Questionable Logic

no purrsday

2013-05-09T08:32:00.003-05:00

No purrsday today, cuties. I'll be too busy obsessively finishing A Storm of Swords. That is all.

Witty Wednesday!

2013-05-08T12:28:00.001-05:00

DIY Painted Fabric Cuff

2013-05-03T18:52:00.000-05:00

Had a great day today, finally got out of the house for the first time in what feels like forever. Got to talk for a bit with my best friend, did some thrifting and found two cute cardigans and an army green shirtdress for $8 total! We also did a little supply run for some more resin at Michael's and Shane found some glycerine so he can start making his own shisha (flavored tobacco for hookahs). All in all, it was a successful outing. Anywho, enough about my day, I'm here to show you how to make some cute handpainted fabric cuffs, so here we go!!

Here's what I used:

strips of various fabrics, acrylic paint, ruler, scissors, vintage enamel snaps,
and a pen/marker & a hammer (not pictured)

I had all of these items already, so this cost me nothing. If you're looking for small amounts of fabric at the fabric store and don't want to get an entire yard, ask them for a quarter. It's a cheaper, smaller, and you will be able to spend the money you save on another fabric option! Make sure you are choosing somewhat sturdy fabrics like vinyl or pleather (or leather, if that's what you're into). I chose vinyl in a few different colors. I bought these snaps for a few bucks on Etsy from Blue Ridge Bird Houses.

Take your fabric of choice and measure out how long you want the cuff to be on the WRONG side of the fabric. you will be marking directly on the fabric, and you don't want that to show when you're finished.
You will need to allow about 1" extra on the length to make up for where the fabric will overlap to snap together. For example, I want my cuff to be about 7", so I measure for 8". I mark at 8" on both sides of the ruler, and make a line along the ruler on both sides, since my ruler is about 1" wide, which is how wide I want my cuff to be.

The wrong side of your fabric should now look a little something like this:

Cut along the lines you drew, as straight as possible. I am HORRIBLE at cutting straight lines, and I know I'm not the only one! :)

Make sure your ends are also straight.

Mark a dot with your pen about 1/4"-1/2" from the end of your fabric, in the center, like this:

This is where you will insert the first part of your snap. These snaps come in 4 parts. Stick the prongs of this piece over where you marked the dot. Make sure this piece is as centered as possible before you push it through the fabric.

Work the fabric gently with your fingers to guide the prongs through to the tougher vinyl side.

Use this part of the snap and fit it over the prongs. Only one side will fit correctly. Once you have it placed over the prongs evenly, (as shown below), use a hammer and hammer this piece into the prongs.

If you are not sure whether it's tight enough, do a fingernail test. If you can fit your fingernail between the fabric and the metal of the snap, you will need to hammer it a few more times. It should look like this, flush with the right side of the fabric.

Now, grab your marker/pen again and mark in the same spot on the OTHER end of the cuff, on the RIGHT side. This will be covered by the snap, so don't worry about it showing. Fit the prong piece from the right side to the wrong side of the fabric, opposite of before. It should look like this:

Now, fit your last snap piece onto the prongs and hammer it down again. Below is before hammering. There should be no gap between the fabric and the snap after you hammer.

After hammering:

Now your snap is done!

Your cuff is now ready to be painted with whatever design you choose! I like to either freehand designs, or I use my clay cutters (if you do this, make sure you wash them thoroughly before and after. You don't want clay getting into your paint or vice versa!) and dip them in paint, to stamp shapes that i can fill in later.

For this cuff, I chose to do some freehand turquoise stripes in varying widths.

The Completed cuff:

And here are a few others that I made:

If you don't have the time or patience to make these on your own, stop by the shop! I have the turquoise cuff with the yellow triangles and the green cuff with the silver and black bubble design for sale!

Time for you to get to work making custom fabric cuffs of your own!

As always, comment here or shoot me an email with any questions or comments, I'm here to help!

quirkability@gmail.com

xoxo,

Meagan

shop update

2013-05-02T12:47:00.003-05:00

Hi blog world! No PURRSday today, I'll be busy doing spring cleaning, painting, and adding new listings to the shop. There will definitely be a DIY post tomorrow, though, so don't worry.

To be honest, I have been contemplating getting rid of PURRSday and coming up with something different to put in its place. It doesn't seem to generate any extra interest, and it was more for me than anyone else (sometimes I just need cute animal pictures to get me through the week, don't judge me.) I think I have an idea of what I'd like to do instead, so we'll see how that pans out next week.

I hope you guys don't hate me for switching things up all the time. I just enjoy change, and hate when things get boring. Anywho, since I'm not doing a PURRSday post today, I thought I'd update you all on what's new in the shop. Enjoy!!

navy blue resin disc earrings

wild iris resin disc earrings

white resin disc earrings

baby pink resin disc earrings

beige resin disc earrings

goldenrod resin disc earrings

coral resin disc earrings

"under the microscope" coaster set

mint, peach & coral polymer clay bubble necklace

set of 4 stackable silver bar bracelets

mixer braid necklace

beaded faux turquoise pendant necklace

faux turquoise adjustable cross ring

turquoise pyramid stud earrings

bright red pyramid stud earrings

deep purple pyramid stud earrings

black polymer clay statement necklace with gold accents

natural hemp braid necklace with hot pink accents

handpainted hunter green vinyl cuff

handpainted turquoise vinyl cuff

Witty Wednesday!

2013-05-01T11:19:00.003-05:00

DIY Colorblock Headband

2013-04-26T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hey crafters! I've got a super easy, affordable, and fun way to jazz up all those old headbands you've got lying around. This project technically cost me $0 because I had all of the materials already, but if you were to buy all the materials new (not including the headband, and substituting Mod Podge for Elmer's Glue as a cheaper alternative) this project will EASILY be under $5.

Here's what I used:

Old headband, scissors, 5 different colors of embroidery thread, Mod Podge (you can substitute this for Elmer's or clear nail polish as a cheaper alternative.)

I chose these five colors - Orange, turquoise, white, goldenrod, and magenta. Everything I have been making lately has been very SPRING oriented. I just hope it actually gets here soon. (I cannot believe it has been snowing in April! WTF!?) Anywho...

Pick the color you want to start with (in my case, turquoise). Begin by knotting your strand around the bottom of one side of the headband. Keep the knot to the inside of the headband. Avoid tying it too close to the rounded end if you have one, you don't want the embroidery thread to slip off while you are working. Make sure to leave a tail that's a few inches long.

Begin tightly wrapping your embroidery thread around the headband, making sure each strand is next to the one before it and that they are not overlapping or bunching up.

You also will want to keep the tail underneath the wrapping, you will use this tail later to help start the next section of color.

