I'm happy that we decided to attend a pre-season game and got to see what we now realize were Tedy's final moments of playing at home in Foxboro. I'm still working on downloading pictures from that game on August 20th, but I'll share this one for now...
We'll miss you Tedy...
Attention early holiday shoppers... it is time to get your tail wagging! Planet Dog offers socially responsible products for shoppers looking for meaningful gifts this holiday season, including durable Orbee-Tuff toys and soft, squeaky toys for dogs of all sizes, as well as a new line of organic t-shirts for dog lovers. Every item in the holiday collection is a gift that gives back and features an attached gift tag proclaiming the recipient a Lucky Dog for receiving a product that supports service dogs programs and people in need.
The Orbee-Tuff Snowball is a 2 ½” winter-white ball that won’t melt in Fido's mouth like your typical snowball! It rates 5 out of 5 chompers on Planet Dog's Chew-O-Meter scale and 8 paws up by our guest testers, Gretchen and Sissy.
As soon as the girls' Mom unpacked the Snowball, Gretchen snatched it up, tags and all, and sprinted onto the bed to love it all by herself. Sissy later found it unattended and promptly took it outside for some play time. Chan thinks that the funky, dimpled ball shape aided in allowing the Snowball to be a toy that little Gretchen could really fit into her mouth and tote around - she loves it.
My own pack tested out The Gingerbread Buddy, a soft and sweet guy with a jolly ‘ol squeak. Standing at 10” tall, this toy is just right for medium to large dogs who love to have a buddy around at all times. Gingie, as we've nicknamed him in our house, is made of super-soft fleece with a double-bellow squeaker for a cozy snuggle under the tree or a very satisfying, squeaky chew.
If you can't tell by the pictures, Sophie truly has a new best friend in Gingie! The toy has been in our house for a few weeks now and she still regularly reaches for Gingie and totes her all around the house. So far the squeaker is holding up too - which is a rare instance in our house!
In addition to the wonderful toys for your pooch, Planet Dog offers some great gifts for “green dog lovers," including a new line of eco-friendly T-shirts. Each is printed in the U.S.A. with earth-safe, phthalate-free inks after being made in India in a factory that operates with partial wind and solar power. The 100% certified organic short-sleeved shirts are as soft as a puppy's ears and meet the Global Organic Textile Standard. I recently tested out the "reduce. reuse. rewoof" women's shirt and can attest to the great comfort of this shirt! However, I wouldn't wear it unless you want lots of lookers who'll glance and give a little laugh or smile... its definitely got a major cuteness factor going on!
I arrived home to find a big box from one of my favorite publishers on my doorstep yesterday, so stay tuned for some not-to-miss reviews including Nicky Epstein's new book Knitting a Kiss in Every Stitch ... Cardigans by Louisa Harding ... The Joy of Sox ... Aware Knits: Knit & Crochet Projects for the Eco-Conscious Stitcher ... and perhaps the most intriguing, Noro: Meet the Man Behind the Legendary Yarn * Knit 40 Fabulous Designs!
My new motto: Have Hermosa, will travel! Seriously, this bag is big and if you've got lots of stuff to tote, Hermosa is for you! She is the largest handbag in Namaste's growing collection and truly has it all - including lots of pockets! The interior features 2 open-top pockets on one side and a zippered pocket on the other. The exterior features a front pouch with 2 separate zipped compartments, a rear open-top document pocket and two side pockets - one open-top for a water bottle and one that closes shut with a fold-down snap. You will not be longing for space or pockets with Hermosa, you're only question will be "now which pocket did I put my tape measure in???" I love the fact that I can place a magazine or pattern in the rear extreior pocket without having to fold it or worry that it'll get mangled in the main compartment. And, did I mention there's a water bottle pocket on the side, which means you can keep it away from your knitting? I'm thinking the other side pocket just might be perfect for dog treats...
Made of the PVC-free, animal friendly faux leather that Namaste fans have come to know and love, Hermosa has a very solid construction, allowing the bag to actually stands up on its own with 5 metal feet on the bottom. There are 3 heavy duty magnets to keep the top closed and the drop handles are the perfect length at 10.5 inches. My only slight complaint (if you can call it that) was the protective plastic over the metal parts where the straps attach did such a great job that it was a little difficult to get completely off.
