Ooh Leela!

Dog Under my Desk - Giveaway Winner

2013-10-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Congrats Katy! You are the winner of the Sammy Bag PDF sewing pattern! So happy for you! Please email me at oohleela {{at}} gmail {{dot}} com :)

Thanks everyone who entered! XO.

The Sammy bag: a sewing pattern review and giveway

2013-09-24T11:29:00.001-07:00

These days I barely have any time to sew anything for Miss Leela, but when the super talented Erin from Dog Under my Desk announced on her Facebook page that she was doing a blog hop in honor of National Sewing Month, I jumped right in!

And I am glad I did! I la-la-love this bag, and so does Leela! Erin is a genius {{and such a perfectionist, much like yours truly, thank you very much}}. All of her sewing patterns, this dog bag included, are super easy to make and her attention to detail, as well as the tips she shares are truly invaluable.

Leela loves the bag and did not want to come out! It is comfy, padded and warm (and she doesn't even love most bags, so this says a lot!).

Would you like to make one for your ~~pooch~~ furbaby? Read on...

The Sammy bag is perfect for someone with little to no sewing experience. The PDF pattern includes tons of tips, and lots of pictures that explain each and every step. It took me 2 hrs., to complete it.

Some modifications I made:

Instead of a quilting cotton for the exterior/shell, I opted to use a home dec fabric (from JoAnn's)
Because home dec is a bit heavier than regular cotton, I left out the sew-in interfacing. Although the bag looks fine (and stands up on its own), I will definitely use the interfacing (as well as a home dec fabric) next time I make it.
I ran out of batting, and ended up using some fleece instead - it worked out great.
Instead of taping the bag body pieces together, I ended up cutting them as separate pieces, so that I could add that blue band in the middle. To do that, cut both the right and left sides of the bag separately (don't tape the pattern pieces together). Then add 1" to the width of the middle pattern piece, so that it becomes (2 1/4" x 9 1/4"). Then sew the band to both sides of the bag using a 1/4" seam allowance.
The interior fabric is a gorgeous gray chevron fabric, from JoAnn's as well.
I only had 1 yard of the exterior fabric, so I shortened my straps to 36" instead.
I did not have a "sharp/microtex" needle on hand, so I used a size 16 jeans needle. I had no problem.

I really love how it turned out.

Apparently, it doubles as a comfy bed too :)

Wanna win a copy of the Sammy Bag (a dog bag) sewing pattern?

Leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of the Sammy Bag PDF sewing pattern. A winner will be chosen at 12pm PST on 09/29/13. Good luck!!!

Be sure to visit Erin's blog and these lovely ladies, who are also participating in this Blog Hop!

September 16th – Make Me Up Before You Go-Go – Kristen from KD Quilts

September 17th – Daytripper – MaLora Ann from Bird and Bicycle

September 18th – Quick Zip Lunch Bag – Jenn from knit ‘n lit

September 19th – Essential Wristlet – Brooke from Custom Style

September 20th – Notepad Organizers – Natasha from Houseful of Nicholes

September 23rd – Zip & Go – Kristy from St. Louis Folk Victorian

September 24th – Sammy Bag – Isabella from Ohh Leela!

September 25th – Bigger on the Inside Drawstring Backpack – Stacy from Stacy Sews

September 26th – Two Zip – Leila from Three Dresses Project

September 30th – Dog Under My Desk Giveaway Winners!

Give Thanks weekend sale!

2012-11-23T14:42:00.001-08:00

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving? We are grateful for so many things... Treats, squirrels, stuffed mousies, but most importantly.... Our fans!

And in case you are looking for a super pawsome gift for your furbaby... All US orders ship for free and include a free gift! Shop here.

Offer valid until 12am 11/27/12.

Leela's holiday gift guide: cool dog beds

2012-11-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Leela has been talking about Christmas for at least 2 months. I tell ya, that ~~puppy~~, err, baby, loves to shop. And she claims to have been good this year - hah!