Just keep wrapping, just keep wrapping....

Once you are satisfied with the length of that section, go ahead and knot the tail you left earlier to the wrapping end of the embroidery thread as pictured below, so that it is secure. Make sure your knot is tight against the inside of the headband.

Pick a new color, and knot the end of that to the previous color's knot. Again, leave a few inches of a tail.

Start wrapping your second color much like the first.

Lather, rinse, repeat! Once you get to the end of the opposite side of your headband, knot off your last color, chop off the tails, leaving a couple millimeters of a tail (just in case) and use a tiny dab of your Mod Podge/Elmer's/Clear nail polish on the knot, let it dry, and you are good to go!

Here is the finished headband:

I personally love this project, and I think it would be super cute with an ombre effect. I think that's what I'll be doing with my next one. :) Happy crafting!

As always, if you have a question or comment, feel free to post here or email me at Quirkability@gmail.com

xoxo, Meagan

PURRSDAY [squirrels gone wild]

2013-04-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

I found a random subreddit a couple months ago called r/squirrelsgonewild. Needless to say, I subscribed instantly. Squirrels have got to be one of the cutest animals ever. A few years ago, my best friend's family even took care of a squirrel in their home for awhile, and she was the cutest thing ever! She would just climb alllllll over you making little chittery noises. Here is this picture I hunted down from 2009 of me holding her before a night out:

So here are some other aww-worthy pictures of squirrels being AWESOME.
(this is probably my longest PURRSday post yet. i went a little...ahem....WILD.)

Clint Eastwood even loves squirrels. COME ON.

Witty Wednesday

2013-04-24T10:00:00.002-05:00

Hey blog world! Sorry about the absence last week. I got caught up working on alcohol ink coasters and making some new jewelry, which you can check out later this week on the shop! I'm back this week, though, so don't fret! :)

Here's a freshly picked Witty Wednesday post for ya.

First, enjoy this video of a Cat in a Shark Suit on a Roomba Chasing a Duckling.

A few of my favorites from 11 Engagement Photos That Will Make You Happy You're Single (via BuzzFeed):

Also, a bunch of hilarious photos from BuzzFeed's 25 Photos You Need To Really Look at To Understand:

Witty Wednesday

2013-04-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

DIY 4-Strand Braid Bracelet

2013-04-12T14:51:00.000-05:00

Hi crafters! Today I want to show you one of my favorite techniques, the 4-Strand Braid. It adds a bit of sophistication to your jewelry, while the typical braid tends to look a bit junior. This is also a VERY inexpensive bracelet that I'm making, so start using your creativity and try using this technique with beads or strips of fabric! Anywho, on with the tutorial.

What you will need:

4 different colors of embroidery thread, tape, end bead, scissors, ruler.

In addition to these materials, I also used Mod Podge (you can use Elmer's Glue or clear nail polish as well) to help seal the knots.

for my 4 colors, I chose a palette that screamed SPRING! - yellow, purple, pink, and blue.

Cut 3 15 inch strands of each color embroidery thread. (Yes, I know that sounds like it's too long, but you will want the extra length to work with later. It's always better to cut it too long than too short!)

Separate your colors.

Make a loop with your embroidery thread, then pull the tail through the loop. DO NOT PULL TIGHT.

Stick your finger in the loop, and pull both ends of the thread tight so that the loop is snug around your finger.

Now, with the shorter end, wrap another loop just like the first one, around the longer end.

You WILL pull this one tight, to form a very basic square knot.

Do this one more time, and LEAVE THE TAIL. We will take care of that at the end.

Now, tape down your knot and loop to a table and separate your 4 groups of colors.

Begin by taking the blue strands (3rd from the left) and laying it over the pink strand (2nd from the left)

Now, since the blue strands went OVER the pink strands, they will now go UNDER the yellow strands.

And because the pink strands went UNDER the blue strands, they will now go OVER the purple strands.

Now we have yellow and purple in the middle and the blue and pink strands that were originally in the middle are now on the outside.

You will repeat those weaving steps again... purple will go OVER the yellow and yellow UNDER the purple.

...and because the yellow went UNDER the purple, it will go OVER the pink, and the purple will go UNDER the blue.

Now we're back to having the pink and blue in the middle, so you just keep going with the UNDER/OVER pattern and it will start to look like this:

Just keep braiding, just keep braiding...

Once you've got a fairly long braid, place the ruler just under the knot at the loop to measure out how long you need it to be to fit your wrist. Also make sure you account for about 1/2 an inch extra to be included for the loop/bead closure. For example, I want my braid to be about 7 inches, because my wrist is about 7.5 inches.

Tie off another square knot where you want your bracelet to end, and pull it tight.

Now, to add your closure bead, (you will notice I had to change mine to one with a slightly larger hole) take a scrap strand of embroidery thread and loop it around the tail below the knot.

Pull the ends of the scrap strand (yellow) through the holes of your bead of choice.

Keep pulling on the scrap strand so that the tail gets pulled through the bead.

Keep pulling it all the way through....

Now your bead is perfectly strung on the tail.

Secure the other side of the bead with another knot.

It's up to you whether you want to leave the long tail or not, sort of like a tassel, but I don't like having things dangle too far off my wrist, so i chopped the tail down to about 1/4".

Now, go back to your loop at the beginning, and chop off that tail too.

Take your Mod Podge or Elmer's Glue, and gently rub a very small amount onto the threads, guiding them over the knot, so that they are pushed down and secure. This keeps your loop knot from coming undone. You can use a brush for this if you don't want to get it on your fingers. I don't mind getting my hands a little dirty.

The Mod Podge will dry clear, and when it does in about 20 minutes, you're good to go!

Cute new bracelet just in time for spring! You can make tons of these and stack them, or as I mentioned in the beginning of the post, use this technique on anything! I would love to see what you come up with.

Comment here or E-mail me: Quirkability@gmail.com

[baby farm animals]

2013-04-11T15:07:00.003-05:00

Being that I'm from Iowa, I've seen my fair share of farm animals. Don't believe the stereotype, I didn't live on a farm, in fact I lived in a fairly large city. Nothing like Chicago, of course, but big enough that there weren't any cornfields nearby. Anywho, I thought this week we'd go back to my Iowa roots and look at some cute baby farm animals.

lil chickadee

baby baaaaaaabe!

baby lamb

duckling

baby cow

baby horse

another baby cow, because they're so darn cute.

baby sheep

more piglets playing with a farm kitty

baby turkey

baby goat

baby bunnies!!

Witty Wednesday!

