling myself to get my ass out of bed already. I have to bully myself a little to get going most mornings.

F. Favorite color: Lately, it appears to be turquoise.

G. Gold or Silver: Both. Although I'm always a little self-conscious when I wear silver that it doesn't match my gold wedding ring.

H. Height: About 5'6" but I like to round up to 5'7" for some reason. I'm the shortest person in my family.

I. Instruments you play: I played the clarinet for years in school, but hell if I could make a sound with one now. My proudest musical instrument accomplishment is that I can play the NBC theme on a guitar.

J. Job title: Secret Agent.

K. Kids: Zero of the human variety.

L. Live: Washington, DC! Actually, I live in VA, but it's easier to say DC.

M. Mother’s name: Why on earth would this be on here? Next!

N. Nicknames: Kate, Boo, Stinky Feet Magoo (that last one is a lie!)

O. Overnight hospital stays: None that I can remember. Thank goodness because I really hate medical stuff. Just talking about it can me feel light headed. Like now, just thinking about needles and scalpels and blood is making me woozy.

P. Pet peeves: Chronic gum chewing, poor grammar, people who follow too closely while driving (it's dangerous!), and captcha codes.

Q. Quote from a movie: "To infinity and beyond!" - Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story.

R. Right- or left-handed: Right.

S. Siblings: Five. Four brothers, one sister.

T. Tattoos & Piercings: Zilch on the tattoo front. I think about getting something small every now and then, but I think I'd pass out if I had to get one (hate needles! see medical stuff above...). I have three piercings in each ear (I actually did almost faint with the third hole...). I regret getting more than just the regular one piercing in each ear.

U. Underwear: Um, yes? But definitely never VPL. Add VPL to my list of pet peeves.

V. Vegetable(s) you hate: This used to be brussells sprouts, but now I LOVE them. I don't think there actually is a vegetable I hate anymore...

W. What makes you run late: Being incredibly stupidly lazy.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: None that I can remember except for those ones the dentist takes of your teeth.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Pizza! We've been on a homemade pizza kick lately. Very tasty.

Z. Zoo animal: I haven't been to the zoo since I was a kid (they make me sad....), but I'll go with Pandas. They are pretty darn adorable.

But don't tell Moe I didn't say pug. He thinks pugs rule the animal kingdom.

I Must Have Really Popular Taste

2012-04-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

Because whenever I order something online lately for the house it's backordered. First, my West Elm shower curtain. Now, window curtains.

I've been keeping my eye out for new curtains for while. I have a really weird love for curtains. I think they're fun (you know you still wrap yourself up in them like you're a burrito every once in awhile! or... maybe it's just me) and they really "finish" a room. Curtains make such a huge impact on how a room feels to me.

And I have a couple rooms in my house that desperately need to feel good.

I'm talking about the dining room and living room:

I wish I had better photos of the rooms because it's actually one big space. You can sort of see how they come together in this old photo from when we first moved into the house (just imagine the dining room behind that big ugly wall):

I don't actually think that photo helps much. I vow to take better photos once the curtains come in.

Anyway, I've been on the hunt for curtains for these two spaces for awhile now and I finally found some that I like. Behold!

They are Cindy Crawford Style Sorrento Drapery Panels, and they are gorgeous. Can I say that one more time? GORGEOUS. That's what they are. And they better be since a super model designed them. You can't really tell from the photos, but the curtains are actually two layers - one solid ivory under layer, and another patterned sheer top layer. One more time: Gorgeous!

I was all set to buy them from the store, but for some crazy reason JC Penney only carries 85" lengths in stores (what's up with that JC Penney!?!) and I needed 95" panels. Apparently I wasn't the only one who needed these in a longer length though because they were backordered for several weeks. But now, finally, they should be coming in soon.

Soon.

Which means they aren't here yet, but I am waiting with bated breath.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-04-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

His lips. Nemo has found he can use them as a blanket for his paws.

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Instagram Goodness

2012-04-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

I have discovered instagram. And I love it.

To be fair, I actually have like five different camera apps on my iPod Touch (no iPhone for me). I use the other apps I have too, but I always come back to instagram one way or another.

I'm a sucker for the over-the-top processing. It's awesome to manipulate the bee-jeesus out of photos without worrying that they look over done. You just can't get away with that with regular photos the way you can with instagram. Who cares if it looks overdone!?! It's instagram! Pics are supposed to look processed!

I wonder if it will ever get old for me.

I hope not.

Anyone else an instagram fan?

Weekend Volunteering Round-up

2012-04-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

I do a lot of volunteering, but I don't do a lot of posting about it.

Some of the ways that I volunteer are virtual or behind the scenes. I organize events, answer emails, coordinate volunteers, and a lot of other things that don't involve hands-on work with the dogs. It's tough to blog about those things because there's not too much to say about sending a lot of emails to a bunch of different people. But in between all of that "virtual" work for the dogs, I get to go out to events and show the dogs off and help get them adopted. So I'm going to be posting about those times more.

This weekend I got to meet this cutie.

I was at one of our regular adoption events when I saw a potential adopter I'd talked to a few times. He's a really nice guy who was trying to find a dog that would mesh well with the dog he already had a home. He ended up going to a local shelter with his wife just to "check the dogs out" and, sure enough, they ended up finding the perfect dog for them. As her pictures shows, she was just about the happiest dog I've ever seen. All butt wiggles and kisses for everyone she met. Even though the adopter didn't end up adopting through my rescue group, he was so happy to have talked with us. His wife was hesitant to adopt a pit bull - especially one right from the shelter - but after talking with us and seeing our adoptable dogs she realized how silly that was. And now they've got their very own silly wiggle-butt pittie who already loves them to pieces.

Even though this particular dog wasn't with my rescue, I was so happy to hear that our group helped to save another dog. I love knowing that a few simple conversations went such a long way and her life was saved. I let the new adopter know that our group was happy to help him out if he had any questions and gave him some local resources for good trainers. He was so nice and already clearly bonded with his dog. In the animal rescue world it's easy to get mired down in all the dark stories of abuse and neglect. Seeing this man with this dog was a brilliant flash of light that reminded me why I volunteer so much of my time.

The dog's name is Lois. Her human is definitely a Superman.

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I just ordered this:

2012-03-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

Mailbox stalking has commenced.

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