She has spent hours upon hours searching the web and has compiled a list with the most "pawsome" dog gifts ever!

Are you a dog mom/dad?
Wanna know what is on my spoiled baby's Christmas wish list?

Awesome! Because we will be sharing it with you over the next few weeks. If Leela had her own credit card, this is what she would buy herself for Christmas.

Leela's holiday gift guide:
comfy & cozy dog beds

Green dog lounger // Chevron

Reversible blue bed // Green bed

Leela's pick: fun handmade halloween costumes for your dog

2012-10-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Moo moo, lion, dinosaur, boo hat, boob scarf,

bloody bandana, Luigi, Harry Pawter,

Waldo, Pirate, SuperDawg, black cat, Bob Marley

With Halloween just around the corner, Leela spent a couple of hours on the inter-webs and rounded up her favorite handmade pet costume ideas.

For all of our readers who love to DIY, I hope this inspires you to create a pawsome costume for your baby.

Have already made/decided on a costume? We would love to see it and hear all about it! Please share it with us in the comments, below.

Have a great day furryends!

Pet wall art, a review and giveaway!!!

2012-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

You know when you come across something that is oh! so cute that makes your heart melt and your brain cells go: I **NEED** to have it? That's exactly how I felt when I came across these custom dog art prints, by Dogs Incorporated.

They are so whimsical and capture the personalities and quirks of each breed perfectly. This one is my favorite (I know, I'm biased tee hee hee):

I love the bright pink in the background and the message - ALL YOU NEED IS SILKY TERRIER LOVE - because let's face it! It is true! There is nothing better than coming home to a puppy who is jumping up and down, with a tail that wags so much it looks just like a motor boat. All that happiness just to greet you, to say: "Mommy, I've missed you." Even if I was gone for only 5 minutes. True story.

Photo courtesy of Dogs Incorporated.

And don't even get me started on that face. It portrays everything Leela is: a little reserved at first, but a quick look at those big brown eyes and you can see just how sweet she truly is. Sassy too. And her little wet nosy! Oh how I feel like biting it sometimes. It is so cute! And they come in different coat colors too, so you can customize it to truly reflect your baby's features.

Now look at this bad boy!

Photo courtesy of Dogs Incorporated.

Melvyn was such a cool dog! I can totally picture him doing that. Listening to some jazz and blues.

Dogs Incorporated offers many different options, and you can shop by breed or by collection. They have over 60 breeds to choose from and each one is cuter than the last.

Photo courtesy of Dogs Incorporated.

They also offer custom pet portraits. You send them a picture of your beloved furryend(s) and their talented graphic artists spend hours dedicated to custom creating your dog portrait through an intricate graphic illustration design process. Made especially for you. Wouldn't it make an awesome Christmas gift? I know 2 grandmas that would love it.

5% of every sale gets donated to worthy animal related causes and efforts, nation-wide.

Gotta love a company that supports animals in need.

Leela and I love our Dogs Incorporated Print and have found the most perfect place to display it in our studio. What do you think?

Wanna make their day? Visit them on Facebook and say hi :)

Giveaway Time!!!

Are you ready for this? Today we are giving you a chance to win your very own 8"x10" print from their "shop by breed" and "shop by collection" lines, brought to you by our sweet furryends at Dogs Incorporated.

There are 4 chances to win. Enter below via Rafflecopter. There are plenty of extra entries for you too! A winner will be selected on Sunday, 10/21/12. Open to US residents only. Good luck efurryone!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Leela and Sebastian go on a 2nd date in San Francisco

2012-10-03T20:38:00.002-07:00

See part 1 of our date here.

Who knew that Baker Beach was such an awesome place??? The ocean breeze, blue sea and beautiful sand made this the perfect and most romantic place for Sebastian and Leela's 2nd date.

And how gorgeous did Sebastian look? In case you wore wondering, he is wearing a collar and neck tie made by his momma and available here). He really went all out to impress my little girl.