2013-04-10T17:58:00.000-05:00

DIY Alcohol Ink Coasters (2-Part Tutorial)

2013-04-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! As I explained in my last post, I have been using resin in TONS of projects lately, so I wanted to share one with you today. This one is super easy, and VERY affordable. As the title suggests, this is a 2-part tutorial; the first part being the design of your alcohol ink coasters, and the second part being the resin coating process.

I cannot stress this enough: MAKE SURE TO DO THIS PROJECT IN A WELL-VENTILATED AREA! YOU WILL BE RELEASING FUMES INTO THE AIR AND THEY CAN BE HARMFUL TO HUMANS AND ANIMALS IF INHALED OR INGESTED. DO NOT USE ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL OR RESIN NEAR AN OPEN FLAME AND PLEASE WEAR A FACE MASK WHEN WORKING WITH RESIN TO AVOID INHALING THE FUMES. YOU SHOULD ALSO WEAR PROTECTIVE LATEX OR NITRILE GLOVES TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN AND GOGGLES TO PROTECT YOUR EYES. PRACTICE PROPER SAFETY!!!

Now that I'm done lecturing you on safety, let's get on with the fun part....

DIY Alcohol Ink Coasters

(sealed with resin)

What you will need for part 1:

Isopropyl Alcohol, 1 clean paintbrush, 4 white square ceramic floor tiles, alcohol inks in various colors, felt blending pads

In addition to these supplies, I would suggest wearing latex or nitrile gloves to protect your fingers, because they most definitely WILL get ink on them. And again, you should only be working with Isopropyl Alcohol in a well-ventilated area. Also, it's not pictured here, but I used a cleaned lid from a mayo jar to pour my alcohol into. You will want to use something similar.

[[I purchased my Alcohol from Walgreens, I found it there for under $4 (for a 32 oz. bottle). I purchased my Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks from 2 different Etsy shops, beadsjustforyoutoo & remembering tuesday. For the 8 bottles that I bought, the total cost was about $23. That sounds like a lot, but these alcohol inks last FOREVER and can be used for practically any smooth surface. They also come in packs of 3 complimentary colors, or you can buy them individually. I also purchased my felt applicators from a shop on Etsy, allforhimart. I bought the coasters at Home Depot, and spent about $5 for 32 tiles...I believe they were about 12 cents per tile.]]

Alrighty! To begin, lay a couple paper towels down (so as not to get ink on your table) and set your first coaster on it. pour a small amount of alcohol into an upturned lid (as pictured) and use your clean paintbrush to paint a layer of alcohol over the ENTIRE tile.

Pick out the colors you'd like to use. I chose Shell Pink, Red Pepper, and Wild Plum.

Pick the color you'd like to use first, and drop a few dots randomly on the tile. You can do as many or as little as you want, get as creative as you want!

Watch as the colors begin to bleed out across the layer of alcohol. You can blow through a straw directed at the ink to help it spread, but don't blow too much, because you may dry out the alcohol.

Next, I added some of the Red Pepper color, and let that start spreading out towards the Wild Plum.

Finally, I add in my Shell Pink and let it bleed out towards the red and the plum.

Once you've got the colors placed where you want them, grab your felt applicators and begin lightly dabbing the tile all over. Try to avoid dragging the felt across the tile, just light dabs should do the trick. I usually go over the tile again and again until it is covered and I get the effect I'm looking for. Feel free to play around with it to get different effects! If it ends up looking completely horrible, you can always wipe the tile down with some of the alcohol and start new!

Covered with colors, ready for dabbing!

Used the felt on about 1/4 of the coaster at this point, wanted to show how different it looks after using the felt applicator.

I love when these little circles pop up from the alcohol. Gives it a stone-y effect.

Completed color.

I did the other three tiles in different colors, so I wanted to show the color combinations I used for those as well....

For this coaster, I used colors Meadow, Stream, and Currant.

For the 3rd coaster, I used colors Meadow, Butterscotch, and Slate

And for my 4th and final coaster of this set, I used colors Meadow, Butterscotch, and Shell Pink.

Here are the four coasters in this set:

All four of these coasters were produced using the same technique.

Set these coasters aside to dry in a relatively dust-free area for a few hours.

Now you're ready for PART TWO!

DIY Resin Coating

What you will need:

4 dry coasters, one straw, wooden stirring sticks,
small plastic disposable measuring cups (2 per coaster) ,
wax paper, and resin

I buy my resin at Michael's, and I always use the 40%-50% off one item coupons, so I can get a 32 oz. resin kit (which will last you for a LONG time, unless you use it constantly like I do) for about $20. I'm sure you can find straws and wax paper on your own, and I bought a box of these wooden craft sticks to stir my resin with at Wal-Mart for about $5 (for a box of a thousand sticks). The plastic disposable measuring cups can be a little tricky, I have yet to find somewhere local that sells them for an affordable price, and I have checked at pharmacies and GNCs, but they are either too expensive and in too little a quantity to be worth my while. I instead go to Etsy, of course, and I buy the 100 packs of these measuring cups specifically for resin crafting from Annie Howes. I love this shop so much, it is great if you are a beginner resin crafter, because she has many supplies (including resin) at a very reasonable price. I paid $8 for this 100 pack.

And I will state again, ONLY use resin in a warm, well-ventilated, dust-free area, and practice safety! DO NOT INHALE resin fumes, and wear a face mask and gloves at all times when using resin.
It is also a good idea to turn off all fans in the area so that dust is not travelling in the air. THIS WILL effect your resin.

On to the tutorial!

Start out by placing wax paper on the your work surface and placing one resin coaster on top of a bottle cap or something similar that is smaller than the coaster to keep it from sitting directly on the wax paper. This is so the resin will drip off the sides and onto the wax paper for easy cleanup later.
You will want your coaster to be at least 1/4 " above the surface of the table.

Make sure that the surface of the coaster itself is free of dust/pet hair, etc before coating it.

Pull out your bottles of resin (I use a two-part mix of resin and hardener) and your plastic disposable measuring cups.

Fill your measuring cup with resin (the clear one) up to the 1 Tbsp line. Make sure that you are at eye-level with the cup as you pour, and pour it VERY slowly so that you can be as accurate as possible. THIS IS IMPORTANT. The more accurate your measurements are, the better your resin will look when it's finished.

Pour your hardener directly into the cup with the resin, until it is at the 2 Tbsp mark. This is an even 1:1 Resin-Hardener mix. Make sure you follow the directions on your particular resin regarding the measurements, some may differ. For the most part, though, It will be an even mix of resin to hardener.

Now, take your wooden stir stick and begin stirring for ONE minute. You will want to make sure to stir well during that minute, as if you were stirring ingredients for baking. Scrape the sides of the cup to get all of the resin incorporated. You will want to time yourself so that you can be accurate on the time for stirring.