Besides toting around your current WIP (or five) or heading off to fill her up with purchases at the nearest fiber show, Hermosa also makes a perfect weekend getaway tote. She'd even be perfect for airplane travel, except that you really can't squash the top down to fit it under the seat in front of you (you'd have to put her in the overhead compartment) - for that purpose, I would probably choose Hermosa's sister Laguna.
Hermosa is currently available in 6 fabulous colors: Black, Eggplant, Olive, Peacock, Red and Saddle. She measures an astounding 18" wide x 14" high x 7" long.
Namaste recently released new sizes of two old favorites! I'm super happy to report that the Oh Snaps! are now available in larger sizes! Sold in a set of 2, the XL measures 14" long x 10" high and the XXL measures: 15.5" long x 13" high. I've been using my smaller Oh Snaps! often to house small WIPs as well as notions and other items I want to keep handy in my bag. It certainly makes changing bags quick and painless when you're most needed items are all corralled together in these easy to grab mesh bags! The new XL and XLL sizes are big enough to house your patterns or larger WIPs.
With the second old favorite, Namaste chose to go smaller as opposed to bigger by offering a Mini Clutch (see top photo). About half the size of the original Clutch, the chic and adorable Mini features a detachable shoulder strap, making carrying a breeze. One side folds out to reveal 2 interior snap-top pockets (great for crochet hooks, scissors, pens, or other small items), while the main compartment features credit card slots and a zippered pocket. The Mini Clutch is available in 5 of Namaste's signature colors: Black, Eggplant, Olive, Peacock and Saddle and measures 8" wide x 5.5" long.
CONTEST! How would you like to win a Namaste Cozy in the Peacock color? To enter, simply leave a comment here telling me what your favorite review(s) of mine has been thusfar and if it influenced you to purchase that item (if your comment doesn't automatically link to your blog or email, please be sure to include a means of contact in case you win). Deadline to enter is Monday, August 31 at midnight. Winner will be selected by random number generator.
Zeus says he must've been too busy watching football to pose with a hat...
Sophie reminding everyone to "adopt not shop" and working on stealing that wubba... 
He waddled his way around to be as close to Mommy as possible the day after, even though he should've stayed in bed. I placed one of the dog beds in the hallway between the bedroom and living room so he could stay close to either room without moving... I'll never forget when I looked over shortly after to find that Teutul had started bringing his big brother lots of toys to try to cheer him up!
Handsome Dan goes home
By law, the screening process is super intense for this group of dogs—way beyond the already detailed adoption process at Best Friends. For any Vicktory dog, there’s a huge checklist to go through, including background checks and everything. Says adoption coordinator Kristi Litrell, "I do have to admire anyone who goes through all this!"
You can find the full story and more pictures here.
Sophie & Zeus ~ "Mom... its hot... we don't like it!"
Sophie showing her dog lobster days of summer spirit...
The heat and humidity seem to have gone away today and we're expecting "fall-like" temps through the weekend... woo hoo!
I stopped on my way to work Monday morning to help this
A couple weeks ago I was out shopping and noticed an icky cobweb on my back windshield wiper that had what I thought was a dead ladybug attached. I was on my lunch hour and in a hurry, so I just left it. When I got home later that evening, I went to clean it off and noticed the lady bug's legs were moving. So of course, what else does this rescuer do but, well... rescue.
Yes, that's right... I can now add Lady Bug to my list of rescues! I very carefully removed it from the web and set it down, only to realize it really couldn't move with pieces of web stuck on its body. So, again carefully, I picked it up and began working to remove all traces of the cobweb... and am happy to report the little guy fluttered off happily!
On a sadder note, I went downstairs to the basement last night and found 2 tiny dead field mice (yes, we get the field mice in our basement/garage... usually not when its this warm out however). To those who'll think negatively of me, please forgive the photos, but I wanted to show just how tiny they were. This is the first one I found...
After I removed this one, I went back to get what I originally went down for and discovered another who was not at all in photographic condition. I suspect they were either stillborn or died shortly after birth. Sadly, there was no rescuing possible with these furry ones...