And even though it was windy and foggy... The two babies were mesmerized by the beauty and grandiosity of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Afterwards, we all headed to the Ferry Building.

Where we rested and watched humans....

Checked out the cool shops inside the Ferry building...

Photo courtesy: Sew Doggy Style

And grabbed a bite to eat.

We had such a great time acting as tourists in San Francisco. It is such a ~~dog~~ baby friendly place. Sebastian and Leela attracted so much attention. They do look really cute together.

To see more pictures of our wonderful dates, be sure to visit Sebastian's blog.

I also have a big surprise to share with y'all!!! If you follow Ooh Leela! on Facebook, you might already know what it is.... tee hee hee :)

What is your favorite spot to go on a date?

Have a great day sweet furryends!

The cutest, sturdiest dog toy: PrideBites™

2012-09-25T11:42:00.003-07:00

Leela and I spent a week in Vegas, to visit our furryends at Super Zoo, a trade show for people who are in the pet industry: distributors, manufacturers, groomers, shop owners and more.

We had so much fun, made some awesome new furryends and got to see the coolest products ever.

Source

Leela is as particular about her toys as she is her treats. You see, my little lady is picky. Very picky. Or as she puts it: she knows what she likes. period. BOL.

Which is why we were so very impressed when we came across PrideBites™...

Image courtesy of PrideBites™

She normally prefers her stuffed "mousies" (meet Lola, one of her faves), but she absolutely adores her new PrideBites™ toy. How could she not?!? The bright colors are so awesome, they come in different sizes (the small bow is perfect for her size), soft, washable and it squeaks! And you know this momma is happy when she comes across a company that values quality & workmanship as much as I do. These toys are well made folks. Really well made.

How cool is this Glow in the Dark toy? Source.

Made with DuraBite™ fleece, two layers of super durable material, soft foam and encased squeakers, they are durable. I love me some durable toys! Because let's be honest: Leela is not always gentle when it comes to play time. I love it that even after she pulls on it, chews on it, beats it to death, it returns to its original shape.

I also love that I can use it to distract Leela while giving her a bath. It floats! And it doubles as a cool accessory. Trust Leela and her furryonista tendencies!

They current offer 2 lines: PrideBites™ and PrideBites™ Custom. The PrideBites™ consists of 25 different characters made up of animals and symbols. The PrideBites™ Custom line gives a company or retailer the ability to create any PrideBites™ design they want, whether it’s their own logo or their very own dream toy!.

Source

And our absolute favorite reason for supporting these guys? For every toy sold, PrideBites™ donates to animal shelters and other organizations that help dogs in need, through their Buy a Toy, Help Save a Dog program. How cool is that?

You wanna know more, don't cha?

PrideBites™ was founded by 4 furryends who are avid animal lovers. While playing with their dogs, they realized that none of their toys could withstand the rigor of everyday playtime. In their quest for dog toys that would survive hikes up the canyon, muddy park outings, and swimming in the lake, the PrideBite™ was created.

The Pack: Sean, Ting, Steven and Sam, image courtesy of PrideBites™

(Fun fact: Sean secretly told us that he would love to be an invisible bear so he could steal beef jerky from campers in the woods and not get caught - BOL)

To learn more about the PrideBites™ pack & meet their best furryends, click here.

Maybe you can even use it as a Howl-o-ween costume? BOL

If you would like to purchase one of these toys, you can do so on their website (they are back-ordered until mid Oct). For every toy sold on their website they donate $1 towards their social movement, Buy a Toy, Help Save a Dog.

Be sure to enter coupon code "Oohleela" for 10% off!

You can also find them on Facebook, You Tube and Twitter.

Disclaimer: Leela received her toy free of charge, but all opinions are 100% our own and we truly do love this toy!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-08-14T21:35:00.000-07:00

Linking up with BlogPaws.