Once your timer hits 1 minute, IMMEDIATELY pour your resin into a second measuring cup, making sure to use your stir stick to scrape the edges and get ALL of it into the second cup. This is the 2-cup technique listed in the instructions on my resin and has not failed me ONCE!

Once you've got it all into the second cup, set your timer for ONE minute again, and stir continuously for that one minute, same as before.
When your timer is up, your resin should be full of bubbles and look just like this:

IMMEDIATELY pour the resin directly onto the center of the coaster (it will begin spreading out towards the edges on it's own) and you can also pour close to the edges to help it along.

You can see the resin beginning to drip off the edges of the coaster onto the wax paper. This is completely normal, just let it do it's thing for about 30 seconds. Feel free to tilt the coaster this way and that (while wearing gloves, of course) to make sure the entire coaster is covered.

Once the resin is covering the entire coaster, gently blow through a straw over the surface of the coasters to pop all of the tiny bubbles on the surface of the resin. Bubbles are completely normal, and if you have them, you are doing it right! Make sure to be thorough, though, and get them all popped. breathing through the straw over the entire coaster 2-3 times should be enough.
AGAIN, MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT INHALE THROUGH THE STRAW WHILE YOU ARE DOING THIS. INHALE AS FAR AWAY AS THE RESIN AS POSSIBLE.

Once all the bubbles are out, it should look smooth and glossy, like this....

Now, use your wooden stir stick CAREFULLY by sliding it along the outer edges of the coaster to remove any built up drips of resin. I also run the stir stick just underneath the edge as well, to make sure it didn't drip onto the underside of the coaster. Some of them may do this anyway, and it's totally fine. Just use some sandpaper when it's finished curing on the drips that formed on the underside and it's not a problem.

Now, WHILE WEARING GLOVES, put down another sheet of wax paper, and with one hand, carefully lift the coaster and the cap underneath and transfer it to the clean sheet. Immediately cover it with a plastic lid or tupperware container of some sort that is free from dust particles, hair, etc. while it is curing.

And we wait. Follow the curing times on your specific resin. Mine are usually finished curing after about 24 hours. Avoid the impulse to lift the lids to check on these in the first 5-7 hours, you don't want an errant piece of hair or dust to fly in and ruin your coasters!

Here is what my set looks like after curing:

Lastly, you can either glue a square of felt that is cut to size to the bottom of the coaster, or buy some self-adhesive felt pads from the dollar store or Home Depot. And you're done! Have fun with your brand new homemade coasters!

If you aren't in the mood to make your own coasters, check back at my store in the next 2 weeks, as I will be adding alcohol ink coaster sets to my shop for you to purchase!

I LOVE RESIN!

2013-04-06T19:02:00.001-05:00

Hi blog world! Don't fret, I didn't forget about your DIY this weekend, it has just been postponed to Monday because I have to wait for some resin to cure to take my final pictures.
While we wait, I thought I would show you some other resin-related items I have been working on!

I have been making TONS of these resin bangles. They are super easy and fun to make, and I can do them in ANY color! Needless to say, I have been churning these out like there's no tomorrow. Here are the bangles I have listed on my shop...
(click the link in the caption under each picture to visit that specific listing)

"Trendsetter" Resin Bangle Set - $25

Glitzy Gold Glitter Resin Bangle - $10

"Springtime" Resin Bangle Set - $25

"Firestarter" Resin Bangle Set - $25

Neon Resin Bangle Set - $25

Silver Glitter Chunky Resin Bangle - $10

"Royal Confetti" Resin Bangle Set - $25

"Late Night" Resin Bangle Set - $25

If you're not quite in the mood for bangles, check out these resin teardrop necklaces!

Blue Resin Teardrop Necklace - $24

Confetti Resin Teardrop Necklace - $24

If you're looking for a fun ring instead, check out this mustache ring I made!

Black Mustache Adjustable Ring - $8

And for those of you who like to create your own necklaces, I have been creating new resin pendants! I only have a few of them listed at the moment, but I will have more up next week. The three I have listed now are of a "Famous Paintings" theme, but check back at the store next week to see new listings for Doctor Who, Adventure Time, Chowder, Misadventures of Flapjack, and The Beatles themed pendants!!
Here are the "Famous Paintings" resin pendants I was referring to:

Starry Night Resin Pendant - $8

Persistence of Memory Resin Pendant - $8

Starry Night Over The Rhone Resin Pendant - $8

Hope you like what I've been coming up with lately!!
Feel free to comment or send me an email with any requests, questions or custom orders! I am here for you 24/7!!

xoxo, Meagan

PURRSday [wildcat cubs]

2013-04-04T14:24:00.000-05:00

Get your AWWWWW's ready! It's PURRSday!
This week, I'm gushing over wildcat cubs. Here we go!!

First up is Snow Leopard cubs:

The snow leopard is a moderately large cat native to the mountain ranges of Central Asia. Snow leopards occupy alpine and subalpine areas generally 3,350 and 6,700 metres (10,990 and 22,000 ft) above sea level in Central Asia.
Snow leopards show several adaptations for living in a cold mountainous environment. Their bodies are stocky, their fur is thick, and their ears are small and rounded, all of which help to minimize heat loss. Their paws are wide, which distributes their weight better for walking on snow, and have fur on their undersides to increase their grip on steep and unstable surfaces; it also helps to minimize heat loss. Snow leopards' tails are long and flexible, helping them to maintain their balance, which is very important in the rocky terrain they inhabit. Their tails are also very thick due to storage of fats and are very thickly covered with fur which allows them to be used like a blanket to protect their faces when asleep.
The snow leopard cannot roar, despite possessing partial ossification of the hyoid bone. This partial ossification was previously thought to be essential for allowing the big cats to roar, but new studies show that the ability to roar is due to other morphological features, especially of the larynx, which are absent in the snow leopard. Snow leopard vocalizations include hisses, chuffing, mews, growls, and wailing.

Next up, Lynx cubs!

The lynx has a short tail and characteristic tufts of black hair on the tips of its ears; large, padded paws for walking on snow; and long whiskers on its face. Under its neck, It has a ruff which has black bars, is not very visible, and resembles a bow tie.
Its body color varies from medium brown to goldish to beige-white, and is occasionally marked with dark brown spots, especially on the limbs. All species of lynx have white fur on their chests, bellies and on the insides of their legs, fur which is an extension of the chest and belly fur. Also, the lynx's coloring, fur length and paw size vary by its climate range—in the Southwestern United States, its short-haired fur is dark and its paws are smaller and less padded. As the lynx ranges to colder northern climates, its fur gets progressively thicker (for warmth), the colour gets lighter (for camouflage) and its paws enlarge and become more padded (for snowy environments). Its paws may become larger than a human hand or foot.
The smallest species are the bobcat and the Canada lynx, while the largest is the Eurasian lynx, with considerable variations within species.