Leela and Sebastian go on a date

2012-08-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Leela and I met some very spawcial people at BlogPaws this year: Sebastian and his mom Erika, from Sew Doggy Style.

We share so many common interests and we became instant furryends. You see, Sebastian loves fashion just as much as we do and Erika makes beautiful dog apparel and comes up with the most adorable craft tutorials for pets.

They came to visit us this weekend. We had so much fun!!!

Leela spent all day Wednesday licking the floor and putting her toys away. She also made a list of all the places she wanted to show her furryend Sebastian. She was so excited.

Sebastian and his mom arrived Thursday afternoon. Both Moms were a bit stressed out, so the puppies took us out to dinner and watched us chat as we ~~gulped down~~ sipped on a few 'Ritas.

Sebastian says: "Another round?!?"

Then on Friday, with a long list of things we wanted to do and see, and 2 puppies in tow, we decided to head into San Francisco.

First stop: The Presidio. The Presidio happens to be a very dog friendly place, as long as your dog doesn't mind having a messy hair do afterwards. BOL, it is windy.

Both puppies were hoping to take some pictures by the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, but it was covered with the famous San Francisco fog.

Although we only saw a wee piece of the bridge, we did get to see lots of interesting things. Lots of nature mixed with man-made structures and graffiti art. There were lots of places to be sniffed. Divide and conquer we say!

Being able to photograph two adorable puppies made this Mommy so very happy.

Next stop: the beach. Be sure to come back later this week to see the 2nd part of our date. Oh, and don't forget to stop by Sebastian's blog as his Mom took tons of pictures as well. Told you we had a lot in common :)

How was your weekend?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-08-07T21:44:00.002-07:00

May I please have some water now Mommy???

Linking up with BlogPaws.

Leela's taste test: Life's Abundance dog food

2012-08-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

One of the topics we discussed at BlogPaws was pet nutrition. They talked about the importance of being aware of what's in your dog's food, since most dog foods contain a large amount of by-products, fillers and even cancerous animal tissue.

I was like, "no problem! I got this!" I had been using what I thought was one of the safest options available.

I checked the back of the bag as soon as I came home and almost had a heart attack. As it turns out, it wasn't as good as I had thought. Here are 5 things you want to keep in mind when shopping for dog food:

NO Glutens
NO hormones or steroids
NO by-products or chemical preservatives
NO recalls
U.S. ingredients

{{I dare you to check what is in your pet's food (please sit down before doing so, bol). The first 5 ingredients are the most abundant ones, but do read the whole label - for more information about what to look for click here}}

A well balanced, all natural diet is key to a long, healthy life.

Since then I have made a serious effort to improve Leela's diet. I have started cooking her food, and I have also started using Life's Abundance line of dog products.

Life’s Abundance Premium Health Food is veterinarian-formulated with safe and wholesome ingredients, including a blend of vitamins and minerals, high-quality proteins, whole grains, nutritious vegetables and fruits, omega fatty acids, calcium and phosophorus and dietary fibers. Life’s Abundance contains no artificial flavors or colors. And there’s no corn, corn gluten, wheat or wheat gluten.

They get all 4 paws up in our opinion:

1. I don't always have time to cook (even though I would love to). Knowing that I am able to complement Leela's diet with a healthy, wholesome alternative is great.
2. Their customer service is second to none - to keep it fresh, Life’s Abundance is not sold in stores; it is available through distributors who offer personal service. Fifi and Fido is an online distributor of Life’s Abundance. Owner, Dana Mayer provides super helpful tips on her blog and has a Facebook page where she shares holistic wellness tips and answers questions.She went above and beyond and answered all the questions that I had. And I had a lot of questions ;)
3. It costs less than my old brand
4. Mine was shipped as soon as it was made. It doesn't get much fresher than that.
You order online and it ships right to your door.

Here is what I've tried so far:

Leela is a picky eater but she loved her new Premium Health Food from the get go. At first, I mixed 10% of the new food with 90% of her old food (increasing the ratio of new food to old food as the days went by), to avoid upsetting her tummy.

Because of the lack of fillers, the dry food is a super food, which meant she only needed about 1/4 of a cup a day, instead of her usual 2/3 cup.

Wanna compare your brand to Life's Abundance dry food? They have a super cool tool on their site, that allows you to do just that. Here is the comparison chart for Life's Abundance and Wellness (the brand I used prior to making the switch). Cheaper and healthier? We'll take it!

I have also been giving Leela their Skin & Coat supplement. I have noticed that her hair is no longer matting like it used to. And her doggy scent has been a bit more pleasant. tee hee.

She also loves her new training treats. Maybe she will even learn a few new tricks? BOL

The result?

Leela says it is chop licking worthy!!!

Is there a particular all-natural dog product that you use and recommend? Let us know in the comments!

**Just so you know, I received all products free of charge, but all opinions are 100% my own.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-07-31T21:22:00.001-07:00

Shopping at the Dollar Store.

Linking up with BlogPaws.

Screen printing with freezer paper stencils, a tutorial by Ooh Leela!

2012-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

We prepared this tutorial to share with our friends at Sew Doggy Style, in honor of National Craft for your Local Shelter Day.

Freezer paper stenciling is so freaking addictive! You can use it to print shapes, text, and pretty much anything. Speaking of text, we thought it would be a great idea to add an “ADOPT ME” sign to the bandanas we donated to our local shelter.

Here is what you will need:

Freezer paper (found mine at Safeway)

Exacto knife

Pattern/sign (download here)

Fabric paint (I like Tulip fabric paints)

Paintbrush

Cut one 8.5”x11” piece of freezer paper (so you can run it through your printer). Print sign on the dull side of the freezer paper (ignore the shiny side for now).

Using an exacto knife, cut the image out being careful not to cut anything besides just the image. Any cracks or extra cuts in the paper will allow paint to seep through. Be sure to save the inside of the letters A, D, O and P. You will need them too.

Iron the stencil (shiny side down) onto your fabric.

This is where the magic happens. The shiny side becomes sticky with heat. Make sure you iron around all the edges of your stencil, so as to create a good seal. You don’t want paint seeping through. The trick here is to use low heat and make sure that the iron doesn’t touch the shiny side, or else it will lose its sticky-ness. Believe me, been there, done that.

Using a paintbrush, paint over the stencil. Use painter’s tape (like me), if you need to cover any additional areas. It is better to use a light coat of paint. Too much paint will cause the stencil to unstick and you will not get a crisp image. If you end up using more than one coat of paint, make sure you let it dry in between coats.

Let paint dry or if you are impatient like me, get the big gun out: use your blow drier to speed up the process. Oh yeah!!!

When the pain is dry, peel off the freezer paper (like a band-aid). Make sure you heat set your ink, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. **this step is really important otherwise the ink will fade when you wash the bandana.

Voila! The screen printing part of the process is done. Mind you, you can turn this into just about anything. But we decided to turn it into a bandana, using one of these tutorials.

Oh, and instead of tying the ends, we decided to add a snap.

Then if you have a cute little baby (no she is not a dog), ask her to model it for you. Warning: treats may be needed. Lots of it.

Got questions? Leave us a comment!

What sort of interesting projects have you been working on lately?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-07-25T07:24:00.002-07:00

Linking up with BlogPaws

National Craft for your Local Shelter Day

2012-07-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Our furryends Sebastian and Erika from Sew Doggy Style came up with a great idea: National Craft for your Local Shelter Day.

"What is National Craft for your Local Shelters Day?

It is a day set aside to recognize that we can give back to our local shelters in a crafty way. This includes making beds, toys, vests and bandanas that say "adopt me," leashes, and sew much more. What better way to give back to a shelter than the best way you know how - and for us, it's crafting." Erika Lindquist, from Sew Doggy Style

This year, National Craft for your Local Shelters Day took place on July 21st. We had the pleasure of joining Sebastian, his Mommy Erika and their beautiful friends in Fresno, CA.