If that wasn't enough for you, how about LION cubs!!

The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 550 lb, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia (where an endangered remnant population resides in Gir Forest National Park in India) while other types of lions have disappeared from North Africa and Southwest Asia in historic times.
Lions live for 10–14 years in the wild, while in captivity they can live longer than 20 years. In the wild, males seldom live longer than 10 years, as injuries sustained from continual fighting with rival males greatly reduce their longevity. They typically inhabit savanna and grassland, although they may take to bush and forest. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males.
Lions have been known to breed with tigers (most often the Siberian and Bengal subspecies) to create hybrids called ligers and tiglons (or tigons). They also have been crossed with leopards to produce leopons, and jaguars to produce jaglions.

It's a Leoplurodon, Charlie!!! (leopon)

And last but not least, take a look at these fierce wittle tiger cubs!!

mean-muggin'

Tigers have muscular bodies with particularly powerful forelimbs and large heads. The pelage coloration varies between shades of orange or brown with white ventral areas and distinctive black stripes. The face has long whiskers, which are especially long in males. The pupils are circular with yellow irises. The small, rounded ears have black markings on the back, surrounding a white spot.[4] These spots, called ocelli, play an important role in intraspecific communication.
The pattern of stripes is unique to each animal, these unique markings can be used by researchers to identify individuals (both in the wild and captivity), much in the same way that fingerprints are used to identify humans. It seems likely that the function of stripes is camouflage, serving to help tigers conceal themselves amongst the dappled shadows and long grass of their environment as they stalk their prey. The stripe pattern is also found on the skin of the tiger. If a tiger were to be shaved, its distinctive camouflage pattern would be preserved.

(source: Wikipedia)

Witty Wednesday!!

2013-04-03T10:02:00.003-05:00

Crucial Safety Tips

2013-04-02T11:59:00.001-05:00

I posted a story of my own and wrote about r/letsnotmeet last week... (READ THE POST HERE)
One user actually posted some "Crucial Safety Tips" that I found very helpful, so I wanted to post it here so that it would reach as many people as possible.
Note: I DID NOT write these out, I simply copy + pasted from the post, so if you would like to ask questions of the person who wrote this, visit the original post HERE.
Also, if you have some tips of your own, please feel free to comment or email me! I would love to add them! Please stay safe and alert at all times to avoid dangerous situations!!
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In daylight hours, refresh yourself of these things to do in an emergency situation...

This is for you, and for you to share with your wife, your children, everyone you know. After reading these ten crucial tips, tell them to someone you care about. Print them, forward them, memorize them! It never hurts to be careful in this crazy world we live in.

Tip from Tae Kwon Do:

The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, wham it hard into the person's nose, skull, inbetween the ribs, any weak point. If you can, AIM FOR THE LEFT SIDE OF THEIR NECK! This may cause them to go unconscious.

Learned this from a tourist guide. If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, do not hand it to him. Toss it away from you.... Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse. Run like mad in the other direction!
If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy.. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.
Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, doing makeup, making a list, etc.) Don't do this! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go.

As soon as you get into your car , lock the doors and leave.

If someone is in the car with a gun to your head Do not drive off.

Repeat:

Do not drive off!

Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your air bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat they will get the worst of it . As soon as the car crashes bail out and run. It is better than having them find your body in a remote location.

A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger side floor , and in the back seat.

B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side... If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out.

It is always better to be safe than sorry. (And better paranoid than dead.)

Always take the elevator instead of the stairs. Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at night!)
If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control,

Always run!

The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; and even then, it most likely Will Not be a vital organ.. Run, preferably in a zig -zag pattern!

As a woman, I am always trying to be sympathetic:

Stop

It may get you raped, or killed.

Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who Always played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked 'for help' into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Another Safety Point:

Someone just told me that her friend heard a crying baby on her porch the night before last, and she called the police because it was late and she thought it was weird.. The police told her 'Whatever you do, Do Not open the door..' The lady then said that it sounded like the baby had crawled near a window, and she was worried that it would crawl to the street and get run over. The policeman said, 'We already have a unit on the way,whatever you do, Do Not open the door.'

He told her that they think a serial killer has a baby's cry recorded and uses it to coax women out of their homes thinking that someone dropped off a baby... He said they have not verified it, but have had several calls by women saying that they hear baby's cries outside their doors when they're home alone at night.

This one applies for everybody: Water scam!

If you wake up in the middle of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a burst pipe, do not go out to investigate! These people turn on all your outside taps full blow so that you will go out to investigate and then attack.

Come off as psychotic! Wear hoods, baggy clothing, make yourself seem larger than you really are. Look angry. NEVER WEAR HEADPHONES. Sorry to put it in all caps, but this is important. The predator will take advantage of the fact you are weak in one sense. Jam your hands deep in your pockets.

If you are being followed, face the person. Say something not scary, but unnerving. For example: "No fleas in clean hair, no bats in your underwear. That's the way I like it. I was expecting you. Do you know what blood tastes like? I would like to know..." Add an evil cackle in there, and snap your neck all the way to the side. Act like an escaped schizophrenic on meth.

Do not keep a weapon with you unless you fully intend to use it and know how to. Learn about your state's self defense weapon laws. I recommend pepper spray, or even just breath spray with alcohol in it.

Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!

DIY Catch-All / Jewelry Display

2013-03-29T13:46:00.000-05:00

Alright, homies. Today we're making a catch-all (i.e.: something by the door to throw your keys and stuff in when you come home or to display little trinkets that don't fit anywhere else. I also thought it would be cute as a jewelry display, to hold rings/earrings/bracelets, etc.

I got three of these 3-compartment shadowboxes as part of a craft supply gift a couple Christmases ago. They have been sitting around for ages because I hadn't thought of anything to use them for.
I should add a disclaimer, this is not so much a tutorial, but more of an idea-starter. Is that a thing? I don't know.

Here we go!

WHAT I USED:

acrylic paints in white, black gloss, and neon yellow/pink/green

paintbrushes

hand sander w/ 600 grit sandpaper

wooden shadowbox

(not pictured) gloss polyurethane varnish

First step (optional): Depending on the wooden shadowbox you have, you may have to sand it. I did. Just get some sandpaper and rub it on that thing 'til it's smooth, okay?

Next comes the primer. Basically, just get some white paint and paint the entire thing. Pretty simple.

When the primer is dry (should take about 5-20 minutes, depending on how thick a coat you put on) you can paint the compartments however you like. I did neon. So...yeah. Just paint it. I did several coats of each color (5-6, i believe). Then I used my black gloss paint for the sides, the top edges and the bottom. Once that was dry, I went over the entire thing, inside and out, with my gloss varnish. Once that is dry, put some stuff in there! DUH.