And this is Sebastian, the day after the party. Isn't he one of the most adorable doggies?

Photo by Sew Doggy Style

We made lots of pet-friendly items that will be donated to homeless pets living in 8 different shelters in the Fresno area. The hand painted ceramic bowls, bandanas and braided toys were very colorful and said Adopt Me, so we hope that they attract more people who are willing to adopt a dog or kitty.


Photo by Laura, from The Peculiar Palette

We even made the news! ABC 30 News stopped by.

As Erika put it, "not everyone can write a check in this tough economy, but everyone can help."

National Craft for your Local Shelters Day may be over, but the folks at Sew Doggy Style are still celebrating. They are hosting the most amazing giveaways on their blog this week. Be sure to check it out here.

Apart from the awesome ladies who came to the party on Saturday, lots of bloggers around the country signed up as well, such as these guys, this guy and this adorable little guy.

Thanks Erika and Sebastian for organizing such an amazing {and successful} event!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-07-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Linking up with BlogPaws.

All natural dog ice cream recipe

2012-07-17T15:31:00.001-07:00

I am not a big fan of the heat. There, I said it. I do love the sun, but as long as the temps are not greater than 70-75 degrees. Leela gets very lethargic in the summer. She sleeps even more, if that is even possible. So to cheer the poor pup up, I made this super simple, yet delicious, mango ice cream recipe, that is a perfect treat for dogs and humans alike.

Step 1: peel mangoes, remove pit and dice it.

Step 2: freeze it overnight.

Step 3: using food processor (or a blender on steroids), blend mango cubes until smooth (30 seconds or so). Because we used frozen mango cubes, the consistency is very similar to that of a sorbet.

Simple, right? Well, not if you have a little princess at home, who likes her food served in the finest of china...

And on a very cute {{custom made}} dog bowl mat. If your furry companion is anything like mine, you know she is the pack leader and that you were put on this Earth to spoil her rotten.

Once everything looks perfect and extra cute, call her.

Then sit back and watch her enjoy her sweet treat.

Leela's note: the possibilities are endless: store leftovers in an ice tray to create flavored ice cubes. Because mangoes are naturally sweet, there is no need to add any sugar, making this a low-calorie, all natural treat. If frozen, it will last up to a week. Mangoes are harmless to dogs, as long as the pit is removed. And as with everything else in life,enjoy it in moderation.

Do you have any fun summer recipes you would like to share?

Business Tips: how to create a blog button using PicMonkey

2012-07-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, you will need to figure out how large/small you want your blog button/badge to be. If you are going to display it on your blog, make sure that it is not wider than your sidebar width. I won't get into how to determine the size of your sidebar, because that varies from platform to platform. For the purposes of this tutorial, let's go with what I use on my blog, which is 200x100.

Open PicMonkey. Click on Create a Collage:

Go to layout:

Click on ducks in a row

Choose the 2 cell layout, and delete one of the cells.

Unlock proportions (padlock sign) and enter 200x100.

Click on the color palette to edit the background color. Save file.

Go back to PicMonkey. Click on edit a photo.

Upload the "collage" you have just created. Using PicMonkey's photo editing tools, you can add text, texture, shapes, borders:

And even insert your own picture (click on shapes - see above, then on "YOUR OWN"):

And VOILA: your very own blog button. Both the text and dog paws were created using PicMonkey's tools. I inserted Ooh Leela!'s logo using the "add your own picture" feature.

Can't wait to see what you come up with :)

Wanna add Leela's face to your blog? Use the HTML code below.

Adapted from one of Kelly Designs' original tutorials. Original file may be found here.

To see all the business topics we have covered in the past click here.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-07-11T10:21:00.003-07:00

Linking up with BlogPaws.

Celebrating the 4th of July

2012-07-05T15:31:00.000-07:00

Did you have as much fun as we did celebrating 4th of July this year? We sure hope so!

At first we were not too sure about this whole "let's have a holiday on a Wednesday" thing, because that feels pretty darn weird. Work, Work, Take it easy, Work and Work. Please tell us we are not alone?!?

Well, our day started out pretty slow... It took some of us ages to get out of bed....

Some of us got all dressed up to go to our city's 4th of July art fair.

Outfit by Ooh Leela!

A certain dad and puppy team had to wait for a certain mommy, who takes furrrrever to get ready. Or so it seems.

Then a certain daddy kept falling behind, so he had to be pulled. Really hard.

Our on way downtown, we saw a beautiful classic car. Daddy pointed out it is a 69 GTO.

Once we got there, mommy admired all of the street vendors and their beautiful handmade products....

We met one of the most adorable and playful English bulldog puppies ever. We exchanged numbers {{giggles}}

We also met some really quiet dogs. Boy, they can sit still! We watched them for a good 10 mins and they did not even blink.... They looked like they belonged in "Dogs in Black"

After walking around and making new furryends....

We decided to head home. A certain puppy had so much fun, that daddy was the one pulling the leash this time around.... But truth be told, I think she was just waiting for mommy...

How did you spend your Fourth of July?

On our blogging hiatus

2012-07-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes taking a break is a good thing. While it may not work for everyone, we can truly say that it is exactly what we needed. Sometimes, when life happens, it is just hard to keep up with everything, and although we have missed our blog friends so very much, we did not want to post stuff just because....

Leela and I used this time away to get in touch with our inner selves, re-energize ourselves and most importantly, to re-focus. So while this post is a long one, we could not possibly move forward without sharing how we got to this point.

We started Ooh Leela!™ in November of 2010. Back then, we were selling dish towels, coffee sleeves and coffee mixes. Naturally, we thought the next step was to start a blog, to create a place to document our creative journey that would also help us generate traffic to our shop. That is how this space came to be. Over the years, I have used it to document a little bit of everything, tutorials, cross stitch templates, recipes, business tips, etc etc etc.

There were months where I blogged a lot. Other months not so much. I never wanted it to feel like a job, so there was never any discipline or structure in place. Essentially, I blogged when I felt like it.

When we made the switch to dog apparel last year, I truly understood what passion is all about. Although I love embroidery, dish towels, sleeves, etc, creating unique items for dogs and animals fulfills me in a way I never thought possible. I think about Ooh Leela!™ 24x7. I dream about new products and designs... About color & fabric combinations. About my customers' faces when they open one of our packages.

I feel happy, content, and finally that I am where I was always meant to be.

While we were having a blast creating screen printed shirts, collar blings and beds, I felt very lost as far as the blog was concerned. I had developed a following and was worried that the content I was compelled to write about would no longer interest them.

So I tried to stick to the same topics I had been writing about in the past, but it was no longer a true reflection of where my heart was at, or the direction I was going.

If felt as though the blog had become its own entity and was no longer connected to my shop, which is such a big part of my life.

It was hard to keep up with 2 very distinct things. Because of this disconnect, we no longer enjoyed blogging, and when I am not happy, it shows. If you are not going to give something your very best, why do it at all? Thus our little blogging hiatus.

Here is what we have been up to over the past 2 months (more on each of these things soon):

We have launched a 4th of July line.


Reversible tank top for dogs, in red


Reversible dog tank, in white and blue

{{Did you know that Leela and I design all of our patterns, and make each one of our items? It may take us extra time, but at least you will know that your furry friend is wearing something that is truly unique.}}

We went to Oregon.

We attended Blog Paws, in Salt Lake City, UT.

We worked on custom orders {have we mentioned how much we LOVE custom orders???}

We have made lists (in Excel, obviously - nerd alert ;), and a plan we are comfortable sticking to.

Most importantly, we got our groove back.