Oh yeah, here's one I did while I was watching all 3 Toy Story movies last weekend... not like my color palette reflects what I was doing or anything...

Yep. Pretty simple. Hope this post gets your painting engines revving and I can inspire you to make some cute catch-alls of your own!

PURRSday [the slender loris]

2013-03-28T12:01:00.000-05:00

For this week's PURRSday Thursday, I wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite adorable animals of ALL TIME.

THE SLENDER LORIS

get ready for a whole buttload of cute.

First, a bit of background on the Slender Loris....

The slender lorises (Loris) are a genus of loris native to India and Sri Lanka. There are two known species:
The red slender loris, Loris tardigradus
The gray slender loris, Loris lydekkerianus

Slender lorises are found in tropical rainforests, scrub forest, semi-deciduous forest and swamps.
In Tamil Nadu State of India in the Kollimalai region, there is illegal catching of slender lorises, and there is also a vigorous clampdown on it. Slender lorises are illegally smuggled to supply a growing exotic pet trade. Slender lorises are at risk of going extinct because of this illegal pet trade.
[source: Wikipedia]

witty wednesday!!

2013-03-27T12:26:00.001-05:00

let's not meet.

2013-03-26T18:03:00.001-05:00

Hi all! I have been a devoted Redditor for a few years now, and every once in awhile, I go out in search of new subreddits to read. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the subreddit r/letsnotmeet.
This subreddit is all non-fictional stories written by users about situations they've been in with stalkers/murderers/peeping toms/burglars/general creepers, etc...

(Be advised that there are some stories that can be triggers for those that have been through traumatic experiences, so read at your own risk. I also find, however, that these stories and the comments on them can provide a lot of helpful advice for those who may be in a situation fitting for r/letsnotmeet in the future.)

r/letsnotmeet has become somewhat of an obsession of mine, and in the last few weeks since I discovered it, I have been reading story after story for hours at a time, and have even gotten a few friends hooked on it. Eventually, I decided to submit one my own. It's not scary, just really weird. I am posting it here, for you to read. It's a bit lengthy, so grab a snack and settle in.

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The Day I Met Jesus

I have been obsessively reading this subreddit for the last couple weeks, and I was reminded of a creepy incident from last year. Keep in mind this isn't really scary, just really weird. Also, I am by no means an aspiring author, and I tend to ramble, so bear with me.

I am a 24 year old female, and last summer my boyfriend and I held temp jobs in a factory just north of Chicago. I had been there a month or so, and had gotten to know and like many of the people I worked around. There were always new temps coming in, since it was a busy time of year (end of the quarter) and new temps were being hired and fired all the time. (Really, I have never seen so much turnover in my life, it was a little crazy.) My boyfriend worked in the warehouse, and I worked on the main floor. Here’s a crudely drawn ms paint picture to show the general layout for the building:

layout

When you walk into the main floor (the large area separated into 4 factories) through the doorway, you can either visit the restroom directly to your right, or go straight down the walkway that goes alongside factory 2 & 3. Workers in Factory 2 & 3 of course regularly use this walkway to go back and forth for bathroom/lunch breaks.

We worked second shift, from 10AM to 10PM, and as you can see by the green dot, I worked right next to the walkway, so I would always see coworkers as they passed by and, being a friendly, outgoing relatively new girl, it wasn’t uncommon at all to smile and have a brief chat with other workers as they passed. I genuinely enjoyed my job and for the first time ever, I really enjoyed the people I worked with. It was really a melting pot of people from different backgrounds/ethnicities/ages, etc… (which I believe was the result of our very lazy reps at the temp agency who just threw a seemingly endless supply of temps at the job without actually checking their histories…but that’s another story…) The downside to this melting pot was that there were a few creepers thrown into the mix. One of them is the subject of this story. He has many names throughout this story, but to my knowledge, his name is Steve, so we’ll call him that.

I was starting my shift, talking and joking with my co-worker, Sandy, when I noticed Steve walk by on the walkway. I had seen him a couple times in the days prior, but not at all before that, so I knew he was a new hire. He looked to be around my age, very AVERAGE looking. I mean there was nothing that really stood out about the guy, he was caucasian, tan, about my height (5’8’’), average build, and had short light brown hair and light eyes. He wasn’t a bad looking guy by any means, just AVERAGE.

I honestly don’t know what caught my attention the first time he walked by. I glanced up, made eye contact, and gave a friendly smile, he smiled back, and kept walking, and I kept working. A few minutes later, he was walking back in the opposite direction, towards the bathrooms/doors. Again, we made eye contact, I smiled, and he smiled back again. This was when I noticed there was something a little off. I can’t describe it, it was just something in his eye and the way he smiled… it just felt very focused, if that makes sense… sort of like that feeling when you make eye contact with someone across the room, and you get the feeling they have been looking at you for awhile before you noticed… that’s how his smile felt… like he had it prepared when he walked by me. That’s the only way I can describe it. I didn’t get the creepiness of his smile yet, so I thought nothing of it.

This happens a couple more times, with him walking back and forth and smiling at me, and it struck me as odd, because managers are fairly strict on making sure you are where you need to be and they generally don’t put up with people taking frequent breaks and just having the walk of the floor without a reason. I wondered why he kept going back and forth, he never carried anything with him, so I knew he wasn’t ordering parts from the warehouse or getting tools from the tool crib, and I doubted that anyone has to use the bathroom that many times within an hour. I jokingly made a remark to my co-worker Sandy about him and told her to watch when he walked by and see if she noticed anything . Sure enough, a few minutes after I say that, he walks by again, same as usual. She immediately turns around and says “okay, that was weird,” but she couldn’t pinpoint why either.

Corey, another girl who worked behind me must have overheard us, and said, “hey, have you guys been noticing that guy that keeps walking by?” and I fill her in on his creepy smiling and she says “yeah, he’s been doing the same thing to me!” We wrote it off as him possibly trying to be flirty but too shy to say hello. We nick-named him Sir Grins-A-Lot, laughed, and got back to work.

This happens a few more times after lunch, to the point where it felt like he was doing it deliberately, and each time it just felt more and more odd. After he walked past me one of those times toward Factory 3, I stuck my head out into the walkway to see where he walked to. I watched as he casually walked nearly all the way down the walkway, and saw him glancing at to his right at various other workers, and then once he almost gets to the back wall, he turns around and starts walking right back! I snapped my head back in so he wouldn’t see me watching him. Why was he just walking back and forth giving weird smiles to people? It was starting to creep us all out.