We've decided to write about things that truly reflect who we have become, even if it means that the overall direction of the blog will change a bit.

So what does this mean my dear friends? It means that we are ready to give this whole blogging thing a try again! Hey, we have truly missed it!

For those of you who have been with us for some time, I invite you to stay. We will still have lots of fun, I promise!

For those of you who have just joined us, welcome! We will have lots of animal related projects, articles, fashion tips, travel tips and recipes.

Have you ever had to take a break from doing something you love? How did you deal with it?

TGIF Favorites

2012-04-27T11:48:00.000-07:00


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Hey everyone! Happy Friday! Leela and I have been super busy working on some really cute new pieces. We simply can't wait to share them with you. Since we design our own patterns, it has been quite a challenge getting them just right. I am not going to lie. It has been a lot of going back and forth and then back to the drawing board again. But we are making progress, and that is what matters.

Lisa Leonard shared some invaluable tips on how to stop playing that famous guilt game. I can totally relate to her, even though I don't have any kids of the human kind yet.

I am such a Social Media Junkie! I can spend hours and hours on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn... You name it! I love it. With free time being so limited and precious lately, why not use these platforms a bit smarter?

I love everything that Mollie from Wild Olive makes. Especially these cute speech bubble printables.

Have you ever been touched by love? Such an amazing and inspirational story.

A DIY bracelet roundup? Yes please :) I love the woven t-shirt ones!

What have you been up to lately?

TGIF Favorites

2012-04-20T09:38:00.001-07:00

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Boy, time does go by super fast when you are having fun, huh? It is Friday already! Have you had a nice week? Leela and I have been working non-stop on some new patterns and a new collection that we hope to launch before summer comes around.

Speaking of summer, this very talented photographer captured some very precious moments.

Leela spent a few hours on the inter webs yesterday and she came across these boots. Seriously rad!

This video brought tears to my eyes. Talk about motivation and persistence. Sometimes you just have to focus on your passion and the rest will come.

Craft Hope has just announced its new project. Check it out.

Are you a Ooh Leela!™ fan on Facebook yet? Did you see we added a new cover photo yesterday? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Friday Friends,

Easter project: no-sew bunny ears for your pet - a tutorial by Ooh Leela!

2012-04-07T11:02:00.001-07:00

Hippity hoppity, Easter's on its way!

Have you ever come across anything cuter than a puppy wearing bunny ears?Ok, maybe you have, but you have got to agree that this is pretty darn cute!

This is a super easy, no-sew project, that you will be able to finish in just a few minutes! Such an appropriate last minute Easter project, dontcha think?

1. Supplies & tools: white felt, pink felt, elastic, fur trim (sold by the yard, in the trim/ribbon section at Joann), fabric marker, hot glue gun, needle and thread (optional). 2. Mark your pieces, according to the template, using your fabric marker. 3. Using template, cut 2 pattern pieces "A" of fur trim, 2 pattern pieces "A" of white felt, 2 pattern pieces "B" of pink felt and 2 pattern pieces "C" of white felt. 4. Glue the back o pattern piece "A" - fur to pattern piece "A" - felt.

5. Glue pattern piece "B" to the furry part of the ears. 6. Add glue & pinch ear as show in the picture. 7. Using pattern as a guide, make two 0.5" cuts to 1 of the pattern pieces "C" (the other "C" piece should remain intact). 8. Insert bunny ears in pattern piece "C."

9. Glue (or sew) elastic to pattern piece "C" (the one without the cuts). The length of the elastic will depend on the size of your pet's head. 10. Glue both pattern pieces "C" together, making sure the elastic ends are "sandwiched" between both pieces. Ta-da - done!

Sit back and look at your pet. Warning: your heart might melt. Take lots and lots of pictures. Do post them on our Facebook wall!

Happy Easter friends! May the Easter Bunny bring you lots and lots of chocolate! Oh, and don't forget to take a moment to think about the true meaning of Easter.

XO's!