I got asked to help out in another area for a few hours, so I hadn’t seen him in a while, since I was further inside the Factory. Around 9:00, I go back to my normal area and start getting things ready for 3rd shift. Some of the guys from 3rd shift start to show up and wander around chatting with the 2nd shift people before they clock in for the night.

I was talking to a guy on 3rd shift (I don’t remember his name, so we’ll call him Mario) and I mentioned Steve/Sir-Grins-A-Lot and his creepy smiles. Mario laughed and walked away for a few minutes, and when he came back he had a weird look on his face. He immediately says “You wanna hear about creepy guys, there is apparently one going around telling everyone he’s Jesus…” I thought I misheard him, so I had him clarify. “Yeah, random coworker was sitting at her workstation and this guy leaned in and whispered in her ear ‘My name is Jesus.’” Mario didn’t seem to know much else, and I could tell he was just as confused as I was. It didn’t make any sense. At first I thought it was someone named Jesus (Hey Zeus) but I didn’t think anyone worked there by that name.

I went to investigate, and several of my coworkers, including my team lead said he walked past each person in their area and whispered something to the effect of “My name is Jesus” into their ear and continued walking on down the row. Everyone was just really confused. No one had any idea who the guy was and no one had ever really seen him around before. It was nearing time to line up at the timeclock, and I started talking to my friend Will, who worked in factory 1. I asked them if they had heard anything about it, and they said he came through their factory too.

Then Dan, my supervisor (who usually hunkers down in his cubicle all day to avoid interacting with anyone) came over and said “Soooo, have you guys met Jesus?” I asked him who the guy was and what was going on, and he said that he had come through the cubicle area where the supervisors sit and said the same thing to him. Dan said he laughed and said “Who is your boss?” and the guy said “God” and walked off. He said he thought his name was Steve, but wasn’t sure. (As I said, there were a LOT of temps in and out of there, so it wasn’t uncommon for him not to know someone’s name) I asked what he looked like, and Dan described him, and I put two & two together. IT WAS SIR GRINS-A-LOT! On the way home from work, I talked about it with my boyfriend, and we came to the conclusion that Steve was hired, hated the job, and since it was a Friday, he decided to say ‘fuck it’ and prank everyone by confusing us all, leaving, and never coming back.

Monday came around, and I saw him walk by as I started my shift! Obviously this wasn’t a prank, he walked in like he hadn’t just creeped everyone out a few days ago. A couple hours later, I found out that he was immediately fired when he came in to work and we never saw him again. No one had ever had a conversation with him or knew anything about him aside from his name and what area he worked in, and we never saw him again. To this day I wonder what his deal was and why he felt the need to tell everyone his name was Jesus.

TL;DR - New hire at work walked around all day giving people creepy smiles and then went around at the end of the night telling everyone his name was Jesus.

DIY Polymer Clay Bangles

2013-03-22T12:33:00.001-05:00

Hi crafters! Today I thought I'd share with you a fun, cheap, and easy way to jump-start your creativity and make your own accessories, namely bangle bracelets!

Here's what I used....

Premo Accents Gray Granite Polymer clay (I used half of this 2 oz. block)
Various clay tools (Bead reamers, etc... anything you can use to add detail or a pattern to your bangle)
Wax paper (to cover my work surface)
Tape (to hold the wax paper down flat on the table and prevent it from moving around)
X-Acto Knife (PLEASE be careful when using any blades!)
Latex gloves (to prevent leaving fingerprints and skin oils on the clay)
You will also need an oven to bake the clay in and a cookie sheet or aluminum foil (designated specifically for clay baking and NOTHING else. DO NOT re-use tray for food items.)

Once you've got your materials together, tape a square of wax paper onto your clean work surface. I usually do roughly a 12" X 12" square to leave myself enough room to roll the clay out.

Before you tear the wrapper off your clay, take note of the baking time and temp listed on it. Some brands have different temps and times, so DO NOT go by what mine says. Follow the time and temp listed on your clay to avoid under/over baking it.

Take the wrapper off, and put your gloves on. Then, start kneading your clay until it is soft and pliable. Depending on your clay, this will take anywhere from 2-10 minutes. The drier your clay is, the longer it will take to be conditioned.

Once your clay is soft and pliable, begin rolling it between your palms to form a snake.

Once I've rolled it between my palms and it starts looking like the picture below, I start rolling it with one palm against the wax paper on the table so that I can even it out and make sure there are no lumps or that one end isn't thicker than the other.

Continue rolling it out until you have a snake about 1/4" in diameter, like the picture below:

Now you are ready to begin forming the bangle into its' shape. For a size reference, I used a resin bangle mold and laid my clay snake right on top. I know not everyone has one of these, so use something with a round shape like a jar or canister that's about the size you're looking for.

Cut the excess clay off with your X-Acto knife where the ends overlap.

Now, smush the ends of your snake together gently, and rub your (still gloved) finger up and down the crease until you can't see it anymore. This may take a little practice, but the great thing about polymer clay is, if you screw it up, you can always mush it back into a ball and start again.

This is what your bangle should look like now that the crease has been rubbed out. Seamless!

Now, use your creativity to create a pattern or design of your choice! For this bangle, I decided to use my X-Acto knife to gently carve small chunks off the surface of the clay.

I continued carving all the way around the bangle until it looked like this:

Make sure you flip it over and carve the other side, too!

Now that both sides are carved, your bangle should look like this!

Once your finished carving or putting a pattern on your bangle, bake the clay on your cookie sheet, and don't forget to follow the baking directions on YOUR clay.
I baked mine at 275 degrees for 25 minutes.

Here's what the set I made looks like after baking:

After they bake, let them cool. If your bangles have rough or scratchy edges, a little light sanding with a small piece of sandpaper or a nail file should do the trick!

And here is the set after sanding. There isn't much of a difference in the pink and granite bangles, but the black bangle has lighter edges around where I carved, and I love the effect!

Now you're finished and can wear the new accessories that YOU created!

This is another bangle that I made, turned out pretty damn cute!

Have fun!!!

P.S.: If you don't want to do the work creating the bangles, check back here! I will be listing a few sets of clay bangles on my shop, BaubleHeadz soon!!
xoxo,
Meagan

PURRSday [hybrid puppies]

2013-03-21T11:42:00.000-05:00

YAY! It's time for the first PURRsday feature! Every Thursday I will be showing off the most adorable pictures I can find, and each post will feature a different animal. Enjoy!

This week: HYBRID PUPPIES!

This little guy is a POMSKY.

50% Pomeranian

50% Husky

100% The CUTEST thing I have seen in my entire freaking life.

More info about the Pomsky:

The pomsky is a designer breed and well sought after. The pomsky standard is between 5 to 25 pounds leaving occasionaly the 25 pound dog (not often though). This breed has a sweet temperament and is a great family dog.

Pomskies are spirited but docile. Don’t let their size fool you. They are more agile and active than they look. They mainly sport a foxlike head and small erect ears. The most attractive feature is its long coat which is especially full on the neck and chest. They look much closer to the Pomeranians than the Siberian Huskies. Still, the name Pomsky is a perfect blend of the two names suggesting their mixed breed – the “Pom” from Pomeranians and the “sky” from Husky.

This cutie is a WOLF HYBRID.

I have wanted a wolf of my own ever since I started watching Game of Thones. (Winterfell, here I come!)

More info about Wolf Hybrids:

A Wolf-hybrid can be quite skittish and does not respond well to inanimate objects, fast motion, loud noises, or new people. They require much patience. Training is not for the weak and serious consideration should be given prior to obtaining a wolf-hybrid dog as they require firm, consistent training and ample space to roam. If there's something you find foul and offensive you can bet a wolf dog will roll happily in it and coat themselves in the funk! It is not until a Wolf Hybrid is about 18 months of age, that it will start showing signs of the wolf. Wolfs younger than 18 months of age are adolescents, they are playful and adaptable. They take directions readily and can bond with other species. Young wolves act more like the common dog as they have not developed into maturity. As a wolf grows out of its adolescents, its hormonal system reaches maturity and it will begin to exhibit all of the typical behaviors of the wolf.

Next up is the LABRADOODLE.

The Labradoodle is the first "designer dog" that I had ever heard of, back in the day. So cute.

More info about the Labradoodle:

The Labradoodle is known for its outstanding intelligence and trainability, low allergy coat, low to non-shedding coat and lack of doggie odor. They are slightly heavier than the Standard Poodle with strong front limbs. They are an overall balanced dog with a slightly longer than square build.

The Labradoodle's head is broad and their eyes are large, slightly round and set apart. Their nose is square and large. The tail is like a saber and should be low set.

The Labradoodle is good with children and is easy to train. They get along well with other dogs, are extremely clever, sociable and joyful and quick to learn unusual or special tasks. They are active, a little comical at times and can attempt to outsmart their owners if undisciplined. They are non-aggressive and friendly, although obviously loyal to their own family.

And last, but not least, the PUGGLE!

Shane's brother brought their puggle, Henry over for Christmas 2011 and I could not get enough of the little guy!

More info about the Puggle:

Puggles tend to be between 15 and 30 pounds as an adult, and stand 10 to 15 inches at the shoulders. Puggles are similar in size to their parent breeds, the Pug and Beagle. Puggles can be considered lap dogs because of their relatively small size and demeanor. The head of a first generation Puggle can vary in size and shape. Some Puggles have larger, fuller heads, while others have thinner, smaller heads. Male Puggles are often larger and more muscular then female Puggles.

Puggles are very sweet-tempered and playful. They are energetic, intelligent, and affectionate. A Puggle is a great companion and will bond with you quickly. Puggles like to be in close contact and will follow you around the house. They are also very curious dogs that love to smell new things and find new places to go. They have a great sense of smell and will track scents like the beagle. Puggles are always happy to see you when you return from being away. A proud Puggle will at times prance. To say a Puggle is a social dog is an understatement. They love meeting new dogs at the dog parks or while out on a walk in the neighborhood. Puggles are very friendly and get along with most people. They are good around children, young adults, adults, as well as seniors. Puggles also do good around other pets and around a second or third Puggle.

WITTY WEDNESDAY

2013-03-20T10:20:00.000-05:00

WITTY WEDNESDAY IS BACK IN ACTION!
(I know you missed it, so did I! I mean, come on. Witty Wednesday means I have an excuse to surf Reddit all morning.)

The O.C. Now & Then

2013-03-18T13:39:00.001-05:00

HI all! Hope everyone had a fun and safe St. Patrick's Day. I spent the weekend working and watching The O.C. for the millionth time (my St. Patty's plans fell through at the last second) when I heard Marissa Cooper say something like "This is the last day of 2003" and I realized.... The O.C. started TEN years ago! I feel so damn old.

After I got over that, I did some googling because I was curious what the actors/actresses in the show look like ten years later. I hope you're curious too, because that's what I'm about to show you. Here we go!

The O.C. - Now & Then

First up, of course, is Mischa Barton, who played Marissa Cooper, a teeny tiny troubled teen.

Here she is then...

And then TEN years later.... I think she still looks beautiful, and she looks like she's at a healthier weight than she was ten years ago.

Next up, of course is Ben McKenzie, who played the misunderstood new kid from Chino, Ryan Atwood.

Here he is then......

So mopey. I'm gonna call him Edward Sullen.

And here he is in 2013.... WITH A SMILE!

Next...... freakin' Adam Brody, who plays geeky underdog and Ryan's 'brother'.

Here he is then.......

A bajillion teenaged girl hearts just skipped a beat.

And here he is at Sundance 2013....

Mrrrowwwww! Looking 8 kinds of foxy.

Next, of course, Rachel Bilson, who is his love interest for pretty much the entire series as Summer Roberts.

Here she is then......

A budding style icon...

And here she is now....

A beloved style icon.

And we can't forget Chris Carmack, who played Luke Ward, Marissa's ex-boyfriend and angsty jock.

Here he is then.....

I always hated Luke. One of the reasons being DAT FACE.

And here he is NOW!

Holy Crapola. YOU CAN HAVE MY SOUL.

Now that we've got the basics out there, I thought I'd throw in the Cohen and Cooper parents.....

Here is Peter Gallagher, who I've always had a weird crush on. (Although I always think of him as Buddy Kane from American Beauty) in the O.C., he plays Sandy Cohen, Adam's dad and Ryan's adoptive father.

Here he is then......

tell 'em how it is, Sandy!

And here he is now.....

Mee-ow. A Silver fox. Glad to see those eyebrows haven't gone ANYWHERE.

Now it's time to see Kelly Rowan, who played Sandy's wife Kirsten.

Here she is then.....

And here she is now......

Doesn't look like she's changed much at all, but I chose this picture mainly because she's with Kelly Rutherford, who plays Lily Van Der Woodsen (mom to Blake Lively) on Gossip Girl. I always thought these two were the same person until I started watching The O.C. again. I swear they are twins!! CYLONS!

And we can't forget the Coopers.

Let's take a look at Tate Donovan, who plays Jimmy Cooper, Marissa's dad.

Here he is then.....

And here he is now.....

Another silver fox!!

And Julie Cooper, played by Melinda Clarke

Here she is then.....

And ten years later.....

Not much has changed. Although I do like her hair auburn....